Chapter 1226: Territory Alliance Eighth Meeting

This disaster's killing rain lasted only a little over four hours, and the period when killing elements exceeded normal levels was only ten hours; combined with the lower temperatures, the killing grass that sprouted during this rain reached only about forty-some centimeters, making cleanup relatively easy.

But Xia Qing still followed her usual practice and hired people from Territories 15 and 17 and Hu Zifeng's squad to come help her clear the killing grass by zone. This time the killing grass was short, so even from a distance one could see what was in her greenhouses, but most of Xia Qing's greenhouses were empty now anyway, nothing worth hiding.

After staying in Northern Zone One for two days and confirming that Zhang San would not be able to slip out to the Third Peak of Mountain 49 for an "autumn outing" anytime soon, the very busy Yang Jin, after an early breakfast at Territory Three, took a helicopter and left the Northern Zone One territory, returning to the safe zone to take charge of the big picture.

Not long after he left, Luo Pei's squad returned to the territory to rest and reorganize because their mission had been suspended due to the disaster's impact. So that afternoon, when Xia Qing was clearing killing grass in the Third Zone of Mountain 49, she ran into Luo Pei, who was clearing the Fourth Zone.

Seeing Xia Qing carrying a large bundle of Huang Gan 39 on her back, Luo Pei laughed, "The strength-evolution ability has really been utilized to its utmost by you."

When other people pulled Huang Gan 39 from the killing grass, they would pull a handful, set it aside in one spot, then continue clearing other zones, and finally gather the bundles of grass and transport them to the designated collection point. Strength-evolver Xia Qing simply bundled the grass as she pulled it and carried it all on her back, eliminating one labor step.

"I didn't carry it all on my back—I dropped off several bundles along the way back to the territory." Xia Qing asked, "How many days will Brother Luo be back this time?"

As a scarce, top-tier sniper, Luo Pei often took on S-rank and above missions from various bases, running all over with his squad, and could only spend a few days a year inside the territory.

Luo Pei answered, "Should be able to stay five or six days."

Xia Qing nodded, "In these few days we can finish clearing the killing grass, and then thresh and dry the emergency-harvested rice."

So, he came back at just the right time? Luo Pei, with a gentle smile, entered the Third Zone of Mountain 49 and cleared Huang Gan 39 together with Xia Qing, "Thanks to your quick reaction and the Ninth Center brothers being strong enough, otherwise nearly a hundred mu of rice in my territory would have been smashed by the hail."

Xia Qing smiled, "Brother Luo is too polite—we're charging a fee."

During this disaster's outside aid, the Ninth Center clearly posted its prices: 5 points per hour per ordinary employee, 10 points per hour per standard evolved employee, and 20 points per hour per senior evolved employee.

Luo Pei knew Xia Qing didn't like pleasantries, so he didn't bring it up again, "I heard from Yang Jin about Third Brother's assessment of this disaster—our farming fungicides, pesticides, and fertilizers have damaged the soil's balance?"

Xia Qing was already considering this matter, "Not just fertilizers and pesticides—the frequency and volume of irrigation also have a considerable impact. Third Brother's research team is carrying a lot of important projects and can't spare much energy to monitor the soil microbial changes in this territory. Brother Luo, I'm planning to establish a Soil Research Department within the Territory Alliance, specifically responsible for monitoring and researching soil microbial communities, and for timely adjusting the amounts of fertilizer, water, and chemicals used."

Luo Pei stuffed a handful of Huang Gan 39 into the back basket he was carrying, "Hit a problem with funding or personnel?"

The Territory Alliance is an organization voluntarily formed by the lords; setting up a department to study soil has nothing to do with the official side, so Luo Pei felt that Xia Qing bringing this up with him was related to funding and personnel candidates.

Xia Qing bundled up another bundle of Huang Gan 39 and set it on the ground together with the seven bundles she was carrying before continuing, "Both sides, but the personnel issue is the biggest. Brother Luo, are you interested in joining us?"

Luo Pei laughed, "The Territory Alliance is willing to have me?"

Xia Qing was very direct, "Before, I was being stubborn. Brother Luo, although you are the ace of the Azure Dragon Squad, you are also a lord. As long as you are willing to join and abide by the Territory Alliance's rules, you can join our alliance."

