Chapter 288: Deserter
Tan Yunxi cried while pulling open her collar, and upon seeing the mane draped over her shoulder like a shawl, her tears fell even faster.
Yu Jing and Hu Shuo looked at each other.
“The ‘Beast Transformation’ skill is pretty powerful. Combined with ‘Combat Factor’, before Tier 1, few people can beat you.”
“Really?”
Tan Yunxi asked tearfully.
“You can ask Mongoose.”
Yu Jing thought of how her mother comforted her when she was little, reached out to pat her head, but somehow touched her ear instead.
Tan Yunxi cried even louder.
The gazes of the others in the laboratory also turned over.
Yu Jing, Hu Shuo: “……”
Hu Shuo said, “I have something to do over there, I’ll go handle it.”
Once Hu Shuo left, Tan Yunxi gradually quieted down, but still sobbed softly.
Yu Jing’s gaze sharpened. “I have a sticking point right now. If you can solve it, I’ll guarantee you two level promotions.”
Tan Yunxi raised her head. “You mean the Level 3 Attendant position with 50 points per month, which has the qualification to exchange for survival information and evolutionary supplies?”
She had long figured out the train’s points system.
The crew as a whole was below the Armed Corps.
Level 1 Attendants had only 20 points in base salary per month, and with various allowances, rewards, and miscellaneous subsidies, they could barely reach 30 points a month.
Level 2 Attendants had a base salary of 35 points.
Meanwhile, on the Armed Corps side, even the most ordinary Third-class Soldier got 60 points per month.
But the one-fifth death rate from before had silenced all the private grumblings.
Now everyone on the train knew that was blood money.
In comparison, the crew side was pretty good.
As long as they steadily worked up to Level 4, they could have 70 base points per month.
Easy to support a whole family, and if single, life would be even more comfortable.
When Tan Yunxi boarded the train, besides her family’s bet, she also wanted to try the mutated plants that could increase vitality.
Only Level 3 Attendants had the qualification to purchase them.
“You know it pretty well.”
Yu Jing was slightly surprised.
Tan Yunxi proudly puffed out her chest, even surpassing Yu Jing.
“As long as it’s related to weapon design, I can absolutely solve it!”
Without a trace, she glanced at the young girl’s bulging pride, then Yu Jing pursed her lips. “I’m currently designing the train’s first individual exoskeleton, and I need an overall design for the exoskeleton’s weapon system.”
Tan Yunxi quickly wiped her pesky tears with the mane on her shoulder, waved her small hand, and her eyes gleamed.
“Let’s go see the current progress.”
……
Black Kite Headquarters, underground laboratory.
Accompanied by the sound of machinery, Number 1 in a white coat walked out from inside the door, his eyes behind the lenses reflecting streams of data, while removing the blood-stained medical gloves from his hands, he said, “The data fluctuated too much between experiments; there must be other interfering factors…”
Halfway through speaking, Number 1’s gaze fell on the shadows at the corner by the wall.
A suit with extremely broad shoulders “stood” there.
Number 4 stepped forward, about to speak, when he saw Number 1 raise his palm and turn to look at the approaching lab assistant.
“Time’s about up. Has Number 3’s gene primordium and the mutated plant that increases vitality arrived?”
The lab assistant paused, obvious hesitation on his face.
“You still want test subjects? If you keep holing up in the lab, Black Kite will be emptied out by others.”
The sharp voice came from Number 4’s mouth.
Number 1 paused for two seconds, then extended his hand.
Soon the lab assistant placed a tablet in his hand, which meticulously recorded everything that had happened at Black Kite, with two-thirds of the content mentioning one name.
—Armored Train.
Looking at the shocking battle reports above, Number 1’s remaining brain capacity quickly overloaded.
He fell into a rigid state.
“I propose revoking Number 3’s highest authority. Although he didn’t directly take things from the company, the other higher-ups are all finding ways to extract resources from the company. I just got back and can’t hold them down!”
Number 4’s sharp voice carried uncontainable anger.
“Where is Number 3 now?”
Freeing most of his brain from experimental simulations, Number 1 finally gained a bit of human warmth.
His voice remained calm, carrying a mechanical chill.
Neither Black Kite’s defeat nor the astonishing war indemnity had made him furrow his brow.
