Chapter 1738: Going to the Evolution Forest to Scavenge

When over ten thousand mu of wheat within the safe zone were destroyed and crop yields dropped sharply, everyone understood that the Ninth Center — the second-largest by area, second-strongest in overall strength, and the least-afflicted planting department under Hui Three — would definitely see its planting quota increased this year.

So when Xia Qing called everyone to a meeting, they were already mentally prepared for an increased quota. At the same time, they were also mentally prepared to get by on rations for the coming year.

What they didn't expect was just how enormous the quota would be.

What they expected even less was that their leader had actually fought for them to keep 15% of their harvest for themselves!

The surprise was so enormous that the meeting room instantly erupted.

Mao Chuntai, who had just been crushed under the weight of the 200-greenhouse substitute-grain vegetable quota, leaped to his feet. "I'll go for it! Even if I have to stay awake for half a month straight, I'll plow the fields and put up the greenhouses!"

Wu Yunlin, head of the Construction Department, slammed the table. "Building greenhouses is our Construction Department's job. Director, we'll sign a military pledge — we guarantee we'll complete the task!"

Yan Yue, head of the Office Department, couldn't help asking excitedly, "Director, can we only keep yellow-grade ones, or can we keep some green-grade ones too?"

Zhong Tao shouted along with them, "We're going for it, absolutely! Director, we don't have enough materials to build the greenhouses — we need to figure out how to get them back as soon as possible…"

"Director…"

"Director…"

"Quiet," Yue Haiying stood up. "Quiet!"

When the order was given, the veterans shut their mouths at once, their burning gazes all landing on Xia Qing's garishly painted face.

Xia Qing didn't waste a single word and went straight to assigning tasks. "Today is February 6th. This year's first Blight Rain is expected to arrive between the 24th and the 26th. The next 18 days will be the toughest battle the Ninth Center has fought since its founding. In these 18 days, we don't just need to build 437 high-quality steel-frame greenhouses — none of the Center's other work can be neglected either. Minister Mao."

Mao Chuntai stood at attention and answered loudly, "Here!"

"Before the Blight Rain arrives, the seedlings in the two standardized greenhouses will be handled by people sent from Territory Seven. The post-disaster and routine care of the 367 greenhouses of overwintering wheat, the 50 brick-wall greenhouses, and the 6 earthen-wall greenhouses that have already been built will continue to be the Planting Department's responsibility."

"Yes, we guarantee we'll complete the task!"

The team leaders and deputy team leaders of the Planting Department's various groups stood up as well and roared in unison, "We guarantee we'll complete the task!"

Xia Qing told them to sit down and continued assigning tasks. "Minister Zhong."

"Here!" Zhong Tao, head of the Warehouse Department, and the two Warehouse Department team leaders stood up at the same time.

"The greenhouse building materials our base purchased from the Chonglian Group are currently being loaded and will arrive before 3 p. m. Besides the new materials, building materials for another 260 greenhouses will be delivered one after another from the safe zone's Planting Center over the next five days. Your department is responsible for receiving the materials."

"Yes, we guarantee we'll complete the task!"

"Minister Wu, the Agriculture Bureau has allocated us 8 large rotary tillers, which will arrive before 2 p. m. Coming along with them are the team leaders and 40 construction workers from the safe zone's Second and Fourth Construction Teams. These people and machinery will be incorporated into the Construction Department, under your overall coordination. Starting after this meeting, the Construction Department will work 24 hours a day with shifts rotating but no downtime. On the premise of ensuring personnel safety, complete the construction of 437 greenhouses before the 24th."

"Yes! We guarantee we'll complete the task!"

"The construction teams brought their own tents and don't need us to provide housing, but they do need us to provide meals. Minister He, the Catering Department must fully guarantee the food supply for our Center's staff and the construction workers. If vegetables are insufficient, purchase them from the various territories. This afternoon I'm going to make a trip to the Evolution Forest to bring back a few large prey animals and increase the meat supply for our three meals."

"Yes! We guarantee we'll complete the task!"

