Chapter 285: Rectification
A gust of wind assaulted.
The fine fur on Mongoose’s face fluttered, its perked ears turned back slightly, and after identifying the other’s identity, it stood still without moving.
A flexible waist was suddenly embraced from the side and rear by someone.
Miao Qi shook her fist at Goat, “Hey, the assembly’s dismissed, why aren’t you letting my kitty go?”
Mongoose hurriedly said, “No, Sister Qi, I asked two extra questions.”
Goat shrugged his shoulders, indicating it had nothing to do with him.
Miao Qi got on the train very early, even earlier than most of the Armed Corps, many passengers respected her quite a bit, plus she was sexy and beautiful, with a good personality, so others also gave her some deference.
She could shoot on the battlefield, dress up in bed, and if a man was left on the battlefield, she could drag him back; Goat and the others were so jealous their eyeballs turned red, wishing they could shoot Lu Xiao in the back.
“Don’t bully our kitty, okay.”
“Of course I won’t, but in a couple days when He Jie recovers, it’s hard to say.”
Goat shook his head.
“What, is there a major task coming?”
Miao Qi asked in a low voice.
Goat glanced around and saw almost everyone had dispersed, then leaned in front of the two, quickly saying, “This time the losses were too great, the Corps should adjust too, but that’s just my guess, I don’t know the specific direction.”
Miao Qi nodded thoughtfully, “Gonna train recruits too, right?”
“As long as there’s no fighting, we train recruits.”
“Didn’t they say there’s an event tonight?”
Goat smiled slyly, “Go ask your man when the troops usually do reorganization.”
Hearing the word reorganization, Mongoose immediately had a stress reaction.
Reorganization wasn’t about tidying internal affairs, it was about dealing with people, knocking them around whether they’d erred or not.
Although the Armed Corps didn’t fully copy the military’s system, this rule had been passed down.
Thanks to He Jie’s special attention, Mongoose was that troublemaker, always the focus during reorganizations.
So Mongoose was the fastest improving in this batch of soldiers.
Whether physical fitness, training, internal affairs… even Goat, a veteran, couldn’t find fault.
“Forget it, you guys mess around, call Lu Xiao when it’s time, I’m soft-hearted and can’t stand seeing this…”
Miao Qi waved her hand and dragged Mongoose away.
Faintly, the whispers of the two women could still be heard.
“The logistics group exchange point recently got some fun stuff, several kinds of tails, kitty help me pick…”
“Tai… tails?”
Mongoose touched its recently itchy tailbone, its pretty face flushing red.
Qu Hang walked over, looking at Goat’s lecherous face puzzled, “What were you talking about to delay this long?”
Goat gave him a slant glance, “What does a little virgin like you know?”
Qu Hang snorted coldly, “If you put your mind on evolution, you wouldn’t still have no new skill evolved by now.”
“md, single combat!”
“Pick any distance to the arena, but I’ll only give you three minutes.”
Qu Hang left these words and headed to the dining car.
Goat’s ability was good, but had almost no direct combat capability, relying on those basic soldier skills; no matter how they fought, Qu Hang as a Manipulator would completely dominate.
By the time the two entered, the personnel promotion meeting had already concluded.
Several plates of fruit and beverages had been added to the table.
Fresh fruit was naturally pears, unpeeled, sliced very thin, but only one or two pieces per person, barely enough to moisten the throat.
The rest were some canned fruit, mostly yellow peaches.
Beverages were mostly tea, a few canned beverages, because Black Kite provided a batch with better dates, so the previously stockpiled ones on the train needed quick disposal.
From far away, the Train Conductor’s gaze looked over.
“How’d it go?”
“Already dismissed, they should be drinking in the activity carriage now.”
Su Huan thought for a moment, “It’s all stockpiled alcohol, remember to test it, I didn’t check closely when we collected it.”
Hu Shuo replied, “Besides daily spot checks, every week our logistics group pulls out all reserve supplies for inventory, records stock status; some supplies were tampered with before and handled a few months ago, now inbound standards are three detections.”
Su Huan licked the corner of his mouth; back when he squeezed the rear passengers, he’d prepared for poisoning.
