Armored train in the apocalypse

Chapter 163 Gunsmith

It's not a joke to have the auntie do the screening.

With increasing workload on the train, he definitely needs a secretary-like role.

Yu Jing is out of the question. She started complaining after only two days of temporarily filling in for someone else. If she were to do chores for me every day, her resentment would be so great it would overturn a train.

The other core members are not suitable: Lin Jin is too inexperienced, Liang Kuan is too reserved, Xiao Ba is too young, Wan Xing is too solitary, and He Jie is too impetuous.

Dozens of new plant species have been added to the botanical garden, and Huang Hai has been extremely busy. He rarely appears in the dining car unless there is something important to attend to, let alone in the dining car.

After much searching, only Yu Yue remained.

It's not like she's being asked to make any major decisions. Judging from her ability to adapt to changing circumstances, she's more than capable of doing the work of a secretary.

……

The train was too cramped, and the news that the crew had made changes that afternoon was already widely known.

By evening, the official order had been drafted and issued.

People accepted it very quickly, which is one of the advantages of having a small space.

One day is enough for a rule to go from being proposed to being implemented.

The cabin crew also gained four more official chief flight attendants.

Logistics team: Nonsense.

Manufacturing Team: Boss.

Combat Team: Second Place.

Research Group: Xiao Zhao.

The remaining personnel were grouped according to their functions and assigned to the five-level flight attendant system.

The armed soldiers that Xiao Ba brought back, along with some selected from the workers' group, made up a total of forty people, who were assigned to the combat group to become security personnel for the armed train.

Zhang Kai was among them because he didn't have any outstanding performance, but he obtained the Level 3 flight attendant qualification based on his seniority, which allows him to earn significantly more points each month than ordinary flight attendants.

The armed train supports them, and core members like He Jie and Lao San must obey them unconditionally when they are mobilized. Moreover, unlike Lu Xiao and his group, they do not receive fixed rewards for missions.

Their reward criteria vary depending on the circumstances.

The eldest brother was sitting in the bullet workshop carriage when he received the appointment notice, and he still finds it hard to believe.

They were quite satisfied that the third brother could make it into the core team. After spending so much time in the car, the two brothers were also aware of their own limitations. In terms of evolutionary talent, no one could compare to them, and in terms of brains, the three brothers combined could sell themselves.

Although the train conductor was a bit eccentric, he really didn't cheat them. Not only did he provide them with food and drink, but he also made sure the three of them received all the good things that happened ahead.

Last time he ate that seafood, he got chills just from the smell of water.

However, unexpectedly, the flight crew was reorganized, and two important chief flight attendant positions were given directly to their brothers.

"Boss, is everything alright?"

Hu Shuo confirmed again.

The leader suddenly snapped back to reality, waved his hand, and said, "I understand. Cooperating with Captain Yu in production is something we're used to doing, so we definitely won't mess things up."

Hu Shuo wrote something in the booklet before relaxing and saying, "The train conductor also meant the same thing. At this stage, we're just settling down the ranks and personnel. The work is still the same. We just need to manage our subordinates' tasks."

The eldest brother scratched his head. "I'm fine, there aren't many manufacturers and gatherers to begin with. But what about the second brother? There are about forty people. He has no experience and I'm afraid he won't be able to manage them and things will go wrong."

"Don't worry, our chief flight attendants are only responsible for daily management. Training and missions are led by core members. Moreover, the current four chief flight attendants are only temporary. In the future, there will be some level 5 flight attendants or lower-level chief flight attendants to assist in management."

"Oh, we still need to divide it up?"

"The train conductor said it's a tentative plan. If there are enough people in the future, we won't split it up. If there aren't enough, we'll split the chief purser into several levels as well. But don't tell anyone else about this. The train conductor only asked me to tell you few managers this so that we'll be aware of it and make adjustments later."

"Okay, got it."

Watching Hu Shuo leave, the eldest brother stood up and went to the car window.

The bullet workshop's carriages are much more advanced than other armed carriages, even the windows and other protective features are different, but this kind of tempered glass only looks good before the apocalypse.

Against artillery pieces with diameters of 12.7mm, 14.5mm, or even 80mm or larger, they are no different from being made of paper.

They will all have to be upgraded to Tier 1 armor, which can defend against 12.7mm armor-piercing rounds with excellent results.

That first-tier armor requires the fusion of special materials, making it really troublesome to manufacture.

The first thing the manufacturing team will likely do is prepare materials for the next phase of train modifications.

