Chapter 1618: Zhang San's Senior Brother

After Guo Qingbin's team signed the occupancy agreement to abide by the Ninth Planting Center's management regulations and paid ten days' rent, and then rented the Ninth Center's truck to haul their supplies and equipment from the south gate, Zhang San entered Xiong Dong at the halfway point of the Third Peak of Mountain Fifty.

After the hidden valley was converted into a standardized experimental and planting zone that isolated the hostile element, it no longer needed to be kept secret from the outside, so the Xiong Dong originally used to stockpile supplies was converted into the valley's main gate.

After entering Xiong Dong, one first had to complete a thorough disinfection here, then change clothes and put on shoe covers before passing through a corridor fitted with three layers of doors to enter the valley's interior.

After Zhang San completed the disinfection, he entered the changing room, took off his thermal protective suit and protective mask, put on a white lab coat, and only then walked through the corridor that Zhang Shi's family had excavated ten years ago, stepping into this valley that had been excavated by humans, became the territory of bears and wolves after humans died out, and whose usage rights had now returned to human hands.

More than a year after returning to human hands, the place had changed greatly.

The noon sunlight passed through the glass windows installed in the mountain fissures above the valley, struck the reflective film on the stone walls inside the valley, and illuminated the entire valley; the spring water, dotted with specks of light, flowed gently. The three mu of land inside the valley were filled with crops and experimental plants from Territory Seven, planted in layers and intercropped, making anyone who farmed feel a sense of joy just looking at them.

The first thing Zhang San saw was the experimental logbooks hanging on the wall, not arranged neatly; Yan Long looked straight toward the small wooden cabin against the wall, while Xia Qing stared at her sunflower field.

"Third Brother, watch your step—there's a stone step here to keep the spring water from flowing out." Zhang Xun, standing at the entrance, greeted Zhang San with a warm smile.

Zhang San, who was surveying the valley, spoke lazily, "You're living pretty comfortably here."

Zhang Xun, who had been nodding and greeting Xia Qing and the others, faced Zhang San without the same restraint and formality as researchers like Zhang He and Zhang Song; she replied with a smile, "This place really is suitable for recuperation. Thank you, Third Brother, for assigning me here."

Xia Qing picked up the thread, "New Year's almost here. Third Brother, take a few days off too—come soak in the hot springs and recuperate."

Zhang San grunted, his tone impossible to read as objection or approval, and followed Zhang Xun to check on the river moss grass cultivation pool.

Zheng Chen stayed outside to protect Zhang He's sampling team; Yan Long took over his task, flanking Zhang San on the left and right with Zhang Jingwu to protect his safety.

Xia Qing didn't follow, staying in her own field to check on the sunflowers' growth and harvest the mature flower heads. She still cut off the mature flower heads, trimmed a section of the main stem, then stuck them back in to dry.

Her main task today was protecting her idol, so she couldn't take the flower heads back. So she cut off the sunflower heads and stuck them on the stems, leaving them to dry here for a few days before taking them back.

After harvesting the flower heads, this plot would be allocated to Territory Seven for growing medicinal herbs. Xia Qing's field was moved to the east side, its total area reduced from 1 mu to 0.65 mu, and she couldn't plant crops until mid-March.

Because for the next stretch of time, the Territory Alliance would be raising rice seedlings on the east side.

Zhang Wenshe, who had stayed in the valley to look after three seriously injured retired brothers, walked over, skillfully harvesting sunflower heads while discussing with Xia Qing, "Later, ask Third Brother if he wants to eat crab. If he does, I'll go catch some—there are a few in the pool growing pretty fast, over a jin each."

Xia Qing glanced up at Zhang Wenshe. After the detoxification, the skin on his face had returned to normal, and normal expressions were visible.

Zhang Wenshe put on an ingratiating smile, "Sister Qing, please ask. I really don't dare go over."

The disabled retired soldiers Yue Haiying had brought back were all deeply grateful to Zhang San and Xia Qing for providing them with medicine and a place to recuperate. They dared to talk and chat with Xia Qing, who always wore a stern face, but didn't dare approach Zhang San. Because Zhang San's fierce reputation preceded him, they were afraid of saying the wrong thing in front of him, offending him, and getting blacklisted.

