Chapter 181: SSVIP

Chapter 181: Chapter 181: SSVIP

"Understood, Captain Tan. I’m on my way," Tang Huai replied respectfully.

Holding his walkie-talkie, Tan Junjie spoke quietly to Xiaqing. "The Second Territory’s actions were indeed an infringement, but this Reconnaissance bird didn’t cause any substantial losses to your territory. If Tang Huai insists it was an act of ignorance and negligence, even if you report it to the Territory Management Department, the most he’ll get is a points deduction and a warning."

Xiaqing understood this, which was why she had chosen to broadcast her message publicly on the Lord channel. "If the Second Territory is willing to deliver six brand-new solar panels, two matching adaptive constant-voltage controllers, and three 2V 600AH maintenance-free storage batteries to my territory’s signpost within three days, I’ll agree to a private settlement."

Tan Junjie...

’This girl is even bolder than I expected,’ he thought. ’She’s not the least bit afraid of offending the Su Feng Team.’

Hu Zi, who knew how to install and repair electronics, reminded her, "Sister Qing, one constant-voltage controller and two large-capacity storage batteries are enough for six panels."

Xiaqing nodded. "I know, but the set I’m currently using in my territory is due for a replacement anyway. If the Second Territory doesn’t agree, I’ll report them immediately and go through the legal process."

Carrying the sealed bag, Tan Junjie led his team out of the Third Territory to meet with Tang Huai.

Hu Zi muttered under his breath, "Sister Qing is asking for way too much. There’s no way the Second Territory will agree."

"After the hailstorm, the price of solar panels, which Hui San Base was already short on, went up again. Even if the Su Feng Team isn’t lacking supplies, they won’t give her that much. Captain, do you think Sister Qing asked for so much to leave room for negotiation?"

The Olfactory Evolver, Yuan Rui, was certain. "Xiaqing doesn’t like to beat around the bush. What she says is what she means, down to the last screw."

Hu Zi worried for Xiaqing. "If the Second Territory chooses to go the legal route, Sister Qing will lose out. She would have been better off asking for less."

Yuan Rui shook his head. "They won’t. The Su Feng Team is closely tied to Tang Zhengrong, and the territory policy is being heavily promoted by the higher-ups. If this case goes to a public hearing, it won’t do Tang Zhengrong any good at all. The Su Feng Team isn’t short on money or supplies; they’ll definitely agree to a private settlement."

But whether they would continue to cause trouble for Xiaqing after the settlement was another matter.

Tan Junjie, leading the team, didn’t say anything, but he also believed Tang Huai would agree. Besides the reasons Yuan Rui mentioned, there was another one: Tang Huai definitely wasn’t the one who released the Reconnaissance bird, nor would he be the one paying for the compensation.

An hour later, Xiaqing, who was in the middle of a meal, received a call from Tan Junjie. "The Second Territory has agreed to deliver the supplies you requested the morning after tomorrow."

"Great. Thanks, Captain Tan." Xiaqing hung up, took a delighted bite of her leavened bread stuffed with jerky, and then picked up a piece of smashed cucumber with her chopsticks.

The reason she had asked for six solar panels was that the winter sun wasn’t as strong as the summer’s. Her territory originally had five panels, but three were destroyed by the hailstorm, leaving her with only two. She needed more panels to generate enough electricity to meet her territory’s needs.

Eight solar panels might sound like a lot, but it wasn’t actually that many. The day she went to Qi Fu Territory to deliver medicine, she had seen twelve panels on their roof.

With the electricity problem solved, the next step was to acquire temperature and humidity control equipment. She couldn’t purchase this kind of device through Zhong Tao, because doing so would expose the fact that the Third Territory had a food storage room.

Besides, the equipment available for purchase in the Safe Zone wasn’t as high-quality as what Territory Land No. 7 had. She had sent Green Light meat to Territory Land No. 7 several times, but they hadn’t exchanged any supplies yet. Once Brother San returned, she could negotiate a trade.

