Chapter 202: One More Transaction
“Is it a beast herd?” Su Huan frowned.
Wangjiang Peak and the surrounding mutated beasts had almost all been killed clean by He Jie.
This thing didn’t seem like zombies. Although they craved human flesh and blood and general energy, they knew to seek advantage and avoid harm.
There was a massive flood at the foot of the mountain, plus a huge battle. How could they possibly run this way?
Yu Yue’s expression was somewhat subtle. “Yes, they’re converging from all directions, just like… they used an inducer.”
Su Huan’s face showed sudden realization as he looked toward the mountain top and sneered coldly.
“No matter what, the current armored train isn’t afraid of a beast herd at all. Continue up the mountain!”
Casting this little interlude aside, Su Huan climbed the mountain while sensing the changes in his body.
Constitution had slightly increased, but the change wasn’t big.
Still the foundation of a Tier 1 “Fighter.”
Things like environmental analysis, body control, nerve reflex, strength, speed, and impact resistance—he was all inferior to Zhao Kuo.
Tier 2 “Circulating Vortex” brought him the most direct benefit of energy recovery speed. Originally, with “Energy Cycle,” he could get some energy recovery too, but it was like opening a small faucet for the swimming pool—recovery was very slow, though it could replenish anytime, anywhere.
But when things really went down, it still relied on the water already stored in the pool.
Now it was like the water in the pool spontaneously rotating, forming a whirlpool that frantically absorbed energy from all directions.
The energy consumed in the previous big battle had now fully recovered.
Besides that, the energy storage core in his body had expanded again, with total energy increased by two-thirds.
To put it in more straightforward data, with his current lv6 “General Energy Conversion”—that is, 60% conversion rate—he could now drive the armored train to charge ahead nonstop for twenty-four hours. Recovery speed completely covered consumption speed, theoretically achieving perpetual motion.
It was just that over a long time, as a high-intensity input-output transit station, the train conductor would break down.
But this was already a terrifying figure.
“Circulating Vortex” elevated his total energy, intensity, duration, and exemption to a terrifying level.
Although Su Huan was weaker than Zhao Kuo in every aspect, as long as Zhao Kuo dared to show his face.
Su Huan could instant-kill him!
No matter your thousands of tricks or myriad abilities, we’d just use one word: instant-kill!
This was the characteristic of the “Perpetual Motion Hub” profession.
Sheer volume.
As for fine control of energy, it was just average, still relying on his foundation from his previous life as an “Electromagnetic User.”
The reason he shrank the “Lightning Pool” to a ten-meter radius during the fight with Zhao Kuo was partly to concentrate power, and partly to avoid accidentally striking his own people dead.
After all, not everyone was like Zhao Kuo, whose skull was nearly split open yet could still scurry around full of life.
But promotion also had downsides.
He could have lived another half year before, but now even two months was doubtful.
Su Huan felt like a candle in the wind, burning even more fiercely under the wind’s howl.
……
On the mountain top, Haywood’s excitement had subsided a lot.
Since he had hurriedly led the team here, six hours had already passed, and the battle down the mountain had stopped.
But their progress was still minimal; they had only picked up some ordinary pear trees missed by the armored train.
These pears did have a slight effect of restoring vitality, but they were far inferior to the “Crown Pear Tree” in Tong Zizhan’s report that could cross the vitality barrier.
“How much longer?” Haywood asked.
An expert nearby said, “We don’t have enough manpower. To thoroughly search the mountain, we need headquarters to send more people.”
Haywood lifted the tempered glass mask, his deep blue eyes reflecting the lush green trees before him, and calmly shook his head.
Traces left everywhere on the mountain reminded him that the armored train had already conducted a large-scale search before they arrived.
He even suspected that the armored train had leaked the information to the undercover agent because they couldn’t find it, luring Deep Blue Data to locate this Crown Pear Tree.
Though there was no evidence, and the guess was quite absurd.
But Haywood thought it was the most reasonable speculation.
On some things, East and West were universal.
So based on this guess, relying on a wide net of manpower search was definitely ineffective, and with the Acid Rain Area branch newly built, he didn’t have that many people to search the mountain.
“Could it be growing on the cliff face?”
Haywood asked.
The expert tapped the protective suit on his left arm, lighting up a small screen. “We’ve already searched with drones; there are no traces of large trees growing on the mountain body…”
“Didi—”
The screen flashed a blue light, and the expert suddenly paused.
