Armored train in the apocalypse

Chapter 341 Gathering of Weaving Gold
Northwest of Zhijin, a roadside gas station in a certain country.

Beneath a huge, bright red signboard, a car lies overturned on the roadside, swaying slightly in the gusts of sand. A blood-soaked man crawls out of the car, clutching a communicator with a half-broken "Dark Blue Twin Towers" logo on it.

After finding no one around, it crawled out using both hands and feet, completely ignoring the bloody marks on its elbows caused by the rough cement road and sand.

"So you were here all along."

A slightly hoarse female voice suddenly came from behind.

A surge of frenzied killing intent instantly enveloped him.

The man felt as if he had heard the call of hell. His eyes were filled with fear and despair. He turned his head and saw a nearly naked figure squatting on the roof of the car. The figure was covered in very little clothing, not even enough for basic warmth, let alone defense.

But what's even more eye-catching is the giant axe with a handle over two meters long that the woman is holding. Thick blood drips down the handle, staining her short hair and flashing across her excited and crazed eyes.

"Don't kill me! I promise I won't report this to headquarters!"

The man cried out in terror.

Hearing his words, the woman's madness intensified. She giggled and leaped into the air, bringing her giant axe down on her head.

With a bang, the man's body, along with the hard concrete floor, was split in two.

The woman walked barefoot through the sticky entrails for a while, until her calves were stained crimson, before listlessly walking toward the car beside her.

She shoved the giant axe into the ground, reached out and grabbed the vehicle door frame. The hard double-layered laminated glass shattered like paper in front of her slender hands, and then the vehicle was righted with a crash.

The woman rummaged through the car for a while, stuffing all the few kilograms of emergency food she found into her stomach. She also threw the scattered energy crystals into her mouth, crunching them like candy beans. Her small mouth was like a shredder, grinding everything that could replenish energy into pieces.

Soon, a notebook caught her attention. It contained information recorded by the data clerk, most of which was related to her.

But one point took up an entire section.

It looked like a list, but the various items didn't interest the woman. Just as she casually tossed it away, the words "fruits that increase life force" made her eyes widen.

The hand, though moving later, reached out first and caught the flying notebook.

"Armed train?"

"auctions?"

"Interesting!"

After confirming the above information, the woman burst into a series of flamboyant laughs, and her two plump, white legs, which were exposed outside the car, swung around, kicking the car door loudly.

The two zombies were attracted by the sound. Although they did not understand what the round, wriggling creature on the car window was, the sweet smell had already aroused their hunting instincts, and they pounced on it silently.

After two muffled thuds, the woman, carrying the giant axe, skipped and hopped away to the east.

The heads of two pitiful ordinary zombies were already embedded in the vehicle.

……

In western Zhijin, at Gushi Bar.

The bar in Gushi Village, which had been abandoned for more than 20 years, unexpectedly became lively again. People spent the whole night there, squandering their energy and fear. The bar, filled with soundproofing cotton, was not only safe but also hot.

In the center of the stage, several naked dancers flaunted their alluring moves, beads of sweat rolling down their young bodies, the air thick with hormones.

A small convoy of about a dozen people shouted and celebrated their day's winnings at the entrance. Amidst the alcohol, a few people started gambling in the middle of the bar, which quickly attracted a group of gamblers. The winners grabbed the hostesses and rolled onto the sofa next to them, while the losers, with red eyes, shouted in resentment. The whole bar was filled with restless music and howling from the crowd, interspersed with a few women's moans.

A woman wearing a leather skirt, revealing her smooth belly, weaves through the crowd, seemingly unconcerned that men are making her strapless bra, which symbolically covers her soft chest, crooked. While adjusting the straps, she laughs and banters with familiar customers. As the owner of Drum Stone Bar, this is also her way of attracting customers.

Because of her generosity, men would also compete to show off their own generosity.

She can accurately remember every customer who pays and give them attention that matches their generosity. This is called emotional value, which is more sophisticated than simply selling sex.

However, her attention was mostly on the man in the corner today.

The man sat in the darkest corner of the bar, wearing a worn-out leather jacket that didn't reflect light at all. He had a stubble beard, but it wasn't greasy. To his right were a scavenger-like short spear and a steel cylinder of unknown purpose. He exuded an aura of menace, so no one approached him.

But she knew what a handsome face lay beneath that messy hair.

The shopkeeper picked up two bottles of beer and walked toward the man in the corner.

Before Zhongyou could even speak, the woman had already sat intimately in his lap, staring at the heavy beer on the table.

