Chapter 155: Disagree

Chapter 155: Chapter 155: Disagree

Of the three territories—No. 7, 8, and 9—the first to respond was, surprisingly, Lord No.8, who had only ever spoken once in the Lord channel.

"Lord No.8, Xin Yu, agrees."

Next was Territory No. 7. The voice that spoke was the same one from a few days ago—the one who had replied that Lord No.7 was unavailable when Yuan Yan from Territory No. 6 had asked for help.

"We have consulted Lord No.7, and he does not consent. Territory No. 7 will shoot down any Evolutionary Birds that enter its airspace."

It was Assistant Liu who responded for Territory No. 9 again. "Captain Tan, the personnel stationed at Territory No. 9 request to get in contact with our Lord."

Lord No.9, Li Si, was still in custody within the Safe Zone, so the personnel on his territory could not contact him directly.

Tan Junjie replied, "Understood. We will submit the request immediately."

About fifteen minutes later, Tan Junjie responded, "We have consulted with Lord Li. He does not consent to the team entering Territory No. 9."

Assistant Liu replied calmly, "Understood. Territory No. 9 will do everything in its power to eliminate any Evolutionary Birds entering its airspace."

Tan Junjie replied, "Territories No. 7 and 9, please report your planned methods for engaging the Evolutionary Birds."

Assistant Liu replied, "Territory No. 9 will employ three methods: chemical spray, gunfire, and artillery fire."

The representative for Territory No. 7 replied, "Territory No. 7 will do the same."

’Will the birds they drive away with chemicals end up fleeing to my territory?’ Xiaqing’s first instinct was to contact Yang Jin and have him send over the weapons she had just acquired in her deal with the Green Dragon Team. Even if there were no Grenade Launchers, hand grenades would have to do.

Tan Junjie replied, "Understood. The chemical agents used by Territories No. 7 and No. 9 must not adversely affect other territories; otherwise, you will be held accountable. Please strictly control the density of your artillery fire. If the barrage triggers a Harmful Rain, you will be required to provide double compensation for any losses sustained by territories within the affected area."

Firing a high density of shells into the sky in a short period could very likely trigger a localized, high-risk Harmful Rain.

If a Red or Orange Level Harmful Rain were to begin, it wouldn’t just pose a major threat to any humans in the area. It would also trigger Qiang Evolution in any life-forms caught in it and could even cause the already frenzied Evolved Fierce Birds to lose what little sanity they had, turning them into killing machines that fought without any regard for their own lives.

"Territory No. 9, understood."

"Territory No. 7, understood."

The two territory representatives replied calmly, but the other Lords felt a growing sense of dread as they listened.

Kuang Qingwei asked, "Should we cover our greenhouses with rainproof cloth tonight, just in case?"

Hu Zifeng replied, "If a flock of Evolutionary Birds attacks, greenhouses covered with rainproof cloth will just become their primary targets."

If the birds can’t see inside something, they assume there’s something good in there. The rainproof cloth can handle hail, but it can’t stand up to the sharp claws of Evolved Fierce Birds.

"It’s only been three days since the hail and heavy rain. The air is already very humid; even a light barrage might be enough to trigger a Harmful Rain," Qi Fu added worriedly, his weak voice laced with anxiety.

As farmers, their greatest concern was the safety of their seedlings. Even with the promise of double compensation, it would break their hearts to see their young crops undergo Qiang Evolution after being drenched in Harmful Rain.

The representative for Territory No. 7 replied, "Territory No. 7 will use a Laser Cannon for its counterattack. It won’t trigger a Harmful Rain."

Hearing Territory No. 7’s reply didn’t reassure the other Lords at all. In fact, their blood ran cold.

A Laser Cannon was a high-energy weapon that used a powerful, directed beam of light to destroy targets. After Blue Star’s great biological evolution, experiments had proven that Laser Cannons could disperse clouds, making them effective at clearing up severe weather. For this reason, despite their high manufacturing cost and massive energy consumption, they were considered priority projects for every base.

But a disaster in the sixth year of the Cataclysm brought that trend to a screeching halt.

That year, after seven consecutive days of rain, a base in Gui City detected a massive concentration of Harmful Elements high in the atmosphere. They had formed thick rain clouds, and a widespread, red-level Harmful Rain was about to fall over the base’s Safe Zone.

So, the base decisively used a Laser Cannon to disperse the toxic clouds. But instead of dispersing, the clouds exploded mid-air.

Massive quantities of high-density Harmful Elements blasted out in all directions. Every living thing struck by them, including humans, immediately underwent Qiang Evolution.

The Harmful Elements pierced right through the humans’ Protective Suits, and the base’s Safe Zone was transformed into Purgatory.

In the ten years of the Cataclysm, this was the most devastating form of attack ever displayed by the Harmful Elements. Humans called it:

The Injury Explosion.

After the Injury Explosion incident, Laser Cannons were blacklisted for three years. It wasn’t until the beginning of the tenth year of the Cataclysm that the National Research Institute, after extensive experimentation, finally identified the conditions that could trigger an Injury Explosion. They then permitted bases to use Laser Cannons again, but only under strict limitations.

Now, more than halfway through the tenth year of the Cataclysm, Xiaqing didn’t know about the other bases, but she knew that Hui San Base hadn’t dared to use one a single time.

