Armored train in the apocalypse

Chapter 166 The Fellow Travelers

The world behind carriage 20 is completely different from the cheerful barbecue atmosphere inside the dining car.

The buffer layer inside the wall was completely removed, leaving only the outermost Tier 1 armor. Each carriage only had four windows in the very center, while the other windows were all welded shut with smooth synthetic armor, like the smooth inner wall of a can.

Although the armed train has a total of 55 carriages excluding the locomotive, after removing the two locomotive carriages, three bullet workshop carriages, two garage carriages, four research carriages, and two new carriages, ordinary passengers can actually only live in about 20 carriages.

Each carriage houses about 40 people. Although it is a bit crowded, at least everyone has their own bed.

When there were over a thousand people, each carriage was crammed with nearly a hundred, and the smells of sweat, excrement, and rotting food fermented in the enclosed space.

Passengers were crammed together like sardines, with people lying on the floor and luggage racks, leaving no place to even step.

"Give way! Give way!"

A gaunt man clutched his stomach as he struggled through the crowd.

There were already seven people in line in front of the toilet. After a long wait, a burly woman squeezed through the crowd. Because she had done manual labor for many years, she had a strong, muscular build. Her husband was even heavier than her, and the two of them were quite the big guys in the carriage.

"Is the person inside still alive? It's been half an hour!"

A weak reply came from inside the door: "Wait a little longer..."

The woman cursed and kicked the iron gate, which echoed hollowly.

Cold sweat beaded on the forehead of the gaunt man, and his legs clamped together unnaturally.

"Get lost." The woman turned and glared at him.

The man opened his mouth, but ultimately remained silent and retreated to the back of the line. He knew he couldn't beat her, let alone her man.

This is the rule for carriages 20 and onwards: whoever has the stronger fist has the right to speak.

He returned to his bunk, covered himself with a tattered blanket, and gritted his teeth.

The plump woman and her husband were not far away, sharing a piece of dried meat that they had gotten from somewhere.

He cursed in his heart, but dared not say it aloud.

The lights inside the carriage were dim, illuminating only a small section of the corridor.

Just like his food, after buying the ticket, there was only a little left, barely enough to sustain his life. Those hateful people always managed to get extra food and clean water.

“Hey, skinny.” A deep voice sounded in my ear.

Zhang Qiang looked up abruptly and saw a man with a scar on his face squatting next to his bunk.

He recognized the man; his name was Lao Ma. He was one of the few people in the carriage who dared to challenge the bullying couple.

"What's wrong?" Zhang Qiang asked warily.

Old Ma looked around and lowered his voice, "Do you want to have a full meal?"

Zhang Qiang's eyes lit up. "You have extra food."

"I don't have any." Old Ma's eyes gleamed in the dim light as he handed him a slip of paper. "Someone organized a mutual aid society. If you go, you can get some food. It's at 10 PM in carriage 30."

After saying that, Old Ma patted him on the shoulder and walked away as if nothing had happened.

Zhang Qiang stared at Lao Ma's retreating figure, his heart pounding.

Mutual aid society?
On this train?

He had heard from older passengers that there had been a gang-like organization behind the building some time ago.

Then, for some reason, it disappeared.

The only team on the entire train that was recognized was Lu Xiao's team, but the other side looked down on a skinny guy like him.

He also heard how well the "crew" in the front carriages lived, with private rooms, plenty of food, and even showers. Old Liu, because of his car repair skills, could even brew a pot of tea every day.

Before the apocalypse, he lived a comfortable life with the few houses left over from the demolition and a storefront. His greatest pleasure was finding an easy job, not for any other reason than to see other people working hard.

Then, he inadvertently revealed that he owns several properties and earns tens of thousands of yuan in rent every month.

She received envious, jealous, and hateful glances from her colleagues.

While others avoid their superiors, he sidles up to them, waiting for them to assign him unreasonable tasks so he can storm off in a fit of anger.

When the apocalypse came, the house was still there, but it was useless.

He hated himself for being so lazy back then; if he had learned a trade, he wouldn't be in this situation now.

They can barely even preserve their basic dignity.

The clock struck 9:50 p.m., and Zhang Qiang quietly slipped out of the train carriage.

The corridor was deserted, with only the rhythmic sound of the train moving along.

He counted the carriage numbers and finally arrived at carriage number 30. There were two people standing in the corridor. When they saw him acting suspiciously, they put a finger to their lips to signal him not to speak, and then pointed to a compartment behind them.

Zhang Qiang cautiously walked to the door of the private room.

A sliver of light shone through the crack in the door.

