Evolution - Chapter 118

Chapter 118

More than two months after they landed on Wendeli Planet, the farm they had cleared entered its harvest season.

The grain was being harvested, and the livestock operation was also a great success. With grain, meat, and vegetables, the farm's ecological cycle was beginning to take shape. Although everyone had a hearty appetite, the yield was high enough to supply their own people with a surplus.

They would sell a portion for cash, but most of it was stored away. Ji Changqing treated Jixin and Ming Zixing to drinks and managed to persuade them to start looking for people who had fled their homelands with nowhere else to go, trying to enter the Empire through Wendeli to survive.

It was like catching a rabbit while cutting grass—a convenient side benefit. People went out to carouse every day anyway. On their way back, they could just shout a few times to recruit people for land clearing. If they found anyone sharp-eyed and willing to take a gamble, they'd bring them back.

For them, it was just a matter of providing a meal and a place to stay, nothing more. And all these people had to work. The amount of food they received depended on the amount of work they did.

It was the cheapest labor imaginable. With any luck, some of them might even become their subordinates in the future.

To not take advantage of such a good deal would be just plain stupid!

She never expected this endeavor to provide her with a continuous stream of manpower. But here, supporting people cost almost nothing extra. If even one out of every hundred people they recruited was willing to pledge allegiance to them after safely arriving in the Empire, it would be a great bargain.

Besides, people have an instinct to latch onto someone powerful. In a completely foreign land, they would subconsciously seek a group for support. She estimated that if the people they took in could live peacefully for half a year, at least ten to twenty percent would consider joining them.

The number of people they recruited each day varied, sometimes a dozen or two, other times thirty to fifty. This small number was insignificant compared to the total daily influx into Wendeli, so no one bothered them about it.

These newcomers were housed at the other end of the camp, together with the people they had cleared out from the forest earlier. Every day, someone would come to give them ideological education, assign work, and arrange training.

As for the dangers and hardships of the outside world, that information was passed down by word of mouth, with earnest warnings from those who had previously hidden in the forest.

If anyone refused to believe the warnings or found the work in the camp too strenuous, no one showed them any courtesy. They were simply kicked out.

Those with ill intentions who snuck in to cause trouble were given a beating and then thrown out.

In any case, there were plenty of people outside who would teach them a lesson!

Once labor was plentiful, their original people began to be screened in batches. Those with potential, fighting ability, and a willingness to struggle were selected to transition from militia-style training to military-style training.

Previously, she, Jixin, and Ming Zixing had been extremely busy, mainly because their philosophies clashed fiercely under her pretext that “everything must start from scratch after entering the Empire.” Every day was a flurry of verbal sparring and tempting them with benefits to persuade them. When verbal battles grew too tiring or when they stubbornly insisted on maintaining their privileges, she would get irritable and use her fists to convince them.

Not just her own fists, but also the fists of her subordinates in one-on-one combat drills.

It was a classic case of letting the facts speak for themselves. She would state bluntly: “Using my methods, this group of so-called ‘trash’ in your eyes can now fight you self-important big shots to a standstill, or even gain a slight edge. What face do you have left to tell me your old ways were right?”

Of course, she would never admit that during every group competition, she secretly activated her pharmacist skills—slipping the opposing side weakening drugs while giving her own side enhancement drugs. With one side debuffed and the other buffed, the original skill gap became much less significant.

As for why no one ever noticed they were being drugged? That was because the drugs were harmless to the body. They only slowed muscle reactions, and after being metabolized through intense exercise and followed by sufficient rest, they actually left people feeling exceptionally refreshed.

It could be said that Ji Changqing's ragtag army had won through cheating!

However, aside from protecting the safety of the original “cargo”—which included, but was not limited to, forbidding anyone from insulting, beating, or violating them, and finalizing the treatment of the farm workers—she made sure they lived like human beings, not slaves.

Beyond that, Ji Changqing did not interfere in the affairs of the other teams, especially not the organization of their combat personnel.

In the beginning, some people refused to accept her authority. But after a few incidents where people violated or beat the original “cargo,” Ji Changqing led her people to storm the other teams' camps, forcibly drag out the offenders, and execute punishment in public.

