Chapter 1095: Territory Number Fourteen Secured

Seated behind Xia Qing, and on her left and right where they couldn't see her expression, quite a few attendees felt Zhao Baolin made a good point.

The South District Territory Inspection Team Captain also spoke up, "I think Minister Zhao is right—good steel should be used on the blade's edge. Director Xia has only been training with firearms for a little over a year, and she's already become a top sniper. If she could free up more time to train, within five years she'd definitely beat Nie Hong and become our Hua Nation's number-one sharpshooter!"

Thinking that their base's sniper was about to snatch the title of Hua Nation's number-one sharpshooter away from Red One Base's Nie Hong, the South District Inspection Team Captain's blood boiled; he desperately wanted to pump his fist and let out a few whoops to cheer Xia Qing on.

Farming?

Managing the Planting Center?

Guarding the experimental zone?

Anyone else could do those jobs, but climbing to the throne of Hua Nation's number-one sharpshooter—no one but Xia Qing could!

Unlike the others whispering among themselves, Yan Yue and Tan Junjie sitting behind Xia Qing were especially calm. Because which "blade" Xia Qing, this piece of "good steel," would choose, the two of them didn't even need to guess.

Zhao Baolin, already scared by Xia Qing until his blood had frozen solid, heard someone come to his defense and came back to his senses; he turned his head stiffly, not daring to look at Xia Qing's face again.

Too terrifying—this woman smiling is even more terrifying than her stern face.

If they weren't in the conference room, and if she weren't the base commander, Zhao Baolin felt Xia Qing would raise her hand, go crack, and crush his skull.

Base Commander Qi Zhongye, seeing the bloodthirstiness revealed by Xia Qing's grin, took an even greater liking to her.

Agriculture Department Director Yang Benming was surprised for a moment; he had previously heard his office staff gossip privately, saying that because Xia Qing's poisoning hadn't been treated in time, it had caused her facial muscles to stiffen.

Seeing Xia Qing smile just now, Yang Benming realized it wasn't facial muscle stiffening—she simply liked keeping a stern face.

That made much more sense. Xia Qing was the manager and representative personally chosen by Professor Fu Tianfeng; even if she really had had such a minor issue as muscle stiffening before, it would have long been cured by Fu Tianfeng.

Her smile is bloody enough, vicious enough, direct enough—very much in the style of those decisive, kill-or-be-killed experts from the Calamity Years.

Yang Benming didn't think Zhao Baolin had gone stupid from staying in the inner city; he must have received benefits from someone, to dare so brazenly scheme against a senior evolutionary sniper who had grown up step by step from the bottom of the outer city districts.

Seeing Zhao Baolin so scared by Xia Qing that he was twitching, and with neither the base commander nor the department director speaking, the deputy director chairing the meeting had no choice but to speak up. "Minister Zhao and Captain Peng both care about their subordinates and love their colleagues, and both hope Director Xia can have better development. Director Xia's career development is also a concern of the base commander and the department director. Of course, Director Xia certainly has her own plans. Director Xia, would it be convenient to answer everyone's concern here?"

Xia Qing dropped her smile and answered calmly, "Of course. Thank you all for your concern. My personal interest and ambition have always been to become a qualified lord. Although within two years I've reclaimed 14.6 mu of farmland—more than three times the passing standard for farmland reclamation in the first five years as stipulated by the territory policy—Minister Zhao is quite right that holding multiple positions has indeed scattered my energy."

Staring expressionlessly at Zhao Baolin, she paused for three seconds; when he began to tremble, Xia Qing turned to look at the base commander and the department director. "After I return, I'll resign to Lord Number Seven from the positions of manager of the Ninth Planting Center and the Number Fifty Mountain Experimental Zone, and focus entirely on cultivating my own territory, going all-out to open more wasteland and grow more grain for the nation and the base."

Buzz—

Hearing Xia Qing's choice, the conference room erupted in commotion; only Yan Yue and Tan Junjie remained calm as ever.

