Doomsday: I Build an Infinite Train.

Chapter 369 Train Loading Factory
The night wind howled, and riots broke out in Dawn City, revealing unease and anger everywhere.

The city defense guard battalion and night patrol team were almost all mobilized. At this time, serious blockages and riots occurred at the three main entrances and exits of the city walls. Large convoys drove out, while some small groups seeking survival supplies and shelter took the opportunity to sneak into the city. The alarm lights of the Population Control Bureau blared through the night sky.

Iron walls blocked off suburban streets, where billions of zombies surged like a tidal wave.

In addition to the iron wall barrier, Dawn City has three other lines of defense: the first city wall, the second city wall, and the Starport Defense Base. The underground city is currently the safest sanctuary, located beneath the Twin Star Tower Starport.

At the top of the Twin Towers, the huge observation platform is empty and dimly lit, with high-quality floor-to-ceiling windows that seem to completely block out even the sound of the wind.

Ye Lan stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling window. The lights of the dense traffic in the streets of the inner and outer city flickered. Although the distance was far, the noise of the riot seemed to be right in front of her.

"The last time I left this city, it was in just as much chaos. It seems that humanity never learns lessons and always forgets that destruction begins from within."

Ye Lan's voice was incredibly calm, like that of a bystander recounting a story.

Chu Zhaonan stood by the window not far away, listening attentively, and responded.
"Because most people don't know that destruction is inevitable, just like a book that's there and no matter how many times you read it or how much you understand it, the ending is always the same."

Ye Lan said, "In the past three months, our understanding of Xingyuan has made great progress, and we have also found a breakthrough in shielding against attacks. Has your opinion not changed at all?"

Chu Zhaonan: "I said on the day the Federation collapsed that there was no issue of morality or political stance between us, only different means of survival. You and I both know that humanity has used all its technology and armed forces in this natural disaster. However, in essence, we still don't know what we are facing. Higher-dimensional life? Overlapping multiverses? Dark world natural disasters? These are all just conjectures. Do you know what it means when a civilization uses all its power but instantly annihilates 99% of its population?"

He looked up at the sky and said calmly, "With human power, we can't even eradicate 99% of a certain type of insect in the natural ecosystem. From this perspective, you should have more authority to speak than I do, Professor Ye."

Ye Lan paused for a few seconds, looking down at the magnificent Night City: "So, on the surface you were pushing forward the underground city project, but in secret you were developing eternal-level cryogenic hibernation pods, forming the curtain-breaking project, and letting Zhou Mingyuan engage in political maneuvering to create a false sense of hope, all for this moment?"

Chu Zhaonan's eyes sharpened: "The essence of the ideological imprint is to keep humanity hopeful even in a war it is destined to lose." He then looked at Ye Lan: "But hope is the real shackle!"

The room was silent, with two figures standing on either side, yet their voices echoed like a booming bell.

“I acknowledge your rationality, Chairman Chu.”

Ye Lan continued, "I came here today to remind you that you already had a decision about this meeting in advance. The reason is that there is communication and understanding between us. We have known each other for 26 years. The deeper this understanding is, the less likely the result will be off. But the problem is, there is no such communication between humans and darkness."

"I know."

Chu Zhaonan's eyes flickered slightly: "So for humanity, in this war that is destined to be lost, the Vanguard Project is the fastest response we can make. Professor Ye, oh no, Commander Ye, you and I both know that the Phoenix Society and Dawn City are essentially the same, both are taking a gamble. The only difference is that I am more objective, and you are more idealistic. Since you know that the outcome will not change, and you chose to risk coming to Dawn City, do you have any suggestions for me?"

Ye Lan: "No."

Chu Zhaonan: "Star Abyss expansion?"

Ye Lan: "It's uncontrollable. Humans can't even control themselves, otherwise the things that happened in Dawn City and the Crimson World wouldn't exist."

Chu Zhaonan: "Existence is its own justification. There is only one law of survival in the universe: abandon the old morality and survive by any means necessary. Whether it is the Adventists or the Salvationists, so-called faith is nothing more than a moral constraint that individuals create for themselves in order to seek survival. I have also thought about it. If all of humanity were to perish, and the Crimson World were to truly survive in a special form of existence, who can say that this is not a continuation of human civilization?"

