Chapter 264: We Have No Way Back
Su Huan was slightly surprised. Although Xiao Zhao was relatively young among the pursers, as Professor Ma’s proud disciple, she had a steady and rigorous personality and had never lost composure.
This was the first time.
Su Huan walked over curiously. On a stack of boxes half a meter high, there was a corner of paper, as if torn from some document.
There were four lines written on it, perfectly filling the entire triangle.
The handwriting was vigorous and resolute, without any connected strokes, and the opening salutation had been crossed out three times.
“Comrade”
“Brother”
“Latercomer”
All three salutations were crossed out, but for some reason, the writer still insisted on the first one.
“Comrade—”
“If these supplies are intact, take them and use them.”
“Survive, evolve with all your might.”
“We have no way to retreat.”
Only these three lines, with no other prompt information, not even who the writer was.
Looking at the brief note, Su Huan fell silent like a pool of stagnant water.
Yu Yue and the others heard Xiao Zhao’s shout and ran over from various rooms.
Although curious, no one dared to glance at the paper, and could only look at the hesitant Xiao Zhao nearby.
“Can you make out anything?”
Su Huan handed the paper to Deputy General Manager Deng who had just run over.
The latter took it and examined it for a long time before confidently saying, “The handwriting is good, at least forty-five or above.”
The note passed through everyone’s hands, with most people in a state of confusion.
“It doesn’t sound like the laboratory director’s tone; it has a bit of a military flavor.”
Goat said uncertainly, passing the note to Qu Hang.
The latter didn’t take it, glanced at the content, “If it’s the military, this should be torn from a classified document. They were probably in a hurry, so they just wrote on this.”
Lu Xiao took it and flipped it over for a while, puzzled, “How did you figure that out?”
Qu Hang said, “The military normally uses A4 paper too. Only official documents get a header printed, with a seal below, different colors for different classification levels. This one has no seal, but the torn edge has a bit of red.”
Then he pulled out a military tactical flashlight, swept it over the paper, and under the ultraviolet light, the paper emitted faint fluorescent spots.
“This is anti-counterfeiting, with colored fiber threads embedded in the paper. Of course, there are many civilian uses too, so it doesn’t prove anything. It’s just reasoning based on the premise of military documents.”
Lu Xiao said annoyedly, “How did I forget that.”
“Don’t be surprised, he used to sit in an office, so he’s naturally sensitive to documents.”
Goat walked over, took the document, and gestured at the position, “Train Conductor, this is indeed possible.”
Deputy General Manager Deng questioned, “The Electromagnetic Laboratory is a classified site; it’s normal to have such documents. Not to mention their lab, our High-Speed Rail Manufacturing Base has this kind of paper too. I’m not causing trouble; I’m just saying the source of this message is questionable.”
“Laboratory and military, is there any difference?”
Hearing the voice, everyone looked up at the Train Conductor.
Su Huan walked over, calmly tucking the note into the logbook, “Continue checking other places for any leftover information.”
Although everyone had many questions, they could see the Train Conductor was in a bad mood, so they shut up and silently carried out the task.
After a while, more information gathered.
One week before the apocalypse broke out, the military took away this laboratory, including the most advanced electromagnetic weapons, technology, and personnel.
Most information in the laboratory interior was intentionally left behind.
Including those precious electromagnetic weapon research and development data. As long as the hard drives were taken away and given to relevant personnel, the armored train could completely replicate an Electromagnetic Weapon Laboratory on the train and continue research.
Even without harvesting finished weapons this time, just this data and information alone could be called a huge gain.
But after obtaining so much information, Su Huan instead fell into deeper confusion.
What was known now was that the organization and the military had known about the apocalypse’s “arrival” much earlier, and had preemptively selected some major forces for cultivation.
But since they had decided to abandon them, why leave such a note?
Why leave so much equipment and say to take it and use it?
Out of personal whim?
If there was this goodwill, why not directly warn the entire society?
Placed in this laboratory interior, who could see it before the apocalypse broke out and order collapsed?
There was only one answer.
This note was for survivors after the apocalypse!
They didn’t want, and couldn’t let, the public know the truth of the apocalypse.
But Su Huan was like that three-year-old child; the more it was covered up, the more curious he became.
The more you wouldn’t let him see, the more he wanted to look.
