Chapter 50: Xia Qing's Ability Upgrade

At the agreed time the next day, two members of Beard Feng's squad entered Territory Three to look after Xia Qing's home. Xia Qing put on her protective suit, took her backpack, slingshot, and machete, and headed to the western isolation belt to rendezvous with Beard Feng's squad.

Xia Qing wasn't bringing a gun this time, not only because her marksmanship wasn't accurate enough and a gun in her hands wasn't as useful as a slingshot, but also because Beard Feng's squad was well-equipped enough that the risks of going into the mountains to dig bamboo shoots were within controllable limits.

Why didn't Beard Feng just bring his two squad members into the Evolution Forest?

That was naturally because, when the risk was controllable, a high-level strength evolver could play a greater role than two combat-type squad members. From the previous operation, Beard Feng had already confirmed that Xia Qing's carrying capacity was no worse than that of the Level-5 evolver Guan Tong — a solid high-level strength evolver.

The gap from Level 4 to Level 5 was a chasm separating ordinary evolvers from high-level evolvers. The width of this chasm was three times greater than the level difference from Level 3 to Level 4. In other words, a Level-5 evolver's carrying capacity was equivalent to that of seven ordinary people.

When squad numbers were limited and the risk was controllable, bringing one extra high-level strength evolver could haul more supplies out of the Evolution Forest than bringing several attack-type squad members.

When Xia Qing reached the gathering point, she found that besides Beard Feng's squad, there was also an eight-person team inside the isolation belt. Although they were all wearing protective masks, Xia Qing recognized them at a glance — the Dongyang Squad.

Moreover, today's squad leader was actually the Dongyang Squad's captain — the Level-5 speed evolver Chen Dongyang. Standing on either side of Chen Dongyang were the Level-5 stamina evolver Xue Jinchang and the triple-hearing evolver Xu Juan; the rest were also core members of the Dongyang Squad.

Just to dig bamboo shoots for Zhang San, the Dongyang Squad — ranked eleventh in Hui-Three Base — had actually deployed all its elites!

What kind of ability user was Zhang San exactly, or what scarce supplies did he have in hand, that could make the overbearing Tang family's Tang Huai and the Green Dragon Squad's Beard Feng treat him so politely, and even command Chen Dongyang to come dig bamboo shoots for him?

Seeing everyone looking her way, Xia Qing openly took off her protective mask and greeted Xu Juan, "Sister Juan."

Xu Juan immediately took off her protective mask and rushed toward Xia Qing, her striking figure fully revealed with her movements, captivating Xue Jinchang until his eyes went straight.

Xu Juan looked at Xia Qing and clicked her tongue in wonder, "Xia Qing! I thought it looked like you just now but didn't dare say so — it's only been a little over a month, how come you've changed into a completely different person!"

Xia Qing, her face a dusky red, smiled, "I changed into a new protective suit."

Her old protective suit had several obvious patches on it, exuding a thoroughly shabby air. The one she was wearing now was brand new, its color and style similar to everyone else's, so it didn't stand out as much as before.

Xu Juan giggled and gave Xia Qing's shoulder a push, "You're still this honest."

Her delicate, coquettish movements and tone made Chen Dongyang gaze over with deep affection. Xia Qing understood at once — Xu Juan had once again bested the squad's Level-4 visual evolver Yang Shanshan and regained Chen Dongyang's love.

Although she didn't understand what was the point of fighting over a man with other women, Xia Qing didn't want to interfere with how others lived. After exchanging a few words with Xu Juan, she walked over to Guan Tong's side and rejoined the squad.

After Beard Feng and Chen Dongyang had discussed and agreed on the division of labor, Beard Feng led his team into the Evolution Forest first.

Chen Dongyang, who entered afterward, asked Xu Juan with his eyes how Xia Qing had ended up mixed up with Beard Feng.

Both squads were evolvers, so speaking out loud to communicate was inconvenient. Xu Juan only shook her head to indicate she wasn't clear either.

Because it was a familiar route, both squads quickly reached the bamboo forest. The ninety-mu bamboo forest that hadn't been harvested was divided into two sections. After the two teams drew lots to decide their respective positions, they began detecting and digging bamboo shoots.

