Xinbiqige provides you with the fastest updates for Cultivating in the Wasteland Starting with a 'Black Magnet' Physique. Chapter 27: Rapidly Improving Strength.
There were two main factors supporting Qu Jianlei’s decision to counterattack.
The first was naturally the desire for mental clarity, but the second was even more important: poverty!
He could afford his current equipment and continue cultivating not by pretending to be Mr. Sai. Ultimately, it was because he had fought several battles; murder and plunder were the true secrets to getting rich!
Therefore, this battle was necessary, not only for mental clarity but crucially to earn money for cultivation.
With this thought, he accelerated again, heading towards where the motorcycle was hidden. He stopped about a hundred meters away.
He had hidden the motorcycle and supplies in a shallow pit, covered with a soil-colored rag. Passersby usually wouldn’t notice it unless they looked closely.
Then he turned and picked up his binoculars, looking into the distance behind him.
How many people were there? He muttered softly, "When you gaze into the abyss, the abyss gazes also into you."
It was true; he was observing them, and they were observing him.
The wasteland air wasn't good, and visibility was poor, but visibility wasn't constant.
As it was now, he could vaguely see two motorcycles speeding towards him from about two kilometers away.
Brother Dong was on the back of one motorcycle, holding binoculars, and had also spotted him.
"It's just ahead. This kid isn't slow… Huh? He spotted us?"
Qu Jianlei noted their position and immediately ducked behind a rock, taking a kneeling stance with his rifle.
Theoretically, if binoculars could see them, naked eyes could too.
But at two kilometers, people looked like tiny black dots, difficult to aim at.
Annoyingly, most Gauss automatic rifles in the wasteland lacked scopes.
Given the range and power of a Gauss gun, the absence of a scope was unreasonable.
Qu Jianlei could only assume the post-apocalyptic environment was too harsh for scopes to be necessary.
After all, firearms, besides range and power, prioritized convenience.
But aiming and firing was difficult for him, and it wasn't a problem with his marksmanship.
His aim used to be poor, but after getting his hands on a Gauss gun, he improved with a few tries.
Without bragging, Qu Jianlei believed he picked up marksmanship very quickly.
It was only on Blue Star that he wasn't interested and found it hard to access, so he never explored it.
With so many things to explore, if he wanted to interact with guns, he'd have to deal with people, so why bother?
He felt his aim was good, but he couldn't see clearly… What now?
In the next moment, he channeled his inner energy to his eyes… Damn, it actually worked.
The target didn't appear larger, but its clarity drastically increased, like a sudden jump in pixel count.
So what I saw just now was… cavalry?
But immediately, his eyes went black, followed by a throbbing pain emanating from his eyeballs.
Bad! He'd overused it… Qu Jianlei quickly reined it in.
He felt lucky his first attempt at channeling inner energy was into his legs; otherwise, his eyes… might not have survived!
He definitely needed to conduct more tests in the future; otherwise, relying on sudden inspiration could lead to disaster.
To conduct tests, economic foundation was a crucial limiting factor, so this time… he had to earn more.
By the time his vision returned, they had advanced about four hundred meters. He quickly focused and aimed.
Brother Dong saw his actions clearly through the binoculars and couldn't help but sneer.
"Still resisting? You think you're the Shadowless Gun?"
The Shadowless Gun was the most famous sniper in this area, successfully killing enemies from over ten kilometers away.
However, that individual used a laser sniper rifle with a scope, something a Gauss automatic rifle couldn't match.
But Brother Dong wasn't lacking in caution. "Sway the vehicle a bit."
With the distance already making aiming difficult, slight variations in the motorcycle's movement would make it absolutely hard for the opponent to hit.
He then added, "Advance another three hundred meters. If the opponent dares to fire, we'll provide fire suppression!"
Hua Bian was holding a single-person Gauss machine gun. Fifteen hundred meters was enough for fire suppression.
But he hesitated and said, "Brother Dong, providing fire suppression from a motorcycle… is too ammo-intensive."
A moving motorcycle isn't a stable platform for firing. The Gauss machine gun was powerful but very ammo-hungry, and he worried about losing money on this engagement.
Brother Dong snorted, "He'd better dare to shoot at us first."
