Armed Train in the Apocalypse

Very soon, everyone will know the conductor’s attitude. There will be no talk of the apocalypse and Eternal Night today.

As for those anxiously awaiting the truth, let them wait.

...

A huge bonfire was lit on the empty ground in front of the house, and next to it, a temporary stove was built stretching a full two hundred meters, arranged in three rows. The cooks, exuberant, roamed between the rows of stoves, their faces glowing red, as if this were their day of great joy.

Tonight, there wasn’t even a whisper of wind; all the aromas of food and wine were kept within a ten-kilometer radius by Qu Hang.

The meticulously preserved wines and spirits by Hu Shuo were all brought out. Those tasteless spirits and foreign liquors from pre-apocalyptic times were reserved for women and children, while men drank the newly brewed concoctions of the logistics group this year—some fiery, some sweet with the scent of iron-skinned pumpkins, some enhancing life force, and others just strong as hell.

The ”little snacks” grown exclusively for Su Huan by the likes of Huang Sea had all been brewed into various drinks over the past three years, which regular people simply couldn’t handle—only evolvers above Tier Three could endure them.

This time, they were all brought out.

Even the genetic warriors on the outskirts were given drinks and freshly cooked ”potent pot”.

With a base of lots of sweet and spicy onions, then a pound of sauce made from red chili fruits, and freshly rendered tiger oil poured in. The moment the spicy air hit them, people got three points more spirited, and wolf, tiger, and snake meat was delivered frame by frame to every camp.

Using daggers to cut while eating, as soon as it hit their stomachs, that long-missed spiciness immediately awakened their taste buds and numbed memories.

Some were moved to tears while eating, claiming it was the spiciness that did it, sparking rounds of laughter.

With Su Huan present, there was no need for vigilance, and even the sentries could feast to their hearts’ content tonight.

For events like this, the most excited were the children. Without phones or games, without being isolated by concrete and steel, everyone gathered together, the long-lost warmth returning. When groups of kids clustered together on the side, even the most well-behaved of them grew wild at heart. The adults told them not to run outside the camp while cajoling them with laughter.

The mobs of children were like a gust of wind, bringing laughter to every place they went.

Su Yi naturally stayed with his friends. Every place held infinite attraction for them, and the past three years had not lit up as brightly as tonight, not even a tenth as much during the most important holidays.

His mother said it was to celebrate his father’s return in triumph. He didn’t know what ”triumph” meant, but he felt everyone had come alive again. In his heart, the word ”father” became synonymous with triumph, celebration, and grandeur.

Father would bring war and death, but he would also bring grand celebration.

Su Huan had just tasted a couple bites of pear tree leaves stir-fried tiger meat when He Jie and a group of officer corps came up to surround him. Besides the old-timers like Mountain Goat and Pang Tu, there were newcomers like Mongoose, Huayang, Liu Zi, and some unfamiliar faces.

For every introduction He Jie made, Su Huan would take a drink. After introducing all the lieutenants, Su Huan’s face was still unchanged.

He Jie had no thoughts of backing down and proceeded to introduce the officers of the genetic warriors, switching from a regular cup to a tankard. In the end, He Jie just stripped to the waist and went all in, with Su Huan being game for everything. As a result, He Jie became the first to fall in this event.

Watching He Jie being carried off by Qu Hang, Liang Kuan, who had been silent, suddenly remarked, ”He hasn’t slept well for a long time.”

Su Huan remained silent; he could indeed see the fire burning in He Jie’s chest. Because of just one sentence, it had burned for three years, keeping him restless. It was only today that it finally began to die down.

”By the way, why haven’t I seen Lin Jin?”

Su Huan inquired.

Liang Kuan seemed surprised, ”Didn’t you see him?”

Su Huan expanded his awareness and, after a moment, confidently replied, ”He isn’t here. How could I have seen him?”

”No, I meant in the Eternal Night Zone.”

”Huh?”

Through Liang Kuan’s brief recounting, Su Huan discovered he had missed Lin Jin in the Eternal Night Zone.

