Chapter 1437: Birds of a Feather Flock Together

Inside the North Buffer Forest, Yang Jin heard the news broadcast on his phone and understood that Xia Qing's side wasn't convenient for voice, so he used his phone's voice assistant to send her a text: Two hired workers in Territory Four have been bribed. They intended to install a listening device inside the western wasteland grass wall of Territory Four to eavesdrop on your movements. Huo Zhun, Wang Man, and Di Ming are all inside Territory Four. Zhao Ze caught one, and Di Ming's interrogation led to the second. The wolf pack won't allow anyone to approach the western wasteland grass wall of Territory Four, so that area hasn't been thoroughly swept yet.

Wolves and humans determine territory boundaries differently. In the wolves' view, the more-than-ten-meter-wide stretch of wasteland grass wall connecting Territory Four and Territory Three all belongs to Xia Qing's territory. So Scar Wolf and Black Wolf on the roof won't allow people from inside Territory Four to approach, not even Huo Zhun.

Xia Qing sent a message asking: Did Di Ming get anything out of them?

Yang Jin replied: The listening equipment was brought back by the two hired workers when they went to the Safe Zone to purchase supplies. Based on their statements, it was probably done by people from the Aurora Squad. I deduce it's a mole Liehuo planted inside the Aurora Squad, and I'm tracking it down.

Liehuo again!

Xia Qing controlled her emotions, not letting her magnetic field changes disturb her companions who were resting.

Before Xia Qing could reply, Yang Jin sent another message: The Liehuo Squad is now like a mad stray dog. We have to stay calm so we can drive it step by step into the trap we've dug and finish it off completely.

Xia Qing replied: Understood. What model is the listening device? Liehuo should know I've installed the same anti-listening equipment as Territory Seven inside my territory.

So, if it really was done by Liehuo's people, the listening equipment the Territory Four hired workers brought back must be very advanced.

But Xia Qing wasn't worried about leaks, because she'd always been extremely careful and never mentioned confidential matters outdoors. So even if the other side had already installed more advanced listening equipment inside Territory Four's wasteland grass wall, they couldn't eavesdrop on any valuable information from her.

Yang Jin replied: It's modified equipment. I didn't let Di Ming take it apart. I'll hand it over to you directly after dawn.

Xia Qing very much approved of Yang Jin's approach—let the professionals handle professional matters. This kind of modified equipment should be handed to Da Ya from Territory Seven. She replied again: Got it. Thanks for your hard work, Captain Yang. Go back and rest. I'll keep watch until dawn.

After two minutes with no reply from Yang Jin, Xia Qing opened the surveillance again and saw that Yang Jin had actually taken off his protective gloves in the minus-twenty-something-degree outdoors and pulled out his phone to type the message manually.

The guy's head and shoulders bobbed up and down as he fumbled with it for over ten minutes before finally sending the message.

Xia Qing tapped it open and received only a few short words: Okay, what does Sister Qing want for breakfast?

Xia Qing laughed: I'll handle breakfast.

This time, she quickly received Yang Jin's reply: Okay.

After putting away her phone, Xia Qing sat in place and reviewed the surveillance footage from the first-floor living room and bathroom after she'd lost consciousness.

She saw Little Wolf Brother and Little Wolf Sister collide while trying to block Ram Boss. When Little Wolf Brother jumped aside, he didn't control his springing force well, and the wooden collar around his neck smashed the mirror on the wall.

Right after that, she saw a whole string of bizarre moves by Broken-Waist Wolf.

The guy stared at the broken mirror for a long time, ran to the tool room and fetched the clear glue she used for woodworking, then fetched a pair of rubber gloves from the lab, clumsily unscrewed the glue cap, squeezed glue onto the gloves, and smeared it over the cracks in the mirror.

The mirror's cracks didn't disappear as Broken-Waist Wolf had expected. Instead, its rubber glove got glued to the mirror.

Broken-Waist Wolf stared at the glove on the mirror and thought for a few seconds, then went back to the living room and, using a combination of clawing, biting, and shoving, dragged away the padded sheet she was sleeping on. That one was a real talent—she almost got knocked off by Broken-Waist Wolf's shenanigans, yet still didn't wake up!

The reason her hair was so messy was because Broken-Waist Wolf pulled out her pillow and stuffed it back, making a mess of things!

Xia Qing fully understood why Broken-Waist Wolf had dragged off her padded sheet—because all her bedding was in pink tones.

Why on earth that color scheme?

Because she'd previously asked Xu Juan to buy quite a bit of pink fabric to make things for Broken-Waist Wolf, so Xu Juan thought she liked that color scheme, and the winter-appropriate fleece four-piece set she gave Xia Qing was also pink.

