Armed Train in the Apocalypse

Chapter 442: Chapter 284: Restructuring (Part 2)

”This is the map provided by Donghuang Heavy Industry, divided according to the current twelve natural disasters. However, some areas are inaccurate; the disaster margins are their guesses. The dashed lines mark the territories of other major forces, while the red lines indicate our current position and the route we will take.”

”And the final destination is the Changbai Ice Field, where the military disappeared.”

”Since I boarded the train on December 9th, it has taken five months to cross the high temperature, acid rain, and flood zones, and at least nine more major zones await us.”

”This is a long and dangerous journey, yes, but not tedious.”

”I allow people to disembark, but I absolutely do not allow anyone to hinder my advance.”

Su Huan’s voice was calm, ensuring every word was clearly heard by everyone present.

Pause for three breaths.

Everyone held their breath, waiting for the next order.

Looking at everyone’s serious demeanor, Su Huan’s gaze grew increasingly cold and grave.

In a moment when the atmosphere was frozen to ice.

Suddenly burst into mischievous laughter.

”The important things have already been said.”

”The logistics team has prepared activities in the recreation room, with free food and drinks available only until midnight. Go and relax a bit!”

”As survivors and victors, you all have the right to enjoy your lives!”

The dining car erupted into a chorus of relieved sighs and light laughter.

Between stillness and movement, everyone’s mood relaxed.

Once most people had left, Director Xu wandered back.

Only Shu Wei, Yu Yue, Nonsense, and the train conductor remained in the dining car.

If He Jie hadn’t been injured, he should be sitting here too.

Director Xu found a nearby sofa to sit on, solemnly saying, ”In the past few days, I’ve had Lin Xi assist me in testing, and the prophecy information is basically consistent; it doesn’t seem fake.”

Su Huan moved aside the teacup before him and said indifferently, ”No need. Anyway, she’s on the train; if it’s fake, we’ll find out sooner or later.”

Director Xu nodded, ”How should we deal with this prophecy then?”

Su Huan shrugged, speaking as if it were natural.

”Don’t deal with it.”

”Don’t deal with it?”

”Otherwise, do you understand what a building with no doors and no windows means?”

”Uh... primarily because we haven’t figured out the underlying logic of the High Priest’s prophecy; otherwise, at the very least, we would know what the matter involves.”

”Just prepare for sudden natural disasters as best as you can; no matter what, there will be casualties.”

Su Huan’s dark eyes remained steady as a deep well.

Director Xu nodded, ”Understood, I’ll prepare the personnel for the Pan-Energy Weapons Laboratory then.”

”No rush, ensure your own research is going smoothly before reallocating.”

Director Xu smiled wryly, ”Months of research can’t even catch up with a tenth of what you manage to snatch in one go...”

Su Huan responded gently, ”Research still needs to be done. If you don’t research well, who will I snatch from next time?”

After Director Xu left, Su Huan turned his gaze to Nonsense, who had been quietly listening, ”You’re aware of the prophecy, that’s enough; no need to worry about it. Recently, with the high flow of supplies, your tasks will be heavier. For any personnel adjustments you need, communicate directly with Shu Wei.”

Nonsense stood up respectfully, ”Understood.”

Once Nonsense had also left, only the two women remained in the dining car, Su Huan staring thoughtfully at the map on the screen.

His forefinger mindlessly tapped against the sofa, his robust tendons making his finger resemble a high-powered pile driver, producing a soft thumping sound across the couch.

He hadn’t disclosed the entire goal just now.

But a rough direction suffices; they don’t need to know what exactly the train conductor intends to do.

”The line of major forces is severed...”

Behind him, Shu Wei remarked calmly, ”If the current information holds, Donghuang’s data might even have a higher priority than the rest of the world, or rather, the earliest onset of doomsday is right within Donghuang’s borders!”

Su Huan’s gaze settled on the Changbai Ice Field, marked as the final destination.

The edge of the Storm Zone they are currently in actually belongs to Ningxi Province, two provinces away from Changbai Province, with Zhijin City belonging to Jinfeng Province, which has the largest area, and Yuchuan Province being somewhat narrower.

