CHAPTER 335: CHAPTER 215: DO I NOT DESERVE ANY RESPECT?

When it comes down to it, don’t you just want money? Bentley felt like he had grasped the other party’s intention.

Bentley took a drag from his cigarette and started coughing violently, "Cough, cough, Jianlei, cough, cough... you tell him."

Qu Jianlei shook his head helplessly and spoke in a deep voice, "From whom did you buy this land?"

Bentley answered without hesitation, "It was sold by Central City... well, the price was relatively low."

There’s definitely something fishy in the sale; it’s an unspoken rule among the major forces in the city.

He was worried the other would make an issue out of it, so he simply admitted: we just wanted it cheap.

Qu Jianlei had no interest in this chatter. "Central City... was the Hedley Clan involved?"

Bentley couldn’t help but glance at the other Ultimate Warrior present—a C-level one.

At first, the C-level warrior faced Bentley with a relatively calm expression, clearly confident.

But as the conversation progressed, his face became increasingly grim.

Bentley’s glance was unintentional, yet sweat broke out on the warrior’s forehead.

Qu Jianlei also glanced at him, then turned back to Bentley.

"I killed the person, plus Benjamin’s grievance... how much do you plan to compensate?"

Bentley hesitated briefly, then steeled himself, "Five... eight B-level Crystals."

Sweat drops on the C-level warrior’s forehead grew larger.

"Eight B-level?" Qu Jianlei’s expression turned somewhat strange, "You’ve probably heard that I took the backup supply from the Gorge, right?"

A mere eight, still low-grade B-level, who do you think you’re underestimating?

However, Bentley was quite astute, readily admitting, "There shouldn’t be that much missing, mainly just to even things out."

"Oh?" Qu Jianlei couldn’t help but laugh, "You are quite insightful."

Bentley, seeing the other laugh, felt slightly relieved and chuckled as well.

However, ever since advancing to B-level, he had gotten used to keeping a stern face, so the smile felt a bit forced.

"The bigger the place, the more inevitable such things are. This is true even within families, not to mention in a place that large."

He wasn’t Qu Jianlei, who could mention the Gorge so casually.

Qu Jianlei was unrestrained, "Since you know the Gorge falsified the data, if someone brings it up again, could you clarify for me?"

Bentley hesitated for a moment but eventually nodded, "Okay, as long as someone else says it first... it’s not appropriate for me to bring it up every time."

If he proactively defended Jian Lei’s name, once the Gorge got wind of it, they’d certainly cause trouble for him.

Qu Jianlei didn’t push further, nodding, "Entirely up to your discretion, I won’t force you... so, eight it is."

"Thank you for your consideration, sir," Bentley hesitated but still emphasized, "Including all the Bunker family assets my family distributed?"

Qu Jianlei glared at him, "Look at your ambition. Such a trivial matter, I’ve let it go, would I go back on my word?"

Bentley replied with a sycophantic smile, "Thank you, sir, thank you."

This was a bolt from the blue, shelling out eight Crystals really hurt, but at least it cleared him of any future trouble.

"Go get them," Qu Jianlei casually instructed.

Then he tilted his head and looked at the C-level warrior, asking expressionlessly, "From the Hedley Clan?"

The C-level warrior’s sweat instantly broke out, and he clasped his hands, "Slig greets Lord Jian Lei."

"Hmm?" Qu Jianlei raised an eyebrow, speaking impatiently, "Need me to ask again?"

Slig’s legs trembled, his teeth chattering, "R-replying to the lord... I am indeed from the Hedley Clan."

It’s not that he didn’t want to say, but he was too scared to remember to answer.

"Oh," Qu Jianlei nodded, speaking expressionlessly, "Seeing you this scared, I guess I needn’t say more?"

"Lord," Slig steadied himself, deciding to speak up, "about Benjamin’s matter, my Hedley Clan knows nothing."

Qu Jianlei looked him up and down, asking in a deep voice, "Do you believe you’re qualified to define things?"

Bentley silently smoked, not intervening in their conversation.

"Sigh," Bentley sighed, shaking his head, and turned to rush off.

Due to the scramble for the Bunker’s remaining assets, the Dao Clan’s relationship with the Thirty-Six Noble Families’ Hedley Clan was tense.

The Dao Clan was currently at a disadvantage; otherwise, he, a B-level warrior, wouldn’t have to step in himself.

But seeing the Hedley Clan run into Jian Lei’s gunpoint, he felt not just secretly happy, but surprisingly... a tinge of sorrow?

Slig, however, steeled himself, "In the presence of a lord, I have no authority, but the Bunkers merely sheltered under the Hedley name."

Qu Jianlei said nothing, just looked calmly at the other person.

Since you want me to speak, I’ll say it: though Slig was from the Thirty-Six Noble Families, Wasteland people never lacked courage.

"The Bunker family paid tribute to my family to receive Hedley’s protection. As for their dealings, we are truly unaware."

