Chapter 1634: Xia Qing Is a Sharp Knife

The coolness of the distilled water slightly eased the headache Li Yanuo had developed from prolonged, focused intelligence analysis.

She set down her cup and pulled an encrypted file titled "Ye Shiyi Identity Verification Report (Archived)" from the database, placing the key intelligence pages side by side with the Territory Fifteen timeline on the large screen.

"This girl named Ye Shiyi entered the Northern Zone One territory from Lan Five Base not long after the severely wounded Ye Yang from Territory Fifteen returned from months of disappearance, because her age is close to that of the experimental subject in Shi Jiaran's womb. Because the timing was too coincidental, the intelligence departments of both Blue Blood and Blaze, based on the principle of 'eliminating potential risks,' conducted independent but cross-referenced verification on her."

Qu Fangzhou leaned against the conference table, listening to Li Yanuo's briefing while quickly scanning the report contents on the large screen.

"Our two sides' core verification method is biometric information comparison. Team Qu obtained Ye Shiyi's freshly drawn blood samples—the first was a routine blood sample from her enrollment physical, the second was a nosebleed sample obtained inside the Hui Three Safe Zone mission hall. This time the footage was clear, witnessed on-site, with no possibility of a switch. Both test results matched the basic genetic information of Ye Shiyi and her father that Blue Blood Alliance retrieved from Lan Five Hospital. This is the important technical basis on which both sides judged her identity to be genuine. So this investigation was immediately terminated and archived as 'low risk.'"

Li Yanuo paused briefly and pulled up another set of data.

"Team Qu, we also referenced the more macro-level investigation conducted by your team. Among the children aged 3-15 at Hui Three's Ninth Planting Center, one-third have no blood relation to their registered guardians. Among the 24 children whose age is comparable to Shi Jiaran's experimental subject (5-7 years old), 11 have no blood relation to their guardians. Among these 11, another 5 have incomplete files and unknown places of birth. Both of our sides investigated these children—especially those 5 children with ambiguous identities—and completely ruled out the possibility of any blood relation between these children and Shi Jiaran."

Unlike the Blaze Squad, Blue Blood Alliance's focus was not on Ye Shiyi, but on the adopted children within the Ninth Center.

To obtain these children's blood samples, Blue Blood Alliance exposed two spies planted in Hui Three's Ninth Planting Center, and the Blaze Squad exposed one. This was expected—the Ninth Center's security measures were too tight; without exposing spies, they could not obtain information.

Qu Fangzhou did not regret the exposure of the spies' identities. The value of these spies' existence was to track down Shi Jiaran and the experimental subject in her womb.

Li Yanuo switched the screen back to the map of the Hot Spring Valley, continuing her analysis based on the intelligence obtained today. "Our technical verification of Ye Shiyi's identity has reached its limit and been double-confirmed. Even if extreme forgery methods like 'micro blood bags' theoretically existed, Professor Fu Tianfeng should have applied them to the 24 children within the Ninth Center, not to Ye Shiyi. Because placing Shi Jiaran's child next to a half-disabled and combat-ineffective Ye Yang is clearly unreasonable."

Qu Fangzhou also agreed with this point. "The Ninth Planting Center, which implements militarized management and has a relatively unified personnel background, is a more ideal placement location."

"Correct. After our spies were exposed, the Ninth Center's security and defensive measures were upgraded again. Yesterday, the Ninth Center submitted a list of 188 prospective employees to the Hui Three Agricultural Department. None of the 6 people we arranged to apply were selected. Intelligence Group Eight speculates that there may be a Class C magnetic-sense evolver within Professor Fu Tianfeng's team. From now on, it will be very difficult for us to obtain detailed intelligence from inside the Ninth Center."

Li Yanuo pressed her forehead and continued her analysis. "We've just discovered the important lead of the Hot Spring Valley, which is directly related to the Shi family and is the most likely path to Shi Jiaran's whereabouts. 'Ye Shiyi,' as a lead that has already been high-intensity verified and is relatively peripheral in relevance, restarting the investigation at this point is a typical 'path dependency' error that will distract our attention."

