Armored train in the apocalypse

Chapter 296 Going Home
Instead of hiding in the clean bed in the bedroom, she chose a corner in the stench-filled living room and curled up behind the sofa.

Only then did she have time to check the contents of her backpack.

The backpack was a standard 60-kilogram marching pack for the armed forces, but hers was exceptionally heavy, probably weighing 80 kilograms.

The large bag has three smaller pouches attached: a common tool kit, a medical kit, and a tactical equipment kit.

Upon opening the backpack, a note immediately came into view.

It was covered with dense writing.

“I know you’re excited, but don’t get too excited. You’ll be alone on the way back, so be careful. I had Lao Liu fill up your gas tank, and there are two small bottles in the trunk. That should be enough for emergencies. Ah, I envy you being able to reunite with your family soon. I traded for two pears; you can share them with your brother-in-law and nephew when you get back.” — Miao Qi

"Sister Rong, you left in such a hurry. I was thinking of treating you to a meal, but I don't know if I'll have the chance again." — Lu Xiao

"I've put some fresh vegetables in for you; you must finish them within seven days." — Huang Hai

"This time I made Chinese pastries, which can be stored for a long time! (￣︶￣)" — Yu Yue

"These are hand-made multi-functional pliers. There are two more functions that I didn't manage to fit in, so I've put them in your bag." — Xiao Ba

"The walkie-talkie has been modified so that it can contact the vehicle once." — Yu Jing

"Have a safe journey." — Liang Kuan

"Damn it, these bastards didn't leave me a spot, flip it over!"

Upon seeing this, Jiang Rong's lips twitched slightly.

Turning to the back, it was still filled with dense handwriting, this time He Jie wrote in much larger characters.

"I've upgraded your body armor to the latest sand armor, and I've given you four basic loads of rifle ammo and one basic load of pistol ammo. I'm not getting you a new gun, though. I don't think the boss's thing is reliable, so I've also packed you ten grenades, three of which I personally packed. If you encounter any idiots, just blow them up. If you can't beat them, don't say you're one of my men!"

In the gaps, there are still the meerkat's delicate handwriting, the young people she had subsidized, and her comrades who fought alongside her, such as the goat.

There wasn't enough space at the back, so some people didn't say anything, they just signed their names on it.

The edges of the entire sheet of paper were covered with these overlapping names.

The warm liquid suddenly slid down, blurring the names.

They were all just words of blessing.

I'm already over forty.

I had clearly given up hope for this world a long time ago.

A surge of emotions welled up from her long-numbed heart, and she realized that the person she understood least was herself.

"This is a blessing, so smile."

Jiang Rong forced a smile, sitting silently in the dark corner of the room, tears streaming down her face.

At that moment, she seemed to understand the train conductor.

Smile when you're happy, and don't let those who love you down.

She suddenly remembered something and subconsciously reached into her chest pocket. The second-order universal energy crystal that had been there had been used up at some point, leaving only a very small amount.

Adhering to the habit of not wasting anything, Jiang Rong absorbed all the remaining energy.

The main skill, which had already leveled up during the promotion, was further enhanced, reaching level 5.
My palms were empty, as if nothing had ever been there.

Thinking about having to travel again tomorrow, Jiang Rong wiped her face, placed her small bag on the ground as a pillow, and fell into a deep sleep while hugging her rifle.

……

The sandstorm had subsided considerably in the early morning, and a large convoy was traveling on an abandoned national highway.

The vehicles were a mixed bag, all painted with a black star. Motorcycles of various sizes roamed around the convoy like rangers. One of the motorcycles turned back and approached the off-road vehicle in the center.

"Master Rong, there seems to be someone in that house by the roadside."

Li Xinlong looked at a detached bungalow by the roadside. The entrance was covered in heavy dust and overgrown with weeds. The broken doors and windows were pitch black, and it didn't look like anyone lived there.

"They're probably just lone scavengers. Ignore them and keep looking ahead. It's pitch black, so be careful."

Li Xinlong frowned and gave the order.

With the car windows closed, the only sound inside was the muffled engine noise.

The houses quickly passed by outside the car window.

I don't know why, but I have a feeling of excitement in my heart tonight.

It felt like something was about to happen.

He had traveled this road many times, and it was less than 100 kilometers away from Zhijin City. As long as he could bring these 5,000 people over there, he could exchange them for Black Kite's supplies, and the Black Star convoy would no longer have to crowd outside the Xiaohe Ruins.

With over 500 guns, 300 evolved beings, and over 1,000 people, they could even challenge the train inside.

He suddenly felt a heat in his ears, and a soft, enchanting female voice suddenly rang in his ears.

You seem a little nervous.

Li Xinlong tilted his head to avoid the woman, his eyes deep, "Are you sure that once the person arrives at Black Kite, they'll give us those supplies?"

The woman, who looked to be sixteen or seventeen, leaned back and shrugged. "How would I know? I'm with the Black Star team, not Black Kite. Besides, you've already verified the information yourself. Oh, you're not planning to blame me if things fail, are you?"

