Chapter 776: I Owe Xia Qing a Favor

Zhang San's voice was not quiet — not only did the Level-4 auditory evolver Shan Ying in the Phoenix and the conference room hear it clearly, even an ordinary person like Liao Wendong heard every word.

And precisely because he heard it so clearly, Liao Wendong's heart sank with a single thud.

This new drug was a new product that Fiery Phoenix had spent months of effort and invested a great deal of talent and material resources to develop, in order to cope with the imminent loss of the premium nutrient solution business to Hui San.

To promote this fairly effective new drug, Liao Wendong had already been busy for over a month!

Fiery Phoenix's expression was not good either, but her voice remained respectful and courteous: "Right now it's priced at eighteen thousand a bottle. I'll send ten bottles over to you right away — would you take a look and see how the drug could be improved?"

The new drug's lead researcher, Shan Ying, lowered her head and clenched her teeth.

Zhang San's voice remained flat: "Eighteen thousand, huh…"

Fiery Phoenix gave a bitter smile. "It does sound a bit steep, but we have no choice. With the premium nutrient solution business about to fall through, we put our all into developing this replacement drug. You know I don't have state funding here — if I don't earn a few more points, with this body full of sickness and poison, without enough medicinal support, by next month I'll have dissolved into a puddle of blood."

Zhang San took off his bloodstained surgical gown and gloves and began washing and disinfecting his hands to prevent the spread of bacteria and infection.

The voice coming through the phone instantly pulled Fiery Phoenix back to those lightless days in the underground laboratory. Her face went rigid, her breathing quickened, and the hand holding the phone trembled uncontrollably.

The muscles on Liao Wendong's face also began to twitch. Of course Shan Ying wouldn't feel fear at the sound of this familiar voice, but she too was wound tight, waiting for Zhang San to make his move.

Zhang San unhurriedly dried his hands with a disinfected towel before speaking flatly: "Next month, Hui San Pharmaceutical will be releasing an affordable skin-damage treatment agent."

The phone screen in Fiery Phoenix's hand shattered, but Zhang San's languid voice cut sharper than the sound of glass breaking:

"The wounds and poison all over your body were not caused by me, and have nothing to do with Xia Qing. I owe Xia Qing a favor — this drug is only a warning. If you make a move against Xia Qing again, every new drug Fiery Phoenix puts out, I'll put out a comparable affordable version. You've always wanted to know how big the gap is between the people you're raising on blood and my team? These two products will be a perfect test."

Fiery Phoenix's eyes were blazing, her fingers cut by the shattered glass were dripping blood, yet her voice remained humble: "This time I failed to keep my subordinates in check and gave you trouble. My life was saved by you — the favor you owe Xia Qing is the same as the one I owe her. Fiery Phoenix's grudge with Xia Qing is hereby wiped clean, settled once and for all."

Only Fiery Phoenix's grudge with Xia Qing was settled — the one between Shan Ying and Xia Qing was a private matter between them, something Fiery Phoenix neither could nor would interfere with.

How could Zhang San fail to read Fiery Phoenix's meaning? "Tell Shan Ying: it was she and Shan Xiang who provoked first, and only then did Xia Qing strike back. Shan Xiang's death was entirely of his own making. If she doesn't stop, six years ago I could have sent her to prison, and now I can just as well use the evidence provided by Chai Shuling, Qin Qiong, and the Zhou brothers to send her to prison and let her rot there till she dies."

Qin Qiong was the real name of Lord Nine, Li Si.

The composure Shan Ying was pretending instantly cracked.

After hanging up the phone, Zhang San asked, "How are things at Mountain Fifty and within the territory?"

Ji Li answered immediately: "The red Calamity Rain over Mountain Fifty has stopped, and the situation is under control. Apart from the three Calamity Snakes Xia Qing discovered within Territory Nine, two more have been found in Territory Fourteen; no others have been found in the other territories for now. Among the water samples sent in from each territory, only Territory Nine's sample tested positive for Calamity Snake venom."

