Armored train in the apocalypse

Chapter 223 Epitaph

After two days of bright sunshine, the sky darkened again.

A wave crashed over, instantly capsizing a small boat woven from plastic bottles, which was then pushed by the current towards Li Han.

But he only raised his eyelids slightly before continuing to drill holes in the wooden board with his homemade punch.

After unscrewing the hole, hammer the small wooden stick in and place the two connected planks over the half-finished wooden house at the bow of the boat.

It occupied two-thirds of the total area of ​​the iron boat.

The small stove in the cabin was still bubbling away, heating water.

The overcast sky, the small boat, the wooden house, the iron stove, and the hot water—though somewhat flimsy—gave him a sense of security.

"Wow..."

The surging waves were gradually reduced by an unknown force when they entered within five meters of the iron boat, eventually turning into a weak ripple that splashed against the side of the boat.

If you look closely into the water, you can see a faint network of plants distributed under the iron boat.

It greatly improves the ability of iron-hulled boats to withstand wind and waves.

"boom!"

A muffled thud sounded from the bow of the ship.

Li Han looked up and saw a pair of sturdy military boots standing on the wooden plank at the bow of his boat. Looking further up, he saw a meerkat clutching its left arm with its right hand, drops of blood falling from its fingertips.

"Save people first."

The meerkat's voice is slightly hoarse.

"It's okay now."

A glint of light appeared in Li Han's eyes.

The green plant netting somehow lifted the unfortunate fellow who had fallen into the water and pushed him back onto his water bottle raft.

A tall plant extending from the tin boat pushed the raft even further.

"Thank you."

Seeing that the person was alright, the meerkat breathed a sigh of relief.

She was responsible for everyone in this area. Although the person had fallen into the water by mistake and it wasn't an attack by a mutated beast, if there were fewer people during the nighttime inspection, that bastard He Jie would definitely not give her a chance to explain.

"Your injury?"

"It's okay, it will heal on its own in a bit."

The meerkat withdrew its gaze and landed on the tin boat.

Inside the tin boat, there was a terracotta basin about the size of a washbasin, filled with some moist soil. A branch about the thickness of a corn stalk stood in it, with green vines that looked like wire wrapped around it. The ends of the vines extended into the water, like a fishing rod hanging on the side of the boat.

Just now, Li Han used this vine to push that person's raft away.

"This is... a branch of that crown pear tree?"

Upon hearing this, Li Han smiled wryly. He hadn't wasted any time during this period; besides figuring out how to exchange for daily food, he had been exploring how to use his abilities.

Besides the branches of the Crown Pear Tree, he obtained a total of three kinds of plants. The first was an underwater plant net, which he called "Entangling Algae". It could be made to intertwine and weave through the "Plant Affinity" ability, forming a large net that floated under the boat.

【Entangled algae】does not require additional feeding, can survive by relying on microorganisms in the water, and has a tough texture.

Placing it under the boat can help capture nearby resources.

The second type is the vines that twine around the tree branches, which he scavenged from the surrounding buildings, along with this terracotta pot.

But the most frustrating thing is the branches of this crown pear tree. Although the branches are very resilient, for some reason, no matter how he planted them, they are slowly decaying.

"Yes, but the branch only appears to be alive; it hasn't actually taken root."

Li Han sighed, then, as if he had thought of something, turned around and took out a small jar from the cabin.

Then, I took out a glass, divided some of the contents into portions, poured in some boiling water, and handed it to the meerkat across from me.

Staring at the steaming cup, the meerkat paused, "Tea leaves?"

"Yes."

Li Han stepped aside, revealing the wooden hut behind him. Inside, there wasn't a pile of clutter, only a neatly folded quilt and a potted tea tree.

"These are seeds I exchanged with the train, and then I cultivated them."

The meerkat's pupils widened in shock.

To cultivate edible tea trees from seeds in just three days, and considering that the fruit and vegetable shop at the train farm only opens once a week, this person is definitely a genius!

Are you sure it only took three days?

Li Han noticed her surprise, hesitated for a moment, and then nodded seriously.

"Very good, Li Han, perhaps you won't have to stay on the tin boat tonight!"

The meerkat's tired expression eased somewhat.

Li Han immediately realized what was happening, his face showing a hint of excitement. Although it had only been a few days, he had gained a completely new understanding of the strength of the armed train. The reason he and his companions had survived until now was not because of luck, but because of the Mongoose.

