Armored train in the apocalypse

Chapter 297 The Tide
Soft, warm light emanated from the semi-circular window on the sixth floor of the intersection.

In the somewhat cramped living room, five strange-looking guys sat around a round table, watching the imposing Master Rong outside holding a young woman's hand, calling her "Mom" repeatedly, tears streaming down his face.

“I didn’t realize what was going on at the time, but later I thought I would never see you again, and I… I was heartbroken. I couldn’t stay at home any longer. I never thought I would see you again in this lifetime…”

Li Xinlong choked up after saying only a few incoherent words.

Jiang Rong's eyes were red.

Before the apocalypse, she was always worried that her son was not doing well in school and would have a hard time in society in the future.

After the apocalypse, I only had one thought: just to survive.

Tonight she discovered that her son was not only alive and well, but also more sensible.

Suddenly, everything she had lost and everything she had never possessed was given to this unfortunate person.

The joy she had never experienced before filled her with a sense of unease.

“Now it’s all good. Your son has made something of himself. He’s in charge of a caravan of over a thousand people. From Changxing to the three surrounding counties of Xiaohe, who doesn’t know my name, Li Xinlong? Those scavengers are scrambling to get into my caravan, right, Ake?”

The fat man next to her nodded quickly, "That's right, Aunt Rong, you can enjoy the good life with us from now on, and you won't have to worry about being outside anymore."

When the topic turned to the anxieties he faced outside, Li Xinlong couldn't hold back his emotions.

The fat man next to him quickly gave his four brothers a look, and the four of them quietly went out of the house.

Jiang Rong quickly stood up. "These are all your friends, right? Mom will cook for you. Don't go out, it's dangerous outside so late..."

Although these people were dressed strangely, the thought of her own son being by her side filled her with immense happiness and joy, making her feel as if she had returned to the state before the end of the world.

The group exchanged glances, their eyes finally turning to Li Xinlong.

But now Li Xinlong's eyes were full of his mother, and he grabbed her hand and hurriedly said, "How can I let you cook as soon as you come back? My father is gone, and you are the only one I can take care of from now on."

Jiang Rong stared blankly for a moment, then forcefully broke free from Li Xinlong's hand, smiled at the group, and went into the kitchen.

When she turned around, large tears had already soaked her clothes.

Yeah, there's no such thing as a free lunch.

It's already the greatest fortune that my son is alive.

Jiang Rong didn't want to dwell on the past. All she wanted in this life was to protect her son, watch him settle down and start a family, and have one, no, at least three children. Anyway, she had plenty of mutated plants in her bag, so she could raise as many children as she wanted.

I just don't know where I'll find a teacher for my child in the future.

We can't just arrest one person, can we?

But there are so many disciplines; focusing on just one isn't enough...

Besides, it's too late to make arrangements at the last minute, so it's better to start preparing in a few days and get the schools ready in advance.

Just as Jiang Rong was letting her thoughts wander to more than ten years later, Li Xinlong wiped away his tears and followed her in.

Although it was only half a year, shorter than any of Jiang Rong's previous job absences, Li Xinlong felt like he had lived a lifetime. He had countless things he wanted to say to his mother. He might sound like a mama's boy, but those who have never lost someone simply don't understand the feeling.

In the living room, the group was caught in a dilemma, turning to look at the chubby Ake.

Fatty Ke gestured for them to sit down.

One of the men, with a cold and stern face and a buzz cut, glanced at the kitchen and said warily, "Auntie... no, no, you're not simple. What did you do before?"

The fat man touched his belly with lingering fear; the feeling of electric current coursing through his body was truly unforgettable.

He's doing better; as a Tier 1 Defender, he recovers quickly. The guy in front of me is still twitching at the corner of his mouth.

"It used to be simple, but it's not so simple after the apocalypse. But that's normal. Aunt Rong came all the way back from so far away, she must have some tricks up her sleeve. But don't talk nonsense about Aunt Rong. Lao Yang, Brother Shan, go down and settle the convoy, and bring some food up. President Nan, go and help Aunt Rong."

"Should we bring that woman up as well?"

"I asked Shan Ge, whose face still bore faded tattoos."

Fatty Ke hesitated for a moment, "That woman is a bit seductive, let's not bring her up yet. Let Ah Long explain to Aunt Rong himself later."

The other two men went downstairs, and the only woman among the five got up and went to the kitchen.

"Uncle Rong, Aunt Rong, let me help."

"I'll take care of things here. You can just go outside and wait for your food."

The woman flicked her purple sleeves and said helplessly, "Master Rong kicked me out."

Inside the kitchen, Li Xinlong kept chattering away, talking about how he used his clever mind to escape from his home since the apocalypse, how he built a huge business with his best friends and his father, how he came back to clean up the neighborhood, and how he later led a convoy of cars to wander around due to a lack of resources...

