Chapter 407: Xiaqing’s Warning

Chapter 407: Chapter 407: Xiaqing’s Warning

When the ten-person team on the western quarantine strip saw Xiaqing raise her gun from behind the chain-link fence, four of them immediately aimed their own weapons at her.

Even though their guns were inferior to Xiaqing’s, and even though they were in the wrong, the men were all laughing and joking. Their faces showed no fear as they waited for Xiaqing to issue a "warning."

They all assumed Xiaqing wouldn’t actually shoot; she was just trying to scare them.

Only the Strength Evolver with the gun trained on him showed any apprehension. Xiaqing’s aim was steady, and the eyes behind her Protective Mask were terrifyingly cold.

After three seconds passed with Xiaqing neither speaking nor firing, the Strength Evolver holding the machete grew bolder. He was just starting to grin, about to mock her for being a mute, when he saw her finger twitch.

BANG!

CLANG!

"Aaargh—"

The gunshot and the clang of the bullet hitting the blade rang out almost simultaneously. The machete and one of the Strength Evolver’s fingers were blown from his grasp, and he let out a piercing scream. The grins of the refugee team members who had been waiting for a show froze on their faces, their eyes widening in disbelief.

’Didn’t the patrol team say you had to give a warning first? Why did this woman just open fire?’

Xiaqing shifted her aim from the wailing Strength Evolver to the man at the front who still had his gun pointed at her. She announced coldly, "Warning complete. Commencing effective countermeasures."

...

...

...

’So, her "warning" wasn’t spoken, but an action?! There was no longer any doubt what kind of "effective countermeasures" she would take to protect her territory.’

The team leader holding a gun immediately raised his hands. He backed away quickly, shouting, "A misunderstanding! We would never invade the Third Territory! We’re just passing through... just passing through."

Once he was sure Xiaqing wasn’t going to shoot again, the team leader whirled around and roared, "Xu Erpeng, you shut the hell up and get your ass back to the Second Territory to get that wound wrapped! Everyone else, with me! Keep moving, and walk a straight damn line! No more fucking around!"

Seeing his companions abandon him, Xu Erpeng’s eyes flashed with panic. He then glared at Xiaqing with pure hatred before stepping forward to pick up his machete and severed finger with his left hand.

Xiaqing didn’t spare him a single glance, her attention fixed on the refugee team as they moved on.

A Sparrowhawk perched on a large tree at the edge of the quarantine strip suddenly flapped its wings and swooped down. Before Xu Erpeng could react, it snatched the severed finger from the ground and flew off.

As he watched the Sparrowhawk fly toward Mountain No. 49, Xu Erpeng’s lips trembled, his eyes filled with regret and terror. He had lost his right thumb. He could no longer wield a machete. He would never be recruited by an Evolver team again. How was he supposed to survive?

’Farming?’

’If I could do it all over again, I would never have been so damn stupid as to touch the Third Territory’s fence and provoke that madwoman inside.’

Under Xiaqing’s watchful eye, the refugee team practically sprinted away from the Third Territory’s northern quarantine strip. Xiaqing lowered her gun, walked down the High Slope, and returned to her greenhouse to continue installing the steel frame.

Over ten minutes later, a second, third, and then a fourth refugee Hunting Team emerged from the Second Territory. They passed through the quarantine strip between the Third Territory and Mountain No. 49, heading for Mountain No. 50. Without exception, everyone was extremely quiet. No one dared to so much as touch the Third Territory’s chain-link fence again.

After the refugee Hunting Teams had gone, Hu Zifeng’s team returned to the Third Territory and resumed helping Xiaqing with the steel frame. Hu Zifeng looked at Xiaqing’s serene face and opened his mouth to speak several times, but in the end, he said nothing.

’Xiaqing was justified in shooting, since they provoked her first.’

’But her actions were a blatant slap in the face to the Second Territory, the Su Feng Team, and Tang Zhengsu himself. Given Tang Zhengsu’s vindictive nature, he would surely stop at nothing to regain his pride.’

