Armed Train in the Apocalypse

Chapter 340: Chapter 236: Five Thousand Evolvers

Zhang Qiang’s eyes were vacant, his gaze subconsciously sliding downward.

He found himself grasping a strong and slender hand, the skin fair, but the muscles and bones were distinct.

The memories from before he fainted gradually returned.

Joining the Tongzhou Association.

Entering the core.

Following Liu Ming to meet the mysterious person and carrying out tasks.

Although he didn’t know what happened afterward, he clearly knew that these events had a common trait: betraying the train, betraying the train conductor.

If he were to rank the people he least wanted to see now, the legendary brutal and vicious train conductor would be at the top.

He had often fantasized about scenarios where he would meet the train conductor.

Perhaps kneeling on the train deck when the incident happened, being executed under the conductor’s cold gaze.

Or being caught after the incident and kneeling on the deck, being executed under the conductor’s furious gaze.

Or perhaps being pinned down on the bed when knowing nothing, being executed under the conductor’s playful gaze.

There might be dozens of different ways to die, but he never thought it would be like this.

Lying in a warm and clean hospital bed, with the train conductor holding his hand.

Although he didn’t fully agree with Liu Ming’s assessment of the train conductor, his fear of the train conductor had been ingrained in his bones.

”Train... Train Conductor...”

Zhang Qiang said stiffly.

Su Huan smiled and patted his shoulder, ”It’s Train Conductor, not Tra-tra-train Conductor, but Liu Ming wasn’t so lucky...”

”Liu Ming is dead?”

”He was shot dead on the spot, but even if he were alive, I wouldn’t forgive that traitor for colluding with the workers to overthrow the train!”

”Huh?”

Zhang Qiang’s scalp tingled, and if he weren’t lying in bed, he might have knelt down right then.

”The armored train is all of our efforts, our guarantee of survival in this cruel apocalypse, something we must swear to protect, right, Zhang Qiang?”

Feeling the firm grasp of the train conductor and his impassioned voice.

Zhang Qiang’s breathing tightened, his face turning pale.

His gradually active brain frantically working.

What does this mean?

What does this mean?!

Could it be the train conductor doesn’t know he’s also in the Tongzhou Association?

Having been honest all his life, Zhang Qiang suddenly had a bold idea.

Seeing the expectant look in Su Huan’s eyes, his heart gradually creeping to his throat, ”Yes, it’s...”

”It’s what?”

Zhang Qiang avoided Su Huan’s deep gaze, feeling that looking into those eyes he might be dragged out and executed at any moment.

”I noticed something off about Liu Ming at the time.”

After speaking, he carefully looked at Su Huan.

Seeing that the other party didn’t show a look of seeing through him, he sighed in relief.

”Do you know something, like about the Tongzhou Association?”

Hearing the term, Zhang Qiang’s eased heart tightened again, and he suddenly looked up at Su Huan.

Those narrow eyes slightly drooping, like thin blades, dark as ink, revealing no emotion.

He then realized that his reaction had been a bit too strong, and his mind frantically sought a remedy.

He shrank back and said, ”Actually, I just accidentally found out about it, but not much...”

”Feel free to speak, I’m the train conductor, no one on the train can hurt you.”

Hearing Su Huan’s gentle encouragement, Zhang Qiang swallowed, ”Actually, the head of the Tongzhou Association is...”

”It’s you.”

Su Huan interjected.

Zhang Qiang’s scalp exploded in an instant, a current spread from the root of his nose and corners of his eyes to the tip of his spine, thin sweat instantly soaking his body.

The corners of his eyes almost popped open, his whole body as if struck by lightning, stiffly frightened.

”Snap!”

Su Huan patted Zhang Qiang’s shoulder, jolting him awake.

”Wh... What?”

”You’ve got a strong will... but your hands are pretty sweaty.”

Su Huan smiled meaningfully and let go of Zhang Qiang’s hand, grabbing his shoulder, ”You are the head of the Tongzhou Association now.”

Zhang Qiang fearfully waved his hands repeatedly, ”It’s not me, it’s Liu Ming!”

Su Huan raised an eyebrow, ”He’s dead, how could he be the head.”

”Be the head?”

”Me?”

