Chapter 164: Gaps Between Trains
The biggest problem the armored train encountered in its first month of operation was not the terrifying heavenly calamity, nor the surging zombie tide, but insufficient space.
The train itself is a transportation tool, not a living space.
At the beginning, Su Huan used extreme space allocation to make the front cars less crowded, giving everyone a certain rest and work space, plus the high-intensity battles along the way, so there was no discomfort.
But now, to improve production efficiency, personnel have expanded, and the space problem has become prominent.
Besides interesting and exciting battles and good and warm work, people need a bit of boring life as seasoning.
Now work and living spaces have overlapped, and even started to squeeze each other.
How can this be allowed?
People can go without rest, but they can’t stop working.
“How far has the expansion of the second-layer carriages progressed?”
Su Huan parted the “data cable jungle” in front of him and frowned as he asked.
Yu Yue behind him hurriedly flipped through the booklet in her hand, “It’s still maintained at Carriage 7 before the battle, because there is no Tier 1 armor left.”
Su Huan thought for a moment and said, “Note it down: the manufacturing group’s current main task is to synthesize enough new materials for the train’s second-phase transformation, then collect general energy crystals, and put the exoskeleton transformation last.”
Seeing her note it down, Su Huan continued walking forward.
Bypassing two laterally overlapping stereoscopic desks, Su Huan finally saw the large screen pieced together in the center, with more screens than last time. Besides carriage power supply, they had added a set of UPS equipment and backup power supply next to it, though the power supply also showed some transformation traces.
But it was clearly the batch he had charged back then.
“Hello, Train Conductor.”
A student who was working suddenly looked up to greet him, her crisp voice like a blue-axis keyboard, sharp and neat.
Su Huan raised his brow and glanced over—it was Xiao Hezi, the female student with the god-like “topological perception” search skill from the last mission he did with her, wearing a light-colored vertical-striped shirt, standing behind a pile of large and small boxes.
The boxes were stacked by size and color from light to dark on the ground and tables, like a city wall built of bricks.
Su Huan roughly guessed the origin of the nickname “Xiao Hezi.”
But what attracted his attention was the handsome face next to her, second only to his own on the train.
“Why aren’t you staying with your sister? What are you doing here?”
Su Huan’s playful gaze roamed over Lin Jin. This guy had taken off his tattered camouflage uniform and changed into a loose white short sleeve, paired with the buzz cut He Jie had given him, giving him a bit of the fresh college boy vibe.
Huh, no, Lin Jin seemed to be a college boy.
Subconsciously flipping through decayed memories, he himself seemed to be… a college boy too?
Probably a senior?
The beautiful campus memories felt like from a previous life.
The Train Conductor, who had been conquering for half a lifetime, returned to realize he was still a college boy.
Lin Jin put down the glowing red-hot metal object in his hand and said somewhat awkwardly, “Lin Xi’s condition is very stable now, and there’s nothing for her to do, so I came to help out. Is there something you need me to do?”
His emotions toward Su Huan were very complex.
At first it was gratitude for being saved, then because of the Train Conductor’s damn “joint combat,” his emotions twisted like a roller coaster.
Though somewhat helpless, he was actually more shaken.
Everyone knew that saving the ruler earned the greatest merit, but what if one day the supreme ruler came to save you personally?
After experiencing the Battle of New City and the heavy industrial zone incidents, his feelings toward Su Huan, who had rescued his sister, were no longer simple gratitude, but seeing him as a goal to pursue.
He wanted to become as strong as Su Huan and then protect his sister.
“I asked him to come help me.”
Xiao Hezi explained apologetically.
Su Huan curiously glanced at their work, not knowing what they were tinkering with, but he truly couldn’t think of any research that would need Lin Jin’s flames.
If he let loose with burning, the entire train could be melted into molten iron.
These two messing around like that looked like trouble; what if they delayed the Train Conductor’s great plan because of personal emotions and private matters?
Not even a shred of sacrificing the small self for the train’s spirit.
Stepping forward, he seriously knocked on the table with his knuckle, “Strictly forbid romance on the train, got it?”
Satisfied after stirring things up, Su Huan walked forward, leaving two bewildered young people behind.
As Yu Yue passed by, she smiled gently at them and converged her voice into a line, “He’s just teasing you.”
Her warm and inclusive temperament instantly eased their tension.
Su Huan went around a pile of screens and saw two old men of similar age exchanging ideas: one with graying temples and elegant demeanor, the other with his white hair neatly combed behind his head, high brow bone, looking very serious.
The two old men turned their gazes toward Su Huan upon seeing him.
Professor Ma greeted him with a smile, “How’s your injury recovery?”
Su Huan shrugged, “Not bad.”
Compared to their natural conversation, Director Xu’s gaze nearby was much more complex.
Even now, he couldn’t believe that this young man in front of him had destroyed the Steel Council, and with such violent means.