Feeling the soft embrace, he almost lost control, even with his heart full of worries.

A glint of coldness flashed in his eyes as he suppressed his surging desire.

Everything in the bar costs money, including the women; everything has a price tag.

But he didn't have any extra supplies to buy anything other than beer.

"What?"

As they got closer, the woman was once again stunned by Zhongyou's handsomeness. His skin was even more delicate than hers, and his beard did not detract from his good looks; on the contrary, it added a touch of mature charm.

Even if this man doesn't have a single penny in his pocket, she's still going to drag him to bed tonight.

"I think you're about to finish your drink."

"no need."

Zhongyou coldly refused.

The woman sensed his displeasure, so she moved her body closer to him, secretly amused, and whispered in his ear, "Consider this a gift from me."

With great willpower, Zhongyou pushed the woman away slightly, his voice calm, "I can't afford it."

The woman's smile deepened. She opened the beer, held it to Zhongyou's lips, and said with a coquettish laugh, "Drink this beer, and it'll be considered that you've paid."

The cool alcohol splashed into Zhongyou's nostrils along with the bubbles, making his breathing much heavier. Even his hand, which was supporting the woman's waist, unconsciously sank into her ample bosom.

"Well, it seems I've come at the wrong time."

A slightly aged, teasing voice suddenly appeared beside me.

Seeing the lust that had been aroused in Zhongyou's eyes vanish instantly, the woman felt like a duck that was about to be eaten had flown away. She was instantly furious and turned her head to yell, "Get the hell out of here! Don't ruin my good time!"

But an irresistible force from her waist instantly subdued her.

Zhongyou placed the woman on the chair next to him and looked solemnly at the person at the table. The person was wearing a woolen coat and a navy blue scarf around his neck, looking more like an old gentleman preparing to enjoy afternoon tea than a scavenger in the apocalypse.

The covetous glances around them were all shut down by the cold stares of the two men with fierce demeanors.

The old gentleman showed no anger at the woman's insults, and smiled, "May I sit across from you?"

"Mr. Shu is joking. You can sit wherever you like."

Zhongyou did not get up, but every muscle in his body was tense, with a solemn air as if facing a formidable enemy.

Seeing the old man's attire and the entourage behind him, the woman realized she had spoken out of turn. She sat quietly beside Zhongyou, like a well-behaved and gentle young woman, showing no trace of her previous shrewish and fierce demeanor.

"What do you want from me?"

Zhongyou didn't ask any pointless questions like how he found me. Although Black Kite was severely weakened in its struggle against the Armed Train, it still had a strong foundation, unlike the Steel Council, which was fundamentally destroyed. Finding him was too easy. Mr. Shu handed him a square box. "Perhaps this can serve as the basis for our conversation."

Upon seeing the box, Zhongyou's eyes immediately narrowed.

This box is like a file folder, and every official member of Black Kite has one.

He took the box, which contained his own file and some items representing his status and honor. To his surprise, there was also someone else's file inside, along with a pistol and a deformed bronze iris, with bloodstains still visible in the seams along the edges.

Upon seeing the bronze kite, Zhong You's calm eyes surged like waves, and his muscles twitched uncontrollably.

"It seems you recognized it. The item belongs to Cao Yong. He died on the edge of the birthplace of a Tier 3 zombie. After my confirmation, it was likely that Number 1 gave him the order to activate the Tier 3 zombie. By the way, it's worth mentioning that I saw your file was sealed by Number 1 a few days ago, which is why I remembered it."

Mr. Shu's voice was calm and composed, conveying an air of complete control.

"Impossible!" Zhong You suddenly looked up, his eyes filled with a chilling light. "I saw him die with my own eyes. In the center of such an explosion, no one could survive, not even me!"

Mr. Shu shrugged indifferently, "Number 1 died a long time ago, many years before the apocalypse."

Seeing Zhong You frown, Mr. Shu continued, "What you saw was just a cloned cyborg. Don't ask me how many Number 1s there are. You wouldn't tell anyone your backup plan, would you?"

After a long while, Zhongyou finally processed the news, his voice hoarse, "That's my business, why are you coming to me?"

"You know about the auction for the armed train, right?"

Zhongyou hesitated for a moment, then nodded. The news had spread widely, and scavengers often discussed those mouthwatering treasures.

He was also somewhat shocked by Su Huan's grand gesture.

Mr. Shu, “I need some capable people to go with me to the auction. You know that man’s temper; I’m worried he’ll capture us all and demand a ransom…”

Zhongyou retorted without holding back, "Then it won't matter how many Tier 2 items you bring."

