Chapter 1377: Ginseng and Black-Bone Chicken Soup and Honey Lemon Tea

Zhang San nodded and handed her a comparative analysis sheet. "The ones from Territory One are the same. The ones here had the destructive element isolated, so they didn't grow rapidly during the destructive snow period. This kind of grass has great research value. After you go back, have Yang Jin dig up a white cogon grass from inside the territory too, run the tests according to the items on the sheet, and send me the results as soon as possible."

The reason for having Yang Jin do the digging was that Xia Qing's condition clearly needed rest.

"Okay."

Xia Qing took the memory stick and slotted it back into her protective mask, folded the sheet and tucked it into her pocket, and left the lab building expressionless. Only when she took the food box Daye handed her did she show a trace of warmth.

Although Xia Qing always had that expression, Zheng Chen still felt something was off about her today. But his relationship with Xia Qing was average, so he didn't say much, only silently saw her out of Territory Seven.

Anyway, the big shot valued Xia Qing highly, so she didn't worry about being blacklisted...

Zhang Song watched through the window until Xia Qing had left, then composed himself and knocked on Zhang San's office door. "Third Brother, do all the soil samples Sister Qing sent back need to be tested?"

Zhang San ordered with a look of annoyance, "Take two bags of soil, one bag of destructive grass, and one bag of white cogon grass roots to Testing Room Six, and run a comparative analysis with the samples sent from Territory One."

"Understood." Zhang Song had long expected this result.

Even though Xia Qing was a high-level Evolver, going into the Evolution Forest to collect samples during the destructive snow period was extremely dangerous. If only two bags of soil samples were needed, why would she go through the trouble of digging up and transporting over two hundred bags back?

In Zhang Song's view, there were only three possibilities for this outcome: first, Xia Qing had misunderstood Third Brother's order; second, Xia Qing was using this self-punishing method to express some kind of dissatisfaction; third, this was a scheme Third Brother and Xia Qing had agreed on to achieve some purpose.

Zhang Song's role in Territory Seven was researcher, not criminal investigator, so even though he was somewhat worried about Xia Qing's current mental state, he pretended he had noticed nothing.

Third Brother and Xia Qing had already given him a hard time over Zhang Han's matter. If he did something that didn't match his role again, he might very well be kicked out of Territory Seven and lose the qualification to study the wolf packs and the monk-faced monkey troops. So Zhang Song had to be extremely careful with his words and actions, stick strictly to his duties as a researcher, and ask for further instructions: "Then how should the other samples Sister Qing brought back be handled?"

Zhang San raised his hand and habitually pressed his throbbing forehead. If the danger zone of Mountain Fifty-Five didn't need constant monitoring, there would be no need to send all the contaminated soil back. Transporting it all back did tire Xia Qing out a bit, but it also conveniently advanced the plan to cover up the spring water secret of Territory Three, so it killed two birds with one stone. "Seal them on-site with bacterial isolation, and deal with them after the destructive snow period ends."

"Understood, leave the rest of the work to me. You haven't slept all night, hurry up and eat something and rest." Zhang Song accepted the order, retreated, and closed the door properly.

Zhang San watched Zhang Song's cautious manner and smiled silently, then checked the recording of Xia Qing handling the danger zone of Mountain Fifty-Five, worried she had made an operational mistake and left a major oversight.

Special-ops team member Xiao Peng, who had helped carry the soil bags, returned to the dorm, first stuffed a glove smeared with wet soil into a bag and sealed it, then carefully sniffed the wet soil on the other glove, firmly committed that scent to memory, then changed into a pair of same-colored protective gloves, left the dorm, and continued his mission.

Yu Ying'an, who had been watching the security personnel's dorm, quickly noticed the difference in the target's clothing, took a quick screenshot, and wrote it into the daily surveillance report he had to submit to Zhang San.

After leaving Territory Seven, Xia Qing first made a round of the Ninth Center, confirmed that the crop plant loss ratio was within the normal range, and only then drove away from the Ninth Center and returned to her own territory.

Because Xia Qing hadn't turned on her walkie-talkie, she had no idea that her movements after returning to her territory were being broadcast in real time by her allies to her "boyfriend."

