Chapter 139: Chapter 139: The Racket

“If we can get our hands on the samples of the potion they’re selling, we can send them to a chemical institution for analysis to check the components.”

As a professional in the relevant field, Feng Yun had seen many unscrupulous biotech companies use chemicals with excessive heavy metal content for termite extermination to achieve immediate results. However, these often have endless consequences, with the potion potentially eroding housing structures and its smell harming human health.

Saying this, Feng Yun sent contact information for a chemical institution in the WeChat group.

“This is the contact information for the research institution in the county closest to Da Huyang Village. If you make a call, someone will come to your aid.”

“Tomorrow morning we’ll have the professional technicians responsible for termite control add your contact information for further communication.”

Xu Ying quickly replied, “Alright, I’ll find some time to go check out Da Huyang Village!”

“Thank you.”

The Feng Yun couple hurriedly responded that it was no trouble at all. If it weren’t for Xu Ying, they might never have been able to find their biological son.

Hao Menghan reminded on the side, “Oh, right, Little Xu Station Chief, in three days a batch of quality Niyaya Chickens will be delivered to your rescue station, make sure to sign for them.”

“Alright, thank you, boss~”

Xu Ying beamed with joy; finally, she could enjoy a pastoral retirement life of planting vegetables and raising chickens in the desert.

Xu Ying didn’t notice that while she was on the phone with the Feng Yun couple, the Big-eared Hedgehog had been intently watching her.

After Xu Ying put down her phone, the Big-eared Hedgehog came over. [Station Chief Sister, you kept talking about termites, where are the termites?]

It licked its lips after speaking.

Xu Ying recalled that termites were part of this creature’s staple diet: “In Da Huyang Village in the desert oasis, the villagers’ wooden houses have lots of termites.”

[Will you be going to this village tomorrow? Can I come along and take a look?]

Xu Ying smirked. “Are you curious, or just looking for a buffet?”

The Big-eared Hedgehog’s pale pink ears twitched, [Hehe, both.]

[Winter is coming, and lately, there’s not enough food around my home. I’m considering moving.]

The Big-eared Hedgehog’s little paws twirled in circles, giving off a sneaky vibe: [Didn’t you say some houses are too run-down for people to live in? I could move in, have food, and a shelter from the wind and rain, hehe, then I can survive the winter peacefully.]

Indeed, Xu Ying had mentioned on the phone that some villagers no longer wanted to deal with those old relic-like houses and had gone to the county town to join their children. Hearing this, she couldn’t help but chuckle at the hedgehog’s clever idea.

“We’ll have to see the actual situation in Da Huyang Village, after all, they are someone else’s houses.”

Having made a call to Aunt Bao, Xu Ying arranged to visit Da Huyang Village the next afternoon since Aunt Bao would be home from her break.

Dusk and nighttime are when termites are most active, so by then, they should know the extent of the termite infestation in Da Huyang Village.

The next afternoon, Xu Ying, carrying an airbox with the Big-eared Hedgehog inside, went “house hunting” in Da Huyang Village.

The afternoon desert shimmered with mirage, and the desert oasis, like a green fracture slashed by nature, added a touch of vitality to the silent desert.

Da Huyang Village was nestled among golden Poplar Forests, with the village houses all low and topped with straw and twigs, while some of the old houses had started to turn black with age.

Several villagers sat on wooden stakes under the shade of trees, smoking, alongside two scruffy-looking sheep.

Xu Ying’s stylish and cool four-wheel motorcycle caught the villagers’ attention as soon as it appeared.

The villagers stood up, staring blankly at Xu Ying’s motorcycle, and couldn’t help but ask curiously, “Miss, who are you looking for?”

A middle-aged man dressed in gray recognized her: “This is the animal rescuer from the desert management area, I think she’s named Xu, I saw her when I delivered supplies to the main office.”

Xu Ying politely asked, “I’m looking for Aunt Bao Sufen, could you tell me where her house is?”

Upon hearing that she was looking for Bao Sufen, the expressions on several villagers’ faces suddenly changed, and they weirdly pointed Xu Ying in the right direction.

The gray-clad middle-aged man who recognized Xu Ying put out his cigarette and waved her over, “Follow me, the village is all wooden houses, not easy to identify.”

The sheep under the trees belonged to the gray-clad man’s family and recognized people. Seeing him leave, they also slowly moved along.

“Thank you, uncle!”

Xu Ying keenly noticed the change in attitude among several villagers and speculated it must be due to Aunt Bao’s cousin and son-in-law, who had been damaging Aunt Bao’s reputation in the village, making the villagers dislike her.

On the way into the village, Xu Ying noticed a van with “Tai Lin Biological” advertisements parked in front of a household.

Two men wearing blue work vests exited the villagers’ house, with “Tai Lin” written on their vests. They must be technicians and salespeople from Tai Lin Biological.

The village lady, who saw off the two Tai Lin Biological staff, stuffed some wild jujubes into their hands, thanking them sincerely, “Your termite potion is so effective, the termites just fell off in droves, it was terrifying to see.”

The older of the two Tai Lin Biological workers replied, “You’re welcome, but your wooden houses, although the termites are killed by using the potion, they will eventually come back one batch after another.”

Hearing this, the village lady’s smile turned into a frown.

“Let me do some math for you.”

The younger Tai Lin task employee chatted casually with the village lady, “One course of the potion costs sixteen hundred, and you need to buy it approximately every two months. Over a year, that totals almost ten thousand, spending ten thousand a year on termite control isn’t worth it.”

“And honestly, the termite potion is corrosive too. Using it once or twice isn’t much of an issue, but long-term use might erode your house structure!”

The village lady became anxious, “Then, what should we do?”

She seized the young employee’s sleeve as if catching a lifeline, “Do you have any other solutions?”

“Yes, you need a professional team to completely eliminate the termites, and then apply a coat to your wooden house. However, it’s very expensive, according to market prices, it can’t be done for less than forty thousand.”

The village lady gasped, her voice quivering, “Forty thousand, that’s way too expensive!”

The young employee nodded in agreement, “Even our own staff think it’s steep. Who can afford to fork out this much at once?”

In the remote areas, villagers work hard, and their annual income might not even reach forty thousand.

The gray-clad man who led Xu Ying slowed his pace, being drawn into the conversation of the three.

“Can it be cheaper?”

The village lady glanced at her old house, forty thousand was too much, spending it on the old house was not worth it, but there wasn’t enough to build a new one either.

The older worker shook his head, “The termite prevention coat is the latest American technology, it’s very expensive, can’t be cheaper.”

The young employee looked at him pleadingly, as if already siding with the village lady, “Brother Deng, don’t be so indifferent, make a call with me and plead with the boss for a better deal.”

“Look at how warmly the lady treats us, serving tea and giving gifts, she’s even from the same village as my mother-in-law.”

Hearing these two Tai Lin Biological employees play off each other, Xu Ying had already guessed their routine. Unsurprisingly, they were likely to say next something like, “We got you an insider discount,” or similar tactics.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep