Armed Train in the Apocalypse

But Gao Yuan was still unwilling to give up, ”Is it possible that it’s compensation for the two of us?”

”Compensation? You know very well what kind of people are up there.”

Tong Zizhan sneered.

”So what do we do?”

Gao Yuan, with a conflicted expression, toyed with the ring in his hand. He wasn’t truly naive about being an undercover agent; once Tong Zizhan dispelled his wishful thinking, he quickly understood the company’s intentions—these two sets of Tier Two Genetic Potions were meant to force them to take sides.

Whether they used them themselves or handed them to the convoy, they couldn’t negate the established fact that they were Deep Blue Data’s undercover agents and had remained in contact!

Without this potion, if they directly came clean to the convoy leader, it could be explained away as developing a fondness for the train and defecting. But with this potion, whether they handed it over or not, it was hard to explain.

This isn’t a small favor; it’s two complete sets of Tier Two Genetic Potions!

With their youthful and vigorous Life Force, combined with their coordinated skills, they’d almost certainly become Tier Two Evolvers. Should they head into the wilderness, they could easily become leaders of a medium or even large-sized faction!

Moreover, they’ve been provided with a hundred Tier Two Pan-energy Crystals. Even though there seem to be hundreds or thousands of these on the train, making them appear cheap, a small faction like Black Star Convoy, which has five Tier One Evolvers, has to be cautious against a Tier Two Zombie.

A Tier Two Zombie appearing near a common wilderness settlement would spell disaster!

Only armed large forces and top factions can hunt high-tier zombies en masse and cultivate Tier Three Evolvers.

If you hand over these precious resources, a normal person won’t believe you’re defecting; they’d suspect you’re hiding even more, harboring bigger ambitions!

He won’t see the A you sacrificed; he’ll only suspect you have BCD...

This is the majority of people, instinctively maintaining the highest level of suspicion and speculation, not because of human wickedness, but because this speculation benefits them most.

”Old Gao, do you trust me?”

Tong Zizhan looked up and asked.

Seeing his partner’s slightly reddened whites of the eyes, Gao Yuan snorted, ”Nonsense, aren’t all decisions made by you? Whatever you say, we’ll follow through, no matter the outcome, we’re in this together.”

”Bang!”

Tong Zizhan slammed the box shut, exuding a fierce resolve, ”Then we’ll hand everything over.”

Gao Yuan’s eyebrows twitched, ”Come clean?”

”Today!”

...

A light rain fell in the morning, causing mushrooms on the Fungus Carpet to shoot up like bamboo after rain. In the time it took to eat, giant umbrella mushrooms had already grown over ten meters tall, and pale gray mist spread once again, causing Wen Biao and his crew trouble as they cleared the path. Fortunately, the convoy was only a kilometer or two away from the Gravity Zone; just a little more persistence and they’d be through.

The shell on the roof, made primarily of crab exoskeleton, was very smooth, ensuring clothes wouldn’t get wet when seated.

Su Huan habitually sat with one knee bent at the front edge of the car, with Su Han behind him holding a bowl of fruit, her face wrapped in a large piece of blue-purple Fungus Carpet. Nowadays, Shu Wei was responsible for nearly all administrative matters on the train and hardly had time to even be in bed, let alone stand behind him staring into space.

It was precisely Shu Wei’s diligence that allowed the convoy leader some downtime.

”What have you been studying lately?”

Gazing at Wen Biao and others working in Power Armor, Su Huan casually asked.

The latter responded respectfully, ”Theoretical classes: Philosophy, History, Mathematics, Management, Practical lessons: Material Collection, Potion Making, Emergency Response Handling.”

Su Huan imagined Wan Xing using a chainsaw for material collection and decided to skip over that, ”What potion are you able to make?”

Su Han reflected a hint of embarrassment, ”For now, just Pan-energy Recovery Potions.”

Su Huan replied flatly, ”Having results is already good; it’s a very practical skill. What’s the emergency response handling course about?”

”Mr. Hu Shuo oversees my management course and assigned me tasks related to dealing with minor emergencies on the train.” At this point, Su Han’s delicate eyebrows furrowed, ”But my recent assignment is very complex, and I’ve been pondering it for a long time without a good solution.”

Su Huan’s curiosity was piqued, ”Tell me about it.”

Su Han observed Wen Biao and his crew below and said, ”During your battles, some disturbances occurred among the convoy’s followers, which Wen Biao resolved with force.”

”Isn’t that a good thing?”

”However, in the information I’ve gathered, there was a report claiming that the disturbance was instigated by a mysterious organization hiding within the convoy, and it alleges that Wen Biao is a member of this organization. If this information is correct, it means Wen Biao’s actions weren’t to maintain stability and your authority but rather to eliminate information and protect that hidden organization.”

”But apart from that, I have no evidence proving Wen Biao’s affiliation with that mysterious organization, so I’ve been unsure how to classify this emergency.”

’A mysterious organization hidden within the convoy?’

Su Huan was slightly startled.

He then thought of the Tongzhou Association; he was now the acting president of Tongzhou Association, but he hadn’t assigned any tasks recently and Zhang Qiang was a straightforward guy, unlikely to stir things up secretly. Perhaps some information here was distorted; he should later synchronize granularity with the vice president.

”Could I seek advice from father on how to handle such situations? Mr. Hu said you managed to become part of a top faction within a year starting from scratch, your management skills are unfathomable...”

Su Huan’s eyelid twitched, ”You haven’t even learned the basics of Hu Shuo’s subtle flattery.”

The girl felt awkward but maintained her composure.

Finding her expression familiar, Su Huan asked puzzledly, ”You’re not learning from Shu Wei too, are you?”

”No, I’ve learned a bit about mechanical repair from Sister Yu Jing, but she thought I was too stupid and advised me to study something else...”

”She told you to learn things, but not to mimic her expressions and mannerisms.”

”Oh.”

Being reprimanded, Su Han seemed to relax and regain her gentle, vulnerable girlish charm, rather than feign coldness.

Su Huan thought since there were no major issues, he casually explained, ”As for this matter, the solution lies within the problem itself. What was your assignment again?”

”To handle... minor emergencies.”

Su Han’s bright eyes moved slightly, clearly with a hint of confusion.

Su Huan replied flatly, ”Who died?”

”Followers of the convoy.”

”And who killed them?”

”Also survivors.”

Su Han seemed to comprehend Su Huan’s point, hesitating, ”So, it’s unimportant?”

Su Huan spread his hands, his lips curving into a mocking smile, ”Survivors killing survivors, what’s it got to do with my convoy? The only thing impacted is that the bodies ended up on the train, which isn’t complicated to handle—just have Wen Biao clean up the corpses, wipe the floor clean, and if it’s a nuisance, give him a good scolding, and the problem’s solved, isn’t it?”

Su Han’s mouth opened slightly, stunned by Su Huan’s response.

Is this the unfathomable management skill of her father?

But it does seem quite reasonable; this matter is indeed unrelated to the convoy.

This is how the convoy leader handles issues: I’m detached when unaffected, and forceful when interests are at stake!

Seeing her still a bit bewildered, Su Huan continued:

”Problem-solving depends on your categorization. Different categorizations lead to different outcomes. Just consider if the result is what you need.”

”If both are our people, you can also categorize—those questioning me are dead, Wen Biao supports me, hence Wen Biao is our person.”

”If Wen Biao supports some organization, just mentally note it and verify later.”

”Judge actions, not intentions; in this matter, Wen Biao is our person.”

”Handle things separately, don’t mix everything together. Kill where needed, offer incense where needed, never confuse debt and favor.”