Though the zombie virus was ineffective on him then, who knew what fierce stuff that group would add for revenge.
So he never ate the collected supplies.
He cooked everything himself, later with Yu Yue, all food was personally screened by Yu Yue.
Even now, front and rear carriage meals were separate.
Even the Armed Corps and crew dining cars weren’t the same; the whole train had three dining cars.
Three, not three cars.
“What standards?”
“First Director Xu’s laboratory toxicity detection, then general energy detection, finally I personally check.”
Hu Shuo’s rigorous work attitude satisfied the Train Conductor.
He didn’t even need to instruct on such small matters, Hu Shuo and others handled it themselves.
This was how a force should healthily operate.
“Alright, that’s mostly it, one last thing.”
Su Huan sat up from the sofa, leaning forward, his shirt shoulders taut, a chilling sense of crisis covering the entire carriage.
Everyone’s expressions turned solemn.
Shu Wei immediately pulled up the map on the dining car screen, showing a map mostly covered in black, then crookedly divided into twelve colored areas.
Some extremely wide, some extremely narrow, like a line.
A bright red trace started from the bottom, passed through Wen’an, crossed Mo Jiang, climbed over Wangjiang Peak, piercing through most of the map to the northernmost pole.
“This is the map from Donghuang Heavy Industry, divided by current twelve heavenly calamities, but some areas inaccurate, calamity borders are their guesses; those dashed ranges are other major forces, and the red line is our passed and upcoming positions.”
“And the final goal is the military’s vanished Changbai icefield.”
“From December 9th when I boarded the train, it took five months to cross high temperature, acid rain, flood three zones, and next at least nine major zones await us.”
“This is a long and dangerous journey, um, but not boring.”
“I allow people to get off, but I absolutely won’t allow anyone to hinder my progress.”
Su Huan’s voice was steady, ensuring every word clearly reached everyone’s ears.
Paused three breaths.
Everyone held their breath, waiting for the next order.
Seeing everyone’s serious demeanor, Su Huan’s eyes grew colder and graver.
When the atmosphere froze to the freezing point.
Suddenly burst into mischievous laughter.
“The important stuff’s already said.”
“Logistics group prepared an event in the activity room, alcohol and food free, only until twelve, go relax properly!”
“As survivors and victors, you qualify to enjoy your lives!”
The dining car immediately filled with sighs of relief and light laughter.
Between stillness and motion, everyone’s mood relaxed.
By the time most had left, Director Xu slipped back in.
Only Shu Wei, Yu Yue, Hu Shuo, and the Train Conductor remained in the dining car.
If He Jie weren’t injured, he’d be sitting here too.
Director Xu sat on a nearby sofa, gravely saying, “These days I had Lin Xi assist testing the prophecy info, basically consistent, doesn’t seem faked.”
Su Huan moved aside the tea cup in front of him, faintly saying, “No need, she’s on the train anyway, if fake we’ll pry it out sooner or later.”
Director Xu nodded, “Then how to handle this prophecy?”
Su Huan spread his hands, matter-of-factly.
“Don’t handle it.”
“Don’t handle it?”
“Else what, do you understand what a building with no doors or windows means?”
“Uh… mainly haven’t figured the underlying logic of the High Priestess’s prophecy, otherwise at least know what it’s about.”
“Just prepare as for sudden heavenly calamity, no matter what, people will die.”
Su Huan’s pitch-black eyes were still as an ancient well.
Director Xu nodded, “Understood, then I’ll go prepare personnel transfer to the general energy weapon lab.”
“No rush, transfer under your own research guaranteed.”
Director Xu smiled bitterly, “Months of research progress can’t catch one-tenth of what you grab at once…”
Su Huan mildly said, “Still gotta research, if you don’t research well, whose to grab later?”
After Director Xu left, Su Huan turned to Hu Shuo quietly listening nearby, “You know the prophecy thing, no need to mind it; recent supply flow heavy, your tasks heavier, need personnel moves just coordinate direct with Shu Wei.”
Hu Shuo stood, respectfully, “Understood.”
After Hu Shuo left too, only two women remained in the dining car; Su Huan stared at the map on the screen, lost in thought.
