Chapter 1423: The Second Old Wolf

"Fourth Brother, Sister Cui, Scarface…" Huo Zhun's gaze moved to the last little wolf, pitch-black all over with no identifying scars or fur color to go by, and following Xia Qing's naming habit, he called out, "Little Black Brother, please come in."

Cui Yan the Wolf King roared loudly at Huo Zhun. The solemn old wolf turned its head to look at Xia Qing, and the two little wolves mirrored the old wolf's movement exactly.

Huo Zhun understood, hurried forward to meet her, and took the big pack off Xia Qing's back. "Thanks for the hard work, Sister Qing."

Because he had not yet earned the wolf pack's trust and could not enter the pack's core territory, Xia Qing had to trudge through snow up to her thighs, laboriously hauling the supplies to the pack's outer territory to do the inventory.

When Xia Qing called Huo Zhun and said she wanted to bring him over to do the inventory, Huo Zhun felt it wasn't necessary, but he agreed right away. He knew full well he wasn't the sharpest tool in the shed, and since the team leader told him to come along, he came along.

As for why she told him to come along — the team leader didn't say, and he didn't ask. The main thing was: obey orders firmly, get scolded less.

After handing the backpack to Huo Zhun, Xia Qing turned around and untied two more bags of supplies from the two giant wolves behind her, switched on the lamp on her protective mask, and led the way into the cave. She first introduced Huo Zhun: "Brother Huo, Little Black Mei is a she-wolf. Little Black Mei, this is Huo Zhun, my companion."

Little Black Mei, standing beside the scar-faced little wolf, had not a single expression on her pitch-black face. Huo Zhun corrected himself at once: "Sister Little Black, sorry, my eyes aren't great."

Before starting the inventory, Xia Qing, the human-wolf mission broker, confirmed with both sides: "Fourth, Queen Cui Yan, Brother Huo — according to the pre-mission agreement, this mission's haul is split four ways?"

Seeing the old wolf nod solemnly, and the scar-faced little wolf and Little Black Mei nod along with it, Cui Yan the Wolf King had already leapt onto a jutting rock on the cave wall, glaring ferociously at Huo Zhun. If this human dared to reach out a paw, the Southern Wolf King would leap down and tear him apart on the spot.

Locked in the Wolf King's gaze, Huo Zhun nodded cheerfully. "No problem."

After confirming the split ratio, Xia Qing continued to inquire: "As the mission broker, I take a fifteen-percent commission. Fourth's share was already paid the day after the mission ended. Brother Huo's side — once the supplies are divided up, you'll give it to me. No problem?"

The high-grade Yishi that Fourth had given Xia Qing was more than enough to cover the commission.

Huo Zhun nodded immediately. "No problem. Whatever Sister Qing wants later, just take it."

After all matters were settled, Xia Qing opened the three big packs and inventoried each item in front of the four wolves and one person: "After the mission ended on December 2nd, the total haul was four backpacks, eight satchels, four sets of protective suits and clothing, two homemade muskets, four sets of homemade crossbows and bolts, two daggers, and two damaged phones. Brother Huo, look — although the backpacks and satchels were stored in the wolf den, the pack never opened them. They're perfectly preserved."

After carefully inspecting them, Huo Zhun gave the old wolf a thumbs-up. "Confirmed, never opened. Fourth Brother is really proper — worthy of an evolved wolf standing at the very top of Blue Star's pyramid. Working with you puts my mind completely at ease!"

The old wolf's face was expressionless. Cui Yan the Wolf King roared. Xia Qing paused, then opened the backpacks and satchels and, under the watchful eyes of the four wolves and one person, inventoried the supplies inside.

The supplies of these four blue-skinned wanderers were not much different from before — weapons, food, potions, clothing, point cards, and Yishi.

Xia Qing took out paper and pen, recorded each item in the ledger, and assessed its value. Six walnut-sized high-grade Yishi, four pigeon-egg-sized mid-grade Yishi, four Yishi granules, six point cards…

Huo Zhun stared at the point numbers in the ledger, his heart pounding.

"…Alright, that's all the supplies and their estimated value. Excluding the potions, the total value of the supplies is 4,331,866 points. The potions' value needs to be sent to a specialized department for appraisal before it can be determined. Fourth, Brother Huo — take a look, any problems?" Xia Qing handed the two-page-long form first to the old wolf.