Zhang San, who had already returned to the laboratory, slumped into his chair, looking utterly drained: "Where in Territory Nine was the abnormal water sample?"

Ji Li handed over the water-sample test report: "It was the water sample from the rat hole where Xia Qing found the first Calamity Snake. Zhang Ke determined it was venom sprayed during the snake's battle with the evolved rats — both the water sample and the rats' bodies contained Calamity Snake toxin. He's taken a team to Territory Nine to clean up the site."

Zhang San quickly skimmed the water-sample report and asked, "What's going on with Territory Fourteen?"

Ji Li answered: "Tan Junjie suspects that the venomous snakes in Territory Nine and Territory Fourteen were both brought in from outside by the strength evolver Liao Chen in Territory Fourteen. He's currently interrogating him."

Zhang San gave an acknowledging sound: "What about Xia Qing?"

Ji Li paused for two seconds before answering: "She's already returned to Territory Three and is chopping down the aggressive Calamity-evolved bamboo she planted — apparently it's excellent material for building greenhouses."

Zhang San……

"Thud, thud!"

"Crack——snap!"

In Territory Three, Xia Qing, standing on the stone slabs, had just felled another hardness-evolved bamboo over nine meters tall.

Without Xia Qing needing to call, Boss Yang came trotting across the stone slabs, picked up the rope tied to the bamboo pole in his mouth, and ran downhill.

"Crack——snap!"

After Guan Tong felled a bamboo, Dajiang immediately stepped forward, grabbed the pole, and dragged it downhill.

As he brushed past Boss Yang on his way back, Dajiang pretended not to see the contempt in Boss Yang's eyes and kept huffing and puffing as he dragged the bamboo down. Before he could even get the bamboo to the storage spot at the bottom of the slope, he was overtaken by Boss Yang, who had already picked up another bamboo in his mouth.

Then, when Boss Yang came running back, he was looked down on again. Dajiang truly had no temper left and just kept huffing and puffing along.

After felling the last bamboo, Xia Qing shook her somewhat numb right hand and praised her companion: "Boss, you're really something. Without your help, we'd have had to expend a lot more effort and time to get all this bamboo down."

Boss Yang picked up the grass rope binding the last bamboo, shot a sideways glance at Guan Tong and Dajiang, and strutted off with his head held high.

Guan Tong, whose bamboo-chopping couldn't compare with Xia Qing's, and Dajiang, whose bamboo-hauling couldn't compare with Boss Yang's, exchanged a look — both conceded in full.

"You two have worked hard too. I'll clean up here — you head back to the cabin and rest for a bit. We'll chop again when the next batch of bamboo grows in." Xia Qing showed no favoritism and praised Dajiang and Guan Tong as well.

Herself?

She didn't need to rest, nor could she.

After arranging the stones, Xia Qing took a vial of premium nutrient solution and immediately headed for Greenhouse Six.

Although the red Calamity Rain had ended, the Calamity element content in the atmosphere was still at an extremely high level. Xia Qing walked a circuit inside the greenhouse, cleared out six potatoes and sunflowers on the verge of Calamity-evolving, and made straight for Greenhouse Seven.

After finishing her inspection of Greenhouse Seven, she would head straight for Territory Nine.

They were currently in the disaster-elimination phase, and Territory Nine was a high-risk zone. As the disaster-elimination officer in charge of Territory Nine, she ought to stay there as much as possible.

Peng Jian was inside Greenhouse Seven clearing out the over-tall Calamity-evolved winter wheat plants. Seeing Xia Qing arrive, he greeted her: "Sister Qing, the corn and soybeans are fine, and not much of the wheat has Calamity-evolved. Go get some rest — leave this place to me."

Xia Qing gave an acknowledging sound and kept walking. Because the corn and soybeans that looked perfectly fine in Peng Jian's eyes were already no longer normal.