Chapter 298: Breaking Up Hu Zifeng and Xiaqing

Chapter 298: Chapter 298: Breaking Up Hu Zifeng and Xiaqing

Tang Huai nodded. "There’s a problem with the wolf howl recordings in the loudspeakers the lords around here bought. The wolves in the Third Territory were frightened off. Does Captain Xu know who recorded the howl for those loudspeakers? And is that wolf still alive?"

"That’s none of your business." After confirming Tang Huai wasn’t lying, Xu Pin asked, "Luo Pei hasn’t shown himself once in the last two weeks?"

Tang Huai cursed inwardly before answering, "He hasn’t. The people from No.1 Territory never discuss Luo Pei, so there must be a gag order. However, Wei Chengdong and Hu Zifeng have been in the territory this whole time, so Luo Pei should be there too."

’Wei Chengdong and Hu Zifeng are Luo Pei’s lackeys. If they’re here, Luo Pei must be here too. It seems Luo Pei really is at his limit, hiding in his room while he waits for Yang Jin to bring back medicine. Heh, he won’t live to see it.’

The corners of Xu Pin’s mouth curled up. "Continue monitoring No.1 Territory. Sabotage their relations with Territory Land No. 7 and No. 9 Territory. Also, drive a wedge between Hu Zifeng and Xiaqing. Turn Xiaqing into one of our assets."

’What the actual fuck...’ Tang Huai cursed internally. He swallowed his profanity only when he saw Xu Pin raise his head and stare at him. "...Yes."

Xu Pin waved him away and looked down, busily sending a message to someone.

Inside the Third Territory, Xiaqing got her emotions under control and wiped her face, only to find a dozen or so strands of wool stuck to her hand. She couldn’t help but complain, "Leader, you’ve been shedding a lot lately."

Sheep Leader’s eyes narrowed dangerously, and he began to paw at the pebbles with his hoof.

Xiaqing immediately rubbed his head. "Come on, let’s go clear out the damaged waterway. Once we’re done, we’ll have corn for lunch."

Sheep Leader’s narrowed eyes flew open. He trotted happily after Xiaqing, filled with even more vigor than she was.

Under the northern road sign of Territory No. 12, Tang Zhengpo held up a water-filled bag of large Green Light shrimp for Ji Li to inspect. "These two pounds are all that have grown to size so far. If Brother San enjoys sweet and sour flavors, you can make them with tomato sauce. It helps cover up the fishy taste from the residual Harmful Element."

Green Light food wasn’t entirely free of the Harmful Element, it just had a low concentration. After confirming the shrimp were alive and thrashing, Ji Li asked, "What does Chairman Tang wish to trade for?"

Tang Zhengpo inquired, "Can I trade them for soil insecticide?"

"You can. I’ll have ten pounds of soil insecticide delivered to you later." One pound of a live Green Light animal could be exchanged for five pounds of soil insecticide. A dead one was only worth four pounds. This was the public exchange rate for Territory Land No. 7.

After Ji Li took the shrimp, Tang Zhengpo gestured to introduce Tang Zhengsu. "This is the captain of the Su Feng Team from Hui San Base, Tang Zhengsu."

Tang Zhengpo only mentioned Tang Zhengsu’s status as a captain, not their personal relationship, clearly drawing a line between Territory No. 12 and the Su Feng Team. Tang Zhengsu was inwardly displeased but couldn’t throw a fit in front of Ji Li.

He stepped forward and, with an attitude he considered proper but was in fact excessively eager and fawning, tried to cozy up to Ji Li. "Captain Ji, long time no see. My brother—the deputy commander of Hui San Base—and I visited the military headquarters at Hui Yi Base together. Do you remember me, Captain Ji?"

’What’s Tang Zhengpo worth now? My brother, Tang Zhengrong, is the deputy commander of Hui San, and I’m the captain of Hui San’s most powerful team. Let’s see who dares to look down on us brothers!’

Ji Li responded coolly, "Is there something you need, Captain Tang?"

The smile on Tang Zhengsu’s face grew a little stiff, and he cut straight to the point. "One of my team members was struck by lightning last night. He has extensive burns on his back and has lost all feeling below the waist. Our team doctor says the extreme high-voltage shock damaged his lumbar nerves. It’s untreatable, even at the hospitals in the Safe Zone. Only Lord Zhang has the skill to work miracles. Please, Captain Ji, give Lord Zhang a message for me. If he’s willing to save my brother, I’ll agree to any condition."

