With business concluded, Xia Qing felt much more relaxed. She took a sip of tea to moisten her dry lips and asked Luo Pei, "Brother Luo, can I come over in five days to learn how to use a gun from you?"
"Sure," Luo Pei smiled and discussed with Xia Qing, "Can I buy the vegetables you can't finish growing in your field? That way, Hu Zifeng won't have to risk delivering them here. The transaction points can be paid in cash or recorded in the Azure Dragon Team's ledger."
Xia Qing nodded with a smile, "Of course."
Yang Jin glanced at his watch. "Is there anything else we need to discuss?"
Xia Qing wanted to ask him how he discovered she had evolved into a three-elemental ability, but then thought it unnecessary. Luo Pei, the Azure Dragon Team's third strongest fighter, was a dual-elemental evolver; how could Yang Jin, the top fighter, be a single-elemental evolver?
So, Xia Qing looked at Yang Jin seriously and asked a very practical question, "Captain Yang, are there any edible evolved chickens, ducks, geese, or the like on Mountain Forty-Nine?"
You've been leading your team searching the mountain for half a month; you should know very well what kind of animals are there, right?
Yang Jin…
Luo Pei laughed heartily.
Yang Jin also laughed, "When I led the team to the mountain to test the water source, I didn't pay attention to the animal species. But it seems there are evolved pheasants; I didn't find any ducks or geese."
Evolved pheasants are fine too; pheasants are still chickens, and chickens lay eggs! Just as Xia Qing was about to ask where they were found on the mountain and how many there were, there was a knock on the tightly closed door.
Wei Chengdong walked in, "Brother Yang, Xu Pin, Tang Lu, and Tang Zheng entered Territory Two by helicopter."
Sure enough, wherever Yang Jin went, Tang Lu followed. Xia Qing wisely didn't ask any more questions, adopting a spectator's expression.
Yang Jin glanced at her, then stood up. "If there's nothing else, shall I head back?"
"No," Xia Qing replied sincerely. "Thank you, Captain Yang."
After Yang Jin left Territory No. 3 via the tunnel, Xia Qing sincerely thanked Luo Pei. "Brother Luo, with the Azure Dragon Team stationed at Mountain No. 49, the security of my territory has improved significantly. Thank you, Brother Luo."
Luo Pei reminded Xia Qing, "The Azure Dragon Team only promised to block large, high-risk evolved beasts, preventing them from entering the territory from Mountain No. 49. Also, you need to be responsible for the areas you designated as non-rental zones."
"That's enough." Xia Qing never intended for someone else to shield her from all risks. If she couldn't bear or withstand even the slightest danger, she wouldn't have left the safe zone. "It's getting late, Brother Luo, get some rest. I'll head back now."
"Xia Qing."
Having already stepped out of the room, Xia Qing turned back and found Luo Pei standing straight by the table, looking at her with a serious expression. Xia Qing straightened up as well, listening attentively. "I'll teach you everything I know. Besides marksmanship, I can teach you anything you want to learn: reconnaissance, hunting, and demolition techniques."
"I will definitely learn diligently, thank you, Brother Luo." Xia Qing knew how rare this opportunity was. She bowed to Luo Pei and emphasized, "Even without my spring water, Captain Yang and Captain Xie will find a way to get it from elsewhere to save you."
Luo Pei calmly replied, "I know, but that would seriously hinder the Azure Dragon Team. I would choose to commit suicide."
As Xia Qing walked out of the basement, she was still thinking about Luo Pei's words about committing suicide. Xia Qing believed he was sincere. While deeply moved, Xia Qing also envied the camaraderie among the three leaders of the Azure Dragon Team.
Luckily, she now had Boss Yang, otherwise she would have been even more envious.
"Xia Qing," Wei Chengdong reminded her as he escorted her to the door of the dilapidated house, "Brother Luo is the most versatile and outstanding special forces instructor at the top-ranked military academy in China. You must learn from him diligently. Don't be afraid of hard work; it's always good to have more skills. Even if you don't want to join the team, learning more skills to protect yourself is beneficial. This world is far from restoring peace and order."
Xia Qing nodded solemnly. Of course, she would learn seriously. She wasn't just doing it for self-protection; she also wanted to kill Tang Zhengsu to avenge her father. Putting on her night-vision goggles, Xia Qing looked around and noticed two dazzling white lights shining in the direction of Territory Number Two.