I took a deep breath and knocked on the door.

The door opened a crack, an eye peered at him, and then the door opened fully.

Zhang Qiang was pulled inside, and the door was immediately closed.

To his surprise, he discovered that the carriage had been transformed into a small gathering place. The compartments on both sides had been opened up, and more than twenty people were sitting, standing, or lying on the bunk beds, surrounding a middle-aged man standing on a box.

But no one spoke.

Soon someone handed him a note and shone a flashlight on it to illuminate the words written on it in pencil: “Don’t speak. There are superhumans in front of the train who can hear us.”

Zhang Qiang's heart tightened immediately.

I didn’t expect the superhuman to be so powerful. Does that mean that his secret complaints and curses were all overheard?

"Another brother has arrived!" The middle-aged man held up a piece of paper with a kind smile on his face. "Welcome to the 'Fellowship'. I am Liu Ming. Before the apocalypse, I had a secure job in Dongping City."

Zhang Qiang was stunned.

Dongping City?
Right next to his home in Jinzhong City, this Liu Ming is actually an official?
Liu Ming noticed his surprise and wrote, "Don't be nervous. Here, we are all equal. When the apocalypse comes, those so-called identities and statuses will be meaningless. What's important is that we ordinary people unite and help each other."

The flashlight beam only illuminated Liu Ming in the middle; everyone else's faces remained hidden in the shadows.

The contrast was too great, and Zhang Qiang couldn't see their expressions clearly.

Liu Ming continued his "speech," and the only sound in the private room was the scratching of pencils, a sense of sacredness welling up in my heart.

"Look at our situation, everyone!" Liu Ming spread his arms wide. "The people in the front carriages are living the high life, while we have to queue even to use the toilet! They have single rooms, while forty of us are crammed into one carriage! Is this fair?"

A pair of bright eyes were fixed on him.

“The crew members in the front carriages who serve the core members receive fresh food every day, and even hot meals. But what about us? We have to buy expensive tickets for the biscuits we find with great difficulty, but no one cares whether we live or die.”

"Everyone knows why we can have forty people in one carriage, right?"

"Because half of our people died!"

"Nobody cares about us!"

"No one is protecting us!"

"They were slaughtered like pigs and dogs!"

"Whether old or young, they all lay in pools of blood!"

The handwriting grew increasingly flamboyant, as if it contained immense anger. Zhang Qiang didn't know what others were thinking; he only felt something pressing against his throat, and a surging flame rising in his chest, burning him to the point of despair.

"We never asked for anything, we just wanted the shelter we deserved, food to survive, and a humble hope to live!"

"But the train took away our hope without giving us any shelter!"

"We should stand up and protect ourselves in our own way!" *Snap—*

The pencil broke because it was pressed too hard.

The room fell silent, save for heavy breathing and the increasingly scorching heat.

"what should we do?"

Zhang Qiang's voice was so hoarse that even he couldn't believe it.

Like a fuse, it instantly ignited everyone, and everyone's eyes seemed to be burning with raging flames, ready to explode at any moment.

Seeing this, Liu Ming finally breathed a sigh of relief.

He has many plans ahead, but the groundwork laid is crucial. If he can't get the passengers emotionally involved, he won't be able to unite them as one.

Fortunately, it's only been a month since the apocalypse, and these people who are used to freedom haven't been tamed by the train yet.

Then, he demonstrated his abilities.

A bright flame rose from his palm, burning the few sheets of paper covered with lead type.

Although it wasn't a particularly powerful ability, it was enough to intimidate the ordinary people present.

"The goal of the Tongzhou Association is simple," Liu Ming said, setting aside his abilities. "To help each other and strive for better living conditions, but to achieve this, we need more manpower and more resources."

He gestured to his assistant to bring out a box, which, when opened, contained several large bags of compressed biscuits and several cases of clean water.

"I got these through 'special channels.' Join us, and the good members will receive supplies every week. Anyone who wants to join, raise your hand."

Zhang Qiang swallowed hard. For the first time, he found those ordinary cookies incredibly tempting, and even a bottle of mineral water held immense appeal for him.

He raised his hand almost without thinking.

Seeing that everyone in the carriage, whether in the light or the shadows, had raised their hands, Liu Ming smiled with satisfaction.

The rally lasted until late at night.

Liu Ming explained the rules of the Tongzhou Association in detail. Secrecy is the top priority, and any act of betrayal will be severely punished. There will be a meeting once a week to exchange information and distribute supplies. Most importantly, everyone must contribute to the growth of the organization.

When the meeting adjourned, Zhang Qiang was kept behind by others.