He only realized what was happening when Jiang Rong handed him a pear.

His eyes widened slightly, and he incredulously tossed it in his hand.

"Holy crap, pear!"

Jiang Rong habitually patted her son's hand, "Don't swear."

Only after the shoot did she suddenly realize that her son was already so grown up, and wondered if she had been interfering too much...

Jiang Rong began to feel anxious and insecure again.

Li Xinlong looked at his hands in surprise.

It's been a long time since anyone has dared to "offend" him like that.

But this was taken by her own mother.

Comfortable!

"Mom, you don't know, fruit is very rare after the apocalypse. I only saw it once, it was a grape vine. It was because of eating that that Fatty Ke and I became so powerful. Unfortunately, that grape vine was taken over by a big force. Mom, where did you get this pear?"

Seeing her son's excited eyes, Jiang Rong hesitated for a moment, then said decisively, "It was given to me by a kind person, but I can't even remember what that person looks like."

Perhaps her son has already achieved some success, but she doesn't want him to have too much contact with trains.

The train conductor's good mood this time doesn't mean he'll always be in a good mood.

Anyway, the train will leave the storm zone soon, maybe...

We'll probably never cross paths again in this lifetime.

Li Xinlong shook his head regretfully.

It was only then that I noticed there was a lot of food on the kitchen counter: mushrooms, unknown vegetables, flowers, white onions, red berries, cured meat, luncheon meat, pickled cucumbers, and even a bag of fresh Chinese pastries!

Li Xinlong was stunned for a moment before his mind gradually cleared from the surprise of recognizing her.

I even thought about the scene when I walked in.

Looking at the busy woman with a complicated expression, he asked, "Mom, you've become an evolved being?"

"Ah."

Jiang Rong deftly placed the luncheon meat on the cutting board, then casually crushed the small tin box into a flat piece and set it aside.

If these metal items are on a vehicle, there will be someone specifically responsible for recycling them.

Li Xinlong opened his mouth, instinctively wanting to ask.

But then I had a change of heart.

My mother traveled a long way back, enduring so much hardship along the way, only to be questioned by her own son when she got home. How heartbroken she must have been.

He swallowed his doubts.

As Jiang Rong prepared the food, she said cheerfully, "You have no idea how lucky your mom is. Not only did we meet kind people on the way, but we also became evolved beings together. Although it was tiring and dangerous, we all supported each other and managed to run all the way back from the south..."

"Some people got on, some got off along the way, and we don't know if they'll be able to get home, or if they will be able to..."

"Let's not talk about that anymore, but if you make me angry again—" Jiang Rong raised the kitchen knife and snorted twice, sparks crackling on the knife.

"You've mastered lightning?"

Li Xinlong shrank his neck in response.

"They're just 'power suppliers,' they only got lucky and managed to ambush you, otherwise they would have been humiliated today."

"Ow..."

Li Xinlong raised an eyebrow and made a note of the new term.

"By the way, why do they call you Master Rong?"

Jiang Rong turned to her son.

Li Xinlong scratched his head. "It's all because of Fatty Ke's lisp. Everyone thought my name was Li Xinrong. Later, the name spread, and they started calling me 'Master Rong'."

"Alright, alright, go out and hang out with your friends. I'll cook you something delicious."

Li Xinlong walked out reluctantly, then suddenly remembered something, "Oh right, Mom, I didn't plug in the electricity in the kitchen!"

Jiang Rong casually wiped her hand on the induction cooker, and the cooker emitted a "beep" sound.

Jiang Rong turned around and gave her son a sly smile.

Jiang Rong: If you can be electrocuted, why wouldn't you need a small kitchen?

Li Xinlong came out and saw Lao Yang and Brother Shan carrying large and small bags of food upstairs.

"Master Rong, everything is arranged. Staying for the night won't be a problem."

Seeing Li Xinlong frown, Old Yang quickly said, "We'll set off tomorrow and arrive in Zhijin before noon."

"What's the rush? We're a convoy of five thousand people, unlike their trains which have so many supplies. Let's organize a hunt nearby tomorrow, have a good meal, and then hit the road."

Li Xinlong said calmly.

Fatty glanced at the kitchen and immediately understood.

"That……"

"Don't bring my mom. Ake, you keep a close eye on her. Don't let anyone bother her with the car team. If I find out, don't blame me for being ruthless!"

Although her eyes were still red, the chilling murderous intent in her tone was unmistakable.

Inside the kitchen, Jiang Rong froze.

Because the sound was deliberately kept low in the living room, and the kitchen was noisy, she only heard the word "train".

Then I remembered the area my son mentioned, which happened to be the small river where the train stopped a short distance ahead, and my heart skipped a beat.

