Chapter 193: Dogs Biting Dogs
At a position three kilometers apart, the three armored vehicles and the armored train just missed each other.
One headed north, the other south.
Listening to the clanging sounds fading away beside his ears, Zhao Kuo’s complexion became slightly stern.
You can run away with the monk but not the temple; first catch these few scattered ones outside, then go find the train later.
It will surely be foolproof.
After a moment, the armored vehicle caught up with Tong Zizhan and the others who had set off ahead.
Through the God’s perspective ability of a certain member, he saw Tong Zizhan and the others hiding in the building in shock, further confirming his guess.
Previously when they bumped into each other in Hongyi City, he considered Mister Shu’s instructions and pretended not to see the two.
One scouting, one shielding.
Clearly a fool from Deep Blue Data, still thinking they hid well.
Gao Yuan in the building showed shock on his face, “It’s really Black Kite, why did they speed up?”
Tong Zizhan opened his mouth and looked toward the direction of the train that missed Black Kite, also utterly confused.
What exactly is Black Kite’s mission objective?
Really not the armored train?
“Tong, aren’t they…”
Gao Yuan’s voice suddenly woke Tong Zizhan.
The direction Black Kite went, isn’t that the company’s investigation team?!
“Boom——”
A sudden explosion sounded, making Tong Zizhan’s eyelids twitch wildly.
They started fighting!
What the hell is going on?!
The battle in the distance became more intense, leaving Tong Zizhan’s mind a complete mess.
Did Black Kite come all the way to the acid rain area just to fight the company’s investigation team?
No, if it wasn’t them who came first, why would the company send an investigation team? What’s really going on…
‘Silencing?’
A thought popped up.
Liu Ming cautiously walked over and saw Lieutenant Tong’s face turning pale then purple, feeling something was wrong.
With trepidation, he asked, “Captain, are we still going?”
Tong Zizhan took a deep breath and gritted his teeth, “No, it’s got nothing to do with our armored train, back to the vehicle!”
……
The crowd watching inside the vehicle also fell silent.
Xiao Zhao asked from below, “Train Conductor, do we need to send out drones again?”
Su Huan looked at the screen, the last image transmitted by the drone before being shot down: a man wearing an exoskeleton leaning forward in a mad sprint, the surrounding rain curtain collided by high-speed airflow into mist, forming an arc-shaped flow hood like the front of a high-speed train.
Judging solely from the displayed strength and speed, it indeed had Tier 2 strength.
Su Huan pinched his chin, “No need, prepare to return.”
“Yes!”
The train slowed down, lowered its tracks, and began turning the front.
Even standing inside the vehicle, there was barely any shaking; it had to be said that Deputy General Manager Deng and the others’ suspension modifications were excellent.
“This group isn’t pushovers.”
He Jie beside him slowly uttered this sentence.
Su Huan quirked the corner of his mouth.
He knew that of course.
He even knew that the few with gloomy expressions standing opposite the exoskeleton man in the footage should be Deep Blue Data’s scouting team.
Though he didn’t know how they ended up clashing, from Tong Zizhan’s expression, there seemed to be some misunderstanding.
But what did that have to do with him.
He came out just to test the armored train’s upgrade effects, and now the goal was achieved.
That was enough.
The train turned and raced toward the base.
If the armored train was confused, the Deep Blue Data investigation team side had their mentality completely collapsed.
They didn’t even know when they had made such a big enemy.
In one clash, one from the Steel Council in the team was taken out.
The one responsible for restraining in the investigation team was also in dire straits under the Tier 2 “flesh-and-blood integration” chase and kill.
No matter how certain their previous guesses were.
Once they actually started fighting, both sides felt something was off.
But the fight had started; unless one side was completely defeated, they couldn’t stop.
“This side isn’t the target.”
A cold male voice drifted from the earpiece.
“Not on my side either.”
“None here.”
Reports gathered to her; HT-426 furrowed her slender brows.
Suddenly, a shocking whistle sounded behind, like a whale’s cry in a storm, steady and majestic.
HT-426’s resolve strengthened again.
“The armored train came to rescue them; separate them, don’t let them rendezvous.”
“Received!”
The battle under the rain curtain became even more ferocious.
