Chapter 158: Expansion
After bidding farewell to the honeysuckle, Xia Lu Nong and his group drove toward the city.
This year, it was particularly cold.
Snow still lined the streets.
Under such conditions, it was rare to see any evergreen plants, and if there were any, they were mostly gray and lifeless.
Places like this were especially prone to hiding mutated plants and animals.
As they drove their armored vehicle through, they had to remain extremely cautious.
Even so, they encountered several waves of attacks.
Everyone was on high alert.
Fortunately, things went relatively smoothly.
In the industrial district, they successfully located two factories and acquired the metals they needed.
With the cover provided by his brothers, Xia Lu Nong also packed some away in his spatial bamboo container, which should be enough for their use.
The industrial area was almost completely collapsed.
After they retrieved the metals, it was already past 4 p.m.
By then, it was too late to continue searching for anything else.
They all agreed to head to the suburbs, rest for the night, and plan again after daybreak.
The armored vehicles turned around and headed for the suburbs.
It took the three vehicles over an hour to reach the outskirts.
After some effort, they found a place to settle down for the night. Old Liu, massaging his back, said, “The city is just too dangerous. Hunting in the mountains isn’t nearly as bad.”
“Exactly. That’s why no one wants to come to the city for supplies,” Yan Xi Nian replied as he poured Old Liu a bowl of hot water. He then called to the others, “Everyone, check if you have any injuries. If you do, treat them quickly.”
Around the temporary rest spot, there were scattered replies.
Yan Xi Nian blew on his hot water and took a large sip, feeling the warmth spread through his body, finally making him feel a little better.
Everyone was gathered behind the armored vehicle, drinking water and chatting.
The three groups had come out together, all with armored vehicles, but they were cooperating rather than competing.
Whoever found materials would claim them, and they rarely shared. They mostly discussed their finds when resting, checking if there was anything they wanted to trade among themselves.
Xia Lu Nong wasn’t involved in such matters.
He sat off to the side, listening quietly while still thinking about the meteorite crater.
Today, they had scouted half the city, and he had communicated with many plants, but still hadn’t gathered any information about the crater.
He was beginning to suspect that the crater wasn’t near their base but somewhere farther away.
If it was outside their area, with their current resources, they wouldn’t find it anytime soon.
Not finding it wasn’t a big issue, as they didn’t urgently need it.
However, if another faction found the crater, it would be a serious problem.
Xia Lu Nong fell into deep thought.
Kong Zhi gently nudged his cheek. “Stop thinking about it. Time to eat.”
Xia Lu Nong snapped out of it. “What’s for dinner?”
“Noodles,” Xia Huo Qu chimed in. “Do you have anything special in mind? If not, we’ll just cook noodles.”
Xia Lu Nong shook his head. Noodles were perfect for winter. You could boil the meat and vegetables together, and then mix in some sauce for flavor. It was quick and stayed warm longer than rice and dishes.
Everyone had been hungry for hours, so no one objected to the idea of noodles.
Ba Niu said, “I’ll go grab two radishes and some cured meat from the car. We’ll make radish and cured meat soup first, then cook the noodles.”
“Sounds good,” Old Liu added. “I’ve got some cabbage we can throw in as well.”
Yan Xi Nian laughed, “We’ve still got bear meat. Hope you’re not tired of it yet.”
Old Liu chuckled, “Good meat like that? Never! The more, the better. Speaking of which, we haven’t caught any birds in a while. This area has some really tasty mutated birds. They make excellent soup.”
Yan Xi Nian said, “Big birds are fine, but small ones aren’t worth the trouble. Too much effort for too little meat.”
“Not necessarily,” Xiao Tang interjected. “You’d be surprised. A lot of mutated birds live in flocks. If you find their nest, you can catch hundreds at a time. Much easier than hunting.”
Xiao Tang’s casual remark caught Xia Lu Nong’s attention. His eyes lit up. “You’ve found a mutated bird nest before? Is it easy to find?”
“Sort of,” Xiao Tang replied. “We once stumbled upon a cave filled with mutated birds. We made a great haul. But their beaks and claws were really sharp. Everyone ended up with deep wounds, and one guy almost lost an eye.”
Xia Lu Nong asked, “Do most mutated birds live in caves?”
Xiao Tang shook his head.
Old Liu chimed in, “There are many types of mutated birds, but most of them still nest in trees. Big trees often have a lot of bird nests. If you’re looking for a large number of mutated birds, try searching the big trees.”
Reminded by this, Xia Lu Nong slapped his forehead. “You’re right! I can’t believe I didn’t think of that!”
“Right about what?” Yan Xi Nian glanced at him. “What are you talking about? Got some new idea?”
Xia Lu Nong happily flashed a bright smile and raised his pinky finger, gesturing, “I’ve got a tiny, not fully formed idea. Not sure if it’ll work.”
Yan Xi Nian laughed, “Quit being mysterious. What’s the idea? Let’s hear it, and maybe we can help.”
