Chapter 1444: Bai Yi Agricultural Products Exhibition

What should we do?

Tang Huai raised his head. "I need to go to Bai Yi Base."

Tang Heng, who had just arrived, hesitated to speak. Tang Ning also said nothing, gesturing for her brother to continue.

"The reason Tang Lu gets along so well at Bai Yi is, first, because she goes around bragging that she's the lord of Hui-3 No. 2, and that she's allies with Third Brother, Xia Qing, Luo Pei, and Xin Yu; second, because we assigned her bodyguards and gave her a share of the territory's profits." With the Tangjia Sect's bodyguards present, Tang Huai knew Tang Lu's whereabouts like the back of his hand. "I'm going to Bai Yi University to tear up the agreement we signed to lease-cultivate her territory, bring back our bodyguards, and take back all of Mantou's fur."

After hearing her brother out, Tang Ning showed a relieved smile. "I thought you were going to kill her outright."

"Killing her outright would be too easy on her. Without these supports, staying alive will be torture for her. If she's tough enough to survive until graduation, I'll act then. Someone like her who studies medicine will absolutely be a disaster once she leaves school." Tang Huai pleaded, "Sister, Ah Heng, don't tell Grandma and Mom and Dad about me going to Bai Yi."

Tang Ning nodded and set a condition. "Take Du Zuohang with you. Don't fool around out there. Finish the business and come back as soon as possible."

Du Zuohang, a Level-6 speed Evolver, was a retired soldier the Tang family had hired at a high salary. Originally Tang Zhengpo's bodyguard, after Tang Zhengpo handed all the family business over to his daughter, he also assigned Du Zuohang to her side to protect her safety.

Tang Heng spoke up too. "Brother, I'll go with you. Tang Lu's got a sharp tongue and she's good at acting. If you go alone, you'll definitely get the worst of it."

Tang Huai shook his head. "We can't both leave the territory at the same time, and Du Zuohang doesn't need to come either. Bai Yi Base is holding a three-day large-scale agricultural products exhibition in five days. I plan to apply to Xia Qing to register in the name of the Territory Alliance, bring our specialty agricultural products to exhibit, and deal with Tang Lu along the way. Sister, you haven't had lunch yet, have you?"

"I ate on the road."

What kind of decent food can you eat on the road? Tang Huai immediately stood up. "I'll go make you something hot. Ah Heng, you still eating?"

"Yes, Brother, add me a fried egg." After his brother went out, Tang Heng lowered his voice and voiced his worry. "Sister, I suspect there's a trap in this. The reason Tang Lu sent the photo might be to lure my brother over."

After the big-shot team of Hui-3 No. 7 territory developed a special-effect agent against excess Qiang elements in the human body—Jiangqiang Agent—they called on the nation's top research institutions to jointly tackle the mass-production technology for the rare active enzymes in the Jiangqiang Agent's ingredients.

A few days ago, the national broadcast station's Xinwen Lianbo reported the good news that a research team from Bai Yi University's Medical School had overcome this technical challenge. Jiangqiang Agent production would soon increase substantially, saving more compatriots suffering from excessively high Qiang-element levels in their bodies.

Tang Lu, studying at Bai Yi University's Medical School, must have already learned that the first-generation enzyme was extracted from the human body, and also what this enzyme does. She also knows that her brother has a great appetite and strong digestion—nothing he eats gives him diarrhea. It's very possible she's already suspected this enzyme was extracted from her brother's body, which is why she took and sent that kind of photo.

Tang Lu, Tang Huai, Tang Heng, and the already-dead Tang Rui grew up together and knew each other's temperaments inside out.

Tang Lu sent this photo just to provoke her brother. It's entirely possible she's already set a trap, waiting for her brother to come. The more Tang Heng thought about it, the less at ease he felt. He was terrified that his brother's trip this time would end like their cousin Tang Feng's—disappearance.

"Ah Heng."

Tang Ning handed her brother a cup of freshly brewed gongfu tea, her voice steady. "Mantou is a scar on Ah Huai's heart. Until that scar is soothed, he'll keep hurting. What you can think of, he can think of too. Since he's decided to go, he's already made his peace with the risks. We can't and shouldn't stop him from going to take his revenge."

Tang Heng, cradling his tea cup, nodded. "I'll get in touch with Sister Qing, explain the reason, and ask her to agree to my brother going to Bai Yi as a representative of the Territory Alliance."

Tang Ning nodded. "Pick a few suitable people to go with him as well."

Tang Heng quickly settled on candidates. "Lord of No. 17, Wen Nengjie—Tang Lu fears people like him most, those who claw their way up from the bottom by any means; Lord of No. 11, Huo Zhun, and Di Ming—both have very high combat power, and Di Ming is also a brain-domain Evolver; if No. 7 territory could send a representative, that would be even better—the more people, the safer."

"Once Xia Qing agrees, contact these people. Their travel expenses will be reimbursed by us, and give Huo Zhun and Di Ming an extra sum of points to ask them to protect your brother." Tang Ning picked up her tea, took a sip, and continued laying out the plan. "I just checked—Bai Yi's exhibition is a key image-project that Bai Yi Base is pushing this quarter. Our base must have received an invitation. After I get back to the Safe Zone, I'll go find Director Yang and sponsor an official delegation to attend."

"If the Territory Alliance can go along with the official delegation, that would be even more secure." Tang Heng felt steadier now and began planning the next step. "After my brother comes back, I'll post a bounty online—ten thousand points each for Tang Lu's fingers and toes."

Knowing Tang Lu's personality, she's definitely made plenty of enemies at Bai Yi University these past six months. A price of ten thousand points per digit is enough to tempt the people around her who hate her or who need points, making them constantly think about stirring up trouble to cut off her fingers and toes. Tang Heng wanted Tang Lu to taste what it felt like to live in terror every day.

Tang Ning reminded her brother, "You're going into politics in the future—your record has to be spotless. I'll handle this. Ten thousand points per digit is too high; a thousand points per digit is more appropriate."

An hour later, the Tang brothers saw Tang Ning into the car and out of the territory. The Tang family's helicopter is currently at Gui-5, so Tang Ning could only travel by car. Winter days are short, the road is snowy and hard to travel—if they didn't set out now, they wouldn't make it back to the Safe Zone before dark. Even with bodyguards, spending the night in an Evolution Forest was extremely dangerous.

Not long after Tang Ning left, Xia Qing received Tang Heng's call. After understanding why Tang Huai was acting out of character and hearing Tang Heng's request, Xia Qing didn't object, but the matter of expenses had to be made clear upfront. "We can apply to attend in our Alliance's name. Compile the detailed information on the agricultural products exhibition as soon as possible and hand it to Brother Qi. Our Alliance has limited funds—the booth fee will be paid by the Alliance, but Tang Huai's travel expenses need to be covered by himself."

The reason Xia Qing agreed to pay the booth fee was that she wanted to use this opportunity to send the Territory Alliance's specialty agricultural machinery to be exhibited and sold.

Tang Heng immediately replied, "Thank you, Sister Qing. My brother's expenses will of course be paid by us. If our Alliance sends members to attend, their travel expenses will also be paid by us."

"That's not necessary. We'll discuss the details when we meet." Public is public, private is private—if the Territory Alliance sends other members to attend under the pretext of selling or purchasing agricultural products, expenses should be settled strictly according to the rules.