Armed Train in the Apocalypse

After half a year, it has been built into a market of considerable scale by the Big Four, where various materials and junk scavenged from Zhijin and surrounding counties are sold.

Initially, everyone had storefronts, but now with more people, they have to pay for them.

Ordinary Scavengers lay out a stall on the ground, with a big cloth and four corners tied to a stick, ready to pick up and run at any disturbance.

However, after observing for several days, the neutral town is quite stable.

Otherwise, those small forces wouldn’t spend big money to build storefronts here.

The three arrived at the middle of the busiest street, on the left a man with a dragon and tiger tattooed on his head was directing a group of underlings to hang the words ”Brother Biao’s Tavern” above.

The big man shivered unexpectedly, his fierce gaze sweeping over, instantly turning into a fawning smile upon seeing Su Huan’s signature smile.

”Chief, I was planning to invite you personally, and here you are, what an honor for me, truly an honor...”

Su Huan adjusted the watch-like small square on his wrist, watching the digits jump around before stabilizing at around three hundred, and only then walked into the tavern under Wen Biao’s welcome.

This is a new bio-magnetic field disruptor designed by Director Xu’s lab, making Su Huan feel like an ordinary person.

Simultaneously, this device converts the received ”momentum” field strength into numbers.

Through a series of complex calculations, it turns into intuitive numbers representing life force.

It’s still in the testing phase, and he’s the only test subject.

Passing by the counter, Wen Biao pointed to the shelf filled with a dazzling array of bottles and said, ”Chief, what would you like to drink?”

Su Huan glanced with interest, the bottles were as fresh as new, and the variety was rich, as if directly scavenged from a mall warehouse, and although it was just noon now, there were already people drinking, one table had one or two bottles, but the atmosphere was lively.

”Water.”

Su Huan casually chose a table by the edge and sat down.

Then he watched the underlings at the counter hurriedly turn off the dehumidifier, and then pour a full cup of water from the sink, brought over by Wen Biao.

Might as well have asked for alcohol...

Though the water in the cup was clear, Su Huan still felt strange.

Sipping it, an elusive taste of dust lingered.

”How’s their base city’s plan advancing these past two days?”

Su Huan put down the glass and asked.

Wen Biao instantly became serious, as an underling unfolded a Zhijin City map flat on the table, with various precise auxiliary lines drawn on it, clearly prepared in advance.

Seeing the lines above, Bai Lu and the others also had their expressions become more solemn.

Zhijin City is located in the plains, without many valleys, so the city is very regular, with only a small river running from the northwest to southeast, slanting across the whole Zhijin City, the river south being about one-fifth of the city’s area, known as Weinan District.

”Chief, look, there are four highways across Zhijin River leading to the city center, according to the messages I collected these past two days, the Big Four have already reached the riverside, but since Weinan District hasn’t been thoroughly cleaned, they’re stationed beside the river, planning to clean Weinan, needing to kill thirty-some thousand zombies in total.”

”These four roads are...”

”I heard there’s a tough battle at Chenxi Square, where the Black Star Convoy suffered a small loss...”

”And here, three small convoys died, over seven hundred people, Jinfeng also lost more than two hundred, it was particularly tragic...”

Wen Biao compiled all the collected information on the map, Su Huan quietly listened, not reprimanding even if encountered discrepancy with what he knew, silently comparing this information in his heart.

Suddenly, there was some commotion at the tavern’s entrance, Su Huan looked up.

Just in time to see Shu Wei, tall and slender, walk in.

Su Huan casually asked, ”Did those five confess?”

Shu Wei shook his head, ”The laboratory is always the exclusive domain of the No.1 board member, my father is powerless here, let alone me, and their status isn’t high, not knowing the detailed layout of Black Kite in Zhijin, but I’m talking about something else.”

Su Huan raised an eyebrow, waiting quietly.

”Seems like a minor rebellion has broken out within Black Kite, and just now, we received Jiang Rong’s SOS signal.”

”Where is she?”

Idle hesitation appeared briefly on Shu Wei’s face.

”According to Professor Ma’s location, she’s in Zhijin City, He Jie and others are in the car waiting for your orders.”

”Oh dear...” Su Huan’s eyes turned narrow, the ink-like pupils had a half-smirking expression, ”Are you staging a coup?”

...

...

Three hours ago.

North of Zhijin River, some commercial street, the potholes in the street were getting larger and larger, with even the building spanning it about to collapse.

Hundreds of zombies crowded here, aimlessly howling twice.

Within three hundred meters near the pothole, debris was entirely cleared, with nearly a thousand various Tier One Zombies gathered here, further ahead were dozens of Tier Two Zombies whose mere sight induced oppression.

But what was more terrifying was these zombies showed no signs of disturbance, staying orderly like students waiting for a teacher’s class.

Cao Yong sat cross-legged by the wall, and with his remaining hand, pulled a cigarette from his pocket, but couldn’t find a lighter after fumbling for a while.

”Click.”

A hand extended over and lit Cao Yong’s cigarette.

Cao Yong was slightly surprised, staring at the calm eyes of the person in front.

No.1 spoke quietly, ”After analysis, I think you need a cigarette to relieve stress right now.”

”Heh...”

”Did he curse you?”

Cao Yong suddenly let out a long, seemingly mocking breath.

Then he coughed from the smoke.

In the room, only Cao Yong’s violent cough echoed, almost as if he was coughing up his lungs.

Streams of data flickered through No.1’s gaze, pondering whether he should reserve some mental capacity to analyze these complex emotions.

Tier One for Tier Two, it’s a straightforward deal without much consideration.

He followed his predetermined logic, saying, ”As long as you bring the item into the cavern, Zhong You can be reinstated, and his promotion within Black Kite won’t be affected.”

”You’re already crippled, currently there’s no means to restore it, so in exchange for your former friend’s future, it’s your greatest value.”

Cao Yong suddenly stood up, clutching the box on the ground, heading downstairs.

”That phrase alone is enough.”

A while later, a series of loud explosions sounded outside the window, zombie roars deafening.

No.1 looked down from above.

Several elite special operation teams launched attacks from all directions, diverting the densely packed corpses below.

The Tier Two Zombies reacted the fastest, almost instantaneously, with the majority already charged forth.

Positioned at the edge, Cao Yong injected himself with a dose, carrying the box, rushing towards the pothole at a frenzied speed rivaling Tier Two Night Demon, tumbling over any spots he couldn’t dodge directly treading on zombie heads.

The cacophony of zombie roars became chaotic, only realizing this intruder when their heads were stepped on.

Tier One Zombies realizing began pursuing and blocking this Tier One Evolver.

If it were a normal fight, there was no way Cao Yong could survive, but with his sole objective being to rush through, it simplified matters considerably.

Zombies surged forward and backward like waves trying to drown this trailblazer.

Avoiding several cumbersome Butchers, the pothole ahead grew bigger, a fear from the heart driving him away, but all cast aside by Cao Yong, the dark red glow at his mouth not dimmed by the wind and sand, instead glowing brighter.

Those old memories grew clearer.

’Lao Zhong, stop smoking, it’s choking.’

’Why can’t you learn some of my good qualities from my many merits?’

’Apart from having a beautiful wife, what other merits do you have?’

’My son is handsome too, and a good student, successful!’

Facing two Tier Two Night Demons blocking the path, Cao Yong’s neck veins bulged, maximizing the last bit of drug potency, throwing the box ahead.

”Poof!”

The Night Demon Claw slashed, severed arm and box flying together.

Cao Yong, like a diver, leaned backward, falling into the tide of corpses.

’Lao Zhong, this smoke really chokes...’