Qu Fangzhou nodded and made arrangements. "Professor Fu Tianfeng proactively exposed the Hot Spring Valley. If he has already made contact with Shi Jiaran and placed Shi Jiaran's child within Northern Zone One, then he must have made extremely tight arrangements. It's not appropriate for us to actively probe at this time. Maintain Ye Shiyi in the 'verified, low risk' archived status, incorporated into the routine, inconspicuous silent observation scope for Territory Fifteen."

"Yes."

Under Qu Fangzhou's clear instructions, Li Yanuo's headache eased considerably. She leaned her head against the chair back and said with a smile, "Team Qu, if it's confirmed that the Shi family are indeed the founders of the Hot Spring Valley, we can share Intelligence Group Eight's intelligence and figure out what the important research projects of Professor Fu Tianfeng's team are."

Qu Fangzhou responded and also sat back in her chair, leaning against the backrest to relieve her mental fatigue.

As the head of the Blaze Squad's intelligence department, Qu Fangzhou had grown accustomed to a work style of mastering all intelligence and conducting comprehensive analysis. After returning to Blue Blood Alliance's intelligence department, as a small intelligence team leader, the people she could deploy and the intelligence she could access were strictly limited.

Being unable to master comprehensive intelligence is a very painful thing for intelligence analysts. Qu Fangzhou certainly hoped to produce outstanding performance as soon as possible, gain the trust of the Alliance's senior leadership, raise her position rank, and obtain more authority.

Li Yanuo seized this rare opportunity to chat with Qu Fangzhou. "Team Qu, what is your view on the top sniper Xia Qing in Professor Fu Tianfeng's team?"

Qu Fangzhou's analysis of Xia Qing's personality and abilities was all written in reports that Li Yanuo could also see. She asked this to hear Qu Fangzhou's personal impressions and intuitive judgment of Xia Qing.

Regarding this new partner with decent professional ability, Qu Fangzhou hoped to maintain a good working relationship. Regardless of whether her asking this question was another test of her loyalty by Blue Blood Alliance's senior leadership, Qu Fangzhou's choice was the same.

She gave an answer that went beyond conventional tactical assessment, one with greater penetrating power: "Xia Qing is a very clear-headed 'pragmatist,' with some unyielding 'idealist' shadows hidden in her spiritual core. All of her 'investments'—the expensive irrigation system, the maintenance of the territory alliance, and the cooperation with Professor Fu Tianfeng—are for the purpose of obtaining a higher probability of survival and greater benefits. A comprehensive analysis of her behavioral patterns reveals that she seems to want to build and guard a small-scale, reliable order. In such a collapsing world, this attempt itself implies a certain stubborn belief."

Li Yanuo turned her head to look at Qu Fangzhou, who had her eyes closed, and heard her continue, "Professor Fu Tianfeng drives her with benefits and resources, but cannot fully control her. That's why, after Han Yanqian destroyed the high-value crops in Xia Qing's laboratory, she directly and clearly expressed her dissatisfaction to Professor Fu Tianfeng."

Li Yanuo nodded. "Exactly. Xia Qing is definitely a sharp knife, but the handle of this knife has not been firmly grasped by Professor Fu Tianfeng. A cooperation relationship based on benefits can completely be pried loose by greater benefits."

Hearing Li Yanuo's words, Qu Fangzhou already understood Blue Blood Alliance's senior leadership's attitude toward Xia Qing. However, the 'bait' that could hook Xia Qing was not so easy to obtain.

Qu Fangzhou did not continue this topic. "Rest for ten minutes, then let's sort out the next-phase investigation plan targeting the Hot Spring Valley."

"Yes."

"I know, I still owe you 200 points." Xia Qing, who was eating dinner, received a debt-collecting call from Broken-Waist Wolf and patiently replied, "I'll bring it to you during tomorrow morning's special training. Does Handsome Wolf-ge want a pretty new points card, or should I bring a card reader and transfer it directly to you?"

Broken-Waist Wolf looked at the eagerly smiling Xia Qing through the screen, lost in thought.