Chapter 971: Who Is Your Big Brother?

Zhang Song gave his diagnosis: "This wolf's main problem is a series of liver and gallbladder damage and inflammation caused by liver flukes, along with physical weakness from insufficient nutrient intake. The situation isn't serious—it can be cured."

"However, the periodontal tissue beneath its four canine teeth has already shown obvious degeneration. Even after recovery, it won't return to peak condition and won't be able to hunt large prey anymore. Shall we head back and mix up the medicine for this wolf?"

In fact, the Number Seven Territory laboratory had developed a potion that could strengthen bones and skin, named 41-6. But this potion was currently supplied only to the Huiyi military. Based on confidentiality agreements and laboratory rules, Zhang Song could not reveal the existence of this targeted potion to Xia Qing.

After climbing into the car and fastening his seatbelt, Zhang Song spoke up, "Sister Qing..."

Xia Qing, who was starting the car, corrected his form of address: "Song Ge, just call me Xia Qing."

Looking at her idol's intention, she wanted her to learn medical common sense from Zhang Song. Zhang Song was the teacher and she was the student, and he was eight years older than her—Xia Qing naturally had to be a bit more modest.

Zhang Song went along with it readily: "Alright. Do you think the Number Two Lord will still be waiting outside?"

"No. Near the northern wasteland grass wall of Number Two Territory, there's a small cabin fitted with listening and surveillance equipment. I only installed anti-bugging devices within the territory. Once we leave the territory, she'll be able to detect us."

Zhang Song nodded, noting down one characteristic of the Number Two Lord: "Looks like this one doesn't have a hobby of digging up bugs."

Xia Qing drove the car into the wasteland grass wall and stopped, nimbly jumped down to open the south gate, drove the car out, then jumped down again to lock the gate, before heading to Number Seven Territory.

Let Zhang Song get down to open the gate? She was afraid this guy, whose entire evolutionary ability was concentrated in his brain, would fall again.

After Xia Qing got in the car, Zhang Song, who was rubbing his knee to promote blood circulation and remove bruising, asked, "Opening and closing the gate like this is too troublesome—aren't you considering switching to an automatic gate?"

Xia Qing shook her head: "Automatic gates are too expensive."

Treating a wolf, she didn't mind spending tens of thousands of credits; installing a gate on her own territory, she found even a little over ten thousand too expensive. This showed that Xia Qing's investment in the wolf pack could yield a decent return.

Herbs, or some other supplies?

Zhang Song was very tactful and didn't pry further.

After returning to Number Seven Territory, he took Xia Qing into the potion room, first explained to her the changes in potions after Blue Star's evolution, then began to personally teach her how to mix medicine tailored to the old wolf's condition.

After mixing the medicine, Zhang Song also gave Xia Qing a stack of professional books and case analyses, as well as a hard drive full of teaching videos, for her to systematically study medical knowledge.

When Ji Li saw Xia Qing off to the car, he asked, "You're going to study medical knowledge?"

Xia Qing nodded calmly: "I can't always trouble Third Brother with minor illnesses and pains. Once I've learned these things, I can save lives at critical moments."

Ji Li didn't ask further, watching Xia Qing drive away into the distance.

When Xia Qing returned to the outside of her territory's south gate and got out of the car to unlock it, Tang Lu walked out from Number Two Territory, asking with a sincere attitude: "Xia Qing, may I take a few minutes of your time?"

Just now she was still calling her Miss Xia, and now she's switched to using her name?

Xia Qing nodded with a calm expression.

Tang Lu quickened her steps to come before Xia Qing, her attitude warm: "It's too hot outside—can we go into your territory to talk?"

"Sure." Xia Qing opened the gate and drove the car into the territory, then pushed open the door of the small cabin by the wasteland grass wall: "Please come in."

Through her conversation with Zhang Song, Xia Qing guessed that Tang Lu would seize today's opportunity to talk with her again. So when she had just seen Zhang Song off, Xia Qing had casually opened the window of this small cabin.

And sure enough, it came in handy right away.

