Chapter 237: Five Thousand Evolvers
Zhang Qiang’s eyes were dazed, his line of sight unconsciously sliding downward.
He discovered that he was grasping a slender yet powerful hand, with fair skin but clearly defined muscles and bones.
The memories before passing out gradually returned.
Joining the Same Boat Society.
Entering the core.
Following Liu Ming to meet the mysterious person and carry out the task.
Although he didn’t know what happened afterward, he clearly knew that these events had something in common: betraying the Train, betraying the Train Conductor.
If he ranked the people he least wanted to see right now, the legendary brutal and ruthless Train Conductor would be at the top.
He had fantasized many times about the scene of meeting the Train Conductor.
Either after the matter was exposed, kneeling on the Train deck, and being shot in the Train Conductor’s cold gaze.
Or after the matter succeeded but being caught, kneeling on the deck, and being shot in the Train Conductor’s angry gaze.
Or when he knew nothing, being pressed onto the bed, and being shot in the Train Conductor’s amused gaze.
Perhaps there were dozens of different ways to die, but he had never thought it would be like this.
Lying on a warm and clean hospital bed, with his hand held by the Train Conductor.
Although he didn’t fully agree with Liu Ming’s evaluation of the Train Conductor, his fear of the Train Conductor was already ingrained in his bones.
“T-Train Conductor…”
Zhang Qiang said stiffly.
Su Huan smiled and patted his shoulder, “It’s Train Conductor, not ‘Train Train Conductor’, though Liu Ming wasn’t so lucky…”
“Liu Ming is dead?”
“He was shot dead on the spot, but even if he had survived, I wouldn’t have let that traitor go—he actually colluded with the Workers, intending to subvert the Train!”
“Ah?”
Zhang Qiang’s scalp went numb; if he weren’t lying in bed, he might have knelt down right now.
“The Armored Train is the blood and sweat of all of us, the guarantee for survival in this cruel apocalypse—it’s the thing we must defend to the death, right, Zhang Qiang?”
Feeling the Train Conductor’s powerful palm and passionate voice.
Zhang Qiang’s breathing grew tense, his complexion turning pale.
His gradually activating brain spun wildly.
What does this mean?
What does this mean?!
Could it be that the Train Conductor doesn’t know he’s also in the Same Boat Society?
Zhang Qiang, who had been honest his whole life, suddenly had a bold idea.
Looking at Su Huan’s gaze waiting for approval, his heart gradually rose to his throat, “Yes, exactly…”
“Exactly what?”
Zhang Qiang averted his eyes from Su Huan’s deep gaze; looking into those eyes, he always felt like he would be dragged out and shot the next second.
“I noticed something off about Liu Ming from the start.”
After saying that, he carefully looked at Su Huan again.
Seeing that the other hadn’t revealed a gaze that saw through him, he finally breathed a sigh of relief.
“Do you know something, like about the Same Boat Society?”
Hearing this term, Zhang Qiang’s heart, which had just settled, rose again; he abruptly looked up at Su Huan.
Those narrow eyes were slightly lowered, like two thin blades, with eyes as black as ink, showing no trace of emotion.
Only then did he realize his movement had been too big, and his mind frantically thought of ways to remedy it.
He shrank back and said, “Actually, I found out by accident, but not much…”
“Speak freely, I’m the Train Conductor—no one on the Train can harm you.”
Hearing Su Huan’s gentle encouragement, Zhang Qiang swallowed, “Actually, the President of the Same Boat Society is…”
“You.”
Su Huan continued.
Zhang Qiang’s scalp exploded in an instant; a current spread from the bridge of his nose to the base of his tail, thin sweat instantly soaking his whole body.
His eyes nearly bulged open, his entire body stiff like he’d been struck by lightning, terrifyingly rigid.
“Pa!”
Su Huan patted Zhang Qiang’s shoulder, and the latter jolted awake.
“Wh-what?”
“Not bad composure… though your hands are pretty sweaty.”
Su Huan smiled with double meaning, released Zhang Qiang’s hand, and grabbed his shoulder, “You’re the President of the Same Boat Society now.”
Zhang Qiang waved his hands in horror repeatedly, “Not me, it’s Liu Ming!”
Su Huan raised an eyebrow, “He’s dead—how can he be President.”
“Be President?”
“Me?”
Zhang Qiang keenly noticed the difference in wording.