“A secret that can silently mobilize tens of millions of people…”
“Truly heart-stirring.”
Su Huan’s pupils trembled, his five fingers involuntarily spreading to their maximum.
Hearing the Train Conductor’s hearty laugh, everyone tensed up and hurriedly focused even more on their work.
……
On the water surface.
Goat and Li Han carried an oxygen tank as they floated up. The on the train personnel had long determined their positions via general energy monitoring and positioning equipment, and directly brought them back on the train upon surfacing.
Soon after, Old San sauntered out and glanced underwater.
The water surface was murky and black, with rolling waves, as if hiding terrifying monsters.
No sign of the Second Priest or Third Priest could be seen at all.
“How’s it going?”
“Didn’t come up.”
“Fish them up too.”
“Yes!”
Just as the exhausted Second Priest was about to be swallowed by a giant fish in one bite, he was grabbed up by the prepared mechanical arm.
Lying on the wet deck, looking at Old San’s arrogant and rampant appearance, the Second Priest extended a middle finger.
The Third Priest fished up afterward cursed even more viciously.
Then Old San stomped on his mouth, knocking out his teeth.
But he didn’t have many teeth left anyway. When fished up, the Third Priest’s face had been slashed by something unknown, taking along one ear and a chunk of scalp, all flipped off.
Made him uglier than the slit-mouthed woman.
All relying on a burst of blood to spray at Old San, but unfortunately, the other didn’t catch many words before physically interrupting the spellcasting.
Combat group personnel dragged the two away.
Soon, a group of survivors was brought up.
Leading them were Old Man Tie and Xiao Dong, with the sturdy Qi Zhenbang standing beside.
Although the old man had worked day and night on the train, he showed no signs of wear; instead, he seemed more spirited, and his entire aura had softened considerably.
He wiped the rainwater from his eyebrows and chuckled to Xiao Dong beside him, “The only bad thing about getting old is this: eyebrows grow long, and long eyebrows easily catch rainwater…”
Qi Zhenbang frowned at Old San ahead, “What is this about? Weren’t we supposed to be sent back to construct the station?”
It was Old San who had ordered the killing of over a hundred people in front of him back then, so he was naturally very vigilant toward him.
Old San irritably said, “What about? Work! Or should I just silence you all?”
Qi Zhenbang was choked, silently observing the movements of the surrounding soldiers.
Only when he saw they had no intention of paying them attention did he relax.
Xiao Dong said confidently, “Don’t worry, Uncle Zhenbang, the Train Conductor said he’d send us home.”
Qi Zhenbang wanted to say something but stopped. Although he wasn’t as resistant as his second brother Qi Zhendong, he still mostly distrusted the train.
But saying this to Xiao Dong was a waste of time.
Ever since meeting Su Huan at the shelter, Xiao Dong was like he’d been fed a bewitching potion—everything was right by the Train Conductor, everything was good by the Train Conductor.
Even when his hands and feet were worn raw digging foundations on the island, he kept praising the Train Conductor.
And that trench was dug with help from him and his second brother!
Why not praise them!
Simply damn ghostly!
Even more ghostly was that every time Xiao Dong said this, his old dad listened with a chuckling smile nearby, and when they retorted, he sided with Xiao Dong to scold them. If not together every day, he’d suspect his own dad had been swapped.
They weren’t left standing in the rain long before logistics personnel handed each an oxygen tank.
No bodysuit, no flippers, not even a mask.
Just a bald metallic bottle body, feeling like it was just molded.
Old San saw preparations were about done and shouted through the horn, “Just jump straight down; someone below will catch you. Once down there, you’ll know what to do.”
“You first, jump down.”
Old San pointed at the most conspicuous Qi Zhenbang ahead.
‘This is clearly silencing!’
Qi Zhenbang clutched the oxygen tank, his mouth twitching.
“Finish the work early and go home early.”
Qi Zhenbang suddenly heard his dad say it by his ear. Before he could react, he saw his dad strap on the oxygen tank and jump into the water.
Scared, he no longer cared, hurriedly strapped it on, and followed by jumping in.
With the Qi Family leading, the remaining survivors jumped down like dumplings.
……
Although at the bottom of the water without ventilation equipment, because it was underwater, the laboratory interior temperature wasn’t high.
