Chapter Summaries

Qu Jianlei woke bound in a dark place among dismembered bodies and realized he and Rogers had been captured by the Fallen. As Rogers begged for help, Qu Jianlei suspected the situation might be a trap but could not bring himself to ignore him.

• Qu Jianlei recalled being knocked unconscious while hauling garbage for a scavenger who had hired his tricycle.
• Qu Jianlei recognized Rogers, whose betrayal had once ended their fragile friendship, and learned they were being held by the Fallen.
• Rogers admitted he had eaten human flesh, but Qu Jianlei suspected he had not and accused him of acting self-righteous.
• Rogers revealed they had been captured for three days and begged Qu Jianlei to save him from the Fallen.
• Qu Jianlei considered whether the capture was a trap aimed at his secrets, knew he should refuse Rogers, and struggled to control his urge to help.

Qu Jianlei secretly freed his hands while he and Rogers were held captive by the Fallen, conserving his strength for a chance to escape. When gunfire outside drew their captor away, Rogers was stabbed in the neck and begged Qu Jianlei for help.

• Qu Jianlei rejected Rogers's suggestion that he rely on the people behind the Fallen and began secretly working at the ropes binding him.
• A two-headed Fallen beat Qu Jianlei and Rogers, then left their cell door unlocked; Qu Jianlei used his computational ability to undo and retie the rope around his hands.
• Qu Jianlei refused meat and saved his strength while Rogers ate and pleaded with him to cooperate.
• When the two-headed Fallen returned with a dagger, gunfire outside interrupted him, and he rushed out to investigate.
• The Fallen threw his dagger at Rogers as he left, piercing Rogers's neck, and Rogers called on Qu Jianlei to save him.

Qu Jianlei survived the Hunters’ raid by pretending to be dead, then faced their suspicion and threats when they found him. Third Master identified the dying Rogers as someone connected to Qu Jianlei, leaving their past association in question.

• Qu Jianlei ignored Rogers’s plea for help, freed himself from his restraints, and pretended to be dead while Rogers bled out.
• Hunters entered the dismemberment storeroom and argued over whether to test, kill, or sell Qu Jianlei and Rogers.
• Qu Jianlei recognized Third Master among the Survivors and explained that he made his living at the garbage dump.
• Third Master warned the Hunters that selling Qu Jianlei would disrupt the garbage dump’s order, and they decided to lock him up and observe him.
• A Hunter discovered Qu Jianlei had already untied himself, and the Scarface Woman criticized him for letting Rogers die.
• Third Master recognized Rogers as someone from the Ore Washing gang and recalled that he had a connection to Qu Jianlei.

Qu Jianlei was imprisoned in a pit by Third Master’s Survivors after the Fallen incident, where hunger and suspicion made him the target of recruitment and threats. When Hong Number Four’s Patrol Team arrived, its members questioned him and gave him Nutrient Solution and water, leaving him still confined but fed.

• Third Master had Qu Jianlei thrown into a deep pit with Rogers’ corpse, then gave him a tube of Nutrient Solution in exchange for two future deliveries.
• A person questioned Qu Jianlei about his tricycle and offered him work, but Qu Jianlei refused and was told not to touch the Nutrient Solution left for him.
• After a day without food, Qu Jianlei heard Hong Number Four’s Patrol Team arrive, fire on a fleeing wanted criminal, and order everyone to raise their hands.
• Two Patrol Members questioned Qu Jianlei, who explained that he had been captured by the Fallen and had barely eaten in five days.
• A Patrol Member tossed Qu Jianlei four tubes of Nutrient Solution and ordered him to eat them; Qu Jianlei swallowed three, then asked for water and received a waterskin.

Qu Jianlei survived a patrol test and was caught up in Mr. Sai’s search for a Pink Mecha. After Mr. Sai killed Scarface Woman and a Hunter retaliated with explosives, Mr. Sai narrowed his questioning to the Mine, but Third Master challenged his assumption that Scavengers were easier to bully.

