The most shameless alchemist in history

"You dare to lecture me? Believe me or not, I'll throw you out to feed the snow wolves!" Hank was furious and embarrassed. He raised his hand to try to slap this arrogant brat, but his hand froze in mid-air. He was just a bit hot-tempered, but he knew what was important.

“Hank, calm down. Actually, if you think about it carefully, what he said makes a lot of sense. What the passengers need most right now is warmth. If we meet their needs, their emotions will be more or less stabilized. Why don’t we just do as he says?” Buzz listened carefully for a long time.

He remained silent throughout Dure's speech, but now that Dure had expressed his opinion, Buzz stepped forward to persuade Hank.

"What, Buzz? Even you believe this kid's nonsense? If it causes a disturbance and leads to irreversible consequences, who will take responsibility?" Hank remained firm and refused to back down. He was the highest-ranking person in charge on the train, and Buzz could only be ranked behind him.

“If something really happens, let me take responsibility for the consequences. I trust him.” After a moment of silence, Buzz made his decision.

Hank was furious that his close comrade had sided with the enemy.

"Now is not the time to act rashly, Hank. We're not young anymore. Let's listen to the younger generation's advice. I'll have my men cooperate. Now, open the locked doors inside the carriages and let the passengers move towards our carriages in an orderly fashion. Make sure not to cause a riot."

Buzz knew Hank's temper well. Seeing that Hank did not object, he directly gave orders to the train attendants and police officers in the carriage. The latter looked at Hank's face. They dared not act without Hank's permission, but Hank responded with a fierce look.

"What are you all standing there for? Hurry up and get to work! If we compress all the passengers into four carriages, the heating and fuel in just those four carriages should last for a while. Hey, Spena, go turn on the heating! Hurry!"

Hank reprimanded everyone in the carriage. Whether they were train attendants or police officers, seeing that Hank and Buzz had spoken, they all ran to their respective posts to carry out the orders. With no certainty that they would see the sun rise tomorrow, all they could do was obey.

"Spanner, has anyone seen him?" Hank called out twice, but received no response. He paused, then scanned the carriage with his eyes.

"Hey, Spanna, wake up! Train conductor Hank is calling you." Someone was shaking the young man curled up in the corner.

"I'm so sleepy. Don't wake me. I want to sleep a little longer. I haven't had such a good night's sleep in ages." The young man, huddled in the corner, yawned, turned over, and continued sleeping, as if the collapse of the sky and the sinking of the earth had nothing to do with him.

073 Heating Equipment

On the train right now, there are probably only two kinds of people: one is like ordinary passengers, who are driven by fear and desperately want to escape this dangerous place; the other is like Hank, who is desperately seeking a solution. They are all dealing with the predicament in their own ways.

But the man named Spana was curled up in a ball, fast asleep, as if nothing had happened. If you ignored the noise coming from outside the carriage, you could even hear his soft snoring, as if he were an outsider in the whole world, and nothing that happened had anything to do with him.

"Wrench, wake up! Train conductor Hank is calling you. Hey, Wrench, what's wrong with you? Why are you still sleeping like a log? At least be mindful of the situation!" The staff member next to him first tried to wake him up quietly, and then shook him, but he didn't move.

"Damn it, you should at least have some self-awareness as a technician. Get up, get up!" Hank was furious when he saw Spena's state. He went up to the sleeping young man and kicked him. This move was much more effective than others. Spena finally slowly yawned.

"I'm so sleepy, so sleepy. Ugh, have we arrived yet? What are you all doing here? I just dreamt that Hank kicked me, and I was just about to go and teach him a lesson. Why did he wake me up? Or is it time to eat? Anyway, I'm really hungry right now."

Spana, who got up from the ground, looked to be only seventeen or eighteen years old. He had thick blond hair that was very long due to neglect. His originally handsome features were ruined by his decadent demeanor, making it hard to like him. He also smelled of engine oil.

"Who's going to fix whom here, Wrench? Everyone's busy and you're just sleeping soundly here. Don't you have any conscience? Hurry up and start the heating system, do you hear me?" Hank grabbed the technician in charge of repairing the train, really wanting to slap him twice.

"Okay, okay, I understand. You could have just told me you had a job. Why did you have to be so fierce? By the way, why is it so noisy outside? It's like thunder." Spenna yawned slowly, reluctantly stood up, and looked up at the top of the carriage.

"How can he sleep so soundly in such an environment? Should I say this gentleman is too optimistic, or envy his excellent sleep quality?" Bai Ye couldn't help but admire Spanna when he saw him like this. Everyone else was busy, but he was slow and still immersed in his dream.

"He is the train's mechanic named Spenna, nicknamed Wrench. He is inseparable from wrenches every day. Don't be fooled by his lazy and sleepy appearance. He is very capable at his job and can be considered a rare and outstanding mechanic. Hank went to great lengths to recruit him."

