Armored train in the apocalypse

Chapter 103 Sunny and Cheerful Old Bi Deng

Su Huan sneered; this guy was still testing him.

Obsidian Industries is a large foreign gun manufacturing company that still exists after the apocalypse. It's not surprising that such a company would produce gun-related gene-based drugs, right?
Everyone would think that way.

But that's not the case at all!
Obsidian Industries does not manufacture gene-editing agents at all.

"Firepower" and "Marksman" were developed by a foreign force called Gunfire. Because they have multiple abilities from Tier 1 to Tier 5 and branch advancement paths, they have formed a professional system and spread widely throughout the world, hence the name Gunfire system.

The consistency is evident from the names themselves.

The name is straightforward and easy to understand, carrying the smell of gunpowder and ammunition.

"If that general from Gunfire knew you said that, he would throw his sniper rifle across the ocean into your mouth."

Su Huan said with a forced smile.

Li Tao showed no embarrassment at being exposed, and smiled slightly, "Since he's here, others will naturally entertain them. After all, this is our territory, isn't it?"

"I have the bones of a second-tier evolved beast here. Do you need them?"

"It's that white snake, isn't it?"

"Yes, I can give you a bone that's a meter long."

"As far as I know, that snake was probably several tens of meters long, right?"

"But this is a second-tier evolved beast."

"With our company's firepower, do you think it would be difficult to annihilate a second-tier evolved beast?"

"What if they're about to advance to the third rank?"

"But he hasn't been promoted yet."

"Two meters."

"At least ten meters long, plus an equal length of snakeskin."

"Impossible, a three-meter bone combined with a second-tier professional skill."

Just as Li Tao was about to haggle, his eyes behind his glasses lit up when he heard about the skill combination. "Are you sure it's Tier 2?"

Su Huan said sincerely, "And it's something you can use right now."

How can you guarantee it will be effective?

"Take these two people next to you as an example. If something is wrong, they can also tell."

Li Tao thought for a moment, then extended his clean palm. "Deal."

Su Huan just smiled and didn't shake hands. He had no intention of getting out of the car. "Let my teammates help you get the materials."

A hint of suspicion flashed in Yu Jing's eyes, followed by a look of sudden realization. She then got up and followed Wan Xing toward carriage number 3.

Su Huan looked at the two soldiers. These two had the same temperament as He Jie, cold and tough.

As for the thirty-odd people next to them, they were just there to make up the numbers.

"Tell me about your individual abilities."

A cold wind swept by, carrying a metallic smell. The two soldiers beside Li Tao stared coldly at Su Huan.

This guy killed a total of nineteen of them. Although they didn't get along well and even had many enemies, they trained in the same place for two years and became evolved humans together. Even if they didn't like each other, they still recognized each other's strength.

But to have one-fifteenth of them killed by this man on their very first mission is utterly disgraceful!

"Tell him."

It was Li Tao who spoke up.

The two soldiers then spoke. The one on the left said firmly, "Steel Council, Sergeant Zhang Tie, Tier 1 'Fireman,' with abilities of lv4 'Combat Factor,' lv1 'Mighty Combat Expertise,' lv2 'Firearms Expertise,' lv1 'Beast Instinct,' lv1 'Ballistic Correction,' and lv1 'Enhanced Smell.'"

After listening to the soldier recite the menu like a menu, Su Huan fell silent.

Generally speaking, one main skill plus two secondary skills are enough to form a Tier 1 class, since it's only Tier 1.

It doesn't need to be a complicated combination; as long as it's precise, it can play a significant role.

Su Huan has only four skills in total, and the other one is preparation for a higher level.

It's not that he can't evolve other abilities, but rather that having too many irrelevant skills would deplete a person's evolutionary potential.

Just like the Yellow Sea back then.

I initially thought the Steel Council had a very mature system for class pairings, but it seems they are still figuring things out.

Like this sergeant, who was clearly a good candidate for reconnaissance, but ended up as a gunner.

What is the use of enhancing the sense of smell in a firearms user?

Can you smell the gunpowder?
Su Huan turned to look at the other one, "What about yours?"

The soldier frowned and said in a deep voice, "Iron Council, Corporal Liu Hongyi, Defender's Domain, abilities: lv3 'Combat Factor', lv1 'Melee Proficiency', lv1 'Cold Weapon Proficiency'"

Su Huan finally understood; it turned out that combat specialization was a skill that they had forcibly developed through extensive training.

He shook his head helplessly. "Don't you guys have a second-tier route for the damage dealer?"

Li Tao pondered for a moment, "There are just one or two skill combinations that are still uncertain."

No wonder they went astray.

Su Huan said, "Then I'll give you the skill combination for the second tier of Firepower Handler. Don't worry, it's different from the path you're taking now."

