Chapter 889: The Secret Mission with a 30,000 Bounty

Zheng Chen led a team to help defend Hui-3 Safe Zone last winter, so of course the Azure Dragon Squad had looked into this person's background.

Luo Pei assumed Xia Qing wanted to build a good relationship with Zheng Chen to ensure Zhang San's safety, and gave a detailed introduction: "Zheng Chen, 28 years old, a dual-system Evolver with Level 9 Speed and Level 6 Vision. He enlisted in the first year of the Catastrophe after his Evolver abilities were confirmed, and is now one of the ace combatants of Red-11 Base. His individual combat ability is strong, and his tactical command ability is also outstanding; the multi-domain combat squad he leads is Red-11 Base's elite unit."

After speaking, Luo Pei added, "Jili Squad is an Army special-ops squad, Yanlong Squad is a multi-domain special-ops squad. After Yanlong left, Red-11's multi-domain special-ops squad entered Territory Seven to carry out a defense mission—to ensure Zhang San and the laboratory's safety in case of sudden Catastrophe events."

According to the information Xu Juan had investigated, Zheng Chen was Level 7 Speed and Level 5 Vision. A true expert—sure enough, they all hide their true strength. Xia Qing continued to ask, "Does Brother Luo know his marital status?"

Marital status? Luo Pei couldn't read the reason for this question from Xia Qing's calm face. Though he sweated a little for his good brother, he still answered truthfully: "Zheng Chen is unmarried. Because his external conditions are outstanding, I heard from Xie Yu that the number of people pursuing him is no less than those pursuing Yang Jin. When he was on mission in Hui-3 Safe Zone last winter, he had no female companion. Whether he has a girlfriend in Red-11, I'm not sure. Do you like his type?"

Xia Qing shook her head. "I suspect he came here this time carrying a secret mission related to me."

Luo Pei nodded. "It's not impossible—it's very possible. First, Zhang San, who always keeps people at arm's length, publicly and very clearly brought you into his team, making you the agent for Mountain Fifty and the Ninth Planting Center. Everyone who wants to cooperate with Zhang San or has a favor to ask of him is investigating you, trying to get to him through you."

"Second, you're a high-level dual-system Evolver sniper. Even though you're my apprentice and a Lord, many squads in our base still want to recruit you." Luo Pei looked at his apprentice across the table—pretty-faced, with a resolute and decisive personality—and felt both the pride and the worry of "my little girl has grown up." "Finally, your status as an unmarried young woman has also attracted a batch of people."

Xia Qing nodded. "Indeed, the number of people calling me with harassing calls has gone up these past few months. The people the Safe Zone officially dispatches to Territory Nine are all unmarried young men. Thanks to Captain Hu helping me block some of them."

Hu Zifeng was Xia Qing's nominal boyfriend. Of course, Xia Qing didn't let him help for free. The spring-water fish from the Territory Three reservoir and the freeze-dried food she made were both shared with Hu Zifeng, for him to take back and feed his cat.

Hu Zifeng was a cat slave; preparing food for his cat made him happier than preparing food for himself.

"As long as you're single, or even if you're married but don't have children, those who want to pair up with you won't give up." Luo Pei asked, "Is Zheng Chen pursuing you?"

"He hasn't said so directly, but he makes small talk in front of me and sneaks glances at me." Whenever Xia Qing stepped outside her own territory, she was in a constant state of combat readiness—Zheng Chen's little movements certainly couldn't escape her observation.

Luo Pei analyzed seriously, "Have you considered that he might really be attracted to you? Your ability and looks are both outstanding."

Hearing Luo Pei say her looks were outstanding, the image of Does Daigua monkey's silly face actually flashed through Xia Qing's mind.

She shook her head and analyzed calmly, "Zheng Chen's mission period in Territory Seven is two years. Once the mission is over, he'll lead his team back to Red-11. He won't stay, and I won't leave my territory, so there's simply no possibility between us."

