The "Survival on the Train" game has bugs, it's really laggy!

The searchlights locked onto the Devourer.

The cold, white lampposts pressed down from the high wall, illuminating the dried insect blood, black oil, red sand, and the haphazardly welded scrap steel plates on the front of the car with crystal clarity.

The Devourer stopped at the edge of the dried-up basin.

The engine is still struggling.

It's not a normal, low hum.

It's the kind of rough, trembling sound that could cough itself apart at any moment.

The exhaust pipe at the rear of the car spewed out black smoke in bursts, and the fireproof cloth wrapped around the joint became brittle from the high temperature, with the edges curling up to reveal the red-hot metal pipe inside.

It was even more uncomfortable inside the train carriage.

heat.

stuffy.

The smell of burning fuel mixed with the smell of diesel fuel made my chest feel tight.

Little Fire lay crouching under the control panel, half its body buried in a pile of exposed wires, its six paws gripping the instrument panel, its golden vertical pupils staring at the water meter.

The watch was almost empty.

Only a few drops of dirty water remained on the wall of the transparent tube, swaying back and forth as the car shook.

The cylinder temperature warning light next to it was flashing red rapidly.

The flash made Little Flame's tail stand up straight.

It looked up, its voice trembling.

"Owner."

"Water tank level is zero."

"The cylinder temperature is approaching the physical limit."

"Ten minutes."

It swallowed hard, the fur around its mouth ruffling in the heat.

"Ten minutes at most."

"Without water injection, the pitcher plant engine will undergo irreversible physical meltdown."

Wang Hu sat on the floor next to the passenger seat.

His wrecked robotic arm was still strapped to his back with a belt, and the metal shell banged loudly as the vehicle shook.

His only remaining fleshy hand gripped the wrench.

The back of my hand was covered in cuts and burns, my knuckles were swollen, and the dried blood was dark red.

He looked through the broken window at the distant water fortress.

A ten-meter-high reverse-sloping armored city wall.

Four-cornered bunker.

Heavy machine gun array.

Searchlight behind the wall.

Three patrol mechs.

And that towering water tower.

The outer shell of the water tank at the top of the water tower is mottled, but the pipes are still connected to the underground.

That's water.

Water that sustains life.

This is also what the Devourer Ship is most lacking right now.

Wang Hu gritted his teeth.

"Old Su."

"We're having trouble even turning around now."

"If this piece of junk turns another half turn, the drive shaft might fall apart first."

Xiao Huo added a sentence.

"It's not possible."

"It's highly probable."

Wang Hu glared at him.

"Shut up."

The small fire retracted under the control panel.

"I'm just respecting the data."

Wang Hu looked at the city wall again.

The gun barrels on the wall have begun to lower their angle.

The heavy machine gun barrels were pointed darkly at the edge of the basin.

The patrol mech's shoulder-mounted machine guns were also slowly rotating.

They are legitimate.

完整。

Clean.

Although the outer shell shows signs of wasteland modification, the hydraulic legs, cooling backpack, and ammunition boxes are in good condition.

It's a completely different story from the current state of the Devourer, which is forcibly pieced together with duct tape, chains, and scrap metal.

The pent-up anger in Wang Hu's chest rose again.

"Oh shit."

"Just as it crawled out of the insect's mouth, it ran into the warlord's water station."

"This place really knows how to organize programs."

Su Yuan did not respond.

He was sitting in the driver's seat.

He held the steering wheel with his left hand.

The rubber on the steering wheel had long been charred and stuck to the cracked skin on his palm.

The broken section of the right wrist is pressed against the side of the stop lever.

The mechanical left eye slowly rotates.

Click.

Click.

Click.

It swept across the city wall.

Sweep over the bunker's firing angle.

The scan passed over the nearest patrol mech.

They swept across the anti-vehicle ditch outside the fortress.

Finally, it stopped on the thick pumping pipe at the bottom of the water tower.

A rough, static-like sound came from the loudspeaker.

"Unknown vehicle".

