Doomsday: I Build an Infinite Train.

Chapter 318 Nighttime Preparations
The blueprint in the R&D center made Lin Xian feel a sudden rush of light; he never expected the R&D center to present such a blueprint.

Because this is the latest shipborne energy weapon that the Interstellar Force has only recently put into service, before Apocalypse Day, Lin Xian had a heated discussion with a group of military enthusiasts online about how this weapon could cause terrifying thermal damage and how the strong electromagnetic field it released could induce the EMP effect of transient high voltage in the target circuit!

Ke Lin's first reaction at this moment was...

Can this thing be loaded onto a train?

He glanced at the specifications: the main gun alone was over 53 meters long, and there was also a high-energy particle accelerator the size of half a basketball court—he couldn't fit that thing in even two disassembled train carriages…

Even if it could fit, the second problem is that the energy density is insufficient.

The Gemini 11R has a nuclear thermal efficiency of 290 megawatts. If the energy storage device were to accelerate particles to the critical point, the entire train would probably have to shut down and turn off the lights.

"R&D center, you've really played a joke on me."

At this moment, Lin Xian felt as if ten thousand galloping horses were galloping through his mind. Even with the blueprint, he didn't know where to start.

Turn the train into a starship?
Let's not even talk about whether Lin Xian can actually do it right now; isn't that all for a dish of vinegar to make dumplings...?

A problem has arisen. Lin Xian looked at the R&D center and felt a headache coming on. He had originally planned to upgrade the blueprints for the railgun and then try putting the 1130 in, but now he had to give up on that idea.

The blueprints, which took so long to develop, are useless for the time being. Although the Zhenxing Cannon looks very powerful and imposing, if it is just a blueprint, it is useless to Lin Xian in his current situation if he cannot build it.

And those basic weapons don't seem to need upgrading at the moment.

Just then, Lin Xian turned to look at Sasha, who was wearing goggles and studying the arc string vibrator, and immediately thought of another powerful weapon.

Vulcan!
This blueprint is of a high level; current mechanical manufacturing level: 5; research time increased by 50%.

[T8-Z Vulcan Assault Blueprint Development Time: 28 days 23 hours]

Lin Xian looked at the information that popped up from the R&D center and his expression became firm. If this thing could be developed into a higher-level heavy mech, even if it was overweight, it should be able to be towed away by a train.

Having experienced Xilan City, Lin Xian's optimism about mechs has greatly increased. In the face of large-scale disasters, the tactical value of large mechs, which are good at both offense and defense, is sometimes higher than that of most superhumans.

However, Sasha is the only one in the team who can drive it right now, so Lin is thinking that he can build a few more Vulcans when he has time, and at the same time upgrade this powerful weapon.

With this in mind, Lin Xian immediately confirmed the research and development.

"Brother Lin, this desert region is unpredictable and dangerous. It seems we must deal with the bandits as soon as possible, otherwise, if we stay here too long, we might encounter some ghostly things at night."

In Longshan No. 1, Shi Diyuan, Ning Jing, and a group of key personnel were in the discussion carriage, listening to the reports from each carriage with grim expressions.

Fortunately, there was no fighting or battle tonight, so everyone was not panicked. Otherwise, under such a high intensity of darkness, Shi Diyuan had no idea how many of the thousands of people on Longshan No. 1 would have fallen.

He had been on tenterhooks just now, so before Lin Xian could speak, he voiced his concerns.

"Yes, water is also a problem. The no-man's-land is too big. It will take us at least two or three days, not including unexpected situations."

Lin Xian said into the communicator that the core members of the Infinite had also arrived at carriage number 2.

At this moment, Lin Xian briefly discussed the situation of Aksai and Hu Lushou with the other members of the caravan. Although they had the advantage of initiative, numbers, and combat strength, this was the first time the entire joint train had fought as a whole. In addition, Lin Xian only knew that the bandits numbered less than a thousand, but lacked information on their firepower and other aspects. Therefore, in order to defeat the enemy in one blow and eliminate future troubles, Lin Xian felt that they had to go all out and also consider multiple scenarios.

