Chapter 1233: Negotiations Between Human and Wolf

"……"

"……"

Xia Qing got Lao Si a new phone, taught it how to use it, and added Broken-Waist Wolf as a friend. Then she had it call Broken-Waist Wolf to check whether it could tell contacts apart from "contact-wolves."

Once the call connected, the two wolves stared at each other through the screen, neither speaking. After a full ten seconds, it was still Broken-Waist Wolf who broke the silence, "Aow?"

Lao Si turned its head and looked at Xia Qing.

Only then did Xia Qing lean into the camera's range and greet it with a bright smile, "Broken-Waist, I've come to Lao Si's place. I helped it approve your friend request, so you two can contact each other directly from now on."

When the big nose on the screen revealed the fangs beneath it, the solemn Lao Si froze for a moment, and its gaze gradually turned fierce. Seeing wolf fangs from this angle made it feel very displeased.

Xia Qing didn't notice the change in Lao Si's mood and continued chatting idly with Broken-Waist Wolf, "Broken-Waist, where are you? What are you busy with?"

Broken-Waist Wolf looked up, realized it couldn't explain things clearly to Xia Qing, and tapped the phone screen with its big nose. The screen instantly went black. Not long after, Xia Qing saw a riot of colors appear on the screen—the Evolution Forest—and… several wild boars within the Evolution Forest!

Xia Qing lowered her voice, "Broken-Waist, are you picking out wild boars to raise in the valley of Zone Three, Mountain Forty-Nine?"

"Aow." Because it was using the rear camera, Broken-Waist Wolf couldn't convey information through a smile, so it opened its mouth and responded with a single sound.

"Broken-Waist, you truly live up to your reputation as a wolf who stands at the very pinnacle of Blue Star's pyramid, preparing for storms before they come—starting to stockpile winter prey this early."

Broken-Waist Wolf said nothing.

Xia Qing immediately corrected herself, "I misspoke. These aren't winter prey, they're next spring's prey."

"Aow."

The phone screen wobbled a few times, the darkness lit up again, and Broken-Waist Wolf's big nose reappeared on the screen. Xia Qing understood what Broken-Waist Wolf meant, turned her head, and asked the old wolf, "Lao Si, do you still have anything to say to Broken-Waist Wolf?"

The solemn-faced Lao Si didn't move, so Xia Qing continued, "Lao Si has nothing more. Broken-Waist, if you're free tonight, come over to my territory. I have something to discuss with you."

Broken-Waist Wolf briefly showed the tips of its fangs, then used its black nose to hang up the video call.

Lao Si stared at the darkened phone, motionless for several seconds, as if pondering some serious matter.

Xia Qing didn't disturb it either. She walked into the dry cave beside the old wolf's den—whose entrance was just the right size—and pried apart the wooden slats of the crate protecting the door. She quickly repurposed them into a wooden rack, nailed it firmly to the stone wall inside the cave, and covered it with a rainproof tarp to serve as a waterproof storage shelf.

Then she took out her tools, chipped away the excess stone at the cave entrance with a clanging din, installed the door with new-material cement, and adjusted it until it worked properly.

Without Xia Qing needing to teach it, Lao Si carried its notebook and charging pad inside in its mouth and set them on the wooden rack. After coming out of the cave and watching the sturdy stainless-steel door close automatically, Lao Si bared its fangs at Xia Qing.

This was the most beautiful smile Xia Qing had ever seen the old wolf show. Filled with a sense of accomplishment, she said, "This little dry cave will be Lao Si's supply depot from now on. Apart from you, no other wolf or human—including me—can unlock this door."

"When it rains or there's an earthquake, Lao Si needs to go into the cave and check, don't let your equipment get rained on or knocked down…" After giving the key reminders, Xia Qing asked, "Lao Si, where's that batch of supplies you brought back from Huiyi Mountain Twenty-Eight?"

The old wolf turned and led Xia Qing deeper into the cave.