“Yes, you. I want you to continue leading the Same Boat Society, but don’t say it’s my idea. Can you do it?”
Su Huan said with a beaming smile.
Zhang Qiang felt a chill in his heart, but feeling the increasing force on his shoulder, he still nodded.
“Rest well.”
As Su Huan stood up, the heart-pounding conversation that decided Zhang Qiang’s destiny came to an abrupt end.
When the cabin door closed, the seriousness on Su Huan’s face vanished instantly, his mouth nearly splitting to his ears.
He had originally wanted to ask some things about the Same Boat Society.
But seeing Zhang Qiang’s honest demeanor, on a whim, he decided to scare him a bit, and naturally pinned the now-nominal Same Boat Society on his head.
Thinking about it now, it was truly a brilliant move.
The Armored Train on the surface, the underground resistance, and the final common boss—all him alone.
In the future, when the Same Boat Society’s key members discover that their President’s old da is actually the Train Conductor.
Just imagining that sky-falling expression made him want to laugh.
Of course, most importantly, it could round up all those opposing him in one net.
And they’d have to work for him in secret with trepidation!
Damn, that’s interesting!
Lin Xia, who was next door adjusting the infusion bottle, suddenly heard a chilling laugh, his hand trembling and nearly dropping the bottle.
Turning back, he saw the Train Conductor laughing with his head thrown back.
The black shirt was taut at the shoulder blades with tense wrinkles, and even the biological magnetic field cancellation device on his wrist couldn’t diminish his wild and unrestrained aura.
It’s over, the Boss is going mad.
Lin Xia had been on the Train early and heard some rumors about the Train Conductor, but this was the first time seeing it firsthand.
According to veteran passengers’ experience, how to handle this situation?
Treat the Train Conductor as a normal person.
Thinking of this, Lin Xia calmly said, “Train Conductor.”
Su Huan casually brushed his long hair behind his ear and patted this Train Divine Doctor’s shoulder, “Heh, well done.”
……
At first, the survivors were very opposed to having to work.
But when Old Man Tie said they could become Evolvers, the entire Iron Mountain Shelter boiled over.
Even infants in swaddling clothes were brought out.
In the end, they set a line: twelve and above, seventy-eight and below.
Selected based on Xiao Ba and Old Man Tie’s ages—the entire Iron Mountain Shelter had only a dozen younger than Xiao Ba, and none older than Old Man Tie.
Everyone was generally satisfied; the few dissatisfied were suppressed by Old Man Tie.
Hu Shuo kept the Train Conductor’s teachings in mind and basically never appeared directly, always having the Qi Family relay messages to everyone.
Out of five thousand, only two unlucky ones emerged: they couldn’t withstand the General Energy and mutated into Zombies.
The rest all successfully evolved; “Defenders” and “Manufacturers” together made up nearly four thousand.
The most important “Collectors” numbered over six hundred, most of the rest were “Energizers”, and Manipulators were fewer than a hundred.
All “Collectors” were sent to collect General Energy Crystals; the Manipulators, due to their strange abilities, underwent simple screening—three plant-related ones were directly taken into the Armored Train to prepare for the “Floating Giant Wood” plan.
There was also one who could manipulate metal, though only ordinary metal—helpless against Evolution Materials—but he could take over Xiao Ba’s role for some daily Train maintenance.
The rest had overly bizarre styles.
One could manipulate bones, but only his own bones.
Using the ability once made him pass out from pain; Lin Xia went to great lengths to put his thigh bone back, but the person had already died from the pain.
Another had an ability similar to Professor Ma’s, able to make himself fly.
But during the ability test, he flew too high, panicked, and fell to his death.
There were many similar cases; the abilities were decent but too restrictive. Besides those four, Hu Shuo didn’t take them all, planning to observe for a while longer.
Moreover, these people had no sense of belonging to the Armored Train.
They needed to be cultivated slowly.
However, during these two days of work, Hu Shuo discovered an interesting phenomenon.
The Iron Mountain Shelter survivors’ malice toward the Armored Train had lessened, especially after becoming Evolvers, but their aversion to the Qi Family’s rule was increasingly apparent.
(Inspiration came a bit late; the remaining two thousand will be filled tomorrow. Starting tomorrow with extras; you can join the group early. If 150,000 isn’t reached this month, I’ll send a hundred-red-packet in the group.)
