Chapter 406: A Challenge from the Refugees

After Hu Zi left, Xia Qing opened the notes sent over by her various allies and found that the number of supplemental lights they had purchased wasn't large—each territory had bought between five and eight, enough to provide supplemental light for half a greenhouse or a little more.

That was perfectly normal.

First, because renting vehicles to haul soil, buying plastic film, buying seeds, and so on had already eaten up a large chunk of the lords' points; the points needed to buy supplemental lights, they estimated, would have to be scraped together by selling grain.

It wasn't just them—Xia Qing was also tight on points, and the points for buying lights also had to be paid in supplies. Because all her points had gone toward the wall and trading for Yi stones.

Second, growing crops in a greenhouse didn't necessarily require supplemental lights. As long as the greenhouse's temperature and humidity met certain standards, one could grow vegetables with low light requirements, such as spinach, chives, and celery.

Chives in particular—the yellow chives grown in darkness were even more valuable than regular chives. The farming-knowledge broadcasts over the past few days had spared no effort in educating the lords on the advantages of growing yellow chives, and the Lord Management Department was also selling one-year-old chive roots to outsiders.

Xia Qing had already placed an order with Zhong Tao by phone for two hundred chive roots; the other lords had ordered no fewer than she had.

But even buying five hundred or a thousand chive roots, combined with the chives the lords already had, still wasn't enough to fill one greenhouse. So they also needed to grow some vegetables with higher requirements for light intensity and duration—which was why everyone was buying supplemental lights.

After Xia Qing sent Yang Jin the total demand for supplemental lights, she returned to the terraced fields to haul sweet potatoes home when the voice of Lord Nine, Li Si, came over the walkie-talkie.

"Is Third Brother there?"

Ji Li responded, "Our lord is still resting."

Farmers rose early—Xia Qing had already been busy for quite a while and harvested over a hundred sweet potatoes—but it was only half past seven in the morning, so it was perfectly normal for Zhang San to still be resting.

Li Si stated in an icy tone the reason she was looking for Zhang San: "Our squad's vice captain has brought thirty jin of fresh frozen green-light beef chuck and tripe, and wants to visit Third Brother at Territory Seven."

Sii—

Xia Qing couldn't help drooling, her eyes drifting involuntarily to Old Goat, who was carrying a basket up ahead.

Green-light beef chuck and tripe… probably only the foreleg and tenderloin on the green-light goat right in front of her could rival them.

The Blaze Squad's visiting gift was quite substantial, but it couldn't pry open the door of Territory Seven.

Ji Li replied very calmly, "Our lord has been very busy lately and isn't accepting any visitors."

Li Si continued to ask, "Can we trade green-light beef for medicines from Territory Nine?"

Ji Li didn't refuse, "May I ask which medicine you need?"

"Can we discuss it in person?"

"We can."

Once the two finished their exchange, the lord channel fell quiet again. After putting most of the sweet potatoes into the vegetable storage room beneath the garage, Xia Qing took her tools and went to assemble the steel frame of the second greenhouse.

At eight o'clock, Beard Feng's squad entered Territory Three and helped Xia Qing install the steel frame and plastic film for the second greenhouse.

With more people around it got lively; Er Yong talked at length about why beef chuck was called marbled beef and how tripe was best stewed.

Chen Cheng, meanwhile, briefed Xia Qing on the Blaze Squad's vice captain: "The Blaze Squad has six vice captains, each in charge of different tasks. The vice captain coming this time is Shan Ying, who's in charge of planting. She's an auditory evolver, and the Blaze Squad's high-Yi-element spinach is her responsibility."

Xia Qing took the crossbeam Chen Cheng handed her and asked, "Before Li Si came to Territory Nine, was she Shan Ying's subordinate?"

Chen Cheng wasn't sure either: "I'm not clear on that. I just know Shan Ying is seriously impressive—she was poached by Fire Phoenix from the research institute at Red City Base for a huge sum. She rarely leaves Blaze Mountain, so for the Blaze Squad to actually send her to visit Zhang San, there must be something very important going on."

