Chapter 1224: Dividing the Fiery Supplies

Seeing Yang Jin walk toward the compost pile covered with an old tarp beside the greenhouse, Xia Qing was not surprised at all; Broken-Waist Wolf looked thoughtful.

When the two humans opened the bundled sacks in the compost pile and began picking out stones from the spilled animal dung and leaves, Broken-Waist Wolf endured the stench, stepped forward to paw through it twice, and nuzzled Xia Qing's protective mask with its head.

Xia Qing, who was picking up ore, understood what the clever wolf meant. "Broken-Waist, you want to watch the recording of my mission? Sure, I'll show you once we're back in the room."

Yang Jin picked up stones while carefully observing the interaction between Xia Qing and the evolved wolf—this was the useful knowledge he currently lacked and urgently needed to learn.

The two humans and one wolf returned to the meeting room with the ore rinsed clean at the reservoir. Xia Qing first took out a USB drive and played the mission video for Yang Jin and Broken-Waist Wolf.

Yang Jin had provided Xia Qing with a legal identity, information on human activity near the mission area and the locations of surveillance cameras, and had helped her transport the supplies back. According to their prior agreement, Xia Qing was to give Yang Jin a ten-percent share of the supplies.

Since a ten-percent share was to be given, she had to let him see clearly the total amount of this batch of supplies—that was the rule of teaming up.

The recording had two parts: first, Xia Qing climbing the tree to retrieve supplies; second, her and the old wolf opening crates inside the mountain-top cave. Broken-Waist Wolf watched with a solemn expression, and Yang Jin found it deeply shocking. He had seen that old wolf from the video in Area 3 of Mountain 49; at the time he had already noticed its combat power was high, but he hadn't expected its cerebral evolution to be this advanced as well.

It should be one of the "two or three" main research wolves that Xia Qing had mentioned to Zhang San, the ones wanting to join the research group.

After watching the video, before Xia Qing could speak, Broken-Waist Wolf was the first to raise a question.

It pawed Xia Qing once and looked solemnly at Yang Jin.

Xia Qing asked, "Broken-Waist, you want to ask why Yang Jin gets a share of the supplies even though he didn't take part in the mission?"

Yang Jin was surprised; Broken-Waist Wolf bared its teeth in a grin.

After Xia Qing explained things clearly to Broken-Waist Wolf, the clever wolf looked at the supplies, then at the video, thoughtful.

Xia Qing began discussing the supply distribution with Yang Jin. "Old Four already took its share of Yi stones; the rest of the supplies are all here. Compressed biscuits, dehydrated meat, salt, dried noodles, dehydrated vegetables, and clothing can be appraised at market price. I can't yet determine the price of the panels from these eight crates, the wrapping cloth of unknown material, the ore, and the medicine. Does Captain Yang recognize them?"

As the squad captain, Yang Jin knew important supplies very well. "These crate panels are made of thermoplastic resin—lightweight, impact-resistant, corrosion-resistant, and heat-resistant. They can evade detection by metal detectors."

"This is a new-material cloth. The building materials of the Little White Tower in Territory Eight contain this material. The roots, vines, branches, and leaves of ninety-nine percent of known Qiang-evolved aggressive plants actively avoid this material as they grow."

Seeing the light in both Xia Qing's and Broken-Waist Wolf's eyes, Yang Jin smiled and pointed at the dark-red ore. "The new material contained in the cloth is extracted from this kind of ore. This pack of medicine should be Liehuo's special-effect medicine; the exact contents can be confirmed by having Third Brother test it."

"Our squad's supply-value assessment team can also appraise the medicine, but they're not as professional as Third Brother, and word might leak." After explaining why it should be handed to Zhang San for testing, Yang Jin went on to explain the origin of this batch of supplies.

"When Liehuo was fighting Mieshi, four people from Liehuo's warehouse department teamed up to smuggle out this batch of supplies, intending to flee with them to another base to survive. Later, all four wanted to keep the supplies for themselves; an internal quarrel broke out, three died, and one fell into the hands of the Frost Squad. Over these supplies, three squads—Liehuo from Hui One, Frost, and Yan Lei—fought a major battle last night in the giant-tree forest of Hui One's Mountain 28, nearly destroying the forest and even alarming the wolf pack."

Last night? During the disaster?

Xia Qing asked, "The wolf pack didn't join the fight, did they?"

Yang Jin wasn't sure. "During the three-way melee, supplies like tents hidden in their mountain caves were stolen. They all suspect the opponents sent people to take them, but I think it might have been the wolf pack. Qing-jie, why not call Old Four and ask?"

