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Starting Cultivation in Wasteland

Chapter 381 - 259: Slipping Through the Cracks · Oct 13, 2026

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Chapter List (1233)

Page number / 25

351 Chapter 351 - 231: Déjà Vu 2026-10-13
352 Chapter 352 - 232: Insider 2026-10-13
353 Chapter 353 - 233: Regret Comes Too Late 2026-10-13
354 Chapter 354 - 234: Supreme’s Endorsement 2026-10-13
355 Chapter 355 - 235: Truly Ruthless 2026-10-13
356 Chapter 356 - 236: Madman 2026-10-13
357 Chapter 357 - 237: Landing 2026-10-13
358 Chapter 358 - 238: Breaking Through 2026-10-13
359 Chapter 359 - 239: Breakout 2026-10-13
360 Chapter 360 - 240: Who Is the Second One? 2026-10-13
361 Chapter 361 - 241: Encounter 2026-10-13
362 Chapter 362 - 242: Struggling to Make Ends Meet 2026-10-13
363 Chapter 363 - 243: Invitation 2026-10-13
364 Chapter 364 - 244: Like the Wasteland? 2026-10-13
365 Chapter 365 - 245: Power Restored 2026-10-13
366 Chapter 366 - 246: Improvement 2026-10-13
367 Chapter 367 - 247: Spread 2026-10-13
368 Chapter 368 - 248: Surrounded by Predators 2026-10-13
369 Chapter 369 - 249: The Harvest 2026-10-13
370 Chapter 370 - 250: Lethal Strike 2026-10-13
371 Chapter 371 - 251: Too Hard to Turn Back 2026-10-13
372 Chapter 372 - 252: Bottom Line 2026-10-13
373 Chapter 373 - 253: Better Wronged Than Let Go 2026-10-13
374 Chapter 374 - 254: Information Discrepancy (First Update Dedicated to Master He Meng, Old Mu) 2026-10-13
375 Chapter 375 - 255: Sudden Uprising – Breaking the Deadlock (Double - ) 2026-10-13
376 Chapter 376 - 255: Sudden Assault – Breaking the Deadlock (Double - ) 2 2026-10-13
377 Chapter 377 - 255: Sudden Uprising – Breaking the Deadlock (Double - ) 3 2026-10-13
378 Chapter 378 - 255: Sudden Assault – Breaking the Deadlock (Double - ) 4 2026-10-13
379 Chapter 379 - 257: Countering Reinforcements 2026-10-13
380 Chapter 380 - 258: At the Bottom of the Barrel 2026-10-13
381 Chapter 381 - 259: Slipping Through the Cracks 2026-10-13
382 Chapter 382 - 260: Hurtful Truths 2026-10-13
383 Chapter 383 - 261: Not as Advertised 2026-10-13
384 Chapter 384 - 262: Farewell, Youyou 2026-10-13
385 Chapter 385 - 263: Courting Death 2026-10-13
386 Chapter 386 - 264: The Indifference of the Powerful (Second Update) 2026-10-13
387 Chapter 387 - 265: Fishing in Troubled Waters 2026-10-13
388 Chapter 388 - 266: Oppressive Bullying 2026-10-13
389 Chapter 389 - 267: Targeted 2026-10-13
390 Chapter 390 - 268: Impersonating Myself 2026-10-13
391 Chapter 391 - 269: Clarity of Mind 2026-10-13
392 Chapter 392 - 270: This Warehouse Is Suspicious 2026-10-13
393 Chapter 393 - 271: Targeted Again 2026-10-13
394 Chapter 394 - 272: A Mistaken Identity 2026-10-13
395 Chapter 395 - 273: Who Can Still Be Trusted 2026-10-13
396 Chapter 396 - 274: Long Time No See 2026-10-13
397 Chapter 397 - 275: Impervious to Reason 2026-10-13
398 Chapter 398 - 276: Cooperation? 2026-10-13
399 Chapter 399 - 277: Turning Their Own Scheme Against Them 2026-10-13
400 Chapter 400 - 278: Shameless Ambush 2026-10-13

Chapter 381: Chapter 259: Slipping Through the Cracks

Sure enough, Sullivan was first confused when he heard the question, then surprisingly asked, ”Who is Pan Yifu?”

How important can your intelligence be with such a level of secrecy? Qu Jianlei grew more disappointed.

However, he didn’t say more. Given Sullivan’s ability, obtaining such relatively accurate information was already quite difficult.

As for the secrets the other party thought were important, he wasn’t interested.

Even if they were indeed secrets, he had no interest in listening—he was only responsible for the guerrilla support on the periphery, knowing too many secrets wasn’t good.