Yet he wasn’t particularly worried. With the talent of reaching Tier Five fourth times in five lifetimes, not much in the Eternal Night Zone could harm him, as long as he didn’t rashly venture into another world.

Moreover, with the military and his seniors standing by, the worst-case scenario was being temporarily stuck in Eternal Night, which wasn’t a huge issue.

Su Huan was somewhat speechless, ”This is truly the residue of a long night...”

The officer corps withdrew, and a group of old men approached.

Just as he was about to eat more food and brace himself for a new round of encircling, he suddenly caught sight of some long-lost figures among the crowd.

His eyes went from shock to teasing, ”How did Guan Chong’s Tieshan float to Changbai?”

The old man coming toward him had gray hair and wore an old-fashioned military coat, but his spirit was even more robust than in the old days, not inferior to the old generals Su Huan had seen in the Eternal Night Zone.

With robust articulation, Qi Tieshan exclaimed, ”My ancestors fought and shed blood here. Why can’t I come? As long as this place buried our people from Donghuang, it’s Donghuang’s land! But you, why have you lost your arrogance from before?”

Su Huan replied airily, ”I’m at least a division commander now, what need is there to spar with a retired old man?”

Qi Tieshan patted his shoulder, pointing at his empty collar proudly, ”Originally, I had two stars! If I hadn’t chosen to retire, even if you were a division commander, you would have to salute me first.”

For the contentious old man, Su Huan didn’t argue, ”Aren’t you curious how I became a division commander?”

”I smelled you from far away; not only have you met them, but you’ve also become one of them.”

Qi Tieshan said with certainty.

Su Huan pouted, ”It’s a temporary rank, I don’t acknowledge it.”

Qi Tieshan, however, smiled and said, ”I’ve been a soldier all my life, and I can tell at a glance if someone is a soldier. You’ve already been marinated through and through! Have you met Yang Cunyi?”

Su Huan opened his mouth, then sighed lightly.

”He’s dead?” Qi Tieshan furrowed his brows, ”A soldier dying on the battlefield is dying rightly, nothing to taboo. Have you heard of someone named He Wei during your trip? He was also one of my soldiers.”

Su Huan’s eyes turned peculiar, recalling how he’d been promoted to division commander on the front lines. No wonder it felt so familiar—it turned out these stubborn ones were all trained by this old man.

No wonder each had a fearless spirit, with the roots lying with this stubborn old-timer before him.

”He’s alive though.”

Qi Tieshan nodded, looking at Su Huan, wanting to ask something, but finally said, ”I want to go to the battlefield.”

Su Huan was speechless, ”At your age, just getting onto the bed is tough. What battlefield are you talking about? Isn’t it nice to go home and take care of your grandson?”

”Now, Xiaodong manages the shelter. As for whether I can fight, don’t worry about it. You just need to send me in.”

Qi Tieshan stated matter-of-factly.

”I’m not your subordinate, I don’t have to.”

”You promised me once.”

”That was to send your son, not you.”

”Just change it to sending me. He’s useless; even if he goes in, he can’t change anything. It still has to be me personally!”

Su Huan laughed out of exasperation. If it were a few years ago, he might have retorted with ’and so are you,’ but facing this stubborn Iron Old Man now, he couldn’t bring himself to say it.

Instead, he curiously asked, ”How do you know there will be another war?”

Qi Tieshan responded proudly, ”It’s the intuition of a veteran!”

...

Edge of the station.

Ge Mian looked at Fu Lanshan inside the room and several Tier Four evolvers, then glanced incredulously at his nephew Huayang.

”Will I be locked up here too?”

The latter picked at the sturdy tiger tendon in his teeth, ”What else, Uncle Pang? You stay here; I’m off to eat.”

Ge Mian lamented angrily, ”You’re leaving your uncle locked here while you go eat. Do you have any conscience? I’ll complain to your father!”

Huayang nonchalantly commented, ”Don’t worry; my dad would get the same treatment.”