Chapter 206: Thanks To Nature’s Gift
The terrifying weight smashed the floodwaters to a halt, sending waves that lifted the fifty-car train over a meter into the air.
Su Huan, however, stuck to the tree trunk like it was coated in superglue, with a pear stem dangling from his mouth.
A sharp metallic clang rang out.
Xiao Ba used the steel cable to construct a long bridge directly between the pear tree and the train.
A series of heavy footsteps sounded.
Just as Su Huan wondered who it was, a pair of long legs that could make one’s mouth go dry appeared in his view. The high-elastic tactical suit was stretched taut by her legs, her shapely calves wrapped in heavy industrial-style exoskeleton, making the lines even smoother.
His gaze traveled past her knees, along the metal zipper on her lower abdomen, over the peaks, and saw Yu Jing’s slightly cold face.
There was a hint of complex emotion in her eyes, but the tree trunk swayed too much for him to see clearly.
“For ease of work, no heavy armor was designed on the front.”
Yu Jing didn’t hide it, instead lifting her arms slightly and asking indifferently.
“This tactical suit design is so ugly.”
Su Huan stood up, poked the zipper, his tone slightly disdainful.
“Everyone thinks so at first, but once I promote to Tier 1, I can make a real tactical suit from that white snake skin. The zipper on the chest is for easy wear and removal by oneself, not for you to play with.”
Yu Jing sighed faintly.
“Oh, really? I was just checking if the zipper slides smoothly.” Su Huan zipped it up for her, tilted his head toward the water, “The thing you mentioned isn’t this guy, is it?”
“What?”
Yu Jing looked puzzled.
A spark of electricity flashed from the pear tree underfoot into the water.
In an instant, the turbid waters within a ten-meter radius were illuminated by an eerie blue glow.
“Boom!”
Water surged, various fish floating belly-up to the surface, soon washed away by the downpour and flood.
But that thing underwater didn’t even show its head.
Yu Jing’s eyes sharpened, and she said coldly, “Sound wave detection has three-dimensionally modeled it via the train. It’s a mutated beast resembling a crocodile, specific breed unknown, level unknown.”
“Tier 2.”
Su Huan said calmly.
Moments ago, he had converted thirty percent of his energy into high-voltage electricity and dumped it in. With the efficiency of lv7 General Energy Conversion, that was seventy percent energy output, yet the thing underwater took it without a sound and fled.
Back then, the thunderstorm that instantly killed Zhao Kuo had also been just thirty percent energy.
But he wasn’t surprised.
This was an old issue: same-tier mutated beasts were hard to breach, especially since they were so massive.
“I’ll call for support right now!”
“It ran. Let’s get on the train.”
……
“Wave reversal, earth crumbling, mountains shattering…”
Hu Shuo’s pupils reflected the spectacular view outside the window, his hand quickly jotting down these words on paper.
Meanwhile, Su Huan, who had just boarded, seriously wrote in the logbook: “This rice noodle roll is a bit lumpy…”
As an excellent and sharp-eyed train conductor, he had to record every major event at each stage. Who knew, this logbook might become an epic when civilization rebuilds.
Thinking of leaving an immortal chapter in the river of history, Su Huan contentedly shoveled a big mouthful of rice noodle roll.
Though lumpy, with five-spice diced sauce it was still delicious.
Yu Yue knocked on the door, then walked in and said, “They have something to report to you…”
“Who all?”
Su Huan asked casually.
“Liang Kuan, Old San, Tong Zizhan, Hu Shuo, Professor Ma, Director Xu…”
“Stop, stop, stop…”
“One at a time. Has the pear tree been loaded onto the train?”
Yu Yue: “Director Xu seems to want to talk about that.”
Su Huan pinched the bridge of his nose with a headache. Ever since the plate got bigger, he had no personal time left. Back when he managed over a thousand people alone, it hadn’t been this hectic.
“How many captives left?”
Yu Yue’s expression was slightly unnatural. “Most were left on the mountain, only seven brought back: one Black Kite profiling expert, five Deep Blue Data scouting squads, and one Steel Council spy. He’s the one who triggered the mutated beast tide. Though they don’t call themselves Steel Council anymore; they’ve set up a base in New City and renamed to [Chuantao].”
“Chuantao?” Su Huan’s eyes flickered.
Looks like this was purely revenge against him.
But the train conductor had no intention of turning back. Let Li Wangchuan play in the acid rain area by himself.
