I Fear Death

Qu Jianlei ignored Rogers's plea for help. He had just tried to spring up, nearly throwing out his back.

With a Gauss Automatic Rifle involved, rescue had definitely arrived.

The Fallen also had Gauss Automatic Rifles, but supplies were difficult to come by, so they could only obtain them through looting.

When Survivors attacked the Fallen, they not only worked together but also showed absolutely no mercy.

So being rescued was highly likely. What he needed to consider now was how not to be killed by the Fallen before that happened.

Blood was still spurting from Rogers's neck with a hissing sound.

He struggled to roll toward Qu Jianlei, hoping to receive his aid.

Unfortunately, after rolling only once, his whole body went limp, and his vision swam.

"Brother Qu, save me!"

Qu Jianlei snorted softly. You didn't come closer earlier, and only now you thought of it?

He knew very well that Rogers did not truly trust him either, which was why he had kept his distance.

Now that he wanted Qu Jianlei's help, it was already too late.

Rogers stared at him in despair as the light in his eyes gradually faded.

Qu Jianlei began rolling as well, but he deliberately went around Rogers and ended up behind him.

The blood from Rogers's neck was no longer spraying, but it was still flowing steadily.

His jaw muscles twitched slightly, as if he wanted to say something, but in the end, he never opened his mouth.

Without drawing attention, Qu Jianlei untied the restraints around his feet, retied them in a slipknot, then bound his own hands behind his back again.

Then he lay down in the bloodstains on the ground, narrowed his eyes, and played dead.

The battle outside was fierce, and the sounds of Violent Explosions rang out from time to time.

They even have heavy firepower... Qu Jianlei wondered inwardly. More than just Scavengers came?

The battle lasted nearly half an hour before the gunfire gradually thinned out.

After several more scattered shots, voices began clamoring outside.

Then the door was kicked open, sending a cloud of dust into the air.

"This is the dismemberment storeroom!" someone shouted.

"There are people on the ground. Watch out—they could be Fallen!"

A woman snorted. "Whether they're Fallen or not, we'll know after shooting them twice!"

Lives on the Wasteland were worthless. The attacking Survivors had come to wipe out the Fallen, not to save people!

Fortunately, someone stopped the woman. "What are you shooting for? Are bullets free, or do Energy Blocks grow on trees?"

The woman said coldly, "Call them Fallen, and we can claim two extra bounties!"

Killing innocents to claim credit? Qu Jianlei sighed inwardly. Order on the Wasteland was truly awful!

Still, thankfully, there were reasonable people. "Cut it out. Do you really think the Settlement can't tell whether someone is Fallen?"

The woman replied indifferently, "It's not like every single person gets tested."

"Enough. They're not worth wasting two bullets on," someone snorted. "If you two aren't dead... get up already!"

Qu Jianlei twisted his body and slowly sat up, afraid that any sudden movement might get him executed.

On the Wasteland, no amount of caution was excessive.

Rogers obviously could not sit up, but he still managed to kick one leg, signaling, "I can still be saved."

Lives on the Wasteland were cheap, but every life was remarkably tenacious.

His carotid artery had been cut open for half an hour, yet he had not bled to death. On Blue Star, that would absolutely count as a "miracle of life."

But the Survivors paid him no attention. Save him? What a joke. Could he afford the fee?

One Survivor aimed his gun at Qu Jianlei and slowly walked forward. "Ever eaten human flesh?"

"No." Qu Jianlei slowly shook his head. "I'm willing to be tested."

"Who the hell do you think you are?" A woman stepped forward and kicked Qu Jianlei, sending him rolling several times.

Judging by her voice, she was the very woman who had wanted to kill innocents for credit.

Her face was covered in crisscrossing scars, and most of her left ear was missing, leaving only half of the upper rim.

"Are you paying for the test? If you've got no money, shut the hell up."

"Lock them up and starve them for two days," said a man missing his left arm. "Cannibals will show abnormal reactions."

"They might not react at all," the scarred woman said flatly. "Better to sell them to the Mine."

The Mine she spoke of was actually the Garbage Dump.

The garbage was piled too high and too thick, and some areas were at risk of collapse. Digging tunnels in to scavenge trash really did make it feel like a mine.

The Survivor with his gun aimed at Qu Jianlei spoke up. "Kid, hear that? Hurry up and tell us what use you are!"

It was all a setup! Qu Jianlei understood that these people were playing off each other, trying to squeeze something out of him.

Saving someone had never been the point. But since they had saved someone, how could they possibly not demand compensation?

Their methods of demanding compensation were a little simple and brutal, but that was precisely the Wasteland's style.

It simply wasn't worth wasting too much time on trivial matters.

Qu Jianlei could only look at the man outside the door. "Third Master, you know I have no money."

The man called Third Master had lost a leg and wore a Mechanical Prosthetic Limb.

He carried no large firearm, only a strangely shaped pistol at his waist.

This pistol was not to be underestimated. It was a genuine Laser Gun. Aside from its slightly lower power, it outperformed the Gauss Automatic Rifle in every other respect.

Third Master also made his living at the Garbage Dump. As for carrying a Laser Gun just to scavenge... that was perfectly normal.

