Chapter 135: Confiscating Toxic Substances

Chapter 135: Chapter 135: Confiscating Toxic Substances

Tang Huai rolled his eyes. "Like hell I will. Do you not trust the army, or do you not trust Brother San?"

"We’re all normal people. Our bodies aren’t as strong as Evolvers. We should wear them." Mother Shi gestured for Xiaqing to put on her protective mask, then fastened one on her son, and finally put on her own.

Unlike Xiaqing’s new, high-quality protective mask, the masks Mother Shi and her son had were ordinary models bought from the Safe Zone—better than nothing.

After everyone had put on their protective masks, Tang Huai snorted disdainfully and ordered his younger brother, "You wear one too."

Tang Heng first fastened the protective mask on his older brother before putting on his own. Although Tang Huai had stubbornly said he wouldn’t wear it, he didn’t take it off. This was the first time Xiaqing had seen the two brothers interact, and she realized they had a pretty good relationship.

"Captain, the other Lords have all arrived." The Visual Evolver, Su Ming, whispered a report to Tan Junjie. "This is too dangerous. Should we have them all go back?"

Xiaqing heard Tan Junjie ask Zhang San in a low voice, "Lord Zhang, is it dangerous for them to stay here?"

Because he was wearing an airtight protective suit, it was inconvenient for Zhang San to speak, so he just waved his hand to indicate there was no danger.

Seeing Brother San wave his hand, Tang Huai became even more self-righteous. "See? I told you, with Brother San here, there’s no need to wear a protective mask at all. Every last one of you is more cowardly than a bug."

The Lords wearing protective masks pretended not to hear Tang Huai’s taunt. The Auditory Evolver, Da Jiang, glared at him. "Alright, so you’re braver than a bug. Can you stop chirping?"

Tang Heng pulled back his brother, who was about to start an argument with Da Jiang, and gestured for him to look at the hazardous chemical disposal team parked under the sign for No. 9 Territory.

Tan Junjie took out the megaphone clipped to his waist and shouted, "Lord No. 9, Li Si, the Danger Investigation Team has received permission from the Territory Management Department and is about to enter No. 9 Territory to conduct a search for hazardous chemicals. Please cooperate with our work."

As Tan Junjie started shouting for the second time, Shi Du muttered quietly to Xiaqing, "The people in No. 9 Territory are definitely hiding something. What if Brother San goes in and can’t find it?"

Da Jiang pointed to Yan Long, who was in camouflage next to Zhang San. "Hiding is useless. See her? That one is a Level 9 Olfactory Evolver."

"Level 9?!" Everyone was stunned. They hadn’t expected that besides Luo Pei, there was another near Top Level Evolver in their vicinity—and a woman, at that.

Mother Shi started gossiping in a low voice, "I wonder if she’s married. If she married a High Level Evolver, their kids would be guaranteed High Level Evolvers."

Yuan Yan replied quietly, "She doesn’t look that old. Probably not."

"If I were a Top Level Evolver, I wouldn’t even think about getting married before thirty-five," Zhu Li said, pulling Xiaqing into the conversation. "Right, Xiaqing?"

"Sister-in-law Kuang is right. Me too," Xiaqing replied briefly. Ninety-nine percent of her attention was on the group of people under the No. 9 sign, her eyes glued to the Grenade Launchers that Hu Zi and the others were carrying.

After making the perfunctory announcement three times, Tan Junjie changed his wording: "The Danger Investigation Team has issued three warnings. Lord No. 9 has not responded. The investigation team will now enter No. 9 Territory. If Lord No. 9 has any objections, a protest may be filed with the Territory Management Department afterward. If personnel within the territory resist the investigation with force, the Danger Investigation Team will not rule out the use of force to ensure the successful completion of the mission."

"CLICK, CLACK."

The sound of bullets being chambered was thick with the smell of gunpowder. Everyone held their breath, watching as the team entered No. 9 Territory.

After the investigation team passed through the Wild Grass Wall, the onlookers outside couldn’t see anything. When even the sound of footsteps faded and no gunshots were heard from inside, it seemed the show was over.

But no one left. Everyone wanted to see the results of the search with their own eyes. Kuang Qingwei sidled up to Tang Huai with a sly grin. "Brother Huai, can you hear anything?"

Kuang Qingwei and the others didn’t know that Da Jiang was also an Auditory Evolver, so they all turned their heads toward Tang Huai.

Tang Huai snorted proudly. "They haven’t even gotten there yet. What’s the rush?"

