Chapter 290: Clubbing To Death
Old Wu is right.
This is the Apocalypse.
Laws before the Apocalypse are no longer in effect.
So Su Huan didn’t care about Old Wu’s first conflict with Mongoose.
He didn’t even clearly state who to punish, just gave them a chance to resolve the dispute.
The only one who suffered inside and out was that woman who got the Freebie.
But…
What does it have to do with him?
This time Old Wu committed many offenses: gun tips, abusing subordinates, leading to recruits deserting. If scrutinized closely, there were many violations.
But the only one that truly crossed the Bottom Line was this one.
The Train can only be the Train Conductor’s one-man show. Su Huan was unwilling and didn’t want to see such a badass existence.
He Jie barking orders was a right he gave him.
I don’t give, you can’t rob it.
This was Su Huan’s concept: absolute self-centeredness.
Lightning gradually faded, but the Despair on Old Wu’s face grew thicker.
If He Jie had beaten him harshly, even half to death, he could have lived.
But the Train Conductor stopped He Jie, which meant he was going to die here no matter what today.
Su Huan turned his head and drew a Rubber Short Stick from the officer’s waist behind him. Initially only He Jie used it to beat recruits, but after he upgraded to an Electric Baton, every officer carried one during training.
Holding the Short Stick, Su Huan walked straight to Old Wu’s woman.
White Deer wouldn’t pity the fairer sex, one hand choking the woman’s throat, the other holding a gun to block her mouth.
Due to suffocation, the woman couldn’t care about modesty anymore, her hands desperately trying to pry White Deer’s arm.
Seeing the Train Conductor approach, White Deer let go.
The woman coughed violently a few times, saw Su Huan in front of her, and panickedly covered her body, looking like a terrified good woman.
Before she could react on what posture to take, she saw the Train Conductor smiling and handing her the Short Stick.
“Go, hit him.”
The woman shook her head in fear.
Su Huan chuckled lightly, handed the Short Stick to the female soldier behind, and asked seriously, “What about you, you won’t dare either?”
Female soldier Wang Ling’s dead eyes lit up slightly, she tied the torn clothes on her Chest with a knot, took the Short Stick, and walked toward Old Wu.
She swung at the round head.
“Bang!”
Old Wu didn’t make a sound, his body didn’t even sway.
Wang Ling started a bit slow, but later struck more viciously, each time smashing at the skull top, her eyes fierce like a female leopard.
The entire Plaza atmosphere was eerie, only the dull beating sounds.
Blood flowed all over Old Wu’s face.
“Wait a moment.”
Su Huan’s clear voice came, the female soldier regretfully stopped, turned around, and respectfully handed the bloodied Short Stick with both hands.
Su Huan helplessly pointed at Old Wu’s woman, “I meant hit her.”
Wang Ling looked at the Train Conductor with complex eyes, then turned to the terrified woman.
Back then, it was her who coaxed and deceived her onto Old Wu’s bed, then the two abused and intimidated her. Whether in evolution strength or status on the Train, she was far inferior to the two, she had resisted.
But received even harsher torment.
She thought she’d continue like this until dying in some Task, but unexpectedly the other two soldiers deserted.
Instead giving her a turning point.
But…
How did the Train Conductor know all this?
Before she could think, the woman was kicked over.
Wang Ling swung down with thick Hatred.
The woman screamed wanting to run, but was blocked by White Deer, could only take Wang Ling’s Club hard.
She wasn’t as tough as Old Wu, after a few sticks she started crying and begging for mercy.
Su Huan watched all this calmly.
Old Wu was very cautious in his actions, most done away from Surveillance Cameras.
But the Train has no secrets from the Train Conductor.
A week ago, after seeing Zhang Qiang, Su Huan had Shu Wei investigate those two soldiers. Through Su Leiya’s profiling, combined with various On the Train surveillances, on the third day Shu Wei compiled Old Wu’s misdeeds into Documents on his desk.
Su Huan suppressed it, and had Shu Wei investigate other officers as well.
More or less some minor issues.
But none crossing principles, he planned to hand them to He Jie for batch handling after discharge.
Unexpectedly just two or three days later, deserters appeared.
Su Huan was very angry, didn’t want to save face for He Jie anymore.
