Armored train in the apocalypse

Chapter 177 Exchange
A medium-sized drone equipped with night vision devices took off from the rear of the train, trailing an optical fiber, and buzzed as it flew toward the direction of the vibration.

A clear and stable image was transmitted to carriage 12 and the 32-inch screen in the dining car. Su Huan looked at the swarms of iron-eating trees outside, his eyes filled with contemplation.

With Lin Jin, a Tier 1 [Burner], the Iron-Eating Tree will not have any impact on the train's outpost.

But isn't all of this too much of a coincidence?
The armed train had just arrived at the station in the afternoon when the iron-eating trees rioted that evening.

It's hard for Su Huan to doubt that there weren't any human factors involved.

So who is it...?

'The train manufacturing base, the survivors, or the person I saw during the day?'

Su Huan contacted Xiao Zhao backstage: "Give me a picture of the crowd outside."

Xiao Zhao: "Okay."

Soon, a new shot appeared in the lower right corner of the original screen, overlooking the M-shaped outpost.

Because the area is well-lit, it is possible to see very clearly without night vision equipment.

The panic was mainly among the passengers getting off the bus, who were now rushing back onto it in droves. The workers in other areas were only slightly uneasy and did not react much.

Su raised his eyelids and looked at Wan Hao, who had been waiting for a long time. "Does the phenomenon of iron-eating tree riots occur frequently?"

A hint of surprise flashed in Wan Hao's eyes; he hadn't expected Su Huan to figure it out so quickly.

No wonder he's a train conductor who can control so many powerful individuals.

The name "Iron-eating Tree" is indeed very apt.

Nodding, he readily agreed, "About every five days, the iron-eating tree will leave its original location to search for new metals. Because it is a collective movement, it looks quite impressive, but it will stop soon. The tremors usually last between half an hour and an hour."

Su Huan scrolled through the screen, where he could clearly see four iron-eating trees branching out from the grove and heading towards the platform.

Will it attack people on its own initiative?

Wan Hao shook his head. "They're only interested in metal. We encountered them once when we went out to hunt zombies, and we managed to avoid them by hiding in a building with lots of concrete."

"But if we crash into a grove of trees, things might be different..."

This is quite similar to the information in Su Huan's memory.

Although cycads can also eat people, they do not actively hunt humans.

Su Huan zoomed in on the screen with two fingers and saw a blurry human figure on the canopy of each of the four nearby iron-eating trees.

He tugged at his shirt cuffs, revealing an interested smile.

He called out directly to the outside via the train's public address system, "Lin Jin, due south, prepare to welcome guests."

The train conductor's voice suddenly rang out from inside the Mi-shaped outpost. Lin Jin, who had just returned to the watchtower, stood up, glanced around, and gave a thumbs-up to the small drone hovering in mid-air.

The representative received it.

Then they walked along the steel frame towards the watchtower to the due north.

After finishing everything, Su Huan turned to look at Wan Hao and handed him the booklet.

"These are the items that can be redeemed on the train. You don't have any points right now, but you can redeem them with other things, such as the building materials you mentioned earlier. If we have anything we need, we will calculate it into points for you."

Seeing Su Huan's much friendlier smile, Wan Hao curiously flipped through the booklet in his hand.

Basic supplies were still available, but later on, a storm of emotions swept through my mind. Whether it was weapons and equipment or industrial tools, they were all at the limit that ordinary people could reach.

It's like he has about two thousand men under his command, but only a handful of guns.

It's not that they didn't want to find a gun.

But there's only one large law enforcement agency around the car manufacturing plant.

The other law enforcement agencies have all been divided up by the locals.

Everyone knows guns are good stuff in the apocalypse, but if you can think of it, others can too.

There's a law enforcement bureau downstairs in my building, but I can't find it. How come you, a complete stranger, found it right away?
That's pure nonsense.

A law enforcement agency covers a population of at least several thousand, if not ten thousand.

There will always be smart people.

If the train hadn't fought with the Steel Council, the passengers at the back wouldn't have gotten a single gun.

In this country with strict gun control, it is extremely difficult to obtain a gun, but the booklet that Su Huan provided not only contained regular law enforcement firearms, but also a large quantity of munitions!
Is this an armory?
As for the various levels of universal energy crystals and gene serums that awaken abilities, it proves that the other party's understanding and exploration of the apocalypse has far surpassed that of ordinary people.