"And then, feigning concern, say something like, 'That vixen ruined me!'"

“I, Li Xinlong, am not that despicable.”

"Hmph, men!"

She spoke flippantly, but her eyes held a nonchalant air.

Li Xinlong took a deep breath. "You know how important this batch of supplies is to Black Star. With this batch of weapons, we can integrate the three counties and squeeze into the center of Xiahe City. Even if we take a step back, we can bring people to Zhijin to develop."

Upon hearing this, a hint of apprehension flashed in the woman's eyes, and she even sat up straighter.

"You dare go if the train hasn't left?"

Li Xinlong said in a deep voice, "I've also investigated those two. They're just ordinary people who have just become evolved beings, and they're well-equipped. Even if the overall level of the armed train is a bit stronger than theirs, are they all first-time evolved beings? In the end, it still comes down to gunfights. Within a few hundred meters, his good gun can kill people, while my inferior gun can't kill anyone."

"At worst, I'll just assign three men with one gun, and they'll be overwhelmed."

“I’ve heard people from Black Kite mention that it’s called a first-tier evolver.”

"It's just a name, what's the difference?"

The woman frowned. "Didn't those two deserters say that the train conductor is a second-tier evolved being, and that if there are more than ten first-tier evolved beings on the train, Black Star's forces simply cannot defeat the current train?"

Li Xinlong's face hardened. "Evolvers aren't immune to bullets. With my current strength, I'd die even if I faced five guns. Second-tier is strong, but I don't believe he can take on hundreds of my guns by himself."

"Then we'll find two snipers to keep an eye on him. Even if he's a god, he won't be able to fly."

The woman was completely speechless. She wanted to tell him that people are different, but at this stage, she could do nothing but make him angrier, so she could only swallow her anger.

Anyway, Black Star has little chance of running into the train.

……

As the noise faded away, Jiang Rong stood by the window with her back against the wall.

Only after confirming that no cars were passing by did I cautiously peek out. Activating the Level 5 "Energy Conversion," a dim ball of light lit up outside the window, like twinkling fireflies.

Although faint, it was enough for her re-evolved eyesight.

Using the various reconnaissance skills she had learned in the military corps, after confirming that no one was around, Jiang Rong quickly packed her backpack in her room, pushed her motorcycle out from behind the house, and rode off.

Such a large-scale human migration will inevitably be followed by many predators.

At that time, the survivors on both sides who are slow to run will suffer.

She had seen this kind of thing too many times on the train, so naturally she wouldn't take any chances.

If the other party's target is Zhijin, then we can't stay any longer. We might as well spend the night here and go straight home.

No sooner had Jiang Rong left than a pair of scarlet will-o'-the-wisps swayed and approached the house.

Its sharp claws silently pierced the concrete pavement, it sniffed the house, then suddenly stood up and pressed itself against the window, its eyes peering into the house through the gaps between its bulging ribs under its armpits.

Unfortunately, I didn't see any appetizing food.

A rumbling vibration could be heard behind us.

Just as the disappointed Tier 1 Night Demon was about to leave, his skinny body was slammed against a large, fat hand, smashing through the window. The Butcher's head, which resembled a Maitreya Buddha, was shoved into the window, while he held upside down a telephone pole that had somehow broken off.

"Drip..."

The faint sound caught their attention. It was right under their feet, but the butcher couldn't find where it was coming from even after looking for a long time.

On the broken window frame, a slender silver beam reflected the shimmering red light from below.

"boom--"

When she heard the explosion, Jiang Rong estimated the distance and her eyelids twitched slightly.

She initially just wanted to clear out her backpack.

Who knew He Jie would go to such lengths?

Twist the accelerator and quietly follow the convoy in front.

Halfway there, Jiang Rong found a side road to bypass the convoy and headed northeast.

Her home is in Changxing County, 100 kilometers east of Zhijin City, and they are currently on the main road leading directly from south to north to Zhijin.

Although leaving the convoy would present some dangers, it would also reduce the trouble of exposing those I had been in contact with. Looking at the familiar buildings on both sides, memories flooded back like downy goose feathers pressed into a pillow.

It felt like half a century had passed in just six months.

In some places, the wind and sand had ravaged them so much that she could hardly recognize them.

Even the faces of her son and husband seemed blurry, leaving only a vague shadow.

Her home is in a residential area near an intersection. The alley below is lined with shops, but only a few breakfast stalls on the corner are doing relatively well. The others change hands every six months. Now...

It's meaningless now.

Jiang Rong looked towards the sixth-floor balcony, but there was no light.

Although I had expected it, I still couldn't help but take a look.

After running over an ordinary zombie, the motorcycle swerved and came to a stop in the yard.

"Tear--"

A short, sharp, and crisp sound suddenly appeared on the rooftop.

A tall, inhuman figure leaped from the rooftop toward the woman in the courtyard.

Jiang Rong didn't fire the gun. Instead, she took out a metal cone the size of a soybean from her pocket, aimed it at the direction of the jumper, and a flash of blue lightning appeared from the void. The metal cone made a whistling sound as her hand was thrown high into the air.