Li Tao took out paper and pen from his briefcase. Since the advent of ubiquitous energy, many electronic devices have become unreliable.

People are more willing to believe what is written on paper.

"The skill combination for a Tier 1 Firearms Specialist is: lv3 'Combat Factor' + lv2 'Heavy Firepower Specialization' + lv1 'Ballistic Correction'."

Li Tao, who was taking notes, frowned. "Why is it heavy firepower specialization? Zhang Tie didn't have this skill but still advanced to the first tier of firepower specialist."

Su Huan glanced at him with a faint scrutiny, "Because firearms specialization is a higher-level skill than heavy firepower specialization. Just like if you are proficient in all firearms, you will naturally be able to use pistols, rifles, and submachine guns."

Despite being looked down upon, Li Tao was not angry at all; on the contrary, he became even more excited and quickly wrote down the concept of "advanced skills" in his notebook.

His actions confused Su Huan even more.

He clearly learned all this knowledge in his previous life at the Steel Council, so why does the other party look like he's discovered a new continent?

Could his guess be wrong?
How much does the Steel Council really know about the apocalypse?
While pondering this in his mind, he continued speaking, "A first-tier firepower user can advance in three directions at the second tier, but the most important is the second-tier 'Raging Veteran,' which is—"

Li Tao suddenly interrupted him, his eyes filled with suspicion, "Wait a minute, the name 'Hot-tempered Veteran'..."

Su Huan shrugged. "It's a bit outrageous, but that's the name. You can also call him Berserker Veteran. Oh, and there's another translation you'd probably like: Bulletstorm."

Since the name did seem somewhat made up, Su Huan could only suggest two more names and let him judge for himself.

Hearing him explain the origin of the term without hesitation, Li Tao's expression softened considerably.

But he didn't really like either of those names.

First, he wrote "Raging Bullets" in his notebook, then crossed it out and wrote "Raging Veteran" instead.

Firepower Master - Berserker Veteran.

It's somewhat coherent.

Su Huan didn't care which one he remembered. It didn't matter what the job title was. Even if he changed his energy storage core to the invincible Kamehameha, it wouldn't affect the effect.

After all, the skills are still the same skills; what's etched into our DNA won't change easily.

继续说道，“lv6「战斗因子」+lv6「重火力专精」+lv6「弹道修正」+lv1「动态视觉」+lv1「双手持枪」”

Li Tao took notes very quickly.

Soon, Yu Jing and Wan Xing brought the snake bones and handed them over at the carriage door.

Li Tao readily handed over the gene serum.

The process went very smoothly.

Neither of them discussed the nineteen dead soldiers from beginning to end.

For the Steel Council, that was already a sunk cost. Revenge was not the primary objective; the goal was to maintain the organization's authority.

But when maintaining authority requires paying a higher price, things become simpler.

On the one hand, it's about stopping losses in time and recovering a small amount of money through trading.

On the other hand, he is single-mindedly seeking revenge, risking the lives of the entire company for the sake of nineteen elite soldiers, and waging war against another powerful force.

The deceased might choose the latter, while the living might be less willing.

Fortunately, the deceased had no choice.

This is how major powers interact. They won't fight to the death without a valid reason. They might be fighting fiercely over some resource one day, and shake hands and make peace the next day after reaching a deal.

Su Huan had seen this kind of thing many times before.

But to negotiate with a tiger for its skin, you have to be a lion, not a wild dog, not even a Tibetan mastiff!
If Su Huan hadn't displayed formidable strength or a mysterious background, he would have been met with a hail of bullets from armed helicopters and an attack from ground forces.

He didn't even need to think; there were definitely reinforcements prepared by the Steel Council five kilometers away!

The entire organization's three convoys are already poised to go.

But this smooth-sailing scene was something Zhang Min did not want to see.

She had assumed the Steel Council was there to seize the convoy by force, given their powerful evolved beings and armed forces; yet there wasn't a single gun on the train.

Even if they weren't there to seize the train by force, they should have treated Su Huan like they did with the Mojiang Mutual Aid Train Team, looking down on him with an arrogant attitude and trampling on his self-esteem!

His damned smile froze on his face.

Let him also experience the feeling of being humiliated by power.

But to my surprise, the man with a strong presence started chatting with Su Huan as soon as he got out of the car.

At this point, she still clung to a sliver of hope, waiting for the negotiations to break down.

But in the end, it ended peacefully.

So who is she?
A clown?
In that instant, extreme disappointment and imbalance twisted Zhang Min's mindset, and she inexplicably opened the car door, got off, and ran to the side of the train.

Li Tao frowned. Since the armed train was backed by a powerful force, the woman's value increased accordingly.