Farming difficulty is increasing, Zhang San's team is stretched thin, and now the Territory Alliance needs more professional talent to jointly research the balance of soil microbial communities in order to grow more and higher-quality grain and vegetables.

Territory One has planting experts, and Xia Qing needs to draw on their strength; Territory One also needs to draw on the strength of other research teams—this cooperation benefits both sides.

Luo Pei corrected Xia Qing's wording, "It wasn't being stubborn—it's that your combat power and standing are higher now, the risks you can bear have increased, but the way you do things is still as cautious as before."

Back then, when she took the risk of bringing out uncontaminated spring water to save him, and when negotiating transaction terms with the Azure Dragon Squad, she repeatedly negotiated the contract clauses, and even required video recording and photos when signing. Now, inviting him to join the Territory Alliance, the precondition is also requiring him to abide by the Territory Alliance's rules—as cautious as ever.

So from beginning to end, Xia Qing has never changed.

No, that's not right—she has changed.

During the period when her sniping and combat power improved most noticeably, Xia Qing's courage and confidence swelled along with her combat power, and she dared to take on the Blaze Hunting Squad head-on with just three evolved wolves. If Zhang San hadn't stepped in to detoxify her and the evolved wolves, the consequences would have been unthinkable.

Zhang San made Xia Qing the manager of Mountain 50 and let her participate in the treatment of the toxic gas pollution in the Evolution Forest—the intentions behind it could not be called anything but profound.

Xia Qing smiled and continued, "I want to set up this department as soon as possible. If Brother Luo is willing to join, shall we hold a meeting after we finish clearing the killing grass?"

"No problem." Luo Pei agreed at once.

After settling this matter, Xia Qing continued chatting about farming, "Brother Luo, look—in Mountain 49 and in the denser vegetation areas of the buffer forest within the territory, less killing grass grows, while the non-planting areas of the territory we've cleared always sprout massive amounts of killing grass. This shows that our current method of clearing killing grass in the territory is less effective than increasing vegetation. Next spring, I'm planning to plant the territory's non-planting areas full of plants too."

His own highly watched, immensely promising top-tier sniper disciple had nothing on her mind but farming, and every sentence out of her mouth was about farming. Luo Pei was already used to it, "What are you planning to plant?"

"Grass—Green Light Grass, which has tenacious vitality. Wandering around the Evolution Forest these past two years, I found that in areas dense with Green Light Grass, killing grass is the least, and these Green Light Grasses aren't even afraid of the special killing-grass-killing pesticide—Killing Grass Enemy…"

The afternoon of the second day after Xia Qing invited Luo Pei, the Territory Alliance held its eighth alliance meeting of Disaster Year Eleven inside Territory Five.

This meeting was the largest and most complete in attendance since the Territory Alliance was founded. Apart from Territory Two's lord Tang Lu, the other territories were all represented by their lords.

Territory Eight's lord Xin Yu had originally planned to let Zhou Zhaoping attend, but upon hearing that Territory Seven's lord Zhang San would attend, she changed her mind and came along herself.

Because the chance to attend a meeting with the big shots was too rare, every territory that could come did come. The meeting table—two dining tables pushed together in Qi Fu's living room—couldn't seat everyone, so they had to add quite a few small stools at the back: one lord or representative from each territory sat at the table, and the others sat on the small stools at the back.

The meeting was still chaired by Vice-Chairman Qi Fu.

Qi Fu sat ramrod straight, solemnly reading from his speech the Territory Alliance members' unanimous approval of Territory One's admission to the alliance.

Knowing Third Brother would attend, Qi Fu was so excited he couldn't sleep all night. He wrote the meeting agenda and speech in advance, ran to Territory Four to ask Professor Wang to polish it for him, and after coming back read it to his wife many times. Even his sitting posture and the way he held the script were adjusted by Yuan Yan based on the hosting styles of presenters at big companies and government departments online, so right now Qi Fu looked very imposing.

Zhang San listened to Qi Fu read the script while looking at the lord allies sitting in the front row.

The grey-haired lords of Territories Four, Ten, and Eleven; the shrewd lord of Territory Six and the Territory Twelve representative; the Territory Two representative pretending to be very serious; the Territory Eight lord who seemed to be feeling unwell; the Territory Fifteen minor lord taking careful notes; the smiling lord of Territory One; the expressionless lord of Territory Three.

Very good.

Xia Qing's human allies, just like her animal allies, were a motley bunch—all kinds of people.