'I need to seriously consider my own circumstances...'

After a moment of contemplation, Wan Hao cautiously asked, "Does the train conductor intend to take all these people away?"

"Take them away?" Su Huan glanced at the densely packed crowd of more than three thousand people. Even if the front carriages were cleared out, they wouldn't be able to fit them all, not to mention that he would have to squeeze out one or two more carriages for other uses.

However, he also keenly perceived Wan Hao's hidden meaning.

"Of course not, you want this group of people?"

Wan Hao flipped through the booklet in his hand, then stopped at the last page.

This page represents other exchanges; it doesn't contain specific object information, only a few words.

"Task delegation", "large-scale transaction", "strategic cooperation"...

Wan Hao's finger, meeting Su Huan's scrutinizing gaze, landed on the "Mission Request".

He said earnestly, "I have an idea. If the train conductor doesn't intend to take them all away, could you support us in setting up a temporary gathering place at this station?"

Yu Yue was still preparing dinner for others, but neither the working range hood nor the clattering of the dishes made any noise.

The entire carriage was unusually quiet.

Su Huan leaned back on the sofa, intently scrutinizing the middle-aged man before him.

Although he was wearing an ordinary worker's uniform, he still maintained his composure, sitting there steadily with a focused and sincere expression.

Such people are very capable. In their forties or fifties, their experience and knowledge have reached their peak. Moreover, since they are in the shipping business, their vision and methods are far superior to those of ordinary businessmen.

But what he needs more are various mid-to-high-level elites, rather than leaders who can guide the train in his place.

Therefore, he did not accept the offer immediately.

He was also considering how to deal with the extra survivors.

Discarding the bridge after crossing the river is absolutely unacceptable, because he was building a force, not acting alone.

It seems the other party has now provided a very good solution.

"What do I get in return for helping you establish a settlement?"

Wan Hao was genuinely on edge, but relaxed only after hearing Su Huan's answer.

He said seriously, "The train conductor needs workers, presumably to modify the train or something else. Forced methods can work, but the effect will definitely not be good. If we keep exchanging resources, the losses will be too great. After all, small losses add up, and even the most basic supplies amount to a terrifying number."

Su Huan tapped the table lightly, interrupting Wan Hao, "Simply saving some supplies isn't enough. To establish a complete settlement, I need to provide you not only with sufficient self-defense capabilities, but also with sustainable water sources, food, and even more basic infrastructure." "Why should I spend so much to build you a settlement?"

Wan Hao nodded slightly in agreement, glanced at the "Phase Three Plan" on the table without making a sound, and then said, "I have a few ideas. Train conductor, please listen to them and see if you can give me this opportunity."

“Since you’ve brought back over two thousand workers, the project must be quite large, and your target is definitely not this small station. To show my sincerity, I will provide some information about the high-speed train manufacturing base a kilometer away. In addition, I have a friend who works there as the vice president of technology, who might be able to offer you some assistance.”

"It certainly has value; does that count as part of the transaction?"

"This is a small token of our sincerity in taking up your time."

Su Huan smiled, having already made up his mind.

"Okay, continue."

"Firstly, given that your goal is to modify trains, this requires a large number of skilled workers and material supplies. If a cluster is established, it can provide stable and customized services for trains in the long term, such as parts processing and weapon maintenance, thus avoiding the need to rebuild basic industrial infrastructure every time there is a demand."

"Furthermore, the gathering place also regularly sends trained workers to work on the trains to solve the problem of labor shortage."

"Secondly, Thuan An has a key geographical location and can serve as a fixed supply point along the train route."

"Gathering points can stockpile scarce resources such as supplies and evolution materials needed by the train, and deliver them when the train returns. At the same time, gathering points will also become the train's intelligence network. If you do not plan to stay for a long time, the gathering points at the station will become a nail, going deep into the local area to gather some intelligence for you."

"Thirdly, train space is limited, and gathering places can share the burden of train personnel and conduct some long-term experiments."

"Fourth, the settlement can become an appendage of the armed train, providing support when battle is needed. Perhaps the train commander doesn't think much of our strength, but even cannon fodder has some value, right?"

