Chapter 906: The Voice Behind the Wall

Compared to the Yi synthetic element, Xia Qing, who had farmed in her territory for a year and a half, was far too familiar with this prickling magnetic field.

She could say with absolute certainty that the waitress walking over was carrying a living, low-risk aggressive harmful evolved plant on her person!

This situation was very strange.

The waitress who had rushed over saw the gold name tag on the woman holding the phone, which read "Xia Qing," and immediately knew her identity:

Xia Qing, a Level Six strength evolver who had just advanced last month, director of the Ninth Planting Center, senior sniper, and Lord of Territory Three.

The wheat-skinned, tall, beautiful woman in front of her was simply too different from the red-faced, withered, violent, and reclusive woman the internet had been spreading rumors about.

Although Xia Qing didn't look at all like a brute capable of smashing a wild boar's skull with one punch, the waitress still answered carefully, "Y-yes, photography is allowed."

Before the Calamity, most shopping malls didn't allow photography, for fear that photographers would search for cheaper versions of the same item on online retail platforms.

During the Calamity years, supplies were scarce, and few people could afford new styles from the mall, so most of the clothing displayed not only permitted photography but also sold fabric scraps in colors similar to the garments. Those who couldn't afford new clothes could buy a few cheap scraps to patch up their old ones at home.

Wearing such patched clothing made people feel a bit more presentable. Most of the clothes Xia Qing wore back in the Safe Zone had been mended this way.

After she finished taking photos, the waitress mustered her courage to chat her up. "Miss Xia, what size child are you shopping for, a boy or a girl? Our VIP section inside has new-material children's clothing—would you like to take a look?"

Xia Qing, who was trying to figure out what was wrong with her, nodded. "A five- or six-month-old child, a boy."

The waitress immediately gestured enthusiastically. "This way, please. The new-material children's clothing isn't just comfortable—it also has specific protective properties. Look at this one; the fabric has antibacterial material added…"

After the waitress finished her tour, Xia Qing picked out a pinkish-white baby hat that could protect against mosquito and insect bites.

Every creature's fur had its own unique function. After she had trimmed Wolf Does Daigua's long hair, if she didn't bathe it or spray it with medicine for a day, its head would end up with several bites. This hat would fit perfectly on Wolf Does Daigua's head.

After paying the points, Xia Qing received a call from a Ninth Center employee asking about work.

She pushed her cart along slowly. After giving clear instructions, Xia Qing dialed Yuan Yan. "Sister Yan, did you get the medicine?"

"The lottery hasn't even started yet. Too many people came today—it's a 230-to-1 draw ratio. I don't think my chances are good." Yuan Yan had gone straight to the Hui Three Pharmaceutical Factory's medicine sales hall after entering the Safe Zone, queued up on-site to get a number, hoping the chance to buy Scar Remover at full price would fall on her.

Hearing that Yuan Yan's voice and emotions were normal, Xia Qing finally set her worried heart at ease and asked calmly, "Uncle Ping has some materials I need over there. Could you bring them to the Green Dragon Squad base later? I want to browse the mall in the inner city a bit longer."

Yuan Yan agreed readily. "Sure, where do I find Uncle Ping?"

"The pharmaceutical factory requires documents to enter. Tell me where you are right now, and I'll have Uncle Ping send someone over."

After hanging up with Yuan Yan, Xia Qing dialed Zhou Zhaoping, who was working at the pharmaceutical factory today. "Uncle Ping, Yuan Yan is waiting by the lottery machine in the medicine sales hall. Could you hand her the materials I need and have her bring them back to the territory?"

"Sure, I'll arrange for someone to deliver it right away." Xia Qing had called out of nowhere and suddenly asked him to hand over materials that didn't even exist—Zhou Zhaoping immediately understood her intention: Xia Qing couldn't speak freely right now, Yuan Yan was in danger over there, and she needed him to send people to protect her immediately.

Although the pharmaceutical factory's medicine sales hall was staffed with security personnel and, in principle, no accidents should occur, it was only in principle. Zhou Zhaoping left to arrange for someone to go over, using the excuse of delivering documents to protect Yuan Yan.

After hanging up, Xia Qing continued pushing her cart and browsing.

