Chapter 184: A Test from the Brain Domain Evolver

Yang Jin gave an affirmative reply, "If you haven't received counter-interrogation training, an intermediate or higher emotional-capture and observational Brain Domain Evolver can see through you. So when they arrive, you can cite territorial security as grounds to request the inspection team to check them and dismantle any surveillance, recording, or listening devices on them."

"If they're dismantled, the Sufeng Squad will be even more suspicious of me, suspicious of Territory Three." Yang Jin's suggestion was workable, but Xia Qing still wanted to try first. "Captain Yang, although I haven't received professional training in this area, I can control my facial expressions, breathing, and heartbeat. Could I ask Captain Xie, when he's not busy, to run a test on me?"

If she could do this, it would of course be for the best. Yang Jin immediately made arrangements. "In a bit, the members of Beard Feng's squad will bring equipment into Territory Three."

Although Xia Qing's phone had satellite communication function, it could only make and receive calls and send and receive messages; it couldn't achieve real-time video communication.

After having his team members draw away the Sufeng surveillance personnel, Beard Feng brought a laptop and communication equipment into Territory Three. While skillfully assembling the equipment inside the small hut by the farmland, he introduced it to Xia Qing. "This is a broadband ad-hoc network radio based on the latest mobile communication technology. It'll be ready soon."

"Okay." Broadband she knew, ad-hoc network was what, and radio—was it the radio she understood? She hadn't expected Beard Feng to know all this.

After the one-year trade period was up, she wanted to continue hiring Beard Feng's squad to guard her territory. Yang Jin would definitely quote a very high price; she had to quickly get the spinach's yi element content up again.

"Captain Xie."

"Crazy one. Long time no see. Looks like you've put on weight—seems you're living pretty well in the territory. You didn't bring your cat?"

Beard Feng grinned at the screen like an idiot. "No, it's sleeping at home."

"Mm, take your people and pull back six hundred meters to stand guard. I want to have a word with Xia Qing." The radio signal was excellent; wearing a light gray fisherman's hat, Xie Yu's voice came through clearly, his movements without lag. Although this was Xia Qing's first time seeing the most mysterious captain of the Azure Dragon Squad, she had heard of his signature attire—a fisherman's hat welded to his head to cover his baldness.

After Beard Feng withdrew, Xia Qing stood in front of the screen and greeted Xie Yu. "Captain Xie, sorry to trouble you."

Although Xie Yu was smiling and acting very friendly, his forehead and eyebrows were covered by the fisherman's hat, and a pair of eyes staring straight at the screen were dark and black, as if they could truly see through people's hearts, putting anyone meeting his gaze under immense pressure.

"No trouble at all. I've been looking forward to meeting you for a long time. If the communication time is too long, others will notice. Shall we start now?"

Xia Qing restrained her smile, adjusted her facial expressions, breathing, and heartbeat, and after five seconds nodded calmly. "Okay."

Xie Yu came out with a big move right away.

"You are the Azure Dragon Squad's great benefactor. At our first meeting, I should formally introduce myself to you." After saying this, Xie Yu actually raised his hand and took off his fisherman's hat, smiling as he stared at Xia Qing on the screen. "I'm Xie Yu, vice-captain of the Azure Dragon Squad, a Class Three Category Four Brain Domain Evolver, male, twenty-eight years old, unmarried and no girlfriend, no bad habits."

It was Xia Qing's first time meeting someone who became a completely different person with or without his hat.

With the hat on, he was a mysterious, unfathomable big shot; take the hat off, and he was just the brat next door, with zero intimidation.

So Xie Yu wasn't a smart bald head with no hair—he had a head of thick golden little curls. If Red Squirrel pulled all that hair back, it could be used as a bed. Seeing what he looked like with his hat off, Xia Qing immediately understood that the reason he wore a hat was to put on an act!

Xia Qing's mind was racing, but her face only showed a slight expression of surprise as she calmly replied, "Hello, Captain Xie. I'm Xia Qing."