Depending on the severity of the offense, minor infractions earned a flogging that left the skin split open and the body covered in wounds, followed by being hung up for a day as a public example. Major offenses involved being sliced with dozens of cuts, bringing the person to the brink of death and scaring them into incontinence. After that, no one dared to transgress so easily.

Hearing about a psycho and facing one directly were two completely different levels of deterrence.

In their eyes, Ji Changqing was now like a money-grubber desperately accumulating wealth. Anyone who dared to obstruct her money-making or deplete her capital was her enemy.

As time went on, the management of the farm gradually fell into a routine. With precedents to follow and rules to abide by, the workload for the three of them dropped dramatically.

As the saying goes, a full belly and warm clothes lead to lewd thoughts. With money and leisure, they were bound to stir up some trouble.

Of course, they wouldn't admit it was trouble, calling it “keeping up with the times and making timely adjustments” instead. They now worked on a rotating schedule with a three-day cycle. Each person was on duty for three days, making a full cycle nine days. During their three-day shift, they had to be at the farm at all times to handle various matters.

During their six days off, they could go carousing in the commercial district, head into the mountains, or inspect their guard units.

When all was said and done, their respective armed guards were the foundation of their security. No matter how much they trusted their subordinates, they didn't dare to let go of the reins completely.

According to Ji Changqing's observations, besides the bi-weekly auction, which they attended every time, the two rarely went out. But whenever they did go out for an auction, they would usually stay for three or four days.

At the end of the third month, after the schedule for the next month was released, Ji Changqing politely refused a request to cover a shift. “Starting next month, I need to work on something else.”

The auction dates for the next month fell on Ming Zixing's shift in the middle of the month and Jixin's shift at the end of the month.

Caught off guard by the news that Ji Changqing was suddenly refusing to cover for them, Jixin and Ming Zixing couldn't hide the slight change in their expressions.

“Saved up enough money to go to the auction, have we?” Ming Zixing asked teasingly. He had grown accustomed to having someone cover his shifts so he could always go. Now that she had suddenly stopped, his routine would have to change, and he wasn't too happy about it.

“Don't underestimate the wealth of a space pirate. Although I spent a fortune on my recovery, I still have some savings left.” Ji Changqing's lips curved into a smile. With a friendly and unbothered attitude, she answered Ming Zixing's obviously malicious question.

Then, she spoke words that sounded like a devil's whisper to the other two present: “You two have acquired a lot of new equipment recently. I'll have to find a way to keep up. Too great a disparity in strength can easily stir up desire and malice. Don't you agree?”

The expressions on Jixin's and Ming Zixing's faces froze instantly. They were stunned by her sudden, direct accusation. Their first thought was:

But we were so careful!

“Wendeli is so different from what we imagined; it always makes one feel that our current armed forces are insufficient. But it has the most complete selection of armaments on the market, so of course we wanted to take the opportunity to buy some.” Jixin was quick on the uptake. Not only did he rapidly find an ambiguous excuse to gloss things over, he even turned the tables, expressing hurt at being suspected by a comrade. “At a time like this, we should be supporting each other and working together to overcome difficulties. We wouldn't do something as stupid as plotting against a partner, fighting for power, and causing internal strife.”

The implication was that Ji Changqing was being overly suspicious.

“Oh.” Ji Changqing gave a perfectly cold and insincere response. “I was bluffing.”

Bluffing, my ass! Bluff your mother!

Fuck your mother, you bastard!

Jixin's and Ming Zixing's faces were so contorted with rage that the veins on their necks bulged. They looked as if they were about to lash out and attack at any second.

Ji Changqing casually dropped another line. “I once left a few little things by your bedsides…” She looked at Jixin. “You fell asleep while reading. I dog-eared the page for you, closed the book, and placed it on your nightstand. I remember it was page 147.”

Jixin's anger was instantly extinguished, replaced by a chill that shot up his spine.

Her gaze shifted to Ming Zixing. “You were drinking—Flame of Fury, the mercenary favorite. You didn't finish it, so I put the cap back on for you.”

Ming Zixing shrank back, as if worried she might twist his neck like a bottle cap.

“It seems my subtle expressions of cooperative sincerity weren't quite getting through to you.”

