Armed Train in the Apocalypse-Chapter 311 - 222: Epitaph

Although it wasn’t clear how much debt the Mongoose had accrued, it was certainly more than he could ever repay, even if he sold himself.

He was unwilling to drag the Mongoose into trouble for such slim hopes.

The Mongoose pressed his lips together, the fine hairs on his cheeks gently swaying.

It was indeed possible that He Jie could make things difficult.

However, if it was a trivial matter, it would be excusable, but when it concerned the lives of others, caution was imperative.

"You could talk to the Conductor; he values logistics talent highly. If he knew of your abilities, he would surely let you onboard."

Li Han lifted his head in surprise, looking into the Mongoose’s determined eyes, nodding half-believingly.

...

"Ha... How does it feel to be treated as the villain?" Su Huan put down the blueprints in his hand, smiling as he spoke.

The standing of the Crown Pear tree was called the "Floating Giant Timber" plan, and with materials nearly ready, they could soon commence action.

Now, a sizable area needed to be cleared for work to start, so Su Huan called He Jie for a brief discussion.

Yu Yue happened to overhear the conversation outside and shared it with the two who were discussing.

It wasn’t that Yu Yue monitored every sound twenty-four hours a day, but Li Han’s ability was so unique he was flagged as a priority on the Conductor’s list from the beginning.

So, the little cook would leisurely scan through the priority subjects whenever she had nothing to do.

She had a lot of free time every day, so naturally, she’d stumble upon something interesting occasionally.

Whenever she heard anything, Su Huan would know as well.

He Jie rolled his eyes and snorted, "Prejudice in people’s hearts is a mountain."

"Then you might have to bear the mountain a little longer."

"What do you mean?"

He Jie’s eyebrows immediately furrowed with alertness.

"Let’s stick to what we just planned; clear out the factory zone outside Guan Chong and aim to start work tonight."

Su Huan said calmly.

With the long-lasting sound of the train’s whistle, the armed train started again, heading toward a factory north of Guan Chong City.

Thousands of small boats, like dragged surfboards, left white trails in the water.

Although the time was short, some people had already begun learning to band together.

They linked the small boats, creating a larger area to resist the wind and waves, gaining more space to maneuver.

This teamwork also increased their odds of gathering supplies.

Soon, more people followed suit.

Forming various water platforms, big and small.

But some were stubbornly sticking to one person per boat, saving points to upgrade their small boat.

Among these people, Li Han was already one of the most outstanding.

Hearing the assembly signal, the Mongoose’s face changed, he turned and gave Li Han a quick instruction, then jumped out, danced on the ropes tethering the boats like an agile civet cat, and leapt onto the train.

...

Apart from the Armed Corps, the train crew also began to move.

Inside car No. 11, Professor Ma put down the materials he was holding, stood up, and habitually pounded his lower back.

Xiaozhao was already waiting at the side, "Teacher, the Conductor has ordered the start of the ’Floating Giant Timber Plan’, and there are some things the factory director needs to confirm with you."

Professor Ma glanced at his not very enthusiastic students, "Mm, let’s go."

Once out of car No. 12, Professor Ma casually asked, "I noticed everyone hasn’t been very spirited recently?"

Xiaozhao hesitated, pausing in his steps, "Maybe it’s because Li Hong’s situation scared everyone."

Professor Ma chuckled softly, "You’re not gossiping about this old man behind my back, are you?"

"Since the change, everyone has seen your care for us, no matter when, you have always been our most respected teacher."

Xiaozhao said earnestly.

Walking forward, Professor Ma waved his hand, "You’re all good kids, I know. What do you think of the Conductor?"

The teacher’s topic change was too sudden, Xiaozhao couldn’t keep up for a moment, mentioning a few straightforward impressions, "His ways are a bit strange, but effective, very leadership-oriented, and somewhat mysterious."

Professor Ma’s gaze was deep, "How long did it take the Conductor to resolve the matters of the Tongzhou Association?"