Broken-Waist Wolf immediately looked at Xia Qing with a solemn expression.

Xia Qing shook her head. "No rush on that. Let's divide the supplies first. Per our agreement, Captain Yang gets a ten-percent share. This portion of Yi stones is yours."

"Good." Yi stones were important supplies—the more the better. After Yang Jin took his share, he pointed at the crates and the new-material cloth. "These crates and cloth are both produced by Red Three; they're in very high demand and can't be bought on the open market. Does Qing-jie want some?"

If you don't want them, they all go to me.

Xia Qing certainly wanted some. "Captain Yang can take one."

Broken-Waist Wolf pawed Xia Qing with its claws, indicating it wanted some too. Xia Qing didn't refuse. "Broken-Waist, let me finish dividing the supplies with Captain Yang first. If you want some, you can trade with me later."

Broken-Waist Wolf contentedly retracted its paw.

Yang Jin took one crate's panels and a piece of cloth, then pointed at the ore. "Currently in the country, only factories in Hui Two, Bai Yi, Red Two, and Red Three can refine this ore. Demand exceeds supply; the current black-market price is 3,800 points per jin. We can send this ore to be refined and then made into urgently needed items or weapons, or we can hold onto it—selling it is the least cost-effective option."

Xia Qing asked, "Does Captain Yang have a list of items that can be processed using this new material?"

Yang Jin smiled brightly. "Not just a list of items—I also have reliable processing channels. Qing-jie, give me 150 jin of ore, and I'll waive the intermediary fee."

Broken-Waist saw the human across from it smiling with such a cunning look and immediately raised its paw to paw Xia Qing's arm.

According to the division ratio, Yang Jin could take 76.8 jin of ore. Letting him take an extra ten percent just to waive an intermediary fee—only a fool would agree.

Xia Qing patted Broken-Waist Wolf's big paw to reassure it; she wasn't that foolish.

"Please share a copy of the item list with me, Captain Yang. You can take a ten-percent share of the ore."

The item list counted as "knowledge, information." Based on Xia Qing's transactions with Yang Jin last year, Xia Qing was entitled to information and knowledge that Yang Jin possessed and could be shared.

This kind of item list was shareable knowledge; even if Yang Jin didn't give it to her, Xia Qing could get it from her idol and Seeing Xin Yu.

As for what to refine the ore into and who to have process it, Xia Qing wasn't in a rush to decide until she had a full grasp of the information on this ore.

As for the remaining food and clothing, Xia Qing didn't want to keep any of it and handed it all directly to Yang Jin to exchange for points. Food was very important, and long-term storable food even more so—but she didn't dare eat food transported out of Liehuo's warehouse.

Even sealed, canned food, she didn't dare eat.

With the supplies divided, Yang Jin packed up his share and told Xia Qing a piece of breaking news related to Liehuo. "During this disaster, multiple superbugs erupted simultaneously inside Liehuo Mountain, causing over a hundred casualties. It was probably caused by Mieshi bombing Liehuo Mountain, which led to the leakage of stored toxic materials inside the mountain."

Serves them right!

Xia Qing nodded calmly and asked, "Did the evolved forest near Liehuo Mountain experience anything similar?"

Yang Jin shook his head. "A rabbit doesn't eat the grass by its own burrow. Liehuo has always been cautious in its actions—they wouldn't conduct high-risk experiments near Liehuo Mountain."

After the supplies were divided, Xia Qing took the ore, crate panels, and cloth that belonged to her, and headed home with Broken-Waist Wolf. Her "boyfriend" Yang Jin, naturally, stayed to rest in the dormitory by the farmland.

Once home, Xia Qing sat cross-legged on a low wooden stump in the living room, happily admiring the already washed-clean ore.

The head wolf was watching videos related to the evolved forest; Does Daigua was staring at the TV in a daze in the corner; Sheep Boss was pedaling the power-generating bicycle; Little Feimao was busy tinkering with its nest; the weak Qiang-zi lay in Little Feimao's living room recuperating.

Wolf Lao Er stayed by Xia Qing's side; Broken-Waist Wolf was examining Xia Qing's new haul.

"Lao Er, Broken-Waist, look! This kind of stone sells for 3,800 points per jin; this one piece alone is worth over ten thousand points. Broken-Waist, one piece of this stone can get you a new phone! When Old Four teamed up with me for this mission, just these stones alone would earn it over 1.4 million points. This is good stuff…"

Having struck it rich, Xia Qing was very excited and kept sharing her joy nonstop with her companions.

Broken-Waist Wolf pawed at the stones twice, thoughtful.