Third Master had never thought much of Qu Jianlei. Whenever he needed someone to Transport Goods, he never paid him, at most giving him a tube of Nutrient Solution.

When he was in a bad mood, he would not even give him Nutrient Solution, making Silly Qu work for nothing.

Yet Qu Jianlei had never worked for free either. He would rather take a vicious beating.

After it happened enough times, Third Master realized that this fool was just like that, so he could not be bothered to beat him anymore—beating someone took effort too.

In any case, he had only a mediocre impression of Silly Qu, though they were still acquaintances. "Silly Qu, these people are Hunters."

Hunters did not make a living by scavenging. Instead, they hunted all kinds of wild beasts and Mutated Beasts, sometimes taking bounty-hunting jobs as well.

Their status was much higher than that of Scavengers, and they were considered one of the Wasteland's main fighting forces.

Third Master had also been a Hunter in his youth. Later, after losing his leg and finding combat inconvenient, he had no choice but to come to the Garbage Dump and become a scavenger.

He did not treat Qu Jianlei well, but he did not have much goodwill toward Hunters either.

The Scarface Woman sensed his hostility and turned to give him a cold glance.

Qu Jianlei lowered his eyelids. "I really have no money. I usually make my living at the Mine."

Trying to sell me to the Garbage Dump? Impossible. I already hang around that area.

It was not that he had much influence in the Garbage Dump's district, but rather... anyone who tried to buy him would be breaking a taboo.

They all operated in the same area. If someone could buy Silly Qu today, then could someone not buy Third Master tomorrow?

The Scarface Woman's expression darkened at that. "The Garbage Dump is so huge. Do you really think everyone knows you?"

The Garbage Dump truly was enormous, practically boundless.

At the very least, Qu Jianlei had lived in the Wasteland for six years and still had not figured out just how large the Garbage Dump was.

Even when the woman threatened him like this, he remained silent, standing there quietly.

Qu Jianlei had plenty of reasons to argue back, but he was not stupid—why reason with someone carrying a gun?

He believed someone else would clue this stupid woman in.

Sure enough, Third Master spoke up. "Silly Qu has a mouth under his nose, and he can write too..."

"As long as he says he makes his living at the Mine, no one will buy him!"

"Don't understand what that means? The people who might buy him probably do not want to be sold off to some other mine one day either."

Third Master was not really trying to save Qu Jianlei. He was thinking of all the scavengers—doing that would throw the Garbage Dump's order into complete chaos!

Even bad order was better than no order at all!

"What a waste of time!" The woman raised her leg and kicked Qu Jianlei to the ground again.

Qu Jianlei still kept his eyelids lowered and said nothing. It was a habit of "restraining his anger" that he had developed.

"Fine, these are KS16 ropes. Untie him first," said the man missing his left arm. "Lock him up and observe him for two days."

It was the most normal response, yet at this moment, it was the friendliest thing anyone had said.

A man carrying only a long blade stepped forward and crouched down to help Qu Jianlei untie the ropes.

Judging solely by his weapon, one could guess that he was also a Scavenger.

However, the long blade at his waist was no ordinary item. It was likely a Super-frequency Oscillation Blade.

Fundamentally, scavenging was more than a technical job. It tested not only one's eye but also one's strength.

And equipment itself was part of one's strength!

As he untied the ropes, two guns remained trained on Qu Jianlei, guarding against him suddenly attacking.

But then the man with the long blade gave a soft cry of surprise. "Huh... you untied yourself long ago?"

Qu Jianlei was highly skilled at tying knots, but unfortunately, this time he had encountered an expert.

Still, he did not feel embarrassed in the slightest. He merely kept his eyelids lowered and answered, "I was looking for a chance to escape."

"This one... will be hard to save," the woman said, nudging Rogers's body with the tip of her foot.

Then she gave Qu Jianlei a disdainful look. "You just watched him die? You did not even try to stop the bleeding?"

Qu Jianlei did not want to answer, but on second thought, refusing to answer would only deepen the suspicion that he was a Fallen.

So he muttered under his breath, "I'm afraid of dying!"

"What the hell!" the woman cursed angrily, then turned and strode out of the room.

"You really have no shame!" the man with the long blade could not help saying as he rose to his feet.

"Since you've untied yourself, do it yourself."

Qu Jianlei curled his lip speechlessly. You people aren't ashamed of killing innocents to claim credit, yet you have the nerve to lecture me?

Still, no one else found anything wrong with that, though no one blamed him either.

Killing innocents to claim credit required skill too... Silly Qu, you might want to do it, but could you even pull it off?

The real issue was that he had been in a position to help one of his own kind, yet had chosen not to. It was only natural for people to say a few things.

Of course, no one accused him of being cold-blooded. Staying alive... mattered more than anything.

Survivors of the Wasteland were simply that realistic.

Third Master, however, gave Royce another couple of looks and recognized him. "Isn't this... one of that little gang from Ore Washing?"

Anything valuable picked up at the Garbage Dump had to be handed over to specialists for processing, commonly known as Ore Washing.

The profits from Ore Washing were not particularly high, but it was not something a lone individual could manage.

Third Master even recalled that this dying fellow seemed to have some connection to Silly Qu.