After thanking her, Tang Lu entered the gatehouse of Number Three Territory, sat on a crude and simple wooden stool, took off her protective mask, and let out a slight sigh of relief.

Although this small cabin was a bit stuffy, the smell was better than the greenhouse of Number Two Territory where bugs were raised—she could still tolerate it. But just as she had finished bracing herself, she looked up and saw Xia Qing also take off her protective mask, revealing a face that looked unpleasant no matter how she looked at it, and her temper immediately flared.

She had no time to waste with this woman in this hot, stuffy little cabin, and went straight to the point: "You should have heard from my big brother, right? I've been admitted to university—Bai Yi University Medical School."

Xia Qing asked expressionlessly: "Your big brother is?"

Tang Lu clenched her fist: "Tang Huai from my uncle's family."

Losing patience already? Xia Qing nodded, gesturing for Tang Lu to continue.

Tang Lu secretly bit her back molars, and began describing her current situation: "My dad and my mom both committed suicide, and my brother is serving his sentence in prison. To find a way to survive, I've been studying desperately day and night for the past half year, and got into Bai Yi University. To raise tuition and living expenses, I sold the last fixed asset my family left me—a two-bedroom apartment in the safe zone. I have nowhere to go now, and can only move into the territory to live..."

Seeing her ramble on endlessly, Xia Qing raised her hand to interrupt: "I still have a lot of work to do—get to the point."

Tang Lu clenched her teeth again, skipping directly over the process and putting forward her exchange condition: "You introduce me to the Number Seven Lord, and I'll pay you two hundred thousand credits."

Zhang Song really guessed right. Xia Qing responded expressionlessly: "If you want to see the Number Seven Lord, you should go to Number Seven Territory, or have the inspection team pass along a message for you. Anything else?"

You think I haven't been there? Xia Qing's attitude made it obvious she thought two hundred thousand credits was too little—how many credits could she earn in a year from farming? What a greedy pig!

Tang Lu didn't want to offer more credits, her eye rims reddening with frustration, and continued in a humble voice about her difficulties: "You're a woman too, and you know best how hard it is for an ordinary young woman with no one to rely on to survive standing on her own two feet. I'm going to Bai Yi where I don't know a soul—if I don't have a backer, I'll be bullied to death."

"If it weren't for me, you wouldn't have smoothly received this plot last spring. I'm not interested in the reason you've set your heart on this plot—as long as you're willing to help, I'll agree to any condition you have."

Seeing that Xia Qing was immune to both soft and hard tactics, Tang Lu could only raise her stakes: "If you're not interested in credits, what about Yishi? You should know about Yishi, right? As long as you're willing to introduce me, I'll give you an unopened beginner-grade Yishi worth no less than two hundred thousand credits."

Seeing Xia Qing still wearing that sour expression, Tang Lu clenched her teeth until her face twisted: "Two pieces! I'll give you all my Yishi—is that enough?!"

Xia Qing shook her head calmly, reiterating her position: "If you want to see the Number Seven Lord, you should go directly to Number Seven Territory, or have the inspection team pass along a message for you."

"Alright, I'll go try. Sorry to bother you." Tang Lu used every ounce of strength in her body to suppress the urge to smash her protective mask into Xia Qing's face, and rose to take her leave.

After seeing Tang Lu out of Number Three Territory, Xia Qing locked the main gate and stood quietly inside the wasteland grass wall, listening to Tang Lu's hurried footsteps.

One step, two steps, three steps...

"Bang!"

"Bang!"

After eighty-eight steps, some forty-plus meters from Xia Qing's position, Tang Lu violently slammed open the door of the makeshift surveillance room, went inside, and began smashing things and destroying the place, cursing viciously under her breath.

With only this much resilience, it proved she hadn't truly suffered hardship in these eleven years.

Xia Qing walked out of the wasteland grass wall, closed the window of the gatehouse cabin, turned the car toward home, and saw in the distance that old wolf lying on top of the house ruins on the south side of her courtyard, staring fixedly at the green-light chickens clucking in the chicken coop.