Whether Zhao Baolin wanted to seize Xia Qing's position or her territory, he could not possibly succeed.

Xia Qing had obtained Territory Number Three through proper procedure; as long as she herself didn't give it up, no one could take the territory from her.

The other two positions?

Those were appointed directly by the big shot of Territory Number Seven. Whoever is dissatisfied, whoever is jealous—go talk to the big shot about it, and see if the big shot gives you the time of day.

This lady is done!

Bridge and ties? The hell does that have to do with this lady!

At the previous few meetings, Xia Qing had always been quite easy to talk to; Zhao Baolin hadn't expected her to be this tough this time. Not just his forehead—even the top of his bald head, lit up by the conference room lights, started sweating.

Base Commander Qi Zhongye spoke in a gentle voice, "Xiao Xia not forgetting her original aspiration is very worthy of affirmation. While overfulfilling your territory reclamation tasks, you've also had to take on a large number of trivial assignments, which is indeed not conducive to your personal development. When you go back, you can bring it up with Lord Number Seven and ask him to assign a few more people to share some of your workload. Lord Number Seven has told me he also places great hopes in you; as long as you bring it up, he should agree."

The crowd was even more shocked; Zhao Baolin was drenched in sweat.

Xia Qing nodded calmly. "Alright, thank you for your concern, Base Commander."

Qi Zhongye continued, "I recall Lord Number Seven handed the recruitment work for the Ninth Planting Center's personnel over to Yue Haiying?"

Hearing that Yue Haiying controlled the Ninth Center's personnel work, several attendees' eyes lit up. In other words, as long as you got past Yue Haiying, you could get into the Ninth Center?

Xia Qing answered very precisely, "Lord Number Seven appointed Yue Haiying as Deputy Director of the Ninth Center, in charge of personnel work—recruiting and selecting talent for the Ninth Center. After Deputy Director Yue screens them and draws up a detailed list, Lord Number Seven then decides which personnel to hire."

Hearing Xia Qing's answer, those few pairs of eyes that had just lit up dimmed again. As things stood, within the entire Hui Three Base, the only ones who could get a word in with that big boss were the base commander and Xia Qing.

Go through the base commander's connections? Impossible!

Go through Xia Qing's door to snatch her rice bowl? Even more impossible!

Qi Zhongye nodded. "After you go back, consult Lord Number Seven. If he agrees, have Yue Haiying pick a few more capable director's assistants to help you handle the Ninth Center's daily affairs."

That was a good idea; Xia Qing nodded and agreed.

Department Director Yang Benming, who had been silently enjoying Zhao Baolin's cowardly display, picked up the thread. "Base Commander, yesterday the Territory Management Department reported that the lord of Territory Number Fourteen in Northern District One, due to injury and illness, has excessive and out-of-control Devastation elements in his body. He has been confirmed to have lost the capacity for independent civil conduct and can no longer bear the responsibilities of a lord. According to his will, Territory Number Fourteen is about to become an ownerless territory and needs to recruit a new lord. In my view, it would be better to merge Territory Number Fourteen into the Ninth Planting Center; the reclamation efficiency would be higher than recruiting a new lord."

Wow—

The attendees, who had long since mentally divided up the ownership of Territory Number Fourteen, stirred again. Territory Management Department Head Tian Jiawen stared at the base commander, afraid he would nod.

Qi Zhongye disappointed everyone, nodding very crisply. "This arrangement is indeed more reasonable. Xiao Xia, consult Lord Number Seven as soon as possible. If he agrees, recruit a few more assistants."

Everyone...

Xia Qing nodded calmly. "Alright."

Yan Yue couldn't help but curl up the corners of her mouth. Wonderful—they hadn't even opened their mouths, and Territory Number Fourteen had already fallen into their hands!

Go back and consult Lord Number Seven? Actually, there's no need at all. That one, aside from doing experiments, is only interested in high-quality food. In reality, Xia Qing is the fully-authorized manager of the Ninth Planting Center!