Chapter 1048: Preparing Explosives

Because the outer perimeter of Northern District One is enclosed by a four-and-a-half-meter-tall iron mesh wall, it is considered the safest among Hui Three-Four's territories. The last time the safe zone increased the manpower for the territory danger-inspection teams, Northern District One received the fewest troops.

After the reinforcement, Northern District Three — separated from Northern District One by a stretch of ruined town and with a total area half that of Northern District One — now has an inspection team on par with Northern District One.

Of course, the weapons and equipment of District One's inspection team are superior to those of District Three. This was one of the conditions Yang Jin negotiated with the base commander last year when he turned in the high-Yi elemental spinach seeds.

But Northern District Three calling for help is Northern District Three's business. Xia Qing is the disaster-relief commander of Northern District One's territory. With her own plate full, she cannot divert her limited inspection team forces to support Northern District Three.

No one who has survived to Year Eleven of the Calamity is a fool. Xia Qing refused without even asking for details, which meant there was no room for negotiation. Luan Jun immediately hung up and reported the emergency to the base commander's office, requesting that the base send troops or dispatch a combat squad for support.

After hanging up, Xia Qing went from the north gate to the south gate of Center Nine, enduring her headache, to check on the barrier trench and the coverage of the Calamity Grass along the central corridor.

The 2,000-meter corridor between Center Nine and southern Territory Twelve has already been tightly covered with rainproof cloth, and the barrier trench construction is past halfway. The 2,000-meter corridor between eastern Territories Ten and Thirteen has also been fully covered. The workers Tang Heng sent to support Territory Ten are working alongside Shi Du and his mother to speed up construction, digging the southern barrier trench of Territory Ten. Across the way, Territory Thirteen also has a person stationed every few meters, rushing to complete construction.

Further east, the corridor section adjacent to Territories Fourteen and Sixteen still has uncovered Calamity Grass, glaringly conspicuous. Xia Qing pressed the walkie-talkie button and quickened her pace toward it. "Ceng Quan, why hasn't the Calamity Grass in the corridor between Territories Fourteen and Sixteen been covered yet?"

Ceng Quan, squad leader of the Fourth Squad responsible for danger inspection of Territories 11–18, immediately reported, "The two territories don't have enough rainproof cloth in reserve. We've applied to borrow from Center Nine and Territory Twelve; it'll arrive within five minutes."

One piece of rainproof cloth is 165 meters long and 7 meters wide. Covering a 5-meter-wide, 2,000-meter-long corridor requires 12 pieces. But because coverage wasn't timely, the Calamity Grass between Territories Fourteen and Sixteen has rapidly spread into the territories, and the covered width has already exceeded 10 meters. At least 24 pieces of rainproof cloth are needed to fully cover the Calamity Grass area, so reserves must be borrowed from other territories.

"Copy that."

After replying, Xia Qing sped up to catch up with four workers from Center Nine carrying two large bundles of rainproof cloth, took the bundles in both hands, and sprinted at full speed toward the uncovered Calamity Grass area. "Full speed ahead."

The four workers froze for a beat, then followed the director at full speed toward the emergency site.

After the two bundles — ten pieces of rainproof cloth in total — were delivered, Xia Qing, together with the inspection team members here and the personnel from Center Nine and Territory Seventeen who had come to help, spread out the rainproof cloth and covered the Calamity Grass, which was already blooming with clusters of small purple-black flowers in the fine rain.

Through her high-definition low-light night-vision goggles, Xia Qing could see the insects of various sizes — drawn by the scent of the purple-black flowers — fighting beneath the Calamity Grass. Her heart sank. "Third Brother, the Calamity Grass in the eastern section of the central corridor has bloomed. The flower color is purple-black, and a large number of insects are gathering under the grass. Please prepare some scent-isolation agents that can be used in Calamity Rain as soon as possible."

Zhang San replied, "Already preparing. In ten minutes, I'll have the inspection team come collect the medicine. Once the red Calamity Rain ends, we'll spray it immediately."

"Copy that. Thanks for your hard work, Third Brother." Once the rain stops, the scent will spread rapidly through the air, so the medicine must be applied right away.

"Sister Qing, are the other areas covered?" After the rainproof cloth was laid, Wen Nengjie, who had come to help, rushed to Xia Qing's side to make his presence felt.

Xia Qing nodded. "All covered. Is the barrier trench in Brother Jie's territory dug?"

"Dug it. We've got plenty of people." After saying that, Wen Nengjie pointed at the wild-grass wall of Territory Fourteen and lowered his voice. "The ones surnamed Yan are on the north side, the ones surnamed Feng on the south side. They only came out after you gave the order."