How unafraid of attracting insects!
The eldest daughter of the Tang family, Tang Lu, flew here to chase Yang Jin. What about the second daughter, Tang Zheng? Xia Qing strolled back to her house, closing the doors and windows tightly.
The next morning, while patrolling the mountains, Xia Qing learned Tang Zheng's purpose—she had come for Mountain Number Forty-Nine.
Leading a team of well-equipped core members of the Su Feng team, Tang Zheng, dressed in a light pink protective suit, tilted her fair and delicate face upwards and humbly negotiated with Hu Zifeng, who was blocking her way. "I heard from Chen Dongyang that there are green bamboo shoots in this mountain. My grandmother is sick and has no appetite, so I'd like to go into the mountain to dig some. Please, Captain Hu, make an exception."
Hu Zifeng's face darkened. "I'll emphasize again: this mountain has been purchased by our Qinglong team as a training base. Only members of the Qinglong team are allowed to enter."
Unexpectedly, Hu Zifeng was so disrespectful. Tang Zheng's face hardened, her exquisitely made-up eyebrows arched, and a sharp, imposing aura rose. "What if I insist on going in?"
"It's not impossible for Miss Tang to go in." Wearing camouflage protective gear, Yang Jinmai walked into the isolation zone through Buffer Forest No. 1, blocking Hu Zifeng's path. His face was grim, as if he were facing not a group of people, but a group of annoying, evolution-infested animals. "The Azure Dragon Team bought the mountain not only to train its members, but also to conduct business. We just haven't had time to explain this to the brothers guarding the mountain. Entering Mountain No. 49 as guests will require each person to pay an entrance fee of 2,000 points. Any supplies guests collect from the mountain will need to be paid to the Azure Dragon Team in points at market price."
The strong-willed Tang Zheng, in front of Yang Jin, became a little woman, her voice filled with barely suppressed tenderness, "Captain Yang, isn't this a bit excessive?"
Yang Jin, in a businesslike manner, replied, "There's no other way. I gave Deputy Base Commander Tang 1.1 million points to buy the mountain; the team's coffers have been emptied."
In the safe zone, everyone respectfully addressed her father as "Mayor Tang," but now Yang Jin was calling her father "Deputy Base Commander," clearly indicating his growing dissatisfaction. Unable to sway her father and second uncle's decision, Tang Zheng gritted her teeth and nodded, "I'll pay!"
Yang Jin gave the team behind Tang Zheng a serious look. "Thank you, Miss Tang, for patronizing the Azure Dragon Team's business. The entrance fee for all twenty of you is 40,000."
After the Tang family transferred the points to Hu Zifeng, Yang Jin "kindly" reminded them, "There are two things to note before entering the mountain, which I must inform Miss Tang of in advance: First, this mountain is a training ground, and it contains a large number of highly dangerous evolved creatures. If Miss Tang or your team are injured or killed, the Azure Dragon Team will not be responsible. Second, all resources in the mountain belong to the Azure Dragon Team. Please do not intentionally damage them, otherwise you will be required to pay compensation. If any of the three Green Lantern Bamboo trees in the bamboo forest are damaged, Miss Tang will need to pay the Azure Dragon Team 5,000 points in compensation."
Tang Zheng, who had volunteered to investigate why the Azure Dragon Team wanted to buy Mountain No. 49, gritted her teeth and accepted the loss. "Team Leader Yang really knows how to do business." Yang Jin nodded, accepting her praise without question, and then instructed Hu Zifeng, "Zifeng, Miss Yang is our first guest at the training base. Show them the way. Liangzi, go get a sign and write down our rules for opening Mountain No. 49, so guests won't be confused about how many points to pay."
"Yes!" Hu Zifeng and Wang Liang, the fourth-level speed evolution squad leader of the Azure Dragon Team, responded loudly.
Truly the Azure Dragon Team's number one miser, absolutely brilliant!
Standing in the No. 3 buffer forest, Xia Qing gave a thumbs-up for a few seconds, then felt the sting of pain. When she signed the mountain rental contract with Yang Jin, she hadn't considered that the Azure Dragon Team would be operating it publicly.
This business is quite lucrative; will she get a share of the profits?
Is it too late to sign a supplementary contract now…?