Chapter 306: Talent Market
“Train Conductor.”
Although this person had no identity markers on him.
But this title simultaneously emerged in everyone’s minds.
“It seems you all have a deep misunderstanding of me.”
Su Huan’s two mouth corners almost reached his ears, but a cold light like that of a bird of prey flickered in his slightly drooping eyelids.
The bald man asked with a serious complexion, “I wonder what business the Train Conductor has for stopping us?”
A man’s reputation, a tree’s shadow.
When Su Huan was far away in Xiaohe City, he had scoffed at it.
But when Su Huan swept through Xinma County right under his nose, the wariness in his heart was heavier than that of anyone present.
He knew his own family’s affairs; the Fu Yuan Convoy as a whole was weaker than Xinma County, not to mention they were forcibly united with heavy internal problems—let alone sweeping Xinma in half an hour, even given half a month he might not be able to take it.
Among the Four Greats, Fu Yuan was the weakest!
Facing the Train Conductor with such overwhelming aura, he naturally had no confidence.
“I heard the Scavenger Market is open today, but I just arrived and you all are leaving—what does that mean?”
The clear and resonant voice didn’t need to roar to spread across the entire area; each word pressed into everyone’s eardrums like a branding iron.
The general energy in the entire area boiled up, as if a pump was frantically extracting it, converging on that figure squatting on the front of the train.
Although the evolvers present couldn’t intuitively sense the flow of general energy, they could feel a heavy sense of oppression centered on Su Huan enveloping the entire area.
The four Earth Wolves bared their teeth, backs to backs, heads facing Su Huan, their soles of feet occasionally retreating backward.
“Tier 2, definitely Tier 2!”
Old Xie roared madly in his heart; the Earth Wolves showed this state only twice.
The first time was encountering a Tier 2 Mutated Beast in the west, the second was Black Kite’s Tier 2 making a move to kill.
And now was the third time.
Seeing his old partner’s inquiring glance, Old Xie subtly shook his head.
Not only had he noticed this, the bald man also felt something was off; they had all come together, but up to now only he had spoken, while Black Kite Convoy seemed to have vanished into thin air.
The bald man harbored anger in his heart, “The Train Conductor surely knows we are just carrying out the base city preliminary cleanup task, not running away!”
“Not running? Good as long as you’re not running.”
Su Huan’s expression suddenly softened, his smile appearing much more sincere, but that terrifying aura showed no sign of retracting at all.
“Everyone knows about our Armored Train; we don’t like fighting and killing, so we won’t participate in base city matters. We’re here just to use the market as an excuse to do a transaction with you all.”
Su Huan said with a smile.
According to Wen Biao’s description, the living talents in the entire Zhijin were in two batches: one in Zhinnán District, one in the hands of various forces.
He had swept flat Xinma, getting Dean Zhou and others, plus digging out over forty from other forces, nearly equal in number to Dean Zhou’s batch.
This result directly gave the Train Conductor a new idea.
The remaining batch of university talents required him to enter Zhijin himself to find, and he didn’t even know how many were left.
But forces like Black Kite and Jinfeng were right in front of him.
So he directly blocked the convoy.
Hearing this, everyone’s complexions changed several times.
No one listened to nonsense like not liking fighting and killing.
However, the Armored Train really spent most of its time in Xinma County trading, basically open to all comers, and even around them there were scavengers going to do business with the train.
But suspicion flashed in Jinfeng President’s eyes—what transaction couldn’t be done at the market?
Insisting on blocking people here?
He simply asked, “I wonder what transaction the Train Conductor wants to do?”
A glint flashed in Su Huan’s eyes, “I heard you all gathered quite a few teachers and students at the start of the apocalypse; as long as they have high education and sufficient level, the Armored Train wants as many as you have, with diverse transaction methods and bulk discounts.”
Although said very politely, the several leaders all felt uniformly like they were being robbed.
“Our Black Star Convoy doesn’t have many teachers.”
A young man in leather jacket stood on the front of the train and said coldly, with a chubby man standing beside him sharing the same indignation; the brown leather jacket barely buttoned over three chubbies on him.
It was Li Xinlong and Pang Ke.
Hearing this, Jiang Rong’s heart in the vehicle sank to the bottom.
This level of offense could be big or small, depending on the Train Conductor’s mood at the time.
But she had only this one relative, so she naturally didn’t dare to gamble.
Just as she prepared to rush out, she heard the Train Conductor let out a light eh.