"Under these circumstances, an ace combatant and cool-headed, decisive special-ops captain who's served eleven years would still show he's attracted to me so obviously. There are only two possibilities: first, he took on a mission and is deliberately getting close to me; second, he hasn't thought about the future and just wants to have a fling with me."

Luo Pei raised a third possibility: "There's another possibility: he genuinely likes you and wants to marry you. I'll find a chance to test him. You be careful yourself."

"Don't worry, he can't tempt me." Xia Qing had withstood Yang Jin's honey trap—and Yang Jin was even better-looking than Zheng Chen—how could she possibly fall for Zheng Chen's tricks?

Since the conversation had reached this point, Luo Pei added one more piece of advice to his apprentice: "You can date and get married now, but it's best to wait until after thirty-five to have children."

The dividing line of human evolution is thirty-five. Before thirty-five, if sufficient energy is absorbed, it's possible to induce evolution and raise the level of Evolver abilities.

Research has confirmed that the higher both parents' evolution levels, the greater the child's evolutionary potential. So having offspring after thirty-five is a choice that's beneficial both for oneself and for the child.

"Brother Luo, I've barely had a year of full meals. I have zero interest in getting married or having kids." After stating her own attitude, Xia Qing casually checked on her teacher too: "Brother Luo, you're thirty-five this year."

Luo Pei rarely brought up his own romantic life, but today he was the one who opened the topic. Since Xia Qing asked, he answered honestly: "The person I had promised my future to passed away in the second year of the Catastrophe. What time are you free tomorrow? I'll take you guys up for a few spins."

Luo Pei wanted to seize these few days of free time to teach Xia Qing helicopter piloting and aerial sniping techniques.

Learning a new skill immediately energized Xia Qing. "I'm free any time tomorrow."

"Then eight tomorrow morning. Have Hu Zifeng come pick you up." As Luo Pei stood up to head out, he asked, "What about that little monkey you brought back? When I flew over today I saw it sitting on your shoulder—at first glance it looked like a little kid."

"It's in the greenhouse with Sheep Boss and Wolf Lao Er. Its treatment isn't finished yet, and it still can't protect itself. When we pass by later I'll pull it out for you to see." Xia Qing walked Luo Pei out. Just as they left the village, she spotted a silver-white figure in the sky above the northern buffer forest, and her eyes lit up at once.

Top-tier Vision Evolver Luo Pei naturally saw it too. "Is that giant wolf a member of the northern wolf pack? The one that helped Yang Jin capture the Territory Seven defectors? Looks like it has very high combat power."

"Yes." Not just high combat power—also handsome, generous, and with a great temperament!

The handsome giant wolf saw Xia Qing with a high-combat-power human, pretended not to see her, walked along the east side, and went straight into the abandoned village where Xia Qing lived.

Xia Qing...

She added one more point: this giant wolf had another characteristic—outwardly aloof.

Since Xia Qing had another visitor, Luo Pei didn't go see Does Daigua monkey. He took out his phone and sent her a few pictures: "Three days ago, an eight-person combat squad from the Liangqing Squad took on a mission to clear aggressive mutant evolved plants from the western evolved forest and left the Safe Zone. Just two hours ago, Liangqing Squad lost contact with the mission squad. They've posted a secret mission with a bounty of 30,000, earnestly requesting the Squad Alliance to dispatch a search-and-rescue squad to find their whereabouts."

Xia Qing looked at the two tall, thin teenagers in the photos Luo Pei sent. "This is... Liangqing's Lu Fangchun and Wang Bo? I remember Brother Luo saying Liangqing Squad hired Azure Dragon Squad experts to protect and train them."

Lu Fangchun, dual-system Evolver of Endurance and Speed, thirteen years old, son of Liangqing Squad's former captain. Wang Bo, Vision Evolver, fourteen years old, son of Liangqing Squad's former vice-captain. These two are the hope for reviving Liangqing.

Luo Pei nodded. "The employment agreement just ended last month. These two kids have good character and potential. If possible, find a chance to ask that wolf whether it's seen this mission squad."