Armed Train in the Apocalypse

Professor Ma took two steps forward and saw an iron can stomping its foot in place.

”Morning, Cheng Xi.”

Professor Ma greeted with a smile, like an old man in the park.

Director Xu’s voice, mechanically transformed, echoed from inside, ”You’re Tier Two now and can withstand extreme cold temperatures. Even though I’m wearing this customized power armor, I can only endure for a while.”

”Rare opportunity to take a stroll, did you bring the sled?”

Director Xu looked around, ”Yes, they’re here.”

A Four-armed Fierce Ghost came over dragging a giant kangaroo, which was clearly unhappy with the cold environment, hopping around to keep warm.

Looking at the towering height of the kangaroo, Professor Ma was a bit stunned, ”It’s too big, but this kangaroo can withstand such low temperatures.”

Director Xu: ”This kangaroo is for some reason more fond of fire. Although it’s cold-averse, its resistance to cold is quite good.”

”The age of evolution for all things...”

Professor Ma sighed and then handed the sled over to the Four-armed Fierce Ghost, hesitantly asking, ”Su Huan...”

Director Xu was silent for a moment, then confidently said, ”The brain of a Tier Four Evolver is definitely fine. Any damage will be optimally repaired.”

”Is it possible there was trauma before, memory loss, and then gradually repaired during evolution?”

”Can’t rule it out, but the probability is small. To cause that level of schizophrenia, it would have to be a massive trauma, surely with brain function loss, making advancement even less possible.”

”Who knew gene collapse could promote an advance.”

”That’s a completely different matter, and that condition is too extreme, impossible to replicate, not worth discussing.”

”Oh.”

Professor Ma sighed with worry, ”Then it’s a mental issue.”

Director Xu was silent.

Excluding physical explanations, the remaining one, no matter how absurd or bizarre, could possibly be the truth.

Su Huan was always conscious.

Just indulging in moments of indulgence.

”But it’s good, the conductor has changed a lot.”

”How has he changed?”

”He has a focal point in this world, before he always seemed like an outsider.”

Then Professor Ma took the rope handed over by Four-armed Fierce Ghost and enthusiastically sat on the sled, patting the seat beside him, ”Hop in!”

Director Xu speechlessly looked at his friend, ”While you’re playing with this boring stuff, I’d rather research Yu Jing’s simplified genetic transformation potion.”

”There’s always time for research; why not relax today?”

”At this age...”

Ten minutes later, in the snowy field surrounding Su Huan’s house, a giant kangaroo was hopping like a flea, with the sled almost flung up to the sky and the snow mist blowing onto He Jie’s face.

...

Su Huan naturally didn’t know the two old fellows were discussing him.

He had gotten used to suppressing his perception to almost a normal person’s level, though he no longer had that ”omniscient” control over the world, he had gained a faint sense of anticipation toward life.

Picking up the diary again, Su Huan skipped over this period.

Such a beautiful time is unfitting for this cruel world.

”June 20, 2037, Extreme Cold, -89°C”

”My memory has issues.”

Su Huan calmly wrote this sentence, then thought about it, crossed it out quickly, and wrote a small line, ”It’s been three months now, I’m really looking forward to him.”

Hearing a call from behind, Su Huan looked up warmly, ”What is it?”

Yu Yue’s pretty face was tinged with seriousness, ”Someone’s looking for you.”

Su Huan raised his eyebrows in surprise, ”Who?”

”Northern Alliance, Tasia Anas.”

A clear voice came from outside the window, with a Donghuang accent carrying a slight exotic tone.

”They’ve come right to the doorstep.”

Su Huan stood up smiling and opened the window, a pair of steel-blue eyes gazed back, with features as delicate as a snow doll, a barely-restrained Tier Three presence carried wind and snow, gripping attention, and the gun on the armed train had already altered its direction. Lin Jin stood prominently on the train’s front, declaring his presence loudly.

Xiaoba was nowhere to be found; given that kid’s habits, he was probably crouching somewhere ready to give Tasia a hard time.

”My wife made potato stew, want to come in and try it?”

Su Huan leaned his hands on the window frame, inviting the long-distance guest like an ordinary man.

Tasia’s delicate face under a white stand-up collar was stunned for a moment, then she looked at Su Huan with a mix of curiosity and caution, like opening a new world, confirming the other’s demeanor wasn’t feigned, Tasia instead fell into deeper confusion.

Are we good friends?

You just robbed my goods in the Gravity Zone and now you invite me over?

Conspiracy!

Definitely a Donghuang people’s conspiracy!

Tasia, with her unparalleled wisdom, arrived at the answer in a second.

And then she resolutely declined Su Huan’s invitation.

Yet she persistently hoped to talk with the conductor.

Su Huan thought, ”Then you might have to wait a bit.”

Tasia’s fine eyelashes slightly blinked, as time was still ample, she agreed.

Closing the window, turning around, he saw Yu Yue asking regretfully, ”Are you leaving?”

”Why would I leave?” Su Huan closed the notebook and gently hugged the woman, ”This is our home.”

”Then...”

”Let’s eat first, I’m hungry.”

”But she’s still waiting outside.”

”I invited her, she’s the one choosing to wait outside.” Su Huan shrugged innocently.

Seeing Su Huan return to that mischievous demeanor, Yu Yue instead reassuredly went to fetch their meal, not because she didn’t like Su Huan’s gentle side, but it always felt somewhat unreal.