Chapter 1731: The Snow Has Melted

Entering Territory Seven, Xia Qing took each step with great steadiness.

Zhang San saw her garishly bruised face, held back from asking who had hit her, and first asked what questions the investigation team had put to her and how she had handled them.

"First they asked about my relationship with you, then why I crushed your watch face, and finally why I lowered my head thirteen times to use a communication device while you were unconscious. They also checked my phone's call records. After they finished, just as I stood up to leave, they ambushed me with another question — did I know what drug you were testing…"

After Xia Qing finished, she gazed at her idol with bright, sparkling eyes.

Not only the questions Mo Huaxi had asked, but even his tone, the details he pressed on, and the order of his questions — her idol had deduced them all and listed them in detail in the materials sent to her. So dealing with the investigation team was, for Xia Qing, an open-book exam.

Brain-domain evolvers are impressive, but her idol is the great bull standing atop the Jin Zita built on the bull's head! The top bull!

Zhang San shot a look at the new human whose head was full of nonsense, took the bananas and oranges the investigation team had sent from the fridge and set them on the table. "It's because you handle things with Zhou Mi that they can't find any loopholes."

Rigorous as she was, every time Xia Qing used her phone in the monitoring room to contact wolf pack members about mission progress, she would also do a few other things — for instance, check the territory alliance chat group and post a message, contact allies like Yuehai Camp, Beard Feng's squad, Huo Zhun, and Tang Huai to learn their mission progress — leaving clear, traceable evidence of her communications.

During Zhang San's coma, besides protecting him at close range, she was also in charge of dispatching the guards on the outer perimeter of Territory Seven. Operating in silent mode, she used her phone to direct the guards — perfectly reasonable.

So Xia Qing's behavior during the silent mode in Territory Seven raised no suspicion.

Besides, she isn't a brain-domain evolver. Although Zhang San took her on as a student, her research is on breeding and soil improvement; she hasn't even learned the basics of medical research, let alone understand what Gao Jingjian research Zhang San's team is doing. She has nothing to fear from the investigation team.

Zhang San sent her the materials to prepare in advance so she could answer the investigation team's questions more rigorously, to avoid them catching her in a verbal slip and summoning her again and again — wasting her time and infuriating this new human whose schedule was packed solid.

After Zhang San fell unconscious, Zhang Song and Zhang He performed perfectly. Xia Qing's only problem was that she had completely destroyed the face of the watch Zhang San was wearing, making it impossible to extract the watch face's data records as evidence.

But Zhang San would not blame Xia Qing for this, because she is a high-level strength evolver, and crushing the watch face completely was meant to eliminate all noise and protect his safety.

Zhang San pressed, "Mo Huaxi didn't see any contact methods or group chats for evolved animals on your phone, did he?"

"No. Before I came over, I dissolved the Blue Star Alliance group and completely deleted their contact info. Until I add them back as friends, they won't use their phones to contact me."

Xia Qing was as cautious as ever; Zhang San nodded.

Seeing her idol was in a decent mood, Xia Qing seized the chance to bring up Old Wolf's trade request. "Third Brother, Fourth wants to trade for two more secure phones, to use as long-distance communication gear for the southern wolf pack. Do you have any in stock? Would you want points, or herbs and supplies?"

After a two-second silence, Zhang San asked, "Was the injury on your face from Little Four?"

Hearing her idol ask that, Xia Qing began clearing the banana and orange peels off the table. "No. I had a match with Handsome Giant Wolf, and we both came away with minor scrapes."

Zhang San's silence lasted a little longer. "Why did the two of you spar?"

Xia Qing answered honestly, "On the surface it was to give Beard Feng's squad a demonstration in combat; actually it was to fight over the third spot in the northern wolf pack…"

Three minutes later, Xia Qing was chased out of the lab by her idol; ten minutes later, she left Territory Seven carrying a large food box and returned to her own territory.

Territory Seven is currently in a special period, and anyone entering or leaving must undergo strict inspection.

To avoid exposing more information, Xia Qing not only didn't bring out the new phones she'd traded from Fourth, she even stuffed the green-light banana peels and orange peels meant for Sheep Boss into the food box.

Xia Qing hadn't been gone long before she returned with delicious food Sheep Boss had never tasted, and Sheep Boss was overjoyed. Does Daigua and Ergua, who had cleaned the house spotlessly, got to eat tasty big steamed buns without spending any points, and were overjoyed as well.

The little refugee monkey hiding in Fourth's tent confirmed that Xia Qing wouldn't drag it back to the lab and was even providing it food, and felt a little more at ease.

Xia Qing, who had just finished a lavish and delicious lunch, was also very happy. While Does Daigua washed the dishes, she and Sheep Boss lay on the hanging chair placed under the eaves, basking in the sun — life was so comfortable it made one want to sigh.

"Plop."

Hearing the sound of a water droplet fall from a height and strike the plastic insulation film, Xia Qing, who had been lying down, immediately opened her eyes and stood up.

"Plop." A second droplet quickly fell from the rooftop and struck the taut plastic film, followed immediately by a third, a fourth…

Spring is coming!

"Boss, Does Daigua, Ergua, plucked one, little Bai Mao, little Flying Fur — the ice and snow are about to thaw. You all stay inside and don't go out. I'm going to guard the farmland." Xia Qing dashed back inside, quickly put on her protective suit, tossed a box of opened yi stones into her backpack, and rushed out to the off-road vehicle in the yard. Sheep Boss bounded after her and hopped in.

"Eek!"

Before Xia Qing could start the vehicle, the blue-faced little monkey came darting down from the house ruins and landed on the hood of the off-road vehicle.

This little monkey, born last spring, had never experienced Blue Star's rapid winter-to-spring transition, and was startled by the climate change — instinctively seeking help from the strong one here, Xia Qing.

Sheep Boss, lying on the passenger seat, narrowed her eyes in displeasure. Xia Qing jumped down and reached out. "Blue-face, the ice and snow are going to melt. If you're scared, you can stay with Does Daigua and Ergua, or you can climb into the backpack and stay with me. You—"

Before Xia Qing could finish, the blue-faced little monkey leapt onto her, nimbly unzipped her backpack, and climbed inside.

Well then…

Xia Qing turned her head and saw Does Daigua, wearing rubber dishwashing gloves, with Ergua on her back, standing at the door looking at her with eager, pleading eyes. She unzipped the bag. "Does Daigua, Ergua, do you want to come with me to protect the greenhouses and the sheds?"

"Eek!" Does Daigua immediately darted over with Ergua on her back and climbed into Xia Qing's backpack.

Xia Qing carried the backpack to the vehicle, floored the accelerator and sped to the greenhouses, opened wide the ventilation ports of the beekeeping greenhouse and the breeding greenhouse, then went inside and put out the fire wall.

She stood quietly beside the beehives, carefully listening to the activity of the swarm. After confirming the bee aphids and flies were in a normal state, she pried out a yi stone pellet from its protective casing and placed it in the hive's slot.