Chapter 1493: Pan Yuanwen from Wanhe Gathering Area

Besides Zhao Ze, Hearing Zhu Li, Shi Zhong, Lord Huo Lei, Tan Qi, Ye Yang, Yu Shou, and Little Eleven, who signed up in Lord Channel 1-10, the other three allies—Lord Seventeen Wen Nengjie and Lord Twenty-three Xu Cunchao both signed up later through Qi Fu, and Zhang Hongda signed up only yesterday.

After Zhang Shi communicated with Ye Yang yesterday, Ye Yang asked Zhang Hongda to go along with them to protect Eleven and Tan Qi's safety.

Wen Nengjie went back to show off his alliance relationship with Xia Qing, so that those eyeing his territory would give up early.

Xu Cunchao was going to the Civil Affairs Hall to file a complaint against the insurance company: "Before I came out to farm, my mom bought accident insurance. Something happened to my mom, so they have to pay out according to the contract!"

Xu Cunchao's mother died in a soil anaerobic bacteria evolution disaster. To get the full payout, Xu Cunchao had been wrangling with the insurance company for over two months—everyone knew about it.

He was speaking so loudly now for Alliance Leader Xia Qing to hear. After he repeated himself several times and saw Xia Qing, who was looking down at printed materials, show no reaction at all, Xu Cunchao lost his patience: "The insurance company is bullying one of our alliance members like this—aren't you going to do something, Alliance Leader?"

Hearing Xu Cunchao's words, the allies who had been chatting quietly all stopped and turned to look at him in unison.

Having been told by her mother, Little Eleven no longer mimicked Tan Qi's anger; she showed her own real feelings and turned to look at Xu Cunchao in surprise.

Xia Qing raised her expressionless face: "You want to pay in supplies or points for me to go negotiate with the insurance company for you?"

"I…"

Xu Cunchao wanted to say he only wanted Xia Qing to put in a word for him and back him up, not spend points to hire her. But meeting Xia Qing's stiff face and icy gaze, he didn't dare say it.

Xia Qing asked calmly, "Brother Jie, how many points per job for this kind of task?"

Wen Nengjie answered immediately: "He bought from a private insurance company. Helping him claim is a high-risk task; the fee should be 50–65% of the total."

After quoting the price, Wen Nengjie added: "According to the alliance agreement, our territory alliance is a mutual-aid alliance. Members don't pay membership fees or protection fees, so the Alliance Leader doesn't provide protection services to members. Transactions between allies follow market rates."

Xia Qing nodded, her gaze turning calmly to Xu Cunchao: "Allies have a duty of mutual aid. If you ask me for help, I can help you. The fee is 65% of the total insurance payout."

Giving Xia Qing 65%, what Xu Cunchao would have left was even less than what the insurance company had originally agreed to pay, so of course he wouldn't agree: "I didn't know it cost that much. No need to trouble the Alliance Leader—I'll try it myself."

Lord Huo Lei reminded him in a muffled voice: "Plenty of people are watching the lords in our northern District One. Be careful—don't end up losing your life trying."

The main reason lords with insufficient combat power didn't dare leave their territories was fear of being assassinated by those coveting their land.

Xu Cunchao suppressed his inner anger and thanked him: "Thanks for the reminder, Uncle Huo. I applied for official protection for this trip, so my safety is still guaranteed."

When operating within a safe zone, lords could apply for military protection—but that also cost money. Xu Cunchao valued his life highly, so of course he wouldn't risk it.

Hearing Zhu Li asked curiously: "Did you buy insurance for yourself, Brother Chao?"

Xu Cunchao shook his head: "No."

Hearing Zhu Li pressed: "Then why did you buy it for your mom?"

Xu Cunchao's face was sorrowful: "My mom bought it herself. She said coming out to farm was too dangerous and insurance would give extra protection. I thought it was a waste of points, so I didn't buy any."

Farming really was dangerous. No one said anything more, each recalling the life-threatening dangers they had faced over the past two years.

