Armored train in the apocalypse

Chapter 304 Cooperation
Mechanical testing laboratory.

"Your idea is good, but it's too far off track. Although exoskeletons and power armor are similar in type, their designs are worlds apart. You shouldn't abandon exoskeletons, which already have a certain foundation. Perhaps you could try to make them compatible, and reduce the size a bit to decrease the area vulnerable to attack. There's no need to force electromyographic control; electric assistance is sufficient to achieve your goals..."

“This parameter is quite vague. Male pilots generally weigh more than females, sometimes exceeding 100 pounds. This weight affects the power armor’s range and the amount of ammunition it can carry. But that’s not enough. We also need to consider the evolved human factor. Evolved humans have stronger physical attributes, but their body density is also higher. These parameters all need to be recalculated…”

Zhou Qing, who had completely integrated into the train, explained various issues to Yu Jing and the other person regarding their design drawings.

Even the proud Tan Yunxi listened intently.

Before long, the blank spaces on the design drawings were filled with various schematic diagrams of parts and densely packed calculation formulas.

Old Jiang came in and saw this scene. Without disturbing them, he placed the box on the table and left.

Yu Jing glanced back and noticed that the flight attendants were all staring at the three of them expectantly.

I subconsciously looked up at the wall clock and realized it was time to get off work.

These flight attendants have been working continuously for thirty hours. Not to mention them, even I am exhausted.

Mental work is just as physically demanding as physical work.

Yu Jing said simply, "Pack your things and go back to rest first."

The flight attendants breathed a sigh of relief, packed up their belongings, and quietly dispersed.

Zhou Qing also stopped her narration and watched Yu Jing turn over the one-meter square wooden box.

Each and every precision-engineered part was placed to the side.

Dean Zhou looked at the familiar object, slightly surprised, and walked over. "This looks like..."

Yu Jing looked up. "Did you do this?"

Dean Zhou nodded. "You all brought them up? These parts have minor flaws, and I haven't had time to adjust them yet."

"This was what we initially exchanged, in the form of supplies."

"what?"

Dean Zhou was somewhat surprised, then frowned, "These were all stored in my warehouse, how could they be..."

As they talked, Dean Zhou seemed to understand something.

Youyou sighed.

"Someone must have secretly sold them to the train."

Tan Yunxi has seen many things like this, so he hit the nail on the head.

"this is for you."

Yu Jing finally found what she wanted, dug a box of self-heating hot pot out of the parts, and then put it in Zhou Qing's hands.

Meeting her surprised gaze, Yu Jing calmly said, "Your salary is normally paid in half, but you've performed exceptionally well recently, so I applied to the logistics team for an extra reward of supplies. It's not much, but, well... it's delicious."

Zhou Qing's eyes flickered. "Thank you."

"You're welcome. This is the rule of the train: you work to survive."

Dean Zhou has an oval face. Although her skin has become rougher due to the wind and sand in the storm zone, and fine lines have appeared at the corners of her eyes, you can still tell that she was extremely beautiful when she was young. She is like a warm and lustrous Ru kiln porcelain, not dazzling, but able to withstand repeated scrutiny.

Unfortunately, he was much older than Su Huan.

That's enough for today, I'm going back to sleep now.

Yu Jing stopped arguing and went straight out the door.

While Dean Zhou was still in a daze, Tan Yunxi waved her hand and said, "Teacher Zhou, I have an appointment to have dinner with someone, I'm leaving now."

Watching the girl disappear in a flash, Dean Zhou felt as if he had returned to the time before the apocalypse.

After a moment, Zhou Qing sorted out the parts on the table and decided to repair them first before continuing his research on the power armor. Only by achieving results could he gain a voice on the train and help more students.

……

The train conductor performed exceptionally well today, completing his work for this period before midnight.

However, this completed status can only be maintained until 5 a.m. tomorrow.

For example, the supplies provided by Black Kite require various checks and confirmations. He must review the destination and purpose of each item of these supplies, approve the projects they are used in, and inspect the progress and results. If he is not satisfied, he must also provide his opinions.

If it's a field he has absolutely no knowledge of, Su Huan will need to catch up on his studies.

Yes, tutoring.

Su Huan may not understand the details, but he should have a general idea of ​​what his subordinates are doing; he cannot rely entirely on "professionals" to improvise.

In short, everything that happens on the train, and everything that will happen, will be summarized by the train conductor.