"The intelligence provided by the Fulu Shou caravan is that there are three main bandit alliances within the hundreds of kilometers of Aksai and Shashekou. One of them is the Crimson Vulture Group that we encountered. It has more than 200 members and mainly carries out raiding missions in three squads. We have already killed one of them. The leader is nicknamed Crimson Eagle. He is a superhuman, but we have never seen him make a move."

"The largest caravan is called the Sand Scorpion Gang, with more than 400 people. The leader calls himself the Desert King and is nicknamed Old Scorpion. The caravan has cannons and heavy firepower, and many superhumans follow them. They are also the strongest."

"The last one is called the Earth Dragon Society. They have the fewest members, just over a hundred, but they have many high-speed vehicles. They are a Gobi guerrilla force, skilled in harassment, and their leader is Bone-Melting Dragon..."

"All in all, there are eight hundred people in total. However, from the perspective of overestimating the enemy, we should consider all three groups to be a thousand people, not including those guarding the base."

Upon hearing Lin Xian's words, Qian Dele from the Joker team immediately expressed his opinion: "There are so many people, we can't possibly kill them all."

"Just crush them."

In carriage number 2, Lin Xian said loudly, "The bandits have quite a few enemies here. As long as we take out the main force and seize the heavy weapons and supplies, the remaining scattered troops won't be able to cause any trouble."

Upon hearing this, Shi Diyuan gave a heavy "hmm" over the communicator: "That makes sense. The remaining small fry won't amount to much. Even if that Iron Alliance wants to counterattack, they can't possibly be as fast as us, and they're all in other areas. Once we get to Quancheng, I don't believe a bunch of bandits will dare to storm Chongcheng!"

“I think we shouldn’t take that Iron Alliance too seriously.” Monica sat in her cockpit, a glass of red wine in her hand, and said leisurely, “They’re just a bunch of doomsday thugs. No matter how crazy they are in front of the electromagnetic cannon, they’ll wet their pants. Captain Lin is right. If we wipe out the main force, then some of the remaining ones will definitely want to kick them while they’re down, like that Aksai Brotherhood. They can’t wait to devour those sand bandits alive.”

"Team Leader Lin, what if those bandits escape?" Luo Yang asked a crucial question over the communicator.

"Can't run away."

Lin Xian looked at the Iron Alliance Token in his hand: "Thanks to their Iron Alliance Token, we can not only track their paths, but also identify whether their leader is in charge. We scouted during the day, and those bandit gangs have been wandering and stalking in the no-man's land area of ​​100 to 150 kilometers around Aksai for several days."

"So even if they don't come tomorrow, I'm prepared to organize an operation team to carry out point-to-point elimination!"

Clearing obstacles for the joint train was one task. This band of sand bandits had been plundering this no-man's-land for months and must have a lot of resources in their hands. Lin Xian wanted to use them to prepare supplies for crossing the no-man's-land.

Another point is that we can also take the opportunity to find out the source of the kidnapping and sale of superhumans and obtain some useful information.

“Alright! Brother Lin, we’ll follow your arrangements.” Shi Diyuan said boldly, “However, Aksai is an open area with vast wilderness. If those people attack the city and then defend it, and we just rush over like this, there’s no cover on this Gobi Desert. We’ll probably be hit by a lot of heavy fire.”

“I’ve thought of that too.”

On the Infinity, Lin Xian looked at everyone and said sharply, "So, I have a slightly more exciting plan."

Stimulate?

In the communication frequency band, every team leader who heard this word felt a jolt in their heart.

……

At 5 a.m., the cold wind on the Gobi Desert was like a knife in the darkness, stirring up the sand and gravel.

The train carriages remained bustling with activity.

In carriage number 12 of the Infinite, Lin Xian sat on the ground, using mechanical manufacturing in the closed and quiet carriage. Countless materials from the decomposed space were constantly being assembled and forged in front of him, and circuit boards began to take shape.

While manufacturing, Lin Xian checked the time. He wasn't planning to rest today and was fully focused on preparing the equipment.