“Report, Train Conductor, I report that Goat Captain also abused subordinates!”
A loud shout came from the crowd, interrupting Su Huan’s contemplation.
Looking up, it was a tall burly Man, square face, firm eyes.
The crowd let out a slight uproar.
Strange gazes turned to Goat.
Pangtu, Giraffe and others close to Goat glared angrily at that soldier.
“Are you fucking rebelling?!”
He Jie’s Complexion was black like pot bottom, trembling all over, like a volcano about to erupt.
He had only rested a few days, and the Corps was in such chaos.
He had sworn to the Train Conductor that he’d reform upon return.
But with so many incidents, he had no face to sit in this position anymore.
“Colonel He, are you covering for him?”
That soldier gauged Su Huan’s attitude, stuck his neck out, dead-topping He Jie.
Goat didn’t turn back, just silently watching the Train Conductor, awaiting Orders.
Su Huan brushed his Hair, couldn’t help laughing twice.
This investigation list naturally included Goat.
Goat exchanged a month’s Points all for alcohol, then called White Deer and others over, after drinking played cards, winning a group of drunkards clean.
By pre-Apocalypse Military Law indeed wrong, but Su Huan was too lazy to mention such errors.
So this soldier’s intentions were self-evident.
‘Using me as a knife, so bold?’
Seeing Su Huan laugh, the officers felt a chill in their hearts.
“You, come over.”
Su Huan pointed at the soldier reporting Goat.
The latter nervously sweated cold from his back, but still walked out righteously.
“Train Conductor.”
Su Huan ignored him, turned and said, “Give them each a Thing, today just vent the Resentment all at once.”
Officers distributed Clubs from their hands to five soldiers.
The reporter’s Club was personally handed by Goat.
After everyone had Short Sticks, Su Huan asked the woman on the ground again, “Do you still want to hit?”
The woman wiped the blood from her face, nodding repeatedly.
Then the Plaza saw a bizarre scene.
A group of soldiers watched seven people viciously beating Old Wu lying in the middle with Clubs.
The reporter initially didn’t want to act.
But seeing Su Huan pull the Gun Bolt, he knew trouble, could only brace himself to join in.
After a while, even with Old Wu’s near Tier 1 Evolver Constitution, he passed out.
Soldiers he abused vented, calmly withdrew.
Only the reporter and Old Wu’s woman left, crying while hitting Old Wu’s body.
Felt like preemptive mourning.
Old Wu woke in pain several times midway, then knocked out again.
Even though much stronger than the two, he didn’t dare resist, could only take it hard.
From noon until Searchlights lit up.
The two like Asuras crawled from Hell, disheveled faces covered in solidified dark bloodstains.
Ground’s Old Wu long gone, replaced by a shapeless pile of mud.
Clang, the woman couldn’t hold the Rubber Short Stick, flung it flying.
On-site soldiers shivered uniformly.
Using corner of eye to glance at the figure shrouded in Darkness, even unclear Face, but all felt those pitch-black Eyes staring at them!
Mongoose snapped awake looking at Train Conductor.
Unlike others, she clearly saw Su Huan’s narrow Eyes.
No Anger, no joy.
Like this night, vast boundless, calm without waves.
“Alright, that’s it for today, wish everyone sweet dreams.”
Su Huan said today’s last words.
No criticizing anyone, no further punishing.
After his figure disappeared into the Train, a series of thuds of falling bodies sounded.
……
“May 28, light wind.”
“Too mild for too long, they thought I changed.”
Deserter incident ended with Old Wu’s death, but this punishment killing only one deeply imprinted the Train Conductor’s terror in everyone’s heart.
No evidence, no righteous trial.
Only cold cruel Orders.
Recruits then knew what kind of person the usually lethargic Train Conductor was.
Some wanted to know Train Conductor’s past.
Old passengers unanimously kept silent.
Train’s previously complacent Atmosphere tensed again, work efficiency improved much.
But only repetitive work, like Director Xu’s Research and Development work, remained the same.
Track upgrade plan originally for June completed three days early.
Single Train Track reached astonishing 4.6m wide, made from New Material extracted from Sand Armored Beast, very tough, even over half lighter than Qing Steel.
