Chapter 1561: A Plea from the Base Commander

As for why a three-system evolved strong wolf worth nearly a hundred million was still willing to work as a bodyguard for money, Zhang San felt the answer was not something he wanted to know, so he simply stopped asking and only reminded Xia Qing, "Take it easy. Rescuing too many fierce beasts might cause adverse effects on the ecological balance."

Xia Qing immediately nodded. "Understood, Third Brother, don't worry. I've already spoken with Lao Si and Broken-Waist about this. They know what they're doing."

They certainly know what they're doing — after a year with you, they're each worth over a hundred million!

Zhang San pressed his forehead, dropped the topic, and moved on to other matters. "The news about the suspected unpolluted spring eye that was damaged in Mountain Fifty's hot spring has already spread. As of now, thirteen base research institutes or laboratories have submitted either an 'Investigation Visit Application,' a 'Letter of Cooperation Intent,' or a 'Resource Sharing and Visit Application' to me. The Base Commander has also received multiple applications."

Hearing that those people were coming gave Xia Qing an instant headache. "Third Brother, what did Red City submit?"

"Red One and Red Two bases submitted 'Resource Sharing and Visit Applications,' Red Three and Red Eleven submitted 'Letters of Cooperation Intent.'" Zhang San opened his laptop, typed to find the file, then turned the screen toward Xia Qing so she could see for herself.

Paperless office work must be promoted even more during the Calamity years. Even though he had just received tens of millions in funding, Zhang San still couldn't bear to print out the spreadsheet for Xia Qing to look at.

In Red One's team, Xia Qing spotted two familiar names. "Guo Qingbin and Hu Guangdong — Third Brother, these two are coming for my territory, aren't they?"

Guo Qingbin is a primate research specialist at Red One University and quite well known domestically. Hu Guangdong is an entomology research specialist, also fairly well known in his own field. The assistant researcher who entered Territory Seven for an internship last November, code-named Zhang Han — Han Yanqian — is Hu Guangdong's student.

Although Han Yanqian grew rather radical in the later part of her internship because Lie Huo stuck his nose in, her original purpose in coming for the internship had always included the mission of scouting Territory Seven's research projects on behalf of Guo Qingbin and Hu Guangdong at Red One University. Han Yanqian got kicked out, so the two of them came in person.

Zhang San answered carefully. "They're interested in your territory, but even more interested in the unannounced research projects I'm currently pushing forward here."

With these two coming, Xia Qing had to find out what history her idol had with them. "Third Brother, what did Guo Qingbin and Hu Guangdong do that disgusted you?"

In fans' eyes, the idol is perfect, without a single flaw. If the idol hates someone, it must be because that person did something wrong!

Although Zhang San was extremely reluctant to bring up the past, he still told the key information to the new human across from him. "Before the Calamity, I studied at Red One for several years. Guo Qingbin had a good relationship with my doctoral supervisor, and I even took his classes. After the Calamity broke out, my mother developed severe qiang-element allergy symptoms. I couldn't get the supplies to protect her in Guicheng, so I called my supervisor. My supervisor actively helped me gather resources, but before they could be shipped, Guo Qingbin intercepted them."

Damn! Xia Qing's eyes instantly went wide, and her killing intent surged.

Zhang San shot her a look and continued. "To get the resources to build a sealed living environment, I brought my mother from Guicheng to Huicheng and joined the Huicheng One Research Institute..."

Zhang San endured the agony of qiang-element allergy, used the resources of the Huicheng One Research Institute, and spent 68 days developing a protective mask filter cartridge that could filter out qiang elements. Using this filter cartridge, he saved the lives of over a hundred million people, but failed to save his own mother.

It was precisely out of gratitude to the Huicheng One Research Institute for lending a hand in his most difficult time that Zhang San refused invitations from several other institutes with better conditions and treatment, and stayed at the Huicheng One Research Institute for nine years.

Xia Qing asked, "So, Guo Qingbin knew you had qiang-element allergy?"

Zhang San nodded. "At that time, Calamities were frequent and supplies were tight everywhere. The channels my supervisor used to gather supplies for me did indeed have irregularities — Guo Qingbin's interception of the supplies is beyond question."

Even though Zhang San's supervisor made it clear to Guo Qingbin that the supplies were life-saving materials for Zhang San and his mother, Guo Qingbin still would not allow him to violate regulations, because there were too many others waiting on those supplies to save their lives.

Xia Qing asked, "Then what about your supervisor?"

Zhang San answered calmly. "He died in the third year of the Calamity from an accidental infection with a super evolved fungus during research. I don't really know Hu Guangdong, but he's very close with Guo Qingbin."

Being very close to someone on the idol's blacklist means they should be blacklisted too. Xia Qing nodded. "Third Brother, I know how to handle them now. The Wu Chengyu who submitted an application from Orchid One Research Institute — is that the big shot who keeps two brain-domain evolved shepherd dogs? Why's he coming to join the fun? Could it be that he found out we purchased the same model of equipment he designed for his dogs?"

Zhang San raised a hand to press his forehead. "Some information did leak along the way, and there are two other reasons. One is that Zhang Song, who studies primates, has been staying in my territory. The other is the rumor about the divine wolf of the northern wolf pack that's been circulating around our base. After he arrives, you must warn the wolf pack to be extra careful and avoid contact with him and his shepherd dogs as much as possible. Keep an eye on the wolf-dog in your territory — don't let it be lured away by those two shepherd dogs."

Xia Qing immediately went on guard. "Why would they want to lure Lao Er away? Lao Er isn't even a brain-domain evolver."

Zhang San explained, "His two shepherd dogs are already twelve years old, and both have been neutered. Over the past few years, he's been wanting to adopt a brain-domain evolved canine pup. He even called me before to inquire about the northern wolf pack. Your wolf-dog comes from the northern wolf pack — you're not the only human interested in it."

Xia Qing nodded to show she understood. "I'll tell the Northern Wolf King and Broken-Waist Wolf about this as soon as I get back. When that guy surnamed Wu arrives, I'll have Lao Er stay at the northern wolf pack."

Zhang San nodded and was about to open his mouth to continue introducing the other teams on the list when his phone rang. Huicheng Three Base Commander Qi Zhongye called, first mentioning the matter of injecting ten million into the Territory Seven laboratory, then earnestly requesting Zhang San to treat Pan Yuanwen, who had been injured in the 1223 incident.

Using her keen hearing, Xia Qing had heard Pan Yuanwen personally stuff the special-effect pill he had handed over into the mouth of Wang Lizhi, Deputy Director of the Huicheng Three Agriculture Department. She didn't find it particularly surprising.

For ten years, day after day, Pan Yuanwen has always been this kind of person. That he's still alive is a miracle in itself.

After Pan Yuanwen, Director of the Huicheng Agriculture Department, was injured in an explosion attack at Huicheng Three, he received treatment at the Huicheng Three Inner City Hospital. The nation's top medical expert, Professor Fu Tianfeng, was right there at Huicheng Three Base. If they couldn't get him to come forward and treat Pan Yuanwen, the Huicheng Three Base Commander's position would become even more passive.

Having just taken someone's ten million and built his laboratory on their turf, Zhang San couldn't refuse such a request. "Alright, I'll go take a look tomorrow morning."