Just now in the children's clothing section, through close-range perception, she had confirmed that the aggressive harmful evolved plant's magnetic field on the waitress who attended her came from the carved wooden bracelet she was wearing.

The missing magnetic-sense evolver from the Planting Center last night, the moving Yi synthetic element magnetic field at the hospital gate at noon, the aggressive harmful evolved plant inside the waitress's bracelet, and the two people pretending to shop for clothes outside the children's section.

All of this led Xia Qing to deduce one possibility: someone was casting a wide net inside the Safe Zone to capture magnetic-sense evolvers.

The aggressive harmful evolved plant was used to lock onto magnetic-sense evolvers who could sense changes in harmful element magnetic fields; the moving Yi synthetic element magnetic field at the hospital was used to find magnetic-sense evolvers who could sense changes in Yi element magnetic fields.

Magnetic-sense evolvers, who weren't good at hiding their emotional changes, would reveal a flaw the instant they suddenly sensed an abnormal magnetic field, and would be locked onto by the fisher.

The magnetic-sense evolver who had gone missing after finishing up at the Safe Zone Planting Center might have been captured this way.

Xia Qing, who had lived for years covering up a body full of secrets behind a Does Daigua face, figured she hadn't been locked onto by those two outside the children's section, because they hadn't followed her.

But they might still have accomplices nearby, so Xia Qing didn't rush to leave. She continued pushing her shopping cart and browsing, looking for more bait.

If possible, she wanted to rescue the captured magnetic-sense evolver and bring them back to the Ninth Planting Center. Because this person could sense abnormal harmful element magnetic fields and would be of great use in harmful rain.

After buying a few scraps of fabric suitable for making animal satchels, Xia Qing moved from the fourth-floor clothing section to the third-floor electronics section.

The electronics here were not only inferior to the goods she got from Seeing Xin Yu and Yang Jin, but were also a good deal more expensive.

Passing through the LCD TV section, Xia Qing stopped. The attendant here showed no abnormality; she was simply genuinely interested in the TV in front of her.

The attendant gave her an enthusiastic explanation. "This HD TV comes with a high-performance voltage stabilizer and an ultra-large-capacity, highly stable battery. Once fully charged, it can run for 8 hours, and it won't over-discharge even with prolonged use…"

During the Calamity years, even inner-city residents' homes didn't have 24-hour power, and sudden blackouts were common, so batteries had become a "must-have accessory" for all kinds of home appliances.

A TV that could run for eight hours on a single charge was indeed impressive, but its price tag was even more impressive: 40,000 points.

Although the TV was outrageously expensive, Xia Qing still added it to her shopping list, because she thought the morally deficient wolf with a taste for the finer things in life would like it.

The weather was hot now, so cooling appliances were very popular, making this the most crowded area. Xia Qing pushed her cart around for a circuit and spotted a shopper browsing appliances who was carrying Yi synthetic element material.

After finishing the third floor, Xia Qing went up to the even busier supermarket section on the second floor.

Since the Calamity struck, Xia Qing had never set foot in a supermarket again. The feeling of being able to touch the goods without paying first was so unfamiliar.

Xia Qing rediscovered the joy of shopping, pushing her cart and picking things out row by row.

Green-light whole wheat bread, 40 points a small pack—she hadn't had it in years. One pack.

Seedless green-light honey dates, 20 points each—she hadn't had those in years either. One.

Yellow-light hawthorn strips, 60 points a pack—Wolf Does Daigua had slow intestinal motility. One pack for it.

Original-flavor green-light beef jerky, 100 points a stick—three sticks as a gift for Wolf Lao Er.

An unseen green-light leafy vegetable, 70 points a jin—one jin as a gift for the boss.

……

Xia Qing had stopped paying attention to the moving abnormal magnetic fields on this floor. As she got more and more into the shopping groove, her keen hearing suddenly caught the sound of someone falling, followed by a muffled groan, coming from inside the wall behind her.

That heavy, muffled groan was the kind a person with rhinitis makes through their nose. If someone fell and produced such a loud sound from their nose while their mouth made no sound at all, there was only one possibility:

Their mouth had been sealed.