Armed Train in the Apocalypse

Chapter 23: Chapter 22: Train Modification Progress

The zombies in carriages 10 and 11 are mostly dead.

We’ll have to ask Wan Xing to work some extra hours, otherwise these reserve crystals will go to waste.

Su Huan patted a window full of cracks, and with a crash, the glass shattered all over the ground.

Shaking his head, he said, ”Forget it, you guys figure it out. Let’s detach this carriage and leave it here. Bring the luggage car from the back and attach it, go through the luggage inside.”

Wang He wiped the sweat off his forehead and responded with a nod.

His attitude was much more respectful than the day before.

After spending one night on the train, he understood why Su Huan was the captain.

And he felt very fortunate for having stepped up at the time.

There were two other workers of his level, but they hesitated and didn’t come forward that day.

”Alright, work hard, and communicate with Xiaoba if there’s anything,”

Su Huan said with a yawn.

This time, apart from Gao Zhe and the construction team’s 120 workers, the remaining passengers were still kicked off the train.

However, there weren’t any tasks involving steel plates, just regular resource gathering without the strict requirement of finding medicine. Bringing back purified water would earn a random mood discount from the captain.

After assigning tasks, Su Huan returned to the train to catch up on sleep.

He was awoken by noise at two in the afternoon, and upon opening the door, he saw Yu Jing instructing Qi Xiaobai on something at the end of his carriage.

”What are you doing here?” Su Huan walked over and curiously asked.

Qi Xiaobai was manipulating a metal plate in his hand as Yu Jing explained.

”Didn’t you say each carriage needs to have a four-ton water purification tank reserved?”

Su Huan understood, ”It’s time to make the water tank. We’re running low on purified water, haven’t showered in a while.”

The third carriage originally had eight compartments. He had merged three of them, now serving as both a modification room and sleeping quarters.

Although he wasn’t picky about sleep quality, it would be best to separate them in the future.

That would require at least six compartments, leaving one at each end.

Now, the back one had been dismantled by Yu Jing, with Xiaoba using stainless steel to make a water tank.

Looking at the remaining space, ”It seems like there’s enough room for the fuel tank too.”

Yu Jing pulled a pencil from her hair and sketched a few strokes on a drawing, crisply saying, ”Almost done, we’ll finish it soon. Xiaoba’s skills are impressive, the welded metal has no seams, completely sealed.”

Su Huan touched his forehead and said, ”Let’s dismantle the front compartment too, turn it into an open-style small living room.”

”Okay.”

After giving instructions, he walked towards the back of the train.

First, he checked on the progress of the steel plating.

The first thirteen carriages had their steel armor welded on, with high detail completion. Every window had an explosion-proof net, and gaps were filled by Xiaoba’s skills.

The surface was very smooth, without a single burr.

Some large scratched dents were also smoothed out; if it weren’t for the bloodstains that hadn’t been cleaned, last night’s wave of corpses would seem like a dream.

Each carriage edge had three twenty-centimeter triangular protrusions added to prevent large-scale attacks from directly contacting the carriage.

Only the two sides of the rear five carriages had simple welding.

There wasn’t time to add explosion-proof nets.

The luggage carriage replaced carriage 24, and the broken carriage was abandoned on the side track. It felt like the train moved while sleeping, but he paid no mind, assuming it was just moving that thing.

The workers sat on the carriages or by the tracks, eating box lunches.

Su Huan glanced over; it was stir-fried shredded potatoes with vinegar and sliced dried chili peppers.

After checking the progress, he entered the train for a routine material inspection.

Even though Su Huan seemed to just take without organizing, he knew better than anyone how much stuff was on the train.

No doubt using people without suspicion is fine, but you should know what’s there in your heart.

Especially things as crucial as this.

Gentle footsteps approached.

Su Huan instinctively glanced to the side.

Yu Yue came walking from the other side of the carriage, wearing an apron over her knitted sweater, the bright yellow highlighting her face, enhancing her gentle charm.

”Brother Su, the meal is ready,”

Su Huan stood up and stretched, ”What did you make?”

”The main dish is potato stewed beef, vinegar-fried vegetable dumplings, then two seafood dishes, one spicy, one not, along with a corn rib soup.”

Su Huan gave Aunt Yu a surprised look; it covered sweet, sour, salty, and fresh flavors.

She seemed to have put some thought into it.

Yu Yue saw the half-sorted supplies at Su Huan’s feet and quickly bent down to tidy them.

Su Huan also categorized some scattered items and tossed them onto the shelf.

He picked some short-shelf-life food to give to Yu Yue.

”That’s enough, no need to tidy up further, let’s go.”

Yu Yue then stopped, trying to maintain a suitable distance from Su Huan, but the storage carriage aisle was only that wide. If Su Huan didn’t move, she couldn’t pass through.

The night light turned off, and the light from the car behind cast over Su Huan’s profile, hitting Yu Yue’s hands clutching various items, so firmly that they turned slightly pale.

Su Huan sensed her hesitation and slightly turned aside.

Yu Yue nervously moved past, feeling the slightest brush of his breath on her skin as she passed him, yet nothing happened.

No imagined mishandling either.

For some reason, she felt a tinge of disappointment.

”You can shower every three days, but not for more than ten minutes.”

Su Huan reminded her.

Though Aunt Yu still smelled nice, her hair by the temples had become greasy, sticking to her face, a bit like those housewives in Korean dramas entangled by desires.

He still preferred the refreshing warmth, like bedding aired under the sun.

Yu Yue’s elegant neck tinged red, emitting a soft, mosquito-like ”Mm...”

Her legs moved quickly, eager to dart out of the carriage.

Su Huan found it slightly odd; he merely mentioned it offhandedly while thinking about train water usage.

After she passed, he went over, took a few bottles of soda from the shelf, and headed to the dining carriage.

The meal was set on the table, and everyone was waiting for him.

”Get me a cup, and some ice too,” Su Huan said.

Seeing him, everyone sat down in turns.

Under the warm yellow sunlight, the sour vinegar aroma of sweet and sour dumplings mingled with the fragrance of rib soup, emanating toward the nasal cavity.

Su Huan poured a glass of cola, watching the tiny bubbles burst refreshingly against the whiskey ice cubes, and drank it down in one go.

Enjoying the icy cola flowing smoothly from his throat to his stomach.

Pushing away the heat.

”Ah~ Comfortable!”

”You all have some too,”

Su Huan passed the bottles of soda around.

After pouring their drinks, everyone instinctively looked at Su Huan.

The group had figured out his routine, that breakfast usually involved assigning tasks, while dinner was for reviewing them.

Seeing them so on point, Su Huan was very pleased.

”You’ve all seen the results of the first phase of armoring the train last night. I’m satisfied with the current results, but we still need to speed up.”