After busying for half an hour to inventory all weaponry and equipment, Goat and Li Han were sent up to report.
At first, seeing the note’s content, everyone felt somewhat stifled and puzzled, but as the laboratory interior’s equipment was inventoried, everyone’s hearts were filled with the joy of harvest.
The weaponry and equipment in the Electromagnetic Laboratory wasn’t much in quantity, but the types were very complete!
First was the central Electromagnetic Railgun called [Thunder God-7].
A single cannonball weighed 8.5 kilograms, with effective range of 50 km (anti-ship)/180 km (anti-ground).
Penetration power had to be measured in “meters.”
Everyone initially had no concept of this data, but after Deputy General Manager Deng said it could sink an aircraft carrier, everyone got excited.
This was exactly the heavy firepower the armored train lacked most!
Even more exciting was the experimental-grade [Thunder God-8] Electromagnetic Railgun in the back warehouse, fourteen meters long, theoretical range over two hundred kilometers, armor penetration directly soaring to a terrifying 2,000 mm RHA.
Clang clang, load it up!
Besides that, there were [Lightning]-level vehicle-mounted railguns, electromagnetic rifles for individual soldiers, and extremely high accuracy, every one reaching precision rifle level.
The second category was high-energy pulse weapons. Although drones couldn’t fly now without these, no one was sure if Black Kite had overcome these issues; these were left for them.
The third category was electromagnetic protection and auxiliary equipment, like detecting incoming projectiles and instantly releasing a strong magnetic field to deflect ballistics with electromagnetic armor. Originally for main battle tanks and armored personnel carriers, now on the armored train it fit perfectly.
No need for Xiao Ba to desperately block cannonballs and such high-power lethal weapons anymore.
There were also some superconducting energy storage batteries, electromagnetic cloaking capes, non-lethal neural electromagnetic pulse weapons, and so on…
Just the ready-made physical equipment alone filled the train to the brim.
If counting those under-research orbital electromagnetic cannons and such, just the names would fill hundreds of pages.
This clearly wasn’t the output of one laboratory.
But the results accumulated by an organization over generations of blood, sweat, and tears.
When Old Man Tie and they drilled in, they were stunned seeing the big guy everyone was packing up in front of them.
Although they knew the armored train was up to something big, they didn’t expect it to be this big.
They thought Old Man Tie would complain a bit, but the old guy said nothing and started helping pack.
He was so straightforward that Su Huan felt a bit unhappy instead.
Before, no matter what he did, Old Man Tie would argue with him.
Crowding forward, he persistently asked, “Don’t you think we’re digging up the organization’s roots?”
Old Man Tie worked while bluntly saying, “Us living is the organization’s root!”
Clearly, the Train Conductor was not satisfied with this answer.
He coldly said, “Have you ever thought that long ago, the organization and the military knew about this?”
Hearing this, Old Man Tie’s movements paused, then he continued working as if he hadn’t heard.
“Heh heh…”
Spotting Old Man Tie’s flaw, the Train Conductor laughed slyly, pulled out the logbook, and deliberately waved the note inside in front of Old Man Tie.
“Ironclad proof, Grandpa Tie Shan!”
Then, grinning like a devil waiting for a soul to fall, he stood before Qi Tieshan, ready to watch his faith collapse.
He did see the old man’s moved expression, but it differed slightly from what he expected.
“Show me again!”
Old Man Tie was somewhat anxious.
“Didn’t you see it clearly?”
Su Huan said leisurely.
“Quick, show me; that handwriting looks familiar.”
Hearing this, Su Huan’s gaze sharpened.
No more joking, he opened the logbook and directly handed the note to Old Man Tie.
He wasn’t afraid of the old man playing tricks.
With his sub-tier 1 ability, in Su Huan’s eyes he was like a snail crawling; he could retrieve the note unharmed with a reach.
Old Man Tie looked left and right, then roughly wiped his hand on the sealed box in front.
Only then did he solemnly take the note and look at the handwriting.
It took almost no time; Old Man Tie’s rough big hand began trembling. As Su Huan raised his brow, a teardrop had already fallen on the note.
Wetting the pause after “no way to retreat,” smudging the ink like a period.
“I know this person.”
“He was my soldier, named Yang Cunyi.”
“No matter what you want, even at the cost of my life, old man only asks one thing: go help him, go help them.”