In the wasteland, numbers were a huge advantage. Two motorcycles, four people – would a lone traveler dare to act?
The wasteland had no shortage of ruthless individuals, but provoking four people for no reason was practically impossible.
Look at your own conditions, and ours – you don't even have a motorcycle!
Of course, his thinking was based on a premise: the opponent's marksmanship couldn't possibly hit a moving target over a kilometer away!
Hitting a target a kilometer away was already impressive, let alone one that was not only moving but also weaving.
He believed the opponent's most likely action was a feigned aim followed by a warning shot.
However, to Qu Jianlei's absolute regret, he had no intention of firing a warning shot.
Having already decided to kill, why warn?
As for a possible misunderstanding… they just happened to choose the same path? Sorry, Qu Jianlei never believed in misunderstandings.
People in the wasteland were ruthless, and his disposition was stubborn.
When fleeing, he could completely disregard face and reasons; when attacking, he wouldn't adhere to any rules either.
With the wasteland so vast, you followed me for so long, and you claim to have no ill intentions?
My apologies, I won't even give you a chance to explain, and I certainly won't consider 'coincidence'.
Qu Jianlei held his breath. Three seconds later, he decisively pulled the trigger.
He had a sense of the leading angle. The zig-zagging movement wasn't entirely without pattern.
After the shot, the motorcycle carrying Hua Bian directly fell to the ground.
Hua Bian, who was holding the Gauss machine gun, was thrown from the vehicle, tumbling several times. "What the hell… what was that!"
The rider’s chest had a bloody hole, and he was clearly not going to survive.
Brother Dong was horrified. This single shot had completely shattered all his plans.
First, the opponent was a sharpshooter, hitting a moving target over a kilometer away with a Gauss gun lacking a scope.
Second, the opponent was ruthless, killing without hesitation.
It was clear this was an experienced killer, a ferocious opponent no one would want to encounter.
His rider was also a veteran adventurer. Seeing this, he immediately slowed down, making several wide turns to avoid being hit.
In the next moment, another shot rang out. Hua Bian, who had just gotten up after falling, had a bloody hole in his chest.
The Gauss machine gun in his hand hadn't even had time to raise its muzzle.
Qu Jianlei saw clearly that among the four, this guy had the strongest weapon.
So, his first shot took out Hua Bian's rider, and the second shot eliminated Hua Bian.
As for the other motorcycle, it seemed much less dangerous, so there was no rush to deal with it.
But Brother Dong's rider was getting anxious. "Should we run?"
Brother Dong was furious. "Of course, run! Are we waiting to die?"
The rider turned the bike sharply and was about to speed away.
However, at that moment, another shot rang out. Brother Dong, on the back seat, unfortunately became the target.
Because of the rider's extreme maneuver, Qu Jianlei's shot wasn't ideal, hitting Brother Dong's left shoulder only.
But the kinetic energy of a Gauss gun was no joke.
A bullet passed through, Brother Dong’s body trembled slightly, and the entire area below his left shoulder vanished.
It wasn't over yet. The bullet passed through Brother Dong's shoulder, taking a large chunk of flesh from the rider's left shoulder as well.
The rider was highly stressed and didn't even realize a large piece of his flesh was gone.
"Brother Dong, hold on tight. It's time to show off my real driving skills…"
Before he finished speaking, there was a muffled sound. Brother Dong's left arm was gone, directly thrown from the vehicle.
"What the hell…" The rider was stunned. "Brother Dong?"
He really wanted to run. It was clear they couldn't win; they had hit a brick wall.
If his boss wasn't Brother Dong, he would have fled immediately. The rules of the wasteland were survival of the fittest!
But this was Brother Dong; even if he escaped, his life wouldn't be easy afterward.
Brother Dong, dizzy from the fall, still knew what he had to do. "You go, he's the main target!"
He had already concluded that this was the person the Hongzi General Settlement was looking for – otherwise, why would he be so strong!
He instinctively believed he was doomed and wanted to pass on this message.
If you dare to kill me, I won't let you off easy either!
At this moment, he was purely in a 'screw it all' mindset.
"Brother Dong, take care!" The rider cried out desperately.