The old wolf glanced at it solemnly and gave a slight nod. Huo Zhun immediately followed up: "No problem on my end either."

With no objections from either side, next came the distribution. Xia Qing asked the team leader: "Alright, the potions will be tallied later. Fourth, you're the team leader — you can pick first. What do you want?"

Completely beyond Huo Zhun's expectations, the team leader of this mission actually raised a paw and pressed it down on the point cards.

Xia Qing picked up the six point cards and placed them in front of the old wolf. "Alright, the six point cards, totaling the value in points, go to Fourth. Anything else you want?"

The old wolf raised a paw again and pressed it down on the crossbows, bolts, and daggers. Huo Zhun was even more dumbfounded.

Xia Qing placed the supplies the old wolf had chosen in front of it. "Alright, four sets of homemade crossbow bolts and two daggers, estimated at 655 points total, go to Fourth. Anything else you want?"

This time the old wolf finally placed its paw on the pile of Yishi.

"The supplies Fourth just chose, plus these Yishi, exceed sixty percent of the total value, so you can't take all of these Yishi." Xia Qing quickly calculated the numbers on her phone and began distributing the Yishi. "Fourth can take three high-grade Yishi, four mid-grade Yishi, and one Yishi granule. That way you've taken sixty percent of the supplies."

The old wolf had no objections.

Then Xia Qing asked Huo Zhun: "Brother Huo, what do you want?"

Huo Zhun asked, "How many points' worth of commission should Sister Qing take? You pick first."

Xia Qing, whose brain worked better than Huo Zhun's, answered precisely: "259,911.96. I'll just take points directly."

Xia Qing actually wanted Yishi more, but the remaining two high-grade Yishi were each priced at 520,000 points, far exceeding her commission. The remaining three Yishi granules couldn't make up her commission amount either, so she was straightforward about it — points it is.

"Alright." Huo Zhun pointed at the Yishi, Yishi granules, and muskets on the ground. "I'll take all these back and split them with Brother Jin and the other three. After we divide up, I'll give Sister Qing 260,000 points."

"Works." Xia Qing packed up the supplies and had Huo Zhun carry two packs back to the helicopter first. Then she began settling accounts with the old wolf: "Fourth, on December 2nd, you rented three Yishi necklaces from me, at 2,500 points per day. Did you bring those necklaces?"

The old wolf nodded, gesturing for Xia Qing to reach into its protective suit pocket and pull them out. The old wolf didn't like wearing protective suits, but today it had to follow Xia Qing back to the territory for dental treatment, so it put the suit on for the convenience of carrying supplies.

Xia Qing reached into the old wolf's pocket and pulled out the unadorned, unpolished, very low-aesthetic Yishi protective cases she'd sold it. After opening them and confirming all three Yishi necklaces were inside, she asked: "Fourth put the Yishi necklaces back in the protective cases right after the heavy snow period ended?"

The old wolf's face was stern. It did not nod.

"Fourth took the Yishi necklaces off right after returning to the territory with the three Tibetan mastiffs?"

The solemn old wolf nodded.

Xia Qing gave a thumbs-up. "Fourth really knows how to stretch a penny. I'm not a steel rooster — Yishi rentals can be charged by the hour at the lowest. For these three necklaces, you owe me…"

Before Xia Qing could finish, the old wolf scraped one of the high-grade Yishi granules on the ground over to in front of Xia Qing.

Xia Qing's eyes lit up as she asked: "Fourth, you mean to use this Yishi granule to pay the rental?"

The old wolf nodded solemnly.

Xia Qing beamed as she pocketed the Yishi granule, bursting with enthusiasm: "Fourth truly is worthy of an evolved wolf standing at the very top of Blue Star's pyramid — every creature on Blue Star should learn from this excellent quality of yours! I'll take this Yishi granule. The Yishi necklace rental and the Tibetan mastiffs' treatment fee are settled between us! Fourth, which supplies do you want to bring to my territory?"

The old wolf threw back its head and let out a long wolf howl.

A thin-furred, frail old wolf heard the howl and walked out from a cave not far away.