Opening the train window, it was pitch black outside. The tall buildings had long since lost their lights, resembling giant tombstones left behind by the train. The acid rain splashing along the edge of the window frame was illuminated by the train's interior lights, creating a myriad of streaks.

"What's there to think about? Let's just work hard and do our jobs well."

I caught a handful of acid rain, felt a slight stinging sensation on my skin, took a deep breath, and vigorously rubbed it on my face.

He didn't raise his head until his face turned red.

This is a new technique I learned after being tormented by He Jie last time. Although it's a bit strange, it's refreshing and invigorating.

After closing the car windows and blocking out some light-attracting flying insects, the boss walked towards the bullet production line behind him.

The bullet production line intercepted from the Steel Council occupied three carriages. This time, it wasn't placed at the front, but rather in the third, fourth, and fifth carriages from the bottom. The first and second to last were two hydrogen-powered carriages, which served as the locomotives for reversing.

If it were reloaded bullets, then not even half a carriage would be needed, let alone three.

However, manufacturing from the cartridge case is much more complicated, as gunpowder requires a dedicated space for production.

He is currently in direct charge of this production line.

As soon as I walked in, I heard the hum of machines. A dozen people, led by Han Qin, were each doing their own job.

These were all survivors who had just joined the crew. Han Qin was not supposed to come, but under her strong insistence, He Jie reluctantly agreed to take charge of a part of the bullet manufacturing process.

After inspecting the production situation, the boss grabbed a batch of 5.56mm bullets and walked away.

In the corner at the back of the carriage, there was a small cubicle where the boss had moved his workbench.

Although he was the maker, he wasn't particularly fond of machines and gears. The complicated mechanical knowledge made him dizzy, and if it weren't related to evolution, he wouldn't be able to concentrate on it for even a second.

However, he still has a great deal of interest in firearms.

What man wouldn't like such a hard, violent, and loud lump of iron?

On the table was a disassembled [Enforcer-S1] tactical pistol, and next to it was a pile of parts, including not only the pistol but also many submachine guns and assault rifles.

He casually tossed a handful of bullets into a nearby metal box, making a clinking sound.

The leader sat down and checked his desk to make sure no one had touched it before continuing to modify the tactical pistol.

Unlike manipulators who can drastically change the shape of objects, "Pan-Energy Erosion" can only slowly alter the properties of objects, thus achieving some "deformation" effects.

At first, he just had a sudden idea to modify a pistol that uses 5.56mm ammunition.

The barrel exploded.

He was too lazy to read books, so after asking He Jie about the basics of firearms, he started doing some random research. He modified the bullets and the rifling of the barrel, but later realized it was better to directly fuse materials to improve the strength of the gun.

Now, he has fused all the parts with the dire wolf teeth, increasing the strength by an order of magnitude compared to before.

Because the parts were all hand-made many times, the boss assembled a "brand new" law enforcement tactical pistol with almost no thought required.

The barrel is much longer than before, and the magazine is also wider.

The bullets are manually scored and then inserted one by one into the magazine.

"Click——"

Looking at the heavy pistol in his hand, a sense of accomplishment welled up inside him. What surprised him even more was that a skill that had been dormant for a long time had awakened.

Level 1 "Mechanical Expertise"

He now has all three skills of "Mechanical Apprentice": lv2 "Universal Energy Erosion", lv1 "Mechanical Specialization", and lv1 "Materials Manufacturing".

Once you reach the corresponding level, you can start preparing to advance to the first tier of "Mechanical Apprentice".

The promotion of a "manufacturer" is not as complicated or dangerous as in other fields.

All that is needed is to create one masterpiece.

Take the [Iron Eagle-3] out of the holster on your waist and put on this modified new gun.

I plan to go to the front and find a second floor to test the gun.

When they arrived at carriage number 10, they saw the train conductor chatting with Yu Jing, while Yu Yue was frantically taking notes behind them with a pen and paper. This scene puzzled the leader.

He stepped forward, greeted them, and reported to Su Huan on the progress of the bullet production line.

Yu Jing's gaze, however, fell on his waist.

His phoenix eyes narrowed slightly, a hint of scouting his prey in them. "May I take a look at this gun?"

"no problem."

The boss handed over the modified gun.

Yu Jing played with it for a moment, a thoughtful look on her face, and then handed it to Su Huan, who was standing to the side with great interest.

Compared to Yu Jing, the train conductor's interest in modifying guns stemmed from the guns themselves.