Ye Lan: "I'm surprised you can think about things from this perspective."

"Surprised?" Chu Zhaonan said calmly, "Isn't this the original intention of the Phoenix Society when it was founded 76 years ago? You shouldn't be surprised about this."

"What about Chu Jing?"

Ye Lan looked at him: "In your opinion, is it morality or tactics?"

Chu Zhaonan's eyes narrowed, and he said in a deep voice.

“He is a smart kid. From the moment he took over the Broken Curtain Project, he knew clearly that he and I were on the side of humanity, not on the side of father and son.”

Ye Lan nodded and said softly, "Okay."

"So, what is the purpose of the Phoenix's visit?" Chu Zhaonan asked, his hands behind his back, as he turned to look at Ye Lan.

She turned around and disappeared into the shadows. The neon lights of Night City swept across Ye Lan's calm, composed face as she spoke to Chu Zhaonan.
"Turn the tide."

After saying that, he strode away, his tall and slender figure quickly disappearing into the shadows of the observation deck.

……

Jinhai.

For safety reasons, Silent City landed slowly on an open space in the western suburbs of the city, and the huge jet stream blasted a shock zone out of the barren land within a radius of 20 kilometers.

Inside the main bridge of the Cloud Zone, discussions arose.

The fact that Crimson World did not launch any attacks tonight was both within Lin Xian's expectations and surprising; in short, it was very contradictory.

In his view, their ability to restrain the Crimson World must stem from the pressure of Dawn City's reluctance to act rashly. However, judging from the current situation and Jian Xuwei's communication, Dawn City has split into two factions. Zhou Mingyuan is within their expectations. They dare not easily take action against Silent City and even advocate protection and peace, with the aim of quelling the riots in the city and reducing the threat posed by rumors to the Federation's rule.

The large-scale evacuation from Jinhai Star Port was baffling to Lin Xian, and the others were even more confused.

"As far as I know, since Star City was renamed Dawn City and established as the Doomsday Capital, Chu Zhaonan has hardly managed any political or livelihood issues. All his energy has been devoted to the Far Star Project. Apart from the Far Star Fleet, engineering research, Lu Tianye's Star City garrison, and underground city defense, all other power is in Zhou Mingyuan's hands. So I don't know whether Chu Zhaonan has cooperated with the Crimson World, but one thing is certain..."

"Chu Zhaonan knows," Lin Xian replied, looking at Jian Xuwei on the screen.

Jian Xuwei nodded: "So I speculate that the arrival of the Phoenix Society, coupled with your timely exposure of the collusion between Dawn City and the Crimson World, has touched the Federation's red line of crisis. Therefore, their large-scale actions indicate that Dawn City will definitely make a big move next."

Upon hearing this, everyone's expressions tightened slightly. Lin Xian frowned and sighed, "The Phoenix Society... it seems we're really lucky."

KIKI gave him a helpless look: "Do you think Dawn City is going to give up entirely?"

"That's very possible!" Shi Diyuan exclaimed. "Otherwise, why would Dawn City be so nervous, abandoning its own industrial base so easily?"

“They didn’t say they didn’t want it,” Ning Jing said. “It seems they’re just transferring a lot of resources and the starships and vehicles that have been built. Apart from the Ring Star Rail Train Factory being seized by Miss Jian’s armed forces, there are still guards stationed at the Starport.”

"This is practically running away." Qian Dele crossed his arms. "This whole operation has left us completely bewildered. We were originally prepared for a big fight, but now we don't know what to do."

Monica said, "Does this mean that we are not important in the eyes of Dawn City and the Crimson World?"

"It seems so," Chen Sixuan said, frowning.

Shinji Mochizuki stood at a distance and spoke loudly: "I think it's not a bad thing if Dawn City and the Crimson World aren't paying attention to us, is it?"

Upon hearing this, everyone turned their gaze to Lin Xian.

Lin Xian nodded in agreement, saying, "That's right. Dawn City is in turmoil right now, and with the Phoenix Society coming at this time, Dawn City is definitely on high alert. As for the Crimson World, oh, it doesn't matter. They'll make their move sooner or later anyway. Even if the sky falls, it won't concern us for now. Since we're already in Jin Hai, it's perfect..."