Su Huan narrowed his eyes; for some reason, Li Xinlong’s face gave him a constant sense of familiarity, especially the facial features.
He knew about Black Star Convoy; both Wen Biao and Big Goose had sideways descriptions of this force.
Originating in Changxing County, thriving in Xiaohe City ruins, overt strength comparable to the “Four Greats”.
Searching his mind for a long time, Su Huan confirmed he had never met this young man of similar age to himself.
“Not many, but there are some?”
Li Xinlong said in shock and anger, “How could I possibly sell my own people to you?!”
“I’ll pay more.”
Su Huan said indifferently.
“What’s the difference between this and outright robbery?”
Li Xinlong voiced the thoughts of everyone present.
“Right, why find when robbing is faster?”
Su Huan’s eyebrows danced, looking at him as if at a little fat sheep.
Li Xinlong clenched his fists tightly; even though he had anticipated this many times in his mind, when Su Huan’s ink-black eyes swept over, an immense terror shrouded his heart.
He didn’t dare to entertain the slightest resistance!
In the face of this terrifying strength, all his preconceptions seemed laughable.
Feeling the tug on his hand, Li Xinlong snapped out of that state and looked toward Pang Ke beside him.
The latter’s plump face was dripping with cold sweat; he said in a low voice, “A Long, listen to me this time, don’t be stubborn; give him whatever he wants!”
Li Xinlong was stunned, but thinking of Pang Ke’s ability, he nodded gloomily.
Everyone looking at the Train Conductor on the front of the train also gained some realization.
Others came to hunt the wasteland, following the Four Greats for a sip of soup.
He planned to directly hunt the Four Greats!
“Everyone’s time is precious; hand them over one by one, starting with Black Kite.”
As soon as Su Huan finished speaking, everyone was stunned.
Jinfeng President and others looked strangely toward the exquisitely modified Black Kite Convoy at the back.
“Heh heh, good show to watch.”
His old partner’s ill-intentioned low laugh came from beside him.
“What do you mean?”
Old Xie said in a low voice, “Didn’t you have me probe Black Kite’s background? Though I didn’t figure out specifics, in the west, Black Kite is one of the top forces; I even saw a Tier 2 there at the time.”
“Not the same Tier 2 that came initially?”
“Definitely not!”
“So Black Kite has at least two or more Tier 2s?”
A trace of wariness flashed in Jinfeng President’s eyes.
Old Xie shook his head, “Don’t know, but with such a large spread, Black Kite is definitely not as simple as it appears; just see how the Armored Train gnaws this hard bone.”
Inside Black Kite Convoy vehicle.
From the moment Su Huan appeared, Adjutant Xing fell into a manic state.
Cursing this or hitting that.
But his mouth showed none of the previous disdain for Su Huan, not a single disrespectful word.
Bo Qingqing had long seen through his outwardly fierce but inwardly weak nature, not surprised at all.
If not for knowing Su Huan’s terrifying strength, she would have slapped him long ago.
But watching Su Huan blocking the Four Greats to forcibly do business, this familiar scene gave her heart a subtle palpitation.
Unfortunately…
Although Adjutant Xing was greedy, lecherous, and stupid, he was right about one thing.
The Armored Train wouldn’t last much longer.
Ever since Director No. 1 emerged, a series of arrangements had been made for Zhijin; she didn’t believe it was unrelated to the Armored Train.
Thinking of Shu Wei slinking back as a captive then, she excitedly clenched her legs.
…
The huge hammer on the train front suddenly lowered, revealing an internal space full of sense of technology.
A man in a striped shirt, wearing glasses, scholarly and refined, walked down, followed by four or five people.
Hu Shuo turned to respectfully greet the Train Conductor on the train roof.
Only after the latter waved his hand did he face everyone.
That humble and respectful demeanor abruptly changed; his voice steady and clear, “I am Hu Shuo, Purser of the Armored Train Logistics Group. Next, I will handle the talent exchange handover with everyone.”
Everyone turned their gazes uniformly toward the Armored Train at the back.
None who survived to now were fools.
No one would risk their life over a breath to test the train’s fist.
“Hua—”
The heavy personnel carrier car door slid open, and a nervous female voice came, “On the train there are only five research personnel belonging to the laboratory, but I don’t have transaction permissions; if you want them, please take them.”
As the words fell, the five research personnel jumped down calmly.
Su Huan quickly matched the voice line to the bitchy woman in his memory.
Nice waist, a bit less than Shu Wei.
