Chapter 1204: Agree to Exchange

Looking at the old wolf before her, whose fur above the eyes had already begun to turn white and whose teeth were noticeably worn down, Xia Qing gradually stopped being able to smile.

Noticing the change in Xia Qing's expression, the old wolf tucked away its fangs and looked at her with a solemn face.

Xia Qing turned, sat with her legs dangling over the cliff edge, and gazed at the endlessly colorful jungle below. "Lao Si, you are the strongest in the Evolution Forest, the undisputed Wolf King."

Lao Si was probably born in the second or third year of the Catastrophe, the most chaotic and dangerous period of Blue Star's evolution. Its parents must have been extremely powerful, and it inherited their excellent genes, becoming a three-system evolver in Brain Domain, Speed, and Strength. From this point alone, its luck was very good.

The Evolution Forest where it lived was fiercely competitive, but the powerful Lao Si led its wolf pack in competing against fierce tigers, raptors, and blue-skinned wandering humans, successfully surviving until the eleventh year of the Catastrophe.

That spring, a troop of Hui-6 monkeys infected with a high-level evolution pathogen invaded Hui-3 Evolution Forest. After failing to seize the western wolf pack's territory, they clashed with the southern wolf pack.

When animals fight over territory, once they start there will inevitably be bloodshed and casualties, causing the pathogen to spread. The virus infecting the western wolf pack was eradicated by the medicine Xia Qing sent over, but the southern wolf pack could only tough it out relying on their own resistance.

As Wolf King, Lao Si was the main force fighting the Hui-6 monkey troop, so it must have been infected with the pathogen, causing its combat power to decline and the pack to enter a leadership transition period.

Blue-skinned wanderers took advantage of the southern wolf pack's weakened combat power, captured pack members and traded them to Fierce Fire or other humans. Eventually these captured wolves fell into the hands of Peng Yuancai, who cut away part of their cerebral cortex and fitted them with collars, turning them into human weapons.

After losing the position of Wolf King, Lao Si didn't stay in its old territory; it chose to wander. Later, Hui-3 Pharmaceutical Factory mass-produced the special medicine for this pathogen, and bases across Hui City sprayed the medicine over large areas of the Evolution Forest. This not only wiped out the pathogen but also saved Lao Si's life.

A lone wolf without a pack is destined to decline and perish. Fortunately, during its wandering Lao Si met Wolf Lao Er of the northern wolf pack, who brought it into Xia Qing's territory.

During the last Cannibal Rain, the evolved wolves of the southern wolf pack whose prefrontal cortex had been cut away by Peng Yuancai were driven by blue-skinned evolvers to launch a beast tide, aimed directly at the northern Zone 1 territory of Hui-3.

When Yang Jin's squad intercepted the beast tide and tried to capture the evolved wolves, the blue-skinned evolvers detonated the weak-electricity command collar around one wolf's neck, causing the wolf whose prefrontal cortex had been removed to be severely injured. Even after being sent to Territory Seven, its life could not be saved.

Later still, the old wolf recuperating in Territory Three heard the anguished howls of its missing companions coming from a video Xia Qing played. Through the video it identified the enemy who had captured its companions, and left Territory Three alone.

A hero in his twilight years is still a hero; a deposed Wolf King still worries about his pack.

Lao Si traveled alone across hundreds of li of Evolution Forest, found the blue-skinned wandering humans, then returned to Territory Three, brought Xia Qing over to destroy the enemies, rescued three companions, and led them back to the southern wolf pack.

After the southern wolf pack rested and recuperated for a period, they began their revenge.

Later, Lao Si came to Territory Three again to ask Xia Qing to come treat the wolf pack. Scarface Little Wolf's injuries were more serious, but the current Wolf King wouldn't allow Xia Qing to take it away, so half-baked doctor Xia Qing had to improvise and treat the little wolf on the spot.

Wolves always repay their grudges. During the migratory bird season, blue-skinned wanderers and Hui-5 Phantom Squad invaded Hui-3 Evolution Forest and were intercepted by Xia Qing, Zhu Zhenming, and Tang Zhou's squad, leading to fierce clashes. Tracking the wanderers, Lao Si and Scarface Little Wolf cooperated with Xia Qing and wiped out this squad.