“Chopping sand beasts in the west.”
“How many people are left in the company?”
Number 4 frowned. “The company is already badly wounded. Even without them, we can’t do anything to the current Armored Train. Even I have to admit, the opponent is suppressing us—a major force—in high-end combat power.”
“No, pull the manpower back. Don’t conflict with them in the short term.”
Behind the lenses, the data streams in Number 1’s eyes grew even more terrifying.
“Dual Profession, this is truly a brand-new direction that fills one with exploratory desire.”
“But I need more data.”
“What data?”
“About the Armored Train, about the Train Conductor. I need to know all his information.”
Number 4 sighed. “Knew it would be like this. Rest assured, I’ve already arranged scouts. If necessary, I’ll guide them.”
……
Compared to the unpredictable floods in the Flood Zone, the sandstorms in the Storm Zone were no less.
But in terms of power, they were worlds apart.
Facing that force of heaven and earth, even the fully prepared Armored Train nearly capsized. If not for that giant whale’s unnecessary move helping the train sink quickly, even the Train Conductor would have been trapped on the island as a sacrifice.
That was true heavenly calamity, a catastrophe of life.
Whether humans, mutated beasts, or other things, whether submitting or resisting, all would be equally baptized by heavenly calamity.
And the Storm Zone, this kind of “safe zone”, was a massive jungle.
Following the simple law of the jungle.
Every life form evaded heavenly calamity and sought evolution in its own way.
The arrival of the Armored Train, this uninvited guest, had long attracted the attention of the natives.
After all, the Storm Zone was too vast.
Even a major force like Black Kite was only around 100,000 people, a drop in the ocean when spread across this huge area.
The remaining space was filled with various survivor settlements, camps, shelters, city ruins, zombie hordes, mutated plant forbidden zones… Various life forms slaughtered and entangled each other on this land, savage yet full of vitality.
The gravel on the ground emitted faint vibrations. On the asphalt pavement, a basin-sized scorpion puzzledly turned around, searching for the source of the vibration.
There was clearly no sandstorm today, right?
“Vroom—”
The low roar of the engine grew closer.
The mutated scorpion raised its tail, intimidating the unknown enemy.
“Bang!”
A crisp gunshot rang out, and the scorpion’s black shell instantly shattered, juice splattering everywhere.
Before it could react, another three-round burst severed its only weapon.
Two wheels rolled over its back, stopping five or six meters away, followed by rapid footsteps. The near-death mutated scorpion felt its body pierced and lifted, finally seeing clearly the creature that took it down.
No hard shell, no sharp claws, just a pitch-black, ferocious face.
“Hey, Master Rong, look what I got—a sun scorpion!”
Before the man could raise the spoils in his hand to show off, he was kicked staggering by a big foot.
The sun scorpion in his hand fell to the ground, spasming and spraying grim green poisonous liquid everywhere. The asphalt pavement and sand it touched sizzled, emitting white smoke.
The dark-faced man froze.
Before he could react, a man in a leather trench coat kicked him hard in the head.
“Idiot! I told you not to grab things randomly, not to grab things randomly! You never learn!”
The people around stopped their vehicles, looking coldly at the beaten dark-faced man. Someone laughed and shouted, “Wei Ge, why not just beat him to death? His brain’s already poisoned dumb. All he’s good for is a mouth and shitting—what else?”
It immediately sparked a burst of laughter.
Yuan Wei’s face flickered with uncertainty as he looked at his neighbor hugging his head and groaning on the ground, his fingers gradually touching the gun handle.
“Enough!”
Li Xinlong, sitting in an off-road vehicle, barked.
Yuan Wei breathed a sigh of relief, turned to the young man in the passenger seat of the off-road vehicle with a fawning smile. “Master Rong, you’re too kind, or I’d have beaten this fool to death today.”
Li Xinlong wanted to say something, but with people around, he irritably waved his hand.
Yuan Wei quickly dragged the fool neighbor away.
The others in the convoy looked at both with expressions like avoiding snakes and scorpions; Yuan Wei pretended not to notice.
Someone got out, picked up the dead sun scorpion, brought it to the off-road vehicle, and flattered, “Master Rong, take a look.”
Li Xinlong glanced upward; the rearview mirror reflected a pair of dazzling long legs.