Xiaozhao thought for a moment, uncertain, "It seems... he didn’t take it seriously, handled it in passing."

"Silent yet thunderous moves."

"Though you are of similar age, you’re just kids from a greenhouse..."

"What about the Conductor then?" Xiaozhao asked curiously, "I’m very curious about your evaluation of the Conductor, Teacher."

"A victor writing the epitaph."

"The epitaph, for whom?"

"Either for the era, or for himself."

...

After half an hour, the speed of the armed train began to slow down.

The view ahead transitioned from a cityscape of tall buildings to a Flood Zone with only a few buildings protruding above the water.

However, because the factory was built on higher ground, the factory wasn’t completely submerged by the floodwaters.

More than half of the structure remained intact.

The Mongoose jumped back onto Li Han’s small boat, his face tense.

Li Han knew it was due to his onboarding matter being blown away, but he had nothing to say.

After all, the other party was running around for his sake. Saying discouraging words now would seem ungrateful.

The Mongoose sighed, "I didn’t meet the Conductor; the command from above has been given. Soon, we will clear the old factories ahead, and you survivors must follow to scavenge for supplies."

"No problem."

"The energy fluctuations inside the factory are strong; I can’t take you; it will disrupt the formation. Be careful on your own."

Just as they finished speaking, the sound of explosions echoed from the front.

Li Han clearly saw the Mongoose’s face become stoic, like a sharp blade drawn, filled with killing intent.

Before he could react, the person had already darted dozens of meters away, stepping on the small boats.

He looked around, using [Entangling Waterweeds] to entwine the surrounding boats, to prevent himself from being pushed too far forward.

When they entered the factory, various types of zombies were already lying on the ground.

The Armed Corps soldiers demonstrated what efficient killing meant to them.

The assaulters were at the front, firepower hands at the back, with powerful firepower shredding the zombie tide like harvesting wheat.

From time to time, the sound of the anti-material sniper sounded like firecrackers, roaring within the factory.

Even the few who occasionally broke through the line were quickly dealt with by roles similar to the Mongoose, prowling among them.

The entire Armed Corps was like one precise machine, a series of small parts forming a module, precisely and steadily annihilating the zombies.

Although the number of Tier One Zombies was rather large, after He Jie’s training over the past days, they were already accustomed to this rhythm of slaughter.

Consistently advancing towards the factory’s interior.

Only Colonel He Jie furrowed his brow; one hand held a heavy machine gun, while the other grasped a cigar, casually walking through the roaring horde of zombies.

The flickering gunfire in his hand illuminated his face, alternating light and dark.

He always felt Su Huan was up to something.

Hmm, and perhaps trying to set him up.

...

In the Storm Zone, on a remote cliff face, among the jagged rocks, suddenly appeared a large opaque crystal.

Behind the crystal was Black Kite’s headquarters.

The intense sunlight stripped of excess colors by the crystal left only stark black and white hues.

Illuminating the empty room and the few sofas in the center.

A total of five people, some standing, others sitting, surrounded the sofas.

In some sense, the high-level meetings of Black Kite resembled those on the armed train.

Mr. Shu spread his hands, "That’s basically the situation."

"With ill intentions."

A slightly sharp voice came from the side.

Mr. Shu calmly looked at the man leaning in the shadow of the stone pillar, "Number 4, what do you mean?"

"Don’t get me wrong, I mean Deep Blue Data has ill intentions."

Mr. Shu turned to face the man in a lab coat directly across from the couch, "So, Number 1, what’s your take?"

Number 1’s gaze was fixed on the boundary line of light and shadow on the crystal, responding blandly, "Managing the company is your job, just don’t interfere with my experiments."

Mr. Shu breathed a sigh of relief; it was easier to handle as long as Number 1 agreed.

Just at that moment, a soft female voice suddenly spoke.

"What if your daughter is in his hands?"

(Writer’s block again, it’s time for a group writing session)