Armored train in the apocalypse

Chapter 147 Win, win, win, everyone's a winner!

The lamp stand, weighing several hundred kilograms, was sent flying by a single blow, its parts scattering everywhere.

The high-strength short stick in his hand was also completely destroyed.

Seeing Su Huan driving the construction vehicle recklessly ahead, Zhong Cheng was filled with hatred.

But what bothered him even more was the attraction emanating from the train, a feeling akin to observing a zombie attractant up close, making him want to lick it and taste what it was like.

A battlefield medic rushed over and quickly tore open the back of his shirt. He then used tweezers to precisely remove the bullet lodged in the gap between his shoulder blades, and then quickly stopped the bleeding and stitched it up.

Even on a battlefield amidst torrential acid rain and stray bullets, the entire rescue process takes no more than a minute.

After the medic finished bandaging his wound, he said, "Secretary Li asked if we needed fire support."

Zhong Cheng's brow twitched, and he coldly refused, "The armed train used a large-scale zombie inducer. Tell him not to act rashly. Besides, no one can guarantee that the metal manipulator isn't holding back. Just reserve some firepower for long-range suppression. We must contain the zombies in the county center!"

"Yes!"

The medic packed up his supplies and quickly made his way to the rear.

The sound of bullets here was far more intense than on the train, and the roars of the corpses were deafening.

The horde of zombies piled up, one after another trying to break through the defenses, but in the face of the overwhelming firepower, even a first-tier butcher was turned into a pile of rotten flesh in no time.

Because it is located on the edge of the county town, there are few high-rise buildings, so even zombies like Night Demons and Goblins have no chance to launch a sneak attack.

They could only charge forward through the soldiers' barrage of fire.

At this moment, Li Tao was patrolling behind the makeshift position, wearing a raincoat. His glasses were gone, and his eyes, which looked as if covered by a thin film, occasionally flashed with subtle light, just like the high-tech glasses Wan Xing wore.

After listening to the medic's report, Li Tao calmly responded.

Once no one was watching him, a hint of gloom flashed across his refined face.

When the soldiers withdrew and the evolved humans took their place, he also withdrew.

The Steel Council has a total of 3,000 troops, plus 5,000 auxiliary troops, making a total of 8,000. 1,000 more need to be stationed at headquarters. Changli County only has 2,000 regular troops and about 4,000 auxiliary troops. In addition, the auxiliary troops have suffered extremely high casualties. It is hard to say whether there are 3,000 troops left.

In preparation for the armed train, the Steel Council made temporary tactical adjustments.

Five hundred soldiers, mixed with five hundred auxiliary troops, were scattered throughout the county to carry out an in-depth mission. In reality, their purpose was to divert the zombies' attention, prevent them from clustering together, and buy time for the Steel Council to concentrate its fire on the armed train.

The remaining five hundred men, along with a thousand servants, surrounded Changli, setting up defenses and sealing off the area.

Of course, the latter was just a token gesture; this number of people was far from enough to blockade an entire county, otherwise Su Huan wouldn't have been able to easily break through.

It happened twice, once in and once out.

But it can also serve as a reminder.

The remaining forces consisted of a thousand regular soldiers and a little over a thousand auxiliary soldiers, who had to both resist the armed train and contain the large horde of corpses in the county's central commercial square.

That's why we're so strapped for cash.

Since the arrival of the armored train, the horde of zombies began to uncontrollably gather towards the east. When the armored train broke through the third line of defense and the real battle began, the zombie horde behind them completely rioted.

It was as if it had been arranged with the armed train.

They were attacked from both sides, almost cutting off the Steel Council's escape route.

Startled, he quickly withdrew the soldiers from the railway tracks to reinforce the defensive line, and even dragged one of the three 85mm cannons that had been prepared for Su Huan.

This was barely enough to suppress the rioting horde of corpses.

He suspected Su Huan was behind it, but the last time Su Huan tricked him, he used an evolution beast inducer, which was different from this time, so it was just a suspicion. Now it's completely confirmed that it was that bastard who did it!
'Isn't he afraid of ending up as a zombie himself?!'

Looking at the armed train behind him, which had been completely brought to a stop by large engineering vehicles and various other means, Li Tao was utterly perplexed.

Both the front and rear doors of the train had been breached. Fortunately, Lin Jin and his men were holding the line at the front, preventing the enemy from entering and the enemy from leaving. The stalemate continued, with the train locked in a war of attrition behind its thick armor.

But the passengers behind them were lambs to the slaughter in front of the Steel Council's well-trained soldiers.

At first, the soldiers were wary of Xiao Ba's presence and fought with non-metallic cold weapons. But when no one paid attention to them, they directly used guns to massacre the unarmed passengers.

A train that has lost its speed is like a steel dragon swimming on shallow water, losing its majesty.

The battle has reached a fever pitch.

Both sides were on the verge of death.

"Tailless Fox, Black Fox, you two go and hunt down that metal manipulator. I'll take care of the train conductor myself."

Zhong Cheng ripped off his tattered raincoat and walked toward the construction vehicle that Su Huan was driving.

The woman and the soldier immediately left, heading straight for the train's engine.

