Chapter 131: Gap
He Jie finished firing the last burst of bullets, then pulled open the partition and climbed down.
A thick layer of steel bullet casings that had accumulated poured down like a tide, clattering into the cockpit, but before they could scatter and roll around, they were restrained by an invisible hand and placed into an empty ammunition box nearby.
He Jie looked down.
The youth who had taken out an evolver squad was sitting quietly in the wheelchair, his serious eyes full of cold steel color.
Such top-tier talent was actually picked up.
Thinking about it made He Jie’s teeth ache. If he had such a subordinate, with twenty men—no, just needing five more combat team members, he could take on the Steel Council… seems not quite enough, still missing an evolver like Yu Yue who could connect everyone together.
Plus an excellent sniper.
Seems not quite workable either.
He Jie felt like he had overlooked something.
He moved a box of 14.5 bullets from the small ammunition depot in the corner, listening to the crackling stray bullets outside the carriage, then climbed back up the stairs, suddenly remembering.
Su Huan’s greatest reliance was the armored train under his feet!
……
Although the iron rain storm on the roof had paused for a while, the battle was not over.
The Steel Council’s 20 men, including Zhang Tie, had only lost 5, leaving 15.
In addition, more than two hundred servant soldiers remained, tangled in chaotic battle with passengers fishing in troubled waters.
This chaotic melee was the largest, like the Chu-Han boundary, dividing the battlefield into two parts: one was the armored train on the track, the other was the Steel Council coming from the county town direction.
And Zhang Tie and the other four had charged too close, completely cut off.
The critically wounded soldier couldn’t withdraw from the battlefield.
The medics and demolition man following behind were also separated by He Jie, Old San, and others with firepower, missing the timing.
After receiving new orders, they no longer charged, instead maintaining a watchful combat stance.
On the armored train side, besides the passengers, two combat teams also took action.
Knowing Su Huan’s bait was not tasty, Lu Xiao still couldn’t resist the high reward temptation, leading Xiao Ma and a few new members off the train.
Things went smoothly at first; they picked up four old-fashioned rifles right after getting off, then took out a few servant soldiers.
Then they watched Su Huan unleash his might, taking out an enemy leader and several elites.
A total of five elite soldiers; three died on the spot, two left, one lightly wounded turned into pulp by He Jie’s burst, leaving one critically wounded, lying behind a cement pier.
Almost instantly, Lu Xiao compared him to Su Huan’s reward.
Kill reward 200 points, capture 500 points plus weapons and ammunition pack.
Though unknown what was in the ammunition pack, the point difference alone was enough to drive one mad.
Capturing him could directly exchange for a general-purpose exoskeleton!
Almost instantly, Lu Xiao made the decision in his mind.
“Brother Xiao, look over there.”
Xiao Ma tugged Lu Xiao’s arm, pointing at the full set of high-end equipment on the soldiers taken out by Xiao Ba, eyes gleaming.
“Foreign modular assault rifles, all good stuff. Exchanging one at the front of the train costs a full eighty points, way more expensive than ours.”
Lu Xiao glanced at the critically wounded soldier’s cover position, then at the corpses on the ground.
Passengers had already eyed the equipment, surging over quickly.
“Alright, grab the equipment first, then catch him!”
Lu Xiao quickly decided.
Fighting passengers on one side, fighting a critically wounded elite soldier on the other—which was easier was self-evident.
The group quickly moved toward the corpses.
A passenger had already picked up the gun that pierced the soldier’s head, gripping the seized gun barrel with one hand, stepping on the head with a foot to pull it down.
Blood mixed with red and white matter flowed on the metal.
The next moment, a warning omen suddenly rang in his heart.
But it gave Lu Xiao no time to react; the figure in front burst like a squeezed hot water bag.
Tomato residue from the exploded head smeared his face with juice.
The lower body’s organs still moved by inertia.
The result of a heavy sniper rifle hitting a person was vividly displayed before him, so clear and profound.
Lu Xiao felt like a recruit; though accustomed to life and death since the apocalypse, when death’s sickle truly grazed his ear, he froze completely.
But standing there made him a warrior already.
Several surrounding passengers collapsed in fright, like bananas sun-exposed for days, piling on the ground rotting and stinking.