• Qu Jianlei drank water and Nutrient Solution, then passed the One-eyed Petty Boss’s test for being Fallen.
• Qu Jianlei joined the captured Scavengers and Hunters as Mr. Sai asked who had found a Pink Mecha within the past ten days.
• Third Master said there were many Pink Mechas, and Scarface Woman asked Mr. Sai what made the one he sought unusual.
• Mr. Sai killed Scarface Woman, and her lover charged him before being riddled with bullets and detonating explosives that destroyed a light truck.
• Mr. Sai decided to question only people from the Mine, but Third Master challenged him by asking whether Mine workers were easier to bully.

After Third Master and Tie Tou were killed, Mr. Sai questioned the scavengers about a Pink Mecha and ordered them to take injections that would let him control them. Qu Jianlei avoided the injection by claiming he was only a mine porter, but Mr. Sai decided he might be useful as an informant.

• Mr. Sai's Gloomy Young Man shot Third Master, and Mr. Sai challenged the scavengers to resist.
• Tie Tou questioned whether killing the scavengers would help Mr. Sai get information, and Mr. Sai had him shot.
• Mr. Sai ordered Patrol Members to hunt down the four escapees, then questioned the remaining scavengers about a Pink Mecha.
• Mr. Sai demanded that the scavengers watch for information and take injections requiring regular antidotes; he also had the Hunters register their information.
• Qu Jianlei refused to join the injection line, claiming he was only a porter who worked outside the mine.
• Mr. Sai heard Qu Jianlei's explanation and decided the mine porter could serve as a useful chess piece.

Mr. Sai hired Qu Jianlei to report information about the Mine and gave him a dangerous injection, Nutrient Solution, and a communicator. After Mr. Sai’s convoy left, Qu Jianlei faced suspicion and hostility from the Survivors, then ordered a Hunter to put down his Laser Pistol.

• Mr. Sai hired Qu Jianlei to gather information about the Mine, promised rewards for important discoveries, and had him injected with a No. 2 Injection.
• Qu Jianlei secretly tried to slow the injection’s circulation, then received five days’ wages and an Alloy Ring communicator.
• Mr. Sai led the convoy away after the last escaped person was dragged back dead, and the Survivors recovered their weapons.
• A burly Hunter confronted Qu Jianlei about his payment, but withdrew after learning Mr. Sai had hired him.
• A female scavenger accused Qu Jianlei of using his new position to threaten the Scavengers, and Qu Jianlei ordered a Hunter to put down his Laser Pistol.

Qu Jianlei claimed Greedy Wolf’s Laser Pistol as Third Master’s legacy, then abandoned the dispute when Greedy Wolf left rather than risk summoning Mr. Sai again. He looted Tie Tou and Third Master’s corpses, asserted his right to their scavenging territories, and told the Scavengers he would monitor their work and inspect their finds while he continued serving Mr. Sai.

• Qu Jianlei confronted Greedy Wolf over Third Master’s Laser Pistol and invoked Mr. Sai, forcing Greedy Wolf to drop the pistol and its holster.
• Qu Jianlei demanded Greedy Wolf’s Super-frequency Oscillation Blades, but Greedy Wolf refused and rode away; Qu Jianlei decided not to contact Mr. Sai again.
• A scavenger suggested Qu Jianlei take Tie Tou’s Vibrating Blade, and Qu Jianlei also took Tie Tou’s Gauss Automatic Rifle, ammunition, and other belongings.
• Qu Jianlei searched Third Master’s corpse and declared that he was qualified to take over both dead men’s scavenging territories, though he had no immediate plans to scavenge.
• Qu Jianlei told the Scavengers he would gather information, monitor their cooperation, and inspect the garbage they collected, prompting the filthy woman to accuse him of breaking their rules.