Later, at Lao Si's request, Xia Qing brought Scarface Little Wolf into Territory Three. While treating the wounds on the little wolf's face again, they discovered that wolves from the northern pack were learning knowledge alongside Xia Qing. This old wolf, who didn't like going indoors, decisively picked up Scarface Little Wolf in its mouth and joined the learning group.

Last night, when it brought the little wolf hurrying hundreds of li back to study, it seized the chance to make another exchange request to Xia Qing: in exchange for helping humans plant grass, it wanted a laptop and a phone.

Because Zhang San objected, last night Xia Qing only agreed to exchange medicine with it—medicine that could make it strong again. This wolf didn't give up. Today it used its actions to show Xia Qing that it had the ability and the conditions to excellently complete the task of guarding the pool, hoping Xia Qing would reopen the trade.

It did this not for itself, but for the little wolves in the southern pack, for the development of the southern wolf pack.

This is a wolf with responsibility, strategy, and a sense of duty—an evolved wolf worthy of admiration.

So even though it is no longer Wolf King now, when it returned to the southern wolf pack it was still respected by its companions, and could still occupy such a well-situated cave.

Xia Qing withdrew her gaze, turned to look at the old wolf crouching three meters away, and solemnly promised, "Lao Si, I can get the computer, phone, and power-generating bicycle delivered and set up for you as soon as possible, but I have two conditions."

Xia Qing would go back and fight for Lao Si's case. If her idol ultimately still disagreed to the exchange, Xia Qing would just trade with it directly. If she couldn't provide the military-grade model, she'd use the broken-waist model, and replace it when it broke!

There are plenty of resources in the Evolution Forest. Lao Si is so smart, it will definitely be able to find resources to exchange for the laptop and computer.

The old wolf looked at Xia Qing with a solemn face, waiting for her conditions.

"First, you must pass a test and learn to safely use these electronics before you can use them."

"Second, these electronics are very expensive. Lao Si only guards the water grass in that pool, so you can only exchange for a phone, not the whole set. So if I exchange these three electronics to Lao Si, you'll have to help me go dig grass in Blind-Eye Tiger's territory from now on."

Lao Si still looked at Xia Qing with a solemn face.

Xia Qing continued, "Of course you don't have to go all the time. When I need grass I'll call you. How about it? At most once or twice a month, how about it?"

The old wolf had learned math and the concept of time alongside Xia Qing, and already understood what numbers and months meant.

It thought for a moment, then bared its grey-white fangs again, indicating it agreed.

Although it was old and its combat power had declined, this wolf had never given up. It worked hard to learn all kinds of knowledge, and following the Broken-Waist Wolf's way of expressing itself, communicated with Xia Qing.

"Good, then our deal is done."

Xia Qing smiled too. She took out a backup phone and a stylus pen from her backpack, made a claw sheath from wire on the spot, fitted the stylus onto the old wolf's claw, and step by step, paw by paw, taught it how to use the phone.

This was a smart, studious Brain Domain evolved wolf. Xia Qing only took ten-odd minutes to teach it how to unlock the phone, find its only contact—Xia Qing—and dial a video call.

Now was the moment to test the teaching results. "Lao Si, wait here. I'll go over there and video call you!"

Xia Qing ran to the other side of the cliff, over three hundred meters away, with her back to Lao Si, and called it. There were no ground base stations here, but the terrain was high enough that the phone could easily connect to a communications satellite.

When the call connected and the solemn face of Lao Si appeared on the phone screen, Xia Qing broke into a brilliant smile. "Lao Si, can you hear me? Give me a smile."

Lao Si grinned, baring its fangs.

"Lao Si, you're really so handsome and so smart—truly an evolved wolf standing at the top of Blue Star's pyramid! Lao Si, hang up the call, then use the stylus to press the keys and call me back."

The old wolf's claw, sheathed in the stylus, poked at the screen. The image wobbled a few times before the call hung up. Half a minute later, Lao Si's big head appeared on Xia Qing's phone screen again.

This time, without Xia Qing having to say anything, the old wolf smiled on its own.