He united all forces and plans, moving towards his goal.

Although the flight attendants and Shu Wei have helped him with a lot of the work, there are still many decisions he needs to make.

'Perhaps we should form a staff team?'

As Su Huan pondered this, he walked towards the back of the carriage.

The restaurant was quiet, with a row of small lights shining in the corridor and a spotlight on the counter illuminating a tray with a plate of boneless, spicy chicken feet, a late-night snack that Yu Yue had prepared for him.

After placing the plate on the table, Su Huan walked to the back.

Wan Xing went to rest, and the No. 3 carriage felt somewhat eerie at night.

Various zombie and mutated beast parts are hung on the vehicle, accompanied by slowly flashing headlights, creating a highly atmospheric ambiance.

While eating the spicy and crunchy chicken feet tendons, Su Huan watched with relish the skinned mutated beast on the wall. After a while, he walked to the back.

The plant corridor at night has a beauty that is completely different from that during the day, but unfortunately, not many people can appreciate it.

Yu Jing's mechanical workshop was brightly lit.

However, there were very few people.

I checked the time, and today is a day off.

Su Huan crushed the tendons on the chicken's foot with his teeth and walked in with great interest.

Besides researching Yu Jing's exoskeleton, the mechanical laboratory often acts as the execution department on the train. Whether it's the mass production of materials by the manufacturing group or the upgrading and modification of the train, the execution part is led by the mechanical laboratory.

This is also the core reason why Su Huan still allocated a large amount of resources to the mechanical laboratory despite its lack of strong scientific research capabilities.

This place brings together the most skilled professionals on the train.

"Xiao Ai, adjust the parameters according to what I just said, and then attach the No. 12 exoskeleton."

The woman's voice was calm and unhurried, with a warm tone.

Su Huan raised his eyelids in surprise. It wasn't Yu Jing, nor was it Tan Yunxi.

With the sound of tracks sliding, an exoskeleton was moved to the center of the room, and in front of it stood a woman wearing a gray-brown knit sweater, her hair tied up at the back of her head, silvery-white and transparent, but with black and shiny roots, exuding a gentle and calm aura.

The black hair rebirth only appears in older first-tier evolvers.

There was only one person on the bus who met this condition.

Dean of the School of Mathematical Sciences, Zhou Qing.

Dean Zhou also noticed Su Huan's presence, turned around, and respectfully said, "Train conductor."

Su Huan carried the chicken feet over and pushed them towards her, asking, "Want some?"

Dean Zhou politely said thank you, and without hesitation grabbed a piece with his hand, put it in his mouth and chewed it carefully.

Su Huan's lips curled into a grin.

He wasn't dissatisfied; on the contrary, he was very satisfied.

Sharing food is the highest form of etiquette in the wilderness, and not refusing it is the highest form of trust in the wilderness.

Where did Yu Jing go?

While eating a plate of chicken feet, the train conductor started chatting.

"She hasn't rested for two days and is sleeping now."

How's it going on the bus?

“It’s nice here.”

Perhaps feeling he hadn't been sincere enough, Dean Zhou emphasized as he repeated, "There is order, there are supplies, there are jobs. It takes a lot of effort to maintain such a place in this era."

“I am very fortunate to be able to work with students on such a train.”

Su Huan had heard far too much blatant flattery, so this subtle praise made his skin crawl.

But he always wants to make things difficult for others.

"In the end, you are working for me. You could have lived for yourselves. Perhaps without me, you would have gradually become the number one power in Xinma County, building a larger shelter and protecting more people..."

Su Huan's voice was like a devil's whisper, painting a beautiful picture.

Dean Zhou stared blankly at Su Huan, even his gentle brows seemed to hold a strange expression.

Why would someone enjoy... discrediting themselves so much?
"Actually, our lives aren't as easy as they seem," Dean Zhou sighed softly. "Because I took an extra piece of bread from the supermarket, my son was eaten by a horde of zombies, and my husband was stabbed to death by a group of people who were stealing food. If you've ever been to the streets below the horse hospital, you should have seen fried rat meat skewers; that's what most scavengers eat. But there's another meat source that's easier to obtain and less dangerous..."

"Don't you have any other family members?" "Before the end of the world, my daughter said she had made plans to have dinner with a friend, and then she never came back."

"I'm very sorry."

Su Huan ate a chicken foot and said it without any sincerity.

Although he knew that Su Huan's apology was just a matter of linguistic habit, Dean Zhou still shook his head.