He looked at Jian Xuwei and said, "Could we borrow your factory to refurbish our train?"

Upstairs in the main control building, Jian Xuwei looked out the window at the massive maglev parking area and said to Lin Xian...

"Actually, I have a better plan, but I need the assistance of Silent City."

"Let me guess, it's that Sky Dome-class?" Shinji Mochizuki said with great interest.

“There are other things as well.”

Jian Xuwei's expression was solemn: "It will definitely open your eyes."

Rumble!
As the Silent City landed, hordes of zombies surged from all sides, and bizarre creatures poured out in the darkness. However, hundreds of electromagnetic railguns and thousands of self-destructive pulse-class weapons along the outer edge of the Silent City's main deck fired in a circular pattern in all eight directions like a star-destroying warship. The powerful firepower wiped out the zombie hordes and the scattered low-level bizarre creatures without even the need for armed personnel to intervene.

The berth area on the lower deck was bustling with people. After two days of rest, the combined train team was busy again. This time, there were many changes in personnel. Two train teams, as well as the Windrunners and the Aksai Brotherhood who had followed from Aksai, had all joined Silent City. To this end, they had sold their vehicles to other teams in exchange for resources.

As for Lin Xian and Shi Diyuan, Silent City's next goal is to stop at Yongcheng Port to carry out construction and upgrades for interstellar travel, which means they have no choice but to start anew and enter orbit around the stars to begin their escape journey.

Lin Xian could completely understand those who chose to leave the two train teams and other train teams.

Many people are already tired and desperate about the constant running around. With a safe mobile city in front of them, they no longer want to run. Many residents of Silent City are staunch digital life advocates, which makes it reasonable that they have a subtle difference in their perception and feelings about crisis and death compared to others.

*Sss*, *whoosh*
The massive docking deck slowly opened, revealing Jin Hai's cargo backup rail section amidst a horde of zombies below. They could directly merge into and then transfer to the industrial zone's train factory, from where they could then directly enter the ring orbit.

Lin Xian led the crew of the Infinite back onto the Infinite. The engine started, the lights shone brightly, and the passengers in each carriage were on high alert. Under the care of Li Yi and others, the children were safely returned to their carriages. Standing in the cockpit, Chen Sixuan's expression was complicated: "After Jinhai and Yongcheng Port, we will be in the Pacific Ocean. This should be the last stop for our train's maintenance."

Lin Xian nodded: "Don't forget, if this is the Crimson World's lair, it won't be so easy to prepare it smoothly, but..."

He looked at Chen Sixuan as he spoke: "For the time being, we can rely on the big tree of Silent City."

Upon hearing this, Chen Sixuan met his gaze and asked, "If Silent City continues eastward, have you really considered joining Silent City?"

"of course."

Lin Xian chuckled, "I'm not stupid. There's plenty of firepower here, and the team is large. My mechanical abilities can easily keep me at bay. Why wouldn't I consider it?" "Lying? You wouldn't do that," Chen Sixuan grinned.

"What?"

"Because building another Silent City won't solve your sense of crisis. You and Shinji Mochizuki are thinking the same thing: to fly out of Earth, aren't you?"

Lin Xian sighed helplessly: "I don't want to worry too much, but this personality is innate and can't be changed."

“Otherwise, how could you have planned the Circumpolar Train project to soar into the sky during the first polar night?” Chen Sixuan looked at him: “You know, only by running can you have a chance.”

Lin Xian's eyes narrowed slightly, and he nodded.

He immediately pushed down the lever to start the train, and at the same time pressed the communicator to communicate with Shinji Mochizuki in the main bridge of the Cloud Zone.

"We'll set up the defenses at the Huanxing train loading plant first, then we'll let you know."

"OK, no problem."

Shinji Mochizuki's leisurely voice came: "I have already sent Shun and the others to Jinhai Starport to investigate. We will meet again later. It shouldn't be long before we receive news from Dawn City and the Phoenix Society."

"Hopefully it's good news."

The Infinite Dragon-class electric locomotive, with its engine pulling the following carriages, wound its way off the massive track platform like a dragon, then hurtled down the ramp leading to the loading and unloading deck. Behind the combined train, Hu Lushou and his men stood nervously in the driver's cab of a doomsday train that had been used in a supply exchange, praying to the gods.