Index finger unconsciously tapping the sofa, strong tendons making his fingers like a high-intensity pile driver, the whole sofa thudding dully.
Just now he hadn’t said the full goal.
But a general direction was enough, they didn’t need to know what the Train Conductor specifically planned.
“The major force line is cut off…”
Shu Wei calmly said from behind, “If current info holds, Donghuang’s info priority even above the whole world, or rather, the apocalypse’s earliest start is in Donghuang territory!”
Su Huan’s gaze fell on the marked endpoint Changbai icefield.
Their current storm zone edge actually belonged to Ningxi Province, two provinces from Changbai Province; Jinfeng Province where Zhijin City was had the largest area, Yuchuan Province narrower.
Two provinces spanned four heavenly calamity zones.
Past Shizikou Pass entered Changbai Province’s Changbai Ridge, even into the extreme cold zone.
His home was there too.
“First find Yang Cunyi, if large-scale soldier mobilization, the military district near Shizikou Pass will leave traces.”
……
Hearing there’s an event with free alcohol, He Jie, fresh stitched from injury, brought a bunch of wounded soldiers hobbling over on crutches.
Perhaps suppressed too long from the big battle, everyone was a bit mad.
Various alcohols totaled over five thousand bottles consumed, even ate three full days of the train’s food reserves.
He Jie glowered the whole time; Han Qin didn’t come but sent He Zhenzhen to watch him; not just tobacco and alcohol, even normal food he barely ate any.
Goat and those beasts toasted his spot from afar every time they drank.
Messed around till 2 a.m. still some unwilling to leave.
Only after Su Huan appeared did everyone settle down.
Toasted the Train Conductor a cup, obediently left.
Mongoose was very cautious, barely touched the cup the whole event; even if colleagues insisted on toasting, she just sipped lightly, ate some roasted meat, and left early.
At 4 a.m., a sharp whistle instantly jolted it awake.
In the dim room, a pair of amber beast eyes lit up.
Excellent night vision let it see the clock numbers clearly.
“3:30 a.m.”
Damn reorganization came.
Dorm mate soldier abruptly sat up, looking startled at Mongoose, “Kitty, was that a whistle just now?”
“Mm.”
Mongoose nodded, reflexively jumped off bed, quickly donned clothes and equipment.
Roommate saw the time and uttered an angry curse, “These bastards, I just hit the sack at 3 a.m.!”
“Hurry, they must’ve seen us too happy last night, looking for excuse to reorganize us today.”
“Click”
Door pushed open, an older woman entered.
Mongoose, “Sister Ling, you just off sentry?”
Woman sighed, “Yeah, on way back saw Goat and them eyeing the armory hall hungrily, I’ll drink some water and go, you be careful.”
By the time Mongoose and others assembled in the armory hall, exactly one minute passed.
Besides over eighty wounded soldiers, over three hundred veterans plus two hundred recruits all present.
Goat grinned coldly without smiling, “The injured have good luck, but don’t be sad, you have good luck too; I checked for you, very cool today, all to the roof deck!”
When Mongoose and others reached the deck, they instantly understood Goat’s “cool.”
Howling storm wailed ghostly between buildings, sandstorm beating eyes unable to open.
“First five rows squat, middle five rows half-squat!”
Goat’s voice shook the lungs, overpowering the sandstorm.
Soldiers immediately complied.
“Yesterday you played so happily, I was happy too, but event ended too quick, I was unhappy; so what to do?”
No one spoke.
Everyone vaguely felt something bad.
Goat saw no reaction but still enthusiastically performed his solo.
Tormenting people, he was best at it.
“First 15 km armed off-road to warm up!”
Goat finally finished, soldiers’ faces fell.
Worst were the combat group transferred veterans, Old Wu among them.
Due to heavy Armed Corps losses and lack of grassroots backbone, they were brought over.
Though levels bumped up on transfer, just Staff Sergeant, overall one rank above Mongoose.
In the Corps, not Lieutenant meant soldier.
Soldiers gotta train.
Even veterans had no choice, shoulder equipment and run 15 km with recruits.
Armored Train 1500 meters long, one lap 3 km, five laps around.
