Chapter 1670: Wolf Lao Er VS Wu Huan

Today is the first day of the second delegation's seven-day inspection itinerary. According to the schedule, at this time the delegation should be inside the greenhouse at Territory Seven, listening to Zhang Tao's group introduce the cultivation of high-quality crops and the research experience and results on soil microbial community balance.

As a member of the inspection delegation, Boss Wu did not take part in the group activity, yet insisted on bringing his dogs to visit her—this further convinced Xia Qing that the boss had come specifically for her.

Since they would meet sooner or later, better to meet early and get it over with. Xia Qing replied calmly, "Is nine o'clock this morning alright?"

After setting the time, Xia Qing returned to her territory to shower and eat breakfast, swept the accumulated snow off the roof, then drove the micro-cultivator with her two companions, plowing through the snow to deliver them to the livestock greenhouse, gave a few instructions to Jingkuan and Liangzi who had come to help, and only then went to open the south gate.

Passing through the wild-grass wall that had been bent every which way by the heavy snow, Xia Qing saw Tang Huai standing outside the gate, grinning like a fool.

"Sister Qing, the snow's too heavy today—Professor Wu and Huanhuan and Lele couldn't get out easily, so I drove them over."

Before Tang Huai had finished speaking, the rear door of his flashy off-road vehicle opened. Boss Wu was about to step out, but Xia Qing, who was opening the door, stopped him. "Professor Wu, the snow's too heavy. You don't need to get out—ride in Tang Huai's car to come in."

Hearing that he could drive into Xia Qing's territory, Tang Huai's smile grew even brighter. Wu Chengyu, wearing a protective mask, got out of the car to thank Xia Qing, then got back in.

The micro-cultivator and the off-road vehicle arrived one after the other at the meeting room door by the farmland. Although Tang Huai would have liked to stay longer with the two adorable dogs, he still had the sense to take his leave, drove away from Territory Three, and helped Xia Qing lock the south gate behind him.

Through the surveillance screen on the meeting room wall, Xia Qing confirmed that Tang Huai had locked the gate properly, then poured Wu Chengyu a cup of warm water. "This is spring water from our experimental area on Mountain Fifty. After filtering, the qiang element content is 4‰. Please try it."

"Thank you." Having removed his protective mask, Wu Chengyu had hollow cheeks, a pallid complexion, and lusterless hair—anyone could tell at a glance that something was wrong with his health.

The two evolved Border Collies squatting on either side of him simultaneously raised their noses to sniff the warm water, seemingly checking it for poison.

Just as Xia Qing would call the members of Hu Yifeng's squad over as a precaution, Wu Chengyu's two companions likewise remained on their guard.

Although they stayed alert, both sides showed sufficient sincerity.

Xia Qing held this precision-instrument R&D boss in great respect. After he requested a visit, Xia Qing agreed right away, and had even boiled hot water in advance and added firewood to raise the temperature inside the meeting room.

To show he meant no hostility, Boss Wu and his two dogs were not equipped with any precision instruments, and the protective suits they wore were ordinary models.

Xia Qing did not neglect the two evolved dogs either, pouring each a shallow dish of warm water. "You two try it as well."

The two evolved dogs, who had been watching the wolfdog through the screen, immediately turned their heads and nodded a grudging thanks to Xia Qing.

Xia Qing then opened a moisture-proof sealed jar and poured out a large handful of roasted sunflower seeds. "These are green-light oil sunflower seeds I harvested a few days ago—dry-roasted. The taste is decent, just the kernels are a bit small. Would you like to try some?"

"Good." Wu Chengyu handed the bag he had carried in to Xia Qing. "Forgive the intrusion, I don't really have anything presentable to bring. I heard Director Xia raises sheep and cattle, so I brought two packs of premium forage seeds cultivated by Lan Yi."