Baz, who was standing next to Bai Ye and Du Lei, explained Spanna's condition to Bai Ye and Du Lei. Spanna, who was still half asleep, frowned. He observed carefully and seemed to gradually return from the dream world to the real world. He also figured out what had happened. After saying a few words to Hank, he left.

"He really is a maverick. I guess talented people can all be unique in life. I'm quite envious." Bai Ye nodded approvingly, casting an envious glance at Spana's back. At this moment, two train police officers followed behind Spana.

"He's just slightly good at mechanics, what kind of talent is that? Hey, you two, don't just stand there, hurry up and go help!" Hank yelled at Bai Ye and Du Lei. He was short-tempered and in a very bad mood, and he spoke rudely to everyone.

"Understood, we'll go help transfer the passengers right away." Bai Ye was startled by Hank's shout. He hurriedly replied and turned to join in the transfer of passengers. Du Lei also joined Bai Ye in the work. This was a matter of life and death for everyone on the train.

The passenger transfer initially went very smoothly. However, as time passed and the temperature dropped, most passengers cooperated with the transfer after hearing that heating would be provided. They were quickly moved from twelve carriages to four, which resulted in the carriages becoming overcrowded.

"The train finally did something decent. I'm freezing! Hey, when are you going to turn on the heating? I'm completely frozen. And seriously, won't those snow wolves invade? There's a thumping sound on my head, it's making me uneasy," a passenger urged.

"Exactly, there's still hot water, and my stomach is growling with hunger. If I had known I'd be this unlucky, I wouldn't have taken this lousy bus. And it's been so long, and they haven't even given us an explanation. This is just too much." Some passengers vented their resentment and dissatisfaction.

"Please don't panic, hot water and food will be delivered soon, and rescue will arrive soon. The heating equipment is being activated and will soon be able to keep you warm in the cold," the flight attendant reassured the passengers while carefully asking her colleagues for their opinions.

"What's going on? All the passengers have been transferred, but the heating hasn't been turned on yet. If this continues, the passengers' emotions will escalate, and the situation will get out of control." The flight attendant was very patient with the passengers, constantly saying that the heating would be turned on soon, but in fact, even she herself was not sure.

“I’m not quite sure either. Under normal circumstances, the heating should be on soon. He’s already gone over there to fix it. Can you calm them down a bit more? I’ll go ask them what’s going on.” Another attendant immediately went towards the train’s engine room to look for the wrench and ask.

At this moment, Hank also realized that something was wrong. When he saw Wrench slowly returning, he immediately went up and grabbed him by the collar.

"Hey, Wrench, what's going on? Didn't I tell you to turn on the heating? Why hasn't it started working yet? If this continues, the passengers' complaints will only increase, and the consequences will be serious. What time is it? Can you stop being so irresponsible?" Hank shouted.

"You suddenly asked me so many questions that I don't know how to answer you right away. Which question should I answer first?" Wrench was a slow-paced person, and even when Hank questioned him, he wasn't in a hurry at all.

"Let's talk about the heating equipment first. What's going on? Is there some kind of malfunction?" Du Lei returned to the power room at this time and asked about the most important things.

"More or less. One of the pipes that delivers hot steam is blocked, so the heating can't get through," Wrench replied truthfully.

074 Unblocking pipes

Hank's biggest concern in opposing concentrating passengers in a small number of carriages was that if passenger discontent were to erupt, it would be disastrous in the cramped and crowded space. However, due to the continuously dropping temperature, he had to make the decision to transfer passengers.

If the heating could be turned on in time, it would temporarily relieve the passengers' crisis and the situation might be better. However, Spana, who was sent to start the heating, replied that there was a problem with the heating pipes, which made Hank quite angry. His worst fears had come true.

"What do you mean the pipe is blocked? Go and unclog it! Why did you come back?" Hank was furious. He was an impatient person and didn't get along with slow-paced people like Wrench. In such an urgent situation, Wrench's leisurely manner was unbearable for him.

"Hank, calm down. Wrench must have his reasons for doing this. Don't take it out on him," Buzz reminded Hank. Although Wrench was just a newcomer who had only been working on the train for a short time, Buzz knew him well and knew that Wrench wasn't the kind of person who couldn't distinguish between what was important and what wasn't urgent.

"How can you expect me to calm down in this situation? Once those passengers start to erupt, everyone on the bus will be doomed. Before they're even eaten by the snow wolves, they'll be destroyed from within!" Hank was extremely annoyed. Even Buzz's words were useless. He launched into a tirade of angry rebukes.

“It can’t be unblocked.” Wrench didn’t show much emotion when facing the arguing Hank and Buzz, and simply answered calmly.

"If you can't unclog it, then you're just doing this job. If you can't unclog it, then why are you a mechanic? Go home and raise pigs!" Hank was furious at the wrench's reply. He gritted his teeth and was just short of punching the guy in the face.