“Bring that Black Kite captive over.”
Su Huan thought for a moment and said.
A knowing look appeared in Yu Yue’s eyes, her little face tense as she turned and walked out.
Soon, a fully ripened woman walked in. White Deer and Giraffe stood outside the door, turning their backs.
Su Huan looked up.
Clearly of Dong Huang ethnicity, yet with a Western body: voluptuous without being bloated, waist cinched, hips flaring naturally into exaggerated curves.
Her legs crossed as she walked, swaying seductively and drawing attention.
Her expression feigned coldness, but her eyes brimmed with allure. In the four or five steps from the door, she threw Su Huan at least three coquettish glances.
Su Huan’s brow twitched. This woman…
“Train Conductor, you called for me.”
428 stood one meter from Su Huan’s desk, legs together, hands clasped in front.
Unlike Yu Yue’s natural restraint, she clearly bore signs of training.
Su Huan narrowed his eyes, a cold smile tugging at his lips involuntarily.
The train conductor had a secret: he didn’t like others getting too close.
So he always approached others first; when they neared him, his fine hair stood on end.
Su Huan leaned back in his chair and said indifferently, “What’s your name?”
Hearing Su Huan’s polite tone, 428’s eyes lit up, and she said brightly, “HT-428, real name Su Leiya. You can call me Leiya.”
Su Huan’s mouth twitched. Same family name, damn it.
Truly hard to bear.
“You’ll stick with 428; it’s easier to say. What does HT mean?”
“Abbreviation for Black Kite Special Operations Action Department. Does the Train Conductor wish to learn about Black Kite?” Su Leiya’s gaze swept the room, landing on the new large bed Yu Yue had laid out for Su Huan. She licked her lips, her face still maintaining an icy demeanor, but the allure in her eyes had already betrayed her. “Perhaps we could go somewhere else. I can explain in detail. Though I’m articulate, Black Kite’s information is extensive…”
Su Leiya sold out the company without hesitation.
A glint of amusement flashed in Su Huan’s narrow eyes. He preferred taking the initiative.
That way, it felt less contrived and unexpected.
In the apocalypse, women proactively getting close wasn’t a good thing.
Many fools got their wallets cleaned for a taste of lipstick and flesh, but that was still decent.
Worse was when they wanted your head for some exchange.
“You seem to know a lot?”
“My position isn’t high, but as detection-class talent, I access more secrets. Plus, I’m the mistress of several high-level directors.” Su Leiya revealed her identity without shame, her face even showing some pride.
She knew men too well.
They’d disdain her inwardly, but knowing big shots had marked her would make them crave a taste even more.
A woman touched by big figures, now under his control…
And so dirty, he could kick her away after without guilt.
No responsibility, emotional or physical—he just enjoyed. Su Leiya believed no man would refuse; at least the previous ones hadn’t.
This was the darkest human emotion.
“Your overheated eagerness makes it hard to talk.”
Su Huan sighed helplessly.
This woman was too extreme, killing even his own extreme desires.
The train conductor preferred drawing on a clean white paper, not sketching over someone else’s filthy scribbles, unsure whose marks they were.
Pointless.
“White Deer.”
White Deer poked his head in from outside the door, revealing a somewhat swollen panda eye. “Train Conductor, you called me?”
“Throw her in the water to cool off, pull her up in ten minutes.”
White Deer’s gaze turned to the stunned Su Leiya, a wicked smile spreading.
Accompanied by a scream from outside, Su Huan gained ten minutes to ponder.
With a big shot’s mistress, he could map out the enigmatic Black Kite force.
Since he was heading north to uncover the apocalypse’s truth, knowing more about these major forces was better.
Maybe the secret would reveal itself before reaching the far north.
“Giraffe, go call Lin Xi.”
Soon, the girl walked in.
Wearing the gray shirt Yu Jing had on when boarding, her slender figure stood delicately, looking at him.
Making Su Huan feel like a potential criminal.
“Sit behind the curtain and don’t make a sound. Just note down where the speaker lies.”
Su Huan said.
“Okay.”
Lin Xi obediently turned, went to Su Huan’s bed, sat down, and drew the bed curtain.
Ten minutes later, the drenched Su Leiya sat despondently on the floor, her flat little belly slightly bulging—she’d clearly swallowed a lot.
“Now, tell me everything you know, starting with each member’s identity in your squad.”
