Armed Train in the Apocalypse

”The alcohol here isn’t cheap.” Though he said that, the man who had just started to get up sat back down.

Seeing there was no excitement to watch, the nearby men got up and left, leaving space for the two of them.

”How much alcohol is left?” Su Huan turned to ask the old man behind the counter.

”As an outsider, you can only buy three cups.” The stout man answered Su Huan’s question for him, then gestured with his hand at the glass in front of him, ”Just about this much.”

The glass looked large, but it was thick, holding only about three hundred milliliters, meaning he could buy at most three cups.

Alcohol wasn’t an irreplaceable resource, but post-apocalyptic settlements wouldn’t waste a lot of food to brew it. For most settlements, it’s an expensive commodity, so a limit was inevitable. But for a train conductor, just three cups wouldn’t be a limitation.

With a casual gesture, Qu Hang, hiding in the shadows, had already instructed two men to go back and fetch some alcohol.

”Then let’s start with two cups.”

Su Huan pulled the [Ming Lion] from Bai Lu’s waist beside him, removed the magazine, and placed it on the table.

The stout man stared at the somewhat crudely made Ming Lion, nodded almost imperceptibly, then looked at Su Huan, ”You can ask questions, but they won’t be answered for the price of a cup of alcohol.”

With such rules, Su Huan grew to like this Iron Wolf Corps.

”About thirteen kilometers southwest, there was a big battle. How much do you know? No matter the price, I’ll pay for it.”

The man was slightly surprised, pondered for a moment, and said, ”If you’re referring to the one six days ago, the price isn’t high, just a handgun, and I can tell you everything I know.”

Without hesitation, Su Huan pushed the Ming Lion on the table over, ”It’s yours now.”

Bai Lu glanced sideways, showing no signs of distress—after all, the Boss was around, and they could get as many handguns as they needed.

Su Huan’s decisiveness silently displayed his strength once more.

”One group came from the north but didn’t go through our Iron Wolf Corps’ camp. They probably came from the direction of the resort and then stopped in Xiao Li Village. They fought with another group, but I’m not sure about the specifics, and afterward, that group retreated to the northeast.”

”If you need us, you can hire our Iron Wolf Corps to track them. In Quyan City, we’re the best Hunters.”

The man said directly.

The names the man mentioned instantly matched the map in Su Huan’s mind. Although the information was scant, the cost wasn’t high. Overall, the train conductor was satisfied with this transaction.

The old man had already brought up two pale red fruit wines. They looked somewhat cloudy, likely homemade by the settlement.

The man picked up the glass, sniffed the aroma, a look of intoxication appearing on his face, and tried to sell himself to Su Huan, ”The East City Association in the northeast isn’t as easygoing as us. If you take Hunters from the Iron Wolf Corps over there, at least they won’t cheat you.”

”What kind of force is the East City Association?”

Su Huan took a sip of the drink and casually asked. Even though he wasn’t concerned with these small factions, a little chit chat to gather information was still beneficial.

The man gulped half his drink and said cheerfully, ”Technically, I should charge you, but I like the look of you, kid, so I’ll tell you. The East City Association is a gang composed of thugs. They later recruited a few tough ones and slowly became a big force in Quyan. Our Iron Wolf Corps primarily rely on hunting, taking commissions, and doing some small businesses. They get dirty, indulging in every vice imaginable without any bottom line.”

”So the retreating force passed through the East City Association?”

”Yes, they went through their territory. They might have eaten them up, but we’re a bit far and have our rules, so we don’t get too close to them. I’m not clear on the exact situation, but I wouldn’t suggest you go nosing around.”

Seeing Qu Hang nodding at him from the corner, Su Huan turned and said, ”Bring a larger jar.”

The old man hesitated for a moment, first bringing out the largest glass, but Su Huan shook his head, signaling for something else, until he brought out the largest vat on the counter.

The men in the tavern were all attracted by this sight. The vat had always been there, but it was mostly empty. They were curious about what Su Huan intended to fill it with. Water, perhaps?

Su Huan snapped his fingers, and everyone suddenly noticed two men with crates of beer had appeared in the tavern at some unknown point in time.

Without a word, they began opening the cans of packaged beer, pouring them into the vat.

The popping sound of the cans and the sizzle of the alcohol stimulated their nerves. This wasn’t homemade fruit wine, but pre-apocalypse beer, and there were four whole crates!

Just those four crates were a fortune in the Iron Wolf Corps’ camp.

But looking at the stout man sitting there, no one dared make a move, just stared intently at the vat being filled up bit by bit.

As the vat was filled, the man’s expression became a bit complex, ”This amount of alcohol is enough to hire all of us.”

Su Huan shook his head, ”When I said to buy you a drink, I naturally meant for you. But I do want to hire two guides, they don’t need to be too skilled, just familiar with Quyan City’s layout.”

He casually crushed a green date from his pocket and tossed it into the vat.

”No problem with hiring, I’ll find you the best guides,” the man nodded, then curiously glanced at the floating fruit in the vat, ”What’s that?”

Su Huan smiled, ”Just like you guys, a date with a kick that adds a bit to the flavor of the alcohol.”

With that, he poured himself a glass of beer and took a big gulp.