Chapter 209: District 12
“Pa pa…”
Eight fifty-centimeter-long metal trays were placed on the long table.
Wan Xing helped Yu Yue pack the steaming braised delicacies into several trays separately. Old San and Lin Jin who had just entered, along with others, were not idle either, helping to fetch bowls and chopsticks.
Director Xu and Professor Ma argued with Huang Hai about something while walking.
Xiao Ba sat in the wheelchair, leading a somewhat restrained boy behind. Seeing the decorations in the dining car and the braised delicacies on the table, the little boy’s eyes clearly lit up.
If not for the train body slightly swaying with the flood outside the window, the atmosphere in the dining car would more resemble a family cafeteria.
Su Huan sat at the end of the long table, propping his cheek with one hand while flipping through various data handed over by Hu Shuo with the other.
Seeing this, everyone did not disturb him and sat down while talking softly.
The train conductor did not like environments that were too quiet; appropriate noise made him feel at ease.
While flipping through, the train conductor grew a bit impatient and snapped his fingers. Shu Wei, who was helping Yu Yue set out the bowls and chopsticks, suddenly trembled, walked calmly to Su Huan’s side, and bowed slightly.
“Can you understand it?” Su Huan asked.
Shu Wei glanced at the title page in his hand, which contained some data on personnel and supplies. A focused gleam immediately flashed in her eyes, and even her temperament turned cold.
Hu Shuo nearby had a grave look in his eyes, faintly sensing a crisis.
“No problem,” Shu Wei replied steadily.
“Finish reading it all and pick out the key points for me.”
“Understood. I will summarize and organize the information and point out the issues within it.”
“Mm.”
Su Huan responded lightly.
As things on the train increased, the data and tables compiled by Hu Shuo became increasingly vast and professional, sometimes accompanied by pictures for explanation. At first, it was somewhat novel to look at, but the more he read, the more of a headache it caused.
Before the apocalypse, Shu Wei had at least been the CEO of a listed company. As long as there was no padding, handling this bit of documents was no issue.
He could relax a lot too.
……
On the other side, Wan Xing saw the boy next to Xiao Ba and hurried forward to stop them. Xiao Ba looked up at Wan Xing, showing confusion in their black-and-white eyes.
“What’s wrong, Xing Zi jie?”
Wan Xing said in a low voice, “It’s not appropriate.”
Xiao Ba was stunned for a moment. Though not understanding, they also lowered their voice. “Didn’t we come to eat? I wanted to bring Hao Hao to have some tasty food…”
Wan Xing shook their head helplessly. “Which one of them brought family?”
Although it was conveyed as coming to eat, it was actually the train conductor holding a meeting for the train’s top brass.
Xiao Ba was smart but could not understand so many implicit things adults meant.
Moreover, this little boy’s identity was sensitive…
Thinking of this, Wan Xing sighed inwardly.
Seeing the two talking, the little boy stood in place in confusion and restraint, clutching the hem of Xiao Ba’s clothes with one hand.
Although he did not understand, he vaguely felt that he probably could not go in.
Yu Yue walked over, squatted down, gently stroked the little boy’s head, and said mildly, “Auntie made a lot of tasty food. Little friend, can you eat chili peppers?”
The little boy’s tension eased a bit. “I can’t eat chili peppers, a lot.”
“Then Auntie will pack a lot of non-spicy ones for you to take back to the room to eat, okay?”
“We’ve come all this way, why chase people back? How rude. Come, sit next to me.” Su Huan’s faint voice came from the end of the table. At this moment, he had just handed the work to Shu Wei nearby and gave the little boy a warm smile.
Yu Yue’s slender brows furrowed slightly. Seeing Su Huan’s smiling appearance, she knew he had no good intentions.
But with everyone present, she could not contradict the train conductor’s face.
She could only helplessly lead the little boy over, seat him on Su Huan’s left, then have Xiao Ba sit next to the little boy, and stand between Su Huan and the little boy herself, helping the two pick up food.
Su Huan watched the woman’s actions and was slightly speechless. Was there need to guard against him like this?
In this strange atmosphere, everyone began to eat.
Su Huan enjoyed the bone-picked meat Yu Yue served him while talking with Deputy General Manager Deng.
After all, there were many details in the train modification that could not be figured out just by glancing at data and reports.
Like the train’s balance system and detection system, both had many intricacies.