Qu Jianlei learned that the injection was a failed Gene Modification Agent with dangerous side effects, then released the energy he had kept sealed and felt it burn around his xiphoid process. The chapter left him feeling strength surge through his body and his mind grow unusually clear.

• Qu Jianlei asked the scavengers about the injection, and a middle-aged scavenger offered to explain it in exchange for a reward.
• The middle-aged scavenger identified the injection as a Gene Modification Agent that lasted one and a half to two months but could kill or permanently disable recipients.
• The scavenger explained that fewer than five percent of recipients gained physical improvements and said he had been injected with the agent himself.
• Qu Jianlei reasoned that the agent might be modifying the area around the xiphoid process, near the Middle Dantian.
• Qu Jianlei released the Qi and Blood he had kept sealed, felt the energy spread through his body, and experienced burning at his xiphoid process as his strength and clarity increased.

Qu Jianlei withdrew from the scavengers and hunters, then hid in a wilderness shelter to investigate the heat caused by the failed Gene Serum. While practicing, he glimpsed his old artificial intelligence Xiao Hu and received a cultivation technique, leaving him wondering whether his transmigration cheat had finally activated.

• Qu Jianlei refused to help the scavengers and hunters wrap things up and returned to work, deciding to study the Gene Serum's effects on his own.
• Qu Jianlei hurried to a hidden wilderness shelter, checked his new flashlight, and examined the Qi and Blood in his body.
• Qu Jianlei practiced a standing stance, and the heat around his xiphoid process flowed into his lower dantian as his soreness eased.
• Qu Jianlei saw a fleeting image of Xiao Hu, his artificial intelligence from Shenzhou, before the image vanished and his head began to ache.
• Qu Jianlei consumed Nutrient Solution and rationed his water while enduring the pain, then received the Nameless Qi Refining Art in his mind and wondered if his system had activated.

Qu Jianlei concluded that Xiao Hu had helped him deduce an incomplete Qi Refining Art, confirmed that he could sense qi, and decided to keep developing it. After returning to his Settlement, he discovered his tricycle and charcoal had been stolen and confronted Fat Sister, who pointed him toward Morrison.

• Qu Jianlei reasoned that Xiao Hu had awakened after he consumed Nutrient Solution and had hurriedly deduced the Nameless Qi Refining Art; he tested its method and confirmed that he could sense qi in his lower dantian.
• Qu Jianlei decided to pursue cultivation despite the technique's gaps, practiced standing meditation, and fell asleep exhausted.
• Qu Jianlei returned to his home and found that his spare tricycle, several Metal Rods, and most of his charcoal had been stolen.
• Qu Jianlei confronted Fat Sister about the theft, and she initially denied knowing anything while boasting about her connections.
• Qu Jianlei threatened Fat Sister with his Gauss Automatic Rifle, and she told him that Morrison had recently been hauling goods with a tricycle at the mine.
• Qu Jianlei asked whether Fat Sister had bought his stolen charcoal, which she had received from thieves before.

Qu Jianlei went to the Mine armed with two guns and settled an old score with Gap Tooth, who surrendered his blade rather than challenge him. A subordinate of Third Master then confronted Qu Jianlei about the Laser Pistol, leaving their dispute unresolved.

• Fat Sister admitted Morrison had taken charcoal, and Qu Jianlei left after deciding not to argue with her.
• Qu Jianlei went to the Garbage Dump armed and decided to inspect only the Scavengers connected to Mr. Sai’s request.
• Gap Tooth tried to bully Qu Jianlei, but backed down after others identified Qu Jianlei’s guns and he surrendered his Super-frequency Oscillation Blade.
• Qu Jianlei let the public Transport Goods truck pass without inspecting its cargo, and the driver and Scavengers discussed how he had obtained his weapons.
• A slightly chubby subordinate of Third Master confronted Qu Jianlei about Third Master's Laser Pistol, and Qu Jianlei said he had picked it up.

