Armed Train in the Apocalypse

”They...”

The conductor’s finger tapping on the table slowed down and gradually stopped.

”Got off the train.”

Su Huan said calmly, his finger tapping resumed, becoming a bit more lively.

Yu Yue’s almond-shaped eyes opened slightly; based on her understanding of Su Huan, he should have said something very cruel and unfeeling.

Unexpectedly, he was seriously choosing his words.

Mongoose was initially stunned to hear this, wanting to ask what ”got off” meant, but opened his mouth, lacking the courage to pursue the answer, his vertical pupils turning into two platinum rings, staring blankly out of the window.

Perhaps they really just left?

With the conductor’s nasty personality, it’s not entirely impossible.

Though the probability is extremely low, extremely low...

Everyone collectively kept silent about this ambiguous answer.

”Clap!”

Su Huan clapped his hands, leaned forward, and both corners of his mouth lifted evenly, ”I hear there’s an interesting person on the train while I was away? Wants to cooperate with me? Tell me more.”

Following Zhijin’s auction, Su Huan is now highly interested in transactions.

Robbing Black Kite wasn’t as profitable as the three-day trade at Zhijin, not to mention faster, and significantly easier.

Standing aside, Shu Wei briefly summarized the situation, then Zhong You brought Ma Hongyu over.

The two men, one after the other, walked over from the end of the carriage, and Ma Hongyu seemed curious about the neatly arranged mushroom army outside the train. He was surprised by the fungus carpet ball but remained composed. As he entered the dining car, his gaze fell upon the conductor, clearly shaking.

Though subtle, even more hidden than his earlier surprise at the fungus carpet ball, it was still caught by the sharp-eyed crowd.

While Ma Hongyu observed him, Su Huan was also appraising the newcomer.

A man in his thirties, with a beard long enough to be cultivated, tangled with his messy hair, with muddy skin, pale and fine on the exposed parts, calm demeanor, and reserved glow in his eyes.

Even without using perception to view his energy, his eyes, gait, and other details confirmed the identity of this Tier Two Evolver.

Yet, Su Huan found it puzzling; he didn’t recognize this man, but there was a vague familiarity.

Perhaps seen somewhere.

The Donghuang Heavy Industry’s provided materials were purely text-based, without photos.

Initially, there were nine forces that received the information, and five gradually perished. Tianze University’s Alumni Association was among them.

Tianze is one of the country’s top two universities, gathering Donghuang’s elite, surpassing even Black Kite, Deep Blue Data, etc., in scientific research, with many other factions’ high-level personnel having emerged from Tianze University.

Such a force perished the fastest post-apocalypse, suffering the most losses, unlike the Steel Council who left behind seeds, and Black Kite preserving significant infrastructure.

Only the Tianze Alumni Association pretty much wiped out from top to bottom.

If it weren’t for Ma Hongyu standing here, ”pretty much” could be amended to ”completely”.

”These are the items he carried. Most are ordinary tools upon inspection, except for these two with unusual characteristics.”

Giraffe placed seemingly broken items on the tabletop.

One was a simply processed red and white mushroom cap, sixty centimeters in diameter, resembling a sun hat.

The other was a tattered work outfit, covered in dust and moss, with pockets full of soil. Had Giraffe not placed it meticulously on the table, Su Huan wouldn’t have noticed this nearly rotting garment.

”You all are making me feel stripped naked. Despite being a collaborative partner with good intentions, can’t you give me some face?”

Ma Hongyu couldn’t help but mutter.

Su Huan examined the mushroom cap, and pinched some moss off the garment.

He had a rough idea.

Casually asked, ”So you survived the Spore Zone with these two items?”

”Conductor, you’re wise! You discerned instantly! That hat is called a Tranquil Mushroom, a non-intelligent mushroom. I found them where no mushroom groups fought for territory; they even coexisted there, so I picked one as a hat. Conductor, your might is outstanding, even your observations are so keen, I admire you!”

Ma Hongyu said with a smile.

Silently observing, Hu Shuo and He Jie exchanged glances, ”Not a friendly visit!”

You haven’t even boarded and already aiming for our ecological niches!

Moreover, he’s quite the chatterbox, while we dared to flatter the conductor only once after much groundwork, he did it in a flurry. Packed with hidden messages!

Su Huan, after a brief silence, was taken aback by the barrage of flattery, seeing folks who dare not speak upon seeing him getting overly familiar, was indeed novel.

”And the clothes?”

Ma Hongyu’s eyes burst with light like meeting a kindred spirit, thumb up, ”Brilliant! It’s the conductor who grasped the key instantly. This garment is even more crucial than the hat, especially the moss you pinched, the most significant...”

Listening made Su Huan’s temple throb, eyelids twitch, ”One more obnoxious line and I’ll crush you.”

Witnessing the conductor’s awkward smile, He Jie and others had odd expressions.

Ma Hongyu regretfully smacked his lips; flattery was his forte, bringing him smooth sailing in the first half of life, becoming an instinct. But of late, his high status limited opportunities to employ it, leaving him lamenting his unused dragon-slaying skill. Today, he finally met a leader, only to falter mid-performance.