Chapter 1395: Xia Qing, Come Here Immediately

After handing the noise-cancelling headphones to Yang Jin, Xia Qing rushed to the Ninth Center and took direct command of the cold-resistance emergency operations.

Two hours later, the temperature dropped to minus eighteen degrees. Xia Qing immediately ordered all on-duty personnel to change into the thickened work uniforms in shifts, and ordered the cafeteria to stew four Yellow-Light Muntjacs at noon with chili peppers for a meat broth, to boost the staff's resistance to the cold.

Upon learning the cafeteria was going to slaughter deer and stew soup, the staff and the children participating in the disaster relief were filled with enthusiasm.

The meat reserves in the Ninth Center's food storage warehouse were limited. Slaughtering four Yellow-Light Muntjacs couldn't guarantee everyone would get a bite of meat, but it could ensure everyone got some meat broth. Meat broth, in a year of natural disaster, was already an extremely, extremely luxurious food.

"Xia Qing."

Before Xia Qing had finished her inspection, the idol's voice came through the walkie-talkie. The nerves of everyone who heard this call immediately tensed up.

Xia Qing calmly pressed the walkie-talkie. "Third Brother, I'm at the Ninth Center. Go ahead."

Zhang San's response was very crisp. "Come here immediately."

"Okay." Xia Qing hung up the phone, ran out of the greenhouse, jumped into the off-road vehicle, and braved the Calamity Snow to rush to Territory Seven.

Inside the Territory Seven laboratory, Zhang San turned the laptop screen toward Xia Qing, letting her see the images displayed on it. "This is the surveillance footage sent back from Blazing Fire Mountain. This is Danger Zone 5 of Mountain 28 in the Southern Experimental Area. This is Danger Zone 6 of Mountain 25. Look."

The Southern Experimental Area Zhang San mentioned was the territory of the Southern Wolf Pack.

After Blazing Fire used a potion to poison-kill five evolved wolves of the Southern Wolf Pack, the toxic gas spread, forcing the Huicheng Main Base to activate the cross-base emergency disaster-elimination procedure. Commander Zhang San applied to the Huicheng Main Base to designate the Southern Wolf Pack's territory as an experimental area, with an experimental period of ten years, and himself as the person in charge.

The Huicheng Southern Experimental Area covered all the territory of the Southern Wolf Pack, that is, Huicheng Three Mountains 22-26 and Huicheng One Mountains 27-29 were all included in it.

During these ten years, Zhang San's research team had to complete three indicators:

First, using the experimental funds and materials allocated by Huicheng, thoroughly eliminate the threat the toxic gas spread posed to the evolved forest ecology of the experimental area; second, using the experimental area as the research subject, apply for and establish no fewer than five national-level research projects on evolved forests.

Third, among these projects, at least one experimental result must win a National Natural Science Award.

The reason the Huicheng Main Base put forward these requirements was that although Zhang San's research team had moved from the Huicheng One Safe Zone into Huicheng Three's territory, his laboratory was still in Huicheng. His project establishment and award wins were Huicheng's project establishment and award wins. These projects and awards could enhance the scientific research achievements of the Huicheng Base.

In Xia Qing's view, the idol, in response to her request, had paid a considerable price by bringing the Southern Wolf Pack's territory under his protection.

The idol's scientific research workload had increased, his sleep and rest time had decreased, he would get headaches because of it, and become even more skeletal.

This made Xia Qing very guilty, and she decided to have Broken-Waist Wolf, Little Wolf Brother, and Does Daigua hurry up with their studies to help relieve the idol's worries and labors.

Unexpectedly, before she could even open her mouth, the idol gave a cold snort and dropped a line: "The pressure this bit of scientific research workload brings me is far less than the chain reaction triggered by one of your outlandish whims."

Since the idol had said so much, Xia Qing could only put away her "outlandish whims," stop concerning herself with the Southern Experimental Area's affairs, focus on doing her own job well, and cause less trouble for the idol.