This was a blatant threat.

They remembered these incidents, but they had found no trace of a break-in and had ultimately dismissed them as moments of their own confusion and forgetfulness.

Now that she had said it out loud, the implications were terrifying.

If she could sneak in once without a sound, she certainly wouldn't mind doing it again.

“We would never draw our blades on a comrade.” Jixin quickly broke into a smile. Unconcerned that his attempt to turn the tables had failed, he rapidly changed his attitude. Adopting a posture of reconciliation and sincere cooperation, his tone was unbelievably gentle and his expression utterly earnest. “If this is what's worrying you, would you like us to introduce you to some reliable channels? You can get a discount.”

“Who could bear to refuse such goodwill from a comrade?” Ji Changqing watched the two men struggling to maintain their smiles and said slowly, “Mm, judge by actions, not intentions. Just like that fellow who framed me and had me exiled. He thought about it for a long time, but it wasn't until he made his move that I gave him a little gift.”

The other two had no desire to know what kind of “little gift” she had given him. It would only make them involuntarily imagine their own potentially tragic fates.

But it wasn't as if they could refuse to listen.

Jixin managed to hold his smile, just barely. Sweat beaded on Ming Zixing's forehead, and his smile was more pained than a grimace. He still had to play along. “Is, is that so?”

She opened her left hand, staring down at it for a long moment before smiling. “He crippled one of my hands, so I crippled one of his hands and his third leg. He had me exiled; I imagine he's probably not the second-in-command anymore.”

In truth, she was just spouting nonsense. Since no one could verify it anyway, it was perfect for intimidating these two dishonest fellows.

But to these two, it sounded completely different.

This was a threat, right? Right?!

But they still had to play along. Swallowing hard, they said dryly, “An eye for an eye. That's good, that's good.”

Ji Changqing watched them calmly. “I was once forced to defect from the Empire, and I still have some enemies there. I think it would be best if we supported each other and cooperated honestly. What do you think?”

Her face was practically screaming, “Do you want to become my enemies?” Who could possibly give a negative answer at a time like this?!

“You're right.”

After the three reached a new consensus on the issue of mutual support and honest cooperation, the rest of their heart-to-heart talk seemed particularly harmonious.

Ji Changqing stated that since they were the direct subordinates of that “lord,” she had no intention of competing with them for status. As long as they didn't try to trip her up or kill her, they could all remain partners who cooperated in good faith.

To her, dealing with the enemies she hadn't managed to eliminate back then was far more important than currying favor. She hoped they would just look the other way when the time came, and it would be even better if they were willing to lend a hand.

The other two naturally nodded in agreement.

It wasn't until the very end, when Ji Changqing said that everything would remain as it was—that she wasn't taking the opportunity to seize power, interfere in their teams' affairs, or ask them to “support” her with equipment, only requesting a list of cooperative channels and contacts—that Jixin's and Ming Zixing's terrified hearts finally began to settle.

When the meeting ended and they walked out of the hall, they came to their senses with a feeling of having escaped death. It left a bad taste in their mouths, and they felt a little lost.

Because Ji Changqing had been so assertive before, matters concerning the farm, no matter how much they argued, almost always ended up going her way. This left the two men feeling resentful and increasingly dissatisfied. Coupled with her growing prestige, which threatened to eclipse their own, they began to wonder: if this continued, would they have to live under her thumb from now on?

That was absolutely intolerable!

So they had slowly started making preparations, planning to hit her with something vicious around the six-month mark. Even if they couldn't kill her, they had to force her back into her original position of dependence on them.

But now, after being beaten down and manipulated with a mix of threats and conciliation, all their previous schemes had turned to dust. After being scared witless for nothing, they were placated, the matter was dropped, and they actually felt a faint sense of gratitude and admiration?!

So, what had they been trying to achieve?

It was like they had willingly walked into a death trap just to be tormented!

Would they ever be able to hold their heads high in front of her again? From now on, whenever they faced her, they would probably feel diminished.

But no matter how complex and indescribable their feelings were, or how they secretly regretted their foolish actions, Ji Changqing, back in her own private office, had already turned her attention to another matter.

How could she extend the life of this farm a little longer? It could supply her with more useful manpower.

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