“But you don’t need me to pay the ransom.”

Mr. Shu smiled.

"I can go with you for the sake of this information, but if he tries to use force, don't count on me."

Zhongyou's words were pointed.

"No problem, I'll come find you here tomorrow morning."

After Mr. Shu left, the bar quickly began to discuss his identity, with people occasionally glancing at the two people in the corner.

The woman pressed her entire body against Zhongyou, her eyes filled with barely suppressed curiosity. "Looks like you're quite an important person."

"But that doesn't conflict with the fact that I can't afford it."

"You've already paid."

Zhongyou packed his things away, then hoisted the woman onto his shoulder and headed straight for the second floor.

The woman's giggles attracted the covetous gazes of everyone in the bar. Two men with ill intentions blocked Zhong You's path, but in less than a second, they were sent flying backward.

Consumed by lust, Zhongyou had no interest in getting entangled with the two.

Looking at the two pieces of rotten flesh embedded in the counter, everyone swallowed hard and walked away nonchalantly. No one would bother him again tonight.

At six o'clock the next morning, Zhongyou opened his eyes, as precisely as a clock.

"Ouch, that hurts..."

The woman on the bed gritted her teeth, rolled over, and pressed herself against him, exposing large areas of her smooth, white skin. Further up her legs, large patches of bruises could be seen beneath her skin.

Zhongyou stiffened slightly as he stood up, then gently pushed the woman's thighs apart.

He hesitated for a moment, sitting on the edge of the bed, then left behind a pistol and all the food he had on him.

He went outside and, at the end of the corridor, through the crack in the nailed-up window, saw that an SUV was already waiting for him below.

Once on the bus, we headed straight for Zhijin.

It took the convoy two days to reach the outskirts of Zhijin, much faster than when he arrived.

"When I came here half a year ago, this place was still bare. I never expected that he would actually build it up."

Mr. Shu looked out the car window at Zhijin and sighed.

But Zhongyou was no less shocked than him. Just a few months ago, Zhijin was in chaos, with roaming hordes of corpses, collapsed buildings, and all sorts of mutated beasts and plants.

How did it get to this size in just a few months?

As far as the eye could see, there was a massive steel wall over twenty meters high, with heavy machine guns and howitzers mounted on it. Newly planted saplings were growing at the foot of the iron wall, swaying in the wind and sand.

Drones with welded rifles whizzed overhead, passing over convoys and families.

Every now and then, fully armed soldiers would drive out of the city in armored vehicles and patrol along the highway.

Often, a double-decker, 30-meter-long train-converted carriage, resembling a bus, leads the way, followed by a dozen or so military off-road and armored personnel carriers. Amidst the rumbling of the tracks, the soldiers' voices are amplified through loudspeakers.

"Armed private fights are prohibited within ten kilometers of Zhijin. Anyone found engaging in such fights will be shot dead!"

"Those who wish to join the scavenging movement should line up at the city gate, register, and receive identification credentials. Cutting in line is strictly prohibited; anyone caught doing so will be shot!"

"Those participating in the transaction must also obtain identification documents. Anyone who enters the city without identification documents will be shot!"

"..."

"They shout slogans loudly, but we don't know if they have the ability to back them up."

The driver glanced at the soldiers in the car and said with a hint of disdain.

They were all unranked evolved beings; he could wipe out a whole squad by himself.

As a first-tier evolved being, he was qualified to look down upon these soldiers.

Zhong You, in the co-pilot's seat, narrowed his eyes. He had seen many people on the armed train, but there wasn't a single familiar face among them.

When the convoy arrived at the gate, the soldiers showed no sign of making things difficult. They simply checked the vehicles for any dangerous creatures such as zombies or mutated beasts before letting them pass. Before leaving, they gave each of them a small piece of iron.

The driver examined the metal strip from all angles, then asked疑惑地问道, "Is this some kind of certificate?"

Zhongyou glanced at it, slightly puzzled, as he couldn't see anything different about the metal strip.

The convoy drove inside and, guided by soldiers, entered checkpoint number two. Inside, a large open area was cordoned off with iron walls, and only vehicles that had passed inspection could actually enter the area inside the iron walls.

Two small trees, only a little over two meters tall and about the thickness of a bowl, were planted in front of the open space, with their branches stretching across the road.

The driver initially didn't pay attention and tried to run it over, but the branch stretched directly in through the car window and he took the car keys.

The driver's expression changed drastically. "Damn it! Mutant plants!"

He subconsciously reached for the rifle hanging on the car door.

(End of this chapter)