Armed Train in the Apocalypse

The combat boot stepped over the cave, a person with the Armed Train badge on their shoulder hurriedly ran through, asking urgently before even reaching the room, ”Where’s the long-distance communication coming from?”

”From the Gravity Zone, relay by Donghuang Heavy Industry.”

”Finally, some action, make sure it doesn’t get cut off. Can we listen in?”

”You’ll need to submit a request, otherwise you’ll be kicked out automatically, plus the energy consumption is immense.”

”At this point, who cares about energy cost? Have all the ’Power Suppliers’ at the station come here, keep it stable—”

A sharp whistle made everyone in the room pause for a moment.

”Group up! Civilian attack on the sentry post!”

”Everyone, gather!”

”Damn it, why now? Get everyone over here first...”

In the jungle, a slender agile figure darted among the forest, the body pale blue like jade, eyes bright green.

...

Gravity Zone, Donghuang Heavy Industry.

Inside the core office.

”Boom boom boom—”

”Can’t figure out such a minor issue, is the person in charge over there carrying a height booster on their shoulder?”

”And when will the materials be collected from there? What are they waiting for? Waiting for me to wring their neck personally? What the hell...****”

Yang Ruoyu stood emotionless at the door, watching Lian Jin sneaking over.

”How long has this been going on?”

”Since the Armed Train left, the boss’s temper has been getting worse by the day.”

”That’s some kind of frustration...”

Lian Jin realized.

”Lian Jin, get your damn self inside!”

Lian Jun’s angry roar came from inside the room.

Lian Jin adjusted his white suit, struck a pose, and cheerfully said, ”Sis, guess what good news I brought you?”

As soon as he entered the room, a glove flew straight toward his face.

A Tier Three charge was something a Tier Two like Lian Jin couldn’t react to, and he was struck dizzy.

”I’m here to bring good news! Good news!”

Lian Jin shrank into a corner of the room, looking at his sister’s high-raised chop kick, he cried desperately.

”Release!”

”Someone is communicating with the Armed Train, using our line! I came to notify you as soon as I got it!”

”Boom!”

Lian Jin crashed through the wall like a ball, flying out of the room.

Yang Ruoyu sighed inwardly at the large hole in the wall, told you not to go in, and now another wall needs repairs.

Lian Jun’s fierce voice came from the room.

”They didn’t call me specifically, why should I go?”

Lian Jin dragged his leg to stand up, gritting his teeth from the pain, ”Then don’t go, why hit me?”

”Bang!”

Another glove flew out from the broken wall, hitting Lian Jin who rolled over in silence.

A woman wearing a mink coat calmly walked out, her one-meter-eight height and perfect proportions, resembling a queen about to ascend the throne.

Her voice was cold, ”Let me see what lousy fish and shrimp are using my Donghuang Heavy Industry’s line. If they’re talking nonsense, Su Huan can be prepared to lose his pants!”

...

The same thing was happening in Zhijin of the Storm Zone, and Iron Mountain Shelter in the Flood Zone.

All stations were diligently maintaining communication; although occasionally some snippets about the Armed Train could be heard from other forces, they hadn’t heard the captain’s orders for a long time.

Ever since the train headed north, it seemed to have completely disappeared.

Everything reverted to counting supplies, anxiously waiting through time like the apocalypse.

Chaos, fighting, scarce supplies—all problems coming one after another, leaving people little time to ponder; that man and the train seemed like mere fantasies in the apocalypse.

But the order he left behind was concrete.

Zhijin had become the largest human settlement in the entire Storm Zone, showing trends of developing into a major base city, the internal market absorbing surrounding survivors and resources, while externally collaborating with Li Wood Ecosystem and Black Kite. Under Li Xinlong’s leadership, the core area of Zhijin even returned to the state it was before the apocalypse.

Iron Mountain Shelter had gained more plantable food, with Tide Watching Island providing transit space, most crucially, the order here began to replant itself.

For humanity, where there is order, there is survival space.

Even the worst kind of order.

Armed Train, Shun’an Station.

The Acid Rain Zone’s weather remained gloomy, with a light drizzle falling, the base’s steel-grey watchtower also showing unsightly corrosion marks.

Luckily, the strength of the acid rain wasn’t high, not causing catastrophic harm to the people living here. In this accumulation of resistance, people found ways to coexist with the environment.

Wan Hao stood on the watchtower of the outer wall of the base, overlooking the entire base.

In the center water pit, a steel behemoth emerged from the water, accompanied by the whistle, widening the car body brought great balance and stability, the headlights like the eyes of a giant beast easily tearing through the rain curtain, illuminating everything ahead in great detail.

”Firewood Fire’s third sealed test was successful, no water ingress in the carriages, the internal electronic equipment...”

Upon hearing this voice, Wan Hao felt complicated emotions, clapping his hands with sentimentality, said to Old Yuan beside him, ”Back then the captain stood here watching the Armed Train emerge from the water.”

Old Yuan also sighed, ”Time passes so fast, sometimes lying in bed, I still think it’s yesterday, open my eyes and want to rush to work, always need a moment to react...”

No more time was spared for reminiscing, upon learning the communication had been successfully established, even Wan Hao’s steps were filled with excitement.

Inside the room, the communication device was endlessly consuming Pan-energy Crystal, but no one paid attention to it, all eyes both inside and outside the room fell upon Wan Hao in the center.

Under the guidance of the staff, Wan Hao pressed the button.

Speaking with the most solemn attitude, ”This is the Acid Rain Zone, Armed Train Shun’an Station, I’m stationmaster Wan Hao, requesting to speak with the captain...”

The clear voice repeated three times at an even pace, everyone held their breath.

But the device did not emit any sound from the other side, only the steady consumption of energy proving the communication was ongoing.

Just when Wan Hao was about to repeat again, a clear voice came through from the other side, pleasantly saying, ”Hmm, long time no see.”

A simple, ordinary sentence that made the majority of those on this line skip a heartbeat.

Then came immense joy.

Everyone at Shun’an Station witnessing this moment let out silent cries, no one knew how much effort they had poured into researching long-distance communication devices.

For trains or major forces, Pan-energy communication devices had long become commonplace, personal communications iterated numerous times with fancy features, but for small forces like Shun’an Station, every step was challenging.

Pan-energy Crystal, talent, resources...

In the apocalypse, even the smallest part could halt a force’s progress entirely.

Industrial collapse happens quickly, but rebuilding is tantamount to a fool’s dream.

Each link is custom-made manually, an error equates to everyone’s work going down the drain.

But luckily, they succeeded.

Even Wan Hao felt a bit teary-eyed when he heard Su Huan’s voice.

”Long time no see, captain.”

Inside the Armed Train, Su Huan was also somewhat wistful upon hearing the voice from over ten thousand kilometers away.

Nurturing Wan Hao initially was just a casual move, as for the supply of parts, it was a spur-of-the-moment idea, back then he wasn’t sure if the train could return.

But unexpectedly, Wan Hao managed to reach out himself.

The exorbitant cost of long-distance communication curtailed the greetings to two sentences, after which Wan Hao swiftly offered his thoughts.

Every word had been thought over countless times in advance, leaving no excess.

”Are you saying... you want to send another train?”

After a brief pause, Su Huan reconfirmed with a strange emotion.

”Yes, I want to send another train from the Acid Rain Zone, named Firewood Fire.”