Chapter 34: Trading with Luo Pei

After seeing Tan Junjie off, Xia Qing climbed the slope and sat beside Sheep Boss, who was guarding the spring. She pulled out her phone and dialed Luo Pei's number. "Captain Luo, I found some spinach in my field and wanted to bring you some to try fresh. No need to send anyone, I'll come over myself—it's not far."

Xia Qing didn't ask the Azure Dragon Squad members to come collect it, nor did she have the inspection team pass it along. Carrying a vegetable basket, she crossed the quarantine line and greeted Wei Chengdong, who was waiting for her outside the buffer forest of Plot One. "Brother Dong."

Wei Chengdong was the member of Luo Pei's squad responsible for outside liaison and calculating mission points. Xia Qing often went on missions with Luo Pei's squad, so the two naturally knew each other.

"We can't leave our post without permission, so we can only trouble you to come deliver supplies." Wei Chengdong was visibly much more haggard than before; even his smile was forced. He gave Xia Qing a meaningful look and continued, "These vegetable leaves need to be inspected before we can hand the supplies over to you. Shall I take you along?"

It seemed someone here was eavesdropping. Xia Qing nodded, her voice calm. "Fine, but just this once. From now on we'll trade directly at the quarantine line, or the deal is off."

Plot One had two thousand mu of buffer forest, over nineteen hundred mu of cultivated land, and two abandoned villages. A small river more than three meters wide flowed in from the west, passed through the cultivated land between the two villages, and ran south toward Plot Eight.

It was obvious the people inside Plot One had no mind to farm. Apart from the two or three mu planted with grain that still looked passable, everywhere else was overgrown with weeds taller than a person. But once she entered the village, Xia Qing noticed something different.

They had cleaned the village very thoroughly. Relying on her sharp hearing, Xia Qing detected several slow, steady breaths hidden behind the courtyard walls and in the big trees she passed. This meant the Azure Dragon Squad had indeed not abandoned Luo Pei—her trade was viable.

The courtyard where Luo Pei lived was paved with neat red bricks, bare and empty—presumably to make it easier for Luo Pei, whose vision was impaired, to move around.

Only after inviting Xia Qing into the courtyard did Wei Chengdong explain in a low voice, "Plot Two has auditory Evolvers monitoring. It's not convenient to talk in the buffer forest, but inside the village it's fine. Captain Luo can't come out to greet you, please understand."

Xia Qing nodded and followed Wei Chengdong into a sitting room with freshly whitewashed walls and simple furniture. Seeing the person sitting in a reclining chair, she froze.

That person's eyes were covered with white gauze. His lips were dark purple, and the exposed skin showed the same dark red discoloration from poisoning as Xia Qing's. His face and hands were so thin they were barely recognizable.

Was this person really Luo Pei?

Luo Pei, sitting in the reclining chair, tilted his head up slightly and asked with a smile, "Xia Qing's here?"

His voice was as calm as she'd heard over the walkie-talkie. Even though she'd long since grown numb from witnessing life and death over the years, Xia Qing still couldn't help feeling a pang of heartache.

This was Luo Pei—the Azure Dragon Squad's third-ranked powerhouse, Hui-Three Base's top sniper. The Luo Pei whose back, with a sniper rifle slung over it, made Xia Qing feel reassured every time she went on a mission.

Xia Qing clenched her fists and answered calmly, "Captain Luo, it's Xia Qing. I didn't know you were hurt this badly. Sorry for disturbing your recovery."

"Come sit." Luo Pei, tormented by the synthesized poison until he couldn't even stand, still found the heart to joke. "Well? Does my complexion look pleasing to you?"

Luo Pei was proud and didn't want people's pity. Xia Qing, whose skin color matched his, nodded. "Mm, at least it's much better-looking than purple or green."

Luo Pei's laughter grew louder, and Xia Qing could clearly hear the weakness in it. "Good thing it's not green, or I'd definitely be laughed to death. By the way, the perilla and Chinese toon buds you brought last time tasted excellent. I was just thinking of trading with you for more, and here you are right on time. Found more spinach in your field?"

"Just discovered it in the last couple of days. The Calamity element content is three parts per thousand. Since there isn't much, I just picked some leaves."

After Xia Qing finished speaking, Wei Chengdong, who was holding the basket, asked with a smile, "Xia Qing, is this bottle filled with wine? A bottle this big must be about 1.5 liters."

Luo Pei had been injured by a hidden attack, so of course the Azure Dragon Squad people had to strictly inspect every person and thing that came near him.

Xia Qing didn't speak, but took out a piece of paper with writing on it:

Uncontaminated water.

Wei Chengdong's eyes went wide, and he leaned close to Luo Pei's ear to say something quietly.

Luo Pei used his fleshless palms to brace against the chair and slowly sit up. He made an inviting gesture toward Xia Qing, then had Wei Chengdong and the squad member who had been standing beside him carry him into the room next door.

This room had been converted into a soundproof chamber—not only did it have no windows, but soundproofing panels were also attached to the walls, ceiling, and floor.

After the door closed, Wei Chengdong couldn't wait to ask, "Xia Qing, where did you get this water—"

"Chengdong." Luo Pei cut him off, dropped his smile, and said solemnly to Xia Qing, "My injuries can't be cured by a few jin of water. I appreciate the thought, but take the water back and keep it for yourself to drink. You'll benefit more from drinking it than using it on me."

Wei Chengdong, holding the water bottle, saw his delight turn to reluctance, but still carefully placed the bottle back in the basket. The squad member standing beside Luo Pei gazed silently at Xia Qing, as if trying to see right through her.

Xia Qing ignored his gaze and said quietly, "Captain Luo, have someone test the water quality first. I only have a Calamity element detector, so I don't know if this water is suitable."

Seeing Xia Qing insist, Luo Pei finally had Wei Chengdong go test the water. After a short while, Wei Chengdong came back, so excited his voice was trembling. "Captain Luo, this water is excellent quality. Xia Qing, how much of this water do you have, and what do you want in exchange?"

Xia Qing asked in return, "How much would it take to heal Captain Luo's injuries?"

Luo Pei answered directly, "The poison I took requires not only IV drips and washing the wounds, but also medicinal baths, once a day, for at least four months. The bath water has to be changed every day and can't be reused. I need at least fifteen thousand liters of uncontaminated spring water."

As far as Xia Qing knew, the four springs already discovered at Hui-Three Base didn't yield much more water than the one on her territory, so it was impossible to draw out fifteen thousand liters for Luo Pei. No wonder his body had been dragged down to this state.

Xia Qing calculated her own spring's output, then nodded. "Fifteen thousand liters in four months—that's a hundred and twenty-five liters a day. We can trade."

Now not only Wei Chengdong, but even Luo Pei was excited. He raised his hand and slowly unwound the gauze covering his eyes, fixing his crimson eye sockets on Xia Qing, his voice hoarse. "Why do you want to save me?"

The energy from Luo Pei's ocular evolution was concentrated mainly in his eyes, so after being poisoned by the synthesized Calamity toxin, his eyes were the most severely damaged. After staring at Xia Qing for only a few seconds, physiological tears streamed down from his eyes.

Xia Qing gazed back calmly. "I'm not saving you—I have conditions. I want to learn marksmanship from Captain Luo, and I want weapons. Additionally, Captain Luo must guarantee that without my permission, you won't reveal the source of the water."

Such a small thing hardly counted as a condition. Luo Pei closed his eyes, which ached as if pricked by needles, unable to stop the tears from flowing. "Does that include Yang Jin and Xie Yu?"