This kind of exaggeratedly designed modified gun is more in line with his understanding of firearms, or rather, various dangerous yet practical modifications are what he is familiar with.

After receiving it and inspecting it for a moment, I quickly disassembled the complete modified gun into a pile of parts.

"5.56mm bullets, and they've even been treated with explosives. They must be much more powerful than the 9mm gunpowder-enhanced version. Ah Da, you've really got some skills."

Su Huan praised him with slight surprise.

The leader chuckled, "I just play around with it occasionally, and I'm about to test it out."

Su Huan quickly finished assembling the machine, aimed it at his left hand, and fired it with a "bang".

Blood splattered all over the boss's face.

Yu Yue, who was behind him, let out a gasp.

Yu Jing's eyes flickered, but she wasn't surprised at all. To be precise, she wouldn't be too surprised by anything Su Huan did.

Su Huan looked at his mangled hands and shrugged, then said thoughtfully, "The power has indeed increased considerably, but the recoil has also increased. Ordinary people would need to install a compensator to use it."

"What are you doing! Your injury finally healed..."

Yu Yue's tone was unusually stern. She put away her pen and paper, took out a bandage from her small bag, and wanted to bandage Su Huan.

Su Huan shook his hand, and "Cell Regeneration" was activated. Tiny granulation tissues visibly gathered together. In the blink of an eye, his hand, which had been torn apart by blood and flesh, began to reassemble.

"Don't panic, just testing this recovery ability."

He said it nonchalantly.

The eldest brother wiped his face resentfully. Although he was a regular passenger, he still found it hard to accept the train conductor's sudden idea.

Fortunately, the train conductor's mental state was in an unstable but constant state.

I won't point my gun at others.

Su Huan wanted to test the effect of the "energy barrier," but seeing Yu Yue standing to the side, sulking, he gave up on this dangerous idea.

He tossed the modified gun back to the boss, raised an eyebrow, and asked, "Are you very interested in modifying firearms?"

Ah Da sighed, "I wouldn't say I'm particularly interested, but it's much better than simply synthesizing materials or repairing machinery."

Su Huan nodded in agreement. "Then let's go in this direction. First, advance to the first tier, 'Mechanical Apprentice.' The second tier has a branch called 'Gunsmith,' which is more suitable for you."

Yu Jing, who was standing next to her, also became interested. "Do you specialize in modifying firearms?"

Su Huan held up a finger and shook it. "It's a profession that specializes in manufacturing firearms, but it's not limited to guns. Theoretically, anything that can shoot can be considered his field, whether it's small-caliber firearms or large-caliber cannons. Give him time, and he can make them by hand."

How many evolutionary branches are there for mechanical apprentices?

"There are many, this is the largest class system in the Wilderness lineage."

Yu Jing flicked the wrench in her hand and hung it on her waist. "Alright, but it's not something that can be modified in a short time. It will take at least two more days, provided that we can't deal with those messy things."

Su Huan pondered for a moment and asked, "How many sets are there currently?"

"Two sets, one is the general-purpose [Scavenger-Type I], and the other is with a bionic suction cup. They were originally meant to be your spares, but what other purpose do they serve now?"

"Okay, find two people to bring these two sets with me." After saying that, Su Huan turned to look at the boss, "You continue testing the guns. Remember to check with Yu Jing about the manufacturing team tomorrow morning."

"okay."

After the eldest brother left, Su Huan, along with Yu Yue and two attendants, carried the two exoskeletons towards the back of the train.

Carriage number 11 is much more complicated than the last time I came.

To prevent the database from being destroyed during the war, Professor Ma and his team designed a separate physical protection system for it, with a strength even more outrageous than the ammunition depot in his train carriage.

Not only were the protective measures in place, but a shock-absorbing balancing device was also installed.

Even if the train overturns, the database will not be damaged in the slightest.

After carefully squeezing through the narrow cabinet, Su Huan finally understood how eager Professor Ma was to expand the experiment.

By the time we reached the 12th carriage, the congestion had only worsened. Various workbenches of all sizes filled the entire carriage, with monitors and electronic components piled up like mountains. The overhead luggage racks had been transformed into a crisscrossing array of beds, interspersed with the personal belongings of a dozen or so students.

It possesses a chaotic beauty that makes you want to explore it.

Every corner is a testament to the wisdom of space utilization and an inseparable connection to daily life.

Imagine a student's bedside with a device that generates a lot of heat when it's running. At this moment, luncheon meat is sizzling on it, and the heat emitted is being drawn away by the ventilation system above their head.

(End of this chapter)