In each carriage, everyone was preparing intensively for the battle. Lin Xian had assigned tasks to almost everyone in tonight's operation plan.

Of course, there is only one exception.

Ding Junyi, Director Ding.

Lin Xian's task for her was to live, maintain her elegance, and take good care of the green plants and flowers.

In carriage number 5, Shu Qin, Lü Chang, Miao Lu, and Da Lou were preparing ammunition with serious expressions, and all the powered armor in the vehicle was charging its energy.

Wearing goggles, Sasha used tools and a ladder to install a new arc pulse string vibrator on her Sally. She even removed the heavy Vulcan chest armor, a single piece weighing over 100 pounds, which she managed to grab with her small hands and lightly toss to the ground. Afterward, she continued working among a pile of circuit boards.

In carriage number 2, Xiaoyuan was learning with KIKI how to operate all the weapons in the information center automatically. She was extremely serious about the important task Lin Xian had given her, and she was even holding a small notebook in her hand, jotting things down from time to time.

On Luo Yang's side, Li Guangwen and the entire team were all wearing power armor, and Amin Luoluo was explaining her experience using the power armor to the team.

Behind them, Li Yi and a group of burly workers were making tactical arrangements according to Lin Xian's requirements. Liang Lei, who had almost recovered, took off his bandages and shook his hand. His entire arm rapidly transformed from flesh and blood into dark silver metallic skin, exuding an indestructible aura.

"Lei Zi, how is it?"

"Great!" Liang Lei stood up, cracked his neck, and said excitedly, "Finally, I'll be fighting alongside Captain Lin! I definitely won't let him down!"

On the Longshan No. 1 side, Shi Diyuan and Ning Jing led a group of people to study the terrain around Aksai. In another carriage, Xiao Qing had a cold expression and was using knife oil to maintain her weapon. This girl was now fully armed. She gripped the handle of the gun blade with one hand, and a slight vibration and trembling sound suddenly rang out.

Ah Bai, who was lying quietly on the bed, wearing dark glasses, said softly.
"Your knife is so sharp, be careful not to get hurt."

Xiaoqing paused her movements and looked at Ah Bai: "You are the one."

In the Joker racing team, vice-captain Xiao Meng was diligently preparing weapons and combat equipment, while Qian Dele casually leaned back in his chair, an old record player he'd found somewhere playing the upbeat "I'll Be There for You."

"So no one told you life was gonna be this way."

"Your job's a joke, you're broke, your love life's DOA"

"..."

Xiao Meng, clad in black power armor, exuded a cold, razor-sharp aura over her beautiful figure. She addressed her subordinates, "Everyone, set the power armor's traction system output to maximum. There will be a lot of maneuvering tomorrow!" Meanwhile, on the Queen Mo, in the quiet first carriage, Monica was enjoying a relaxing bath in the spacious tub, savoring the desert experience. Holding a glass of red wine, the mobile TV screen in front of her played *The Count of Monte Cristo*, a film she had watched countless times. The rising steam from the tub gave her beautiful face a slight blush, and as the water rippled, her snow-white breasts appeared and disappeared like turbulent waves.

Beside the bathtub, on the large bed were high-end lingerie, armor linings, and a specially made Ghost Wolf-class full-body armor, which Monica called the "Eye of Hestia," being charged.

For Monica, her car had the fewest people and the most abundant water resources. With the advanced water circulation system throughout the car, she could naturally take a bath as she pleased. Anyway, a few people outside were currently teasing her, hoping that her bathwater wouldn't be filtered so they could sample it and satisfy their strange fetishes.

All the trains that followed were now lit up, and the atmosphere in the carriages was tense.

Of course, one of the trains, called the Hell Warriors, is an exception.

……

The next day, at 8:30, the sky was still dark.

According to calculations, dawn should break around 9:15 AM. However, within Aksai City, countless convoys of survivors had already turned on their headlights, and a large number of cars roared their engines as they headed towards the eastern exit of the city. They would travel hundreds of miles eastward from the passageway, and after passing through the Sand Snake Pass, they would enter the vast Aksai no-man's-land.

