CHAPTER 30: CHAPTER 30: STILL GETTING CARRIED AWAY

The hairless oddball saw the other party’s car speed increasing and couldn’t contain his inner fear.

He shouted loudly, "I really know this place well, you can ask me anything you want!"

Qu Jianlei completely ignored him, just a guy looking to freeload for food and drink.

The child saw the car getting farther and farther away, while he was already panting from running too fast.

In desperation, he couldn’t help but shout, "Do you want Mutated Beast Crystal?"

Really daring to boast... Qu Jianlei smirked, but the next moment, he was stunned: Crystal?

He slowed down the car, turned his head to look at the chasing hairless oddball, and asked casually, "What did you say?"

The child ran over, gasping for breath, "Mu-mutated Beast Crystal."

Qu Jianlei couldn’t conceal his heart’s desire and had to use a teasing remark to cover it up, "Sure enough, still stuttering."

The hairless oddball didn’t care about his words, just affirming, "I really know a lot."

The motorcycle slowly came to a stop, Qu Jianlei looked at him suspiciously, "You have crystals... Yet almost starved to death?"

The hairless oddball finally caught up, took several hurried breaths, then asked, "Have you ever been weak?"

He could see he was a lone traveler with lots of resources but couldn’t see the face behind the veil.

So he instinctively thought this was a very powerful person.

Qu Jianlei, hearing this, instantly fell silent: I’m not only weak before, but I’m not very strong now either!

So he paused and asked something else, "Are you familiar with the Wasteland?"

The child nodded decisively, "Very familiar."

"What’s the name of this place," Qu Jianlei asked, he really didn’t know where he was.

The child looked at him in surprise, "You don’t know?"

"I’m asking you!"

The child hesitated, then sheepishly shook his head, "I’m not sure either, it’s hard to determine direction in the wild."

That makes sense, Qu Jianlei nodded, "Then tell me roughly, under which Settlement does this fall?"

The child thought for a moment and still shook his head, "I don’t know... I’m terrible at recognizing roads."

"Is this what you call being familiar with the Wasteland?" Qu Jianlei was a bit shocked, the face?

Survivors in the Wasteland, knowing the roads is a basic skill, you can’t even recognize the roads, yet you say you’re familiar?

"Not these things," the child answered gloomily, "I used to live in a Settlement, and my family was fairly well off..."

"Many specialties here, lots of knowledge, I know more than you outdoor survivors."

"This... okay," Qu Jianlei thought for a moment, reluctantly admitting there’s some truth to that.

The key is he’s not very familiar with the Wasteland’s characteristics, over six years of roaming, his activity range was focused around the Chaotic Stone Camp.

So this hairless oddball... was still somewhat useful.

So he asked again, "Where did you stay before?"

"I don’t want to answer that," the child hesitated and definitively shook his head, "My family is gone."

Looks like even Settlements aren’t peaceful, Qu Jianlei thought and asked again, "Do you have Mutated Beast Crystal?"

"Yes," the hairless oddball pointed to his bald head, then hesitated before answering, "I didn’t dare to carry it, I hid it away."

"Understandable!" Qu Jianlei nodded straightforwardly, you’re truly too weak!

Then he naturally suggested, "Take me to retrieve it, I’ll buy at market price, do you trust me?"

He said this with confidence, although not very wealthy now, as long as he manages sincerely, making money wouldn’t be hard.

Could he break a promise to this child? Absolutely not!

"Trust," the child nodded at his bald head again.

Qu Jianlei suddenly remembered, could this child be naturally devoid of eyebrows and hair?

During his time on Blue Star, he had pondered a bit about beauty and makeup.

If you don’t use surgery to change your face, shaving eyebrows can be a top "rustic disguise," dramatically changing face perception.

So he asked, "Is your bald head and eyebrows shaved by yourself?"

To evade enemies, such a cost is not high.

The child was puzzled, isn’t this topic hop too much?

But this is his hope for survival, so he honestly replied, "Had bugs in my hair recently, so I shaved it off."

I’ve overthought again! Qu Jianlei lifted his chin slightly, "Get in the car, where did you hide the Mutated Beast Crystal?"

Asking till the end, he already had a faint sense of foreboding inside.

The child jumped onto the flatbed with a swoosh, then sheepishly replied, "I, I forgot how to get there..."

Qu Jianlei was silent, after a pause he said, "Then get off the car."

Opening with "familiar with the Wasteland," and ended up with nothing, really treating me as a charity worker?

"I can do odd jobs," the hairless oddball hurriedly stated, "I know a lot about Mutated Beast Crystal."

Next moment, he leaped off the car, darting like an arrow towards the distance, "Wait a moment, I’m going to ease myself."

The residual poison of the purple flower lichen... really isn’t cleaned up yet.