"God bless me, God bless me, may I, Lao Hu, have chosen the right person to follow!"

“You have nowhere to go either.” Sun Chang coldly exposed him: “Mochizuki Shinji doesn’t like you, and you’re afraid that the car won’t be able to keep up with the Union Train when it’s like Aksai, so this is our only option.”

Upon hearing this, Hu Lushou pursed his lips, gave Sun Chang a disapproving look, and then muttered to himself...

"That's right..."

"Then let's pray that nothing goes wrong while we're with Captain Lin, that we're safe and sound in every city we visit, and that we can earn plenty of supplies!"

Sun Chang looked at him in surprise, wanting to say something, but swallowed the words back down.

Well, she hopes things go smoothly too.

Wow~
Led by the Infinite, followed by the Queen Mo, the Joker, and the Dragon Mountain No. 1, along with 16 other trains, the Horizon Gate tightly gripped the rails as it hurtled down from Silent City. Under the headlights, a horde of grotesque, rotting corpses surged towards them from below.

The combined train crashed in with a violent momentum, instantly creating a spray of blood and limbs, crushing countless zombies with its iron wheels, and sending sparks flying across the freight loading lines.

Ahead of the Infinite Train, dozens of flying drones accompanied it, quickly clearing away the zombies in front while also helping the train change its tracks in advance, ensuring the Union Train was on the correct path.

At the weapons station, all three 1130 and three G3-electromagnetic railguns were raised and opened fire. This massive steel dragon roared into Jinhai, charging through the dense horde of zombies. The storm of all-metal bullets combined with the electromagnetic cannon fire shattered the tranquility of the night.

Squeak, squeak~
Not only were the train tracks churning, but many of the doomsday train carriages were also making unsettling noises, likely due to lingering issues from the previous Star Abyss Leap. Among these, the problem with Dragon Mountain No. 1 was particularly serious. Therefore, after careful consideration, and given the time constraints, Shi Diyuan could only modify a small portion of the important carriages for this all-terrain transformation.

"Hold on tight! All carriages, pay attention to changes in the dark markings and be ready to lock down and resolve the situation at any time!"

"understand!"

“Jian Xuwei said that there are other survivor convoys stationed in the industrial area of ​​the city, and there are also many armed guards at Starport. We have to be careful.”

Shi Diyuan's voice came through: "These armed guards may not be as powerful as the monsters, but they pose a considerable threat to us."

Lin Xian responded in agreement: "Okay, she has already sent us the defense layout map of the loading plant. In a moment, we will quickly occupy the key defensive points and outposts according to the division of labor we discussed in advance. Jian Xuwei's drones will cover us."

Watching the countless hordes of zombies ahead being smashed and blown away by the ice-breaking shield of the Giant Whale 03E heavy gas turbine locomotive, Lin Xian controlled the speed of the train and, together with Chen Sixuan, kept watch on their surroundings.

Previously, Lin Xian would have had Grace assist with train control, as she could coordinate the train radar and drones simultaneously. However, he had now shut down the AI, and in this horde of zombies, it could only be operated manually.

Ugh! Ugh!
In the other carriages, the team members, weapons in hand, looked at the terrifying zombie faces swept by the lights outside the armored windows, their expressions serious and calm.

Emerging from Star Abyss No. 5, they not only evolved significantly in strength but also enhanced their resilience. The zombie horde posed little threat to the United Train, except for causing it to derail. Their concern lay in the chain reaction of Dark Marks triggered by the appearance of the strange entities.

However, the Union Train did not encounter any attacks from the horde of zombies after it broke through the massive zombie horde. Even when it arrived outside the armored high walls of the Ring Star Train loading factory, the Spirit Dispersion Detector did not light up.

Everything went more smoothly than expected tonight, much to the surprise of many.

A few minutes later, the Combine train entered the industrial zone's defensive line in the city center via the freight rails. Sharp yellow lights flashed on the armored walls, and the massive metal gates slowly opened, allowing the Combine train to enter.