"Shut down the engine."

"Driver, get out of the car."

"Submit for disarming and inspection."

Su Yuan still didn't move.

Xiao Huo poked half its head out from under the control panel.

"Owner."

"They told us to shut it down."

Wang Hu sneered.

"Shut down?"

"This thing is off now, and it's questionable whether it can be lit again."

Xiao Huo nodded earnestly.

"really."

"The current ignition success rate is too low to be disclosed."

Wang Hu's lips twitched.

"You're quite good at saving face."

Su Yuan pressed the clutch with his left foot.

The car body shook slightly.

He didn't turn off the engine.

Instead, he stepped on the gas pedal in vain.

Boom!

The pitcher plant's engine suddenly coughed up a thick plume of black smoke.

The broken exhaust pipe shook violently, and black smoke rolled towards the fortress with a defiant air, dimming even the searchlight poles.

A brief silence fell over the city wall.

Then a piercing laugh came from the loudspeaker.

"Ha ha ha ha."

"Did you hear that?"

"This piece of junk dares to rev the engine?"

The fortress commander's voice was hoarse and metallic, like he had cheap tobacco in his mouth.

"I worked at the water source station for twenty years. I've seen bandits, madmen, and idiots who converted tractors into armored vehicles."

"But I've never seen this kind of trash before."

"Covered in insect blood, pieced together with duct tape and scrap wire, yet they dared to drive to the entrance of the Black Gear Water Source Fortress."

"The biggest joke in the wasteland has come to us today."

A group of soldiers on the city wall laughed along.

Someone was patting the gun rack.

Someone was whistling at the edge of the basin.

Some people were using searchlights to scan the broken doors and leaky metal roof of the Shihuang Hao.

Wang Hu's face darkened.

The little fire slowly retracted under the control panel, leaving only its ears exposed.

"Brother Tiger."

"They're mocking the car."

Wang Hu gripped the wrench so tightly it made a creaking sound.

"I heard you."

Xiao Huo whispered, "This hurts me even more than being mocked."

Wang Hu glanced at it.

"You finally have a car spirit now."

Beneath the city wall, a heavily armed patrol mech took a step forward.

The hydraulic leg stepped into the red sand, causing a slight vibration in the ground.

The mech was over ten meters tall, and its twin machine guns on its shoulders slowly rose.

The cockpit's external speaker blared the arrogant voice of a young man.

"That beat-up car down there."

"I'm giving you one last chance."

"The driver climbed out."

"The guy with the broken arm dropped the wrench he was holding."

"Also, remove that rusty front beam from your excavator and hand it over."

Wang Hu was taken aback.

He glanced down at the ram he had just welded onto the front of the Devourer.

"He wants this?"

Xiao Huo was also stunned.

"Does he not understand wasteland etiquette?"

Wang Hu's face twitched.

"This thing is the front teeth."

"He wants us to have our teeth pulled?"

The mecha pilot was still laughing.

Don't pretend you can't hear me.

"That beam is still usable."

"Take it down and give it to me."

"Your beat-up car isn't qualified to have such thick steel."

Wang Hu wanted to get out of the car on the spot.

Su Yuan didn't move.

He only looked ahead.

The mechanical left eye was still moving.

The commander on the city wall lost patience.

"Warning: Fire."

The patrol mech's shoulder cannons unleashed a barrage of fire.

Da da da da.

The machine gun shells struck one meter in front of the Devourer vehicle.

The red sand was churned up to both sides, and fragments of hard soil flew everywhere.

Several pieces of shrapnel flew over and sliced ​​through the leaky, sand-proof sheet metal on the roof of the car.

Splash!

Half a piece of sheet metal was sheared off and tumbled to the back of the car.

Xiao Huo was so frightened that he buried his head completely under the power line.

"I just repaired the sand cover!"

Wang Hu gritted his teeth and cursed, "That's filthy."

The commander's voice through the loudspeaker was even colder.

"Ultimatum."

"Climb out of the carriage."

"Kneel down."