"Nobody talk. Let Brother Huai listen for news." As Kuang Qingwei spoke, he shot a pointed look at his wife.

Zhu Li huffed and casually plucked a blade of grass, twirling it between her fingers. It had been half a year. She had finally seen living people from outside No. 6 Territory, so of course she couldn’t resist wanting to chat a bit more.

Xiaqing was also listening intently. She heard the assistant, Little Liu, citing protective clauses from the Lord Law to resist the investigation, while Tan Junjie argued back based on regulations.

Their voices rose and fell, so Xiaqing could only catch the gist of it. Then she heard an angry roar from a man, followed by the sounds of a scuffle, but the fighting stopped quickly. Tan Junjie then ordered the search to begin.

It grew quieter inside. Xiaqing heard Little Liu crying and apologizing to Li Si.

"It’s not your fault. They’ve had their eyes on us for a long time. They would have found an excuse to barge in sooner or later." Li Si, however, didn’t place all the blame on Little Liu.

The man who had been shouting at Tan Junjie earlier now cursed at Little Liu. "If it’s not her fault, whose is it? She doesn’t even know what to say and what not to say! Women are just unreliable!"

Li Si stared back coldly. "You’re so reliable? If you’ve got the guts, go back and say that to the team leader’s face."

The "team leader" Li Si was referring to was likely the Fiery Fire Team’s Fire Phoenix, Deng Yufeng.

The man’s arrogance clearly deflated. His voice grew softer, and he muttered something that Xiaqing couldn’t make out. Then, it fell silent inside.

Half an hour later, Xiaqing heard Tan Junjie loudly announce the search results to Li Si.

"A total of twenty cans of high-concentration compressed ’qiang’ gas were found within No. 9 Territory, each containing 450 milliliters; eight types of Level 1 toxic substances, with a total weight of 28.5 kilograms; and thirteen types of Level 2 toxic substances, with a total weight of 82.65 kilograms. In accordance with the ’Regulations on the Safe Management of Hazardous Chemicals,’ the investigation team is confiscating the aforementioned items. Does Lord No. 9 have any objections?"

Xiaqing was shocked to hear the types and quantities.

She had thought the contraband hazardous chemicals in No. 9 Territory would amount to a few kilograms at most, but to her surprise, there were over a hundred kilograms. And that didn’t even include the twenty cans of high-concentration compressed ’qiang’ gas, which were specifically used for making poisons and other nefarious deeds.

Li Si had already regained her composure. She didn’t offer any defense, instead immediately pointing a finger at No. 7 Territory. "Captain Tan, as a professional, I request to accompany the investigation team to search for the hazardous chemicals hidden in No. 7 Territory."

Tan Junjie asked sternly, "Lord No. 9, do you have evidence that there are prohibited hazardous chemicals inside No. 7 Territory?"

Of course, Li Si had no evidence, but she was certain. "He specializes in researching compounds. There are definitely toxic chemicals in his territory."

Tan Junjie then questioned Zhang San. "Lord No. 7, do you have any hazardous chemicals stored in your territory in violation of the ’Regulations on the Safe Management of Hazardous Chemicals’?"

Zhang San was wearing a fully sealed airtight protective suit, so Xiaqing couldn’t hear his voice. After a moment, she heard Tan Junjie say, "Understood. Lord No. 7 confirms that his territory contains no illegal items or compounds and will bear legal responsibility for his statement. This has been recorded on video."

"This is Tan Junjie, Captain of the Sixth Squad, Danger Investigation Team for Territories 1 through 10. On behalf of the Hui San Base Lord Management Department, I am formally notifying all thirty-five individuals in No. 9 Territory, including Lord Li Si: Until the Lord Management Department decides on punitive measures for No. 9 Territory, you are all under the surveillance of the Danger Investigation Team. You are not permitted to leave No. 9 Territory without authorization. Otherwise, the punishment will be doubled."

’Thirty-five people in No. 9 Territory?’ Xiaqing frowned. ’Over thirty people with over a hundred kilograms of poison definitely aren’t here just to collect native plants.’

Xiaqing heard Li Si’s furious roar, unable to suppress her anger. "Tan Junjie, I’m going to report you to the Hui City Main Base! I’m reporting the Hui San Base!"

"That is your right." Tan Junjie remained stern and calm, leading his team out.

Li Si was livid and shouted again, "You think a few of you can keep me under surveillance? What a joke!"

’Her tone sent a chill down my spine. Today, Little Liu isn’t acting like Little Liu, and Li Si isn’t acting like Li Si. What exactly are they planning?’