Chapter 144: The Outcome Is Uncertain?
Hearing Su Huan’s explanation, everyone’s dazed gazes drawn to the potion instantly cleared up quite a bit.
Liang Kuan, Xiao Ba, and other old passengers had somewhat subtle expressions, their attention fully focused on Su Huan.
He Jie and Goat had obviously used this thing before, but they hadn’t heard of mixing these two potions together, so they were somewhat curious about what Su Huan would do next.
Only Lin Jin was hearing about this thing for the first time, his gaze filled with novelty.
“Oh right, I forgot to introduce him. This is Lin Jin, Tier 1 Flame Wielder. Welcome to the armored train.”
Lin Jin hesitated and nodded.
Before he could think about whether to say something.
He saw Su Huan’s hand move.
“Hey, hey? Hey?!”
Three exclamations in a row represented his surprise and fear.
But this didn’t affect Su Huan’s enthusiasm at all. His originally appropriate smile nearly split to the roots of his ears, just like a demon king in a story, with excitement flashing in his eyes.
Under everyone’s horrified gazes, he directly poured the two potion test tubes in his hand onto the ground.
The two dull crimson liquids merged into a pool of clear black water in mid-air, shining like black gems under the light. An attraction from the genetic level firmly seized everyone’s line of sight, watching as the black liquid spread across the carriage floor.
The faint water sound hit their eardrums like heavy drums pounding, fiercer than the gunshots outside the train.
Accompanied by the carriage’s vibration, the liquid jumped and flowed in all directions.
The carriage atmosphere instantly fell into dead silence.
Su Huan looked at the stiff crowd and let out a light huh, “Why no applause? You guys don’t seem to approve of my welcome ceremony?”
Streams of data flashed in Wan Xing’s glasses as she fell into silence.
She had thought Su Huan would use these two potions, but she hadn’t expected him to use them on the train.
He Jie’s face twitched unnaturally. He looked at the ground, then at Su Huan, his voice dry, “How long will this fused potion’s effect last?”
Su Huan casually tossed the test tube aside and clapped his hands, “Over an hour, anyway less than two hours.”
“Do you know how many zombies and mutated beasts there are within fifty kilometers?”
“A hundred thousand, two hundred thousand?”
He Jie took a deep breath, doing his utmost to suppress his already boiling brain, wanting to educate Su Huan on exactly how stupid—no, how utterly mad—what he had done was.
“Changli County’s permanent population isn’t large. Including tourists, it’s under three hundred thousand. After the Steel Council’s encirclement, there might only be over a hundred thousand left. But we’re not fully into the county town center yet. Fifty kilometers covers three districts and counties including Changli County, with at least over a million population.”
“Plus there’s a zoo and over ten large farms, each with at least ten thousand livestock.”
By the end, He Jie really couldn’t hold it in anymore, his whole body turning into a roaring warrior.
Listening to his words, even Yu Yue knew what they would face next.
In two hours, a zombie tide composed of millions of zombies and mutated beasts would surge toward the train.
Everyone’s hearts sank to the bottom.
But old passengers like Xiao Ba and Wan Xing weren’t that despairing. What could be crazier than driving a train to crush a zombie tide in the apocalypse?
That would be following a train conductor who seemed normal but was actually insane.
Pretty good.
At least they had the right to know.
The passengers in the back didn’t know they had already lined up at death’s door several times.
Of course, it wasn’t entirely unknown.
Lu Xiao, who was in a coma, was stimulated awake by the inducer and grabbed Miao Qi’s hand beside him.
His voice hoarse, “I feel like the train conductor is stirring up trouble again.”
Miao Qi comforted, “You can’t do anything about it either. Just sleep well. Close your eyes, open them, maybe you’ll be reborn into a good life.”
Lu Xiao coughed, “Is it appropriate to say that to a patient?”
Miao Qi pried open the man’s tightly clenched hand and pressed her face against it, her tone slow, “I’ll go with you.”
Lu Xiao was stunned, touched her soft face, and pursed his lips without speaking.
The carriage returned to calm again.
Meanwhile, the two collectors in Car 20 didn’t have such a good mentality.
Ring Man banged his head against the carriage wall repeatedly, cursing hysterically in a low voice, “Fuck fuck fuck! Should’ve gotten off back then, or exposed our identities!”
The other young man lay on the floor, the light gone from his eyes, “Who knew he’d actually win? It’s all your damn crow mouth!”
Ring Man was shocked, “This is my fault?”
“Fuck! Seems like there’s some truth to that.”
“Why don’t you analyze a couple more sentences, see if the armored train has any hope of surviving?”
“Survive my ass, you think this is a novel where the train is invincible? This is the real world, bro. Derailing a train is too easy. I can think of dozens of ways off the top of my head, not something you can solve just by having heavy armor and high defense!”