……
All red dots from the general energy scan disappeared from the screen, proving both sides had left the train’s ten-kilometer scouting zone.
The train returned to the base safely and unimpeded.
Thanks to He Jie’s cleanup, there were few high-level zombies around; the only trouble was the many broken tracks.
On the original steel rail railway, iron-eating trees like sitground tigers could occasionally be seen.
The old armored train might have had some trouble.
But for the current track-equipped train, bypassing or crushing them was effortless.
The researchers in the base were already ready and waiting.
While Su Huan was out test-driving, Hu Shuo had led the logistics group to pack things in the base.
The staircase building was brightly lit, hurried footsteps everywhere, and busy personnel as far as the eye could see.
Wan Hao was doing the final handover with Hu Shuo.
“The Train Conductor said he would leave grain for 15,000 people for three months; you’ll have to figure out the rest yourself…”
Hu Shuo emphasized heavily.
“The train has already left us enough mutated plants for supply cycling within three months.”
Wan Hao nodded solemnly, his expression complex.
Although he had anticipated it, he didn’t expect the armored train to leave so decisively.
Many days ago, before the modifications were complete, the crew had already prepared for departure.
But he hadn’t held optimistic views.
For matters involving power handover, who knew the outcome until the last moment.
He had even prepared for a long-term struggle with the “imperial envoy” the Train Conductor left behind.
Unexpectedly, they set off the very night the modifications finished.
Not even planning to stay one night.
So decisive it made him somewhat uneasy.
A logistics group member called Hu Shuo away, probably some issue with transporting laboratory equipment.
Old Yuan quickly walked up to Wan Hao, handed him a cigarette, hesitation in his eyes.
“Really leaving?”
Wan Hao hadn’t smoked in many years but still took it, walked to the windowsill, and silently lit it.
The armored train had arrived below the staircase building.
The blue-black train stopped in the open space, letting the acid rain corrode it; its cold, rugged posture inspired awe.
Wan Hao said with some self-mockery, “Feels a bit like being thrown away as trash…”
Old Yuan lit one too and, hearing this, exhaled a smoke ring, “You’re calling all 15,000-plus of us trash.”
“To the Train Conductor, burdens and trash are no different.”
The sound of acid rain pounding the roof intensified; the base’s searchlights turned the rain curtain into pale fog walls.
Hundreds of workers carried sealed boxes racing between the staircase building and the train; water droplets condensed on the box surfaces gleamed metallic under the cold light.
Twenty defenders with bulging muscles shouldered water purifiers trudging through the rain.
Senior crew members stood ahead shouting hoarsely, “Forward, forward! Watch your step, don’t slack off! The whole train’s drinking water depends on it from now on!”
These workers were carefully selected by the crew, covering most trades, to be taken along.
Besides them, there was a batch of train manufacturing experts, assigned to the research group and manufacturing group respectively.
Finally, the 300 soldiers screened by He Jie.
Over 600 in total, quality incomparable to previous passengers.
And even the cooks and handymen among them were evolvers.
Carriage No. 3, the former two-story sightseeing carriage, had its side fully opened; workers chanted numbers to lift the water purifier aboard, and immediately someone brought tools to connect and install.
The pipes were pre-reserved; installation wouldn’t even take thirty minutes.
Various equipment was also loaded onto the train for installation.
A roar came from the underground garage; over a dozen heavy trucks loaded with supplies rushed straight onto the train.
Logistics crew members quickly stepped forward for final supply checks and entered them into the system.
Su Huan in the dining car looked at the terminal in his hand, which displayed real-time inbound statuses of various supplies.
Equipment for maintaining train survival was loaded first, even pressure-tested many times, no need to mention.
This transport mainly targeted several laboratories and workshops, plus supply reserves.
Whether the busy crowd outside or the visibly rising progress bar, it all reassured the Train Conductor.
Outside the car window, night fell, acid rain carrying chill pelted the ground.
Lights inside the car formed a mirror, reflecting the busy Yu Yue walking in.
“What are you busy with?”
Su Huan asked curiously.
Yu Yue rolled her eyes at him; it was you who arranged the work, and you’re asking me!
“Recording inbound supplies for Carriage No. 6.”
Su Huan then suddenly remembered she also had warehouse administrator duties.
