Translator: AnubisTL
Soon, Chen Jiang and Scar Dog had reached the edge of the wasteland.
They took cover in a shallow pit, carefully placing the Steel Sword Autonomous Turret they had been carrying on their shoulders into the pit. Grabbing handfuls of dust, they smeared it across the turret's once-gleaming silver surface, making it look dirty and worn.
In the distance, they could faintly see the wasteland, brightly lit by floodlights. There were no walls around the perimeter, only countless piles of trash dumped here.
Under the twilight sky, several cranes stood idle in the center, their operators likely off work for the day.
This wasteland wasn't Ma Zi's territory. It belonged to City 18, which had assigned personnel to manage it. Ma Zi and his group were essentially squatters, hiding on the fringes of the wasteland and using it as a makeshift settlement. They only ventured out when the night was deep and quiet.
After all, those who had crossed over from Blue Star were generally at the bottom of this world's social hierarchy. Even a place like the wasteland couldn't be claimed exclusively; they could only survive as parasites, clinging to life by the skin of their teeth.
The people of this world harbored an intense hatred for those who had transmigrated here—a hatred tinged with profound fear.
Soon, Chen Jiang and Scar Dog had concealed the turret in the earthen pit, leaving it barely visible above the ground, no higher than half a shin. Under the cover of twilight, it would be virtually undetectable unless someone stared directly at it.
But once activated, it would indiscriminately attack any living creature within its effective range until its ammunition was exhausted.
"Brother Jiang," Scar Dog called out as they prepared to move. His expression was complex as he said, "Do you remember something you told me back on Blue Star?"
"What was that?" Chen Jiang replied without looking up, meticulously checking the golden bullets in his hand. Unlike the energy bullets used by the turret, these were solid projectiles for his hand cannon.
Due to their bulk, he could only carry seven extra rounds on each outing. The larger caliber meant greater firepower.
The primary reason he needed such a high-caliber hand cannon wasn't for dealing with the natives, but for confronting the mutated beasts that roamed the wilderness after dark. These creatures were thick-skinned and resilient; a small-caliber pistol simply couldn't deliver a fatal blow in a single shot.
Facing a mutated beast that hadn't been killed with a single shot and had its bloodlust aroused was far from ideal.
"You know, Brother Jiang, you always said that when pursuing a girl, you should go for strangers, not someone from your own social circle."
"It seems like approaching a stranger would make her more guarded, but actually, girls tend to put on a facade around people they know."
"Especially around friends of their friends, they're extra careful about their public image, worried about their 'persona' collapsing."
"In such cases, getting to know each other might be a bit harder at first, but once you break the ice, the relationship can heat up quickly."
"That's because girls can relax more. They don't have to worry about maintaining their 'persona' around you, or about losing mutual friends if things don't work out, or about you finding out about their past 'dark history,' and so on."
"So, Brother Jiang, you said that if you meet a stranger you're attracted to, you should just go for it, right? The success rate is pretty high, right?"
"I think I might have said something like that. Why?"
After checking all the firearms in his arms, Chen Jiang finally looked up at Scar Dog, his expression slightly puzzled. "Why are you bringing this up now?"
"Before I transmigrated, I was chasing after a girl, just like you taught me, Brother Jiang. But it failed. It was nothing like what you said."
"Tsk."
Chen Jiang shook his head and chuckled, patting Scar Dog's shoulder earnestly. "Sometimes, we need to be more flexible."
"For example, we can't force someone who hates cilantro to eat it every day."
"Similarly, we can't expect a girl whose previous boyfriends were all fitness trainers to fall for someone as skinny as a bamboo pole, right?"
A flicker of shock crossed Scar Dog's eyes. "Brother Jiang, how did you know her previous boyfriends were fitness trainers? I didn't even know that."
"Sigh."
Chen Jiang shook his head helplessly. "Most startups fail because they lack proper market research."
"So, to defeat your competitors, you only need to do two things."
"First, gather more information about them."
"Second, avoid revealing too much about yourself."
"Just like right now—"
Chen Jiang lovingly wiped his hand cannon with a white towel before turning to Scar Dog with a grin. "That pockmarked fool thinks he knows more about me than I know about him."
"That's why he'll lose."
He strode forward confidently.
Scar Dog nodded thoughtfully, muttering to himself, "So... next time I should go for someone whose previous boyfriends were all skinny guys?"
"Wait, Brother Jiang!"
Seeing Chen Jiang's retreating figure, Scar Dog scrambled out of the pit and hurried after him. "You interrupted my train of thought, Brother Jiang! I meant I've never been in a relationship before."
"What if I screw this up?"
"You have to promise to burn me a few extra girls in the afterlife."
"Otherwise, I'll never rest in peace."
"You won't screw it up."
"Seriously?"
"Have I ever lied to you?"
"Plenty of times."
"Well, this time I'm telling the absolute truth."
TL/N: Here, "妞" ("girls") refers to paper effigies of young women — essentially afterlife companions or maids, not living humans.
Within moments, Chen Jiang and Scar Dog had held their breath and slipped into the vast, sprawling ruins ahead.
It didn't take long.
After all, aside from the few armed security guards, the ruins had no other defenses. It was just a junkyard, after all; there was no real need for elaborate security measures.
And they knew the security guards' patrol routes like the back of their hands.
Infiltrating the ruins was easy.
Soon, the two men had crept up to a pile of rubble. Beneath it lay several overturned shipping containers, and by holding their breath, they could faintly hear hushed voices.
This was where Ma Zi and his gang were hiding.
The containers served as their temporary base within the junkyard.
Chen Jiang and Scar Dog exchanged a glance.
Instead of remaining hidden, they boldly stepped out into the open, deliberately making some noise as they walked.
They pulled out a flashlight and shone it directly at the shipping containers, adding indistinct murmurs to mimic a conversation.
Almost instantly, the containers fell silent.
A deathly hush descended.
Accompanied by a rustling sound, Chen Jiang and Scar Dog, who had been watching the containers intently, clearly saw several cloaks hanging behind them sway slightly.
(End of the Chapter)
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