"Smack! — Bang!"

The jumper crashed to the ground like a lump of mud, his arms and legs flying everywhere.

Jiang Rong, who was using this move for the first time, raised her eyebrows in surprise. Although she had hit it quite accurately, this was a level one zombie, and she had killed it instantly.

The noise startled the "residents" in the community, and several ordinary zombies crawled out from a corner.

Jiang Rong wasted no more time, took out her gun and dealt with the zombies, then slung her backpack over her shoulder and walked toward the second unit in the corner.

Although there was only one person, every tactical movement was extremely precise, without any slacking off.

At this moment, the woman transformed into a formidable captain on the armed train.

To her surprise, Jiang Rong didn't see any zombies even after climbing all the way to the sixth floor.

Even the rapidly growing mutated plants showed signs of having been cleared, which gave her a glimmer of hope.

Looking at the fingerprint lock on her door, Jiang Rong took a deep breath and grasped it.

The small screen lights up.

The "ding-dong" sound was like heavenly music, but it also made Jiang Rong tense up instantly.

……

The room was spotless.

It looks like someone has cleaned it.

Everything is still there.

But the person she most wanted to see was not there.

Jiang Rong sat on her familiar bed, staring blankly at the wedding photo on the headboard.

The man in the photo is laughing heartily, but she is pursing her lips and has a tense expression.

She felt a little regretful, thinking she should have smiled more back then.

just now……

'They must have gone out on their own.'

After telling herself this, Jiang Rong felt much better.

As long as people are alive, there is a chance.

After putting down her backpack, she began cleaning the house, just as she had done countless times before.

Sweep and mop the floor, change bed sheets and duvet covers, wash clothes and curtains...

That's the good thing about being busy.

I've forgotten everything.

……

Downstairs, Li Xinlong frowned slightly as he looked at the zombies at the end of the road.

Because the excitement in his heart was too intense, he did not continue to Zhijin. Instead, he changed direction halfway and planned to go home first to calm down, and then go again when it was light the next day.

And that's what I saw as soon as I arrived.

"Ah Long, what's wrong?"

A chubby figure approached the SUV, knocked on the window, and asked.

Li Xinlong shook his head. "If something happens, call all five tigers. Be careful."

Besides him, the strongest members of the entire team are five people, all of whom are first-tier evolved beings, known as the Black Star Five Tigers.

With a wave of his hand, Li Xinlong carefully led his dozens of men home.

Seeing the jumper in the courtyard, Li Xinlong's heart grew even darker.

A group of people carrying long guns and short cannons went upstairs.

Seeing that the locks on the several doors showed no signs of being damaged, Li Xinlong felt a sense of doubt.

He exchanged a glance with the fat man behind him, and then shook hands with him.

"Ding Dong"

The fat man squeezed in with an agility that defied his physical limits.

A stern-faced man followed closely behind.

Li Xinlong felt it was time to go in.

As soon as I entered the room, before my eyes could adjust to the darkness, I felt something cold, rough, and hard pressing down on my head.

A surge of electric current instantly spread throughout his body, almost making him roll his eyes back.

"Don't even move!"

Li Xinlong opened his arms, and the brothers behind him who wanted to squeeze forward bumped into him.

"Master Rong!"

"Don't move, don't move, all of you, don't move!"

Feeling the gun barrel tighten on his forehead, Li Xinlong was terrified.

Perhaps seeing his good performance, the person in front of him hesitated for a moment before finally speaking.

"Throw away the gun, turn on the lights."

Li Xinlong felt that the voice was strangely familiar, and did as he was told.

"Click."

Soft lighting illuminates the living room.

Only then did Li Xinlong see that his good brother and his men were lying on the ground convulsing, and the fat man was waving his eyes at him while convulsing.

He immediately understood what was going on and looked calmly at what was in front of him.

The person standing above him was a woman holding an assault rifle.

Li Xinlong was somewhat confused.

Where did I get a mother from in my own home...? Mother?!

Li Xinlong's eyes were fixed on the woman's face, searching for familiar features: her eyebrows, eyes, nose, lips...

There wasn't a single place I wasn't familiar with!

But when they were placed together, he dared not utter a sound.

There was no other reason than that the woman in front of him was too young.

His mother was clearly a forty-year-old woman whose face was full of sorrow, worn down by life, while the woman in front of him could easily be mistaken for someone in their early twenties, let alone thirty. However, the calmness in her eyes did not seem like that of someone in their early twenties.

But this sense of calm was soon shattered by a complex fluctuation.

"Longlong?"

Li Xinlong shuddered when he heard that familiar address and voice.

"……mom?"

Upon hearing this address, the fierce-looking fat man on the ground instantly regained his composure.

He craned his neck and stared in disbelief at his good brother.

They'd throw away all their dignity just to survive?
But Li Xinlong had no time to pay attention to him; all his attention was focused on the familiar yet unfamiliar woman in front of him.

(End of this chapter)