"Dinus Ring".

"Your cars belong to Black Gear."

"Your people also belong to the Black Gear."

"Refusing to cooperate, they physically buried the people and the vehicle."

Behind several low mounds on the edge of the basin, a few scavengers were lying down watching the spectacle.

They were originally targeting the outer edge of Supply Station 04, hoping to steal some scrap materials when the Black Gear patrol changed shifts.

Then we saw the Devourer rushing out of the storm, trailing black smoke, and then we saw it locked up by the water source fortress.

A thin man wearing a gas mask shook his head.

"It's over."

The woman carrying the broken gun next to him whispered, "That car was pretty aggressive, and it even had sandworm blood on it."

The skinny man lowered his voice.

"What's the use of being fierce?"

"The black gear guards the water."

"In this basin, water is gun, and gun is life."

"If those unlucky guys had any ammunition left, they might have died a more spectacular death."

"Now?"

He glanced at the dilapidated state of the Devourer.

"Before tonight, the car will be dismantled for parts, and the person's organs will be removed."

Another elderly scavenger squatted behind a mound, squinting at the corner of the car that had hit it.

"That front beam was welded pretty hard."

The skinny guy scoffed.

"Even if you're really that fierce, can you crash into a mech?"

"Those three patrol drones from Black Gear are genuine products."

"Not one of those junk cars that's been cobbled together like the Iron Ghost."

The woman didn't say anything more.

The group slowly backed away.

Nobody wants to get involved.

Even watching the spectacle in the wasteland requires fortune-telling.

If you make a mistake, there won't be a next time.

Inside the train carriage.

Little Fire huddled under the control panel, its claws gripping a roll of fireproof tape.

It whispered, "Master."

"The fortress's fire coverage area is too dense."

"Currently, the vehicle's weapon inventory is practically nonexistent."

Wang Hu picked up the old-fashioned rifle from the floor, pulled back the bolt, and took a look at it.

There are three defective bullets left inside.

He threw the gun back.

"This thing is no match for melee machines; I'd rather go and bite it."

The small fire is rising.

"Tiger, are your teeth okay?"

Wang Hu glared at it.

"Do you believe I'll bite you first?"

Shut up, Xiao Huo.

The mech is still approaching.

Each step trodden deep pits into the red sand.

The steel body, several meters tall, blocked the searchlight beams, casting a shadow over the front of the Devourer.

The driver's speaker sounded again.

"The junk in the car."

"You have ten seconds."

"ten."

Wang Hu gripped the wrench tightly.

"Old Su."

"I'll go down and pull him away."

"Fire the water tower when you get a chance."

Su Yuan finally spoke.

"sit down."

Wang Hu was stunned.

"What?"

Su Yuan pressed the steering wheel with his left hand and braced his right wrist against the gear lever.

"sit down."

His tone was very flat.

Wang Hu felt a chill run down his spine upon hearing this.

He sat back down on the floor, grumbling.

"OK."

"You drive."

The small flame slowly peeks out.

"Master, the water tank is almost empty."

Su Yuan looked at the front of the car.

There, the half-dried slime of sandworms and the green body fluid of the king worm still clung.

When we passed through the storm, the insect blood was smeared onto the ram and hood by the red sand. After being baked by the high temperature, a sticky, hard shell formed on the surface.

The pressure relief valve pipeline was haphazardly tangled next to the car.

To make things easier, Wang Hu attached a piece of discarded pipe to the side of the front of the car while repairing it, and even wrapped it with wire several times.

Su Yuan's mechanical left eye twitched rapidly.

The height of the mech.

Cockpit view angle.

Position of the optical probe.

The rotation speed of the shoulder gun.

The fortress and bunkers have a firing range.

wind direction.

Composition of residual liquid at the front of the vehicle.

Exhaust gas pressure.

Everything falls into the calculation.

The mech pilot is still counting down.

"seven."

"six."

"Aren't you going to get out here yet?"

"OK."

"I'll tear your car doors open myself."