Xia Qing nodded, "I'll ask in a bit."

The efficient Xia Qing finished harvesting the sunflowers, turned around, and saw her idol still observing the river moss grass in the cultivation pool, his expression very focused. Xia Qing didn't go over to disturb her idol; she went around to observe the X-2 spinach the allies had planted in the valley, took soil samples, and went to the valley's laboratory to test them.

Rice seedlings would be raised here soon. Xia Qing needed to test the soil conditions, then send the results to the Soil Research Department so they could provide a fertilizer formula. When Xia Qing drove over to pick up the sunflower heads, she could bring the fertilizer along.

Special forces spy Xiao Peng, stationed in the valley, shifted his gaze between Zhang San and Xia Qing, who were back-to-back without any communication, and discovered yet another piece of extraordinary intelligence. Seeing Xiao Peng's fake-serious constipated expression, the three seriously injured retired soldiers lying in the sun catching some rays exchanged glances with each other, loaded with meaning.

When Zhang San finished his work and looked at the three patients lying in the sun, the three instinctively tensed up. The wounded who could sit up struggled to do so and saluted Zhang San with their only remaining left arm; the two seriously injured who couldn't get up also gave Zhang San a gaze of respect, none of them daring to speak and disturb the big shot.

Zhang San still held great respect for these soldiers retired due to injury. He put on a fresh pair of rubber gloves, went over to check the three men's physical conditions, asked a few questions, then said to the seriously injured man who had only one eye left, "The Red Six Base Research Institute is developing a drug to treat your condition. It will enter Phase III clinical trials at the beginning of next month and needs to recruit over six hundred target disease patients. I recommend you sign up. If you're selected, you won't need to transfer to Red Six Hospital—during the trial, efficacy evaluation and safety monitoring will be handled by researchers from my territory."

"……ha……tha……tha……" The seriously injured man, whose speech was stiff from poisoning, struggled to express his thanks to Zhang San.

Zhang San listened to him finish, then nodded and looked toward Xia Qing.

Seeing Zhang Wenshe beside her blushing red but not daring to speak, Xia Qing asked on his behalf, "Third Brother, the green-light hairy crabs raised in the valley have grown to over a jin. Would you like to take a few back to eat?"

Zhang Wenshe immediately nodded, gazing at Zhang San eagerly.

Zhang San asked, "What do you want in exchange?"

Zhang Wenshe didn't dare say he wanted nothing. He hemmed and hawed twice before answering, "Third Brother, just give me points."

Zhang Wenshe owed over two hundred thousand points, so he had rented the large pool in the valley to raise crabs to pay off his debt.

Zhang San nodded, "Hairy crabs over a jin—I want them all. Two jin of river snails. Are there still green-light small shrimp?"

Zhang Wenshe got so excited his face turned redder, "Yes, I can get you up to three jin."

Zhang San nodded, "Fine."

When Zhang Wenshe ran off to catch the seafood, Zhang San followed Xia Qing to her field and picked three perfectly shaped sunflower heads, then rode back in good spirits to Northern Zone One, only to see the leader of the Red One inspection team standing outside the south gate of Territory Seven.

Zhang San took one look, and his eyelids drooped.

Xia Qing also glanced at the person outside, and discussed with Zhang He, "Third Brother is going to my lab. Sister He, are you coming along, or going straight back?"

Zhang He glanced at her resting teacher with closed eyes and answered, "I brought back a large number of samples that need immediate testing, so I won't go along."

Three armored vehicles stopped outside the south gate of Territory Seven. When Zhang He got out, the leader of the Red One inspection team had just taken two steps toward them when he was blocked by Territory Seven guards with guns. He stopped, raised his voice, and greeted Zhang San in the vehicle with familiar warmth, "Junior brother."

Zhang San slowly raised his eyelids and locked eyes with the person outside the vehicle.

Xia Qing, who wasn't wearing her protective mask, also looked expressionlessly at this Red One University brain-domain researcher Yao Yuanxing, whose name her idol had bolded.

Under the gazes of Zhang San, Yan Long, and Xia Qing—each with a different expression but an equally powerful aura—Yao Yuanxing couldn't hold out for more than three seconds.