Qu Jianlei still said nothing, and after a long pause, finally asked, "Finished?"

Slig replied solemnly, "In front of you, how could I dare to speak more?"

"You still don’t dare to say more?" Qu Jianlei’s expression was a bit strange, "Do you dare to take responsibility for the words you said?"

"I dare to take responsibility," Slig responded very resolutely, wiping his sweat with his sleeve, "I’ll stake my life on it."

"Intelligence is indeed a tough standard," Qu Jianlei helplessly touched his forehead, "Can you guarantee every word you said is the truth?"

Slig didn’t understand why the other mentioned intelligence, so he confidently yet cautiously replied, "I dare."

Qu Jianlei became even more helpless, "The truth you think might not be the real truth..."

"If the facts differ even slightly from your words, I’ll wipe out the entire Hedley Clan... will you still dare to take responsibility?"

Slig was dumbfounded, it took him a while to say, "It’s my own words, why involve the entire family?"

He really wasn’t afraid to die, but that was just his own thought, what did it have to do with others?

Qu Jianlei looked at him as if he was mentally challenged, "That’s why I asked you earlier... do you have the qualification to define?"

Slig finally understood, the other wasn’t belittling him, but... he indeed didn’t have all the information about the family.

He explained to the other according to his understanding but indeed couldn’t represent the family.

Besides, the extinction of Benjamin’s family was over seventy years ago, back when his father hadn’t even been born.

So he really didn’t dare to be stubborn, and could only reply, "I can go home and ask, then give you an answer."

Qu Jianlei looked at him with a strange expression, "So you absolutely can’t be responsible for your own words."

"Then I’m curious, who gave you the guts to babble in front of me... don’t I need face?"

Slig’s forehead was filled with beads of sweat, sliding down his cheeks to his chin, and then dropping to the ground.

"No need to ask," Bentley finally spoke up, "The Hedley family didn’t play a good role."

Slig’s forehead sweated even more, since the victim spoke himself, he surely knew the entire process thoroughly.

Qu Jianlei neither engaged the old Ben in conversation, but rather continued watching the opponent with interest.

"Leaving past matters aside, your family knows someone exterminated the Bunker family yet dared to participate in the division, and so invested..."

"Rushing over in the middle of the night, are you planning to take up the Bunker family’s vendetta, or are you ignoring me, the culprit?"

With "I, the culprit" uttered, his momentum was suddenly released.

Slig was already under enormous mental pressure, and being scared like this, he fell straight to the ground.

How embarrassing! He instinctively wanted to stand up, but... his legs were weak.

Qu Jianlei couldn’t be bothered to say more, "Old Ben, I’m not interested in bullying this little weakling, you talk to him."

Bentley’s spirit eased somewhat, he looked at Slig but said nothing.

After a long while, he sighed, "Jian Lei, I said before, I kill with a clear conscience."

Qu Jianlei nodded at his words, "Keeping true to oneself, quite rare."

Only then did Bentley speak, "Regarding my family’s matters, the Hedley family helped the Bunker family, there’s no doubt about it."

"I even suspect his family took the biggest share, but for things without evidence, I can’t be bothered."

Qu Jianlei spoke expressionlessly, "No problem, you can freely believe what you wish, I support you."

He didn’t fail to notice that his own disposition had changed somewhat, yet that’s the rule of the Wasteland.

Sticking to one’s principles is important, but adapting to local customs is also necessary.

Bentley shook his head, "Forget it, all those who contributed are dead... should the descendants suffer?"

In his understanding, the Hedley Clan wasn’t a target for which he could avenge, he never had that in mind.

Without longstanding hatred, the desire for revenge isn’t strong.

And in his view, although the Hedley family helped the Bunker family do some things, they were handy favors, surely for payment.

Payment for services is natural, Bentley has always thought so.

It’s just that his family couldn’t connect with the Hedley family, nor afford much, the weak must accept.

This kind of logic... is quite Wasteland-like, but for Qu Jianlei, he might care more about the hidden protector behind.

Seeing Bentley not wanting to kill further, Qu Jianlei presumed he had avenged his great hatred, so there was no need to kill more—killing with a clear conscience.

Thus, he indifferently shrugged his hands, "Old Ben, it’s up to you what you say."

But Xiao Moshan muttered, "You’ve ended alone, are you still worried about failed revenge?"

Bentley’s mood immediately worsened, he looked at Qu Jianlei, "Jianlei, you negotiate for me."

Qu Jianlei helplessly raised his eyebrows, he actually didn’t like such bothersome matters.

Considering Old Ben’s bad mood, he looked toward Slig, "His family got wiped out, did your family take the big share?"

Slig wanted to deny it, but considering the consequences of speaking carelessly, he didn’t dare.

Based on his knowledge of his family’s way of doing things, he felt it likely operated that way.

So he could only muster courage and reply, "I need to go back and ask."

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