"Although most of the heating pipes are inside the carriages, a small part is still outside the carriages, that is, the connecting parts between the carriages and a small section of the roof. What is blocked now is a small section of the roof of the carriages. I can repair the parts inside the carriages, but I can't do anything about the parts outside the carriages."

Wrench shrugged, showing no remorse for almost getting beaten up. As a train mechanic, he told Hank the details, fulfilling his duty.

"This," Hank, who had been so aggressive, was stunned when he learned where the problem lay. It was no wonder that wrench was at fault.

"On the roof? This is troublesome. The roof is now completely occupied by snow wolves. Although snow wolves are low-level magical beasts and not particularly powerful, there are too many of them. In addition to snow wolves, there are other snow creatures as well. We have no way to break out now."

Buzz was deeply worried. As the chief purser, he was responsible for the train's security and knew better than Hank how ferocious the monsters outside were. Moreover, when the train had just encountered an accident, two young police officers had died. They were his carefully trained subordinates.

"But if we don't get out, we can't repair the pipes. Without repairing the pipes, we can't provide heating, and not only that, we can't even get hot water. If this continues, those passengers are bound to cause trouble. Damn it, why isn't the rescue team here yet? We're about to die!"

Hank was filled with despair. He pounded on the wall. Even if the snow wolves couldn't break through the train for the time being, the train itself was a cage, and a cage like a slow poison. Time would kill them little by little, which could be called the most painful way to die.

“I’ve already inquired. The closest army to us is General Eileen’s Silverfrost Legion. The Silverfrost Legion’s base is at least 80 kilometers away from here. Even if the Silverfrost Legion sees the distress signal immediately, it will take them at least four hours to get here through the blizzard.”

Du Lei, who had remained silent throughout, stepped forward. He hadn't been idle on the train at all, and had gathered a lot of information from the passengers.

"Sigh, does it really take four hours?" Bai Ye was startled by the length of time. He knew that the rescue would arrive, but he still didn't know how long the rescue would take. Maybe it would be the next minute, or maybe it would be several hours later, but Du Lei gave a specific time.

"Given the winding roads, complex terrain, and harsh weather, this is already the most optimistic estimate. So, Train Captain Hank, do you think this train can last at least four hours without heating?" Dure calmly asked Hank.

"Four hours? You're kidding me! It's 11 p.m. now. In four hours, it will be 3 a.m., which is the coldest time of day. Without heating, not to mention whether the Snow Wolf and the passengers will riot, the weather alone will be enough to freeze everyone, including the entire train, into ice pops."

Hank shook his head. He had extensive experience with trains and had encountered bad weather more than once or twice, but looking out the window, he realized this was definitely the coldest night he had ever seen in his many years of railway career. All the bad luck had come together at once.

"So waiting for rescue is unrealistic now; we can only save ourselves," Du Lei pointed out the fundamental problem incisively.

"Self-rescue kid, you make it sound good, but how exactly do you plan to save yourself? Didn't you hear Wrench say the pipe is blocked?" Hank thought the boy in front of him was just talking without understanding the situation, thinking he was smart but actually unable to offer any effective help.

"Of course, we need to clear the blocked pipes and get the heating back on. That way, we can at least hold out until the rescue arrives." Dure didn't care about Hank's tone because he was also on the train. If the train had an accident, he would also be affected and might even freeze to death on the train.

"Hey kid, are you out of your mind? I've said it a hundred times already. The outside is completely overrun by snow wolves, there's no way to get out. You must still be dreaming. Do you think you're going to go out yourself?" Hank scoffed at Dure's suggestion, calling it utter nonsense.

If this were feasible, he would have taken action long ago; why is he brooding here?

"That's right, of course I'll go out. Wrench, tell me how to unclog the pipes. It would be best if you could draw a simple diagram for me and tell me how to do it. Then open the carriage door and I'll go out and try to unclog the pipes. If I unclog them, I'll be lucky. If I don't, then I'm out of luck."

Dure nodded emphatically, his attitude resolute, which surprised Hank.

075 Acting on one's own initiative

Hank retorted, "Are you going to clear the blockage?" This was just an angry remark; even if he were a jerk, he would never let a twelve or thirteen-year-old boy risk doing such a thing. However, Dure then volunteered to go outside the carriage to clear the blocked heating pipes that Spenna had mentioned.

Regardless of whether Dure could actually do it, the determination in his eyes was enough to make Hank look at him in a new light. After all, this was something that most adults, let alone a teenager, couldn't do, but Hank still rejected it.

"Kid, what do you take us for? Murderers? There are so many people here, it's not your place to show off. Just stay here quietly. If unclogging the pipes is the only option left, then Baz, the two of us old guys will go." Hank hesitated for a long time.

