Another One

Xiao Jing dragged back a middle-aged man. He was unshaven, his clothes stuffed full, making his whole body look oval.

But one look at his face showed that he was gaunt to the bone, like a layer of skin stretched over a skull.

Qu Jianlei glanced at Xiao Jing in surprise. "I didn't expect you to be this strong."

Xiao Jing was straightforward. "He's very light. His clothes are stuffed with insulation material, and that's light too."

From the bottom of his heart, Qu Jianlei did not want to take in another person. Every winter in the Wasteland, people froze or starved to death.

The original owner of the body he had transmigrated into had frozen and starved to death just after winter had passed.

After pondering for a moment, he asked, "What made you think of saving someone?"

"I ran into him," Xiao Jing said, looking somewhat helpless. "Just like how you ran into me back then."

Qu Jianlei did not want to hurt a child's feelings, but he still refuted him. "You said you were useful."

"Maybe he's useful too," Xiao Jing replied instinctively, then immediately explained, "Whether to save him or not, that's up to you."

Of course it was up to him! The corner of Qu Jianlei's mouth twitched, and he shook his head with a bitter smile.

"You've already brought him back. What else can I do?"

Out in the wild, he could turn a blind eye and keep far away. But watching someone die right before his eyes was a hurdle he could not get past.

Xiao Jing pursed his lips. "I can throw him back out."

Qu Jianlei fell silent for a while before finally sighing. "Forget it. It's just a bowl of water and a tube of Nutrient Solution."

Xiao Jing remained cautious. He first covered the man's eyes, then tied up his hands and feet before feeding him.

Before long, the man let out a faint sigh and came back to life—the vitality of Wasteland people really was extraordinary.

He moved his limbs, shook his head, and then his body stiffened.

He remained frozen in that stiff posture for a long time without moving.

"I know you're awake," Xiao Jing said impatiently. "I saved you, understand?"

The man still did not react. He had even stopped breathing.

"Stop pretending," Xiao Jing said, growing increasingly displeased. "If you don't speak, I'll throw you outside right now."

The man finally moved slightly and slowly spoke. "Fallen?"

Xiao Jing replied disdainfully, "You're this skinny. How starving would a Fallen have to be before they'd even think of saving you?"

"Then thank you." The man nodded slightly in Xiao Jing's direction and let out a long breath.

"If you were Fallen, I might as well have died... You saved me. What do you need me to do?"

The latter half was typical Wasteland thinking. Saving a stranger in such freezing conditions... there had to be an ulterior motive! As for kindness, Wasteland people never considered such a factor.

Xiao Jing had been waiting for that question. He immediately asked, "What can you do?"

Perhaps the man's brain had been frozen stiff. After a long pause, he answered, "It seems I can't do much."

"Then you're useless." Xiao Jing stepped forward without hesitation, bent down, and grabbed the hood over the man's head.

Then he began dragging him outside. "You're awake now. I've done right by you."

"Wait," the man finally said anxiously, but he still asked, "Why did you save me?"

"I ran into you." Xiao Jing dragged him toward the door. "Someone saved me like this too, so now we're even."

"Wait, I do have skills," the man quickly said. "I have more than twenty years of wilderness survival experience."

"That... doesn't seem very useful." After thinking for a moment, Xiao Jing asked again, "Can you drive?"

"Yes, of course!" the man answered hurriedly. "Driving, repairing cars, shooting, repairing guns... none of that is a problem."

Xiao Jing released his grip. "Why didn't you say so earlier?"

The man immediately fell silent. After a long while, he finally said, "Aren't those all basic survival skills?"

"I'm the one asking you!" Xiao Jing snapped without hesitation. "Other than those... what else can you do?"

The man froze again. After a long time, he answered, "I've traveled to many places. I'm familiar with terrain and Mutated Beasts."

Xiao Jing first snorted disdainfully, then paused—what I lack is practical experience! He looked toward Qu Jianlei. "Bro, what should we do with him?"

When Qu Jianlei heard Xiao Jing ask whether the man could drive, he understood what the kid was thinking.

It seemed that being pursued by so many vehicles last time had left quite a shadow on him.

Still, he answered unhurriedly, "Have you thought this through? We don't have much winter supplies either."

Xiao Jing replied decisively, "I'll keep an eye on him. As long as he doesn't starve to death, it's fine."

Qu Jianlei was in excellent physical condition now, so he was not worried about this scrawny man causing trouble.

The only concern was that if they took him in, this comfortable winter shelter would be exposed.

They had worked themselves to the bone for nearly two months to improve this place.

But on second thought, if Mr. Sai's threat was not resolved, he would not risk spending another winter here anyway.

So he relaxed. "Tell me something. With over twenty years of wilderness survival experience... why did you nearly starve to death?"

The man's mind turned unusually slowly. After a long while, he slowly spat out four words. "I was betrayed."