Qu Jianlei confronted Morrison for taking his tricycle and demanded compensation, while Third Master's men plotted to kill him and reclaim the Laser Pistol. The chapter left Morrison cornered by Qu Jianlei, who demanded payment with a blade and gun in hand.

• The slightly plump young man demanded Third Master's Laser Pistol from Qu Jianlei, but Qu Jianlei refused and warned him off.
• The slightly plump young man and Red Hair planned to kill Qu Jianlei and take back the pistol, borrowing a Gauss Automatic Rifle from Sister Na.
• Morrison admitted he had taken Qu Jianlei's tricycle and led him to where it was hidden.
• Qu Jianlei slashed at Morrison when he offered no compensation, but Morrison dodged the attacks.
• Qu Jianlei drew his Laser Gun alongside his blade and demanded compensation, while Morrison protested that he was too poor to pay.

Qu Jianlei forced Morrison to work off his debt and shot him in the leg when he tried to borrow a dagger. He then killed Third Master's two assistants when they came to reclaim the Laser Gun, leaving Morrison wary of him and warning him to keep silent.

• Qu Jianlei made Morrison pull his cart to repay his debt, then stabbed him in the thigh when Morrison asked to borrow his dagger.
• A woman and a burly youth watched Qu Jianlei and Morrison from a garbage dump, and the woman told the youth not to alert anyone.
• The slightly chubby young man and Red Hair approached Qu Jianlei to reclaim Third Master's Laser Gun, and Qu Jianlei backed away before opening fire.
• Qu Jianlei killed the slightly chubby young man and Red Hair, explaining that Third Master's kindness did not extend to them.
• Qu Jianlei warned Morrison to keep quiet, and Morrison offered to bury the bodies.

After Qu Jianlei killed two Scavengers, more people asked him to inspect their goods, and he helped Morrison earn money while selling a damaged sword. Mohawk Head and two armed men decided to ambush Qu Jianlei and Morrison outside Luan Shi Camp.

• Qu Jianlei kept the weapons from the two dead Scavengers and made Morrison bury their bodies, then offered him a chance to hunt other Scavengers for a share of the spoils.
• The dirty woman told her young relative to let Qu Jianlei inspect their goods, and other Scavengers followed by bringing him their cargo.
• Qu Jianlei took the Scavengers' goods to a trading spot, while Morrison sold his own haul; Qu Jianlei then tried to sell a damaged Vibrating Blade, but Cripple offered too little and insulted him.
• Mohawk Head saw Qu Jianlei leave without reacting to Cripple's insults and gathered two armed men, while Cripple warned him off and revealed his Laser Pistol.
• Qu Jianlei found Morrison using Blue Beauty and told him it was time to return to camp; Mohawk Head's group spotted them and decided to wait outside Luan Shi Camp.

Qu Jianlei and Morrison were ambushed by three men who wanted their weapons and information about where Qu Jianlei had obtained them. Qu Jianlei killed all three attackers and kept their equipment, though Morrison survived by surrendering.

• Qu Jianlei hid on the tricycle behind a dummy while Morrison pulled it, unaware that three men were lying in wait.
• Second Brother fired at them from behind as Quick Saber blocked their path, and Morrison immediately surrendered.
• Qu Jianlei recognized Mohawk Head as one of the men he had seen outside the general store and secretly readied his Laser Gun.
• Qu Jianlei distracted Mohawk Head with a staged cry, then shot him with the Laser Gun when he approached.
• Qu Jianlei imitated Mohawk Head's voice to deceive Second Brother and Quick Saber, then killed both with the Gauss Automatic Rifle.

After killing the three men who had ambushed them, Qu Jianlei settled his debt with Morrison but agreed to let him seek compensation from Cripple in exchange for half the proceeds. The next day, Qu Jianlei traded a sword for charcoal and worried about earning the money he needed before a figure confronted him at the garbage dump.

