Chapter 1096: Don't Shear It Bald

"Director Zhao, hold on a moment."

The meeting had ended; the base commander and Director Yang had already left the conference room, and the attendees were preparing to leave as well, when they heard Xia Qing's voice.

At this, no one was in any hurry to go. They slowly packed up their papers and pens, pricked up their ears, and listened.

The deputy director, as if he hadn't heard a thing, picked up the documents on the table and left the conference room, quickening his steps straight for the surveillance room.

Zhao Baolin, who had already lifted one leg to step out, froze. He turned around and forced himself to look composed. "X-Xia…"

Xia Qing, still seated, raised her eyelids. "Director Zhao, you know I'm very busy, so I'll skip the pleasantries and get straight to the point. Your proposal just now—was it to stuff people into the Ninth Center and Territory Fifty, or to snatch my territory?"

……

!!!

A sniper through and through—she doesn't beat around the bush at all. The people in the conference room took the caps off their pens and put them back on, messed up the stacks of documents and re-stacked them, heads down and busy with their hands, listening in utter silence.

Over the past few months, they had attended several meetings with Xia Qing, and their impression of her had been that she was a woman of few words, strictly by-the-book. They hadn't expected that when her vital interests were touched, she would draw her blade without the slightest hesitation, not sparing anyone's face at all.

At this, the surnamed Zhao had really kicked an iron plate! Territory Management Department head Tian Jiawen kept his head lowered, gloating.

In front of so many people, Zhao Baolin, who was nearly fifty, had been targeted like this by a young subordinate—not to mention his face, even his inner lining was stripped bare. But compared to face and inner lining, he valued his life more. "Xia, you've misunderstood, I…"

Meeting Xia Qing's gaze, sharp as a blade, Zhao Baolin didn't dare continue.

"If it's the former, hand me the name list right now, and I'll go back and consult Third Brother. If it's the latter—" Xia Qing pressed the clicker of her automatic pen once with her right index finger. It went "click," making Zhao Baolin shudder.

"Also tell me who has set their sights on my territory, so I can go have a nice little chat with them."

That look, that gesture—where was the 'chat'? It was clearly murder!

Zhao Baolin was nearly crying from fright. "Xia, I really… no, I really am just concerned about you, I don't want you to be too…"

Xia Qing stared at him with a dark, sullen look, successfully shutting him up and making him tremble, then switched to another question. "Who did you hear say that the Fourteenth Territory Lord lost control and was hospitalized because of me?"

Territory Management Department head Tian Jiawen, who had been eating melon, was so startled he shuddered. When Zhao Baolin looked his way, his scalp exploded. He immediately explained to Xia Qing, "Director Xia, I never said that to him. I only said that after the Fourteenth Territory Lord went mentally unstable, he kept on… cursing you."

He had to explain—Xia Qing's attitude today made it clear she was tearing off all pretense and blowing the matter wide open, so no one should expect to get off easy.

She was a territory lord, a high-level evolver, a sniper, the bridge between Hui San and Zhang San… If things blew up, she could just dust herself off and return to her Northern District One territory, and nothing would happen to her. But the rest of them had their roots here—they had no retreat…

Xia Qing gave Tian Jiawen a nod, then turned her smile back to Zhao Baolin. "It seems your hearing has a problem. You'd better go to the hospital and get it checked."

"Yes, yes…"

Thinking he had finally been let off the hook, Zhao Baolin was about to leave when he heard Xia Qing speak again. "At the previous meetings in the Planting Management Department, I heard you complain plenty—saying the department was keeping dozens of idlers who did nothing. You know I'm short on people here. How about you give me a few of those idlers from your department?"

Zhao Baolin thought Xia Qing was giving him a way out, and immediately perked up. "Of course! I just told the base commander and the director that the Planting Management Department would fully cooperate with the territory reform. As soon as I get back, I'll pick…"

Xia Qing shook her head. "I won't trouble you with picking the people, Director Yan."

"Here." Yan Yue stepped forward.

"I've already contacted Third Brother. He agrees with the director's proposal to merge the Fourteenth Territory into our center. You contact Deputy Director Yue immediately—have him pick twenty 'idlers' from the Planting Management Department today or tomorrow, put them on the Ninth Center's proposed recruitment list, and submit it to Third Brother. Once the candidates are finalized, complete the handover with Director Zhao, and have them report for duty as soon as possible."

"If any of them have immediate family members, the family may move into the Ninth Center with them. For children of school age among those moving in, handle the transfer procedures for the Ninth Center school."

"Yes." Yan Yue answered calmly.

How could he dare say no? At this, Zhao Baolin really started crying.

If he could turn back time three hours, he would absolutely never have provoked this demoness for a few petty gains…

Xia Qing couldn't care less whether he cried or not. After finishing her business, she stood up and left the conference room with Yan Yue.

In the director's office, base commander Qi Zhongye stared at the screen at Xia Qing's retreating back, his gaze burning.

Yang Benming reminded his superior, "By acting this way, Xia Qing is telling everyone that she has no interest whatsoever in matters within the safe zone—but if anyone dares touch her territory, she won't give anyone face, and she'll go straight at them."

Everyone, of course, includes you too. No use coveting it.

Qi Zhongye shot Yang Benming a look. "She's a high-level evolver. She's not interested now, but that doesn't mean she won't be interested in ten years, twenty years, fifty years. As for you—after being in office so long, why is the department still such a mess?"

Yang Benming shut up. He, too, wanted to drag all these lazy, slippery grandsons out and have them shot, but the difficulties involved didn't need to be spoken—the base commander understood them too.

Base building is a long and arduous road.

Qi Zhongye stood up. "Tell Xia Qing to take it easy, and not shear the Territory Management Department bald."

If the Ninth Planting Center really poached twenty people who actually did the work, the Territory Management Department's whole setup would fall apart.

After walking out the gate of the Agriculture Department, the heat hit her full in the face, but Xia Qing felt her breathing ease considerably.

Yang Jin pushed open the car door and walked over. Neither Xia Qing nor Yan Yue were the type to show their feelings, so from their faces one couldn't tell whether the morning's meeting had gone well. "Xia Qing, Sister Yan, I've booked a table. Shall we head straight over?"

Yan Yue had no desire to play third wheel. She sought Xia Qing's permission. "Director, I'd like to visit a friend. I won't join you two for the meal."

After Xia Qing nodded, Yang Jin spoke. "Inside the safe zone, it's not as safe as Northern District One. Wang Liang, Ma Jun—you two escort Sister Yan."

"Yes." Wang Liang and Ma Jun of Yang Jin's squad accepted the order and left, accompanying Yan Yue, who was wearing a prosthetic limb.

Amid countless gazes from all around, Xia Qing got into Yang Jin's car and left the Agriculture Department. After a lavish lunch at a restaurant, Xia Qing returned to the Green Dragon outpost, made separate calls to Zhang San, Yue Haiying, and Shi Zhong, then went back to the Agriculture Department in the afternoon.

Because the lingering威慑 of her morning fury was still fresh, Xia Qing smoothly completed the procedures to merge the Fourteenth Territory into the Ninth Center, then, accompanied by Tan Junjie, re-issued the land-use rights certificate for the Tenth Territory.

The Tenth Territory lay between the Ninth Planting Center and the Fourteenth Territory. Based on construction needs, after calling the Shi Zhong family to negotiate, Xia Qing swapped the locations of the Fourteenth Territory and the Tenth Territory.

Because the exchange conditions Xia Qing offered were extremely tempting, the Shi Zhong family of three agreed immediately upon hearing them.