Chapter 1703: Which Territory Did Lord Wu Choose?

The next day, the northern part of Hui Three was shrouded in thick fog, visibility under thirty meters. To ensure the safety of the inspection experts, Territory Seven canceled the plan to visit territories outdoors and switched to indoor discussions instead.

Xia Qing, who didn't have to host the visiting experts, finished clearing more than a dozen drainage ditches within the territory in the thick fog, then just drove the micro-tiller out, planning to use the time before noon to clear the snow from this spring's reclaimed area.

Before she had cleared half a mu, Tang Huai's wailing came through the walkie-talkie.

"Brothers and sisters, big news, big news!"

"Moo!"

"Woof—"

Lying on Xia Qing's left and right, Sheep Boss and Wolf Lao Er let out a moo and a woof respectively, wishing they could knock Tang Huai flying and bite him to death for making the noise; Little Feimao, who was fiddling with the strong one's fur in Xia Qing's pocket, also spun around twice.

Wen Nengjie very cooperatively came online to chime in, "Brother Huai, hurry up and tell us what news. My sources aren't as well-connected as yours—I haven't heard a thing."

Tang Huai pressed the walkie-talkie button again, "In response to national policy, our base is going to continue increasing agricultural support this year. Territories outside the safe zone will increase from the current 200 to 250!"

To keep the seven new territories added to Northern Section One from standing out too much, the base actually decided to add fifty territories all at once?! Gripping the steering wheel, Xia Qing sighed, "Boss, Lao Er, our deputy base leader really leaves nothing to chance. How many brain cells must that have killed? So tiring—"

"Baa."

"Awo."

Sheep Boss and Wolf Lao Er responded in turn. Sheep Boss nudged Xia Qing with her spiral horn, telling her to drive the micro-tiller faster—it was too slow to be satisfying.

As Xia Qing stepped on the accelerator to speed up, the Northern Section One Territory 1-10 lord channel also exploded, everyone chiming in one after another to discuss the territory increase.

Qi Fu asked, "Brother Huai, why would the officials suddenly open more territories? Could it be that our base's research institute has cracked the problem of soil anaerobic bacteria evolution?"

Tang Huai replied, "Haven't heard anything about that."

Wen Nengjie was rather pessimistic, "Could it be that the higher-ups have given up on our territories where the anaerobic bacteria are too active, and plan to start fresh elsewhere?"

In years of natural disaster, useless people get abandoned. Panic instantly spread from everyone's hearts to their limbs, and the lord channel fell silent at once.

Ye Yang responded calmly, "No. The cultivable area in each of our territories is no less than 1,500 mu, and in the vast majority of territories the reclaimed area is less than a quarter. The soil anaerobic bacteria activity in the unreclaimed areas isn't much different from that of the Evolution Forest."

Wen Nengjie recovered, "Right! Brother Ye's brain works well. The base definitely won't abandon us!"

Kuang Qingwei, the Territory Alliance's Minister of Commerce, came online, "There's no wasteland around us that meets reclamation conditions, so the new ones should be in the other four sections. New territories need farm tools. Uncle Huo, are you there? We need to hold a meeting as soon as possible to discuss the manufacture of practical farm tools."

Lord Huo Lei came online. He was clearly in the middle of work, his breathing unsteady. "I'm here. You set the time, and the location can be Territory Fifteen—it's not convenient for me here."

Tang Huai dropped another bombshell, "Brother Qing guessed wrong. Our Northern Section One is getting seven new territories, numbered 201-207! Allies, our Territory Alliance is getting new members."

This news blasted Di Ming, Shi Du, and others out of hiding. After everyone discussed it heatedly for a while, Tang Huai suddenly noticed something off, "Territory Four, Zhao Ze, what are you doing? Is your walkie-talkie out of power?"

Zhao Ze, who was leaning over a wooden table drawing up the reclamation construction plan for Territories 201-207, pressed the walkie-talkie button with his left hand, "It has power. I'm listening."

Listening but not speaking—because it's not convenient to talk? Hearing Zhu Li lowered her voice, "Brother Zhao, did your female rabbits kindle again?"

Zhao Ze replied, "No, it's something else. You all keep chatting."

Besides rabbits kindling, what big thing in Territory Four could keep Zhao Ze from speaking? Tang Huai, with his keen nose for gossip, immediately pulled out his phone and called Zhao Ze, "Brother Zhao, you wouldn't have known about the new territories long ago, would you?"

Every hair on Zhao Ze's body stood on end. Of course he knew, but this was a secret mission the alliance leader had given him—he absolutely could not tell anyone. Even when drawing, he kept the door shut and the curtains drawn, drawing in secret, afraid that if the news leaked he'd violate the Territory Alliance rules and be expelled from the alliance.

"Alright, I understand, I don't know anything. You carry on." Zhao Ze's silence told Tang Huai he'd guessed right. After hanging up on Zhao Ze, he immediately dialed Xia Qing, complaining, "Sister Qing, we've been neighbors for two years. You know me best…"

Xia Qing, driving the micro-tiller, said coldly, "Ten seconds."

Tang Huai immediately sped up his words, "Sister Qing, Professor Wu Chengyu is applying for a territory in our Northern Section One, becoming our ally, right? New territories need at least three months before anyone can move in. Will Professor Wu stay in Section One during this time? Have they decided where to live? If not, could Sister Qing recommend Territory Twelve to Professor Wu?"

Lord Wu, who never leaves Inner City Lan One, brought his two evolved Border Collies to Northern Section One, didn't join the inspection group's normal activities, and instead inspected territories one after another. Tang Huai had long felt something was off about this. Now hearing that Northern Section One was getting new territories, he immediately understood: one of the new territories here must belong to Lord Wu!

The only land around Northern Section One that can be reclaimed is the town ruins to the south. That place can't be cleared in a day or two!

Tang Huai really wanted to invite Wu Huan and Wu Le to move into his territory.

Xia Qing replied calmly, "It's already been decided."

So Professor Wu Chengyu and his dogs really are coming, and they're not moving into his territory. Tang Huai tried hard to negotiate, "Is it convenient for Sister Qing to reveal where they're staying? Sister Qing, there's no place in Northern Section One more suitable for them than mine. I have two sheep here—Huanhuan and Lele can come and each dog can herd one sheep! Sister Qing, you're my own sister…"

"Contact Professor Wu directly. It's his personal choice; I have no right to interfere." Xia Qing refused outright. After hanging up the phone, she heard Tang Huai's wailing coming through the walkie-talkie.

"Shut up."

Zhang San's two icy words successfully silenced the lively lord channel instantly. Even Zhao Ze, who had been working day and night these past few days, put down his pen and listened carefully.

Only the three lords in Territory Three didn't hear, driving the micro-titter with a clatter as they shoveled snow.

The lord channel was silent. Everyone waited motionless for over a minute, but the big shot didn't speak again. Only then did they realize he had been annoyed by Tang Huai and had no intention of speaking further.

While those who had been discussing intensely didn't dare disturb the big shot, they took out their phones one after another and continued chatting about the new territories in the gossip group Tang Huai had created. Just then, they heard Tan Junjie's voice come through the walkie-talkie.