Two months ago, when she came with the team to clear the territory, Xia Qing had thoroughly familiarized herself with the area. Territory No. 3, covering 6,000 acres, was the third largest of the 200 territories already cleared.
To completely eliminate the evolved harmful creatures, all arable land within the territory was cleared and burned, and the three abandoned villages within the territory were sprayed twice with potent insecticides and repellents.
Xia Qing participated in the entire disinfection process in the villages, so even though it was already dark, she wasn't worried about being attacked by the evolved creatures as she entered the abandoned villages where the grass was taller than a person.
Walking through the tall grass, she entered the best-preserved two-story self-built house in the central village. After placing the bag in the first-floor living room, Xia Qing went out to find some dry wood, closed the door, lit a fire, and checked the items she had received from the hall.
A basic purification filter cartridge, capable of purifying 200 liters of lightly polluted freshwater.
Thirty kilograms of compressed rations, enough for four months if used sparingly.
Six pounds each of evolved wheat, mung beans, cotton, and small potatoes, plus a packet each of evolved pumpkin, cucumber, tomato, and eggplant seeds. If these seeds are planted successfully, they'll be ready to eat in four months, and the vegetables even faster.
To Xia Qing's regret, she didn't receive any evolved sweet potatoes. Last year, when she went on a mission with the Azure Dragon team, she received a small piece of evolved sweet potato, and its wonderful taste remained unforgettable.
Because rations and seeds were distributed by the bag, Xia Qing couldn't be sure if all the lords received the same types of seeds; she'd have to find out.
After putting the seeds away, Xia Qing took out her newly received old phone. After turning it on, she noticed two green vertical lines on the screen, and the screen was flickering. This was normal; a phone that could still be used after ten years of the apocalypse was a good phone no matter what.
On his phone's home screen was a Word document titled "The Complete Guide to Planting," which detailed over thirty safe and optional crops, including sweet potatoes. Xia Qing didn't examine it closely, setting the phone aside and pulling out the small radio the base had given to the lord—an equally "pretty good" device.
After the natural disaster destroyed humanity's vast and efficient modern communication system, simple radios and broadcast receivers became the primary means of long-distance communication for a long time. Even today, many ordinary people within the safe zone still rely on them.
Signal coverage within the safe zone has been restored at the Hui San Base, but the communication quality is far below pre-disaster levels. Within the safe zone, the phone can only use three functions: communication, text messaging, and the Hui San Base mission platform app. The signal towers outside the safe zone haven't been repaired, so there's no cell phone signal in Xia Qing's territory.
After placing the base-issued phone and radio next to his own phone, Xia Qing took out the land use certificate. His eyes gradually lit up as he carefully examined the text on the back of the certificate.
The broadcast repeatedly assured that the lords' rights would be protected, but never mentioned specific protective measures.
During the natural disaster, the attacks on humans by evolved flora and fauna were terrifying, but even more despairing was the slaughter, plunder, and bullying from among their own kind. Of the deaths in the three years following the disaster, at least 30% were caused by their own kind.
Xia Qing's father was "accidentally" killed by advanced evolved humans during a beast attack on the safe zone.
Xia Qing witnessed that scene, but due to insufficient strength, he has yet to avenge his father.
In the current climate of food and resource scarcity, lords who have left the safe zone's control, possessing food but lacking strength and power, naturally become easy prey for many.
Lords without sufficient strength risk having their hard-earned crops stolen, or even losing their lives. This is the main reason why many dare not leave the safe zone to farm, even knowing that the advanced evolved beasts have been driven hundreds of miles away.
Therefore, to allow the lords to focus on farming, the base promised to patrol the area 24/7 and granted them an important right:
All resources within the area marked on the land use certificate belong to the lord. Anyone who trespasses on the territory without permission is guilty of trespassing and will be severely punished according to law. Furthermore, any actions taken to stop an ongoing unlawful infringement upon the lord's person, property, or other rights, resulting in harm or even death to the infringer, are considered legitimate self-defense.
In short: killing someone who trespasses is not a crime!
Her chance to avenge her father had finally arrived.
Xia Qing easily snapped a thick tree branch, threw it into the fire, stretched lazily, and picked up her enormous canvas bag.
This canvas bag, weighing two hundred pounds, contained all of Xia Qing's belongings: a set of bedding, a sleeping bag, a bag of basic kitchen utensils and seasonings, a large bag of carpentry and electrical tools, two large bags of building materials, six knives, a small radio she'd used for years, a powerful slingshot, and one hundred and fifty books. The books covered everything from gardening and planting to animal husbandry, carpentry, electrical work, and home renovation.
After her mother's death, planning and preparing for a new life after the natural disaster was Xia Qing and her father's favorite pastime, especially after a long day's work. After her father's death, this became Xia Qing's main motivation to live.
Ten years after the disaster, she finally left the safe zone and began a new life.
Xia Qing carefully packed the books into a waterproof and moisture-proof storage bag, then opened her clothing bag and took out a cell phone hidden inside.
The cell phones issued to lords by the base couldn't communicate with the outside world within their territory, but hers could. Strictly speaking, this phone was called a "satellite communication terminal," a gift from her parents to her upon entering university the year the disaster struck.
After China's satellite communications, the only country with global coverage, resumed operation in the third year following the natural disaster, all satellite communication terminals became highly sought-after resources. Within the Hui San safety zone, some used satellite phones to obtain life-saving food and medicine, while many others perished as a result.
After her father's murder, Xia Qing was forced to share a dormitory with outsiders and hid her phone. She only turned it on when she was absolutely certain of her safety to view old videos and photos, receive satellite text messages publicly sent by the government and the Hui Yi base headquarters, and stay informed about events outside the Hui San base.
The last time she turned it on was on New Year's Eve, exactly sixteen days ago. Now that she was in her own territory, Xia Qing could use her phone with peace of mind.
After connecting to the communication satellite, the phone quickly received hundreds of disaster warnings, news reports, and announcements. Xia Qing read them one by one. The content was the same as before; she had already obtained the information mentioned in the text messages and short messages through the radio, with only one exception.
An unknown number had sent her a text message fifteen days ago, on the morning of the first day of the Lunar New Year. The unfamiliar number and the text message were etched into her mind. Because three minutes earlier that same day, her phone, used within the safe zone, also received a text message with the same content from that number.