Chapter 1118: Once More Into Battle

"Third Brother, is it a Qiāng snake's venom?"

Zhang San nodded. "Yes. Where did you find this honey badger?"

Qiāng venom comes from high-danger Qiāng evolved creatures. Once they appear within or around the territory, the emergency disaster-elimination protocol must be activated. In Northern Zone One, the only person qualified to command the disaster-elimination protocol against high-risk evolved creatures is Zhang San alone.

Xia Qing understood what her idol meant. "It was in Mountain Area 55, more than five kilometers from our territory, so there's no need to activate the emergency disaster-elimination protocol. Third Brother, can this honey badger pull through?"

The honey badgers in the Northern Evolution Forest were carried here from somewhere by Broken-Waist Wolf, who wanted to wipe out the Qiāng snakes. Now, the moment to test the results has arrived.

Zhang San explained, "The honey badger's immune system is fighting the harmful components in the Qiāng snake venom. The database lacks physiological data on the effects of Qiāng snake venom after a honey badger eats a Qiāng snake, so we can't predict the outcome yet. Keep this honey badger here with me for now?"

Xia Qing of course knew how important this data was, and nodded in agreement. "Okay."

Zhang San asked again, "If the fight fails, does this honey badger need treatment?"

The cost of treating Qiāng snake venom is extremely high, so they needed to confirm in advance.

On this point, before sending the honey badger over, Xia Qing had already asked Broken-Waist Wolf and received a positive answer. "This honey badger is a companion of the northern wolf pack and needs treatment. If the fight fails, notify me right away, and I'll bring you the grass leaves."

The cost of treating Qiāng snake venom is high because the three main medicinal ingredients for the antidote are rare herbs.

When Luo Pei was poisoned by Qiāng snake venom, Yang Jin spent enormous manpower, money, and resources to gather these three main ingredients. Currently, two of the three are being cultivated in the greenhouses of Territory Seven, and after more than a year they have multiplied in large numbers.

The third main ingredient—Qiāng Withered Grass—can only grow beside unpolluted spring water, so Territory Seven cannot cultivate it. It is also currently the most expensive of the three main ingredients.

This herb, which would be extremely precious to others, Xia Qing has twenty-one plants of. And since Broken-Waist Wolf agreed to trade her Yí stones for the grass leaves to save this honey badger, Xia Qing didn't feel the slightest pang.

"No need for now. The honey badger's immune system is very strong—let's observe a while longer before deciding." Zhang San had long guessed that, given Xia Qing's bizarre train of thought, she would definitely save this honey badger. After getting his confirmation, he switched topics directly. "Did you finish cleaning the lab?"

Xia Qing immediately sat up straight. "I cleaned and disinfected it carefully, following the lab safety management requirements."

Zhang San nodded. "Move the instruments in over the next two days. I'll have Zhang Song bring people over to install them for you. Once the Qiāng snake problem is resolved, I'll go over for the inspection."

"Yes." Xia Qing asked cautiously, "Third Brother, does medical ethics need to be inspected at the same time?"

Just a few videos—after all this time she still hasn't finished studying them? Zhang San shot Xia Qing a look, and without waiting for her explanation, started shooing her out. "I'll give you ten more days."

"Okay, Third Brother, thank you so much, Third Brother!" Xia Qing exhaled in relief, pulled a green apple from her pocket, and set it on the table. "This apple is fully ripe—it'll definitely taste better than the last one. Try it."

Seeing the apple packed in a small packaging bag, Zhang San's expression softened considerably. "The remaining apples you pick also need to be sterilized and stored properly."

"Understood." Now that her idol was no longer angry, Xia Qing immediately seized the chance to propose a trade. "Third Brother, can the purple-flowered violets I brought back be cultivated alive?"

Zhang San understood at once. "All the plants survived. We also found over a dozen seeds in the soil and are cultivating them. What do you want to trade for?"

"I want twenty jin of soil disinfectant, ten jin of spray for driving away small reptiles, and…the medicated bath that Handsome Giant Wolf soaked in."

Zhang San was utterly speechless. "Do you owe it points?"

In principle…yes. But that was something Xia Qing didn't dare say to her idol. "If I don't meet its demands, next time there's an emergency mission, it definitely won't carry me on its back."

Before Zhang San could reply, Hu Zifeng, stationed at Mountain 49, called Xia Qing. "Sister Qing, Broken-Waist Wolf brought a giant wolf into Area Three of Mountain 49 and carried off Little Flat-Top."

Xia Qing answered calmly, "Copy that."

The room was very quiet, and Zhang San had also heard Hu Zifeng's report. He speculated, "It looks like more than one Qiāng snake appeared in Mountain Area 55. The Qiāng snakes from the northern swamp of Mountain 60 are very likely starting to migrate back south."

Xia Qing discussed with her idol, "Should we send people to monitor the areas where Qiāng snakes appeared last time, twenty-four hours a day?"

Area Three of Mountain 49 and Mountain 50 were both areas where Qiāng snakes had been found last time. The Qiāng snakes that appeared at the Ninth Center within the territory and at the current Territory Ten were put there by Liao Chen of Territory Fourteen, but those areas still need increased patrols.

The Qiāng snake found in the snake enclosure at Territory Three this spring was the alarm that triggered the emergency disaster-elimination protocol, so Territory Three is also within the scope of special attention this time.

Zhang San nodded. "When you find a Qiāng snake, don't break the bulge on top of its head. Try to capture it alive. Stay safe, and report any developments promptly."

After leaving Territory Seven, Xia Qing immediately began deploying. The Ninth Center was assigned to Guo Chongjun, head of security; the former Territory Fourteen, now Territory Ten, was assigned to Tan Junjie and Shi Zhong; the creek in Mountain 50 where the Qiāng snake was found was assigned to the guards stationed there; and Territory Three and Area Three of Mountain 49 were assigned to her and Hu Zifeng's squad for duty.

At 2 a. m., the honey badger's various readings in the observation box at Territory Seven dropped—the honey badger's powerful resistance had failed to break down the Qiāng snake venom. Zhang San contacted Xia Qing and had her cut a leaf of Qiāng Withered Grass and deliver it to Territory Seven.

At 3 a. m., the Qiāng snake wearing a tracking ring, which had lived in the northern part of Mountain 60 for half a year, left the python territory and began heading south.

At the same time, the northern wolf pack began to howl. Seeing Xin Yu dispatched an eagle owl to scout and discovered that pythons, Xiong Qun, and the wolf pack had already engaged in battle in the area west of Mountain 61 adjacent to the python swamp—the fighting was fierce.

At 4 a. m., the first Qiāng snake was found in Mountain 50, swimming down from the north along the stream. The territory loudspeaker in Northern Zone One blared as Commander Zhang San announced the activation of the emergency disaster-elimination protocol. All personnel within the territory, once they leave their rooms, must wear protective suits as required.

At 5 a. m., a Qiāng snake entered Mountain 49 along the river. Xia Qing detected it with her magnetic sense and captured it.

At 8 a. m., Broken-Waist Wolf, accompanied by a brown wolf Xia Qing didn't recognize, each carrying two honey badgers tied up with rope, entered Area Three of Mountain 49 and found Xia Qing, paying her one pigeon-egg-sized and one walnut-sized mid-grade Yí stone.

The smaller one was for treating the honey badger; the larger Yí stone was Xia Qing's consultation fee—the wolf pack had injured members who needed treatment.

Xia Qing first sent the four honey badgers to Territory Seven, then took her medical kit and Does Daigua the monkey, formed a team, boarded the helicopter, and raced at full speed toward Mountain 60.