Haywood’s communication equipment inside his protective suit also transmitted a sound.
“High-energy reaction detected on the mountain, but the range is large; can’t find the specific location…”
Haywood’s gaze sharpened abruptly. “Find him. No matter what methods you use, find him. I’ll guarantee your promotions and raises!”
“Understood!”
Before he could relax, the corner of his eye suddenly caught a black shadow flashing by.
His subordinate’s sharp roar came by his ear. “Someone’s charging up the mountain!”
Looking at the charred figure charging with a two-meter-long narrow blade on its shoulder, Haywood was stunned. “I see it, but whose black ghost is this?”
Talking on his mouth, his feet didn’t stop retreating—he wasn’t combat personnel.
Guards on both sides rushed forward quickly.
“Don’t fight him! It’s Black Kite’s Tier 2 ‘Flesh-and-Blood Integration’!”
The alarm on the protective suit detected high-energy fluctuations and quickly issued a siren-like wail by his ear.
“Damn it!” Haywood cursed angrily and pulled down the face shield.
Only then did he see the silver kite-tail flower logo hanging under the opponent’s exoskeleton, made even more shiny by the charred body.
The group treated it like a major enemy, deploying all protective measures, standing guard on the spot and watching the figure in the exoskeleton warily.
Zhao Kuo raised his head coldly; both eyes had been pierced by electricity. One mechanical prosthetic eye had turned into a cold mechanical sphere, and the other flesh eye was just a pitch-black hollow.
He relied on the miniature detection device embedded in his skull to discern direction.
“Detected two Tier 1 Evolvers”
“Main body should repair damage ASAP, avoid combat, search surroundings for items to repair damage”
“Execute order: Evade, search!”
Just as Haywood was puzzled, Zhao Kuo abruptly turned direction, bypassed them, and ran toward the mountain top.
Haywood’s complexion changed.
Wasn’t Black Kite grabbing the gene primordium down the mountain?!
How did they come up here too?
Could it be they had taken down the armored train and come up to pick pears?
“Quick, all combat personnel converge on my position, block Black Kite from going up the mountain.”
His side had just gathered, total of five Tier 1 combat personnel.
If not for the damn Black Kite capturing one of his scouting squads, he wouldn’t be this short-handed. When establishing the branch, headquarters would mobilize ten Tier 1 Evolvers, which was already a massive force in the early apocalypse.
After all, they were here to build a branch, not to wipe out other forces.
At the time, Steel Conference’s Tier 1 Evolvers added up to just over a dozen.
At that moment, the remaining Black Kite Squad members also charged up from down the mountain and were stunned to see Deep Blue Data people.
They were fighting tooth and nail down the mountain, so what were Deep Blue Data people doing hiding on the mountain?
Though they couldn’t figure out the logic for the moment.
There was definitely something fishy up there!
Profiling Expert 428 waved his hand, activating profiling ability. His eyes instantly went dark as he shrieked, “They’re searching for something up there!”
The investigation squad was captured; though the top boss went to negotiate, the ransom cost still fell on their Acid Rain Area branch.
If not for bringing back news of the gene primordium, just the five Tier 1 Evolvers captured would have him in deep trouble.
Now that they finally had a lead on promotion, Black Kite came to stir things up again?
This was merit enough for several levels of promotion!
“md, fuck! bitch!”
Haywood’s anger flared instantly, raising his hand to shoot at 428.
428’s fiery body showed astonishing flexibility, dodging with a few rolls, her willow brows shooting up. “Who are you calling a bitch?!”
But her voice didn’t carry, already drowned by gunfire.
Near the mountain top, the two groups actually fought in earnest, shifting toward the top while battling.
Su Huan led the armed corps people without hurry, following behind.
Whoever fell injured, they directly went up to clean the battlefield. Anyway, they had plenty of manpower to control the scene; no fear of too many captives to handle.
In no time, he had captured seven or eight from both sides.
Including Profiling Expert 428, who due to poor combat power was wounded and fell. If not for Su Huan’s people arriving fast, she would be done for now.
At this point, the exoskeleton and outermost loose combat suit had been stripped off, leaving only the inner layer of tactical bodysuit. Her heavy chest was lewdly bound with rope. Torrential rain poured down, gold hair dye mixed with rainwater sliding from the undulating hills, revealing jet-black long hair.
Though she looked extremely disheveled, her eyes still carried a seductive charm, utterly bitchy.
Stunning the group of soldiers.