"You're too kind, thank you." Nothing delights a farmer more than quality seeds. Xia Qing took them and found that this pack of grass seeds weighed a full two jin. This gift was very, very generous.

True to form as a big shot—truly generous!

Xia Qing did not rush to give a return gift; she would wait for the boss to state his purpose before deciding what to give in return.

Wu Chengyu looked again at the surveillance screen on the wall and asked, "Director Xia, is the wolfdog in the greenhouse chicken coop the one you rescued from the Evolution Forest two years ago?"

Originally, Xia Qing had planned to have Wolf Lao Er go to Mountain Forty-Nine to lie low when Wu Chengyu came with his dogs. But today's snow was too heavy, and Xia Qing couldn't bear to let Wolf Lao Er suffer, so she let it stay in the warm, comfortable greenhouse with Sheep Boss and Little Yellow Ox.

After this one person and two dogs entered the meeting room, they had kept watching the greenhouse screen—clearly observing Wolf Lao Er. Xia Qing was a little annoyed, and replied with an expressionless nod. "Yes. Just call me Xia Qing. What brings you to my place?"

True to form as a top sniper who preferred to be direct, Wu Chengyu smiled gently, spoke in a mild tone, and got straight to the point. "There's something wrong with my body. Even if Third Brother performs the surgery on me, the success rate is only 20%, and the probability of recurrence within three years after a successful surgery is no less than 60%."

Wu Chengyu's hands settled on the necks of his two dogs, using the gesture to soothe his grieving companions, his gaze resting calmly on Xia Qing, whose expression remained unchanged. "This time I came over because…"

"Creak, creak…"

Xia Qing keenly caught the sound of Wolf Lao Er treading on the accumulated snow, but she sat perfectly still, watching Wu Chengyu, pretending she hadn't heard it.

The two Border Collies also caught the sound. Wu Le moved closer to Wu Chengyu, while Wu Huan turned its head to look at the frost-flowered window on the left.

From his companion's movements, Wu Chengyu confirmed that someone or something was approaching. He instinctively looked at the screen, and at once saw the evolved wolfdog had already left the greenhouse, basket in its mouth, appearing on another screen!

This…

"Grrr—"

Before Wu Chengyu could react, a low growl ground out from the deepest part of a chest came muffled through the glass, slamming into the heart of the one person and two dogs.

The two evolved Border Collies immediately retreated, forming a triangle with Wu Chengyu. The strongest of them, Wu Huan, faced the window, its neck muscles stiff while its ears trembled at high frequency.

Xia Qing had never had contact with Border Collies and didn't know what that gesture meant. When she stood up and saw Wu Huan's tail tucked tightly between its legs, she guessed this Border Collie was feeling nervous or afraid.

Wolf Lao Er was using its growl to declare that this was its territory. The two Border Collies—whose build was not as burly as an evolved wolfdog's and who wore no high-tech gear—hearing such a threatening growl in an unfamiliar environment, feeling fear was perfectly normal.

"It's my wolfdog—it picked up an unfamiliar scent and came to check things out. Please wait a moment, all three of you."

Xia Qing walked over and pushed the window open a crack. Wind and snow carrying Wolf Lao Er's scent rushed into the room, and the two Border Collies grew even more tense.

Wu Chengyu crouched down and wrapped his arms around his two companions' necks to soothe them.

Xia Qing greeted Wolf Lao Er gently. "Lao Er, these are the guests I just told you about, and their two Border Collie companions. They won't hurt me."

Wolf Lao Er came over with a low growl, planted its thick front paws on the windowsill, and snarled fiercely at the one person and two dogs inside a few times. Seeing that they dared not respond, it allowed itself to be soothed by Xia Qing, turned around, picked up its small basket in its mouth, and went back to catching snow-jump bugs.

Xia Qing closed the window, turned around, and apologized to the one person and two dogs who had cowered into a huddle. "Please forgive me, all three of you. My wolfdog here isn't a brain-domain evolver."