Starting Cultivation in Wasteland-Chapter 352 - 232: Insider
Qu Jianlei knew Youyou’s plan, and with a thought, he took out twenty Nutrient Injections.
Then there were water bags, and he also took out four A-level Crystals, two for each person.
Youyou, not caring about anything else, first consumed five Nutrient Injections. The energy tolerance of a B-level Warrior far surpasses that of ordinary people.
Then she drank about three hundred milliliters of water before looking at Qu Jianlei: Aren’t you going to eat something?
Qu Jianlei shook his head slightly, wanting to experience spatial warp for a rare opportunity. He planned to conduct some experiments during this process.
At this moment, he was focused on that unidentified guy, wanting to see when that person would consume a Nutrient Injection.
Although his Cultivation Level was already higher than the opponent’s, he still observed very carefully and cautiously.
One must never underestimate others at any time, or it’s oneself who might regret it—the lesson from nearly making a mistake at the liaison office was enough to serve as a warning.
And this person, who dared to stow away openly, clearly wasn’t someone to be trifled with.
However, after observing for almost an hour, the other party hadn’t swallowed a Nutrient Injection yet.
Feeling a bit impatient, he quietly asked Youyou—weren’t B-level warriors supposed to consume Nutrient Injections to replenish strength before warp?
Youyou was also puzzled upon hearing the person hadn’t consumed any Nutrient Injections, "Could it be... that he doesn’t understand this?"
Anyone who has ever taken a spaceship and gone through a warp would know this common knowledge!
Otherwise, this person must be a native born and raised at the base, but such people are really rare!
However, even if they were indigenous to the base, it’s impossible not to grasp any related knowledge during their growth process, right?
Youyou, being kind-hearted, suggested in a low voice, "Why don’t we... remind him?"
In contrast, when Xiao Moshan first encountered Youyou, his first reaction was to kill.
Qu Jianlei shook his head, having no intention of giving the other party any hint, "If he’s unprepared, he deserves his misfortune!"
The ultimate outcome for the other party would be starvation if he couldn’t withstand it. He genuinely had no intentions of rescue, even if the other party might be a base traitor.
Unknowingly, another half hour passed.
Youyou couldn’t help but furrow her brows, "Is this... not planning to warp and choosing sublight travel instead?"
The energy used for warp is higher, but it saves time. Sublight travel uses less energy but takes more time!
Qu Jianlei couldn’t help but ask, "If choosing sublight travel, how long does it take to reach Hope No.3 Star?"
"That depends on the speed," Youyou replied softly, "At the fastest, it would take a month; at the slowest, three months."
"The most economical speed should take around two months, but I’m just curious... why choose this mode of travel?"
That guy surely knows something! Qu Jianlei finally understood why that guy didn’t consume Nutrient Injections, as he was aware of the travel method.
Yet, he truly didn’t bother to ask. Strangers meeting in such circumstances should maintain distance.
The point is, even if he found out, could he change the mode of travel?
Neither of them reacted, and that person hid very well, basically making no movement.
Two days passed, and that person ate four Nutrient Injections, drank some water, and didn’t move more than necessary, clearly conserving energy.
Qu Jianlei, feeling quite bored, even began to meditate and cultivate.
Some books he hadn’t finished reading yet, especially those obtained from the Secret Pavilion, but this wasn’t the place for immersive research.
On the fifth day, Qu Jianlei consumed two Nutrient Liquids, took out an A-level Crystal, and was about to cultivate when suddenly the alarm blared loudly!
The alarm was supposed to alert all passengers, but the cargo hold also had speakers—for use when transporting personnel.
"Star Thieves!" Youyou’s expression changed, speaking in a low voice, "It’s the alarm for encountering Star Thieves!"
Sure enough, a deep voice echoed, "Attention all passengers, attention all passengers..."
"There are three unidentified ships ahead, and another ship is ambushing us from the side. We might be encountering Star Thieves!"
The reaction in the passenger cabin was unlikely to reach the cargo hold.
But Qu Jianlei had Perception Ability; he released it directly, believing no one would mind this fluctuation at this time.
The passenger cabin was indeed in chaos, with some saying they intended to fight hard, while others hoped to pay a passage fee.
There were also complaints, saying they had advised for a warp long ago, but it wasn’t heeded—did they really lack that bit of money?
And now, encountering Star Thieves made all purchased insurance worthless!
Insurance companies have regulations: in the event of an incident during warp travel, the compensation ratio is very high, with a high upper limit.
But encountering Star Thieves during sublight travel is considered force majeure!
Sublight travel doesn’t have the various hazards of warp, so the premium is lower, but force majeure isn’t covered by insurance.
In short, if you insist on being frugal and choose the cheaper mode of travel, then you assume the corresponding risks.
Qu Jianlei listened for a while, then curiously asked Youyou, "Isn’t this spaceship owned by the Military?"