Wen Nengjie had been hanging around the 1–10 territory lord group long enough to have long sensed that Xia Qing and Territory Fourteen didn't get along, so he never had anything to do with Territory Fourteen. He came out to help because of Territory Sixteen's request.

Xia Qing nodded. "If you're not busy, Brother Jie, bring your people and follow me into Territory Fourteen?"

"Not busy!" Wen Nengjie immediately let out a whistle, called over the seven brothers he'd brought out, and followed Xia Qing as they charged into Territory Fourteen with great momentum.

Inside Territory Fourteen, Ceng Quan was leading six inspection team members and over a dozen people who had come to help, digging trenches and stuffing in rainproof cloth at full strength.

Feng Wen, who had been standing to the side with one hand on her hip and the other holding a shovel for show, saw Xia Qing arrive and immediately gripped the shovel with both hands to dig.

Xia Qing raised her hand and pointed ahead. "Brother Jie, you guys go that way and dig at full strength. After the disaster, the labor costs will be paid by Territory Fourteen."

"You got it!" Thinking he was following Xia Qing to fight and teach Yan Meng and Feng Wen a lesson, Wen Nengjie didn't hesitate, grabbed his shovel, and led his brothers to join the trench-digging crew.

After checking on Territory Sixteen's construction progress over the walkie-talkie, Xia Qing picked up a shovel lying nearby and started digging.

Seeing that Xia Qing, now a commander, was personally digging trenches, Feng Wen froze for a beat and quickly moved toward her. But waddling along with her belly, she couldn't move any faster than Xia Qing was digging, and couldn't catch up at all.

Ten minutes later, the barrier trench in Territory Fourteen was finished and stuffed with torn rainproof cloth. Xia Qing handed the shovel to an inspection team member, gave Ceng Quan a few instructions, turned, and left.

"Xia Qing." Feng Wen, who had finally caught up, called out to Xia Qing. When her protective mask turned toward her, Feng Wen hurriedly pointed at the dozen-meter gap between the barrier trench and the rainproof cloth and asked, "The aggressive Calamity Grass poking out of this uncovered area — should it be pulled out?"

"Ceng Quan, pass it along one more time." Xia Qing finished speaking and turned to sprint off at full speed.

"Yes!"

Ceng Quan turned to look at Feng Wen, his tone sharp. "I've already said it twice in the 11–18 territory lord channel! Calamity-evolved herbaceous plants that reproduce rapidly through their root systems can only be dealt with by completely pulling out the roots — otherwise the remaining roots will quickly reproduce during Calamity Rain, and in extreme cases could evolve again, pushing the danger level even higher. The upcoming red-level Calamity Rain is exactly such an extreme case. Territory Fourteen lord Yan Meng replied 'copy that' in the lord channel. He didn't tell you?"

Feng Wen's face darkened. She had called out to Xia Qing hoping to say a few words and ease the tension between them, but had run straight into the line of fire. "Territory Fourteen only has one walkie-talkie. Yan Meng took it to patrol the territory. I heard the loudspeaker broadcast and came straight over."

Ceng Quan glanced at her visibly swollen belly and said nothing more. "I'll leave two inspection team members to monitor Calamity Grass spread in this area. You can return to the safe zone. If any uncontrollable risk occurs within the territory, report it immediately."

"Xia Qing." Xin Yu's cool, clear voice came through the 1–10 territory lord channel.

Xia Qing, who had already sprinted back to Center Nine, pressed the walkie-talkie button. "I'm here."

"The beast tide from the western Evolution Forest is growing in scale. It has now reached Mountain Zone Forty-Four, still heading east. Visual estimate puts the number of medium and large animals at over 300."

Xia Qing pressed the walkie-talkie button. "Copy that. Keep monitoring. Captain Hu."

In Territory Three, Hu Zifeng pressed the walkie-talkie button. "Here."

"Prepare explosives. Get the helicopter ready for takeoff. If the beast tide reaches Mountain Forty-Eight and is still heading east, use explosives to eliminate the large out-of-control animals in the tide."

Even if the iron mesh wall of Northern District One is electrified, it can't hold back a beast tide charging at full speed. Using explosives to blow up the large animals in the tide — even if it can't break up the charging out-of-control beasts — can at least reduce the impact force they exert on Northern District One's iron mesh wall.

In red-level Calamity Rain, it's too risky to use machine guns to clear the large animals in the beast tide, because the gunfire could very likely trigger a Calamity Detonation, destroying the aircraft and killing the crew.

Dropping explosives will definitely trigger a Calamity Detonation, but as long as the flight altitude and speed are sufficient, the helicopter won't be caught in the blast.