Ji Li nodded. "I’ll report this to the Lord."

"Thank you, thank you!" Tang Zhengsu thanked him profusely.

Ji Li gave Tang Zhengpo a slight nod, then turned and walked away.

Once Ji Li was out of earshot, Tang Zhengsu ground a pebble into the dirt with his right foot and let out a cold laugh that was half-mockery, half-threat. "Looks like my dear older brother is doing quite well for himself out here. So well you’ve forgotten that in these Disaster Years, strength is the only thing that talks."

Tang Zhengpo remained perfectly composed. "Life is hard in the Disaster Years, which is why I cherish food all the more. I’m grateful for the nation’s good policies, and I have you to thank for helping me acquire such a large plot of land to grow food on. This way, no matter how the rest of the family fares, at least we won’t have to go hungry."

Thinking he had been clever, Tang Zhengsu had driven Tang Zhengpo out of the Safe Zone while his older brother was away from the base—an act for which his brother had chewed him out multiple times. And now Tang Zhengpo dared to be so passive-aggressive to his face? It made Tang Zhengsu so angry he wanted to curse someone out.

Ji Li returned quickly. He handed the bag of soil insecticide to Tang Zhengpo before turning to Tang Zhengsu. "Captain Tang, our Lord is very busy. He cannot spare the time."

’Busy, my ass!’ Frustrated and furious, Tang Zhengsu turned to look at Tang Zhengpo with the same expression he used to wear before the Natural Disasters, back when he ran into trouble at the Tang Group.

It couldn’t be helped. Zhang San hated Xu Pin, and no one else was important enough to make the request, so Tang Zhengsu had to go himself. But he couldn’t get a read on the people of Territory Land No. 7, so he had no choice but to rely on Tang Zhengpo to smooth things over for him.

Tang Zhengpo had already anticipated that Zhang San wouldn’t treat Kou Fanming. He asked politely, "Brother Ji, does Territory Land No. 7 have any medicine for treating electrical shock and burns?"

This was a standard medicine, so Ji Li had the authority to approve a trade. "We do."

Tang Zhengpo suggested to Tang Zhengsu, "Since Brother San is busy, why don’t you trade for some medicine, Captain Tang? You can at least treat Fanming’s external wounds first."

’Right! Treat what we can for now. Zhang San might be busy, but he’ll have free time eventually. Who’s going to say no to points?’ Tang Zhengsu immediately nodded and asked eagerly, "Okay, let’s do that! Brother Ji, what’s the exchange rate for the wound treatment medicine?"

Ji Li replied, "Six hundred points per gram, or an equivalent value in Green Light food."

Hearing the absurdly high price, a vein throbbed on Tang Zhengsu’s forehead. He shot another look at Tang Zhengpo, expecting him to either haggle the price down or, better yet, take the hint and just offer up the points or supplies to make the trade himself.

However, Tang Zhengpo had already walked off to instruct Tang Heng to prepare lunch, completely ignoring what was happening!

Tang Zhengsu could only grit his teeth and force a smile. "I’ll take ten grams for now, to see how effective it is."

As Ji Li deducted the points and went back to get the medicine, Tang Zhengsu strode into Territory No. 12 with a dark expression, wishing he could send that slippery old fox Tang Zhengpo flying with a single kick.

Hidden in a tall pine tree in Zone Three of Mountain 49, Xiaqing quietly watched as Tang Zhengsu, flanked by six bodyguards, returned from Territory No. 12 to the Second Territory.

Twenty minutes later, Tang Zhengsu took Kou Fanming and returned to the Safe Zone by helicopter.

Throughout the entire process, Tang Zhengsu’s security was airtight, making a long-range ambush impossible. A close-quarters assassination was also out of the question, because the human danger detector, Xu Pin, stuck close to Tang Zhengsu’s side, acting as his bodyguard.

’No rush. I’ll take my time. I’ll kill him sooner or later.’

After the helicopter flew off into the distance, Xiaqing climbed down from the tree and headed for Valley No. 1.