But compared to regretting the Steel Council, he cared more about whether his experiments could continue.
Anyone who saw the scenery of the new world wouldn’t be content to stay in place.
Without keeping him waiting too long, after exchanging a few words with Professor Ma, Su Huan turned his gaze to him, “You want to restart research?”
Director Xu said affirmatively, “Yes, I know my experiments seem inhumane, but evolution inevitably comes with bloodshed and death; it’s the afterpain of change, unavoidable…”
Su Huan frowned and interrupted him, “Don’t lecture me on principles. How many profession recipes have you researched so far?”
“A total of 140 evolution profession R&D projects, with 26 Tier 1 professions researched, and one skill that has already explored the Tier 2 evolution direction; just confirm one more, and it can be researched.”
Seeing there was hope, Director Xu quickly answered.
Su Huan lowered his eyes and calculated the ratio—it was much higher than he expected. “Then with the current equipment and manpower, how many more researches can you start?”
Director Xu hesitated for a moment, “As long as you give me the gene primordium, and enough volunteers, I can guarantee one-fifth of the research.”
As soon as the words fell, a scorching hot gaze landed on him.
The temperature in the entire carriage suddenly rose several degrees.
Su Huan didn’t need to turn around to know that Lin Jin had flared up again.
Director Xu’s scalp tightened, and he explained, “I won’t harm the gene primordium, just take some blood samples.”
Lin Jin stepped forward two steps, surging anger already burning in his eyes; if Su Huan weren’t here, the next second he would roast Director Xu into a charred corpse.
“Then mine would work too, right?”
Su Huan suddenly asked.
The flames in Lin Jin’s eyes behind him froze there, “Train Conductor…”
Without turning back, Su Huan waved his hand like shooing a fly, “If you’re that idle, go to the dining car and stoke up the stove for me; I want to grill some skewers tonight.”
Lin Jin fell silent.
Was this the Train Conductor subtly reminding him to train his abilities more to help him?
The crisis had just passed, and he had already become complacent—how foolish.
“I understand.”
‘Tonight, I’ll raise “high-temperature barrier” to lv3.’
Lin Jin turned and walked firmly to the back.
Su Huan’s mind went blank—had he just given some profound order?
What the hell had this guy understood again?
The little maid beside him worriedly looked toward the dining car, ‘That child won’t burn the kitchen, will he…’
Professor Ma saw something from the side and chuckled, “They both look full of spirit.”
Su Huan shook his head and looked at Director Xu in front of him.
There was also no small surprise in the other’s eyes, “You are also a gene primordium, but in the fields of energy supply and defense, which doesn’t match the previous research, so it can only open new projects.”
Su Huan nodded slightly, his jawline forming a cold sharp arc, “Then re-establish the projects. As long as there are results, there’s enough blood vessel, but currently carriages are tight, I can’t give you too many—only four, next to the bullet carriage. I also need research personnel, can’t all invest in gene research; discuss specific personnel needs with Xiao Zhao, he’s the purser of the research group. For supplies, find Yu Yue; no rush on volunteers, plenty in a couple days.”
Hearing there were a full four carriages, Professor Ma nearby was a bit envious.
Director Xu quickly agreed.
Since he was going to use him, Su Huan wasn’t stingy and had Xiao Zhao grant him database permissions.
The research carriage he brought already had equipment for this, no extra trouble—just connect the line and it’s done.
As he just lifted his foot here, Xiao Zhao, who had hurried over, brought him another piece of good news.
“Train Conductor, drone reconnaissance distance has extended to one kilometer!”
Su Huan was stunned—this technical breakthrough seemed a bit fast.
“What’s the situation? Wasn’t it just a few hundred meters before?”
Xiao Zhao explained, “In this batch of seized supplies, we found some flexible optical fibers, replacing the previous temporary wires, which extended the drone’s flight distance to one kilometer. With more research on weight reduction, this distance might double.”
Su Huan suddenly understood.
So it wasn’t a breakthrough in technology, but acquiring new materials.
The drone’s reconnaissance range extended to one kilometer, meaning the armored train’s field of view had expanded, and the braking distance had also lengthened.
It counted as a huge progress.
But seeing the time wasn’t early, Su Huan didn’t ask further, leaving a sentence: “Come to the dining car for dinner tonight.”
Then he took Yu Yue nonstop toward the back.
Really, the Train Conductor always had endless worries.
First to Carriage 18, giving Jiang Rong a [Scavenger-I] bionic modified exoskeleton; since it was designed for him, besides him, only Jiang Rong was suitable.
Just right, Jiang Rong had merit in protecting the ruler this time; giving a simple exoskeleton wasn’t excessive.
“You’ve also accumulated quite a bit of merit; what do you plan to exchange for?”
Su Huan was now sitting with Yu Yue in Jiang Rong’s room.
Because her combat team had few members, everyone could get an independent private room, plus matching water and electricity, toilet, air conditioner; the treatment had no gap with core members.