Remembering the woman's unusual composure in the Mojiang caravan, Li Tao decided to be more lenient with her.

Zhang Min's steps slowed down. When she saw Su Huan's gaze shift towards her, she felt a surge of intense emotion rising in her throat, and her muscles trembled uncontrollably.

That face had hardly changed; it was exactly the same as I remembered.

That's true, how much can change in just a few days?

He has food and drink on the train, he doesn't have to suffer from attacks by evolved beasts, he doesn't have to worry about being devoured by zombie hordes, and he doesn't have to worry about high temperatures or acid rain. What changes could possibly happen to him!
Looking at that smiling face, Zhang Min tried her best to stretch out her trembling face and force a smile.

"I wonder if the train conductor still remembers me?"

Su Huan recognized her as she stepped out of the car; he had been wondering about it.

This woman has made some progress; she's already joined the Steel Council after just a few days.

The large-scale recruitment of survivors is still in January.

Moreover, it was done in batches.

But they didn't take it seriously. Unless she had the kind of amazing evolutionary talent that Lin Jin had, she would be trash in the eyes of the current train conductor.

Then she jumped right in front of him.

Give me a grand return home in glory?
Su Huan readily cooperated, a clear yet confused expression on his face. "Ah, who is this?"

Yu Yue, standing behind him, pouted; he was about to play a trick on someone again.

Sure enough, Zhang Min's chest swelled with anger, and her reddened eyes stared intently at Su Huan.

Despite all that she had suffered, the other party hadn't cared at all.

Li Tao was also a shrewd person. He sensed from the conversation that there might have been some friction between the two. He said coldly, "Zhang Min, go back to the car and wait for me if you still want those two conditions."

His tone was cold, completely unlike the calm demeanor he displayed when speaking to Su Huan.

The woman took a deep breath, as if she had let go of something, and bowed deeply, saying with a smile, "Thank you for your guidance, conductor."

I sensed a connection with someone of the same kind; I just wonder what surprises the next meeting will bring.

Su Huan was somewhat pleased and responded with a smile, "You're welcome. The train conductor loves to lecture people. Just don't come empty-handed next time; it's not good to come empty-handed."

"must!"

After the woman finished speaking, she got back into the car without looking back.

Seeing this, Li Tao frowned, feeling as if he had taken on a troublesome task, but still politely said, "In that case, it's a pleasure to cooperate with you. I look forward to the next cooperation with Mr. Su and your company."

Su Huan waved from behind the explosion-proof netting.

As they got into the car and left, the helicopter hovering in the sky also flew away.

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

Only a steel plate remained on the ground for stepping on.

A cold wind swept by, stirring up the puddles on the ground. The once clear water instantly turned murky, just like Su Huan's complexion.

He said coldly, "Throw away the box of the gene serum, rinse the test tubes with water, and Liang Kuan, get ready to drive."

No one knew what had happened, but they were used to Su Huan's orders, so no one hesitated.

Five minutes later, the train slowly started moving. Yu Yue, who was tidying up in the kitchen, suddenly changed her expression and looked up at Su Huan. She saw a sinister smile on his face, with the corners of his mouth stretched high, revealing sharp teeth.

"Zombie inducers, a bunch of old bastards who can't change their ways."

However, from a high altitude, one can clearly see various zombies gradually gathering in the city of Yijin, heading towards the direction of the train.

……

"Hey, that arrogant fool really thinks our Steel Council's stuff is so easy to take."

Zhang Tie, sitting in the passenger seat, spoke fiercely.

He hated the way Su Huan looked at him, that look of pity as if he were a fool.

That would humiliate him!

Before the apocalypse, this ordinary man could single-handedly kill an entire platoon!

Even in the entire training camp, he could rank in the top ten in terms of overall combat strength!

What gave him the right to look at him like that?

Li Tao sat calmly in the wrecked SUV. "They have sonic manipulators, so try not to speak."

“That’s over five kilometers away. There’s absolutely no way she could hear it, after all, she’s just an unranked evolved being,” Zhang Tie said dismissively.

Li Tao frowned.

Since the apocalypse, these soldiers have gained power and have slowly begun to disrespect them.

This made him feel uneasy.

"My uncle is right; it's always safest to have power in your own hands."

"boom--"

Suddenly, the wheel jolted violently.

"What's going on?" Zhang Tie asked the corporal in the driver's seat.

The corporal squeezed the plastic steering wheel so hard it creaked, while with the other he pulled out his secondary weapon and slammed it against the car window.

He poured a magazine into the gaping fangs.

Then a relaxed smile appeared on his face, "It's just a bloodhound, no problem."

Zhang Tie rolled down the car window, just about to take a few breaths of fresh air, when he glanced outside without thinking and his pupils suddenly contracted.

(End of this chapter)