A series of convoys moved slowly through the night like ribbons of lights across a vast wilderness, kicking up clouds of yellow dust amidst a tense atmosphere.

These convoys, some in groups of three or five, others fully equipped with supplies and equipment, headed towards Shashekou.

As dawn approached, the city began to empty out, with only the Dawn Caravan and the Aksai Brotherhood's caravan camp, parked in the suburban streets, still lit up.

Outside the Black Rose Bar, dozens of large vehicles were parked in neat rows in the plaza.

These large vehicles were well-equipped and well-supplied. The more than one hundred members of the Fu Lu Shou convoy were all neatly dressed, including an elite squad wearing power armor. The leader of the squad was none other than Sun Chang.

Inside the bar, Hu Lushou, wearing two sets of bulletproof vests, sat at the bar counter, looking at the empty bar with a complicated expression. He felt a strange resentment that his talents had not been used in the right era. He couldn't help but pick up a glass and start admiring his reflection.

"Hu Lushou, Hu Lushou, your parents gave you this name hoping you would have a long and prosperous life. So today, your lifespan should continue, right?"

As he spoke, his gaze drifted toward the basement of the bar, his expression turning serious.

At that moment, the sound of an engine rang out, followed by the opening of the bar door. Lu Zhao, the leader of the Dawn Racing Team, and Xie Guan of the Aksai Brothers walked in together. Lu Zhao saw Hu Lushou sitting there alone and immediately said...
"Boss Hu, those convoys have all left, shouldn't we set off too?"

“Our people are ready too,” Xie Guan said earnestly.

"Uh...is it time?" Hu Lushou took out a gold pocket watch from his pocket, glanced at it, and then looked up: "Um, where's Wu Dapeng?"

“I’ve called on my communicator several times, but there’s been no response,” Lu Zhao said.

"I saw their convoy still parked in the west of the city," Xie Guan said.

"Did he fall asleep?" Lu Zhao muttered.

"No response?" Hu Lushou's face darkened, and he quickly pressed the communicator: "Captain Wu, Captain Wu??"

“Something’s strange. I’ll send someone over to investigate. This old guy is usually very cautious; he shouldn’t be acting like this,” Lu Zhao said directly. Then he looked at Hu Lushou with a worried expression: “And which route are you talking about? Why are you being so secretive? Are you afraid other convoys will see us?”

Hu Lushou cleared his throat upon hearing this: "There's nothing mysterious about it, it's just that we... are traveling along the northern railway line."

"Railway?" Lu Zhao and Xie Guan were both surprised when they heard this.

"Why?" Lu Zhao asked.

“The railway is indeed a good route. Following the railway will at least prevent us from getting lost in the no-man's land. Although the roads in the Gobi Desert are difficult to travel, it is indeed a method and the fastest route. Nowadays, very few train convoys pass through, and those bandits may not be paying attention to it either.” Before Hu Lushou could speak, Xie Guan began to analyze on his own, getting more and more engrossed in his analysis, leaving Lu Zhao completely bewildered.

“That sounds reasonable. Quite a few teams have mentioned this route before, but…” Lu Zhao frowned: “You, Boss Hu, have been talking about this secret route for so long, is this all?”

Following the track has the disadvantage of no roads for the convoy. Although the Gobi Desert is open, openness does not mean there are roads.

The Gobi Desert is rugged with jagged rocks and sandstorms. Although the vehicles of these survivor convoys have been modified for post-apocalyptic conditions and can handle most terrains, their speed is definitely slower than traveling on national highways and paved roads when traversing thousands of kilometers of uninhabited areas.

"No no no."

Hu Lushou coughed mysteriously and said, "Taking this route is not just a matter of the route itself, there is another important reason."

"what reason?"

Bang bang bang!
Before he could finish speaking, a strange gunshot suddenly rang out in Aksai City. Upon hearing the sound, Hu Lushou's face immediately showed a bitter expression, as if he knew that trouble was coming.

