Chapter 210: The Real Show
But Su Huan didn’t care about that.
The one in trouble was her.
Aren’t you a high-value talent? Then you have to show your value.
“Weapons. I think what the train lacks most right now is high-power weapons.”
Shu Wei thought for a moment and said firmly.
He Jie nodded almost imperceptibly, and even Qu Hang, who was spacing out nearby, took a couple more glances at the woman.
“The reason?”
Su Huan put down his chopsticks, leaned back in his chair with one hand propping up his face, looking somewhat listless, like a sated black cat.
“There was a firearm maintenance list in the earlier report. The most powerful were just a few large-caliber machine guns. In the previous battle, we also got some understanding of the train’s weapons—mainly old-style firearms. Their power is enough for zombies and mutated beasts at the current stage, but insufficient against major forces and deep sea giant beasts.”
Seeing that Su Huan had no intention of interrupting her, Shu Wei continued, “As far as I know, the flood zone has no forces stationed permanently, with a large amount of pre-apocalypse resources waiting to be excavated. Ningxi Province is an energy province with many cutting-edge electromagnetic laboratories.”
Hearing about the arsenal, Su Huan perked up a bit. “Map.”
Giraffe stood up to help Xiao Zhao pull out the monitor stuck to the wall, switched the monitoring footage to a huge blue map representing the flood-covered area.
“This is our current position, in the southwest of Ningxi Province. The closest to us is Guan Chong City.”
Xiao Zhao clicked, and a deep blue dot appeared on the lower part of the screen.
Shu Wei walked forward, recalling relevant information while identifying.
Moments later, she pointed to Xiushui City slightly left of center and said, “Li Xiuhua, from Xiushui City, formerly affiliated with the International High-Energy Applied Physics Research Institute, later secretly returned to the country and founded this electromagnetic weapon laboratory. He has profound expertise in electromagnetic launch technology, pulse power systems, and the weaponization of superconducting materials. There’s a military district around the laboratory, so there should be a large quantity of electromagnetic weapons.”
Su Huan’s gaze turned to Professor Ma and the others.
Director Xu shook his head. “I know this person, but our fields are too different. Not familiar.”
Professor Ma pondered. “When Professor Li had just returned to the country, I heard him give a lecture. He participated in the development of the first-generation prototype of the electromagnetic railgun and breakthrough achieved the composite system of Victor electromagnetic coil gun + AI ballistic correction. Test accuracy reached 0.05 mrad, which is sniper level. I didn’t expect Professor Li to be from Xiushui City…”
Seeing the two vouch for this information, Su Huan believed it about thirty percent.
Heavy weapons were indeed a major weakness of the armored train now.
Defense and survival aspects had now reached his initial goals. If no friction with major forces occurred, just heading north, it was enough for heavenly calamities and mutated beasts at the current stage.
But to uncover the secret, battle was inevitable.
Improving the train’s output capability was imperative.
“Then the next goal is Xiushui City. Any other suggestions?”
Having figured out the cause and effect, Su Huan decisively made the decision.
Everyone silently shook their heads. The direction of the armored train was naturally controlled by the train conductor.
Seeing that the time for discussion was about to end, Old San hurriedly winked and reminded, “Train Conductor, that thing…”
Su Huan helplessly tapped his brow. This fool, no one else mentioned it, but you had to jump out.
He glanced at the pitch-black scenery outside the car window.
“It’s too late. Other matters tomorrow.”
Everyone’s gazes swept over Old San’s pig-liver-colored face, thoughtful.
……
Storm Zone, Deep Blue Data’s publicly claimed headquarters.
Under the pitch-black night, the storm advanced like giant waves, carrying not only gravel but also a large amount of industrial products and metal debris, slamming into the cement piers like bullets as it moved with the storm.
Leaving behind a lot of miscellaneous items and riddled piers, the storm continued forward.
After passing through multiple 50-meter-high spiral wind-guiding walls, only fine gravel remained in the storm, slapping against two towers like inverted hourglasses.
The twin towers consisted of 12 layers of concentric steel frames nested together, surfaced with self-cleaning photovoltaic glass that could absorb ample light energy from the storm zone during the day for nighttime power generation. The bottom interior was hollow, filled with blue coolant.