When Broken-Waist Wolf carried her pink fleece padded sheet into the bathroom, it found the glue on the wall had already dried. The guy ran to the lab again to get another pair of gloves, re-glued the mirror, and only then stuck her padded sheet on.

So those lumpy bulges under the padded sheet were rubber gloves!

After finishing, Broken-Waist Wolf seemed quite pleased with itself and went to nuzzle the Head Wolf, who was watching Wolf Lao Er and the three little ones soak in the bath. The Head Wolf turned its head for a look and let out a few howls.

Broken-Waist Wolf immediately used its claws to tear a hole in the padded sheet, pry out the faucet, then fetched a small mirror, smeared glue on the back of the mirror, stuck it onto the padded sheet, and once again shamelessly sought credit from the Head Wolf.

This time the Head Wolf was satisfied and even licked Broken-Waist Wolf.

Xia Qing glared huffily at the two oddballs sleeping head-to-head beside her. Satisfied? Great. Tomorrow she'd peel that thing off and sell it to these two—no installation, no after-sales. Take it home and install it yourselves!

Something this artistic—she wouldn't charge even one Use Yishi for it!

Thinking of Yi Stones instantly improved Xia Qing's mood. After confirming the Head Wolf's breathing had grown deep and slow, she stood up quietly and began tidying the messy living room and bathroom.

At four in the morning, Handsome Giant Wolf recovered its strength, stood up and shook its thick fur, took a look at Xia Qing working at the bathroom door, and swiped the door open to leave Territory Three without waiting for her to speak.

At five in the morning, Ram Boss, who had been lying there snoring, shivered a few times, closed its mouth and tucked in its legs as it lay on the tatami collecting itself, and saw its little brother walk out of the bathroom carrying a broom.

Ram Boss exhaled heavily through its nose, narrowed its eyes, and leaped up.

Xia Qing immediately rushed over and caught it, swapped into protective boots at the door, and ran outside.

After checking the surveillance, Xia Qing understood that Ram Boss had suffered a terrible grievance last night, and a few compressed rations wouldn't be nearly enough to smooth things over.

To avoid breaking the furniture and waking the wolf pack, she decided to take Ram Boss outside the village to reason with it.

After going out the door, Xia Qing set Ram Boss down by the sheep-and-wolf toilet and ran outward herself. Ram Boss first made a trip to the toilet before going after its little brother.

The commotion made by the person and the ram startled the wolves inside the house, on the roof, and in the wolf den.

The Head Wolf howled twice. Little Wolf Brother, Little Wolf Sister, and Little Four-Eyes, whose strength had recovered, stood up at the same time, swiped the doors open and walked out, jumping onto the roof to relieve Black Wolf and Scar Wolf who had stood watch all night.

Big Guy, who hadn't fully recovered, led the three little ones out of the house and lay down under the eaves to continue resting. Their fur had already dried, and the tightly sealed human house full of unfamiliar scents made them feel insecure, so they wanted to rest outdoors.

Wolf Lao Er stood up, sniffed the Head Wolf and Broken-Waist Wolf, then jumped onto its hanging chair and went back to sleep.

The Head Wolf also felt the temperature in front of the fireplace was too high, stood up and stretched, then jumped onto Xia Qing's hanging chair. Broken-Waist Wolf immediately followed.

"Thud!"

Ram Boss, brimming with strength and fury, caught up with its fleeing little brother outside the village and immediately sent her flying with a headbutt.

Xia Qing flipped in midair and landed lightly on a big tree, sincerely admitting fault. "It's all my fault for being too weak. I didn't hear you calling me last night. I was wrong."

"Moo! Thud! Crack—snap—"

Ram Boss roared in fury, charged with all its might, and headbutted down a tree even thicker than its little brother.

"Aaaah—" Xia Qing let out two exaggerated shrieks, landed on the snow and rolled twice before starting to run, with the high-spirited Ram Boss in hot pursuit behind her.

The person and the ram, both in peak condition after their medicinal bath, ran around the territory chasing each other, making Yang Jin, who was standing outside the meeting room, laugh.

Hearing Yang Jin's laughter, Ram Boss, which was in a foul mood, shifted targets and charged at him.

Afraid Ram Boss would knock the house down, Yang Jin quickly ran to an open area several dozen meters from the cabin.

Xia Qing noticed Ram Boss had switched targets and immediately turned back, running the other way. "Captain Yang, don't run too fast. Let Boss headbutt you into the air a few times, or it'll call for backup!"