He had witnessed firsthand just how powerful the meerkats were.

Two days ago, a mutated zombie called "Water Ghost" suddenly emerged from the water and sliced ​​open a metal boat. However, the Mongooses and others seemed to have been prepared and surrounded it the moment it appeared, swiftly and decisively killing it.

After several days of free science education on the train, Li Han has gained a completely new understanding of the apocalypse.

They naturally knew how powerful a level one zombie was.

But according to the meerkat, she was just the lowest-ranking reserve officer on the train.

The strength of the armed train instantly became unfathomable in Li Han's mind.

If he could join the armed train, he could escape this precarious situation.

But remembering He Jie's mockery of the meerkats, Li Han hesitated and said, "Isn't that being too optimistic?"

Perhaps the method the meerkat describes is the same as the branch of the crown pear tree.

Some price needs to be paid.

After learning about the train's points system, he had a more intuitive understanding of the purchasing power of the points.

Although it's unclear how much the meerkats were confiscated, it's definitely a sum that even selling them wouldn't be enough to repay.

He was unwilling to bother the meerkats for these slim hopes.

The meerkat pursed its lips, and the fine downy hairs on its cheeks swayed gently.

There is indeed a possibility that He Jie will make things difficult for me.

But if it's just a normal matter, then it's fine. But when it comes to other people's lives, one has to be careful.

"You can talk to the train conductor. He values ​​logistics personnel. If he knows about your talent, he will definitely let you on the train."

Li Han looked up in surprise, staring at the meerkat's determined eyes, and nodded with a hint of disbelief.

……

"Ha... How does it feel to be treated like a villain?" Su Huan put down the blueprints in his hand and said with a smile.

The erection of the Crown Pear Tree is known as the "Floating Giant Tree" project. All the materials are ready, and we can begin the operation.

Now that a suitable site needs to be cleared for construction to begin, Su Huan called He Jie over for a brief discussion.

Yu Yue happened to overhear the conversation outside and shared it with the two people discussing it.

Yu Yue wasn't monitoring every little thing 24/7; it's just that Li Han's abilities were so special that he was put on the train conductor's list of people to watch from the very beginning.

So, when the young cook had nothing better to do, she would scan around the list of people she was particularly interested in.

She has a lot of free time every day, so she always manages to stumble upon something interesting.

Usually, once she hears it, Su Huan knows it too.

He Jie rolled his eyes and groaned, "Prejudice in people's hearts is a mountain."

"Then you might have to carry the mountain for a while longer."

"What do you mean?"

A look of alarm immediately appeared on He Jie's brow. "Let's do as we just discussed, clear out that factory area outside Guanchong, and try to start work tonight."

Su Huan said calmly.

Accompanied by a long whistle, the armed train started up again and headed towards a factory north of Guanchong City.

Thousands of small boats, like surfboards being towed, left white trails in the water.

Although it has been a short time, some people have already begun to learn to stick together.

They connected the small boats together to create a larger area to withstand the wind and waves, thus gaining more space to move around.

Furthermore, this grouping together increases their chances of acquiring resources.

Soon more people will follow suit.

This has created water platforms of varying sizes.

But some people stubbornly stick to one boat per person, accumulating points to upgrade their own boats.

Among these people, Li Han is already one of the most outstanding.

Upon hearing the assembly signal, the meerkat's expression changed. It turned to give Li Han a word of advice, then leaped out, tapping its toes twice on the ropes pulling the boat. Like a nimble raccoon, it leaped onto the train.

……

In addition to the armed forces, the flight crews also mobilized.

Inside carriage number 11, Professor Ma put down the materials in his hand, stood up, and habitually rubbed his aching lower back.

Xiao Zhao was already waiting on the side. "Teacher, the train conductor has ordered the 'Floating Giant Tree Project' to begin. The factory manager still has some things to check with you."

Professor Ma glanced at the students, who weren't very interested. "Well, let's go."

Once they exited carriage 12, Professor Ma casually asked, "I've noticed everyone's been rather down lately?"

Xiao Zhao, standing beside her, paused for a moment and hesitated, saying, "It's probably because of Li Hong's matter that everyone is frightened."

Professor Ma chuckled lightly, "You wouldn't be talking about this old man behind his back, would you?"

"Since the change of the weather, everyone has seen how well the teacher has taken care of us. No matter what, you will always be our most respected teacher."

Xiao Zhao said sincerely.

Professor Ma waved as he walked forward, "You're all good kids, I know. What do you think of the train conductor?"

