Chapter 33: The Reason Luo Pei Left the Safe Zone

Hu Zi fixed a bicycle wheel with no rubber tire, only the hub, onto a thick wooden board a palm's width wide and over two meters long, then nailed the board into the reservoir so the water covered the hub. He then connected two iron pipes with a tee joint into one long straight pipe, fixed it onto the reservoir embankment, threaded a nylon cord strung with many round plastic discs through the iron pipe, used this nylon cord to link the hub in the water with the bicycle's rear hub in series, and finally mounted the bicycle, fixing it firmly on the bank.

When Hu Zi got on the bike and pedaled, Xia Qing saw the water in the reservoir driven by the paddles strung on the nylon cord flow into the iron pipe, gushing out through the tee outlet — it truly opened her eyes. "Sister Qing just pedals like riding a bike, and the water flows up through the tee pipe. The faster you pedal, the faster the water comes out. Using this is much more convenient than hauling water with buckets to irrigate the fields."

"Got it, this is so useful." Xia Qing, standing beside him, kept nodding and couldn't help praising, "Who came up with such a brilliant idea? That's really clever!"

After the catastrophe, oil and electricity were hard to obtain, so their exchange points were very high. This kind of waterwheel powered purely by human effort was simply perfect for her.

Receiving Xia Qing's praise, Hu Zi's face turned red, he didn't even dare lift his head. "There's also a hydraulic ram pump that doesn't need oil or electricity and uses flowing water's kinetic energy to pump water upward, but that device is more complicated than this one, needs more parts, and is hard to disassemble. Leaving it by the water, I'm afraid evolved gnawing animals might chew it up, and besides, a hydraulic ram pump doesn't deliver water as fast as this one."

Xia Qing couldn't imagine what a hydraulic ram pump looked like, but hearing it had many parts and was hard to disassemble, she knew the hydraulic ram pump wasn't suitable for current use. "This waterwheel can be set up when needed and taken apart and carried home when not in use — simple and practical, better than the hydraulic ram pump."

"I heard from Captain Tan that Sister Qing wants Boss Sheep to pedal the waterwheel." Seeing Xia Qing really liked it, Hu Zi pulled out a modified pedal that looked like shoes a sheep could wear and an oversized saddle, quickly swapped them onto the bicycle, then adjusted the saddle to its lowest setting. "Boss Sheep is strong and smart. If Sister Qing can get him to sit on the bike, he'll definitely learn to pedal."

Boss Sheep, lying leisurely far away under the Chinese toon tree on Gao Po, chewed his cud. Xia Qing by the reservoir's eyes lit up.

Hu Zi reminded Xia Qing, "Although this bike frame is the sturdiest I picked, it still can't hold up if Boss Sheep goes crazy. Sister Qing, take it easy."

Xia Qing smiled and nodded.

Zhong Tao was also grinning happily. "In my opinion, there's no need to attach a long pipe to the tee outlet either. From here to your field is only three or four hundred meters. Let's pile up some earth and build a water channel running over to it."

How could Xia Qing trouble them? "I'll build the water channel myself. It'll be done in half a day."

Zhao Tao didn't stand on ceremony any longer. While Hu Zi was adjusting the waterwheel, he chatted casually with Xia Qing. "Captain Luo of the Azure Dragon Squad has also left the safe zone with his territory, right around here. Have you met him, sis?"

"I know he came over, but I haven't had the chance to meet him yet." Zhong Tao had come from the safe zone and was well-informed. Xia Qing took the opportunity to pump him for information. "Why isn't Captain Luo staying in the safe zone?"

"Mm." The moment Zhong Tao brought up Luo Pei, his face was full of rage. "After the Calamity Rain, high-risk evolved plants and birds appeared in the eastern evolved forest. When Captain Luo took a mission to clear them out, he was plotted against by some bastard and hit with synthesized Calamity poison."