Above, crisscrossing walkways held more than a dozen corridors. Besides regular meeting rooms and various workshops on the sides, large swaths of space were idle, with green plants and coffee machines placed there. Employees sat scattered among them, fingers flying rapidly on notebooks.
Accompanied by the hurried footsteps of a secretary entering, a startled low roar suddenly came from the top-floor office.
The Vice President of Business Development stood up in shock, snatched the communication device from the secretary’s hand, and questioned word by word.
“You’re saying that not only did you and Black Kite’s special operations team fail to capture that gene primordium, but someone made you dig trees on the mountain all night with a gun to your head?”
Haywood’s embarrassed voice came from the other end. “Although there are some discrepancies… we almost drowned in the flood too.”
The vice president’s brows furrowed into a river character pattern, his voice low. “Didn’t Black Kite send a Tier 2? How did they get beaten like this? Could it be they sent a Tier 2 pig?!”
Haywood on the other end repeatedly looked at the intelligence sent back by Tong Zizhan, steeling himself to read it out.
“…According to our collectors’ reports, the armored train’s train conductor was promoted to Tier 2 on the spot, and took down Black Kite’s Tier 2 evolver with one strike.”
The vice president drew in a sharp breath. “Are you freaking telling me a story?”
“This was witnessed by both our investigation team and the collectors.”
“How did the scouting team get involved too?”
“They were captured at the time too, digging trees on the mountain with me.”
The vice president was so angry he laughed. “So I spent a huge price and favors, got nothing from the gene primordium and tree of life, and instead sent people to dig trees for them, right?”
Haywood choked. Clearly, the costs were all borne by their branch!
But he didn’t dare refute in the slightest.
He hesitated and asked, “Should we take action against the armored train?”
The vice president paced two laps in the room, his inner anger dissipating somewhat, and said calmly.
“Continue observing the armored train. The gene primordium’s evolution speed is too fast. Don’t escalate the conflict; it’s not in the company’s interests.”
“Anyway, they’ve entered the heavy disaster zone. Whether they survive is uncertain. Even if they do, they still have to pass Black Kite’s blockade.”
Hearing the other end hang up the communication, Haywood quietly breathed a sigh of relief.
As long as he didn’t have to face the train conductor.
That night, Su Huan like a tyrant left a deep impression on him—wildness and madness unlike anyone else.
Just like a lone wolf in the wasteland living on the edge, treating every day as the last.
Compared to him, people from Black Kite and Deep Blue Data were like chicks in a greenhouse.
Moreover, the opponent’s growth speed was ridiculously fast. Although the company had planted spies early, they still couldn’t figure out how many trump cards the armored train had.
In just over two months, it rose up to become a force that all sides feared.
A hint of awe flashed in Haywood’s blue eyes.
Looking at another report in his hand about Tong Zizhan’s application to return to the company, he murmured, “Changing people now is too dangerous. They can only hold on a bit longer…”
……
The flood carrying miscellaneous items crashed against the armored train’s thick deck, yet couldn’t even damage the outermost nano-repair coating. Water flowed and spread across the ironwood deck.
Inside the armored train, low-intensity lights illuminated the corridor.
Carriage numbers unchanged, but internal space allocation greatly changed.
Lu Xiao’s team’s exclusive carriage was canceled and replanned together.
Two trains, with the left one where Su Huan resided as the main carriages, the right as deputy carriages.
To avoid chaos, directly call them deputy 1, deputy 2…
He Jie led the armed corps to move there, though the one in deputy 1 directly opposite Su Huan’s No. 1 carriage was left empty.
Carriages 13, 14, 15 became the crew’s public space, mainly for large meetings or events, used as a special public venue.
No. 16 is the crew dining car, and from No. 17 onward became residences for most crew members.
Liu Ming sat in the second room of carriage 18, calmly pressing bullets one by one into the handgun magazine.
Opposite him sat Zhang Qiang with a tense, numb face. “Will they trace it back to us through the handgun…”
Liu Ming’s eyelids drooped, and he said gravely, “No. This handgun isn’t in the train’s registry. Every part was handcrafted at the factory side. The bullets were exchanged scattered from others. Even if Hu Shuo wants to investigate, he won’t find anything.”
“They won’t discover it?”
Liu Ming pointed to the flashing jammer on the wall. “There’s more than just us behind this. Too many people are dissatisfied with the train conductor.”