Sending the vice captain in charge of planting to discuss the cordyceps fungus matter with Zhang San was indeed very fitting. Xia Qing asked, "Does any of the Blaze Squad's vice captains have the surname Liao?"

Xia Qing had once overheard Li Si arguing with someone inside Territory Nine and learned that the two price hikes on Territory Nine's high-efficiency compost fungal powder had both been decided by Vice Captain Liao of the Blaze Squad—she was seizing the chance to ask about it.

Chen Cheng answered immediately, "Yes. His name is Liao Wendong. He's a brain-domain evolver, in charge of the Blaze Squad's finances and external trade."

Beard Feng carried over a bundle of steel pipes and spoke up too: "Before the catastrophe, Liao Wendong was the financial director of a listed company—slick as they come. The Blaze Squad being rolling in money now, he played a huge part."

Xia Qing asked, "Liao Wendong is a brain-domain evolver?"

"I don't think so." Beard Feng replied, "I heard that before the catastrophe, he and Fire Phoenix…"

"Zifeng, can you hear me?"

Yang Jin's voice came through Beard Feng's walkie-talkie.

Beard Feng immediately pressed the walkie-talkie button: "Yes, boss, go ahead."

Yang Jin gave the order: "Refugees from Territory Two have left their territory heading west and are entering the buffer zone between Territory Three and Mountain Forty-Nine. Take your squad back to Zone Three of Mountain Forty-Nine and stand by."

Mountain Forty-Nine belonged to the Azure Dragon Squad, Territory Three belonged to Xia Qing, but the buffer zone was a "road." People walking normally on the road didn't need anyone's permission.

"Yes, sir."

Beard Feng's squad immediately set down the steel pipes and tools, assembled, and hurried to Zone Three of Mountain Forty-Nine. The fact that Zone Three of Mountain Forty-Nine belonged to Xia Qing wasn't widely known even within the Azure Dragon Squad. Nominally, this area was guarded by Beard Feng's squad.

Xia Qing also set down her tools and followed Beard Feng's squad to the high ground of the buffer forest. Beard Feng's squad guarded Zone Three of Mountain Forty-Nine; she had to guard her own territory.

"Clang—"

The clear sound of a heavy metal object striking the iron-net wall of Territory Three reached Xia Qing's ears. Xia Qing, who was standing in the northern buffer forest, turned and walked toward the western buffer forest.

"Sister Qing—" Chen Cheng, who had just stepped out of Territory Three, called out softly, "Stay calm, don't fall for their trick."

These people had come out looking for trouble. Xia Qing nodded to show she understood.

"Clang—"

After another loud strike, Xia Qing, who had reached the western buffer forest, heard someone holler in a sleazy tone: "It's hollow! The day I came I watched them unloading all high and mighty—fuck, I thought the damn thing was solid!"

Xia Qing had heard this voice before—it belonged to the refugee who'd coveted her gun on the first day Territory Two took in refugees.

"Cut the shit and keep moving." someone urged.

"What trouble am I causing? I just knocked on the wall a couple times, didn't hit anyone."

"You'd like to hit someone, sure—but can you reach?"

"How'd you know I want to hit someone?" The speaker snickered, then, unable to keep his hands to himself, struck the iron-net wall once more with the back of his blade.

With such a loud strike, Xia Qing couldn't pretend she hadn't heard it—otherwise the people outside would think she was afraid.

Next time, they'd use more aggressive methods to test Xia Qing's bottom line.

Xia Qing walked to the wall, pressed the walkie-talkie button, and asked, "Is Captain Tan there?"

"Here." Tan Junjie responded quickly on the lord channel.

Xia Qing, who had already reached the fence on the western buffer forest, stared at the ten-person squad on the buffer zone and asked calmly, "Someone on the buffer zone has struck my territory's wall three times in a row with a heavy object—may I shoot them dead on the spot?"

Tan Junjie replied, "According to procedure, you should issue a warning first. If the other party ignores the warning and continues to behave aggressively, you may take effective measures to protect your territory."

"Copy that." Xia Qing released the walkie-talkie button and raised her gun, aiming at the strength evolver who was striking her iron-net wall with a machete.