Because of the limited space in the loading plant, all trains were uncoupled by Lin Xian in advance. After entering the loading plant, they were driven into different tracks by the automatic switch device.

After entering, Lin Xian discovered that the platform was littered with the corpses of armed personnel in power armor. As soon as the Infinite train stopped, Lin Xian immediately ordered Da Lou and Liang Lei's two assault teams and Shu Qin's mobile team to launch an attack, quickly familiarize themselves with the environment of the factory's defense zone and build a defensive line. As other trains stopped, more and more team members in power armor were sent out to reinforce the defense line.

At this moment, a group of people carrying guns slowly walked out of the factory. Lin Xian looked over and found that most of them seemed to be engineers and technicians. A woman wearing power armor walked in front, her head mask open and her long hair falling down. Jian Xuwei walked quickly towards Lin Xian, her eyes sweeping over the dense weapons on the Infinite and the heavy armor, and spoke to him first.

"Long time no see. Your journey must have been just as difficult as ours."

Lin Xian's expression changed upon seeing this scene.
"Where are your people?"

“Most of them are in Dawn City,” Jian Xuwei said.

At this moment, Shi Diyuan, Ning Jing, Qian Dele, Monica and the others also came over.

"Chairman Jian, it's been a long time!" Shi Diyuan said in a hearty manner.

At Yubei Airport, Longshan No. 1 and Yinxing worked together, having shared a history of life-or-death cooperation, and there was still trust between them.

"Hello, Captain Shi." Jian Xuwei looked at Monica, her brows furrowing slightly.

"Monica?"

"You two know each other?" Lin Xian asked, puzzled.

“How could I not know the eldest princess of the Cardia family?” Jian Xuwei said.

Monica smiled and glanced at Jian Xuwei: "Miss Jian, you're too kind. I can't compare to you. You're the head of a conglomerate, and I'm just the captain of a stranded caravan."

"Even if it's the end of the world, are there still any conglomerates?" Jian Xuwei said calmly, then glanced at Lin Xian: "Since you're with Captain Lin, does that mean I'm assuming we're allies?"

“It would be my pleasure,” Monica replied.

Upon hearing this, Lin Xian felt that there must be some story between the two women, and they seemed to be at odds with each other.

However, he didn't have time to care about those old stories right now. After all, Jian Xuwei had said that it was the end of the world, so none of those things mattered anymore.

"What exactly is the situation in Dawn City?" Lin Xian asked.

Jian Xuwei immediately turned around and said, "Time is of the essence. Both Dawn City and Crimson World could launch an attack at any time. I won't waste any more words. Follow me."

Lin Xian made some arrangements, then had Chen Sixuan and KIKI follow him, and the group quickly followed Jian Xuwei into the factory.

As we passed through the loading and unloading area, a torrential downpour began. Before long, a massive mechanized steel factory came into view under the cover of night.

Then Jian Xuwei led Lin Xian and his group into an elevator car that resembled a train carriage, which quickly descended into the ground at an inclined angle.

After descending several hundred meters, the high-speed carriage finally came to a slow stop. Lin Xian looked puzzled. He had thought he would see the Sky-class train first, but Jian Xuwei led them underground instead.

Just as Lin Xian was about to ask a question, the elevator door suddenly opened, revealing a large underground project.

Instantly, everyone's eyes widened in shock.

Because when they looked up, a huge mecha stood prominently in their sight!
Compared to the initial mecha from Xilan City, this mecha wasn't particularly large, appearing to be only about fifty meters tall. However, strangely, it wasn't a mecha in the true sense of the word. Lin could see biological skin tissue in many parts of this 'mecha'. The giant humanoid creature had grayish-brown, dry, and stiff skin, and the air was filled with a putrid stench mixed with a strong smell of disinfectant. It was actually a gigantic, bizarre humanoid creature!

Those mecha devices looked more like armor worn on the bodies of the strange creatures.

"Isn't this the humanoid monster we encountered in the Star Abyss?!"

"Dead or alive?"

“Strictly speaking, he is already dead,” Jian Xuwei said in a deep voice.
Everyone's expression changed upon hearing this. Lin Xian's face darkened, and he said in a stern voice...

"Don't tell me this is some kind of flesh-and-blood suit created by the Crimson World!?"

(End of this chapter)