“I used to have many students. Some of them were playful, and some were unruly, but they were all young. They had plenty of time to experience and change. But the apocalypse robbed them of that opportunity. Even with our best efforts, we can hardly reach the bare minimum for survival. What terrifies me even more is that children have lost the opportunity to learn, teenagers have lost the time to grow up, and we old people are gradually dying. The knowledge we have acquired will not be passed on in time…”

"It took us hundreds of thousands of years to emerge from the era of eating raw meat and drinking blood, but we declined for a hundred years overnight. What about a year, ten years, or even several generations later?"

"So you want to?"

At this point, Dean Zhou's face showed piety and determination. "Initially, I wanted to build a shelter to protect my students, to protect more children and young people, to rebuild schools, to pass on my knowledge, and to ensure they have food and can live with dignity, instead of regressing to beasts. But on the armed train, I saw the best possibility for this stage..."

Su Huan finished his chicken feet and had no reason to listen any further.

He said listlessly, "A very good ideal."

But he didn't think there was a chance of it happening.

The current decline is just the beginning. After Dean Zhou and his group die, the wilderness will become a barbaric land, just like the Warring States period thousands of years ago. The "wild people" living in the wilderness will be treated as wild beasts and killed and amused by the "Chinese" living in powerful forces.

In his previous life, Su Huan spent most of his time clearing out mobs in the wilderness, besides killing evolved beasts.

Whether they are rioters or scavengers is up to the organization to decide.

But he didn't feel any psychological burden.

No one would consider a creature with all sorts of bizarre evolved organs, a cunning and ferocious nature, and a penchant for plundering and cannibalism, to be one of their own.

"I only have an ideal, but you are making it a reality."

Dean Zhou extended his right hand with a piercing gaze.

"hiss……"

Su Huan felt he couldn't face such expectant eyes. He racked his brains but couldn't figure out where things went wrong that led to this misunderstanding.

And usually it's him who invites others, so what's going on today?
Rebel against Tiangang?

But the train conductor still reached out and shook hands.

Dean Zhou's hands are very "delicate," with his fingerprints worn smooth, but they are very warm.

Suddenly, I felt a sense of being cared for by an elder.

The train conductor found it extremely strange.

"Let's talk about the power armor..."

……

Zhongli Town is located at the junction of Zhijin and three counties.

The sounds of hammering and banging were drowned out by the storm.

A group of people dressed in jeans and black leather jackets were busy in the town. Some of them were carrying shovels and pushing carts to pile sand from the streets into abandoned buildings, or to push it further away and pile it haphazardly on both sides. Others were using tools to repair protective measures.

Steam billowed from the exhaust fan of a noodle shop by the roadside, but the faint aroma of noodles was already swallowed by the wind and sand before anyone could smell it.

Inside the noodle shop, the fifty-year-old master chef scooped up boiling hot oil and poured it into a large bowl of noodles. With a sizzling sound, the hot oil released the aroma of the chili powder.

Then, a plate of peeled garlic was served, and the noodles were brought to the front, where the noodle shop's only customer was sitting.

The man was large and wore a leather jacket. He had three items beside him: car keys, a baseball cap, and a pistol.

"President, the noodles are here!"

The chef placed the noodles and garlic on the table.

"Hey, why are you shouting like that? Just keep shouting it the way it was originally," the man said, feigning displeasure.

The head chef smiled and said, "Boss, try my cooking and see if it's gotten worse."

The man stirred the noodles and chuckled, "You can't go wrong with this smell. By the way, how's business lately?"

The head chef clicked his tongue. "Well, we only get a little business when the market is open. At other times, I don't even have to turn on the stove. There are hardly any people left in the entire Zhijin City. How many of them can afford to eat this white flour? Why don't we do what the other restaurants do and make some small items to sell?"

The boss took a bite of garlic, shook his head and said, "In this life, you only need to do one thing well. Don't mess around. Just sell this bowl of noodles well. If you run out of supplies, tell the association and I'll make up for it."

The head chef sighed, "If it weren't for your approval..."

"Alright, alright, you'd better go to the kitchen right now, you're disturbing my meal."

The owner waved his hand as he ate his wide noodles with hot oil.

No sooner had the head chef left than a low, mournful wolf howl echoed from outside.

The sound of claws scraping the ground came from the doorway.