The window there was broken, making it the easiest place to get in.

Some evolved beings have already approached.

By securing this "first-to-file" title, one can at least become the captain of a B-level team!
When they were still more than ten meters apart, the woman tugged at the soldier who was using the Night Demon Claw as a dagger. The soldier paused for a moment, then chose to follow behind the woman.

The tailless fox has the strongest sense of danger among them, second only to Zhong Cheng.

Because of the pause between the two men, elite soldiers immediately jumped into the vehicle from the front.

"Get out!"

A muffled roar came from inside the vehicle, and two elite soldiers who had just climbed in were sent flying backward, their arms broken, their chests caved in, and blood spurting from their mouths.

A burly man, as imposing as a mountain god, emerged from the cockpit, carrying a metal shield that resembled a longsword, its surface tinged with blue.

"He Jie," Liang Kuan growled without turning his head.

"coming!"

He Jie emerged from the driver's cab with a half-smoked cigarette dangling from his mouth, carrying a 12.7mm anti-aircraft machine gun in one hand, the barrel still emitting smoke.

He strode to Liang Kuan's side, aimed at the two men still in mid-air, and pulled the trigger—

"Ta-ta-ta-ta!"

The ferocious firepower instantly tore the two apart, flesh and blood exploding in the hail of bullets. He Jie squinted, his cigarette glowing in the rain, and said coldly, "Trying to play a feint with me!"

The brutal fighting style made the eyes of the two tailless foxes twitch.

The two swiftly moved to the side of the train. The tailless fox's limbs clung eerily to the metal surface, crawling rapidly like a spider, its voice shrill, "He Jie, are you crazy! Your wife and children are still at the company!"

After shouting, he quickly ran towards the broken-open car door at the back.

He Jie's pupils suddenly contracted, and the roar of the machine gun came to an abrupt halt.

Liang Kuan keenly noticed that his teammate's breathing had become heavier. He suddenly thrust his shield to the side and blocked a series of incoming bullets with a loud "bang!" The sound of metal clashing was deafening.

"Get back in the car!"

He Jie glanced at Su Huan, who was driving a construction vehicle not far away, and reluctantly retreated.

Before Su Huan fills in the crater, they must ensure that the train will not fall to the Steel Council's evolved beings.

The same situation applies to the other side.

Su Huan was inside, and Zhong Cheng was outside.

"Om-"

The construction vehicle turned around, and its two headlights shone over.

Zhong Cheng's pupils instinctively dilated and contracted to adjust the amount of light entering his eyes, and even under such strong light, he could still clearly see the smile on Su Huan's lips inside the driver's cab.

I really want to tear your mouth apart.

Zhong Cheng said coldly.

A cold, hard voice entered the driver's cab. This was only the second sentence he had spoken to Su Huan since the start of the battle, if you count the malicious shout he had given.

Come on~

Su Huan, a smile on his lips, frantically switched between high and low beams, laughing as he watched Zhong Cheng's pupils contract and expand like a feline's.

The enraged Zhong Cheng became increasingly calm. He lunged forward, then leaped up, facing the construction vehicle. He placed one foot on the second-floor stair railing, and crouched down amidst the twisting sound of metal. His already thick thighs instantly bulged, straining against the highly elastic fabric of his pants. The next instant, he slammed heavily against the windshield in front of the driver's cab like a stone.

The two men stared at each other through the glass. One was as cold as iron, but his eyes burned with fierce anger.

One laughed like a madman, but his eyes were as cold as an ice block.

The construction vehicle's engine was already at its maximum, humming as it surged forward.

"boom!"

Zhong Cheng slammed his elbow into the windshield, shattering the glass instantly and twisting the metal frame.

Su Huan adjusted the steering wheel with one hand and drove straight into the ditch.

"Bang bang bang-"

Zhong Cheng's movements became increasingly ferocious, smashing the glass repeatedly, leaving several large holes in the windshield, which was on the verge of collapse.

The engineering vehicle overtook the train and plunged directly into a five-meter-deep pit. Its power was lost, and the vehicle quickly fell.

Zhong Cheng's arm pierced through the shattered windshield like a steel bar, his five fingers forming claws as he aimed straight for Su Huan's throat.

Su Huan jerked back, his neck brushing against his fingertips, and three bloody marks instantly appeared on his Adam's apple.

Zhong Cheng gritted his teeth, his arm muscles bulged, and he actually tore a larger gap in the twisted metal frame, squeezing his whole body into the driver's compartment.

A flash of lightning appeared in Su Huan's eyes, and he slammed his left hand on the control lever.

The hydraulic arm of the engineering vehicle suddenly shot up, and the heavy mechanical arm swept across from the side, slamming into Zhong Cheng's waist and abdomen with tremendous force!
Zhong Cheng grunted, but used the force to crash completely into the driver's seat.

The two engaged in close-quarters combat in the confined space, with blood splattering as they struck each other with elbows and knees.

Su Huan's right hand was pierced by a wound that restricted his movements. Zhong Cheng punched him in the chest, breaking his sternum on the spot and causing blood to gush from his mouth.