• Qu Jianlei killed the three pursuers, then told Morrison their debt was settled and refused to take him on as a follower.
• Morrison proposed seeking compensation from Cripple, and Qu Jianlei agreed only if Morrison did not use his name and shared half the proceeds.
• Qu Jianlei lent Morrison a Gauss Automatic Rifle and returned home to sleep.
• Qu Jianlei tried to sell Gap Tooth's longsword to Fat Sister, then traded it for charcoal and resolved to find a way to earn money.
• Qu Jianlei rode his tricycle to the garbage dump, where a figure confronted him and accused him of being unfair.

Qu Jianlei and Morrison argued over the broken rifle and divided the spoils before Qu Jianlei joined more than forty Scavengers on a trip to Hong Four Settlement to demand the antidote. At the city gate, Tu Zuo Fu demanded news about the mech and challenged the group over their complaints, leaving the question of the antidote unresolved.

• Morrison confronted Qu Jianlei about lending him a broken rifle, and Qu Jianlei explained his gamble with Old Cripple before taking six tubes of Nutrient Solution as his share.
• Morrison borrowed the rifle again and stayed with Qu Jianlei for two days, earning money by helping push the tricycle and skimming small amounts from others.
• Dirty Woman and the short, sturdy man asked Qu Jianlei to go to Hong Four Settlement for the antidote, and more than forty Scavengers set out with him overnight.
• Qu Jianlei left Morrison with the tricycle and entrusted Fat Sister with selling his extra weapons as the group traveled to the Settlement.
• Tu Zuo Fu met the Scavengers at the southern gate, demanded news of the mech, and asked who among them resented his demands.
• Qu Jianlei admitted he would not dare complain, and Tu Zuo Fu questioned whether the group expected to receive the antidote for free.

Tu Zuo Fu killed a Scavenger to assert control, then distributed antidotes and gave Qu Jianlei Nutrient Solution. After the medicine eased their pain, the Scavengers urged Qu Jianlei to lead them, while a shopkeeper and Old Wu discussed stealing his Secret Silver Plate and learned he was with more than forty Scavengers.

• Tu Zuo Fu shot a stocky Scavenger who asked Qu Jianlei to speak for the group, then warned the others to find information within five days.
• The Dirty Woman and the other Scavengers took their antidotes, and Tu Zuo Fu gave Qu Jianlei a pouch of Nutrient Solution.
• Qu Jianlei felt the antidote rapidly ease his pain and suspected it was a powerful medicine, while Collins urged him to lead the Scavengers in finding a plan.
• Qu Jianlei browsed the settlement and asked a shopkeeper about his silver plate, but refused the shopkeeper's offer of five Silver Horns.
• The shopkeeper and Old Wu considered targeting Qu Jianlei, then learned he was part of a group of more than forty Scavengers with three vehicles.

After the Scavengers returned, Qu Jianlei resisted taking charge of their response to the antidote killings and secretly used his remaining antidote and Nutrient Solution to advance his Qi Refining Art. He set out to seek information about Mutated Beasts, but an attacker ambushed him with a Gauss Automatic Rifle.

• The shopkeeper ordered Old Wu to confirm Qu Jianlei's identity and arrange for someone at the Garbage Dump to watch him.
• On the ride back, Qu Jianlei told the Scavengers that the antidote was rare and that people had been killed to conserve it; Collins and Dirty Woman urged the group to stop mining and gather information.
• Qu Jianlei returned home, studied the antidote, then endured another bout of head pain and practiced the Nameless Qi Refining Art until he had consumed all eight bottles of Nutrient Solution.
• Qu Jianlei asked Fat Sister for recent information about Black Fur Steel Bristle Rats, then decided to seek information from Old Cripple instead.
• After walking about ten kilometers toward the other camp, Qu Jianlei dodged a sudden burst of fire from a Gauss Automatic Rifle and realized he had been ambushed.