Finally, he asked, ”Are you familiar with Fourth Master Alloy Drill?”

”Alloy Drill?” Sullivan pondered for a moment, then slowly shook his head, ”He generally doesn’t interact with us, his reputation isn’t bad.”

”Alright then,” Qu Jianlei put away the materials and intended to leave, ”Bother you to think of a way again about the other forces’ news.”

Seeing him leaving, Sullivan became anxious, ”Sir, who is that Pan Yifu you mentioned?”

Qu Jianlei gave him a strange look, ”He’s the A-level fire attribute who broke out from the dock earlier.”

”His name is Pan Yifu?” Sullivan’s eyes lit up, ”I heard he hasn’t escaped too far, appears from time to time.”

”By the way, Sir, what’s the name of that earth attribute A-level?”

”You ask me, who do I ask?” Qu Jianlei’s body flashed and disappeared directly.

From behind came a faint voice, ”Sir, if you can contact that earth attribute A-level, let me know.”

What a bizarre situation! Qu Jianlei shook his head, with a couple of leaps, he disappeared into the pitch-black night.

Arriving at a secret place, he took out a radio and called the Flame Headquarters.

The call was connected instantly, and ten seconds later, Mu Guoguo took over, obviously waiting all along.

Mu Commander started speaking, sounding very excited, ”Black Heaven, you’ve done well, the star thieves are already somewhat in a panic.”

”It’s not a big deal,” Qu Jianlei replied lightly, ”I gathered some intelligence and verified a part of it.”

”Now I’ll tell you the verified intelligence, see which parts are useful.”

Mu Guoguo immediately said, ”I also want the unverified ones... Someone, bring over the recording equipment.”

Qu Jianlei quickly relayed the intelligence, then asked, ”Commander, is it true that Herman’s youngest son is being held in Black Rain?”

”Held in Black Rain?” Mu Guoguo was initially stunned, then became furious, ”Obviously, it was his youngest son who defected to the Pioneers!”

Herman’s youngest son had been injected with the Genetic Transformation Potion twice.

The third injection didn’t happen, not because he lacked the aptitude, simply because... the star thieves came!

The youngest son also had a temper. After being bullied by the star thieves, he directly joined the Pioneer Team.

He first defected to Blazing Fire, but Blazing Fire also didn’t have the Genetic Transformation Potion, as these things were controlled by the four Celestial Level Teams.

So he then went to Black Rain, still carried there by Blazing Fire.

Later, the youngest son even had someone inform the family, but Herman, worried about trouble from the star thieves, claimed his youngest son had been kidnapped.

At this point, Mu Guoguo suddenly realized, ”The old thing is testing you, it’s also my fault for not making things clear.”

”Making them clear wouldn’t help,” Qu Jianlei understood clearly, ”He already exposed himself, it was his decision to defect to the star thieves.”

The star thieves he interrogated unanimously stated that Herman was considered a spy for the Pioneers.

Moreover, the maintenance council’s family was indeed under the observation and control of the star thieves.

Is the whole family more important, or just one youngest son? For Herman, this choice required no consideration.

Only then did Mu Guoguo have a chance to ask, ”I heard the rear of the star thieves isn’t peaceful either, have you contacted anyone?”

”No,” Qu Jianlei answered without hesitation, ”It should be other Pioneer Teams acting.”

”In any case, your role is significant, we can clearly feel it,” Commander Mu fully affirmed his contributions.

”Now, we are thinking if you can find their logistics warehouse and use electromagnetics to detonate?”

Qu Jianlei didn’t make any guarantees, but expressed he would act spontaneously.

”...The key is they are determined to get Black Rain, I suggest Black Rain should communicate with other Celestial Level Teams.”

Ultimately, not a professional, Mu Guoguo sighed inwardly, you’re just a distractor, where do you get off suggesting Black Rain?

But he didn’t dare point this out directly and could only subtly express, ”The suggestion is good, you need to pay more attention to subsequent star thief troop movements.”

Qu Jianlei didn’t pick up on the undertone at all, ”I’m considering visiting the control center soon... Alright, someone’s coming!”

The extended radio operation time would definitely attract searches, and now the search teams were just three kilometers away from him.

Qu Jianlei put away the radio, his body flashed, and he disappeared into the night.

By the evening of the third day, a tall and thin man appeared in the suburbs of the control center.

This was Qu Jianlei in disguise, having killed a secret spy of the star thieves.

Based on the intelligence gathered from various sources, he could finally conclude that there were three indigenous individuals who should be star thieves in disguise.

He chose one with a similar build to him, and as for the appearance... the difference wasn’t significant.