"Something's happened!" Upon hearing the gunshot, Lu Zhao and Xie Guan were immediately jolted and rushed out of the bar.

Hu Lushou watched the two figures disappear, and sighed helplessly.

"You'll find out the reason soon enough..."

The gunshots sounded abrupt and piercing in Aksai, a city still shrouded in darkness. The people in the convoys parked in the city were on edge at the sound. Lu Zhao led his men out of the bar, and before he could even ask any questions, he immediately heard his team members' voices through his communicator.

"Boss Lu, damn it, Wu Dapeng's convoy opened fire on us!"

"what?!"

Lu Zhao was startled and immediately pressed the communicator: "Wu Dapeng, what the hell are you doing?!"

No matter how he shouted, there was no response from that communication frequency.

"Something's wrong!" At this moment, Xie Guan, who was behind him, pressed his earpiece and said with a look of astonishment, "Our men saw a large convoy rushing towards us outside the north of the city. Judging from their paint scheme, they're bandits!"

"Boss, boss!"

At the same time, the observation post of the Dawn Caravan, located on a high point in Aksai city, also reported to him: "Sand bandits have appeared at Lame Slope in the southern suburbs!!"

"Damn it!" Lu Zhao felt a chill run down his spine upon hearing this. How could those bandits have timed things so perfectly?

Bang! Lu Zhao and Xie Guan pushed open the door of the Black Rose Bar again: "Boss Hu, we've been spotted. Let's get out of here!"

"There's nowhere to retreat. Over a hundred bandit vehicles are coming from the direction of Shashekou, all surrounding us." Sun Chang walked in from outside, her eyes sharp. "Two small convoys were driven back together, and they're already engaged in combat. We're surrounded on all sides; we can only defend the city!"

"All four sides?" Xie Guan looked astonished. "We can't go west of the city?"

"Wu Dapeng fired at my men, and you still can't tell!" Lu Zhao roared. "It must have been that bastard who tipped us off, and now he's blocking our retreat!"

"He wasn't a messenger; he was a bandit..."

Sitting inside, Hu Lushou slapped himself in frustration, clicking his tongue and cursing, "Damn it, I, Hu Lushou, have seen countless people, how come I didn't see that this old guy was a bandit?!"

“Sand bandits don’t wear their clothes on their sleeves. The equipment of the Haven of Harbor convoy is all clean. As long as they don’t expose themselves, no one will know they are sand bandits,” Sun Chang said bluntly.

"Damn it, what's the use of saying all this now? Hurry up and pack your weapons, let's fight our way out!" Lu Zhao shouted angrily.

Xie Guan shook his head in alarm and said, "So many bandits must have been prepared. Even if we charge out, we won't be able to shake them off. We'll just be worn down and die in the no-man's land."

"Then what do you think we should do?!"

"We can only defend the city." Sun Chang remained calm. "Captain Xie is right. There's still a chance to fight in the city. Charging out would be tantamount to suicide."

“Yes.” Xie Guan said anxiously, “There might be another caravan passing by after dawn. These bandits can’t stay in Aksai forever.”

"Will other teams care about us? That's wishful thinking!"

"Quickly notify the convoy, that bastard Wu Dapeng is a bandit!"

Lu Zhao was in a panic. He glanced at the group of people, then turned and rushed out of the bar. Xie Guan followed him out immediately. They began to gather their respective convoys and move into the city, setting up a defensive formation.

"Our people have already been deployed around the square, and high ground and firing positions have been set up in advance."

Sun Chang looked at Hu Lushou: "The bandits from several directions add up to at least seven or eight hundred people. Judging from this, Old Scorpion and Red Eagle are probably all here this time."

"I know."

Hu Lushou rubbed his hands together with a worried expression and instructed Sun Chang, "Those few superhumans are probably going to be a bit troublesome. Tell them to be extra careful and not to fire without my orders!"

……

　I've been stockpiling chapters and organizing the plot lately. Once I have enough chapters, I'll be releasing a big update. Thank you all for your support! I'm begging for your monthly votes! Thank you so much!

　　
　
(End of this chapter)