The two were conducting a test, not a matchmaking session, so she simply skipped the latter part.

Xie Yu raked his fingers through the very springy little curls on his head, stared at the screen with a smile, and asked, "Are you usually this quiet?"

Xia Qing nodded. "When I was in the Safe Zone, unless necessary, I wouldn't say a single word for a whole month. After coming out to farm, I started talking more."

Few words, few facial expressions on her red-skinned face, calm and unrippled gaze—nothing could be detected through facial expressions, so he could only probe through her voice. Xie Yu chatted casually with Xia Qing. "Your evolved sheep went crazy?"

"No," Xia Qing replied.

Xie Yu knew Sheep Boss hadn't gone crazy. He memorized Xia Qing's current expression, tone, and gaze, and continued asking, "The pangolin that Territory Two has been searching for—you really haven't heard of it or seen it? You didn't catch it, did you?"

Xia Qing looked at Xie Yu expressionlessly. "I heard Tang Huai mention it on the Lord Channel. I didn't catch it."

Very good, not a single difference from before. Xie Yu continued asking, "In that case, why won't you let people from Territory Two enter Territory Three?"

"No particular reason. I just don't want outsiders entering my territory."

"Aren't you on pretty good terms with Beard Feng from the Azure Dragon Squad? Didn't he mention the pangolin to you?"

Xia Qing looked calmly at Xie Yu, and only replied after two seconds, "No."

……

After ten minutes of conversation, Xie Yu gave his conclusion. "No problem. Xia Qing, I didn't expect you to have this kind of ability."

Xia Qing smiled. "Sorry to trouble you, Captain Xie. This isn't anything difficult. Most people who've survived in the Safe Zone carrying secrets can do it."

Xie Yu gave a sincere assessment. "So far, among those who've achieved this level without training, I've only seen three. One of them only managed it because poisoning caused facial nerve dysfunction."

Xie Yu didn't mention who the third person was, and Xia Qing didn't ask. Her mind was considering another matter.

When she returned to the Safe Zone in July for the agricultural trade fair, a stranger who had messaged her told her an important piece of information: the hidden ability of Sufeng Squad's vice-captain Xu Pin was extrasensory perception evolution, capable of sensing goodwill and malice from people within a hundred meters.

Could an extrasensory perception evolver, besides sensing goodwill and malice, also sense lies and truth?

Did the Azure Dragon Squad know about Xu Pin's hidden ability?

Should she mention it to Xie Yu? The thought flashed through Xia Qing's mind and was immediately dismissed. Even if she were to bring it up, she'd have to wait until she consulted that person first.

Yang Jin, sitting nearby outside the camera's range, reminded Xia Qing, "If they ask you whether Beard Feng mentioned the pangolin to you, just look at them with the expression you just had. No need to reply."

Xia Qing didn't ask why, just nodded directly. "Okay."

After ending the video call, Xie Yu sighed. "I believe you now. Xia Qing's psychological quality is very strong, her emotions extremely stable. Combined with her potential as a tri-system evolver, as long as she wants to, she could definitely become a figure even more powerful than Fire Phoenix. I really look forward to the day those two face off."

Hearing his good brother praise Xia Qing, Yang Jin grinned with unmistakable pride.

Xie Yu rubbed the goosebumps on his arms and complained, "Boss, don't smile so disgustingly. My psychological quality is poor—I really can't take it."

Having passed the test of Hui-Three Base's strongest Brain Domain Evolver, Xie Yu, Xia Qing felt at ease. Time to get back to whatever needed doing.

That day, Sheep Boss pedaled the water bicycle and finished watering the seven greenhouses in the cultivated land south of the reservoir; Guan Tong carried the water tank and finished watering the terraced fields; Xia Qing stayed home to care for the sick wolf, clean out the warehouse loft, and prepare to find a suitable exit location for the third food storage cellar.