Su Huan smiled. “Don’t lie, or next time it won’t be water.”
Su Leiya looked at Su Huan’s handsome, almost bewitching face, swallowed, dared no tricks, and began recounting with awe.
“HT-426 is this mission’s deputy commander and the actual commander aside from Zhao Kuo. Her real name is Shu Wei, daughter of Mister Shu and Wang Yi…”
……
Two hours later.
Su Huan had a comprehensive understanding of Black Kite.
White Deer and the other took Su Leiya away.
He sorted the information simply in his mind, then opened the curtain.
The girl was hugging a notebook, writing furiously.
Su Huan raised a brow. Unexpectedly so serious, he took the notebook. “Let me see what you’ve noted.”
“Train Conductor lied a total of twenty-two times, specifically…”
“One, 1 minute 16 seconds…”
“Two, 7 minutes…”
Su Huan had a forehead full of black lines, looking down at Lin Xi, gritting his teeth. “Don’t tell me that’s all you noted in two hours?”
Lin Xi blinked, serious. “Didn’t you say to record the speaker’s lies? I noted them all.”
Su Huan laughed in anger. “I meant hers, not mine! Even your brother couldn’t save you this time!”
“Fake.” Lin Xi said expressionlessly. Seeing Su Huan’s increasingly dangerous look, she changed tone. “She didn’t lie either.”
Su Huan raised his brow in surprise. “All true?”
“From an ability perspective, yes.”
……
Two days later, the train conductor slammed down his pen, finally freed from the myriad affairs.
The torrential rain outside the car window had poured for two full days and finally eased today.
Only slanting fine rain streaked across the window.
Su Huan stood and headed to the second floor.
His second floor had a one-way door to the dining car, one to the front of the train, and one to the train body deck.
Stepping out the door, cool air rushed in, and in view was a massive crown pear tree.
The train hadn’t left Wangjiang Peak immediately because of this pear tree.
It took a full day, trimming many branches and leaves, to drag the trunk onto the central deck, sinking the front waterline a full meter.
The pears atop were well-protected and none lost.
Huang Hai took a small branch for cultivation, and Director Xu’s Laboratory took one for experiments.
The rest were temporarily on the deck.
Since it was pulled up with roots and soil, and the weather was humid, the pear tree wouldn’t die.
Gazing into the distance, continuous peaks flanked a raging flood, the armored train sailing like in the middle of a great river.
The flood had shown signs of receding the day before, accompanied by backflow.
Considering the receding flood’s silt unfavorable for train tracks, after handling the pear tree, the armored train followed the retreating flood toward north of Guangren City.
Officially heading into the flood zone where Su Huan died in his previous life.
Borrowing the water flow’s speed, progress wasn’t slow.
Just occasional collisions with buildings and terrain added trouble.
Suddenly, the clouds ahead parted halfway, a golden light spilling onto the adjacent mountain ridge.
The lush ridge exposed yellow rocks and soil, presenting a pure, beautiful vista that dazed Su Huan.
Leaving the acid rain area meant his previous life’s experience advantage vanished entirely.
Like an ordinary survivor, facing the cruel apocalypse anew.
Before he could dwell, it was as if God spotted the loophole: clouds closed, the golden light faded, gloom returned, and the ridge became ordinary.
A horizon line meeting the sky appeared directly ahead of the armored train.
Turbid floodwaters sharply divided from distant clear water flow.
Pre-apocalypse Ningxi Province had no such vast water area, though it held the world’s largest freshwater lake and two tributaries— who knew the apocalypse would turn it into this flood-ravaged state.
Perhaps because the armored train was new to the flood zone, it showed no violent side.
Just stronger winds.
About to head back, Su Huan suddenly spotted a small black dot at the water-sky line’s edge.
“What could that thing be…”
Rubbing his chin, Su Huan entered the cockpit with interest.
Busy staff at the command station greeted Su Huan.
“Train Conductor, General Energy Fluctuation detected ten kilometers ahead. Thought it was an aquatic mutated beast, but our detection shows it’s a floating island with plants. We’ve deployed a drone; clearer footage incoming.”
Everyone cleared the command platform for Su Huan to see.
One screen showed sound wave and General Energy scan model: a blurry small island shape.
The other was much clearer: live drone feed.
As the lens zoomed, Su Huan grinned.
No floating island—it was clearly a large tree drifting on the water surface.
With several disheveled figures atop.
It was the escaped Black Kite Squad.