As she was leaving Territory Seven, Territory Fifteen's lord Tan Qi quietly broadcast on the lord channel: "Jin-ge, Sister Qing has left Territory Seven."

Yang Jin replied, "Copy that."

When she passed through the central corridor between Territory Six and Territory Ten, Zhu Li, who was standing under an umbrella at the bus stop, greeted her first. After Xia Qing walked far away, she immediately reported on the walkie-talkie: "Jin-ge, Sister Qing looks extremely tired, her eyes are full of bloodshot veins, and her voice is hoarse."

Tang Huai came online: "Jin-ge, why don't you stew some soup for Sister Qing? I've got green-light pears here, want me to send them over now?"

Yang Jin replied, "No need, I've already stewed ginseng and black-bone chicken soup, and I'm making a cup of honey lemon tea now."

Ginseng and black-bone chicken soup replenishes vital energy, nourishes the blood and calms the mind, promotes fluid production and quenches thirst—it's an excellent tonic; honey lemon tea clears heat and detoxifies, very suitable for the exhausted and overheated Xia Qing to drink.

Territory Seventeen's lord Wen Nengjie swallowed his saliva and came online to make his presence felt: "Only Jin-ge could be so prepared. Once you're back, Sister Qing's quality of life shoots up a whole notch."

Liu Jing, who was sprawled next to Tang Huai, complained, "Is Wen Nengjie just low on EQ, or has an Evolution Bug bored into his brain?"

Tang Huai scoffed, "Neither. If he could curry favor with Xia Qing and Yang Jin, he wouldn't bat an eye at not just stepping on Crazy Hu, but slaughtering him too."

"Boss is right, that guy's seriously shady." After saying that, Liu Jing sighed again, "But then again, ordinary people without ability and without being shady wouldn't have survived to Year Eleven of the Calamity. People like us..."

Tang Huai kicked Liu Jing, "Get lost! Don't you fucking say 'us' to me. I've never done anything rotten!"

From the lord channel came Yuan Yan's voice: "Jin-ge, Sister Qing's car looks really dirty, just give a shout if you need help washing it later."

Soon, Zhao Ze from Territory Four came online: "Jin-ge, Sister Qing has entered the Ninth Center, probably to check the crop losses during the red destructive snow."

Zhao's mother seized the chance to come online for some ideological education: "Xia Qing left her territory in the middle of the night and didn't get back until noon, and even when exhausted she didn't forget her duties. This spirit is worth us learning from."

Territory Fifteen's lord Tan Qi responded: "Wang Laoshi is right, I want to learn from Sister Qing."

Little Shiyi squatting beside her also pressed the walkie-talkie button: "Wang Laoshi, I want to learn from Sister Qing too."

Hearing his daughter's voice, Zhang Shi in the basement smiled.

Zhao's mother pressed the walkie-talkie button: "Good, Tan Qi and Shiyi will each write a reflection piece during the destructive snow period. Tan Qi writes 500 words, Shiyi writes 100 words."

Everyone...

Zhang Shi thought of his daughter's little expression at this moment and laughed out loud.

Huo Zhun, who was just about to speak, was so startled he immediately released the button. Only after releasing it did he remember he wasn't under Wang Laoshi's jurisdiction...

Tan Junjie came online: "Qiqi, Shiyi, go back and eat, and do your homework properly."

Everyone...

After Tan Qi and Ye Shiyi replied crisply, Tang Huai came online: "Jin-ge, you're cooking at home, I'll go open the door for Sister Qing later."

Before Yang Jin could say anything, Zhang San's cold voice came through the lord channel: "If anyone says one more word of nonsense and ruins my appetite, you'll face the consequences."

The big shot was in a bad mood, so all the allies immediately shut up.

Liu Jing, sprawled in the destructive snow, complained: "Boss, Third Brother is targeting you again. Otherwise, why doesn't he say anything when others talk, but starts cursing the moment it's your turn?"

The sulking Tang Huai kicked Liu Jing flying, took out his phone, and beep-beep-beep sent a message to Yang Jin.