Only then did Su Huan realize Giraffe had a knack for nice binding techniques.
He Jie gave Giraffe a “you’re on your own, kid” look, then unhesitatingly led people to continue the pursuit.
He even dragged Xiao Ba along.
Giraffe felt a twinge of unease, sweeping toward the unkind gazes, seeing Yu Yue slightly frowning behind the train conductor, and immediately regretted it to his guts.
Too busy currying favor with the train conductor, forgot to curry favor with the train conductor’s wife.
Though no one said it outright, anyone could see the thing between Yu Yue and the train conductor.
Plus Yu Yue held multiple roles with a gentle personality; everyone respected this “train conductor’s wife.”
Su Huan looked at 428 and calmly asked, “How did Black Kite learn about the gene primordium’s information?”
428 tilted her face up to Su Huan, without the slightest hesitation, spilling everything on Black Kite. “Mister Shu’s ex-wife is Steel Council Director Wang Yi.”
Su Huan was slightly surprised; he hadn’t expected a casual question to yield key information.
“Your identity.”
“I’m Black Kite Special Operations Department Bronze Kite level personnel, Tier 1 ‘Profiling Expert.’ With an assistant, I can quickly visualize what happened in a location. I just happened to know some secrets about Mister Shu’s this mission.”
Su Huan’s complexion eased slightly. “Good, didn’t waste my time.”
Hearing this, 428 finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Because she had helped Mister Shu reconstruct the Steel Council Headquarters battlefield, much of the data on Su Huan was collected by her, so she naturally knew about him.
The train conductor valued utility highly; as long as she showed her value, she could live.
After all, this was the battlefield—who knew if for convenience they’d execute and bury them on the spot?
With dozens of muzzles aimed, no one thinks of being clever.
As for loyalty to Mister Shu…
Please, she was just loaned over by Mister Shu; even if the mission failed, it wasn’t her to take the fall.
But her life was her own; dead was really dead.
Su Huan waved his hand, having people take 428 to the back. Since she had shown her value and willingness to cooperate, he naturally would give her a chance.
As for now, it was time for the final roundup.
HT-426 and Haywood had long noticed the armored train behind, but both sides couldn’t stop anymore.
You stop, can you guarantee the other side won’t shoot you in the back?
If the other side stops, can you hold back from shooting them in the back?
Putting themselves in others’ shoes, no one could.
They could only watch their teams keep taking casualties, picked up cheap by Su Huan behind.
Wangjiang Peak’s summit had turned into an apocalyptic scene.
Pitch-black rain clouds pressed on their heads, within reach. Distant mountains and scenery were shrouded in night and heavy rain. Wild winds whipped rain lashes, making eyes unable to open; pine forests swayed madly behind.
Beams of strong searchlights lit up the entire mountain top.
Jagged weird rocks protruded like withered bones from the earth, rinsed by rain to gleam with wet, cold ghostly light.
Layer upon layer of armed soldiers in dark green raincoats stood on the mountaintop, muzzles aimed at the center, expressions like iron.
Only then did HT-426 and Haywood stop with ugly complexions.
Su Huan’s gaze swept the mountaintop, especially the covers where Haywood’s several experts were hiding, his expression growing darker. “Found it?”
The experts behind the cover exchanged glances, unsure how to answer.
At this time, Haywood raised both hands and stepped out, a forced smile on his face. “Hey, didn’t expect to see you again here, Mister Su… Wondering if you could spare a life for the sake of our past transaction?”
Su Huan wore a ghostly smile. “Of course.”
Haywood’s deep blue eyes lit up instantly.
Before he could speak, Su Huan’s low, clear voice reached his ear. “Let’s make another transaction.”
Haywood inwardly relaxed; as long as there was a transaction, there was hope to negotiate.
The Crown Pear Plan had already failed today; losing his life on top wouldn’t be worth it.
No matter how tempting the pie the boss painted, he needed to be alive to eat it!
“The bargaining chip for the transaction is your life.”
Ignoring Haywood’s stiff smile, Su Huan continued, “Including Black Kite’s people. If you can find the Crown Pear Tree, I’ll let you live. If not, I’ll send you down the mountain one by one.”
“Time limit is one hour. Every five minutes past one hour, send one off.”
Giraffe pulled a large folding chair from the backpack and set it up behind the train conductor.
Su Huan sat boldly astride it, taking the timer handed over by White Deer.
“Alright, you can start now.”
