Chapter 1334: Forming a Team to Sweep Mountain Fifty

"Buzz—"

Zhang San, who was attending Lan San's emergency disaster-mitigation online meeting, saw Xia Qing's video call come through. He muted his computer, turned off his camera, and upon answering, as expected, saw one person and one wolf squeezed into the same screen. He showed his first smile of the day and asked softly, "Xia Qing, Xiaoduan, did you bring the snakes back?"

"Yes, I teamed up with Duan Yao and Xiong Wang and brought them back…" Before Xia Qing could finish, Duan Yao the wolf nudged her. She immediately corrected herself and answered rigorously, "I teamed up with Duan Yao, Handsome Giant Wolf, Xiong Wang, Greedy Little Bear, and Daigua, and very smoothly brought back two crates of snakes. Third Brother, I'll bring the two hundred snakes over to you now—can you have the CBCT machine you already promised to trade to Duan Yao hauled back?"

So this was why Xia Qing hadn't delivered the snakes directly. Zhang San listened to the disaster-mitigation report from Lan San's side while patiently communicating with the advanced brain-domain evolved wolf on the screen. "Xiaoduan, the brand-new CBCT machine I ordered will take three days to arrive. Do you want the new machine, or the old one in my territory? If you want the new one in three days, nod twice; if you want the old one, nod once."

Duan Yao the wolf, having traded with Xia Qing many times before, certainly understood the difference between a "new machine" and an "old machine." It closed its mouth and solemnly nodded twice.

From an angle Third Brother couldn't see, Xia Qing gave Duan Yao the wolf a thumbs-up. Smart! Who wants second-hand goods when there's a new one available!

"Alright, then let Xia Qing bring the snakes over first, and in three days have her haul the machine over to you and install it in your scanning room." Zhang San waited for Duan Yao the wolf to nod, then hung up and went back to the video meeting.

Feeling like a porter, Xia Qing patted Duan Yao the wolf hard. "Duan Yao, you're now an academic wolf standing at the very top of Blue Star's pyramid. You've made it big—don't forget who led the way."

Duan Yao the wolf didn't quite understand what Xia Qing meant, but still bared its cute, snow-white little fang tips at her. Having a new machine that could take dental X-rays made Duan Yao the wolf very happy.

Xia Qing left a few Yi snakes for Ergua, then delivered the two snake crates to Territory Seven. Because her idol was in a video meeting, Xia Qing didn't linger. She took the CBCT machine tutorial video and the packed lunch Daye had prepared for her, and returned to her own territory.

Her own lunch was sorted, but she still had to prepare meals for her companions. While making lunch for her companions in the kitchen, Xia Qing pressed the button on the lord's walkie-talkie.

"Is everyone there? The Third Peak of Mountain Fifty will soon have a new experimental project, so we need to sweep the Third and Fourth Peaks for dangers first. Evolvers with time tomorrow can sign up. Bring your own protective gear and weapons. Thirty points per person per day. Any gains during the sweep will be distributed according to each participant's task contribution."

Duan Yao the wolf, who was watching videos in the living room, immediately paused the video and ran to the kitchen to nudge Xia Qing.

Xia Qing laughed. "Duan Yao wants to join tomorrow's mission too? Okay."

With Duan Yao the wolf participating, the human squad on the Fourth Peak tomorrow definitely wouldn't be attacked or ambushed by leopards, and the safety factor would greatly increase.

On the walkie-talkie, Tang Huai, Zhu Li, Qi Fu, Yuan Yan, Shi Mu, Shi Du, Huo Zhun, Wang Man, Yu Shou and others signed up one after another. They all knew the purpose of this mission was to dig up edible kudzu roots, so anyone who could go wanted to.

Hearing so many people signing up, and that there might be gains, Wen Nengjie was also tempted. "Sister Qing, can I join? I have a Level-3 field protective suit and a gun. My strength evolution level has now reached 1.3, so I can serve as auxiliary logistics."

After the two elements Shang and Yi appeared on Blue Star, all living things evolved to varying degrees. Compared to before the catastrophe, humans generally evolved twofold, with a few evolving multiple times. Twofold-evolved humans are classified as ordinary people; multiple-fold evolved humans are classified as Evolvers.

To determine an Evolver's level, the state set the various physical indicators of an evolved ordinary person as the baseline value of 1. A strength evolution of 1.3 means Wen Nengjie's current strength exceeds the baseline by 30%, but since it hasn't reached "2," he won't be classified as an Evolver—just an ordinary person with considerable strength.

When the Safe Zone posts missions, ordinary people like this who sign up have a fair chance of being selected, because the proportion of Evolvers is too low, and missions with low danger levels still need ordinary people to carry them out.

Wen Nengjie's current level was something he achieved by eating a lot of X-2 spinach. He now urgently needs to earn more points to trade for quality food, raise his strength evolution level, and swap his yellow identity tag for a green one as soon as possible.

Becoming an Evolver is the dream of every ordinary person.

Xia Qing pressed the walkie-talkie button. "This time we're going to sweep for dangers inside the Evolution Forest. If a critical situation arises, the task squad won't be able to provide you with extra protection. If you can keep up with the team, you can join."

Sweeping the Evolution Forest for dangers is far more dangerous than digging clay or chopping trees. If the leading high-level Evolver doesn't provide extra protection, Wen Nengjie could easily get hurt by fierce beasts or Shang-evolved plants. He immediately changed his mind. "Sister Qing, then I won't drag everyone down this time. When there's a lower-danger mission in the future, I'll sign up."

Xia Qing pressed the walkie-talkie. "Okay, there'll be other chances in the future."

Kuang Qingwei came online. "Old Wen, you're right not to go. Last year when I joined a mission at Mountain Fifty, I accidentally snapped a tree branch that wasn't even as thick as a finger. The liquid inside the branch dripped onto me, burned straight through a Level-3 protective suit, burned off a chunk of flesh, and almost ruined my entire arm."

Wen Nengjie responded, "I remember you mentioning that, Brother Qing. I was thinking of earning more points to improve my physical fitness as soon as possible. Joining such a dangerous mission isn't appropriate."

Shi Zhong, also an ordinary person, came online. "Brother Wen, get those ten greenhouses of yours in order, and this winter you'll definitely earn quite a few points."

Wen Nengjie's greenhouses don't only grow vegetables—he also learned to raise Green Light Bugs from Tang Huai. Two of the greenhouses in his territory are used specifically for raising bugs.

Wen Nengjie really didn't want everyone to know his bug-raising was very profitable, so he complained bitterly, "The soil anaerobic bacteria have evolved, so every few days I have to test the soil and amend it. Even if no major catastrophe happens this winter, struggling with ten greenhouses until next spring will at most earn some hard-earned money."

Zhao Ze also came online. "Farming is earning hard money while taking risks. If farming could really make big money, would land even be left for ordinary people like us to get and become lords?"

Wen Nengjie immediately echoed, "Brother Zhao is right. We've been farming out here for two years and we're still alive and healthy—that's something to be grateful for."

The moment Wen Nengjie finished speaking, an ordinary person who wasn't content—Tang Heng—came online. "Sister Qing, I apply to join tomorrow's mission. I don't need you to provide extra protection. Life and death, I take responsibility."

Everyone…

Mountain Fifty is Territory Seven's experimental zone. Joining a mission like this is gold-plating Tang Heng's resume, making his personal record look more impressive.

Xia Qing pressed the walkie-talkie button. "Approved."

With the sweep squad settled, one task moved to the agenda—confirming her next arrangements with Zhang Shi, and only then could the construction date for the hidden valley be locked in.