Looking up from below, sure enough, Shu Wei was still a bit more perky, with a slender waist and plump beautiful hips.
Shu Wei saw the appreciation flashing in Su Huan’s eyes, lowered her gaze in a listening pose, prepared to hear some odd words, but unexpectedly the Train Conductor was suddenly much more normal today.
“You go check Black Kite’s batch.”
“Understood.”
Shu Wei strode with long legs, jumped off the front of the train, and headed toward Black Kite Convoy.
Su Huan looked toward the remaining people, “The second is you Jinfeng.”
Jinfeng President speechlessly glanced at his old partner, who awkwardly scratched his head and said confidently, “Black Kite might be hiding.”
Jinfeng looked at the approaching Hu Shuo, face showing difficulty, “Jinfeng does have quite a few university talents, but they are research personnel; most weren’t brought out.”
Hu Shuo asked calmly, “How many did you bring?”
Jinfeng President felt the Train Conductor’s gaze from the train roof and hesitated, “Over thirty.”
“Lying.”
The crisp voice was like a silver bottle shattering.
Jinfeng President jerked his head up in shock, seeing a swath of silver light brush past inside the train front.
“President lacks integrity in business.”
Su Huan said with a half-smile.
Jinfeng President gritted his teeth, “Bringing family, total over fifty.”
“Still lying.”
Lin Xi said straightforwardly from inside the train front.
Su Huan sneered; no vacation, what family do in-school students have.
“Over a hundred.”
“Fake.”
“Two hundred ten!”
“Fake.”
“Over two hundred!”
“Mm, this time it’s true.”
In just a few short sentences, even an old fox like Jinfeng President broke into a sweat on his forehead.
Decades of ups and downs in the business sea, first time negotiating with someone who has mind reading.
But he felt faintly proud inside.
This time he brought out a total of over four hundred university talents.
Two hundred ten and over two hundred were somewhat the same meaning; the former precise number he knew was fake.
The latter vague, but true.
Meaning that girl judged the conclusion through some special method, not accurately reading every thought of his.
As long as he ensured the words out of his mouth were true, the girl probably couldn’t detect it.
“He’s very guarded, but keeps repeating over four hundred in his mind.”
Lin Xi’s voice transmitted to Su Huan’s ear through Yu Yue’s “Shared Sound Field”.
Su Huan’s gaze darkly fixed on him, faintly saying, “No next time.”
With Black Kite and Jinfeng leading, the rest became simple.
Fu Yuan Convoy’s bald man and Black Star Convoy’s Li Xinlong also gritted their teeth to trade with the Armored Train.
But when they got the exchange list, everyone’s eyes turned green.
[One talent ≈ 30 points]
And what was on the list for exchange?
Lowest was living supplies, highest was Armored Train.
Yes, Su Huan marked a price on the train itself to boost everyone’s exchange enthusiasm.
Single car 100,000 points, front of the train 500,000.
Everything else on the train, including Crown Pear Tree, all openly priced.
With the Train Conductor, there was no non-sale item option.
Anyway, they couldn’t afford it.
It could also spread the Armored Train’s reputation; then no need for him to seek, these people would find ways to contact him.
Li Xinlong looked at his over twenty subordinates, then at the list.
Everyone’s mood was uneasy.
Wondering who would be traded away.
Only to see Li Xinlong point at a kid leaning against the car door and say, “This kid is also a university student, and his father is a math department professor.”
The man was stunned, pointing at his own nose, eyes bulging round, “Master Rong, it’s me, Little Liu.”
Li Xinlong turned to Hu Shuo, “Yes, including Liu Yu this kid, plus the previous twenty-odd people, first exchange for a heavy sniper rifle, then all into 12.7mm caliber ammunition.”
Hu Shuo said seriously, “Total 24 people, base points 72, provided that they have graduate level or above; extra points for Doctor, teacher, professor level or above.”
Li Xinlong said firmly, “I’m sure.”
The young man over there was still pleading, “Master Rong, haven’t been to school in half a year, I’ve forgotten everything; now I know nothing, sending me over would only embarrass you! Right, my dad is still home; how about I go call him for you?”
Li Xinlong snorted coldly, “You’re the one, no more delay; in a bit go in and all take the exam properly, you too.”
Feeling somewhat insecure, Li Xinlong said to Pang Ke, “In a bit, whoever underperforms and gets sent back, drag out and execute; my convoy doesn’t need people bad at learning.”
Pang Ke’s mouth twitched, secretly vowing in his heart to burn those two’s high school diplomas upon return.