Xiaqing decided to dig another cellar for food storage beneath her warehouse. This was because equipping the cellar in the Deserted Village to the southwest with solar panels would directly expose its location.

Therefore, building the cellar near her house was the safest option.

Of course, Xiaqing wouldn’t abandon the cellar she had already dug in the Deserted Village to the southwest. She would use this ordinary cellar, without any climate control equipment, as a decoy and also to test how long food could be stored inside it.

However, she had to irrigate the fields today and water the terraces tomorrow, so digging the new cellar would have to be postponed.

The wound on Xiaqing’s hand hadn’t healed yet, and digging a cellar was strenuous work. Sheep Leader couldn’t help with that, so she needed to rest and recover before starting.

After breakfast, Hu Zifeng’s team entered the Third Territory to help with its defense.

For today, at least, the Second Territory wouldn’t dare send out another Reconnaissance bird to monitor the Third Territory. Xiaqing coaxed the well-fed Sheep Leader back onto the water-pumping bicycle to continue drawing water for the fields. She then returned home to care for the Sick Wolf. The effects of the anesthetic had worn off, and it could eat now.

As soon as she entered the courtyard, Xiaqing was hit by a foul stench. The Sick Wolf had defecated.

Fortunately, the wolf had been to her territory before and knew where to relieve itself, so it hadn’t soiled the sheep pen. Holding her breath, Xiaqing shoveled some dirt to cover the wolf droppings. Only then did she notice that its feces were teeming with thin, white worms several millimeters long. Some were dead, while others were still squirming.

It was a disgusting sight, but it was a good sign.

This meant the deworming medicine administered to the Sick Wolf around three in the morning was working, and it was beginning to expel the parasites from its intestines. Xiaqing covered the spot with a thin layer of soil, then built a small fire over the pile to incinerate the worms before entering the sheep pen to check on the Sick Wolf.

After being cleaned, the Sick Wolf was still very weak, but it looked much better than it had the day before. Hearing the sound, it shakily got to its feet. It faced Xiaqing’s direction but didn’t bare its teeth or paw at the ground.

In its weakened state, it really wasn’t anything to be afraid of. Xiaqing entered the sheep pen, added some Pollution-free Spring Water to the water bowl, and then, in a gentle tone, expressed her goodwill toward this SSVIP guest. "You ate some meat last night, didn’t you? Is your stomach empty now? Do you want something to eat?"

Xiaqing pulled a palm-sized Evolved locust from a cage, snapped off its legs and wings, and placed it in front of the Sick Wolf. "This is a Yellow Light locust. Want some?"

The Sick Wolf shakily lowered its head, found the locust with its mouth, and ate it.

’On the two previous occasions, how did the Head Wolf manage to get such a severely ill wolf past all those obstacles and into my territory?’ Xiaqing wondered. ’Did it carry it on its back? No wonder it got so angry when I refused to make a deal.’

Xiaqing placed another locust down for the Sick Wolf. "Go on, eat. I caught a whole basket of Evolved Insects this morning. I got lucky—three of them were Yellow Light. They’re all for you."

After hearing Tang Huai constantly share his experiences catching and eating bugs on the Lord channel, Xiaqing had also developed the habit of testing any locust she caught. Before, when she found an edible one, she couldn’t bear to waste oil frying it, so she would just roast it over a fire.

Sprinkled with salt and spices after roasting, the taste wasn’t amazing, but it wasn’t bad either. But now that her territory had an SSVIP guest who had paid a medical fee of one walnut-sized Yi Stone, Xiaqing would of course give the good stuff to her guest.

After the Sick Wolf had eaten all three locusts, Xiaqing asked, "Are you full? If not, I can go get you a snake."

Xiaqing was raising quite a few snakes. The reason she hadn’t fed one to the Sick Wolf right away was that snake meat is tough and has many bones, and she was worried the wolf’s teeth weren’t strong enough to chew it. That’s why, after a phone consultation with Chang Li, she had opted to feed it locusts, which were easier to digest and chew.