Starting Cultivation in Wasteland-Chapter 488 - 360: Acting in Earnest

Qu Jianlei kept pondering over who was targeting him and how they might deal with him.

Figuring out the former was quite difficult for the time being; without taking the initiative, he couldn’t get much information.

As for the latter, it was much simpler, nothing more than luring, ambushing, or sneak attacking... How many methods could there be?

He once considered whether the other party might seize some leverage against him to blackmail him.

For instance, could the twin sisters who were close to him be kidnapped and used as a bargaining chip against him?

However, he later dismissed this suspicion; kidnapping wasn’t prevalent in the Imperial realm because the soil for such a concept to exist didn’t thrive here.

There were ransom kidnapping activities, but they were only aimed at the victim’s family for money.

Kidnapping someone to coerce distant acquaintances into doing this or that... Anyone thinking this way must be crazy!

Therefore, he wasn’t really concerned about the safety of the sisters, Rose and Sofia, and he was convinced that the less he cared, the safer they would be.

The facts also proved that he effectively ensured the sisters’ safety.

Otherwise, Rose wouldn’t be being coerced now but would have been directly kidnapped.

Indeed, Qu Jianlei had already figured out that Rose contacted him voluntarily under duress.

However, even though he guessed this, he still had to consider whether to go along with the other’s pace.

After thinking it over, he decided not to entirely follow their plan, so he indicated he was a bit busy recently.

Currently, he wasn’t short of superpower rice, so he hoped to postpone the transaction for a few days.

Rose’s voice trembled slightly, but she ultimately said, "Then I’ll ask the other’s stance."

After hanging up, she helplessly looked at the man and woman in front of her, "You heard it too, he isn’t lacking superpower rice now."

This couple had made contact under the pretext of discussing tour guide business, and as soon as she arrived, she was controlled.

They didn’t threaten or intimidate her; they just took her to the outskirts and each displayed their superpower techniques.

There might be mutual skepticism among superpower warriors, but the gap between them and ordinary people was like an abyss.

Rose also knew that the Panda she met a few days ago was a superpower warrior, possibly A-level.

But she didn’t think she could enlist his help—if they had shared an intimate night, perhaps she could have tried, but they hadn’t.

So she didn’t use the Panda’s influence; she simply calmly stated that they could talk things out and she was willing to cooperate.

The gap between ordinary people and superpower warriors is vast but not entirely despairing.

A superpower warrior killing an ordinary person indeed wouldn’t get a death sentence, but it’s not without consequences; they would need to make amends through meritorious service.

If it wasn’t necessary, who would voluntarily put themselves in such a bind?

Seeing that she was sensible, the couple made their purpose clear: We need you to contact Panda, and do so...

Rose hadn’t expected that, while she couldn’t involve Panda, they were targeting this person.

At this point, she realized she was, in fact, implicated because of Panda.

However, as an ordinary person inadvertently caught in the grievances of superpower warriors, she had little choice.

With no action from Panda, Rose could only wait for the decision of this man and woman.

The man glanced at her and instructed the woman, "Watch her, I’m stepping out for a bit."

Before long, the man returned, speaking, "If we let you go, can you guarantee not to say anything?"

"I can guarantee," Rose replied without hesitation.

The woman sneered at her words, "On what basis can you guarantee that?"

This was the crux of the issue, and Rose, opening her mouth slightly, realized she really had no answer.

The man spoke, "So, you should quickly arrange for him to meet up; if you can’t, have your sister figure something out."

Releasing her was out of the question, but they couldn’t hold her for too long, or it would easily lead to complications.

Rose thought for a moment, then timidly asked, "Can I ask why you’re looking for Panda?"

The woman sneered again, "Have you forgotten? For a superpower warrior, killing you is as easy as killing a chicken."

Making amends may be a bit troublesome, but as long as it’s not discovered by others, then killing is killing.

Qu Jianlei timed his departure from work, packed up his belongings, and drove home.

The librarian’s salary wasn’t high, but the workload was indeed not heavy, and he got off work half an hour earlier than usual.

If he left on time, there was little traffic, and it usually took Qu Jianlei about forty minutes to drive home.

Just as he was about to arrive home, someone called him again; it was Sofia.

She said through the communication watch, "My sister went through great lengths to find the superpower rice, what if someone else buys it since you don’t want it?"

"Money is tight lately," Qu Jianlei casually replied, then asked, "Are you with Rose?"

"She went out to conduct some business," Sofia casually replied, "Currently... in the south of the city."

The two sisters had a close relationship, and inevitable entanglements during the order-taking process led them to enable mutual location tracking.