’Xiaqing versus the Su Feng Team... Hmm...’

’Actually, it probably wouldn’t be a big deal.’

Chen Cheng sniffed the air and exclaimed, "Sister Qing, I think I smell roasted sweet potatoes!"

Xiaqing gestured with her welding torch toward the fire pit beside the greenhouse. "I buried a few sweet potatoes in the embers. Keep an eye on them so they don’t burn."

"Don’t worry, leave it to me!" Chen Cheng replied, overjoyed.

Seeing that Xiaqing was calm enough to be roasting sweet potatoes, the members of Hu Zifeng’s team relaxed and began to chat and laugh again.

THUD!

Inside the Second Territory, next door to the Third Territory, Tang Zhengsu kicked Xu Erpeng so hard he slammed into a wall. His face was thunderous. "What was the mission I gave you?"

Xu Erpeng slid to the floor, his body trembling with fear, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth. He shivered, unable to utter a single word. Sitting on a stool in the corner, Tang Huai had to rack his brain for every sad memory he had just to keep from laughing out loud.

’A fifty-meter-wide quarantine strip wasn’t enough for you? You just had to go and poke the bear. Serves you right!’

After Xu Pin waved his hand to have Xu Erpeng dragged out, Tang Zhengsu furiously ordered, "Find out who that woman from the Third Territory has for family. Anyone in the Safe Zone—I don’t care if they’re in the Inner City or the outer city, and I don’t care what their background is—break every single one of their fingers. Don’t leave a single one intact."

Tang Huai inwardly rolled his eyes.

Xu Pin responded, "Xiaqing from the Third Territory has no relatives in the Safe Zone. They’re all dead."

Tang Zhengsu roared, "Then go after someone she’s close to!"

Remembering that Xiaqing did have a close friend in the Safe Zone, Tang Huai immediately spoke up. "The person closest to Xiaqing is her boyfriend, Hu Zifeng of the Green Dragon Team. He’s right inside the No.1 Territory."

’Go on, mess with him. If you’ve got the guts, stop picking on easy targets for once. Go kill Hu Zifeng.’

Tang Zhengsu turned to look at Tang Huai just as the smirk on Tang Huai’s lips was starting to fade. In a flash, Tang Zhengsu was in his face, grabbing him by the throat with one hand and slamming him against the wall. Tang Huai’s face instantly flushed crimson.

"Brother!" Tang Heng rushed over to plead for him. "Second Uncle, stop!"

Tang Zhengsu kicked Tang Heng aside and extended his arm fully. Tang Huai’s feet lifted off the ground, his face turning purple as he thrashed and kicked at Tang Zhengsu. The pristine white bandage on his thigh was quickly soaked through with blood. Soon, his limbs went limp from asphyxiation, and his eyes began to bulge.

Xu Pin stood by, watching silently, not saying a word.

"Hmph!"

Tang Zhengsu flung Tang Huai onto Tang Heng. As Tang Huai coughed violently, Tang Zhengsu took out an antiseptic wipe and cleaned his hands. "Get Tang Zhengpo in here. I want him to stand right here and personally tell me where he got the wheat seeds for Territory No. 12."

"Is Brother San available?" Before Xu Pin could relay the order, Tang Zhengpo’s calm, unhurried voice came over the Lord channel. "My territory’s Green Light Purple Sweet Potatoes have been harvested. Harmful Element content is 2.5‰, sugar content is 9%. I just made some molten-center purple sweet potato cakes. They’re not bad. Would you care to try some?"

Zhang San’s weary voice replied over the Lord channel, "What do you want in exchange?"

Tang Zhengpo replied, "My son’s thigh was sliced to the artery. I’d like to trade for some high-grade styptic and a blood replenisher."

Zhang San asked, "Which son of yours?"

"It’s Tang Huai. Thank you for the trouble, Brother San."

Zhang San yawned. "Twenty pounds of Green Light Purple Sweet Potatoes. Send him over. I haven’t sutured a wound in a long time. It’ll be good to get the feel for it again."