Chapter 525: Raising a Powerful Cooperative Partner

Yanlong was on a mission in Territory Seven to protect Zhang San, with four days of leave per month that could be accumulated, though a single break could not exceed ten days—which was also why she had set the special training duration at ten days.

On the way back after the ten-day special training ended, Yanlong carried Tan Qi on her back, already exhausted and asleep, and discussed with Xia Qing, "On the 27th, Tan Junjie will send the criminal suspect to Territory Eleven and hand over the evidence. That night, can we not let Sister Qiqi stay overnight in the little hut by the farmland in Territory Three?"

The mission level in Territory Seven was very high, so Tan Qi had no way to keep Tan Qi overnight inside Territory Seven. The inspection team and Territory Fifteen were full of grown men; it was fine for the little girl to patrol and work with them during the day. At night, however, Yanlong felt it was more appropriate to let her stay with Xia Qing.

Yanlong explained further, "Tan Junjie originally planned to have her stay in Territory One with Chang Li, but Chang Li has a mission."

Xia Qing agreed without hesitation, "That little hut isn't warm enough. If Sister Yanlong feels reassured, I can take her home to sleep."

Yanlong shifted Tan Qi higher on her back, thanked her, then explained that it was still more appropriate to let Tan Qi stay in the hut by the farmland, "Evolved animals have very strong territorial instincts—just let Sister Qiqi stay in the hut. Her food will be provided by me."

Although Territory Three only had Xia Qing alone, it had sturdy walls, surveillance, and evolved wolves with very strong vigilance guarding it, so the safety rating was extremely high. Xia Qing and Tan Qi weren't particularly close, so in Yanlong's view, the fact that Xia Qing was willing to take Tan Qi in for overnight stays in the territory was already very decent of her.

Xia Qing dragged her two aching legs and matched Yanlong's pace, "How much can one little girl eat? Just let her eat with me. Does Sister Yanlong need python meat? Can I use twenty jin of python meat as payment for this special training?"

"I brought you along because I wanted to find a companion for Tan Qi—no payment needed." Yanlong asked, "If you still have python meat to spare, I'd like to trade for forty jin, to raise Tan Qi's ability level."

"Sure." Xia Qing agreed readily, "Give me 20,000 credits, and I'll give you sixty jin—forty jin of that goes to Tan Qi, and twenty jin is my special training fee paid to you. No matter the reason, I gained enormously these ten days, so I should pay you a reward."

In fact, even if Yanlong hadn't proposed the trade, Xia Qing had planned to voluntarily offer up a portion of python meat to raise Tan Qi's evolution abilities.

This special training made Xia Qing clearly aware that no matter how she trained, she would always have one weakness: running speed.

Although she was a Driver Evolver and her marksmanship was excellent, in ranged combat she feared no ability user. But if she fought a high-level Speed Evolver at range, her win rate was very low.

Since she couldn't make up for this weakness herself, when facing a powerful high-level Speed Evolver opponent, she would need to team up with trusted companions and survive by sticking together.

At the current stage, there were three high-level Speed Evolvers who could team up with her: the Head Wolf, the Broken-Waist Wolf, and Yang Jin.

The Head Wolf was the best choice. The Broken-Waist Wolf, although not a high-level Speed Evolver, had very high Brain Domain and Elasticity evolution levels, and its probability of successful ambushes in the Evolution Forest was very high—making it the second choice.

If fighting humans, Yang Jin was currently the best choice. But he was the boss of the Green Dragon Squad, and the stronger his combat power, the higher his price; cooperating with him would also bring a lot of subsequent trouble.

Therefore, Xia Qing planned to train Tan Qi.

Tan Qi was a member of the Lord Alliance, and from what could be seen so far her temperament and character were both fine. In a few years, once her Speed Evolution level rose, cooperating with her would be more cost-effective than cooperating with Yang Jin.

Therefore, putting out forty jin of high-level evolved green-light meat to cultivate a powerful cooperative partner was very worthwhile for Xia Qing.

Seeing that Xia Qing truly intended to give her a reward, Yanlong stopped being polite, "Good, then twenty jin of meat counts as the special training fee for this time and for the next two years."

Xia Qing understood: Yanlong's mission period in Territory Seven was three years, and after three years she would return to Huiyi Base headquarters.

The day after the special training ended, two large helicopters landed on the eastern quarantine strip of this territory. Tan Junjie escorted the criminal suspects from Territory Nine, including Li Si, heading for Red Eleven Base.

After these two helicopters flew away, the lords felt they could breathe easier.

At dusk, Tan Qi followed Su Ming and Hu Zi's patrol vehicle and arrived outside the north gate of Territory Three.

Sent along with her was also the second power-generating bicycle that Xia Qing had traded with Hu Zi.

Watching Xia Qing carry a big box down the hillside with ease, Tan Qi following behind her was full of envy. If evolution abilities could be chosen, Tan Qi would also want Strength Evolution, because farming needed strength most of all. If she were stronger, she could farm a few more mu and harvest several more bags of grain.

When they reached the edge of the farmland, Xia Qing stopped. Tan Qi's little face was full of excitement, "Sister Qing, is this it? This house is so new!"

This was much better than the house she lived in at the Safe Zone!

Xia Qing set the bicycle down at the door, pushed the door open, and invited Tan Qi inside. The fireplace was burning brightly, and the room was clean and warm. Xia Qing explained, "This place is divided into an inner and outer room. The inner room can be lived in, and the outer room can be used to boil water and cook. Both of these stoves and the firewood can be used. I've made up a bed for you."

Xia Qing pushed open the door to the inner room. She had never stayed in this little hut herself. If the Beard Edge Squad needed to stay overnight in Territory Three, they would take turns resting here, so there were six folding cots in the room. But at this moment, all six folding cots were folded up and set aside, and against the wall stood a newly made wooden bed, covered with a thick straw mattress, on top of which was a moisture-proof mat, and on the moisture-proof mat was a set of new bedding.

Xia Qing explained, "This wall is next to the fireplace in the outer room, so it's warm. This bedding is made from the cotton I harvested this year. Sleeping here, you shouldn't feel cold."

Tan Qi ran over happily, touched the wall that was hot to the hand, and her eyes lit up, "Sister Qing, it's so warm here!"

Xia Qing smiled, "Add enough firewood to the fireplace at night, and it'll stay this warm the whole time."

Tan Qi's little face was lit up by this warmth, "The territory really is better. In the Safe Zone, burning a fire for warmth still requires buying firewood."

While Tan Qi happily tidied up the daily necessities she had brought over inside the room, Xia Qing went to the greenhouse and cut some chives, then took a look at the spinach beds in the greenhouse that had been dug up into a mess by her two animal companions. She brought her two companions back to the hut by the farmland and introduced them to Tan Qi, "Sister Qiqi, these are Sheep Lao Da and Wolf Lao Er in my territory. As long as you don't provoke them, they won't attack you."

Tan Qi stood at a distance, trying to make herself look very strong yet non-aggressive, "Don't worry, Sister Qing. I absolutely won't leave these two rooms, and I won't provoke them."

Unlike humans who had survived from before the Catastrophe until now, children born after the Catastrophe had more than once seen with their own eyes how small reptiles, mosquitoes, rats, and raptors flying in the sky killed people. Therefore, they all held extremely high vigilance toward evolved animals.

So at the first sight of these two evolved animals, the first thing Tan Qi judged was their attack power.

That sheep was very strong, and the evolved wolf was extremely ferocious. Tan Qi confirmed that if she fought the evolved wolf, she had no chance of winning at all.