Little Eleven looked down at the evolution-forest science textbook her mother had bought her, focusing on sensing the fluctuations in Xu Cunchao's magnetic field.

From the magnetic field fluctuations, Little Eleven concluded that when Xu Cunchao spoke, his sorrow was also faked. Little Eleven grew more and more afraid and instinctively moved closer to Ye Yang beside her.

Ye Yang reached out and touched her cold little hand, then immediately took warm gloves from the bag on his lap and put them on her.

Xia Qing paid no attention to what the surrounding allies were doing; her full attention was on the speech in her hand.

As an outstanding worker and the person in charge of an outstanding work unit, she had to give a speech after receiving her award. Xia Qing had originally planned to read from the script, but when she called her idol last night she said the wrong thing, and the annoyed idol actually demanded she speak off-script. So Xia Qing had no choice but to cram at the last minute.

After the helicopter reached the helipad in Hui Three's inner city, members of the Azure Dragon Squad immediately ran over: "Sister Qing, the boss sent us to escort you to the Agriculture Department."

Xia Qing glanced at the four vehicles the Azure Dragon Squad had driven over and asked: "How many people can fit in the cars?"

Hearing Xia Qing's words, the allies' eyes all lit up.

The Azure Dragon member immediately reported: "No matter how many, they can all fit."

Xia Qing nodded: "One car to take Ye Yang and the others to the Administrative Hall, two cars to take Guo Chongjun and Hearing Zhu Li and their group to the mall. Captain Tan, Brother Jie—are you riding with me?"

"Yes!" Wen Nengjie's face bloomed into a smile, and he rushed over immediately.

Tan Junjie carefully told his daughter not to separate from Ye Yang and the others before walking over to Xia Qing.

Today Xia Qing had brought four people. Office's He Hui was attending the meeting with her; Security Director Guo Chongjun had taken two people to shop for New Year goods. Tan Junjie was also attending the meeting to receive an award, and Wen Nengjie had come back to ride her coattails for attention—of course he wanted to ride in Xia Qing's car, and Xia Qing happened to have something to assign him to do.

Attending meetings where form outweighs substance is the most boring thing.

The first half of the conference was commendations, the second half was work deployment. In the first half, Xia Qing, sitting in the second row, worked hard at memorizing her script before her speech; only after receiving the award and giving her speech did she seriously observe the attendees. In the second half, she took out a pen and focused on taking notes on Hui Three Agriculture Department's work plan and phased goals for next year.

Seeing her so serious, even Zhang San would have to nod in approval.

Pan Yuanwen, Director of Hui City Agriculture Department, sitting in front, glanced back several times and saw Xia Qing writing with her head down. His smile carried gratification as he told Li Xuegang, Deputy Base Commander of Hui Three, beside him: "This child Xia Qing is still as eager to learn as ever."

Hearing Pan Yuanwen mention her name, Xia Qing's pen didn't pause for a moment, and she didn't even lift her head, because Pan Yuanwen's volume wasn't meant for her to hear.

Li Xuegang had of course investigated Xia Qing's background and knew at what stage Xia Qing and Pan Yuanwen had crossed paths. But he showed nothing on his face, asking in surprise: "You're acquainted with Director Xia?"

Pan Yuanwen's voice was gentle: "Mm. Before the catastrophe and the two years before it, we lived in the same residential compound."

As the name suggests, Wanhe Gathering Area was built with the pre-catastrophe Wanhe Residential Compound as its gathering point. After the great earthquake in the first year of the catastrophe, high-rise housing lost its habitability, and the survivors of Wanhe Gathering Area built dormitories to live together.

This guy who looks decent on the outside but is full of bad ideas inside has come to win Xia Qing over! Li Xuegang cursed inwardly, but the emotion on his face was flawless: "Running into someone you know in the eleventh year of the catastrophe—it's really not easy."

"Yes." Pan Yuanwen responded, his expression suggesting he was recalling the past.

Li Xuegang thought about how Wanhe Gathering Area had been wiped out and said nothing more, to avoid touching the other's wound.