Chapter 135: Confiscation of Toxic Substances

Tang Huai rolled his eyes. "Wear my ass. You don't trust the army, or you don't trust Third Brother?"

"We're all ordinary people, our bodies aren't as strong as evolved ones, so let's just put them on." Zhang Shiyi's mother gestured for Xia Qing to put on her protective mask, then fastened one on her son, and finally put one on herself.

Unlike Xia Qing's new high-quality protective mask, the Zhang family's mother and son had ordinary ones bought from the safe zone—better than nothing.

After everyone put on their protective masks, Tang Huai snorted dismissively and told his brother, "You put yours on too."

Tang Heng first fastened the protective mask on his brother before putting on his own. Though Tang Huai stubbornly said he wouldn't wear one, he didn't take it off either. It was Xia Qing's first time seeing the two brothers interact, and she realized they were quite close.

"Captain, the other lords are all here." Su Ming, the visual evolved human, quietly reported the situation to Tan Junjie. "This is too dangerous—should we tell them to go back?"

Xia Qing heard Tan Junjie quietly ask Zhang San, "Lord Zhang, is it dangerous for them to stay here?"

Because he was wearing a sealed protective suit, Zhang San couldn't speak easily and only waved his hand to indicate there was no danger.

Seeing Third Brother wave his hand, Tang Huai grew even more self-righteous. "See? I told you, with Third Brother here we don't need protective masks at all. One, two, three—none of you have guts bigger than a bug."

The lords wearing protective masks pretended not to hear Tang Huai's mockery. Dajiang, the auditory evolved human, glared at him. "You've got bigger guts than a bug, happy now? Can you stop yapping?"

Tang Heng held back his brother, who was about to start arguing with Dajiang, and gestured for him to look at the Hazardous Chemicals Elimination Team parked under the Territory Nine road sign.

Tan Junjie pulled out the megaphone clipped to his waist and shouted loudly, "Lord of Territory Nine, Li Si, the Hazardous Inspection Team has obtained permission from the Territory Management Department and is about to enter Territory Nine to search for hazardous chemicals. Please cooperate with our work."

When Tan Junjie began his second announcement, Shi Du quietly muttered beside Xia Qing, "The people of Territory Nine must be hiding stuff. What if Third Brother goes in and can't find anything?"

Dajiang pointed at Yan Long in camouflage beside Zhang San. "Hiding won't help. See that one? A level-ten olfactory evolved human."

"Level ten?!" Everyone was shocked. They hadn't expected that, apart from Luo Pei, there was another top evolved human nearby—and a woman at that.

Shi Du's mother gossiped quietly, "I wonder if she's married. If she married a high-level evolved human, her kid would definitely be a high-level evolved human too."

Yuan Yan answered softly, "She looks young, probably not."

"If I were a top evolved human, I wouldn't marry before thirty-five." Zhu Li pulled Xia Qing into the chat. "Xia Qing, you agree, right?"

"Sister Kuang's right, me too." Xia Qing gave a brief reply. Ninety-nine percent of her attention was on the group under the Territory Nine road sign, enviously eyeing the grenade launchers Hu Zi and the others were carrying.

After Tan Junjie completed the routine three announcements, he changed his wording: "The Hazardous Inspection Team has notified three times. The Lord of Territory Nine has not responded. The inspection team will now enter Territory Nine. If the Lord of Territory Nine has objections, he may file a protest with the Territory Management Department afterward. If personnel within the territory resist the inspection by force, the Hazardous Inspection Team does not rule out using forceful measures to ensure the inspection proceeds smoothly."

"Click, click."

The sound of bullets being chambered carried a strong smell of gunpowder. Everyone held their breath and watched them enter Territory Nine.

After the inspection team passed through the wild grass wall, the onlookers outside couldn't see anything anymore. When even the sound of footsteps could no longer be heard, and no gunshots came from inside either, the show was over.

But no one left—everyone wanted to see the search results with their own eyes. Kuang Qingwei snickered as he sidled up to Tang Huai. "Can you hear anything, Brother Huai?"

Kuang Qingwei and the others didn't know Dajiang was also an auditory evolved human, so they all turned their heads toward Tang Huai.

Tang Huai snorted proudly. "They haven't even gotten there yet. What's the rush?"

"Nobody say a word, let Brother Huai listen for news properly." As Kuang Qingwei spoke, he gave his wife a pointed look.