Then he infiltrated and subdued the opponent, using physical interrogation methods to get the information he wanted.

Not all spies can withstand interrogation, especially those hidden among ordinary people.

They are more adept at disguise, aiming to avoid arousing suspicion.

Those spies who can endure interrogations usually infiltrate the enemy’s camp, where disguise is even more crucial.

Qu Jianlei asked all the necessary questions, and then killed and buried the person.

During this process, he unexpectedly discovered that after removing the disguise, the person’s face increasingly resembled his own.

So he did a little makeup, donned this face, and arrived at the edge of the control center.

In such places, there weren’t many Indigenous People, and it looked like the population was split fifty-fifty with the Star Thieves.

In fact, it could be seen as seventy-thirty, with Indigenous People only accounting for twenty percent.

The remaining thirty percent basically belonged to the Star Thieves’ camp, even resembling Star Thieves in nature.

This was still decent; once inside the control center, all the Indigenous People were connected with the Star Thieves.

Ordinary Indigenous People couldn’t even get in here, but as a spy, he naturally wasn’t short on documents.

Qu Jianlei was more worried about running into someone familiar here.

However, in this world, good things seldom happen while bad things often do.

He had barely walked a hundred meters past the checkpoint when someone spoke, ”Hey, Flagpole... you seem a bit off today.”

Flagpole was the nickname of the person he was impersonating - or one of the nicknames, mocking his skinny tall figure.

Now, Qu Jianlei’s height and weight were considered standard on Blue Star, over 1.8 meters tall and around 65 kilograms.

Perhaps still a bit on the lean side, but after years of poverty, it had to be replenished slowly.

After all, he wasn’t even thirty yet, not middle-aged and gaining weight, quite a standard physique.

But in the Wasteland... in the Imperial realm, this physique was typically a skinny pole, giving the impression of lacking combat power.

After all, you need muscles to exert force.

Upon hearing this, Qu Jianlei felt a jolt in his heart, ”Damn it, how did I encounter someone familiar?” Just when he feared this would happen.

But though his heart pounded, his expression showed no reaction, he looked up, noticing a horse-faced man.

He had only extracted sparse information through interrogation and was now attempting to enter the control center - after all, he hadn’t mastered the Soul Searching Skill, had he?

As for who this was, he truly had no impression whatsoever.

Despite his urgency, his face remained expressionless, he glanced at the person and calmly said, ”Sorry, I don’t know you.”

Upon hearing this, the horse-faced man’s expression immediately darkened, he shouted, ”Flagpole, are you courting death?”

Qu Jianlei looked deeply at him again, turned sideways and left, ”I’ll repeat, I don’t know you.”

”No way,” the horse-faced man muttered, reaching out to grab him, his voice stern, ”You’re not Flagpole, who are you?”

Qu Jianlei did not dodge, allowing him to grasp his shoulder before turning to glance, speaking with slight resignation.

”Have the guts to raise your voice a bit more.”

”Huh?” The horse-faced man immediately withdrew his hand, frowning, ”This voice... seems wrong too.”

Qu Jianlei gazed at him without speaking, his eyes full of resignation.

The horse-faced man’s eyes darted, his voice dropped, ”Oh, you’re on a mission then?”

He was a Modified Warrior, often bullied Flagpole, and now remembered the other was sent out as a spy.

Qu Jianlei helplessly covered his forehead, ”Don’t blame me for not warning you, keep talking and trouble will find you.”

”What crap trouble,” the horse-faced man sneered disdainfully.

But he was merely stubborn in words, at last shooting a glance at Qu Jianlei, turning away, ”Treat me to a drink later.”

Qu Jianlei slightly shook his head, didn’t look at him, and continued walking.

Sure enough, impersonating a spy certainly had its conveniences; acting mysteriously could easily fool ordinary acquaintances.

The core area of the control center wasn’t large, roughly forty to fifty square kilometers.

Adding family members, there were almost 300,000 Star Thieves, 200,000 Indigenous People, quite densely populated.

Besides these, there were tens of thousands of captives and hostages.

Such a residential density was less adequate than in the Gorge or Central City, supposedly facilitating Qu Jianlei’s infiltration.

But regrettably, Star Thieves implemented militarized management, checkpoints were numerous.

In the core area, there were basically no idle wanderers, naturally making it difficult to disguise as an ordinary person.

Especially as these Star Thieves each had their affiliations and corresponding activity territories.

Within zones, Star Thieves mostly recognized each other, making it impossible to blend in.

Disguising as a Star Thief from another zone would inevitably lead to thorough inspections.

Additionally, with Xingluo’s monitoring and alarm systems scattered all around, infiltrating unnoticed was exceptionally challenging.

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