Chapter 1710: Guo Qingbin Re-enters Number Seven Territory

Yang Jin couldn't be reached on the Wasteland Continent, Luo Pei was stationed at the eastern mangrove protective belt and hadn't returned, and the only one Hu Zi Peak could report to was the Third Boss, Xie Yu, who was overseeing squad affairs in the Safe Zone.

Upon hearing that the Number Two leader of the northern wolf pack, Broken-Waist Wolf, was going to run a training class, Xie Yu's first words were: put it on speaker.

Then, Xia Qing and Broken-Waist Wolf heard Xie Yu's utterly sincere request: "Brother Duan, I'm Xie Yu, the Number Three leader of the Green Dragon Squad. Could your training class take one more person? I can pay double the training fee."

Broken-Waist Wolf wore a solemn expression and looked at Xia Qing.

Xia Qing understood. "Captain Xie, Broken-Waist's first training class only takes ten humans, and it's already full. If the first session is a success, you can try to sign up when he recruits students in the future."

Having even a chance to try was enough for Xie Yu. "Alright. Then I'll trouble Brother Duan with the ten members of Hu Zi Peak's squad. If their combat strength can be improved through this training, I will certainly reward Brother Duan handsomely."

Broken-Waist Wolf, who often negotiated with Xia Qing, naturally understood that the addition of "if" meant Xie Yu wasn't necessarily going to give it many points. It kept its mouth firmly shut and said nothing.

The human-wolf broker was polite for a moment, then asked, "Captain Xie, Broken-Waist's requirement is pay first, train later. What do you think?"

Xie Yu answered immediately, "Er Yong, go right now to the Number One Territory Finance Department and withdraw the full 285,000 training fee, and hand it to Brother Duan."

"Yes!" The speed evolver Er Yong raced back to the territory at full speed, withdrew the points, and handed them to Xia Qing. After Xia Qing took out the card reader and confirmed the amount, she kept a twenty percent broker's fee and transferred the rest to Broken-Waist Wolf's points card.

Er Yong grinned and greeted Broken-Waist Wolf. "Brother Duan, I'll be in your care for the next month."

Broken-Waist Wolf nodded with a stern expression. Xia Qing introduced, "Captain Hu, Er Yong, all of you get fully prepared. Broken-Waist will train you with the intensity used for special forces. If you don't meet the standard, you'll face very severe punishment."

Hu Zi Peak nodded. "Understood."

Er Yong asked curiously, "Do wolves have special forces too?"

Xia Qing explained, "Human special forces training standards."

Er Yong looked at Xia Qing's wildly painted face and belatedly felt that this matter was going to be a bit bad...

Having earned 228,000, Broken-Waist Wolf went to the bamboo rat shed, picked out a fat bamboo rat, and gave it as a reward to Xia Qing, who had helped negotiate the deal. Then it picked up two even fatter bamboo rats in its mouth and returned to Mountain Fifty-Five.

Having earned 57,000 in broker's fees, Xia Qing stuffed the bamboo rat into her backpack, hummed a little tune, and went to visit little Bai Mao, who had made its home at the edge of the bamboo forest. Along the way, she pulled Red Three-Mao out from a crack in the rocks, where it was stuck and squealing wildly.

These two little ones, both kicked out of home by their parents and forced to be independent, became neighbors. The plucked-fur brat's whereabouts remained unknown.

After returning to Zone Three of Mountain Forty-Nine, Xia Qing familiarly walked a lap along the boundary of Xiao Pingtou's territory, fed Xiao Pingtou a piece of jerky, collected four rock-hard honey badger droppings, and only then returned to Number Three Territory.

After showering and finishing breakfast, Xia Qing received intel from Xu Juan, who worked at the Safe Zone inner-city hospital: at nine o'clock this morning, Professor Guo Qingbin of Red One University went to the inner-city hospital to visit Pan Yuanwen, Minister of Hui City Agriculture.

Xia Qing immediately forwarded this intel to her idol. Before long, she received a call from her idol: "Guo Qingbin called me yesterday afternoon. He'll be coming over shortly to attend the seminar this morning inside Number Seven Territory."

According to the itinerary Zhang Song had set, this morning the experts would attend a seminar hosted by Zhang San, the director of the Number Seven Territory Research Institute. In the afternoon, they would take a helicopter to the Safe Zone to tour the Hui Three Pharmaceutical Factory, and then the inspection itinerary would end.

If Guo Qingbin wanted to use his same-frequency evolution ability to probe the secrets of Number Seven Territory, this seminar was his last chance.

Because if he missed this seminar, even meeting Zhang San face-to-face would be difficult.

The idol had been laying out the board for over half a month; the moment of truth was finally about to arrive. Xia Qing was both excited and worried about her idol's safety, and asked earnestly, "Third Brother, is there anything I can do?"

Zhang San had called directly, of course because he had something for Xia Qing to do. "You come over too. Attend the seminar as my student, and create the impression that during my trial use of the medicine, my body is very weak and I need you to protect me closely."

"Alright. I'll go to your office ten minutes before the seminar starts to pick you up." Xia Qing put down her phone and began making preparations.

After the helicopter escorting Guo Qingbin landed outside the south gate of Number Seven Territory, Xia Qing left her own territory and arrived at her idol's lab right on time.

Seeing her idol's radiant skull-face, Xia Qing got a fright. "Third Brother, what have you been taking?"

"A medicine that makes me look like I'm in better spirits—a cover-up." Zhang San asked weakly, "What kind of getup is that?"

Xia Qing, her face wildly painted and holding a notebook, pushed up the gold-rimmed glasses on her face. "Scholar look. Do you think it passes muster?"

You look even more like a cover-up than I do! Zhang San was speechless for two seconds, then gave this oddball a few instructions and led her toward the conference room.

Seeing Zhang San and Xia Qing walk in, the experts in the conference room all stood up silently, nervous and excited.

Why silently? Because Zhang San was currently taking a medicine and could not be disturbed by noise. This seminar therefore had regulations on noise and decibel levels—no one was allowed to applaud.

After Zhang San and Xia Qing were seated, Zhang Song gave a brief introduction of the two, and the seminar officially began.

Guo Qingbin, seated in the chief expert position, spoke first, his voice gentle. "Director Fu looks much better than a week ago."

Zhang San gave a hum, which counted as a response.

Guo Qingbin got straight to the point. "Director Fu, how does your institute plan to detoxify Specimen 31-1 in the Mountain Fifty experimental zone?"

This seminar had no topic restrictions; the attending experts could ask whatever they wanted. But Zhang San could, based on the actual situation—his mood—choose whether to answer in detail.

Zhang San didn't want to answer Guo Qingbin's question, so he looked directly at Zhang He.

Zhang He immediately nodded and began to speak at length. "Specimen 31-1 was poisoned with gene-targeted cesium thallium toxin, and the toxin has remained in its body for over four months, severely damaging its bodily functions..."

This seminar only had two hours. Once Zhang He opened her mouth, she seemed set on talking for an hour and a half, and what she was saying was already known to all the experts present. This made the experts, who had prepared a pile of questions and wanted to consult Zhang San in person, secretly anxious.

But Zhang He was answering Professor Guo Qingbin's question, and as long as Professor Guo didn't interrupt her, they could only listen patiently.

After listening for a while, Zhang San's fingers gripping his pen gradually tightened, the veins becoming prominent—he was clearly enduring physical discomfort.

Xia Qing immediately unscrewed the lid of her idol's thermos and handed it to him.

As Zhang San pretended nothing was wrong and picked up the cup to drink, Guo Qingbin spoke.