The teacher's tone shifted so quickly that Xiao Zhao couldn't keep up for a moment. She shared a few of her most immediate impressions: "He does things a bit strangely, but the results are very good. He has great leadership skills and is also a bit mysterious."

Professor Ma's gaze deepened. "How long did it take the train conductor to resolve the issue of the Tongzhou Association?"

Xiao Zhao thought for a moment and said uncertainly, "It seems... I didn't take it seriously and just took care of it casually."

"Silence is the key to swift and decisive action."

"Although you are about the same age, you are just children in a greenhouse..."

"And what about the train conductor?" Xiao Zhao asked curiously. "I'd really like to know your opinion of the train conductor, teacher."

"The victor who writes the epitaph."

"Epitaph, whose?"

"It's either the times, or it's his own doing."

……

Half an hour later, the armed train finally slowed down.

What lay ahead was a city filled with skyscrapers, now transformed into a flooded area with only a handful of buildings emerging from the water.

However, thanks to the high elevation chosen when the factory was built, it was not completely submerged by the flood.

More than half of the buildings were preserved.

The meerkat jumped back onto Li Han's small boat, its face tense.

Li Han knew that his chance to get on the bus had fallen through, but he didn't know what to say.

After all, the other party was working hard for him, so it would be somewhat ungrateful for him to say something discouraging at this time.

The meerkat sighed and said, "I didn't see the train conductor. The orders from above have been issued. We're going to clear out the abandoned factory ahead, and you survivors will have to go in and loot supplies."

"no problem."

“The energy fluctuations inside the factory are very strong. I can’t take you with me, it will disrupt the formation. Be careful.”

As soon as the two finished speaking, a deafening explosion was heard from ahead.

Li Han clearly saw that all the expression on the mongoose's face had disappeared, and it was like a sharp blade drawn from its sheath, full of murderous intent.

Before he could react, he had already sped dozens of meters away on the small boat.

Looking around, he activated the "entwining water plants" under his boat to attach himself to the boats of the people around him, preventing himself from getting too far forward and being pushed onto the boats.

When they entered the factory, all sorts of zombies were already lying on the ground.

The soldiers of the armed corps showed them what efficient killing looks like.

With assault troops in front and gunners behind, the powerful firepower sliced ​​the zombie horde to pieces like wheat being harvested.

Every now and then, you could hear the heavy sniper rifle's firecracker-like sound echoing through the factory.

Even if a few manage to break through the defenses, they will be picked off by the roaming creatures resembling mongooses.

The entire armed corps was like a sophisticated machine, with a bunch of small parts forming a module, precisely and steadily strangling the zombies.

Although there were quite a few Level 1 zombies, after He Jie's training for many days, they had long been accustomed to this killing rhythm.

It is steadily advancing into the factory building.

Only Colonel He Jie, with a furrowed brow, strolled through the howling horde of corpses, carrying a heavy machine gun in one hand and a cigar in the other.

The flashes of gunfire in his hand cast flickering light on his face.

He always felt that Su Huan was up to something.

Yeah, I'm going to trick him again.

……

In the storm zone, on a desolate cliff face, amidst the stark rocks, a large, opaque crystal suddenly appeared.

Behind the crystal is the headquarters of Black Kite.

The intense sunlight stripped away the excess colors from the crystals, leaving only stark black and white.

The light illuminated the empty room and the few sofas in the center.

There were five people in total, some standing and some sitting, surrounding the sofa.

In some ways, Black Kite is very similar to Armed Train at high-level meetings.

Mr. Shu shrugged. "That's roughly how it is."

"He has ill intentions."

A slightly shrill voice came from the side.

Mr. Shu calmly looked at the man leaning against the shadow of the rock pillar, "Number 4, what do you mean?"

"Don't get me wrong, I mean DeepBlue Data has ulterior motives."

Mr. Shu turned to look at the man in a white coat sitting directly opposite him on the sofa. "So, what do you think, Number 1?"

Number 1's gaze remained fixed on the boundary between the light and shadow of the crystal. Upon hearing this, he said calmly, "Managing the company is your business. Just don't disturb me while I'm doing my experiments."

Mr. Shu breathed a sigh of relief; as long as Number 1 agreed, things would be much easier.

Just then, a soft, sweet female voice suddenly spoke.

"What if your daughter is in his hands?"

(Cavill, it's time to crowdfund your book again.)

(End of this chapter)