If the spaceship belonged to the Military, there would be no need to argue about whether to fight or pay a passage fee; the argument should be about how to fight.
It’s a colossal joke for the Military to pay passage fees to Star Thieves!
However, this judgment might not be accurate. Qu Jianlei is really unsure about the Imperial military’s style of action.
In the Wasteland, he has already witnessed too many strange things, probably due to cultural differences; some matters are truly baffling.
If there is a severe deviation in ideological understanding, it wouldn’t be surprising to encounter something unexpected.
Actually, even on Blue Star, there have been instances where the military paid protection fees to bandits.
But Youyou’s response was a bit unexpected, "Definitely not affiliated with the military, very few military ships go to the base."
Qu Jianlei was taken aback by these words, "You won’t tell me that the base doesn’t belong to the military either, right?"
Youyou gave him a strange look, "Of course the base doesn’t belong to the military, who gave you the illusion that it does?"
Qu Jianlei was completely speechless. He blinked several times before asking.
"Such a large base, and it doesn’t belong to the military... Didn’t you say you are from the frontier?"
"I am indeed a soldier," Youyou replied without hesitation, "But I’m protecting more than just the military, also civilian assets."
"Hold on," Qu Jianlei heard something that shook his worldview again, "The base is a civilian asset?"
Such a small civilian group, daring to conduct large-scale human evolution experiments, resulting in numerous casualties, the cruelty is appalling!
"It’s not exactly a civilian asset," Youyou tried to explain in detail but found herself at a loss for words.
"Let’s put it this way, the base doesn’t own that planet, they just help the Empire manage it... earning reasonable profits."
Qu Jianlei’s expression became even more peculiar, "But they’ve filled the Wasteland with slaughter, who gave them the right?"
Youyou shook her head, "The measures in the Wasteland were decided by the authorities; the base has no such power."
"They’re just assisting the government in supervision; so many people die in the Wasteland every day, which civilian organization could handle that?"
Qu Jianlei started to understand this model; it’s actually just an agent, or a contractor.
There are still some things he doesn’t understand, but the details aren’t necessary to delve into right now.
What he cares most about is, "You are a frontier warrior, can a civilian organization wrong you?"
Youyou’s face suddenly darkened, obviously, this also touched a sore spot for her.
"The organization building the base is also very powerful; the military is only responsible for protection and doesn’t engage in specific affairs."
Qu Jianlei pinched the bridge of his nose, contemplated a moment, then asked, "So, let’s not talk about you, would they dare to wrong Xiao Moshan?"
"Mo Huaitian..." Youyou found it hard to answer this question as well.
Actually, she doesn’t know much more about Mo Huaitian than Qu Jianlei does; many things were only communicated a while ago.
After thinking it over, she could only share what she knew, "The responsibility for handling base affairs lies with the Empire’s largest security company."
Qu Jianlei finally began to understand, "So, this company is originally good at force?"
"That’s right," Youyou nodded, not wanting to elaborate further, "By the way, which group of Star Thieves intercepted us earlier?"
"Oh, Star Thieves," Qu Jianlei then realized.
He had been caught up in those so-called truths but forgot about the biggest crisis at hand.
Upon perceiving, his expression turned odd, "We’re actually... going to engage?"
According to Youyou, this is a ship from an ordinary freight company, and the entire company might not even gather 5 A-levels.
A-levels could crush Central City, but in the Gorge, they’re completely insufficient, and against the base... they’re just like dirt.
Yet this kind of company dares to take on interstellar transport jobs.
So, while the Wasteland is wasted, it’s not as wasted as everyone thinks; Central City has three A-levels.
The Gorge has double digits of A-levels, plus the presence of Supreme ones, and the base has even more A-levels.
After all, it’s about managing a planet, so high-level combat power can’t be too few.
However, this transport company primarily operates on connections, so there’s no need to overly emphasize combat value.
Of course, not having any combat value wouldn’t work either, which is why there are a few A-level Warriors.
Qu Jianlei felt that his understanding might be flawed; for such a company to dare confront Star Thieves?
But others didn’t see it that way, someone immediately expressed, "Just fight; if there are any costs, my Sha Family will cover half!"
Qu Jianlei doesn’t actually know how strong the Sha Family is, but regardless, it’s certainly stronger than the Sai Family in Hong District.
If someone is willing to back the war financially, things become easier to handle.
The key is that there are over thirty people from the base on the ship, mostly technicians, but also seven or eight off-duty military warriors.
Among them is one A-level, two B-levels, and the rest are C-levels.
Besides, this ship is under the joint protection of the base’s military and the Hope No.3 Star’s authorities.
Qu Jianlei felt a sense of déjà vu; how does this transport company resemble a Blue Star historical escort agency?
At that moment, the cargo hold suddenly shook, and someone screamed, "They’re firing at us!"