Then he turned the handlebars and was about to leave. "I'll deliver the message… Huh? My left hand feels weak?"
In the next moment, he fell heavily to the ground, bike and all.
There were survivors who could ride motorcycles one-handed, but he clearly wasn't one of them, especially with the suddenness of the situation.
The motorcycle flipped twice, and he tumbled seven or eight times.
The physical condition of survivors was truly impressive. Even with his left hand disabled, he still reached for his gun with his right.
Another shot rang out, severing his right arm.
Qu Jianlei stood up and slowly walked over, holding his gun.
When he reached about five hundred meters, he aimed at Brother Dong's right arm again.
"I surrender!" Brother Dong raised his right hand willingly, indicating he had no weapon.
Enduring the dizziness from blood loss, he shouted, "This is a misunderstanding, I'm willing to compensate!"
Even he didn't believe this, but he had to say it; otherwise, there was no hope.
To his surprise, the opponent actually raised the muzzle of his gun and walked over leisurely.
Qu Jianlei’s footsteps were light and slightly erratic, clearly still cautious.
When he got close, he raised his gun again, aiming at the man’s head, and asked expressionlessly.
"Why were you chasing me?"
Xinbiqige provides you with the fastest updates for Cultivating in the Wasteland Starting with a 'Black Magnet' Physique. Chapter 28: Hearing of Changes.
Brother Dong wasn't afraid of death. He had built a formidable reputation back when he was scrawny precisely because he dared to fight.
But facing the black muzzle of the gun, he finally sadly realized he was getting old.
He was very sensitive to the sense of energy, knowing the opponent would fire without hesitation.
So he quickly replied, "Someone said you were asking about Old Cripple."
It was that guy after all… Qu Jianlei wasn't surprised by this answer; this was the wasteland.
The concessions he made to that individual were insignificant.
He casually asked, "Can't you ask Old Cripple directly?"
Brother Dong replied quickly, "Old Cripple’s death involves a big figure… I'm very dizzy, can I bandage myself first?"
Qu Jianlei motioned with his chin expressionlessly, then put away the Gauss gun and drew a short dagger.
At such close range, a high-frequency oscillating dagger was faster than a Gauss gun.
Brother Dong had indeed lost a lot of blood, but his question had another intention: is there any chance I might survive?
For survivors wandering in the wilderness, a first aid kit was extremely precious.
Seeing that the opponent agreed, Brother Dong took a packet of First Aid Powder from his waist and sprinkled it on his shoulder.
Then he took out a roll of bandages, bit it with his teeth, and wrapped it around his body a few times with one hand, bandaging his left shoulder wound.
Next, he tied a knot with one hand, his movements quite skilled.
Then, he glanced at Qu Jianlei and asked softly, "Can I have some water first?"
Qu Jianlei remained still, his gaze indifferent, fixated on the man's neck.
Brother Dong sighed and slowly said, "I still have a batch of supplies at the settlement."
Qu Jianlei said calmly, "Answer my question first… I won't repeat myself."
Brother Dong pursed his lips and began, "Old Cripple was killed by people from the general settlement."
"The incident started when the general settlement killed a group of scavengers in the junkyard. It seems someone there had a connection with Old Cripple…"
Qu Jianlei was speechless. Mr. Sai’s group really didn't treat survivors as human.
But he was puzzled: did Mr. Sai kill people just to find information about him?
Impossible. Who could be sure that he, without an antidote, could survive?
Was it worth making such a fuss for someone who was dying or already dead?
He was silent for a long time before asking again, "What was the reason they killed the scavengers?"
Brother Dong gave a bitter smile and shook his head, "How would I be worthy of knowing such things?"
Qu Jianlei said menacingly, "I permit you to rephrase your statement."
How could he know nothing? Tu Zuofu killing scavengers at the Hongsi Settlement – how many people saw it?
As expected, Brother Dong hesitated and replied, "It seems the general settlement asked the scavengers to help find something…"
He knew quite a bit, including that the scavengers had been poisoned and that they received antidotes periodically.
On the eve of collecting the third batch of antidotes, Collins directly acted ruthlessly and ambushed five scavengers.
His stated reason to Tu Zuofu was: these five were not diligent in gathering information; we handled it internally.