The mecha extends its mechanical arm.

The arm was thick and large, with claws equipped with hydraulic shearing mechanisms, reaching for the broken door of the Devourer.

Su Yuan suddenly took his left hand off the steering wheel and grabbed the pressure relief valve line next to the car.

Wang Hu's eyes widened.

"You're washing your face with hot water again?"

Su Yuan did not answer.

He pulled it all the way to the bottom.

laugh.

High-pressure exhaust gas was ejected from the side of the front of the vehicle.

The first burst of hot, black exhaust gas rushed through the hard shell of the sandworm, carrying up the remaining sandworm acid and mucus.

The next second, high temperature, acid, viscous liquid, and red sand dust violently vaporized around the front of the vehicle.

A thick cloud of smoke billowed out.

It wasn't ordinary black smoke.

It smelled of corrosive substances and was filled with dark green mist. It rolled along the ground and was then lifted up by the residual heat of the engine, instantly covering half of the Devourer's body.

The patrol mech's optical sensor head was immediately blocked.

Inside the cockpit, the pilot's vision was completely obscured by white light.

"What the hell is that?"

The alarm lights were flashing erratically inside the armored vehicle.

"Optical pollution".

"Corrosive suspended particles adhere to the surface."

"External visibility has decreased by 82%."

The driver paused for half a second.

"A beat-up car can even create smoke?"

Enraged, he pulled the trigger.

"I'll let you hide!"

Hidden firing of a shoulder-mounted machine gun.

Firepower tore through the smoke screen, striking the spot where the Devourer had just been.

But Su Yuan had already made his move.

His broken right wrist slammed hard against the gear lever.

bang.

Second gear.

The left foot suddenly lifted off the clutch.

floor the accelerator.

The pitcher plant's engine roared violently.

Four assembled tires spun wildly in the red sand, first slipping, then suddenly gripping the hard soil.

The entire vehicle of the Devourer was thrown sideways.

The car body is too heavy.

The structure is too scattered.

The three damaged shock absorbers on the right side compressed simultaneously, the iron chain snapped straight, and the remaining half of the sheet metal on the roof pounded wildly.

The rear of the car kicked up a large cloud of red sand.

The wrecked car, weighing tens of thousands of tons, performed an extremely awkward drift in the smoke.

The front of the car swayed first, then the rear swayed back, with the left tire almost off the ground.

The little fire was flung around on the control panel and flipped over, only managing to stay in the air when its tail got tangled in a bare line.

"This isn't driving skill!"

"This is vehicle abuse!"

Wang Hu crashed into the side wall, grimacing in pain.

"Well done!"

The machine gun fire swept past the rear of the vehicle.

Several shells grazed the exhaust pipe, tearing off most of the outer fireproof cloth.

But the Devourer had already slipped out of the blind spot of the front line.

It crawled into the side of the mech.

Under the cover of smoke, the defenders on the city wall temporarily lost their target.

"What's the target?"

"In the smoke!"

"No, the radar signal is off-target!"

"How did it get to the side of the patrol plane?"

Inside the bunker, the machine gunner rotated the gun mount but dared not fire recklessly.

The patrol mechs are too close.

If the shot misses, they'll hit their own people first.

The fortress commander sat in the command room inside the walls, a half-smoked cigar dangling from his mouth, his face suddenly darkening.

"waste."

"If the optical image is blurred, then thermal imaging won't be used?"

The adjutant next to him hurriedly looked at the screen.

"Sir, the thermal imaging has also been interfered with."

"The smoke contained high-temperature exhaust gas and corrosive particles, causing all the readings to be distorted."

The commander was chewing on a cigar.

"Then step back."

"Make way for the mechs!"

The command has just been issued.

late.

Su Yuan's mechanical left eye locked onto the mech's side knee.

The heavy armor's side knee hydraulic spindle, although protected by a protective plate, has a gap between the plate and the spindle to ensure the range of motion.

In normal combat, this position is very difficult to hit.

Because the mechs can move, turn around, and use firepower to suppress the enemy.

