Armed Train in the Apocalypse

Chapter 17: Chapter 16: Boom Arm

After speaking, she jumped down along the edge of the car roof.

”Pa”

Su Huan reached out to catch her feet, holding her calves, and pulled her into his arms.

Shaking off the stiffness in his wrists, Su Huan asked, ”How’s the penetration test up there?”

”No problem, even more perfect than welding.”

Yu Jing unscrewed the dye penetrant can, and the purplish-red liquid flowed along the welding seams of the car’s side.

Ten minutes later, after the developer was sprayed on, there were no cracks or blurs.

Su Huan nodded, after all, it was metal control, and the craftsmanship was undeniable.

By this time, dusk was approaching, and the sun was about to set.

The most complex vehicle nose collision angle was completed, and the 1.2cm armor of the first five carriages, including the car head, was welded, with a machine gun position reserved on the roof.

The steel plates on both sides of carriages 6 to 9 were welded, with most windows sealed, only leaving out two on each side to ensure basic lighting.

This way, Xiaoba didn’t need to spend extra effort cutting, just directly affix the entire steel plate.

The heavy footsteps came from the carriage as Liang Kuan carried the body wrapped in a plastic bag, his light gray short sleeves soaked with sweat on the chest.

Jumping off the carriage, he walked to a position farther from the car head and tossed it.

At this point, there were already a dozen black bags piled there.

”How many is this now?” Su Huan asked when he returned.

Liang Kuan scratched his head, ”Should be twelve.”

Su Huan nodded, ”Get on the carriage first.”

The three of them boarded from the sightseeing vehicle, and although the air conditioning was on full blast, as soon as they entered, they were hit with a strong stench.

Mixed with the cool air from the air conditioning, they all felt as if they had stepped into a morgue.

Yet Su Huan took a deep breath.

’A familiar smell.’

The carpet on the carriage floor had long been torn off and replaced with a large sheet of plastic, most of it empty, but stained with bits of flesh and blood.

Only in the middle lay a zombie.

Around it were various tools on several black metal racks: nail guns, electric drills, jackhammers, chainsaws...

It looked like a mad killer’s dismemberment chamber.

Wan Xing sat on a small chair beside the zombie, eyes closed, collecting Pan-energy Crystals with concentration.

After a long while, Wan Xing slowly opened her eyes, just in time to see Su Huan entering. She placed eleven thumb-sized Pan-energy Crystals on the table, her voice hoarse, ”Collected a total of twelve Pan-energy Crystals, but the energy was insufficient, so I used one.”

”But after ten, no matter how much energy I had, the collection speed slowed down, and there was always an unshakeable sense of fatigue.”

Su Huan took the Pan-energy Crystals in hand and advised, ”That’s because your Spiritual Power is at its limit. Don’t push yourself. A good sleep will recover it.”

”You can rest a bit before continuing. Be careful not to overexert yourself, stop when you feel it’s enough.”

Wan Xing nodded and added, ”I’ve noticed a pattern: the longer the zombie has been dead, the more Pan-energy is lost, and the smaller the crystal formed. But the ones in your hand are more balanced.”

Su Huan played with the transparent crystals, examining them, but saw no difference.

He hadn’t noticed this in his previous life.

It seemed collectors had a special way of assessing energy.

”By the way, we’re out of zombies,” Liang Kuan suddenly said nearby.

”Heh, there’s a pile in the back carriage,” Su Huan smirked.

The zombies weren’t cleared out, left to be used as evolution materials.

Otherwise, they’d have to send people to catch them when needed, causing unnecessary trouble.

Leaving Yu Jing to help Yu Yue cook, Su Huan took Liang Kuan off the carriage, with Qi Xiaobai still outside, assisting workers welding the steel plates.

As soon as he got off, Wang He approached them.

Su Huan raised an eyebrow, ”What’s up?”

Wang He looked troubled, ”What’s with all the zombies in carriage 10? The guys are too scared to go near them.”

By now, the sunset had completely dipped below the horizon, and though there was light, the world was seemingly about to plunge into darkness.

Su Huan contemplated for a moment, ”Let’s call it a day. Later, go to carriage 7. I’ll have food sent over later, pack things up before boarding, and take all the steel plates up, don’t leave a single one.”

Hearing the boss’s words, Wang He breathed a sigh of relief.

The thought of soon having food made him swallow, having gone hungry for several days, his face showing a hint of joy.

He quickly went to call the workers to board.

Su Huan followed them over. Qi Xiaobai was sitting in the electric wheelchair, the gentle night masking the trace of fatigue on the boy’s face.

Su Huan handed over a Pan-energy Crystal, ”Did you consume too much energy?”

Qi Xiaobai smiled, accepting the crystal, gripping it in his hand, ”Not bad, just a bit sunburned.”

Su Huan chuckled, ”My oversight, I’ll get you a parasol tomorrow.”

Liang Kuan quietly watched the two joke, even a fool could see that Su Huan’s attitude towards Qi Xiaobai was unusual.

It wasn’t just about valuing worth.

It was more like... a friendship.

Liang Kuan was puzzled as to why he thought this.

Was it possible that a cold-hearted person like Su Huan could have friendships?

Shaking his head, Liang Kuan dismissed these thoughts and helped lift Qi Xiaobai onto the carriage.

...

The construction crew also boarded, along with passengers returning one after another.

Although moving steel plates amid zombies was hard, under Su Huan’s training, they possessed the resolve to finish the task.

Su Huan remained by the window, watching.

Until night finally fell, he saw a dark shadow making its way toward the train, a pole at the front, resembling an armored sea beast emerging with steel tentacles.

As it came closer, the shadow revealed itself as a red forklift.

In front of the forklift was a hexagonal multi-section telescopic boom.

As the vehicle pulled up, a young man in a vest jumped out of the driver’s cabin.

His left leg slightly bent, his weight shifted onto his right foot.

Such an odd landing stance signaled either a very relaxed state or a left leg injury preventing weight-bearing.

”I brought back the boom, is the three-month free pass still valid?”

The young man asked in a deep voice.

Su Huan looked at him with a meaningful smile, ”Of course, this train is pleased to serve you in the coming days, Mr. Gao Zhe.”

Gao Zhe paid no mind to Su Huan, boarding the train on his own.

Su Huan’s gaze remained on him until he disappeared into the carriage.

Then he turned around and shouted, ”Liang Kuan, throw down two steel plates and drive the forklift up. Also, ask Xiaoba to help with the traction, it’s a big guy.”

From the room behind, Liang Kuan responded and strode out.

The sound of clattering followed as Su Huan glanced back, seeing Yu Yue pushing a train’s own dining cart toward carriage 7.

On it were freshly made boxed meals.