Cold-Blooded and Hot-Blooded

The water in the skin pouch was not very clean, but out here in the wilderness, having something to drink was already good enough.

Did some mere wilderness survivor have the right to touch a Patrol Member's waterskin?

"Thank you, sir." Qu Jianlei still thanked him obediently, opened the skin pouch, and took six small sips.

Six sips were enough. He knew what the water in the skin pouch was for and did not dare drink too much.

Murky water was unavoidable, but as long as it was not poisonous, drinking a little would not matter. The key was to know one's limits.

Then he opened a tube of Nutrient Solution and swallowed it without hesitation.

Right after that, he stood and bowed. "Thank you, sirs."

The Long Blade Patrol Member was clearly becoming interested. "Can you still eat? I have more Nutrient Solution here... how many tubes do you want?"

The question was not asked out of kindness. He was even starting to wonder whether he should take bets.

"Thank you, sir, but no more." Qu Jianlei slowly shook his head. "Too much is as bad as too little."

"What is this guy saying?" someone called out. Another one-eyed patrolman approached, and he looked like a Petty Boss.

Qu Jianlei's way of phrasing things had always been somewhat different from the local natives. It was his way of remembering Shenzhou.

It was not that he could not change it. He simply felt there was no need—everyone already thought something was wrong with his head anyway.

The One-eyed Petty Boss did not understand "too much is as bad as too little," but after some back-and-forth, he learned what had happened to Qu Jianlei.

"Utter nonsense." The Petty Boss took out a small disc and tossed it down. "Test yourself... you know how to use it, right?"

It was a Disposable Injector. Press it hard against the skin, and a needle would spring out to deliver an injection.

There was not much liquid inside, but it was enough for some simple tests. This was also the most convenient way to test for Fallen.

However, the words "you know how to use it, right?" were genuinely high-tech to Qu Jianlei.

It was only because this man was a Petty Boss that he could casually take out something like this.

Qu Jianlei examined it for a while, then tried pressing it against the back of his hand. He looked up again and asked with his eyes, "Like this?"

"That's right." The Petty Boss nodded, unable to stop himself from muttering, "This guy's observational skills aren't bad."

Qu Jianlei had no idea what this thing was, but clearly, he had no right to refuse.

After the liquid entered the back of his hand, he felt a wave of heat race up his arm straight toward his heart. "Ah... this?"

After nearly half a minute, the Petty Boss spoke.

"No changes. He probably hasn't eaten anyone. Get up there yourself... and bring that corpse on your back!"

Qu Jianlei finally relaxed, but he could not help grumbling inwardly, Isn't your testing method a little too crude and violent?

That sudden burning sensation just now had been a terrible user experience.

Still, it was a free testing item casually handed out to him, so he could not ask for too much.

As for climbing out of the huge pit, it was not particularly difficult, even with a corpse on his back.

"Alright, gather together." The Petty Boss gave a slight nod, turned, and left. "Business first!"

Qu Jianlei carried the corpse over and saw more than twenty Scavengers, over thirty Hunters, and several injured people.

They were the main force that had attacked the Fallen, but now they were all squatting on the ground with their hands over their heads.

At least fifty people in Patrol Team uniforms stood around them.

Not far away were three off-road light trucks, two Armored Vehicles, and more than a dozen motorcycles with wide tires and high wheels.

The light trucks were open-topped, simple and rugged, with heavy Gauss Machine Guns mounted on their beds, their calibers looking downright vicious.

The Armored Vehicles had smoothbore cannons at the front and machine guns mounted on top, making them even deadlier weapons.

The off-road light trucks and Armored Vehicles surrounded Qu Jianlei's group, with people manning every Weapon Platform.

Anyone who dared ignore orders and run would quickly learn that those weapons were not just for show.

After looking around, Qu Jianlei dropped the corpse, obediently walked to the side, squatted down, and clasped his hands over his head.

Strictly speaking, he was support personnel and had nothing to do with these people.

But this was the Wasteland. Insisting that he was different was often no different from seeking death.

Going along with the crowd was the right way.

A group of people got down from the larger Armored Vehicle. Leading them was a young man around twenty-seven or twenty-eight.

He was exceptionally Handsome, richly dressed, and carried himself with imposing dignity, though there was a trace of gloominess between his brows.

Qu Jianlei watched him from the corner of his eye. He's even more handsome than I am. He must be... the villain, right?

The man climbed onto an Open-Top Light Truck, picked up a High-Volume Loudspeaker, and spoke. "Do not ask who I am. You are not worthy of knowing!"

"I have one question. Answer correctly, and you may live... within the past ten days, who found a Pink Mecha?"

His presence was simply overwhelming. Compared to him, the Patrol Team members were like kittens before a tiger.

But the Survivors squatting on the ground were not easy people either. They secretly exchanged looks, yet no one spoke.

Seeing no response, the One-eyed Petty Boss spoke up. "Mr. Sai is from the Hong Character Main Branch. This is a rare opportunity."