"Deputy Minister Li, in addition to the previously designated 87 greenhouses for rice cultivation, the 150 newly built greenhouses in the northwest area will also be used to grow high-quality rice. You will lead two researchers to complete the soil testing for these 237 new rice greenhouses, and with the guidance of Zhang Tao and the assistance of the Soil Research Department, complete the calculation of formula fertilizer usage. This work must be finished before the 26th."

"Minister Guo, your department will fully guarantee the Ninth Center's security."

……

"Minister Yue, Director Yan, you two are responsible for the overall coordination of all departments and external liaison affairs. I will personally oversee the greenhouse construction task."

After finishing the task assignments, Xia Qing asked, "If any department cannot complete its task on time, you can raise it now so we can discuss how to solve it."

After a five-second pause, confirming that no department had any issues, Xia Qing stood up with a deadly serious expression. "Good. Since no one has any problems, then it's settled. Director Yue and I will inspect that day's work every evening. Any department that receives a public warning will have its performance pay docked; any department that fails to complete its task for two consecutive days will have its minister stripped of position immediately and replaced with someone capable."

"Yes!" Everyone shouted back at the top of their lungs.

Xia Qing stood up, her face stern. "After the Blight Rain period passes, we'll immediately fertilize and irrigate the newly reclaimed farmland and complete transplanting and sowing within three days. The green-grade and yellow-grade rice we harvest in June can both be kept at 15%. I promise you all — no matter how much this summer's harvest drops, no matter how chaotic things are outside, every single grain that should go into our Ninth Center's food storage warehouse will be stored there without one grain missing. Meeting adjourned!"

"Yes!" After the Ninth Center's managers roared in unison, they couldn't help but shout excitedly:

"Let's go!"

"Let's go!"

"Let's go!"

……

Twenty minutes later, the entire Ninth Center was in an uproar.

In Territory Twelve to the south of the Ninth Center, Tang Huai, after figuring out what was going on, was even more excited than the Ninth Center's employees and kept howling on the walkie-talkie channel.

The experts from the investigation team and medical group who were paying high prices to stay in the Ninth Center's shabby dormitories heard that the Ninth Center had taken on the task of opening up 437 greenhouses — a total of 655.5 mu of farmland — in 18 days. Watching the energetic but missing-limbs veterans outside, they felt complicated emotions.

In the two days they had been here, they had personally witnessed how the hardships of surviving during the years of natural disasters were fully embodied on this territory; but they had also witnessed human resilience and strength fully embodied on this territory.

Mo Huaxi watched Xia Qing personally leading a team to mark out lines in the area to be reclaimed, and understood why Professor Fu Tianfeng had taken a liking to this 27-year-old advanced Evolver.

Knock knock knock—

Rapid footsteps sounded in the corridor. Mo Huaxi had just turned and opened the door when a young medical group worker rushed up to it, face full of excitement. "Director Mo, Teacher Jiao says Professor Guo might be waking up!"

When Xia Qing was busy at the Ninth Center until noon and returned to the territory for lunch, she only then heard from Zhang Song that Guo Qingbin had woken up. "Third Brother asked me to deal with Guo Qingbin and the experts staying at the Ninth Center, so I can't go hunting with you all. Can Qing-jie film more hunting videos?"

Without Zhang Song, there would be one more person free to carry prey — of course Xia Qing had no objection. However, whether they could film or not wasn't her call. "If the Broken-Waist Wolf agrees, I'll film the whole time."

At 2 p. m., after receiving the construction materials delivered by the Chonglian Group, Xia Qing, along with the Broken-Waist Wolf, Little Wolf Sister, Huo Zhun, Shi Du, Beard Feng, and Guan Tong, boarded a helicopter and took off, heading to the highland area northeast of Xiong Qun's territory to scavenge.

This hunting spot was chosen by the Broken-Waist Wolf. According to it, on the second day after the ice and snow melted, in a basin within that highland, large male herbivores would fight to the death for the right to mate.

This scavenging opportunity absolutely had to be taken!