"Clap clap clap..."

Su Huan clapped his hands, a smile playing on his lips.

Although Wan Hao's reasons are all based on the premise that the train will return to Shun'an or remain in the acid rain zone for a long time in the future.

But this did not diminish Su Huan's appreciation for the person in front of him.

He had long considered the idea of ​​cultivating wings or establishing a settlement.

Because both Deep Blue Data and the Mechanicus Cult, as major forces, have established a presence across multiple regions.

Doing this clearly has huge benefits.

But at that time, he hadn't even figured out the main structure of his own train, let alone the mood to invest a lot of resources in a cluster.

Therefore, the matter of the gathering place was indefinitely postponed.

It's a bit early to bring this up now.

But opportunity is often more important than preparation.

There's no such thing as being well-prepared for the apocalypse.

"I can invest in building a community, but I'm investing in you, not the community. You know what I mean?"

Su Huan narrowed his eyes and said calmly.

Wan Hao paused for a moment, then said calmly, "Old Yuan is my brother, I can't abandon him, but I will definitely take control of the settlement."

Su Huan nodded in satisfaction. "That's fine, but this station is too small to build a cluster. I think the high-speed train manufacturing base a kilometer away would be better. What do you think?"

Wan Hao laughed, "The train conductor is impressive!"

The two wanted to discuss the details further, but Lin Jin came in to report the situation.

The person on the ironwood tree outside was none other than the young man who had chatted happily with Su Huan that afternoon, carrying a large amount of ironwood and wanting to reach a deeper deal with Su Huan.

"Shall we go take a look?"

Su Huan stood up with some surprise. Director Xu and the others had already determined the value of the ironwood.

No matter how the train is modified, the more of this material the better.

Just when I was wondering where to get it, they delivered it right to my door.

Wan Hao quickly stood up as well, saying, "I would be honored to accept your offer."

Su Huan casually grabbed the points redemption manual he had read and tossed it to the demolition expert, Giraffe, who was standing guard outside the dining car. "Go to carriage 12 and have Xiao Zhao print out a few more official copies."

The latter left immediately.

Commando Bai Lu followed behind Su Huan on guard.

Currently, the two don't have any major tasks, so they're just serving as Su Huan's bodyguards for the time being.

The group climbed the simple iron stairs next to the train and reached the high metal wall shaped like the Chinese character "米" (mǐ).

Although he witnessed Xiao Ba build up the entire site, Wan Hao was still filled with emotion when he stepped on it.

They're both evolved beings, yet the difference is like heaven and earth!
When I think about this, I subconsciously extend the thought process to how strong the train conductor must be.

He looked up at the train conductor in front of him. He had long hair and broad shoulders, and his exposed forearms were strong and powerful, much like those workers who had awakened their power, speed, and direction. But there was also a strong sense of danger mixed with that strange attraction.

Just ...

Dangerous and fascinating.

If his children weren't already adults, Wan Hao might even doubt whether there was something wrong with his sexual orientation.

"What do you think would be a suitable name for this gathering place?"

Su Huan, who was in front, suddenly asked.

Wan Hao pondered for a moment and said, "Let's call it Shun'an Station, Platform 1 of the Armed Train - Shun'an Station."

Su Huan saw Lin Jin approaching from the front and smiled slightly. "Okay."

“Train conductor, there are four people and four iron-eating trees on the other side. The leader has an Enforcer S1 tactical pistol.”

Lin Jin said solemnly.

"It's alright." Su Huan waved his hand, walked to the watchtower, rested his hands naturally on the edge, and smiled warmly. "I heard you brought a lot of good things."

The young man's tense expression softened upon seeing the large number of armed soldiers. "There was a fight going on in the trees just now. I thought it was you guys and wanted to come help. But when I found you were alright, I thought I'd take advantage of the fact that you haven't gone too far to do a few more transactions. The water you gave me during the day sold for a good price."

"fighting?"

Su Huan frowned; He Jie still hadn't returned.

Don't let it be that idiot.

“It was a small-scale battle, not far from you, but by the time I got there it was gone. It must have been a survivor who ran into the moving grove of iron-eating trees.”

Su Huan breathed a sigh of relief.

As long as they're not one of our own, that's fine.

What are you planning to exchange this time?

(End of this chapter)