Synthesized Calamity poison is made by combining purified, excessive Calamity elements with various toxins. When synthesized Calamity poison enters the body of evolved animals or humans, it causes severe bodily damage and the toxins are extremely difficult to remove. It can be said that synthesized Calamity poison is the most vicious method of harming people since the great biological evolution on Blue Star, and its manufacture and use have long been strictly prohibited by the state.

With the catastrophe at hand, Luo Pei, a top-tier visually evolved marksman, was the strongest combatant Hui-3 Base had against attacks from evolved flying beasts. Whoever used synthesized Calamity poison on Luo Pei, for whatever purpose, deserves to be cut into a thousand pieces.

Xia Qing's body tensed, her gaze sharp. "Since Captain Luo was poisoned, why didn't he stay in the safe zone to detox?"

Mentioning this made Zhong Tao even angrier. "Detoxifying Captain Luo from synthesized Calamity poison requires a lot of uncontaminated water. Some goddamn bastard spread rumors everywhere, saying that to treat Captain Luo's injuries, the base had diverted all the uncontaminated water from the hospital and it still wasn't enough, and had also reassigned all the water the cultivation center used to grow premium evolved grain. Tens of thousands of bastards in the safe zone were incited and rushed to storm the Azure Dragon Squad headquarters, demanding Boss Yang give them an explanation — kill Captain Luo!"

Damn it!

Xia Qing barely held back from cursing. "Was it the Sufeng people?"

"Who else but those bastards?" Zhong Tao grew more furious as he cursed. "When ordinary people couldn't break through the Azure Dragon Squad's defenses, the Sufeng Squad bastards pretended to rush up to maintain order and tried to break through the gate. Boss Yang personally took out a few of them before they got scared off. Pfft! Those bastards! Damn it, all the uncontaminated water was given to Captain Luo — does that son of a bitch really think I don't know? That snotty Tang Lu who looks down her nose at people even uses it for her baths…"

"It's set up, Brother Tao, let's head back." Hearing Zhong Tao talk more and more out of line, Hu Zi sped up, finished adjusting the waterwheel, and called for Zhong Tao to go back.

Xia Qing exchanged the evolved animals she had caught for reagents, and gave them two small bundles of evolved perilla as a thank-you gift before seeing them off her territory.

She didn't need Zhong Tao to explain the rest — Xia Qing could guess it herself. The Sufeng Squad didn't want Luo Pei to heal, so they spread rumors to stir up discontent and riots among people in the safe zone, which was why Luo Pei left the safe zone.

Of course, Luo Pei leaving the safe zone definitely wasn't giving up on treatment, but to make treatment more convenient.

Given the Azure Dragon Squad's capabilities, they could certainly find uncontaminated water for Luo Pei's detox — Xia Qing had no doubt about that — but she could also guess that doing so must have cost them a tremendous price.

As one side weakens, the other grows stronger. Weakening the Azure Dragon Squad means strengthening the Sufeng Squad.

The stronger the Sufeng Squad, the harder it will be to avenge Xia Qing's father.

Xia Qing coaxed Boss Sheep to carry earth, building up an earthen road level with the farmland, then dug a water channel on the road leading to the farmland, and finally drove the shovel deep into the soil. The enemy of my enemy is a potential ally.

In the afternoon, Tan Junjie came to Xia Qing's territory to pick up the exchanged supplies. Xia Qing handed him the Chinese toon sprouts and perilla, and asked about Luo Pei's condition. "Captain Tan, has Captain Luo's injury gotten any better?"

During this period, Luo Pei occasionally said a word or two during the lords' evening chat. Xia Qing couldn't judge his current condition from his voice. Since Tan Junjie had a good relationship with Yang Jin, Xia Qing figured he should have visited Luo Pei at Territory One.

Tan Junjie gave a vague answer. "His injury needs slow recuperation."

That meant he wouldn't recover anytime soon. Synthesized Calamity poison had to be treated as soon as possible — the longer it dragged on, the greater the damage to the poisoned person's body. It seemed the uncontaminated water the Azure Dragon Squad had found wasn't enough.