The noodle shop's roller shutter was pulled up with a whoosh, and the man's hearty laughter, along with the sand and dust, rushed into the room. The owner quickly grabbed his bowl.

Standing outside the door was a man in a gray woolen overcoat, followed by four hyenas, each over two meters long, with something resembling a cart shaft on their bodies. Several patrolmen in leather jackets were helping the hyenas remove the cart shafts.

Four hyenas crawled into the house and shook their fur.

The sand and dust fell with a clatter.

"I knew you'd be here!"

The man in the wool coat said, then called out to the kitchen, "A bowl of spicy soup, four pieces of pork and lean meat with green peppers!"

"okay!"

The head chef's voice responded from the kitchen.

The shopkeeper glanced at the four handsome hyenas, muttering to himself as he ate his noodles, "Four already?"

The man took off his coat. "Otherwise, what do you think I was busy with in the west? The storm yesterday was really big. If it hadn't subsided a bit today, I wouldn't have been able to come back. The market would probably have been affected today."

The boss looked up at the sky. "Not necessarily."

The man was surprised. "What, has Hei Yuan brought out something good this time?"

Have you ever heard of armed trains?

"I've actually heard about it from Black Kite. It's a very powerful wandering force, the best in the caravan. I heard that the train conductor has three heads and six arms, and when he fights, it's like lightning and thunder, like the God and Goddess of Thunder..."

Seeing his old friend talking with great enthusiasm, the boss put down his half-eaten noodles, his eyes serious.

He didn't believe in any nonsense about thunder gods and lightning goddesses; he simply didn't expect the armed train to be so famous that its reputation had spread to the west.

It seems the original estimate will need to be revised upwards again.

"This force is currently located in Xinma County, which is right next to us. Some time ago, they wiped out the entire Xinma County, leaving only the Xinma Gang led by Wen Biao."

The boss said.

The man took the roujiamo (Chinese meat sandwich) handed to him by the vendor, took a big bite, and mumbled, "That Singapore-Malaysia trademark?"

"Dai Biaozi, one of the two 'Biao', was hung on the sign of the horse doctor and dried into jerky."

The man was slightly doubtful. "It does have some real skills, but flattening a county in Singapore and Malaysia is something our Jin Feng Chamber of Commerce can do too. It shouldn't surprise you so much."

The boss calmly asked, "Old Xie, if I were to send you to Pingxinma County, how many people would you need, and how long would it take?"

Old Xie took a sip of soup to smooth his throat and calculated, "Xinma County's strength is average. In terms of Evolvers, only Dean Zhou is famous, but her profession is not good enough to fight. However, there are too many leaders, making it too troublesome to clean up. It will take at least one-third of the staff two or three days to ensure a complete annihilation. Ideally, the entire organization should be mobilized and it should be cleaned up within a week."

"Half an hour."

Old Xie shook his head like a rattle drum, "Impossible, absolutely impossible. Even if they are pigs, there are thousands of them. It would take two or three days to catch them..."

Wait a minute, Lao Xie seems to sense something's wrong.

Looking up at the chairman, his Adam's apple bobbed, "You mean the armed train leveled Xinma County in half an hour?"

The president of the Jinfeng Chamber of Commerce sighed, "According to multiple testimonies, it took less than half an hour."

Old Xie frowned. Although their Jin Feng Chamber of Commerce also had the ability to crush the division of Xinma County, they could not do what the armed train did, launching attacks on all sides and solving problems at the same time.

"This only shows that they have enough first-tier evolved beings to level up Xinma County, but it doesn't mean they can crush us, right?"

Looking at his old friend with his neck stiff, Lu Kuang shook his head.

Since the apocalypse, the two have survived various crises, but they have also been greatly changed by the apocalypse.

Old Xie is evolving rapidly and is now increasingly confident in his abilities.

"Just be prepared. Once all the forces have arrived, let's first assign tasks for the Zhijin cleanup zone."

"I feel that the base city is just an excuse; Black Kite is probably after Zhijinli."

Seeing that Lao Xie had almost finished eating, Lu Kuang greeted the chef in the back kitchen and walked towards the door. His men had already parked the SUV on the side of the road. As soon as the door opened, one of Lao Xie's hyenas jumped in, one of the remaining three jumped onto the roof, and the other two followed behind the car.

They pricked up their ears and squinted their fierce eyes, surveying their surroundings.

This marks another collaboration between humans and evolved beasts after a period of turmoil.

(End of this chapter)