Zhang Qiang keenly sensed the difference in the words.

”Yes, it’s you. I want you to continue organizing the Tongzhou Association, but don’t say it’s my idea, can you do it?”

Su Huan said with a smile.

Zhang Qiang felt a coldness in his heart, but sensing the increasing strength on his shoulder, he nodded.

”Rest well.”

With Su Huan standing up, a thrilling conversation that decided Zhang Qiang’s fate abruptly ended.

When the cabin door closed, the seriousness on Su Huan’s face vanished abruptly, his mouth nearly splitting to the back of his ears.

He initially intended to ask about the Tongzhou Association.

But seeing Zhang Qiang’s honest demeanor, he whimsically decided to scare him a bit, and it naturally ended with putting this titular organization on his head.

Now that he thought about it, it was a brilliant maneuver.

The armed train on the surface, the secret resistance, and ultimately, the unified boss were all him alone.

Thinking of the core members of the Tongzhou Association realizing their head’s boss was the train conductor.

The mere thought of their sky-falling expressions made him laugh.

Of course, the most important thing was to catch all those against him in one go.

They still had to secretly work for him while being on edge!

That’s so damn interesting!

Lin Xia, who was adjusting the IV bottle next door, suddenly heard a creepy laughter, her hand trembling, almost dropping the bottle.

She turned around to see the train conductor laughing heartily.

The black shirt stretched with tension at the shoulder blades, even the bio-magnetic field neutralizer on his wrist couldn’t dampen his wild and uninhibited aura.

Oh no, boss has gone mad.

Having boarded the train quite early, Lin Xia had heard some rumors about the train conductor but seeing it firsthand was a first.

What was the old passengers’ experience on how to handle such situations?

Just treat the train conductor as a normal person.

Thinking this, Lin Xia calmly said, ”Train Conductor.”

Su Huan casually tucked his long hair behind his ear, patted this train physician on the shoulder, ”Heh, good job.”

...

Initially, the survivors grumbled when they heard they had to work.

But when Iron Old Man said they could become Evolvers, the entire shelter was in an uproar.

Even babies in cradles were brought out.

A line was finally set, above twelve, below seventy-eight years old.

Framed according to Xiaoba and Iron Old Man’s ages, the whole shelter had just over ten people younger than Xiaoba, and not a single one older than Iron Old Man.

Most were satisfied with it, those dissatisfied were suppressed by Iron Old Man.

Hu Shuo, remembering the train conductor’s teachings, rarely intervened directly, passing messages to the group via the Qi family.

Among five thousand, only two unlucky ones failed to endure the Pan-energy and mutated into zombies.

The rest all evolved successfully, with nearly four thousand becoming ”Defenders” and ”Makers” combined.

Most importantly, there were over six hundred ”Gatherers,” and the remainder were mostly ”Power Suppliers,” with less than a hundred being ”Manipulators.”

”Gatherers” were all sent to collect Pan-energy Crystals, ”Manipulators” had peculiar abilities, so a simple selection was conducted, and three related to plants were directly included into the armored train, for the ”Floating Greatwood” project preparation.

There was also one who could manipulate metal, though limited to ordinary metals, handling evolutionary materials was tricky, but could take over Xiaoba’s duties for routine train maintenance.

The rest had abilities too bizarre to define.

One could manipulate bones, but only their own.

Using the ability once knocked them out from pain, Lin Xia took great effort to fix their protruding thigh bone back, but the person had already died.

Another had an ability like Professor Ma’s, who could fly themselves.

But during testing, they flew too high and died in panic upon falling.

There were many similar cases, abilities not so bad per se, but with major limitations, apart from the four mentioned, Hu Shuo didn’t accept all, intending to observe for a while longer.

Moreover, these people felt no real attachment to the armed train.

It required slow nurturing.

However, during the past couple of days of work, Hu Shuo observed an interesting phenomenon.

The survivors from the Iron Mountain Shelter bore less malice towards the train, especially after becoming Evolvers, though their resentment towards the Qi family’s rule intensified.

(The inspiration came a bit late, the remaining two thousand will be updated tomorrow, with extra updates starting from tomorrow, one can join the group early on, if fifteen thousand words aren’t met this month, a hundred red envelopes will be distributed in the group)