Zhu Li snorted and casually plucked a blade of grass, twirling it between her fingers. Half a year had passed, and she had finally seen living people from outside Territory Six—of course she couldn't resist chatting a bit more.

Xia Qing was also listening intently. She heard Assistant Xiao Liu use the protective clauses of the Lord Law to resist the inspection, while Tan Junjie argued his case forcefully.

The two voices rose and fell, and Xia Qing could only catch the gist. Then she heard a man roar in anger, followed by the sounds of a scuffle—but the fight stopped quickly, and Tan Junjie ordered the inspection to begin.

Things quieted down inside. Xia Qing heard Assistant Xiao Liu crying and begging Li Si for forgiveness.

"It's not your fault. They had their eyes on us long ago. They'd find an excuse to barge in sooner or later." Li Si didn't push all the blame onto Xiao Liu.

The man who had roared at Tan Junjie earlier cursed at Assistant Xiao Liu. "If not her fault, then whose? Can't even tell what should and shouldn't be said! Women are unreliable!"

Li Si stared back coldly. "If you're so reliable, then have the guts to say that to the brigade commander's face."

The "brigade commander" Li Si mentioned was likely Deng Yufeng, the Fire Phoenix of the Blazing Fire Squad.

That man's arrogance visibly deflated, his voice dropping as he muttered something Xia Qing couldn't make out, and then it went quiet inside.

Half an hour later, Xia Qing heard Tan Junjie loudly announce the search results to Li Si.

"A total of twenty canisters of high-concentration compressed noxious gas were found in Territory Nine, each canister 450 milliliters; eight types of Class One toxic substances, totaling 28.5 kilograms; thirteen types of Class Two toxic substances, totaling 82.65 kilograms. In accordance with the Regulations on the Safety Management of Hazardous Chemicals, the inspection team confiscates the above items. Does the Lord of Territory Nine have any objections?"

Hearing the types and quantities, Xia Qing was stunned.

She had assumed Territory Nine's prohibited hazardous chemicals would amount to a few jin at most. She hadn't expected two hundred jin—and that didn't include the twenty canisters of high-concentration compressed noxious gas specifically used for making poisons and doing evil.

Li Si had already regained his composure. Without arguing, he spoke up and pointed at Territory Three. "Captain Tan, as a professional, I apply to accompany the inspection team to search for hazardous chemicals hidden in Territory Seven."

Tan Junjie asked sternly, "Does the Lord of Territory Nine have evidence proving that Territory Seven contains prohibited hazardous chemicals?"

Li Si naturally had no evidence, but she was absolutely certain. "He specializes in pharmaceutical research. His territory must contain toxic chemicals."

Tan Junjie asked Zhang San again, "Lord of Territory Seven, does your territory contain hazardous chemicals stored in violation of the Regulations on the Safety Management of Hazardous Chemicals?"

Zhang San was wearing a fully enclosed airtight protective suit, so Xia Qing couldn't hear his voice. After a while, she heard Tan Junjie say, "Understood. The Lord of Territory Seven confirms that his territory contains no illegal items or pharmaceuticals, and will bear legal responsibility for his statement. This has been recorded on video."

"Tan Junjie, captain of the sixth Hazardous Inspection Squad for Territories 1 through 10, on behalf of the Lord Management Department of Hui-Three Base, hereby formally notifies the thirty-five people in Territory Nine, including Lord Li Si: until the Lord Management Department issues punitive measures against Territory Nine, all of you are under the surveillance of the Hazardous Inspection Team and are not permitted to leave Territory Nine without authorization. Otherwise, the punishment will be doubled."

There were actually thirty-five people in Territory Nine? Xia Qing frowned. Over thirty people carrying two hundred jin of poison—crazy didn't even begin to describe it. They weren't just here to gather native plants from this land.

Xia Qing heard Li Si's roar, unable to contain his anger. "Tan Junjie, I want to file a complaint with the Hui City Main Base against you and against Hui-Three Base!"

"That is your right." Tan Junjie remained stern and calm as he led the team outward.

Li Si was furious and shouted again, "As if the likes of you can monitor me—what a joke!"

That tone sent chills down Xia Qing's spine. Today's Xiao Liu didn't seem like herself, and Li Si didn't seem like himself. What on earth were they plotting?