“Really done for?”
“Just depends on whether the Steel Council silences us. Then there’s a sliver of hope.”
“Damn, those female college students from the group didn’t even make it in time before coming with you on this mission.”
“Group? Female college students?”
“Company welfare. If we survive, I’ll apply for you…”
……
“No, you missed one thing.”
Su Huan wagged a finger in front of He Jie.
He Jie jerked his head up, like he found a turning point, “What?”
Su Huan said with a grin, “There are also plants. Mutated plants can sense the inducer’s call too, but their movement speed is slower. However… slow but sure!”
He Jie’s mouth gaped open, he sucked in a sharp breath, then clenched his fists and stomped hard on the carriage floor. The whole carriage shook, making a muffled bang.
“Fuck!”
Newcomer Lin Jin’s brain had already crashed. Information like “million zombie tide,” “inducer,” “mutated beasts” madly assaulted his fragile nerves.
“Y-you’re joking, right?”
Lin Jin wanted to find a joking expression on someone’s face, but unfortunately, there were none.
Among them, the familiar face was Goat, who had returned with him. At this moment, the other’s eyes seemed covered by a thin film, and his facial expression was calm to the point of eeriness.
Goat was really very calm.
He had used his ability to look: the whole world was red, no need to struggle anymore. Even making expressions was a waste of mood.
No talk of probabilities either. Front, back, left, right, up, down—all dead ends!
Rumbling sounds came from outside the carriage, accompanied by the creaking of twisting metal. Su Huan’s eyes narrowed slightly. Originally, he hadn’t planned to use this thing. In his previous life, he had no deep hatred with the Steel Council. Though exploited, they had sheltered him for four years. Plus, using the inducer would get him covered in blood, hard to shake off.
But ever since learning that the company had screwed him first in his previous life, the train conductor’s little brain, which killed a thousand enemies at the cost of eight hundred, couldn’t stop scheming.
Hey, still want the New City Plan?
He, Su Huan, from this pass onward—for the next three, five, even ten years—this new city wouldn’t fucking get built!
Million zombies plowing the land, plus mutated plants entrenched.
New City?
From now on, it’s a ghost city!
If he didn’t bare his teeth, they’d really think Su Huan was a dog that didn’t bite!
“Since there’s nothing more to say, let’s work overtime tonight. Tomorrow morning, big meal for everyone!”
Su Huan laughed heartily.
The first to act was still Liang Kuan. He hadn’t said a word from start to finish, just like holding the most ordinary welcome meeting, greeting the new colleague.
Xiao Ba’s bright black eyes hid under broken hair, as if carefully thinking.
Yu Yue was shocked for a while, realized there was nothing to do, and now started thinking about what big meal to make tomorrow morning.
As for Yu Jing, standing in place watching the potion rapidly evaporate from the ground, she was somewhat eager to try.
Old San beside him looked at the dazed Lin Jin and offered a cigarette. The latter shook his head.
He put it in his own mouth casually, but it was roughly snatched by He Jie next to him. Old San wasn’t surprised at all, took another from his pocket and put it in his mouth, saying casually, “You’re just not used to the conductor’s way of doing things yet. You’ll get used to it.”
Before he could touch his lighter, a flame lit up before his eyes, illuminating a bitter young face, “A zombie tide of millions… isn’t this too crazy?”
“Fucking lunatic! Laozi’s on the thief ship now!”
He Jie cursed furiously beside him.
Old San exhaled smoke, “Bullshit, it’s a bit crazy, but it suits my taste!”
“What are you three still doing in the back? Come greet the guests.”
Su Huan’s calm voice was transmitted to the three by Yu Yue.
……
Night enveloped the wilderness. The rain clouds in the sky were like opened floodgates, madly scouring the fortifications on the ground. The large pit on the railway track had already accumulated two meters of water.
The train’s searchlights tore through the rain curtain, heading toward the Steel Council’s third defense line.
Li Wangchuan was fed up with those noisy directors and led them to watch this final battle.
Under command, the mining engineering vehicles had arrived on both sides of the railway track, their large lamps illuminating the entire track brightly.
The surrounding soldiers had ceased fire, wearing raincoats and standing in the shadows, staring fixedly at the train.
“Bang!”
A new interception lock was activated.
“Open fire!”
A new order was given.
Metal bullet rain replaced the rain curtain, striking the train armor again.
The pre-prepared guide vehicles rammed toward the oncoming armored train. Engineering vehicles on both sides flanked the slowing train, their large cutting equipment rumbling into operation, oil smoke mixed with metal stench assaulting ears and noses.
But they didn’t rush forward quickly, instead staying at a neither near nor far distance, like hyenas eyeing hungrily, ready to tear into the train’s flesh and blood.