’Who could have possibly imagined that one of the unremarkable outer territories of Hui San Base actually had a Laser Cannon and was preparing to use it? Were they trying to fight off the Evolved Fierce Birds, or wipe out all twenty-six surrounding territories?’

When no one spoke, the representative from Territory No. 7 added, "Territory No. 7 has mastered the relevant techniques. Our Laser Cannon meets all safety standards and will not trigger an Injury Explosion."

’And they expect us to just take their word for it?’

Shi Zhong tried to persuade them earnestly. "Friend, from Territory No. 7, the energy consumption for a Laser Cannon is extremely high. Storing that much power isn’t easy. Why not just use more chemical repellent on the birds?"

Kuang Qingwei, whose territory neighbored No. 7, immediately asked, "Hey, I’m from Territory No. 6. Can I trade for some of your chemical repellent for the Evolutionary Birds?"

The representative for Territory No. 7 replied, "Apologies, but the chemical agent used by Territory No. 7 is a restricted substance. It requires authorization from the relevant base departments before use; otherwise, it could pose an uncontrollable risk."

Everyone fell silent. ’What in the world was in Territory No. 7 that required protection from both restricted substances and a Laser Cannon?’

Territory No. 7 wasn’t trading, but someone else was.

Assistant Liu came on the line, his voice switching to a soft, commercial tone. "Fellow Lords, Territory No. 9 is in possession of an exclusively patented, safe, and highly efficient chemical agent for repelling Evolutionary Birds, which is an unrestricted trade good. After extensive testing, the agent has proven effective against over ninety percent of bird species below Level 6. One thirty-milliliter bottle, diluted with water, can protect one mu of land for eight hours. Each bottle costs three hundred points."

’Three hundred points, for one mu, for eight hours?’

None of the Lords who were dedicated farmers said a word. Evolved Fierce Birds didn’t primarily attack crops, and they couldn’t afford to spend thousands of points just for peace of mind.

They couldn’t afford it, but some could.

Tang Zhengpo from Territory No. 12 inquired, "Excuse me, Assistant Liu, what is the shelf life of this bird repellent? And does it have any side effects?"

Assistant Liu replied, "Unopened, it can be stored for one month at room temperature away from light. Any food that comes in direct contact with the agent becomes inedible. It has no side effects on plants, but it does affect animals within the spray radius. Humans and other animals in the sprayed area must wear a Protective Mask with a Level 2 or higher air filtration system for the first twenty-four hours. After that, the agent will have evaporated and no longer poses a threat to humans. However, trace amounts will remain and will continue to be lethal or repellent to small birds and insects for the following seven days."

Tang Zhengpo replied politely, "Thank you for the clarification, Assistant Liu. Territory No. 12 will purchase five bottles. Is delivery possible tonight?"

Assistant Liu’s voice grew even softer. "Of course. The medicine will be delivered to the corridor between Territory No. 9 and Territory No. 12 in fifteen minutes. Please have your points card ready, Chairman Tang."

Hu Zifeng placed an order as well. "No. 1 Territory will purchase six bottles. We’ll make the exchange at the same time and place as Territory No. 12."

Assistant Liu accepted the order. "Of course."

’The agent from Territory No. 9 was good, but there were too many animals within the area she needed to protect. She couldn’t use it.’

First, she contacted Ji Li, moving their trade for the syringes and hemostatic medicine up to four-thirty the next morning. If the Evolutionary Birds came, she would have to defend her territory. A fight could lead to injury, and an injury could lead to infection by Evolutionary Bacteria. She could only fight without reservation if she had Zhang San’s special hemostatic medicine on hand.

Then, Xiaqing ran out into her yard and went to the sheep pen to deliver the latest news to the alpha wolf. "Queen, a large flock of Evolved Fierce Birds might attack my territory tomorrow. You know what Evolved Fierce Birds are, right?"

"They’re the flying beasts that flap their wings like this," Xiaqing said, spreading her arms to mimic a bird in flight. Then she curled her fingers into talons and made a few sharp, grasping motions. "And they use their claws to snatch prey like this—SLASH, SLASH."

Three wolves stared back at Xiaqing, their expressions unreadable and their bodies perfectly still.

Xiaqing lowered her "claws" and continued, "If the Evolved Fierce Birds attack, hide in the sheep pen and don’t make a sound. Most birds hunt by sight, but some have evolved hearing and a keen sense of smell. Things with wings are tricky to deal with."

After she finished, Xiaqing stared at the three motionless wolves through her Night Vision Goggles for a few seconds, then sighed. "Never mind. You’ll know when the Evolutionary Birds get here. Just react as you see fit."

’Wolves that grew up in the Evolution Forest definitely have more ways to fight back and protect themselves than I do.’

Xiaqing went back inside to contact Yang Jin. She hoped he could deliver the weapons from their trade tomorrow morning; she only had a few dozen Bullets left.

Yang Jin replied quickly. He said the Grenade Launchers hadn’t reached Hui San Base yet, but all the other items from their trade would be delivered tomorrow morning. He also reminded Xiaqing to tell the wolf pack about the potential attack so they could help defend the territory.

’An Iron Rooster, just as I thought.’

Xiaqing smiled and texted back: Already informed.

She had informed them, but as for what the wolves would actually do, Xiaqing had no idea.