Subconsciously, he recalled the amazing elasticity of those long legs wrapped around his waist last night and couldn’t help shifting his body.
A coquettish soft voice came from the back seat of the off-road vehicle. “Never evolved once, can only extract the most ordinary crystal. You want me to do it for you now?”
Li Xinlong turned around, looking at the woman’s bright lips, and said shamelessly.
“Do which one?”
The woman was stunned for a moment, then spat a curse.
By the time Li Xinlong turned back, a glint of insight into humanity flashed in his eyes.
Like an old jackal, pondering where to steal a chicken tonight.
The driver asked, “Master Rong, do we head straight there next, or?”
Li Xinlong turned back, looking at the city ruins under the sunlight, and considered. “Don’t get too close. Bomb said that group has guns and cannons; seems like their vehicle got stuck, that’s why they stopped there.”
“Got it!”
The driver acknowledged, and six or seven vehicles with over a dozen motorcycles headed deeper into the city.
Strangely, the annoying zombies in the ruins had all disappeared somewhere today; the buildings stood eerily quiet.
Everyone cautiously circled around, following the cracked asphalt pavement, until they reached a high-rise residential community.
The four big characters “Huangpu International” were left with only “Huangpu”; “International” had vanished.
A huge billboard stood nearby, with a big red background and white text printed: only 6080 per square meter, plus free parking space and other lucky words.
Behind it was a row of repaired houses, plus two unfinished abandoned buildings.
From far away, they could hear clanging hammering sounds inside.
The driver carefully parked on the side, hesitating. “This group gonna build the damn building here?”
“Build what building? They’re repairing a vehicle!”
Li Xinlong scolded, grabbed the telescope, and climbed onto the cab of a nearby truck.
Seeing this, the others found high points and clambered up with clattering sounds.
Li Xinlong’s heart jolted at the sight of the massive train dominating the plaza, and he raised the telescope.
Seven or eight meters high body, heavy prismatic front, wide ironwood deck.
And the track electromagnetic cannon on the roof that looked intimidating, all shattering Li Xinlong’s cognition.
This thing was made under current circumstances?
“Holy shit!”
“Holy fucking shit!”
“Holy shit, Master Rong, Bomb didn’t lie—there’s really a train!”
“Open your dog eyes and look—this ain’t a train! This must be Dong Huang’s hidden military armament!”
“Bullshit military—where are there soldiers now? Feels like some group made it from a military base.”
“Not what he told me.”
“This is a tough nut indeed…”
The woman in the off-road vehicle, bored picking at her fingers, suddenly sneered coldly, eyes turning, thinking who knows what.
Li Xinlong’s face showed much more conflict.
He’d heard outsiders appeared in Xiaohe City ruins, tough nuts that deterred several convoys around just by standing there. Curious how tough, he came along—might scrape some meat off.
With that thought, he came, but upon seeing the Armored Train, he gave up.
They weren’t even in the same league.
Forget the awe-inspiring train; just the uniformed armed personnel made ideas hard to form.
One carriage of theirs had more people than his entire convoy.
Good enough not to get swallowed whole.
Just as he planned to give up, his subordinate suddenly shouted, “Master Rong, two people came out.”
Li Xinlong raised the telescope.
Sure enough, he saw two people in green military uniforms clutching rifles running out of the community toward their direction, startling Li Xinlong.
“What does this mean—did they spot us?”
The subordinate asked uncertainly.
“No, doesn’t seem like it. Brothers, prepare to withdraw!”
Li Xinlong said cautiously.
The driver waved back, and everyone scattered like birds and beasts, diving into vehicles to start engines.
But Li Xinlong didn’t get into his off-road vehicle; the crowd waited anxiously.
Soon, two people in green trench coats clutching assault rifles fled panic-stricken from the community. Seeing Li Xinlong’s group parked outside, they jolted in shock, raising their muzzles like startled birds.
The convoy people reflexively raised their guns.
“Don’t move!”
“Don’t move!”
“Who are you?!”
“No one shoot!”
Under Li Xinlong’s shout, the convoy held back, the two groups stiffly confronting each other on the spot.
Seeing the two soldiers tense, their eyes occasionally glancing back at the community, Li Xinlong had a flash of insight and shouted.
“Get in the vehicles first—let’s get out of here!”