This cave above the cliff was very deep, with many branching passages. Xia Qing turned on her flashlight and followed the old wolf inside for a full two minutes, startling countless evolved bats into flight, before finally arriving at a small cavern.

The old wolf pawed aside dry grass and loose stones, uncovering three large human-style backpacks. It had to be said: when it came to caution, even Broken-Waist Wolf couldn't compare to this old wolf.

Xia Qing brought the three backpacks to the entrance of the old wolf's den and began taking stock of the supplies. "Three Grade-A tents made for the Evolution Forest, eighty percent new, totaling 7,200 credits; four sets of Field Grade-3 protective suits plus protective masks, seventy percent new, credits; three large packs of food, worth roughly 2,500 credits; ten vials of premium nutrient solution, this stuff isn't worth as much as it used to be, 4,000 credits in total…"

After Hui-Three Base promoted the Gao Yi Element Spinach X-2, the selling price of Liehuo's premium nutrient solution dropped from 2,000 credits per vial to the current 400 credits per vial, 100 credits lower than X nutrient solution.

And it won't stop there—next year it'll have to drop again.

Because the various bases across Hua Nation are now widely cultivating X-2. After harvesting the spinach seedlings, they buy nutrient sources from Hui-Three Pharmaceutical Factory, then purchase a set of machinery, and can produce X nutrient solution themselves—whose effects are even better than high-grade nutrient solution. As a result, demand for high-grade nutrient solution has already dropped; if the price isn't lowered, it simply can't be sold.

These two types of nutrient solution have directly replaced ordinary nutrient solution, which used to sell for around 200 credits, and have become essential supplies for combat teams and military units on missions.

The more Xia Qing sorted through, the happier she became—she even started humming a little tune. Lao Si, lying beside her, had the tip of its tail swaying slightly; it was in a good mood too.

After sorting out all the supplies and arranging them by category, Xia Qing discussed with the old wolf beside her, "Lao Si, pick out the supplies you want to keep, and I'll pack up and take away everything else?"

The old wolf stood up and quickly selected supplies—clearly it had long since made up its mind.

This clever old wolf kept one backpack, three tents, one protective suit, four protective masks, two tubes of insect repellent, and ten vials of nutrient solution, then signaled Xia Qing to pack up and take away the remaining protective suits, medicine, three pistols, four boxes of ammunition, thirty hand grenades, and all the broken miscellaneous bits.

The supplies it kept, no matter how you looked at them, looked like they were meant for setting up an ambush to rob humans…

Xia Qing was silent for a few seconds, then sternly warned this battle-hardened, storm-tested old wolf, "Lao Si, according to the Evolution Forest Code, if humans don't enter the wolves' core territory to provoke or attack the pack, you can't rob humans of their supplies. Otherwise, I won't trade supplies with you or help treat your pack's illnesses and injuries anymore."

The old wolf stared solemnly at Xia Qing, slowly bared its fangs, and let out a fierce roar.

"You want revenge? Which humans are you getting revenge on? … The blue-skinned wandering humans? Are there still blue-skinned wandering humans alive?"

The old wolf stopped roaring, the tips of its fangs still bared fiercely.

Xia Qing nodded, "Fine, Lao Si, go get your revenge. If you can't beat those blue-skinned wanderers, you can call me, but I get sixty percent of the supplies."

The old wolf closed its mouth, stared solemnly at Xia Qing, and scratched a number on the stone beneath its feet:

3.

I…

Xia Qing, equally solemn, locked eyes with the old wolf for over ten seconds, then offered her bottom line, "I'll take forty percent. If any wolves are injured, I can handle the treatment, but Lao Si has to pay the medical fees."

The old wolf grew even more solemn and wrote two more numbers on the ground:

73.

Xia Qing was silent for three seconds, then asked in a sinister tone, "You want the human Third Brother from Territory Seven to treat the wolf pack?"

The solemn-faced old wolf opened its mouth and bared its fangs.

"I…!!!"

Xia Qing immediately jumped up in fury. This utterly conscienceless, smoke-belching old wolf actually dared to look down on me!

Tear up the agreement—I'm done!