Qu Jianlei was stunned there, after a good while, laughed helplessly and shook his head.

Among Wasteland’s survivors, few practice hygiene, not out of unwillingness but sheer lack of conditions.

The hairless freak would rather risk missing a ride to avoid people, which is quite rare.

To others, this would certainly be considered "pretentious"—survival is the most important thing.

But Qu Jianlei came from Blue Star, a society rich in resources, so he could understand this mindset.

"Someone so particular surely won’t act as unprincipled as Rogers, right?"

Regardless, the other party’s behavior made him feel a rare sense of affinity.

People coming out of the settlement are indeed different.

Never mind, let’s wait for him, it’s just a few Nutrient Injections and some water, right?

Then he helplessly slapped his forehead... he’s getting carried away, only been affluent for a few days?

However, although he bravely blamed himself, he just didn’t want to correct it, "What if there’s some surprise?"

About five minutes later, the hairless freak emerged from behind a rock and sprinted forward quickly.

He jumped into the car without a trace of awkwardness, "Thanks for waiting, sir, let’s go."

"Go?" Qu Jianlei shook his head helplessly, "Where are we headed?"

The kid froze for a moment before speaking up, "You don’t know where you want to go?"

"I don’t need to know," Qu Jianlei answered without hesitation, "Just somewhere relatively orderly."

"That’s too vague a request," the kid was a bit puzzled, "Are you trying to go to a settlement?"

"I certainly wouldn’t take you to a settlement," Qu Jianlei answered casually, "You ran out with a crystal."

A Mutated Beast Crystal could at least guarantee a spot in a settlement.

Yet the hairless freak ran out with a crystal, which can only mean he must have trouble on him.

He simply wasn’t interested in looking into it.

What’s rare is that, though the kid wasn’t very old, he actually understood and didn’t deny it.

"Then, where were you heading just now?"

"We’ll go wherever," Qu Jianlei responded casually; he was a rootless wanderer with no attachment to any place.

"Didn’t you say you were familiar with the wasteland? Give us a suggestion."

The kid thought for a moment and answered earnestly, "Let’s go to Hongyi Settlement, the outskirts there are relatively stable."

"Hongyi..." Qu Jianlei frowned slightly, "That’s far away, though."

"I really don’t know about other places," the kid sighed, "It’s also close to mutant beasts in Hongyi."

"Then Hongyi it is," Qu Jianlei couldn’t resist once he heard the words "mutant beast."

He didn’t know how far Hongyi was from here, but being close to mutant beasts and relatively stable was enough.

The problem now was how to reach Hongyi’s area?

There wasn’t any map, so he could only buy one from the last settlement.

Back at the settlement, the shop owner was still very welcoming, but looked troubled when asked about buying a map.

"We belong to Hongliu Settlement; I have maps of the area... but none beyond it."

Qu Jianlei was a bit surprised at first but soon realized: is this an information blockade?

He couldn’t help feeling a strange absurdity: They’ve got Gauss Guns and Laser Guns, yet they’re blocking maps?

"Then I’ll take a map of Hongliu," he didn’t want to say much.

The shop owner quickly fetched one, "It’s one silver coin."

"So expensive?" Qu Jianlei slightly frowned; is the map made of gold?

On Blue Star, buying a map book would only cost dozens of dollars; you ask for a silver coin?

"Those who can buy maps are strong adventurers," the shop owner answered with seriousness, "It’s required to be traded in silver coins."

He didn’t say who set this rule, but no doubt, the settlement was involved.

Qu Jianlei thought for a moment, then asked, "Not Hongliu’s silver coins... would that work?"

"That would count only as nine silver horns," the shop owner answered without hesitation, "It’s not interchangeable."

"Then I won’t buy it," Qu Jianlei decisively said.

Even for a one-to-one exchange, he didn’t want to reveal his roots in Hongsi, and now he’d save even more.

The shopkeeper looked around, moved his fingers slightly, pointed in a direction, and spoke softly, "Hongyi... is over there."

You really know how to get things done! Qu Jianlei smiled slightly, "Fill me up, get me Nutrient Injections and water..."

Two Gauss Rifles and a Vibrating Blade, compared to the previous trade, the present deal was far less.

However, the supplies were still full. Qu Jianlei didn’t haggle and drove away with the hairless freak.

As they sped through the desolate wilderness, the kid in the car couldn’t help but ask, "You really don’t know the way?"

Qu Jianlei felt a strange sense rise in his heart, "Do you think... you’re in a position to mock me?"

"That’s not what I meant," the kid was still very sensitive.

He carefully explained, "Just grab a couple of survivors and ask them, won’t you find out?"

"If all else fails, ask a few more; someone will surely speak."

Qu Jianlei lost his words immediately, and after quite a while, he asked, "What if they won’t talk?"

(During the debut of the new book, requesting all kinds of support.)