Chapter 82: Fighting and Beating
After thinking for a moment, Zhou Qian looked at Huai Yu again, “Don’t get close to those suddenly-emerged mutant plants. They’re dangerous. The mutation in the Rose Corridor last night was because of it! When we arrived, the two of them were fighting…”
That sounded familiar.
It seemed like every time he met Huai Yu, he had to warn her about some new danger.
But Huai Yu?
She now visibly looked healthier and rosier than the first time they met, no longer so thin and frail.
So he shut his mouth again.
As for Huai Yu…
She was only pondering one thing: fighting?
Okay, fine—fighting. Not beating up.
“Also, stop digging up bamboo shoots or trying to damage the bamboo—” Zhou Qian held back but still couldn’t resist reminding her again as he looked at her:
“You really dug up bamboo shoots?”
“I did!”
Huai Yu said cheerfully, “Not only that, I’ve already blanched them and left them to dry. Captain Gege, if you want some, I’ll give you a bit once they’re ready.”
Zhou Qian: …
Being treated differently really hurts.
Zhou Qian drove back to camp, deep in thought.
“What’s wrong?”
Someone in the office asked curiously. “What are you holding? Don’t tell me you’ve got something good again? Let me see.”
“Shoo, shoo, shoo!” Zhou Qian waved them away. “Addicted to freeloading, are you? I’m taking this for testing.”
“If the mutation level is below 12, this is a big deal!”
“What’s going on?”
Everyone’s demeanor turned serious.
Zhou Qian gave a wry smile: “Remember the bamboo that got tossed around by the Rose Corridor last night?”
“I went to District 8 today—no sign of it. But behind Huai Yu’s new house in District 37, an entire bamboo forest grew overnight.”
Whoa!
That was a big deal!
Everyone instantly became alert.
“What? The Rose Corridor couldn’t beat it? Why’d it allow the bamboo to take root next to it? Everyone knows how destructive bamboo can be!”
“That’s not even the main point—”
Zhou Qian opened his hand, showing the paper bundle of bamboo heart tea:
“See this? Huai Yu saw the bamboo forest early this morning, went in and dug up shoots, harvested bamboo hearts, dried them into tea… The shoots are already blanched and drying!”
“According to her, the bamboo didn’t even react.”
“That’s impossible!”
Everyone was shocked.
If mutant plants were that docile, they wouldn’t have struggled for six years in the wastelands without conquering them.
“If it’s so gentle, didn’t you go check it out?” someone asked.
Zhou Qian snapped: “I wanted to! But don’t think just because we helped build her house, the Rose Corridor lets us near it— I barely walked a few steps today and it almost lashed out again! How was I supposed to check?”
Now that was a problem.
If they had to go in, it would end in a fight. And the Rose Corridor was their top protector in Flower City. They wouldn’t win that fight.
They’d lose soldiers just trying to get a glimpse.
And why would they pick a fight out of nowhere?
And the bamboo forest…
Was it really that docile?
Everyone fell silent.
After a long pause, someone finally said, “Let’s go. Test the mutation level first.”
A group crowded around the tiny handful of bamboo heart tea and stared at the screen. With a beep, the results popped up crystal clear:
[Mutation Level: 11]
Hiss——
So their estimate that the bamboo had a mutation level above 50 was way off! Judging by this, it was clearly over 100!
Even so, it still got thrashed by the Rose Corridor… Last time, General Wu Yue tested at 42!
Okay, fine, maybe “only” 42 isn’t fair—after all, 60 is the danger threshold.
But still—the gap was huge!
The room fell into a stunned silence. After a long while, someone finally asked:
“That girl Huai Yu… is she really fine?”
They wanted to say she wasn’t, but she seemed completely harmless.
Not just visibly harmless, but based on all the time spent helping her build the house, they’d seen that she didn’t have an ounce of fighting ability.
Sure, she had wood-type powers, but if she were strong, she’d have joined the defense force or become an explorer by now.
Even if she just wanted to farm, her 600 mu of land shouldn’t be in such a pitiful state.
They’d seen it while building her house—it was obvious she didn’t have the strength. Some parts dug deep, some shallow, full of uneven pits. It made their eyes twitch just looking at it.
If they’d had more time, they would’ve grabbed shovels and fixed it for her.
Plus, if Huai Yu really were a problem, why would General Lin leave her that ice sculpture before heading to the wasteland?
That mystery weighed heavily in their judgment of Huai Yu.
Because while their respect for Wu Yue came from the Rose Corridor, Lin Xuefeng’s name was known across the entire country.
He had led countless bloody battles in the wastelands during humanity’s darkest hours. He earned their survival.
But then… what’s up with the Rose Corridor?!
Zhou Qian tucked away the tea leaves, thoughtful. “Could it be… it really does favor women over men?”
As soon as he said that, someone touched their face:
“I didn’t feel that at all. Last time I went near it to help map the area, it didn’t even give a warning—just whipped me bloody!”
The branch even hit her face. The scar took over three months to fade.
Frustrated, she added:
“The Rose Corridor used to be so aggressive! Always attacking. Now it just gives warnings—honestly, I think that’s pretty polite.”
“You people—don’t push your luck, okay?”
Fair enough…
Everyone awkwardly touched their old scars.
When they were building camp in District 69—miles away—none of them escaped a beating.
Luckily, the Rose Corridor had its rules. As long as you stayed outside its range and didn’t misbehave, it wouldn’t attack.
Unless…
You did something bad.
Like shouting, fighting, or bleeding…
Thinking of this, they all hit another dead end.
Finally, Zhou Qian suggested:
“It’s a lot calmer now. Always gives a warning first. How about this—Captain Song, why don’t you send two female soldiers to cautiously approach it?”
Captain Song, the one who’d been whipped in the face before, snorted:
“Why don’t you go? Why should my soldiers take the risk?”
Seriously, people were bored and just had to stir up trouble! The Rose Corridor had been giving them face—if it stopped, it would whip them again without mercy. Even from far away!