Liu Ming put his arm around his shoulder, as warmly as an old friend, and handed him a note.

Zhang Qiang's heart raced as he looked at the contents, and he hesitated before glancing at him.

Liu Ming smiled and said, "In return, you'll get even more..."

“I do!” he mumbled.

Liu Ming smiled with satisfaction.

After everyone left, four people remained besides him.

Liu Ming stood in the middle, looking serious. He took out a small device, pressed it, and then casually pushed the door open and went out.

"follow me."

Zhang Qiang glanced at the security camera at the top of the carriage aisle, lost in thought.

Liu Ming led them to the bridge of carriage number 20.

After waiting for a while, the tightly closed door suddenly opened a crack.

A person wearing a mask, sunglasses, and a loose coat stood opposite, like a giant beast lurking in the darkness.

He was carrying two bulging backpacks.

"I've brought you the things." The mysterious man's voice was hoarse and strange, clearly a disguise.

Zhang Qiang was immediately startled, but seeing that Liu Ming and the others did not react, it was clear that the mysterious person was confident in blocking the eavesdropping superhuman.

Liu Ming took the backpack and looked through it. Inside were five kilograms of compressed food, ten liters of purified water, and a pistol.

A flicker of greed crossed Liu Ming's eyes, but he quickly regained his composure. "What exactly do you want me to do?"

The mysterious man lowered his voice, "I need your men to sabotage the train's water supply system, as well as some internal facilities, such as the power supply, to make it look like it was caused by improper installation."

Liu Ming's eyes flickered. "You mean the carriages at the front? We can't get in there."

"Don't worry, we'll find you a chance."

"it is good."

The transaction was completed quickly.

Liu Ming surveyed the crowd, his eyes gleaming with ambition. "This is an opportunity, brothers. That mysterious man is clearly not alone, proving there's conflict within the front carriage as well. We can use this to our advantage and strengthen ourselves."

“Once we have enough power,” Liu Ming’s voice was full of enticement, “it’s not impossible that we could even replace those who are just sitting idly in their positions at the front of the train.”

As Zhang Qiang listened, his heart beat faster and faster.

The future Liu Ming described was too wonderful: spaciousness, ample food, and even rights he had never had before the apocalypse.

For these things, what's a little risk?
Liu Ming suddenly called out, "Zhang Qiang, what did you do before?"

"He's just an ordinary person," Zhang Qiang answered honestly.

Liu Ming's eyes gleamed with a sharp light. "You'll soon be extraordinary."

……

The barbecue feast inside the food truck has reached its climax.

In addition to consuming a large amount of meat, He Jie and the others also consumed four cases of beer with Su Huan's tacit approval, and even Yu Yue and the others drank some fruit beer.

He Jie pulled Qu Hang into a drinking contest, while Goat and Lao San secretly egged them on from the side.

Huang Hai, after drinking too much, told Xiao Ba how to farm, and Xiao Ba listened attentively, learning whatever he heard.

Wan Xing, Yu Jing, and Director Xu were having a lively discussion on the side.

Lin Jin was in charge of the barbecue grill. The flames obediently licked the meat skewers in his hands, and the sizzling meat oil was forced out by the flames, soaking the entire skewer.

Yu Yue busied herself serving tea and water to the train conductor, and also fed the little girl who was circling around her.

Professor Ma stood to the side, a small glass of baijiu in his hand, his face flushed, watching the scene unfold with a smile.

“Xiao Zhao, look here. There are soldiers, doctors, scholars, drivers, adults, and children. Regardless of their identity or social status, they have all gathered here because of the apocalypse. Although the cause was not good, and this situation will not last forever, it is still meaningful at this moment…”

Xiao Zhao, who was adjusting the screen, casually remarked, "All good things must come to an end, but why are you suddenly feeling sentimental, Teacher?"

Professor Ma smiled and shook his head.

Suddenly, I heard a student's puzzled voice.

"what happened?"

“There are a few monitoring data points that seem a bit off, but we haven’t found anything unusual. They’re from the back carriages.”

"That's not the attitude for doing research. If you feel something is wrong, then find out why it's wrong."

Xiao Zhao said solemnly, "We are investigating."

The old man's eyes suddenly narrowed. "What has Li Hong been doing lately?"

Xiao Zhao was stunned for a moment, "No way..."

"Go and see."

"He is currently performing routine maintenance in carriage 11, and there is nothing unusual about him."

Professor Ma downed the glass of baijiu in one gulp, exhaling a faint breath of alcohol. "I hope I'm just overthinking it."

(End of this chapter)