Zhang Qiang swallowed. He’d seen the train conductor and didn’t think he was as bad as they said.
Moreover, with the train’s restructuring, his life was pretty good now—plenty of food every day, private bathroom. That fat woman who fought him for the toilet was left at Shun’an Base.
He thought these peaceful days would continue, but unexpectedly Liu Ming came over tonight.
And without warning, wanted to start the action they had agreed on before.
Back then, he did have the courage to break everything.
But that was just a moment of bravery.
Now that spirit had long deflated. If not for Liu Ming holding his handle, he’d even want to report to the train conductor.
“Don’t worry. Every link has been arranged by someone. You just follow the instructions. This gun is just a backup for you. Rest assured, it won’t be triggered. The Same Boat Society brothers are waiting for you…”
The calm voice gradually comforted Zhang Qiang’s fear.
Liu Ming loaded the bullets, handed the handgun to the other. “We should go.”
The two took the jammer and went out the door.
Liu Ming walked ahead, calmly using the jammer to interfere with the camera installed above the corridor, pushed open the door to carriage 15. It was decorated like a normal family living room, with a small bar and kitchen on the side for small families who didn’t like public meals to cook their own food.
There were also a few partitioned rest rooms in the corner.
During breaks, the crew on the train liked to come play a few hands of cards or have a drink.
Though it was already late at night, there were still a few figures sitting inside chatting idly.
Many had only known each other for a few days, but had already become old friends who talked about everything.
No one knew what tomorrow would bring—what kind of battle or disaster.
Everyone was spending their time as extravagantly as possible.
Liu Ming never joined in. He believed with his abilities, a day would come when he rose above others.
But this world changed too fast.
Many things were beyond his control.
A large number of Same Boat Society members were left at Shun’an Base—that was fine, but unexpectedly a fool assigned to the manufacturing group recklessly exposed the organization’s existence.
These past two days, he could feel that Tong Zizhan and the other’s gazes toward him were off.
Once the train dug out the remaining Same Boat Society members, he’d be speechless to defend himself.
He had to make a decision.
Right now, there was only one way to possibly pull him out of this vortex.
Looking at a small room in the corner, Liu Ming’s eyes darkened.
Having mixed in with Tong Zizhan’s team for so long, he hadn’t done nothing. Regarding the identity of the mysterious person who approached them back then, he already had guesses.
The two walked quietly in the shadows, not letting those drunks see them.
They went straight into the room.
A man was already sitting inside, wearing a particularly wide mask on his face with brass filings in the stitched gaps, like a worker from the bullet workshop.
The man saw the two and became emotional, cursing lowly.
“I already said the action is canceled, canceled! Why are you still coming to me?!”
“Don’t get agitated.”
Liu Ming raised his hands, shifted his steps to stand behind the stunned Zhang Qiang, a hysterical smile flickering in his bloodshot eyes. “Although you don’t need us anymore, I still need you…”
The man sensed something wrong and subconsciously reached for his pocket.
While Zhang Qiang was still dumbfounded that the mission was canceled, a gunshot suddenly rang out.
The man opposite trembled in fright, pulled out his handgun, and fearfully emptied the magazine at the two.
Then he screamed while patting himself down.
After patting his body all over, reason gradually returned to his brain, and he realized he hadn’t been shot.
While the two opposite had already fallen in pools of blood.
Before his brain could figure out what happened, the lights inside and outside the rest room suddenly brightened, like being injected with new energy.
“Cut! Wrap it up!”
A voice with faint amusement came from outside.
The man saw clearly who stood at the doorway, his face instantly drained of color, legs went soft, and he knelt on the ground.
His lips trembled for a long time before he painfully spat out one word.
“Tra-train conductor…”
Su Huan stood at the doorway, looking at the scene in the rest room with interest.
Behind him, He Jie, Old San, Tong Zizhan, Gao Yuan, and others stared coldly at everyone in the room like they were dead men.
Su Huan squatted down, looked at Liu Ming whose face was splattered with quite a bit of blood, patted his cheek, and chuckled lightly. “Shouldn’t it be time to get up and act the next scene?”
The rest room was silent. Liu Ming on the ground showed no reaction for a long time.
“Fatal wound untreated? Tong, drag him out and feed him to the fish.”