Lu Xiao slapped himself hard, forcibly breaking the numbing sensation, grabbed the leg-weakened Xiao Ma beside him, and ran to the cover ahead, not even picking up the equipment behind.
No wonder Su Huan and the crew hadn’t come down yet.
Turns out the enemy’s sniper hadn’t been taken out!
They survived because their hunting value was too low, but his group attracted the sniper’s attention for some reason, then got shot at.
Would the enemy continue?
Lu Xiao didn’t know and didn’t dare bet.
When he reached the cover, he gradually felt his heartbeat; luckily, the evolver’s strong physical fitness prevented chest tightness and shortness of breath.
Looking back, his several subordinates had also snapped out and followed.
Xiao Ma was still a bit dazed.
Lu Xiao pinched his neck hard, clamping Xiao Ma’s neck with his arm, low-roaring to the group, “Listen to my command later. Whoever dares zone out, I’ll press his head into the acid rain when we get back!”
“Got it?!”
The last sentence was shouted at Xiao Ma.
Though Lu Xiao’s words were crude, like a stabilizing needle, the scolding brought everyone back to their senses.
Lu Xiao then looked up, seeing Jiang Rong and a few others squatting behind cover opposite.
No intention of picking up the gun.
‘Each one more slippery than the last!’
“Follow me!” Lu Xiao low-shouted, leading the group to charge toward the cover.
Limited by the situation, Lu Xiao couldn’t make fancy arrangements, just directing people to surround the critically wounded soldier’s position.
With Lu Xiao’s orders, they fired sequentially to probe.
Though none had awakened firearm skills, the eight in the team were evolvers; strength, speed, nerve reflex far superior to normals, so bullets wouldn’t miss much.
Lu Xiao led Xiao Ma and two others to approach from two directions.
Recalling tactical movements learned in the troops, Lu Xiao pondered the most unexpected rush action, next second seeing a grenade roll over.
Scared cold sweat pouring, he turned and pounced toward the open space beside.
“Boom!”
Vibration came from both arms; Lu Xiao first realized the meaning of rolling.
Before he could feel fortunate, he saw those deep cold eyes behind the cement pier, like the wild wolf he’d seen in the woods, greenish.
The soldier sat behind the about one-meter-wide cement pier column, single-handedly aiming the assault rifle at another direction.
And his subordinates there, seeing Lu Xiao and the other attacked, thought they had an opportunity and quickened steps.
“Don’t!”
Lu Xiao only managed one syllable.
“Bang bang bang—”
Three crisp gunshots, two heads exploded.
Blood flowers burst from foreheads; the two hard-cultivated evolver subordinates died on the spot.
“Fuck!”
Beside him, Xiao Ma roared in grief and anger, suddenly standing, rushing past the wall corner, muzzle aimed at the soldier behind.
The soldier decisively abandoned the assault rifle, reached out to grab the muzzle, forcefully lifting it up.
The hard gun barrel deformed in the two defenders’ hands.
Muzzle flashed bright, bright yellow flame instantly erupting from the gun body.
Barrel explosion.
While Xiao Ma was stunned, the critically wounded soldier pounced like a sick tiger, fiercely pinning him down, shoulder pressing the struggling Xiao Ma, one hand reaching to his lower back.
Lu Xiao saw the motion, scalp exploding, directly charging over.
But the soldier sprawled on Xiao Ma, handgun muzzle pointing at Lu Xiao.
Cool-headed to an outrageous degree from start to finish.
He filtered the ever-changing battlefield info, using battle-hardened experience to find the most apt combat method.
His goal wasn’t solving a few people, but the next threat that could fatally harm him!
Xiao Ma, with lower evolution degree, lost threat the moment the firearm exploded, now a lamb to slaughter under him; the next threat was Lu Xiao holding the gun!
The soldier decisively pulled the trigger.
Instantly, Lu Xiao felt his body electrified, sharp energy drilling from spine to scalp; originally heavy sluggish legs suddenly movable.
Though unknown where the power came from, Lu Xiao chose to trust his instinct.
Use it!
Blood erupted from heart like roaring river bursting vessels, thigh muscles instantly bulging to limit, whole body slithering like a swimming dragon in a weird S-shape, then pouncing onto the soldier.
“Bang!”
Three men smashed into a pile behind the cement pier.