Beard Feng split his eight-person squad into two groups and, in four hours, had combed through more than forty mu of bamboo forest, finding two green-light bamboos. Although they took over forty hits from bamboo-leaf flying darts, the harvest was very gratifying.

The Dongyang Squad was out of luck today — not only did they fail to find any green-light bamboo, they also stumbled into an Evolution venom snake nest, harvesting only three bags of yellow-light shoots, utterly unable to complete the task for Zhang San.

So after leaving the Evolution Forest, Chen Dongyang proposed exchange terms to Beard Feng nearly double the green-light plant points, wanting to trade with Beard Feng for thirty jin of green-light shoots.

After Beard Feng obtained the consent of his squad members and Xia Qing, he made the trade with Chen Dongyang. After the two squads parted, Beard Feng proposed dividing the supplies on the spot. Xia Qing, who had a vacuum packaging machine, naturally agreed.

This time, Xia Qing played an equally important role as Guan Tong. Without Xia Qing, who could carry seven hundred jin at full speed, Beard Feng's squad could not have safely walked out of the perilous Evolution Forest with their large haul.

Therefore, Xia Qing received the same amount of supplies as Guan Tong.

Besides the two hundred jin of yellow-light shoots she had dug herself, Xia Qing also received thirty jin of green-light shoots, two yellow-light bamboo rats, and three hundred steel beads eight millimeters in diameter. The steel beads were part of the supplies Chen Dongyang had traded for the green-light shoots; Xia Qing took them all, because the high-powered slingshot was the weapon she was skilled with.

Setting aside Tang Huai, who was secretly hiding behind the grass wall eavesdropping, let's speak only of the Dongyang Squad, who were carrying supplies to Territory Seven to deliver the task.

Chen Dongyang took off his protective mask, his expression sour, "There's no one in Beard Feng's squad who uses a slingshot, but he still agreed to trade steel beads for green-light shoots — that shows Xia Qing carries considerable weight with him."

Before Xu Juan could speak, Xue Jinchang jumped in, "Xia Qing's carrying capacity today was the same as Beard Feng's squad's Level-5 strength evolver, and she didn't slow them down at all — her ability has improved compared to before. Actually, Xia Qing isn't bad-looking, she's just too thin and poisoned. If the skin toxin were cured and she ate a bit more, she'd count as a beauty."

Chen Dongyang didn't pick up the thread, but Xu Juan, who had followed him for years, still noticed he had taken Xue Jinchang's words in. Xu Juan frowned and reminded these two lecherous men, "Xia Qing is currently under the protection of the Lord Law. Unless she's willing herself, no one can touch her."

Chen Dongyang thought Xu Juan was jealous, smiled, and said nothing. Xue Jinchang snickered, "Then just let her be willing herself, right? Sister Juan, aren't you on pretty good terms with Xia Qing? She used to go on missions with you often — you should have her phone number, right?"

Xu Juan, who had never had a pleasant expression for Xue Jinchang, said, "There's no signal in the territory, phones don't work."

Xue Jinchang spat, "I did forget about that."

Another squad member teased Xue Jinchang, "Isn't that simple? Brother Chang just give her a satellite phone and you can get in touch, right?"

"One satellite phone is enough for me to sleep with women prettier than her for a year in the safe zone." Xue Jinchang stopped mentioning Xia Qing and asked about the trade, "Brother Yang, are thirty jin of shoots enough to trade for two bottles of Yi Liquid?"

"Adding the trade goods we brought out, it's enough for one bottle. I don't know if he'll want these six hundred-plus jin of yellow-light shoots."

Zhang San certainly didn't want them. He had no pleasant expression at all for the Dongyang Squad, who had been fussing about all day just to produce thirty jin of green-light shoots, and he shooed them out as if swatting flies: "Get out of here! From now on, none of you are allowed to take on the tasks I post!"

Chen Dongyang, who always cared about face, was nodding and bowing before Zhang San, "Please give us one more chance. We absolutely will not disappoint you next time."