Chapter 444: How Many Systems Is Tang Zhengsu an Evolver In?

Just looking at the two small plants growing inside the spring-water cave, one really couldn't see any change, but comparing them to the photos from when they had just been transplanted, it was clear that the intact one had indeed grown a little.

The transplanting of such precious herbs was always done inside cultivation chambers that closely simulated their native growing environment. When Yang Jin brought these two plants back and handed them to Xia Qing to plant, he hadn't really held out much hope, but he hadn't expected them to actually start growing!

Yang Jin's delight was plain to see. "You're really something—you actually got the Qiangwu Grass to live."

Being this close to Yang Jin's flawless face was too much of a visual冲击. Xia Qing could hardly stand it; she scooted back a little before humbly replying, "It's because there's spring water here, and the soil and climate are suitable—that's why it took root."

The distance she'd finally managed to close had been pulled open again by her.

"Xia Qing."

Yang Jin called her name very seriously, and only after she looked over did he sit on the ground with a smile and ask, "Do you need a color printer and a laptop?"

Weren't they here to look at the Qiangwu Grass? How did it suddenly turn into a transaction? Xia Qing studied the Iron Rooster in front of her carefully, trying to guess his purpose.

Yang Jin leaned forward slightly and explained the uses of these two supplies. "With a color printer, you can make a plant-growth logbook with stickers, recording in detail the plants' growth and management. If you don't want to write, you can make it electronically first and then print it out."

"With a laptop, you can play videos for the sheep and wolves in your territory, so they can learn the true meaning of human commands and gestures, and improve your communication efficiency with the evolved animals."

Xia Qing was persuaded, and she sat down as well, beginning to ask the price. "These two supplies aren't cheap, are they?"

"These are supplies that aren't sold openly in the outer city of the safe zone. I just got a few brand-new units straight off the production line through a channel from Red City Base. For other lords they're very expensive, but for you, it's just a matter of thirty jin of meat."

Thirty jin was fifteen thousand points—truly expensive. Xia Qing started to haggle. "Twenty jin?"

"The printers and laptops you can get for twenty jin were all manufactured before the Calamity; they won't last long in your hands. Better to add four jin and buy good-quality new ones. I can install video tutorials on taming evolved animals and special-forces training videos on the laptop for you, free of charge. How about it?"

Xia Qing didn't agree right away; she asked about the transaction details. "Are the printer's consumables expensive?"

"You only need three kinds of consumables—laser-print toner, a drum cartridge, and printing paper—and I can sell them all to you at cost. For you, these consumables are just a matter of a palm-sized chunk of meat."

Xia Qing stated a fact to Yang Jin with a solemn face. "Captain Yang, my green-light meat is limited."

Yang Jin also nodded with great seriousness and changed his tune. "For you, it's just a matter of one or two liters of spring water."

Spring water, for you, is practically unlimited.

Xia Qing couldn't hold it in and laughed.

Having closed the distance again and made Xia Qing so happy, Yang Jin also laughed happily. "So, how about it?"

"Deal, twenty-eight jin." Xia Qing wanted both of these supplies. She currently had a total of 560 jin of snake meat; after keeping the 200 jin she and the sick wolf needed to eat, she had already planned to hand a portion of the rest back to Yang Jin anyway. Him taking the initiative to propose a trade saved Xia Qing the trouble.

Although they were sitting inside the dark shed, the tarpaulin blocked the cold wind, so it wasn't really cold here. The deal went quite smoothly, which let Xia Qing relax, and she asked the question she'd been wanting to ask. "You said earlier that Shen Yongdong, the three-system Evolver from Hui-3 Base, had a younger brother who died on an operating table in Hui-1's underground lab. What about Shen Yongdong himself?"

Yang Jin answered in a low voice. "Not long after Shen Yongdong's abilities were exposed, he was sent to the Hui-1 Research Institute to assist with research. He was one of the first batch of three-system Evolvers to be exposed, and the Hui-1 Research Institute didn't dare—nor could they bear—to send him into the underground lab. Later he was sent to Red-1 Base. I haven't kept track of how he's doing now, but he definitely didn't become a test subject, because the oversight of experiments over there is more comprehensive and stricter."

"Shen Yongdong is a three-system Evolver in vision, endurance, and jumping power, but none of his evolved abilities reached the advanced level, so his overall combat strength isn't high. He probably wasn't given an important position, which is why he faded from prominence later on." Yang Jin continued chatting casually with Xia Qing. "Two-system Evolvers are already quite common now; three-system ones are relatively rare, but not as rare as before. Among advanced Evolvers, the proportion of multi-system Evolvers is quite a bit higher than among ordinary Evolvers. Still, the vast majority of multi-system Evolvers choose to hide their true strength and operate as single-system Evolvers."

Xia Qing seized this rare opportunity to ask Yang Jin about his rival Tang Zhengsu. "Captain Yang, do you know how many systems Tang Zhengsu has evolved in?"

The flashlight went out, and Xia Qing didn't turn it back on. Their conversation didn't need light anyway, and the two of them were sitting so close that in the darkness Xia Qing actually felt more at ease.

Yang Jin had long been waiting for Xia Qing to ask him this question. If she hadn't asked tonight, Yang Jin had another number he would have used to tell her not to act rashly against Tang Zhengsu. "He's three systems: speed, vision, and strength. His strength evolution level is definitely no lower than level five."

Tang Zhengsu was an advanced speed Evolver—Xia Qing had long inferred that his vision had evolved too—but she hadn't expected that he was also an advanced strength Evolver.

An advanced speed Evolver's combat power was already off the charts, and adding an advanced strength evolution ability on top of that—was Tang Zhengsu trying to defy the heavens? No wonder he was so arrogant.

Yang Jin wasn't wearing night-vision goggles either, but he knew the impact this news would have on Xia Qing. Yet he knew Xia Qing absolutely wouldn't be broken by this news; she would only work harder, striving to grow strong enough to personally kill Tang Zhengsu and avenge herself.

After seeing Yang Jin off, Xia Qing put on her night-vision goggles and ran at full speed inside her territory. The sick wolf heard the movement and came out to run alongside Xia Qing.

An hour later, Xia Qing finally went home, took off her protective mask and hood, and lay down on Sheep Elder's tatami mat.

"Boss…"

Sheep Elder, who had already lifted a hoof, sensed something was off about her little follower and put the hoof back down, replying with only a half-hearted, "Baa."

The sick wolf, having finished rinsing its paws, also came over and lay down beside Xia Qing, watching her with worry.

"Tang Zhengsu is an advanced speed and advanced strength Evolver; his vision evolution level is still unknown. He's very strong. Even Yang Jin and my lord might not be his match."

Sheep Elder's face remained expressionless as she continued chewing her cud.

Xia Qing lay there in a daze for a while, then pumped herself up. "Boss, Wolf Lao Er, this winter I have to get stronger. I'm going to kill him with my own hands."

"Baa." Sheep Elder gave a perfunctory reply.

"Awoo." The sick wolf echoed in response.

Xia Qing sprang up, seriously completed every training item, then went upstairs to wash up and rest.