When he was about three to five tenths full, Su Huan cleared his throat.
“Two things in total. First, Shu Wei.”
Shu Wei, standing behind Su Huan, could only focus her attention on the data in her hand, not looking at the crowd happily eating.
But her heart inevitably felt sour.
It was not that the braised delicacies were particularly tempting, but falling from the center of attention to a side decoration at the edge of the table naturally brought some sense of disparity.
Hearing Su Huan’s voice, she immediately composed her emotions and stepped forward.
In everyone’s eyes, she was still that cold Black Kite commander.
“From now on, consider it as secretary, with duties equivalent to purser, but compensation deferred… for a period of time.”
Su Huan issued the appointment.
Everyone had varied expressions. Wasn’t this working for free?
But thinking of her identity and purpose, it was nothing. For a captive to become one of their own was already the train conductor’s magnanimity.
There were hardly any in all of history who surrendered and immediately got high position and generous salary.
Most were just eliminated.
Moreover, as the train conductor’s secretary, her status was not low.
Previously, this job was handled by Yu Yue and various pursers concurrently.
Hu Shuo reported often because the logistics group also managed quite a few administrative matters.
People like Professor Ma and a few old men thought deeper. If she did well and kept at it, wouldn’t she essentially become the chief crew leader?
Although the armored train only had over a thousand people and had not escaped the grassroots troupe category, the resources, information, and future evolution potential it controlled, if this momentum was maintained, would absolutely make it one of the important pillars of human civilization.
On this point, old men like Professor Ma and Director Xu were even more certain than youngsters like Lin Jin and Xiao Zhao.
This group of youngsters still thought of themselves as survivors and refugees under heavenly calamity.
But now, the armored train entering the flood zone had turned from passive to active.
The balance of offense and defense had changed.
“The second thing is the situation we will face next. Shu Wei.”
Su Huan said calmly.
He had died too early in his previous life, so forget storm zone; he had not even understood the flood zone.
Everyone’s gazes fell on Shu Wei’s face, thinking the train conductor was testing the new secretary.
Shu Wei thought the same.
In an instant, many thoughts flashed through her mind. Normally, she could rattle off in such a minor scene, but thinking the opportunity was only once, she became much more cautious.
After quickly analyzing all situations, she calmly said.
“The crises the armored train currently faces can be divided into two types: one is heavenly calamity, the other is man-made disaster.”
The clear voice was like a dark river under a glacier, carrying the magnetism of ice slag colliding.
Hearing this, Su Huan also focused slightly.
“Man-made disaster comes from Black Kite and other unknown major forces. For some reason, the news that the armored train possesses dual gene primordiums has not spread but been concealed, and headquarters will only know until the Wangjiang Peak battle.”
“Then why unknown forces?” He Jie frowned and asked. “At most isn’t it just one Black Kite, one Deep Blue Data?”
Shu Wei’s gray-blue pupils fell on He Jie’s face, looking very carefully, as if printing his face, with no extra emotions in her eyes, only a nearly ruthless focus.
“The problem lies with Deep Blue Data. At first, they seemed unaware of the gene primordium matter, only curious why we Black Kite crossed borders—”
“Inserting a piece of information here: each major force has its own territory, like Steel Council in acid rain area, Black Kite and Deep Blue Data headquarters in storm zone. At the current stage, each force is developing resources within their own area’s interior. If not for the two gene primordiums’ high value, we would not have crossed the flood zone from afar to acid rain area to capture people.”
“Although gene primordiums are attractive to Deep Blue Data too, their principle is not to provoke unnecessary conflicts with other forces. After the armored train destroyed Steel Council, it has entered the minor faction standard, but that does not mean they will keep the armored train’s secret. With their style, the news that the train possesses two gene primordiums and mutated plants that increase vitality has already spread across many major zones.”
“And Black Kite suffered a big loss at Wangjiang Peak, losing a special operations squad, so they certainly will not let it rest. They will not enter deep into flood zone, but outside flood zone, they have probably already set up a blockade net waiting.”
Old San considered and said, “With the train’s current defense, it shouldn’t fear a blockade, right?”
Old Da sitting next to him wanted to speak but hesitated. He had seen the weapons seized from Black Kite Squad: full set of latest electromagnetic equipment, with almost no traditional gunpowder ammunition except spares.