However, Qu Jianlei didn’t fully trust the location Sofia provided.

As long as the permissions are sufficient, it’s possible to fake the location on Blue Star. He believed that the Empire’s technology could achieve this.

Moreover, at least one A-level warrior was secretly watching him. Such a level should have a certain influence.

Even though Qu Jianlei didn’t know why he was being watched, it never hurts to be cautious.

So he smiled wryly, "Well, there’s no choice. I’m temporarily out of money. Could the other party agree to a credit agreement?"

"I’ll ask," Sofia hung up the communication.

In the Empire, such credit agreements are not uncommon, but the premise is that you must have recognized strength.

When Qu Jianlei helped treat Spirit Fox, Fangcao, and Hongyun, although it was needed for battle, essentially it was also a form of credit.

If others believe you have the ability to repay and have good credibility, credit agreements are naturally not a problem.

Now Qu Jianlei’s new identity suddenly appeared, making it difficult to verify his past history.

Even though he is a superpower warrior with a fixed job—even if it’s temporary, at least he earns from the treasury.

But after comprehensive consideration, it’s still up in the air whether the other party is willing to extend credit.

However, if they just want to lure him out, the other party might not mind agreeing to a credit agreement.

Soon after, Sofia contacted again, and as expected, the seller really agreed to extend credit.

Probably to lower Qu Jianlei’s defenses, the other party agreed to the credit but set the interest relatively high.

Qu Jianlei’s response was confident: The interest is too high. I’m inherently resistant to borrowing money for consumption.

Sofia stated that this was just the other party’s initial intention.

They said that if there’s a real intent to transact after they meet, the interest and other matters can still be negotiated.

Anyway, everyone is acting; the goal is to make it seem as real as possible.

And Qu Jianlei’s response remained calm: I have other things these two days. I need to handle them first and then contact them again.

Clearly a seller’s market, his manner instead bore the semblance of a buyer’s market.

After hanging up, Qu Jianlei didn’t dwell on the matter. As for whether Rose could go home that night, he hadn’t really considered it.

Ultimately, he isn’t adept at understanding people’s minds. Rose helped outsiders deceive him with no hint, which displeased him a bit.

The next day at noon, before everyone had lunch, Qu Jianlei found Dave, saying he wanted time off in the afternoon.

He actually has related departments above, but the role of a librarian is quite special, with no designated supervisor.

Anyway, he’s just a temp, and Dave is his contact, so it’s reasonable to ask him for time off.

Dave nodded, indicating he understood, and said nothing further.

But Qu Jianlei had to ask, "So who’ll cover my shift in the afternoon? The door cards... Who should I hand them to?"

"Just lock the door," Dave answered indifferently, "Just treat it as a library closure in the afternoon."

Is that really okay? Qu Jianlei was a bit surprised. If someone comes in the afternoon for borrowing, wouldn’t it be a wasted trip?

These treasury-paid workers indeed act rather freely in their duties. However... I like it!

Anyway, with such modest pay, it’s unreasonable to expect high work enthusiasm from everyone.

Qu Jianlei drove off on his own.

He chose a secluded place in the countryside and started calling Rose upon arrival.

After connecting, he stated he was free now and explained the location, hoping to transact there.

He didn’t set any trap; this place still belonged to Green Water City, causing too much disturbance would mean bidding farewell to a peaceful life.

His requirements weren’t high, not following the other party’s rhythm and choosing his own trading location.

However, this transaction... most likely isn’t a real transaction.

His reaction clearly surprised the other party. Before long, Rose contacted back saying the timing wasn’t suitable.

Clearly, in a seller’s market, the seller reserves the right to make such a statement.

But Qu Jianlei was resolute, not suitable timing? I can wait, the transaction location is here.

After some discussion, they didn’t refuse but told him to wait for further updates.

Next, vehicles and pedestrians passed through this area, but it wasn’t void of people, so the occurrence of moving around was normal.

As for how many of them were scouting, Qu Jianlei didn’t mind—just as long as they didn’t set traps.

He waited until almost off-duty time before Rose informed him that the seller was on their way.

Do they want to wait until dark? Qu Jianlei really wasn’t afraid; he didn’t believe the other side had an A-level spiritual attribute warrior.

So his response was, today it must happen, if we miss today, I’ll be busy again.

—If you really don’t dare to come, don’t play games ever again; I won’t oblige!

But slightly unexpected, not only did they come, but it was before it got dark.

Two off-road vehicles arrived, driving straight into the flat expanse.

When the vehicles stopped, four strong men stepped down from the first car, holding machine guns and hand cannons with a fierce look.