He hadn't expected Qu Jianlei, the fool, to show up either, so Tu Zuofu only needed to distribute fourteen antidotes.
Tu Zuofu was somewhat surprised by this outcome: You kill your own people to turn black?
He didn't make a fuss about it. Regardless, the justification given was "clearing out lazy scavengers."
So he directly distributed fourteen antidotes, informing them that there would only be twelve next time.
However, a day later, someone from the general settlement arrived, heard the news, and immediately led people to the junkyard.
Reportedly, the leader was very displeased: how to clear out scavengers is not up to you to decide internally.
This was likely the reason they killed four to five hundred scavengers.
According to reports, one of the fourteen involved managed to escape because they were absent that day.
As for who that lucky escapee was, Brother Dong claimed he didn't know.
"I only know that Collins is dead… He could kill others, and he should be prepared to be killed himself."
At this point, a faint mocking smile appeared at the corner of his mouth.
Mutual scheming among survivors was normal, as was killing to avoid disaster, but being killed right after avoiding disaster was comical.
It was unlikely to be a "lucky" escape! Qu Jianlei asked, "What exactly was the big figure looking for?"
"I wouldn't dare to inquire," Brother Dong said expressionlessly, shaking his head. "It gets people killed."
"You're going to die anyway!" Qu Jianlei's body flickered, and the short dagger slit the artery on the man's neck.
"You…" Brother Dong looked at him in astonishment, trying to cover his neck, but his body was weak and limp.
He had lost too much blood.
Originally sitting, he slumped to the ground limply, still managing to ask, "You let me bandage myself, why kill me?"
Qu Jianlei ignored him: Allowing you to bandage yourself and letting you live… are they the same thing?
He then killed the last rider and began to erase the traces.
He tied the two motorcycles to the rear wheels of his own motorcycle – with the front wheel lifted.
He also took the bodies with him, burying them fifty kilometers away in a suitable spot.
This time, the haul was substantial: besides nutritional supplements, he had everything else.
Not to mention the two motorcycles, there was also a Gauss machine gun, a Laser Assault Rifle, a Gauss automatic rifle, and two laser pistols.
Other notable items included a large amount of ammunition and even an Energy Block.
There were also eight silver dollars, directly solving Qu Jianlei's financial predicament.
He had struck it rich this time, driving wildly without a destination, just going wherever the road took him.
He traveled during the day and rested to meditate at night. His supply of nutritional supplements plummeted.
He traveled for a full seven days. Just as his three fuel tanks were running low, he found a survivor camp.
This camp wasn't small; it was much larger than his Gravel Camp.
He rode his motorcycle, pulling two others, into the camp, attracting considerable attention.
Some were unhappy, but upon seeing the Gauss machine gun mounted on the motorcycles and the Laser Assault Rifle he carried, they decisively chose not to provoke him.
A lone individual daring to enter with three motorcycles was definitely not someone to be trifled with.
Moreover, these motorcycles were likely acquired through murder and plunder.
Qu Jianlei found a General Store and exchanged a Gauss automatic rifle and a long saber for food and water, and added some fuel.
He didn't use silver dollars because, here, silver dollars were less useful than barter and could easily arouse suspicion.
The Grocery Store recognized that this person was not to be trifled with, and offered a fair exchange rate.
After the transaction, Qu Jianlei asked, "Do you buy motorcycles?"
The Grocery Store would certainly buy motorcycles, but large items like these bought with nutritional supplements would strain resources.
"Then I'll trade for meat and grain," Qu Jianlei didn’t want to eat only nutritional supplements.
The Grocery Store stated they didn't have much meat and grain themselves and would need two days to procure them.
That was how it was in small places. In a wilderness camp, few people could afford meat and grain?
Qu Jianlei wasn't surprised. He could use this opportunity to repair his motorcycle.
The two captured motorcycles had fallen during transit. Although sturdy, they had minor issues.
Qu Jianlei also wanted to modify his own motorcycle to make it more user-friendly.
There was a private repair shop in the camp, operating with a dual purpose, but the owner stated he couldn't repair motorcycles.
Qu Jianlei’s reply was: I don't need you to help repair it; just lend me the tools.