Chapter 1083: Come to the Feast

After admiring the Yishi, Xia Qing skillfully disassembled the two pistols she had collected today.

After carefully examining the rifling, springs, and slide of the pistols, she found that the key components were not heavily worn, indicating that neither pistol had fired more than 800 rounds—they were about seventy percent new. Though these guns couldn't compare to her own pistol, they had the advantage of being compact and suitable as self-defense weapons. Ordinary people couldn't access special channels and simply couldn't buy weapons of this caliber.

Additionally, the serial numbers on the slides had been filed off, indicating these two pistols had shady origins. Either they were snatched from wanderers or bought through underground channels.

To use these two pistols within the territory, she'd need to ask a professional—Lord Huo Lei—to erase all identifying marks on the guns and then age the exterior.

Xia Qing wasn't short on guns. After the marks were dealt with, she planned to trade these two pistols to Yuan Yan and Zhao Ze.

Yuan Yan and Zhu Li had been accompanying allies on missions more frequently. Kuang Qingwei had helped Zhu Li buy a pistol, but Yuan Yan was still using a homemade gun.

Zhao Ze, as the construction project supervisor for the territory alliance, also frequently went out on missions. He too carried a homemade gun and needed to upgrade his equipment.

Of course, Xia Qing was only proposing a trade. If the two of them were reluctant to spend their points, Xia Qing would ask other allies—good goods never lacked buyers.

The confiscated homemade gun bullets had no markings whatsoever. Bullets of this quality could be made by Lord Huo Lei himself, so Xia Qing handed them directly to Lord Huo Lei to sell through his channels.

The next day, before Xia Qing could contact Lord Huo Lei, Tang Huai came online. "Xia Qing, have you finished weeding your greenhouse?"

Xia Qing hadn't been in the territory yesterday. Chang Li had handled the lords' inquiries on her behalf, so the allies all assumed Xia Qing had spent the day weeding in the territory.

Because herbicides couldn't be used, weeds in the farmland had to be removed by hand. This was one of those never-ending tasks in the territory—wild grasses were tenacious and grew back batch after batch.

Xia Qing pressed the walkie-talkie button and answered calmly, "Not yet."

Unlike other lords, Xia Qing never complained that weeding was tedious and troublesome. She enjoyed weeding, enjoyed the neat, clean farmland left behind after the weeds were pulled.

Every time she returned from a mission, took off the bloodstained and filthy Level-4 or special protective outdoor gear, and changed into light clothes to weed in the greenhouse, it wasn't labor to Xia Qing—it was enjoyment.

The more missions she went on, the more Xia Qing loved her territory. Only by staying in the territory could she truly relax and enjoy life.

It was still early now—not a good time to go out visiting Lord Huo Lei, nor to head to Mountain Fifty. So Xia Qing was squatting in the flower-scented planting greenhouse pulling weeds.

Once she finished weeding this greenhouse and gave it a thorough disinfection, she could "trade" with Territory One for the Green Light bees.

Tang Huai told Xia Qing some great news. "The dairy cow will be delivered at 11 a. m. today. Is your cowshed ready? If not, the cow can stay at my place for now."

Xia Qing immediately pressed the button. "It's ready."

Xia Qing's home already had a sheep shed. As long as she moved the hay inside to the rack-building warehouse, it could be used to raise the cow.

Hearing that the dairy cow was coming, the allies who had long been looking forward to this day immediately erupted in excitement.

Qi Fu came online. "Brother Huai, which gate will the cow come through? Will the sheep be delivered at the same time?"

Tang Huai replied, "Delivered together. The application is for entry through the East Gate."

Tan Qi immediately came online. "I'll go stake out the place after 10. I'll let everyone know when I see the truck bringing the cows in."

Little Shiyi, who was weeding alongside Tan Qi, looked up with bright eyes. "Sister Tan Qi, can I come with you? I've never seen a live dairy cow before."

She had only seen them in books. Dairy cows were black and white—a coat color that would easily be spotted by predators in the Evolution Forest. Keeping them in the territory was somewhat safer, but they still had to watch out for raptors circling overhead. If Auntie Qing needed, she could go over and help watch the dairy cow for free.

"I've never seen one either. Let's go together!" After Tan Qi finished speaking, she heard everyone on the channel already scrambling to reserve Green Light calves and lambs. She hurriedly pressed the button. "Sister Qing, Brother Huai, I want Green Light calves and lambs too. Market-price trade."

No matter when the trade could happen, she had to get in line first. According to alliance rules, if many people wanted to trade for the same item, lots would be drawn to decide. Since moving to live in the territory, Tan Qi's luck had become especially good—she should be able to draw one of the top spots.

What put a stop to this scramble was the big shot from Territory Seven.

"Xia Qing, it's me, your Third Brother."