The two provinces span four disaster zones.

After passing through Lion’s Mouth Pass, they’ll enter Changbai Ridge in Changbai Province, essentially entering the Extreme Cold Zone.

His home is there too.

”First, find Yang Cunyi; if there is a large-scale troop movement, the military district near Lion’s Mouth Pass will definitely leave traces.”

...

Upon hearing about the activities and free drinks, He Jie—with his wound freshly stitched—arrived with a group of wounded soldiers, leaning on crutches.

Perhaps the prolonged suppression of the recent battle had driven everyone a bit wild.

Over five thousand bottles of various kinds of alcohol were consumed, depleting three whole days’ worth of food reserves from the train.

He Jie wore a stern face throughout the event; although Han Qin didn’t come, she sent He Zhenzhen to keep an eye on him, forbidding him from indulging in anything, not even letting him eat much regular food.

The Mountain Goat and his band of beasts, each time drinking, would raise a glass towards He Jie’s position.

Even until two in the morning, there were still people reluctant to leave.

Only after Su Huan appeared, did the crowd settle.

They raised a glass to the train conductor before departing obediently.

The Mongoose was cautious, barely touching her glass during the event. Even when colleagues insisted on toasting, she’d only take a light sip, eating some roast meat and departing early.

At four in the morning, a sharp whistle startled her awake.

In the dim room, a pair of amber beast eyes lit up.

Her excellent night vision allowed her to see the clock’s digits clearly.

”3:30 AM”

The damned drill had arrived.

The soldiers sharing her quarters sat up abruptly, looking at the Mongoose with uncertainty, ”Cat, did they just blow a whistle?”

”Mm.”

The Mongoose nodded, reflexively leaping from bed to quickly don her clothes and gear.

Her roommate glanced at the time and uttered a curse in frustration, ”That bunch of assholes, I just fell asleep at three!”

”Hurry up, it’s definitely because they saw us enjoying ourselves too much last night; today they’ll find a reason to whip us into shape.”

”Click.”

The door swung open, and an older woman entered.

The Mongoose, ”Sister Ling, you’re just off duty?”

The woman sighed, ”Exactly. On my way back, I saw the Mountain Goat and his crew lying in wait in the weapon hall. I’ll just have some water and go, be careful.”

By the time the Mongoose and her group were assembled in the armed hall, precisely one minute had passed.

Except for more than eighty wounded soldiers, over three hundred veteran soldiers accompanied by two hundred rookies were present.

The Mountain Goat smiled coldly, without humor, ”Those wounded were lucky, but don’t be upset; you’re lucky too. I just checked the weather for you, it’s quite chilly, all of you up on the roof deck!”

Once the Mongoose and others ascended to the deck, they understood what the Mountain Goat meant by ”chilly.”

The howling storm wailed like ghosts between the buildings, the wind and sand making it hard to keep one’s eyes open.

”Front five rows, squat down; middle five rows, half squat!”

The Mountain Goat’s voice vibrated through their lungs, overpowering the wind and sand.

The soldiers complied immediately.

”Yesterday you all had a great time, and I was happy too, but the event ended too soon, which displeased me. So what should we do?”

No one spoke.

Everyone felt a looming sense of foreboding.

The Mountain Goat saw no response, yet continued vigorously in his one-man show.

He was an expert at exhausting people.

”Start with a fifteen-kilometer armed cross-country run to warm up!”

The Mountain Goat finally finished, the soldiers’ faces fell.

Worse were the veterans transferred from the combat group, with Old Wu among them.

Because of the heavy losses in the Armed Corps, and a lack of grassroots leaders, they were brought over.

Although their rank was slightly elevated during the transfer, it was barely up to sergeant, just one rank higher than the Mongoose at best.

In the corps, anyone below lieutenant was still just a soldier.

And soldiers needed to be drilled.

Even if they were veterans, they had no choice but to haul their gear and run fifteen kilometers with the rookies.

The armed train was fifteen hundred meters long, one lap was three kilometers, requiring five laps.