Gritting his teeth, he detonated the remaining grenades in the confined space.

"boom--"

The construction vehicle plunged heavily into the deep pit.

The violent tremor interrupted all their movements. The acid rain that had accumulated to a depth of three meters was smashed into towering waves by the engineering vehicle, bursting out from all directions of the deep pit like a flood, and then crashing back down with more acid rain and mud.

Acid rain poured into the cockpit from all directions, and the two men were instantly submerged in the rain.

Even worse, the blow to the chest caused his lungs to collapse, making it impossible for him to breathe.

Even the slightest movement caused his bones to groan in unbearable strain.

The icy liquid poured into his mouth and nose, and the damned feeling instantly transported him back to the moment before his death in his previous life.

Every part of my internal organs and seven orifices aches and pains; every one of my 36,000 pores is in pain!
Thoughts slowed down at this moment, and all nerves became incredibly sensitive, as if the body was prolonging the time to make him remember the pain.

Despair welled up in my heart, drop by drop.

It was like a giant hand pressing down hard on his head and dragging him into deeper water.

Images of four years of painful struggle flashed chaotically through my mind: metal walls, wildly growing giant trees, raging fires that burned the sky, killing, being killed, being reborn... Could I be killed again?

The train conductor, whose mind was blank, suddenly had only one question left in his head.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Upon seeing the armed train come to a halt, flames erupted from the crater, and a collective exhale echoed from inside the office.

Everyone was stunned for a moment, then burst into laughter.

All the directors were relieved at this moment.

"It seems the new city plan can be implemented smoothly."

"Superficial. Although the Armed Train was defeated, their evolutionary strength should not be underestimated. Once the company obtains their professional formula, its development speed will definitely far exceed that of before."

"Perhaps there's still hope of catching up with the top few companies!"

"Let's open a bottle of champagne."

Several board members, holding champagne glasses, walked towards Li Wangchuan by the window. "President Li, the supplies we mentioned earlier will be delivered tomorrow, but I hope the train will be armed..."

Li Wangchuan looked at the firelight outside the window, and his brows finally relaxed. "The armed train is the company's spoils of war, and I, Li Wangchuan, will naturally not keep it all to myself."

The man didn't seem bothered by the rebuff and continued to offer his terms.

Besides those who approached Li Wangchuan, other directors also engaged in various exchanges of benefits.

Only Chairman Zhang was excluded.

He huddled in the corner, his face pale.

It's not that he lost his value for exchange, but that he lost his right to exchange the moment the armed train was quelled!

Some people have even started currying favor with Li Wangchuan, proposing ways to divide his power and assets right in front of him.

In the war between the Armed Train and the Steel Council, Li Wangchuan emerged as the biggest winner.

And he became part of the spoils of war.

"Won."

Inside the six-story building, Wang Yi said listlessly.

Although the outcome was predetermined from the start, the Steel Council's performance was far too ugly.

It looks like a Pyrrhic victory no matter how you look at it.

He thought he would be ridiculed by the people around him, but to his surprise, this guy praised Li Wangchuan highly.

"When soldiers come, generals will block them; when water comes, earth will dam it. Uncle Wang has indeed chosen a good leader."

For once, Wang Yi didn't scold him. She stood up from the sofa, like a lady who had just finished watching a play, and gave a light yawn. "You should go home early too. The roads aren't safe tonight."

"what is that?"

Instead of a reply from the middle-aged man, she heard a gasp of surprise.

Wang Yi frowned and looked at the man. To her surprise, she saw a hint of panic on his face. She followed the man's gaze and looked out the window.

In the center of the battlefield, the sky above the armed train was a dark mass, not the gloomy kind of dark clouds, but a surging blackness.

It looked like countless living creatures gathered in the sky, forming a layer of black clouds that swallowed up all the light.

The soldiers of the Steel Council also noticed the anomaly and began adjusting the angle of their searchlights, shining them into the sky.

Within the illuminated circular area, countless scarlet eyes stared intently at everyone below from within the surging black wings!

Wang Yi's pupils suddenly contracted—

Those weren't dark clouds, but tens of thousands of black crows!
The assistant quickly stepped forward and opened the window. The sound of flapping wings was like muffled thunder. The black shadows of crows almost covered the entire sky. Even the acid rain was blocked by their bodies, and only a few drops fell sporadically through the gaps in the crows, like fine sand that had been sifted.

"Evolved beasts! It's a horde of evolved beasts!" someone roared, their voice filled with barely concealed fear.

Wang Yi's gaze unconsciously drifted towards the deep pit in front of the railway tracks.

By this time, no searchlights were paying attention to that area.

Such a violent explosion would not have allowed even Zhong Cheng to survive, let alone Su Huan, a physically weak energy donor.

Wang Yi found her own paranoia laughable.

The battle must have been too intense, attracting some evolved beasts.

Just as she glanced at it out of the corner of her eye...

A light suddenly appeared in the pitch-black pit, and a cold blue glow spread rapidly across the water's surface like vines.

But everyone's attention was drawn to the crows overhead, and no one noticed what was there.

'He's still alive!'

The woman's eyes showed horror.

(End of this chapter)