“Is the Train Conductor in?”
A low, husky, thick voice sounded outside the dining car door, instantly drawing their attention.
Yu Yue set down her things, walked over, and opened the car door.
The car door had dual electronic-mechanical structure; one tap and it slid open easily.
Outside stood a broad back in an army-green raincoat.
Yu Yue was slightly surprised upon seeing his face, stepped aside a bit to let him in.
Mildly, “Something wrong?”
The visitor was Wang He; though his position wasn’t high, he was also an armored train veteran; Yu Yue boarded just a few days earlier, same batch.
Wang He was somewhat nervous, “I have something to say to Boss Su; no need to come in, standing at the door is fine.”
Su Huan’s ears twitched at the “Boss Su” address.
Somewhat speechlessly, “Don’t stand at the door pretending; get in.”
Hearing Su Huan’s slightly low voice, the tension on Wang He’s face eased considerably.
Entering the carriage, he immediately saw the Train Conductor sitting on the orange cat sofa, with two lean elite soldiers on the other side.
The dining car’s layout was the same as before, just much larger with extra space.
Wang He looked at the dripping acid rain from his raincoat onto the floor before belatedly taking it off.
“Sit.”
Su Huan pointed to the opposite sofa.
“No, no need.”
“Then kneel if you won’t sit; I don’t want to crane my neck.”
Roasted by the Train Conductor, Wang He awkwardly sat on the sofa.
Though only a little over a month, with Su Huan the Train Conductor’s position increasingly solid and more people under the armored train’s shelter.
The man who used to boldly ask him for favors had become reserved.
“Not busy loading the vehicle, what do you want with me?”
Su Huan asked with interest.
Wang He hesitated before saying, “Well… I want to stay behind.”
“Stay behind?” Su Huan raised his brows in surprise.
“Yes, I don’t mean leaving the train; I just want to serve the Train Conductor in a different way, I…”
Su Huan waved to interrupt his clumsy loyalty pledge.
In this aspect, Wang He was far behind Hu Shuo and them.
“You mean stay at Shun’an Station Base?”
Seeing Su Huan’s questioning gaze, Wang He nodded firmly.
He didn’t want the precarious wandering anymore.
He liked the solid feeling of sleeping on the ground, the spacious space, having somewhere to walk after meals.
So he mustered the courage to come find Su Huan.
“I see…” Su Huan smacked his lips disinterestedly; he thought this guy discovered some big secret to report.
“Then go tell Wan Hao; say I said so, treatment bumped up one level from on-board.”
Seeing Wang He’s incredulous look, Su Huan was somewhat helpless.
“When have I ever stopped anyone from getting off? Though you’re a core member, I’m soft-hearted; speak openly to me, as long as I’m in a good mood, I have no principles…”
“The armored train is always democratic…”
Thinking this might be their last meeting, the Train Conductor kindly said a few more words.
Moving Wang He greatly.
He thanked profusely and got off.
Su Huan’s complexion calmed, “Has anything happened around Wang He lately?”
Yu Yue thought and said, “Heard he found a wife in the base recently, sixteen years younger than him.”
“Old cow eating tender grass, shameless.” Su Huan chuckled.
Yu Yue flushed red, glared fiercely at him, turned, and went back to work.
Exuding the flavor only a mature woman has.
Her waist swayed, stirring endless fantasies.
While the two bantered, bodyguards White Deer and Giraffe turned a deaf ear, silently sipping their tea.
As long as the Train Conductor didn’t speak, they just stayed put obediently.
Su Huan sighed and pulled out his train conductor logbook.
Thought for a bit, not yet writing, when someone visited outside again; Yu Yue hurried over to open the door upon hearing.
Her complexion froze slightly, turned to look at squinting Su Huan.
“More people want to stay.”
“Heh!” Su Huan sneered, “Drag them out and beat to death.”
Pleading voices immediately sounded outside the door.
White Deer beside brightened her eyes, just about to stand when speechless Giraffe yanked her back.
This idiot, can’t tell the Train Conductor is joking?
Yu Yue sighed softly, waved her hand; the few left in relieved panic.
Su Huan was too lazy to even look at them, afraid he’d accidentally remember their faces and then couldn’t help give them a hard time.