The Hong Character Main Settlement governed every numbered Settlement bearing the character Hong. Ordinary people could not possibly imagine how powerful it was.

Someone spoke up in astonishment. It was Third Master, squatting on the ground on one leg. "Mr. Sai, there are many Pink Mechas!"

The Gloomy Young Man glanced at him and gave a soft snort. "I want information on every Pink Mecha."

Third Master immediately fell silent. With his experience, he had already realized that something was wrong with today's situation. Listening more and speaking less was the proper course.

But Scarface Woman, who only had half a left ear remaining, did not have such sharp instincts.

She directly asked in a rough voice, "Mr. Sai, does this Pink Mecha... have any unusual characteristics? It would make it easier for us to ask around."

Mr. Sai lifted his chin slightly. With a bang, Scarface Woman's head exploded instantly.

The scene immediately fell into deathly silence, broken only by the mournful whistling of the wind.

After a while, Mr. Sai gave a cold snort. "I am the one asking questions. Who gave you the illusion... that you were qualified to question me?"

"Do not try to tell me how to do things. You! Are! Not! Worthy!"

"We are Hunters!" A man stood up and stared coldly at him. "You're directing your anger at the wrong people!"

"Oh... you surprise me." Mr. Sai looked him up and down twice. Instead of getting angry, he asked, "You're not afraid of death?"

"Fuck you!" Flames flashed beneath the man's feet as his body shot forward like a cannonball. "You filthy woman... wait for me!"

He and Scarface Woman were not merely lovers; they had pledged to live and die together.

Lives were cheap in the Wasteland, but hot-blooded people were not scarce—none of them cared much about their own lives.

The Gauss Machine Gun went tuk-tuk-tuk, and the man was riddled with holes in midair, his blood spraying across the sky.

But almost at the same moment, Qu Jianlei closed his eyes and threw himself to the ground.

Sure enough, with a deafening boom, the entire ground shook several times.

The man had triggered the Fire-luring Burst of the Explosives on his body the instant he was shot.

Mr. Sai might underestimate the fierceness of these lower-class people, but Qu Jianlei understood it all too well, and thus escaped disaster.

A shockwave swept over him. Qu Jianlei only felt a burning pain across his back; he had probably been caught by a small amount of the blast.

By the time he squatted back down, the light truck ahead had already been blown apart.

Mr. Sai was not seriously injured. Two people had raised shields in front of him, and only his clothes were somewhat damaged.

His face was also smudged with soot, and half his hair and eyebrows had been singed away.

For a moment, he was furious. "These scum all deserve to die... kill them!"

"Mr. Sai, please calm your anger." The One-eyed Petty Boss had no choice but to speak. "These are all experts at surviving!"

"If we can kill every last one of them, then fine. But what if we can't?"

As he spoke, the smoke gradually dispersed.

Several of the Survivors who had been squatting on the ground had already vanished, nobody knew where.

Mr. Sai froze for a moment, then decisively made a decision. "I will only question people from the Mine. It has nothing to do with the Hunters."

Clearly, he had realized that the Hong Character Settlement network was indeed powerful, but it could not do anything to lawless Survivors.

This was the normal state of the Wasteland—you may be powerful, but what does that have to do with me?

Division was necessary. Otherwise, if he pushed them too far and even the Hong Four Patrol Team stood by and watched, he would be in real trouble.

He had come here to pursue a piece of detailed information. Arrogance was inevitable, but if it affected the result, not even a hundred deaths would atone for his failure.

The killing just now had merely been because he disliked being offended, while also serving to establish his authority—after all, lives were cheap in the Wasteland.

But he had truly witnessed the unyielding spirit of those at the bottom, and had no choice but to rein himself in.

There was nothing to be done. Faced with people who would Self-Destruct at the slightest disagreement, no one had any solution.

With his abilities, making the entire Hong Four Settlement disappear would not be a problem, but... could he silence everyone?

So it was better to honestly admit that he was mainly targeting the Scavengers.

Hunters were more unruly. There was no need to offend a group that had not originally been his enemy.

But Third Master was not having it. He raised his head and chuckled. "So people from the Mine are easier to bully?"

Those who made a living at the Garbage Dump did have somewhat lower social standing. Unlike Hunters, they did not actively hunt Mutated Beasts.

But lower social standing did not mean less influence, much less lower income.

In fact, the upper ranks at the Mine earned far more than the upper ranks among Hunters—even the upper ranks of the patrols could not compare.

Never underestimate scrap collectors. Without connections reaching the heavens, one simply could not work in this industry.

Hunters only needed to risk their lives, but to succeed at the Mine, one not only had to risk one's life, but also know how to deal with people.

Behind many high-end Scavengers stood major powers. They did not need to "wash ore" at all; they could process everything themselves.

If someone said those people were not white gloves, would anyone believe it?

Third Master had retired from being a Hunter because he had lost a leg and his abilities no longer allowed it.

But he never believed Hunters were truly nobler than Scavengers—it only sounded better.

Anyone could fight and kill, but to become a qualified Scavenger, one also needed brains!