The blockade net the other side mentioned was probably not simple either.
“Black Kite inherited an entire military region’s full assets, not just a few firearms…”
Shu Wei’s eyelashes drooped, casting a sharp shadow under her eyelids.
He Jie immediately sucked in a breath of cold air, his two eyeballs bulging wide. “An entire military region? My goodness, that’s cheating!”
“Tch, it is cheating.” Su Huan’s gaze was profound, a cold smile on his lips. “But I’m more curious: how many major zones are there in total? Why do you think heavenly calamity is the train’s main danger?”
“It’s said there are twelve, but Black Kite has only contacted flood, storm, spore, and gravity zones so far. If not for this operation, it wouldn’t have contacted acid rain area either.”
“Do you all not notice that heavenly calamity intensity is not uniformly arranged?”
As Shu Wei spoke, the confidence and professionalism of managing a listed company slowly returned. Every word, every sentence’s tone and pitch carried a convincing aura.
If temperament is the combination of personal knowledge, clothing, and appearance, then aura is using one’s temperament and language to exert influence on surroundings.
When listeners are infected by this aura, even if she talks nonsense, they are willing to believe.
As for certain failed painters, that was no longer aura but momentum fused with personal will and the era’s will. Even without saying anything, just standing there made people cheer and go mad for them.
But Shu Wei’s level of aura clearly could not influence the rebellious train conductor.
“Are you asking me?”
Su Huan asked faintly in return.
Do the report properly; what did constantly counter-asking mean?
Am I listening to your speech?
Seeing the cold blue light in Su Huan’s eyes, Shu Wei recalled the hellish experience in the room. Her pupils trembled, and she quickly remedied.
“Heavenly calamities are arranged one strong one weak, like Qingchuan’s acid rain area is obviously much milder than flood zone. Even ordinary people, with some caution, can survive in such heavenly calamity zones, but flood zone and spore zone won’t do.”
Listening to her words, another puzzle in Su Huan’s mind was solved.
No wonder Yundu high-temperature zone was so fierce, while acid rain area was overly mild.
So there was such a pattern.
By this logic, flood zone intensity high, then subsequent storm zone would be milder, and then that spore zone would be fiercer.
One strong one weak…
This seemed even more man-made.
“That, can I ask what gravity zone is about?”
Professor Ma sitting nearby suddenly raised his hand and asked with a chuckle.
“Regarding gravity zone, it’s mainly from what another force learned. Black Kite knows little, only that gravity zone’s main heavenly calamity is gravity imbalance, some places with high gravity multiples, some particularly low…”
Next, Huang Hai and several research personnel asked some information about heavenly calamity zones.
Su Huan did not interrupt, sitting nearby, eating spicy edamame while listening.
He also gained understanding of flood zone.
Flood zone’s terror lay not only in surging floods but also irregular vortexes, wind waves, and terrifying mutated beasts connected to deep sea.
If on land, humans could still dominate early stages relying on civilization heritage, but in sea, mutated beasts had become absolute overlords.
Like those large deep-sea creatures, their massive bodies consumed astonishing general energy in evolution.
A tier 1 blue whale could easily crush hundreds or thousands of blood hounds just by rolling.
And those deep seas not even explored in humanity’s heyday—who knew what ancient creatures hid inside.
Now with general energy outbreak, who knows if they all surfaced.
Shu Wei had just looked at much data and had some understanding of armored train’s basic situation, believing that with current strength, without lingering, there was great hope to safely pass flood zone. Efforts should focus on Black Kite and other organizations after flood zone.
Su Huan somewhat agreed with this conclusion.
But he thought hurrying through was not a good suggestion.
He now saw each zone as treasure. Like high-temperature zone’s massive zombie resources, various supplies not preempted by major forces.
Acid rain area’s crown pear trees, leftover talents, etc.
To better face apocalypse and future dangers, armored train.
Could not just flee; should seize every chance to boost strength and fatten itself.
Fatten until they could not swallow it, until they feared it on sight!
“What do you think the armored train lacks most now?”
Seeing discussion nearly done, Su Huan suddenly asked.
Everyone pondered silently.
Su Huan’s gaze swept around, still landing on Shu Wei’s face.
The latter bit her lip. Actually, she had not figured it out either, but if she could not give a good answer or worse than others, Su Huan absolutely would not spare her.