Xia Qing hadn't heard her idol address her like this in a long time. She immediately came online. "Third Brother, you're up this early?"

Zhang San responded and asked amiably, "Is your cow a bull or a cow? Which base did you get it from? What's the quality like?"

No wonder her idol's tone was so gentle—turned out he wanted to eat fresh beef...

Xia Qing felt rather ashamed. "A five-month-old heifer, from Lan Yi Base. The exact quality will have to wait until the cow is delivered before it can be tested."

Her idol was important, but she couldn't bear to slaughter the Green Light dairy cow for meat.

Tang Huai wanted to press the button to answer this question, but he was on Zhang San's blacklist and could only hold his tongue.

Hearing it was a cow, Zhang San immediately lost interest. He already had one bull and one cow Green Light cattle—neither could be slaughtered; they had to be kept for milk production.

Xin Yu, who rarely came online, spoke up. "Third Brother, would you like a Green Light beef cow?"

Zhang San immediately asked amiably, "You're raising it in your territory?"

Xin Yu replied, "No, it's from the Hui Erzhong Alliance breeding farm. If you want it, I'll have them send it over right now."

Zhang San snorted. "I don't eat Zhonglian's cows."

When the big shot was displeased, no one dared make a sound.

As for why Xin Yu had come online at this moment and proposed a trade, Xia Qing saw through it perfectly clearly.

The fact that the Zhonglian Life Sciences Research Lab had used live fetuses for experiments had already been exposed. The higher-ups were furious, the public was in an uproar. The old chairman of Zhonglian stepped forward and tearfully apologized to the public, but still couldn't quell the public's anger. The authorities weren't buying his account either.

At this sensitive moment, Xin Yu proposing to send Zhang San high-quality food produced by Zhonglian was clearly an attempt by Zhonglian to use the Territory Seven big shot's connections to mitigate the negative impact of this malicious incident.

Zhang San of course understood this point, which was why he refused so decisively.

Xin Yu, going through the motions, still sounded cool and detached. "Understood. Once I trade for a Green Light cow from Lancheng, I'll send it over to you."

Her idol hadn't gotten his beef and was surely in a foul mood. Die-hard fan Xia Qing came online. "Third Brother, do you want some fruit? I still have some grapes and ground berries here."

Zhang San wasn't very interested and replied listlessly, "Sure, send them over directly. Don't wash them."

Hearing that the big shot wanted fruit, everyone rushed to report the wild fruits from their own territories.

Xia Qing took this opportunity to contact her friend. "Xin Yu, when is Zhonglian's plane coming over?"

"Within three days, probably. Is there anything you want?"

Xin Yu's voice was cool and detached, but Xia Qing could tell she was in a good mood, so she answered with a smile, "I want a large pressure cooker, and also the entry door I just installed—the same model. This door is made by Zhonglian, right?"

Although she hadn't been wandering around Xia Qing's territory these past two days, the two of them often chatted and sent videos and photos, so Xin Yu had seen the bizarre entry door Xia Qing had installed and replied with a smile, "Yes, is your door broken again?"

Hearing that her friend's factory had this kind of door, Xia Qing immediately placed an order. "It's not broken. This door is very sturdy. I want another one. Can the new-material cement and large-capacity battery used for installing the door be packaged together?"

"Sure." Xia Qing didn't say where she wanted to install the second door, and Xin Yu didn't ask, continuing to inquire, "Cows eat more than sheep. Do you want ten bags of specialized Green Light cow feed?"

The Zhonglian breeding farm raised Green Light livestock, so naturally they had Green Light feed.

"No need. I have corn and wheat bran—I can mix my own cow feed." Ever since Tang Huai said he could trade her a Green Light cow, Xia Qing had started researching how to mix cattle feed.

Buying ready-made cow feed was certainly easier, but the crops from Territory Three were of higher quality. By mixing her own feed for the cow, Xia Qing could better maintain the quality of this Green Light cow.

After wrapping up the trade, Xia Qing invited her friend over for meat that evening. "Are you free tonight? I've invited Beard Feng's squad from the Azure Dragon Battle Team, Chang Li, and Hua Yang over for dinner. Tang Huai might come too—why don't you join us? We'll eat those chickens I scared to death on my territory."

Although Tang Huai was a chatterbox, he had just traded a cow to Xia Qing, and his cooking was excellent, so Xia Qing planned to invite him along.

With Tang Huai around, there would never be a lull in conversation even if Xia Qing said nothing.

Seeing Xin Yu hesitated for a few seconds, then accepted her friend's kindness. "Alright, I'll bring over two boxes of seafood, and another box of fresh rose cakes."

Seeing Xin Yu's territory grew edible roses, and Xia Qing loved eating the fresh-flower cakes she made.