"Ha." At that, Qu Jianlei could not even be bothered to ask more. Loyalty and betrayal were timeless topics in the Wasteland.

He had no intention of rubbing salt in the man's wounds. He merely glanced at Xiao Jing. "Handle it as you see fit. Just don't regret it."

Xiao Jing said nothing, and neither did the man. The room fell silent.

After a while, Xiao Jing kicked the man. "Aren't you going to state your position?"

The man waited for a moment before answering softly, "If words alone meant anything, why would there be so many betrayals?"

"I don't care about that." Xiao Jing spoke unreasonably. "I want to hear you say it."

The man fell silent again before speaking. "If that's the case, I promise... as long as I'm alive, I won't let you die."

"What a hassle," Xiao Jing muttered. Then he looked at Qu Jianlei. "Bro, should we let him stay here or find another place for him?"

"You decide," Qu Jianlei truly did not interfere. He wanted to see the kid's judgment and ability to handle matters.

Xiao Jing looked around the room, somewhat hesitant. "Such a good place to spend the winter might be exposed."

"For a Survivor, isn't everywhere home?" Qu Jianlei replied indifferently. "Wouldn't it be even better to live in a Settlement?"

"A Settlement isn't nearly as comfortable as this," Xiao Jing replied without hesitation.

He had every right to say so. "Even if you have something good, you have to hide it away there. It's nowhere near as free as living here."

After a pause, he asked again, "Then... should I take off his blindfold?"

Qu Jianlei spread his hands, too lazy to say anything at all. He had already told Xiao Jing to decide for himself.

Xiao Jing held a short dagger in one hand and untied the blindfold with the other, then removed the rope from the man's hands.

When the man saw the light again, he discovered that the person who had saved him was actually a child, and a trace of surprise flashed through his eyes.

Then he looked again and found that the other "brother" was only a half-grown boy as well, leaving him stunned once more.

Were kids these days all this formidable?

But his surprise lasted only a moment. In the next instant, his gaze turned vacant.

He did not even untie the rope around his feet before he began sitting there in a daze.

Xiao Jing ignored him and walked straight out the door. "I'm going to get water."

To drag this person back, he had left the water bucket by the pool.

And so, this small winter shelter gained another person.

The name the man gave himself was Cracked. Once his beard was shaved off, he actually looked only a little over thirty.

Cracked was fairly tall, over 1.8 meters, and very obedient—or more accurately, dull-witted.

Most of the time, he sat at the Channel Entrance, the most secluded part of the room, staring blankly without moving.

Even at mealtimes, he was the same. Unless Xiao Jing told him to eat, he absolutely would not move.

Of course, when he smelled food, his eyes occasionally shifted, but his body never moved.

He noticed Qu Jianlei and Xiao Jing's training sessions too, but he absolutely would not stare.

Xiao Jing had even tested him by not letting him drink water for two days, and he truly did not ask for it on his own.

Hairless Freak assigned him some work as well. He did not resist, but after working for a while, he would stop.

Xiao Jing thought the guy was trying to slack off and punished him several times. Yet... he never learned.

Hairless Freak was so angry that he wanted to drive him away, but in the end he held back. If you like slacking off, I'll just order you around more often.

What Xiao Jing found most intolerable was Cracked's attitude toward bathing.

At first, Hairless Freak had not even considered making him bathe—such a luxurious life was not something just anyone could enjoy.

But after only a few days, he could no longer stand it. The smell on the man was too overpowering!

After asking Qu Jianlei for permission, Xiao Jing ordered him to wash himself clean.

Rarely, Cracked actually showed resistance. Even if they had the means, they should not be this wasteful!

Xiao Jing had no choice but to take out the short dagger again and force him to comply.

After changing the bathwater who knew how many times, Cracked finally got himself clean.

He was a man with an air of hardship and age about him, but he probably was not that old.

Although his food intake was restricted, he still put on some flesh. He was still thin, but at least he looked somewhat human now.

After that, Xiao Jing continued interacting with Cracked. Qu Jianlei spoke to the man no more than three sentences.

Hairless Freak insisted on this. He believed that since he had picked the man up, he should be responsible for him himself.

And he said something rather philosophical: "Only by keeping your distance can you better maintain your authority."

Qu Jianlei believed Hairless Freak had probably heard that from his elders, but... it really did make sense.

And so, without them realizing it, time passed quickly.

Eventually, Xiao Jing was the first to lose his patience.

He did not dare provoke Black Sky Bro, so he bothered Cracked instead, wanting to know what had happened to him.

Cracked was extremely unwilling to speak of his past, but Xiao Jing pestered him so relentlessly that he eventually revealed a little.

In short, he seemed to have belonged to a small team whose members had long been through trials together.

But because of a woman, they had temporarily gotten involved with Fallen, and so... he had been set up.

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