After gritting his teeth, he decided to take matters into his own hands and invited his old partner, Buzz. Although the two of them often argued, it was always for business. They had a good personal relationship and had been through thick and thin for decades. Hank had long known that he would make this choice one day.

“But Hank, you have a wife and lovely daughter waiting for you at home. Have you forgotten that? On the contrary, I have no ties. So let me go. Besides, I was a mercenary when I was young. Dealing with snow wolves is no problem for me.” Baz refused Hank’s invitation.

He knew about Hank's family situation, and this was Hank's last trip. He planned to go alone and began making preparations.

"Baz, with your skills, even if you were a mercenary, you'd only reach the mid-level. Otherwise, you wouldn't have switched to the railroad. When you were young, you might have been able to take down a few snow wolves, but now you're old. There are dozens of them. Don't try to be brave," Hank retorted.

He and Buzz had known each other since they were children. After so many years of friendship, they knew each other inside and out. He could tell that Buzz was clearly prepared to die.

“The structure of the pipeline is very complicated. Even if I draw it for you, you may not be able to handle it well. I’ll go with you. But let me make this clear first, I’m just a technician and I don’t have any combat capabilities. You have to protect me, understand?” Wrench said in a low voice while Hank and Buzz were arguing.

"Don't worry, I'll do my best to ensure your safety. At least I won't let you die before me. Pack your tools and let's get ready to leave. And Bai Ye, are you sure you want to come along too?" Du Lei didn't make any promises to Wrench because even he wasn't confident. He could only do his best.

At the same time, he turned to look at Bai Ye, whom he had only recently met. In his impression, Bai Ye was a very good person, but his physique was very poor and his combat ability was basically zero. Bringing him along might be a burden. He was thinking about what reason he should use to refuse Bai Ye without hurting his self-esteem.

"Du Lei, don't let my appearance fool you, I've studied magic, real magic, you know. Well, although I haven't used it in actual combat yet, I'll try my best." Bai Ye didn't want to be left behind by Du Lei, so he immediately patted his chest and promised that he had to do something in this situation.

"But magic has been lost for a long time, and only magical energy is widely used now, right?" Dure frowned. He wasn't sure if Bai Ye was telling the truth. If something went wrong, it wouldn't just be Bai Ye who lost his life; everyone would be implicated.

"Du Lei, please believe me. I will never hold you back and will help you in any way I can. My desire to help everyone is second to none. Please let me go." Bai Ye's attitude was so sincere that no one could refuse.

“I understand, let’s get ready to go then.” Du Lei nodded, deciding to let Bai Ye join them after all.

“Wait a minute, if you insist on doing something so dangerous, then please let a few of us join you.” Just as Du Lei was about to set off with Bai Ye and Ban Shou on his own initiative, several train police officers who were resting nearby immediately stood up, led by a handsome young man in his twenties.

“You are the train police officers. At a time like this, it would be better for you to stay and protect the passengers’ safety, because even I am not sure if we are going to our deaths.” Du Lei frowned and did not agree to let these young train police officers join in, politely declining.

"But if we don't clear the pipes, everyone will be doomed, won't they? I'm sorry I overheard your conversation, but we want to help as much as we can. We already have two of our comrades lying in the snow, and even their bodies..."

The young train police officer clenched his fists, feeling extremely guilty, as he spoke. A colleague patted him on the shoulder to comfort him.

"In that case, it would be too heartless to refuse you. Let's all come together. My name is Du Lei, this is Bai Ye, what's your name?" Du Lei hesitated for a moment, then nodded, because the three of them were indeed a bit few people, and it would be difficult to complete the task.

These train police officers are all adults, strong and healthy, and they carry gunpowder guns, which can be of great help.

"My name is Matthew. We will fully cooperate with you and ensure the safety of the wrench. Let's go now." After giving a brief self-introduction, the young train police officer named Matthew followed Du Lei and his two companions hurriedly toward the back of the train carriage.

Even after they had all left, Hank and Buzz were still arguing incessantly.

"I'm the train conductor. You should obey my orders. If I say I'm going, I'm going. Just stay here obediently, understand?"

"Precisely because you are the train conductor, you cannot afford to have an accident. If something happens to you, what will happen to all these passengers? You cannot act recklessly."

"Who says I'm being willful? This is the most correct decision I've made as the train conductor, and you must obey it."

"Screw you, conductor, Matthew. Get ready to come with me, and have someone keep an eye on Hank. Don't let him act on his own. Sigh, Matthew."

Seeing that he was at a stalemate with Hank, Buzz called for his trusted subordinates and planned to force his way out. However, after shouting for a while, he realized that Matthew was nowhere to be seen in the carriage, and that seven or eight of the train police officers were missing, leaving only two officers on duty.

"Where is Matthew?" Buzz immediately asked the remaining injured police officers.