Inside the train, Xiao Zhao scanned the road ahead repeatedly. Suddenly, a large pit appeared on the screen. Though no complete data was scanned, it was definitely not something fillable in a short time.
Her pupils shrank, she exclaimed, “Train conductor, there’s a large pit ahead on the railway track!”
Su Huan glanced at it and said calmly, “We haven’t used all the tricks yet. No need to panic. Yu Yue, listen to the sounds.”
Yu Yue beside him flashed a hint of surprise in her eyes, “Can’t hear anything. The people outside the carriage seem to have disappeared.”
“Probably isolated by an ability user.”
Su Huan wasn’t surprised at all.
Although most of the Steel Council were evolvers like He Jie who used potions, the potions were limited in number. The rest could only awaken freely, plus some naturally awakened high-level people, board of directors bodyguards, etc. Finding someone targeting the train’s abilities was normal.
Su Huan came to Xiao Ba’s wheelchair, “Have you mastered that skill yet?”
Xiao Ba gripped the armrest tightly, expression dark, “Sorry, I…”
A hand landed on the slim shoulder, interrupting his next words.
Su Huan’s voice always carried a teasing tone, but facing Xiao Ba, it held a bit more sincerity, “Nothing to be sorry about. Next up depends on you.”
Xiao Ba looked at Su Huan’s undisguised trust and nodded firmly.
Behind them, He Jie, Lin Jin, and others also came over.
Su Huan raised his head, “Open the windows. We’ll have to observe the rest with the naked eye.”
One hand pinched the general energy crystal to absorb quickly, then merged the recovered energy in his body and converted it all to electrical energy, surging it into the engine underfoot.
Keeping it at full-firepower peak state.
Hearing Su Huan’s order, everyone moved immediately. With clicking gear turns, the metal blinds opened, explosive firelight stabbing into the carriage interior.
Facing them was a track engineering vehicle and whistling cannonballs!
Xiao Ba instinctively wanted to intercept that cannonball, but that speed and power were impossible for Tier 1 him. He could only defend. The knowledge He Jie taught him flashed madly in his mind, but at this moment, his thinking opposed him, running oddly slow each time, every defense fortifications knowledge point playing hide-and-seek, only emerging after half a day.
Feeling Su Huan’s body heat still on his shoulder and the increasingly close cannonball, Xiao Ba’s forehead broken hair flew back without wind, genes deep in his body trembled wildly, eyes turned icy metal color, hands raised.
In an instant, metal attached to the front of the train turned into defense fortifications, layering up in front of the front of the train.
But a fluctuation of gravity touched the cannonball faster than him, surrounding rain threads flying upward in reverse.
Unfortunately, it didn’t have much effect, merely making the cannonball’s head tilt slightly upward.
Professor Ma showed some regret on his face.
He felt his ability had room for development, but time was too short.
However, before Xiao Ba’s metal defense fully closed, he seemed to see the air outside the window distort suddenly.
“Boom—”
The violent vibration made the train jolt fiercely. Surging heat waves rushed into the cockpit through several layers of protection.
The sound wave was rampant for just an instant before Yu Yue compressed and blocked it. Even the flames rushing into the cockpit were casually taken by Lin Jin.
Liang Kuan watched the shrapnel in front of his forehead gradually turn to molten iron repairing the train, took a deep breath, fresh gunpowder smell entering his nostrils.
Without even asking, he pushed the train’s throttle rod all the way down.
Smoke and dust and water waves dissipated at the same time. Splattering acid rain scoured the huge gap on the train front under the searchlight, red edges of the metal pit instantly steaming up mist.
The armored train pulled its whistle, roaring with bullet holes as it crashed into the track engineering vehicle straight ahead!
“Boom!”
Pitted metal cone directly pierced into the track engineering vehicle, hard-topping it and charging forward relentlessly.
And behind the track engineering vehicle was a five-meter-deep large pit!
Iron rain from the armored train unleashed another surging metal torrent, suppressing the dense bullet rain on both sides. Because the operator changed to Old San, precision and ammo control were much worse, but with the 14.5 caliber, aside from the Steel Council’s few big cannons, he was the thickest, hardest truth on the field!
Only seek suppression, not precision!
Watching the armored train take a frontal 85mm caliber cannon shot and still fight lively, the observing parties fell into brief silence.
Inside the six-story building with the best view.
The old man beside had his pupils repeatedly reflecting that instant’s gravity fluctuation, high-temperature barrier, and the three ability defenses formed by metal constructs. His initially bland expression had long been replaced by solemnity.
Until Wang Yi set down the cup in her hand, the porcelain cup clinking sharply against the table.
Only then did he slowly say, “Evolution… truly great.”
“The Steel Council has its own evolvers too!”
The woman’s tone was cold and stern.