Lu Xiao dead-gripped the soldier’s gun-holding right hand, then smashed his elbow viciously at the soldier’s face.
Though the soldier had only one usable hand, he didn’t yield, fighting back madly.
Three servant soldiers drawn by the fight, dared not approach, hesitated then raised old-fashioned rifles to snipe.
“Bang—tatata!”
The first servant soldier raising gun dropped by a bullet from who-knows-where.
The remaining two, before reacting, taken out by a burst.
Jiang Rong held her gun rising from cover, turning to look at the train, seeing a fiery-figured woman in leather clothes hugging a sniper rifle sprinting here.
“Captain Jiang, do we still go?”
Last glance at Lu Xiao gaining upper hand in the fight with the soldier.
Jiang Rong shook her head, “No benefit now. Going would just break faces, losing even this bit of favor.”
……
Lu Xiao lay on ground gasping heavily, chest heaving violently, faint numbness in chest turning to sharp pain.
Still got shot.
Though awakened skill earlier, the opponent was a firearm evolver after all; such a big target impossible to miss, just the sudden change made head-aimed shots hit the torso.
That tiny miss decided life and death.
“Brother Xiao, fucking hurts!”
Xiao Ma wailed beside.
Lu Xiao had no energy to mind him now.
During the fight, soldier’s muzzle deviated, hitting him once, then drew knife to clash with Lu Xiao several times.
Not just him; Lu Xiao also stabbed twice.
Knife wounds probably deeper than gunshot.
Short few minutes of killing felt more tiring than any training.
But besides body, more mental confusion.
Why could Su Huan kill these elite soldiers like chickens, while his group nearly flipped killing one wounded soldier?
Was the strength gap between normal evolvers and Tier 1 evolvers that big?
Suddenly a soft body pounced on him, already easing wounds hurting more.
A loud slap landed on his face.
Opposite to the one he just gave himself.
Symmetrical.
The messy confusion also slapped away.
Feeling the woman’s surging emotion, Lu Xiao smiled wryly, “Can you let me live back first, then give me a chance to explain?”
Miao Qi straightened up, like at night, but this time not tossing hair, instead slinging the sniper rifle on back.
While checking his wounds, gnashing teeth, “Better die outside, so I can quickly find next man.”
“The most beautiful scenery is on the road, the best man is the next one. Train conductor warm reminder: train starting soon. If you want to change men, leave him there to fend for himself. After all, there’s a surgeon with 35 years clinical experience on the train, definitely can save him.”
Su Huan’s deadpan voice appeared in their ears.
Just the voice let them guess the hypocritical fake smile on his face!
Everyone hurriedly dragged Lu Xiao and the soldier corpse onto the train, meeting the leisurely train conductor.
Except untrimmed hair a bit messy, even hem of clothes clean.
Su Huan looked at half-dead Lu Xiao, surprised, “Why carry the dead back? I haven’t mistreated your food, right?”
Lu Xiao opened eyes, spitting blood foam, “Points.”
“Ah, alive huh, carry in. Points definitely counted for you.”
Su Huan waved hand.
Turned to returning passengers and distant attack helicopter hanging in sky, corner of mouth a cold smile.
Dragging time with him?
“Liang Kuan, continue to Changli. I want to see how good his patience is!”
With Su Huan’s order issued.
The 8,000-ton armored train moved again, huge roar drawing everyone’s attention.
Remaining servant soldiers sighed relief; long lost fight desire, hadn’t withdrawn because surrounded by zombies, relying on crowd and firepower here to hold; solo with old-fashioned rifle, no survival.
But passengers not boarded in time were dumbfounded.
Crying and shouting chasing behind.
Su Huan passing dining car patted Little Aunt’s shoulder; shirt soaked in sweat, fingertips feeling warm softness.
“Charging backpack only about ten rounds, suppressed their several snipers. You did very well.”
She almond eyes slightly wide, bit stunned, then seeing Su Huan’s calm expression, nodded heavily.
Eyes flashing many sparkly lights in instant, finally settling in ink-blue depths.
Like acid rain tilting outside window, washing all, leaving only hardest, uncorroded substances.
“What next?”
“What to do before big battle?” Su Huan pinched chin, pondering, “…Maybe play some exciting music?