So, today was the first time since the Southern Experimental Area was established that the idol had sought her out because of matters concerning this area.

Xia Qing stared at the glowing patterns on the infrared detection image on the screen for a while, then asked, "Third Brother, is this a Calamity-evolved plant that grew during the Calamity Snow?"

"This is a colorless, transparent fungus with extremely strong concealment. Its species, capabilities, and content of Calamity and Yi elements have not yet been detected, and its danger level is not yet clear. Monitoring personnel discovered through cameras that small animals behaved abnormally after entering the aforementioned areas, so they activated thermal imaging and multispectral scanning, and only then discovered this fungus."

After giving his explanation, Zhang San raised the matter that required Xia Qing's assistance. "You immediately contact Little Four, and have it notify the wolf pack not to approach Danger Zones 5 and 6, and to avoid the other four danger zones as much as possible."

The activity areas within three hours before the death of the five wolves that were poisoned, and the area where Xia Qing and the wolf pack killed the Blazing Fire members, were confirmed as sealed control zones during the disaster-elimination procedure, and were designated as danger zones after the disaster elimination was concluded.

Danger Zone 5 was the sinkhole where the last wolf carcass was discovered, and Danger Zone 6 was the area where the Blazing Fire members were killed.

"Okay, Third Brother, send me these pictures, and I'll forward them to Old Four. Old Four might still be on Mountain 36 and doesn't have its phone with it. I'll try calling first."

Xia Qing took out her phone, first forwarded the pictures the idol had sent her, then dialed Old Four's video call.

After the call connected, an upside-down black wolf head appeared on the screen. Xia Qing turned her phone around, and this time saw a tilted little black wolf head.

This half-grown black wolf often followed Old Four and Scarface Little Wolf to study instructional videos together in Old Four's cave, so Xia Qing recognized it and asked directly, "Xiao Hei Mei, is Old Four in?"

What kind of lousy name is that?! Zhang San stood up, glanced at Xia Qing's phone screen, then sat back down.

This wolf really was pitch-black, not as good-looking as Little Broken.

The little black wolf on the screen stared at the screen solemnly, without any movement.

Old Four wasn't in, so Xia Qing continued to ask, "Is Scarface in?"

Zhang San……

Giving a wolf that was left with a scar because of your operational blunder such a name—don't you feel ashamed?

Not in either? Xia Qing asked again, "Is Lord Cui Yan in?"

The little black wolf nodded solemnly.

Xia Qing spoke to it gently, trying to negotiate. "Can Xiao Hei Mei call Lord Cui Yan over? I have something very important to discuss with it."

Xiao Hei Mei nodded solemnly and disappeared from the phone screen.

Based on an illuminated section of cave in the screen, Xia Qing recognized this as the cave on the cliff of Mountain 22 that Old Four used to store equipment. The door of this cave, as well as the lights, shelves, and small table inside, were all delivered and installed by Xia Qing personally.

Soon, the howling of a little wolf sounded outside the cave. After calling out the same words three times, the little fellow ran back into the cave and stared at Xia Qing.

Xia Qing said gently, "Thank you, Xiao Hei Mei, for passing the message to Lord Cui Yan for me. Next time I come over, I'll bring you delicious Green-Light eggs. What lesson is Xiao Hei Mei studying?"

"Awoo-woo."

"Studying math, huh? Xiao Hei Mei is really great, still making good use of time to study during the Calamity Snow period. Which lesson are you on?"

Zhang San……

This new human can actually understand wolf language now, and has started having conversations with wolves.

"Awoo-woo-woo-woo."

"Mm, Xiao Hei Mei is very impressive, learning really fast. Once the Calamity Snow period passes, you come over here with Scarface to take the exam. If you pass, you can get a Green-Light egg as a reward."

Zhang San……

A reward just for passing? Isn't your reward standard a bit low?