About one to two tenths normal Steel weight.
No Metal mixed in, so naming not following Qing Steel, Armor Steel style, just called Sand Armor.
Simultaneously Sand Armor became main Bulletproof Vest Material.
Found underground Warehouse in abandoned City, sealed excess Supplies, Armored Train left Xiaohe City Ruins, heading to North Zhijin City.
Train extremely slow on water originally became even slower in Storm Zone.
Occasionally needing Mechanical Arm assistance to travel.
And consumed huge Energy.
Train Conductor from seven-day Charging once to three-day once.
This period He Jie went all out, tormenting entire Armed Corps including Yu Yue miserably top to bottom.
But no one dared complain.
Deserter incident demoted He Jie from Senior Colonel to Colonel, Goat directly to Second Lieutenant, Pangtu responsible for Arrangement of guard posts also demoted to Second Lieutenant.
Could say back to square one overnight.
But under He Jie’s Pressure, everyone evolved rapidly.
Armed Corps had seven Tier 1 Evolvers total, all old soldiers from Steel Council.
Combined their combat Habits, first formed several Officer Squads.
He Jie’s Adjutant Second Lieutenant Goat, plus Captain Liang Kuan, then grabbed two Tier 1 NCOs, forming Colonel Squad.
With his rank, of course could form strongest Squad.
But then others would have none.
To consider Combat Power Balance, He Jie selected restrainedly.
Qu Hang himself handled Perception and Reconnaissance, per He Jie’s suggestion chose Sergeant Mongoose as Adjutant, plus Xiao Ba, here Xiao Ba handled Fire Suppression position.
Normal Manipulators can’t adapt to this position.
But Xiao Ba special, as long as he’s there, opponent’s firepower no matter how much suppressed.
Finally plus two Tier 1 NCOs.
Yu Yue chose Second Lieutenant Pangtu as Adjutant, plus Lin Jin, and two Tier 1 NCOs.
Tong Zizhan normally to split from Gao Yuan, but due to specialness, still same Squad.
Lu Xiao, Jiang Rong, Miao Qi arranged into one Squad.
Remaining NCOs directly assigned by He Jie, forming seventy-five NCO Squads.
Finally two hundred recruits thrown into Recruit Camp, chief Instructor Old Er who just freed up.
After this time in Combat Group tempering, Old Er grew some Brain besides Muscle.
Shoulder alone… unlikely.
But managing recruits absolutely no Old Wu-like malignancy.
Besides Armed Corps, Crew side also many promoted to Tier 1.
Wan Xing and Lin Xia earliest.
Former promoted to car Apothecary, Lin Xia surprisingly to Tier 1 Healing Flame, quite uncommon Profession, somewhat like Su Huan’s past-life Electromagnetic User.
One attack to heal, one Energy Supply to attack.
Resulting somewhat neither fish nor fowl.
Feature: use mild Flame to treat external injuries, stabilize condition.
But per Su Huan’s understanding of this Profession, best at treating internal injuries.
Miraculous for frostbite, burns.
Director Xu’s Laboratory has two, Combat Group three.
Could say welcomed Evolution wave.
But just prelude, Train including Hu Shuo, Xiao Zhao, Huang Hai etc reached about to evolve stage, just not meeting special Evolution conditions, awaiting opportunity.
Like Wan Xing Apothecary trigger is configuring certain Potions, Lin Xia healing injuries.
Xiao Zhao’s goal Profession Mechanical Apprentice, needs to manufacture certain Machinery for promotion.
But most time busy with Research Group’s admin work.
Plans to ask Train Conductor for leave these days, join Yu Jing’s Exoskeleton research project, raise own Evolution level.
Expected mid-June, Armored Train welcomes first Evolution wave.
Then, Tier 1 Evolvers become Train mainstay.
“Still a bit slow.” Su Huan looking at Roster stats, frowned.
Shu Wei calmly said, “Per Black Kite Laboratory inference, world large-scale Tier 1 Evolution wave should be one year post-Apocalypse, even top major Forces only advance to about five months post-Apocalypse.”
“Running ahead so much, only five months?”
“They have ample time but limited resources, can only allocate to few, most wait post-Apocalypse to evolve, so Progress not much faster than Train, fastest about one month.”