Xia Lu Nong said, “We’ve been asking birds about the valley, right?”
Yan Xi Nian nodded, signaling with his eyes for him to continue.
Xia Lu Nong continued, “We haven’t come across that many birds, and even the ones we did talk to don’t seem to know much. Their movements are usually limited to a certain range. I’m thinking, why not go directly to their nests? If we talk to the birds there, we might get the information we need much faster.”
Kong Zhi said, “That’s a good idea. We’ve got plenty of food with us. If we give the birds some, they’d probably be happy to share information. Then we can follow up on what we learn.”
Xia Lu Nong agreed, “Exactly! There are definitely bird colonies around here. We just need to find them.”
Old Liu shook his head. “I think you’re falling into a trap of narrow thinking.”
Surprised, Xia Lu Nong asked, “What do you mean by that, brother Liu? Just say it.”
Old Liu chuckled, “Who’s smarter—humans or animals?”
“No need to ask. Obviously, humans,” Xia Lu Nong replied confidently. “Whether mutated or not, humans have the upper hand.”
As Xia Lu Nong answered, he started thinking but couldn’t come up with a clear conclusion.
His bright eyes turned toward Old Liu, hoping he would give a direct answer.
Old Liu looked at him and, taking his time, said, “You all agree humans are smarter. So why are you trying to get help from animals instead of asking people?”
Xia Lu Nong was stunned. “Asking people for help? What do you mean?”
Old Liu pointed and said, “Every field has its experts. Human civilization has been around for so long, and we’ve trained so many specialists. If you want to find a place, humans will know much more than animals. Why rely on animals when you could ask people? Isn’t that taking the wrong approach?”
Xia Lu Nong realized what Old Liu was getting at and began to ponder.
Old Liu smiled. “I think you’d have better luck asking people. Whether it’s finding a valley or a bird’s nest, there are human experts who can help you. Just bring up your questions, and someone will have the answer.”
Yan Xi Nian, however, disagreed. “It’s not that simple. Old Liu, you know what our situation is. Finding an expert, or even just an educated person, is extremely difficult.”
Yan Xi Nian wasn’t the type to make decisions alone. The base had been working to recruit talent and expand, and he had already discussed this plan with Old Liu and others.
There was no disagreement, and Old Liu was aware of their plans, so he addressed the issue directly.
Old Liu looked up. “Xi Nian, that’s not necessarily true. It’s tough now because we’re in a small, remote place, so no one comes here. But proportionally, we actually have plenty of experts.”
Yan Xi Nian looked at him. “Of course, but you also know how much I’ve had to invest in recruiting talent.”
Old Liu smiled, shook his head, and looked at the others. “Xi Nian, we’re all brothers here. I’ll speak frankly.”
Sensing something unusual, everyone straightened up and paid closer attention to him.
Ba Niu opened his mouth, as if to say something, but sensing the shift in atmosphere, he quickly shut it.
Even the summer pepper plants Xia Lu Nong had planted nearby seemed to tilt their branches toward the group.
Yan Xi Nian’s expression grew serious, and he nodded. “Speak freely, no need to hold back.”
Instead of continuing the current conversation, Old Liu pulled a stick from under the firewood and began drawing on the ground. “Xi Nian, Huo Qu, take a look. Our base is here.”
Yan Xi Nian nodded slightly, signaling him to go on.
Old Liu continued, “Yacheng is here, and the Black Gold Base is here. I’ve never been to Black Gold Base, but I’ve talked to people from there. Their territory is vast, covering this entire area.”
Old Liu drew a large circle around the Black Gold Base.
Then he drew a smaller circle around Yacheng. “Yacheng’s territory is about this big. And us—”
He paused, pointing with the stick to the dot representing their base. “We don’t even have a territory. Our base doesn’t even have a name. When people say ‘the base,’ everyone knows it’s ours, but it’s not really established.”
Yan Xi Nian narrowed his eyes, his gaze becoming sharper. “So—?”
Old Liu smiled, “No need to worry, Xi Nian. I’m not looking for a throne. But look at us. We’re still too small to be thinking of that.”
Old Liu looked around at everyone. “All I’m saying is, we have the ability to take over Yacheng. If we annex their territory, we’ll have a proper city, more people, and the means to expand.”
Yan Xi Nian said gravely, “As far as I know, Yacheng just replaced its leader last month. Taking over their territory won’t be easy.”
“Nothing’s easy,” Old Liu said. “But look at us now. We have city walls, guns, cannons, even armored vehicles. And on top of that, we have you all.”
Old Liu waved his hand. “With giant wolves, tigers, golden eagles, and a plant-based ability user whose powers are hard to gauge, I think we stand a real chance.”
After Old Liu finished speaking, the surrounding area fell silent, the only sound being the crackling of the campfire.
Old Liu didn’t say more. He quietly sat there, waiting for everyone’s reactions.
Ba Niu looked left, then right, and suddenly stood up. He threw down his porcelain bowl and said, “I think this could work!”