……

The next day, upon hearing the rustling sound of clothes being put on, Jiang Rong quietly opened her eyes.

She didn't get up and quickly put on her clothes until the doorbell rang.

Only after the convoy had left in an orderly fashion did I quietly follow on my motorcycle.

Seeing that Li Xinlong was only leading people to hunt mutated beasts in the county town, Jiang Rong felt relieved and waited until they returned with a full load before quietly returning home.

……

The top floor of a large commercial street in Zhijin City.

The howling wind blew from the ground to the rooftop, which was a hundred meters high, making Zhong You's short hair stick up. He sat on the edge of the rooftop with one leg hanging down, looking out at the city center three streets away with a serious expression.

Within his limited field of vision, a hole more than ten meters in diameter appeared on the bustling pedestrian street. A commercial building of more than ten stories collapsed as a result, lying directly above the hole. In the shadows, countless large white cocoons hung there.

When the wind blows, it sways and wobbles, like a mountain of corpses and a forest of bones, eerily unsettling.

A special agent with a bronze kite clipped to his collar walked onto the rooftop carrying a gun.

"Captain Zhong, everything is ready."

Zhongyou withdrew his gaze. "Where is the armed train?"

"We've just reached the edge of Zhijin City. By the time they get to the Zhijin Scavenging Market, it will be noon. They're moving as slowly as a tortoise."

"That's what Tong Yuan said."

A cold glint flashed in Zhongyou's eyes. "I asked you to answer my question, not to give your opinion. If this happens again, you can go back."

Tong Yuan panicked and quickly apologized.

Looking up, the rooftop was empty, with only a few traces of water remaining on the edge, which quickly disappeared in the wind.

As Zhongyou felt the frantic speed of his descent, his heart remained calm. He drew two short spears from his waist, twisted them, and thrust them into the adjacent office building. The glass and concrete shattered with a crash, sparks flying as they fell downwards.

A stream of highly condensed black fresh water flew out from the steel cylinder carried on the exoskeleton, transforming into a thin film that enveloped the entire body and extinguished the sparks on the wall.

"Oh!"

A puddle of water hit the ground and bounced outwards like a ball.

But it was forcibly pulled back into the steel cylinder behind him by some inexplicable force.

There wasn't a single drop of water on the ground.

But the loud noise still attracted many greedy eyes.

Despite the occasional departure of zombies from the outskirts, experts have determined that Zhijin City, a large metropolis with a population of tens of millions, still harbors a terrifying horde of over five million zombies, according to their analysis.

Therefore, Black Kite did not take action against such large cities, but only occasionally cleared out the surrounding villages and towns to limit the number of zombies.

A gust of wind swept by, and Zhongyou tilted his head.

The tumor-like cyst burst open on the ground, emitting a foul odor in all directions.

The surrounding zombies immediately let out terrifying howls, and the zombies on the higher floors, as if they had taken aphrodisiacs, jumped down one after another, making the whole street sound like an earthquake, crackling and popping.

Zhongyou stood still for a moment, dipped the tip of his short spear into the slime on the ground, and then began to flee.

One by one, the Night Demons frantically climbed up the vehicles and stairs.

The tearing sound was incessant.

The fat, big-eared butcher emerged from one building after another, chasing after them frantically with a weapon that appeared out of nowhere.

The Earth Demon followed behind, throwing "tumor bombs" at Zhongyou's back, stirring up wave after wave of excitement among the horde of corpses.

Zhongyou didn't rush to run. He led the horde of corpses in circles around the area until he attracted a second-tier jumper. Only then did he get serious and run towards the cave pedestrian street.

At a distance of several hundred meters, Zhongyou leaped onto the tall buildings on both sides, casually wrapped the ground ghost bomb in a ball of water, and then threw it towards the shadows below the collapsed commercial building. The short spear in his hand struck first, piercing the tumor fiercely.

It emitted a barely perceptible muffled sound.

The next moment, apart from the second-tier jumper, the roaring horde of corpses surged into the hole one after another.

The hole seemed bottomless, swallowing hundreds of zombies and dozens of first-tier zombies without stopping.

The jumper had clearly reached Zhongyou's side, but stopped with a hint of struggle.

He roared at Zhongyou and turned to leave in the opposite direction.

The next moment, the second-order jumper seemed to be possessed and plunged headfirst into the cave.

The small horde of corpses that Zhongyou had stirred up quickly came to a halt at an eerie speed.

If you look down on Zhijin City from the air, you will see hordes of zombies of similar size surging toward the hole, led by second-tier evolved beings.

(Thanks to the generous donation from the guild leader "Red Dust Cold Sky Dance". Including the donation from "Orange White Bear", we now owe a total of 40,000 words.)
(End of this chapter)