But now it's covered in smoke, its shoulder gun is still firing blindly, and its left leg has just taken a half step while its right knee is bearing the weight.

In that instant, the main axis was exposed.

Su Yuan pressed the accelerator to the redline fuel cutoff zone.

The engine tachometer was shaking violently.

Xiao Huo stared at the watch face, his hair standing on end.

"Owner!"

"If you step on the gas again, the engine will explode!"

Su Yuan said coldly, "Hold on."

The broken wrist slammed into the gear lever again.

bang.

Hard gear.

The car suddenly lurched forward.

The rusty front beam of the Devourer, carrying the entire weight of the vehicle, burst through the smoke.

It didn't hit the mech's chest.

There was no impact to the front of the leg armor.

It cuts in at an angle.

Like a bulldozer hurtling along the ground, the heavy front beam shoveled deep into the underside of the mech's knee pads.

boom.

The metal ripped apart with a loud crack.

The hydraulic hose burst on the spot, spraying high-pressure oil in a fan shape.

The mech's right knee was forced against the front beam, causing the outer protective plate to flip outwards and the internal load-bearing shaft to crack.

The driver was thrown forward suddenly inside the cabin, the seatbelt digging painfully into his chest.

"What hit me?"

He hadn't even had time to regain his composure.

The Soviet Union launched its second oil blast.

The pitcher plant's engine seemed to be spitting out its last breath.

Black smoke billowed out of the exhaust pipe.

The assembled tires sparked as they ground in the red sand, and the edges of the wheel rims turned white from the heat.

The Devourer did not retreat.

It continued to shovel forward, its knees pressed against the mech's.

The forklift's front beam is jamming the main shaft.

The inertia of the tens of thousands of tons of vehicle body, combined with the powerful thrust of the engine, twisted the mech's right leg outward.

The mecha's left leg tried to take another step.

But the ground is red sand.

The moment my left foot stepped down, the sand collapsed by half a foot.

The center of gravity is off.

Su Yuan jerked the steering wheel.

The front of the car twisted inwards along the knee axis.

Click.

The spindle broke completely.

The heavily armored mech, which was over ten meters tall, lost the support of its right leg, and its massive upper body tilted to the side.

The driver finally panicked.

"A steady-state system!"

"Hold on!"

"Hold on tight!"

Airflow is ejected from the balance nozzles on the back of the mech.

But it's too close.

too late.

The Devourer added fuel to its engine again.

The ramming horn continued to press against the mech's broken knee, forcefully flipping its entire lower body over.

Boom!

The heavily armored mech fell sideways, its massive steel body crashing into the red sand, creating a sandstorm tens of meters high.

The ground shook so badly that a row of broken bolts fell off inside the carriage.

Xiao Huo was so shocked that he slumped onto the control panel, his eyes wide open.

Wang Hu gripped the wrench, opened his mouth halfway, and then roared out.

"They've got it!"

"Old Su crashed into a regular mech and flipped it over!"

"Hahaha!"

"Who says a forklift's front beam can't be mounted on the cab?"

Little Fire realized what was happening and swung its tail rapidly.

"The front teeth have done a great job!"

"Tiger, your wasteland logic wins!"

Wang Hu's chest heaved, and his mouth stretched to his ears in a wide grin.

"I told you, not losing is winning!"

On the city wall, all the guards were dumbfounded.

The machine gunner gripped the handle, but couldn't pull the trigger for a long time.

Someone inside the bunker subconsciously rubbed their eyes.

The searchlights on the watchtower still illuminated the sandstorm, but the only visible parts of the lampposts were the mechanical legs of the fallen mechs and white steam billowing from their broken knees.

A garbage truck.

A dilapidated vehicle pieced together from duct tape, scrap iron chains, broken tires, and the rear axle of an oil tanker truck in the wilderness.

Close-fitting on the front.

Use a rusty scraper on the front of the vehicle to cut the front beam.

They overturned the Black Gear regular patrol mech.

In the command center.

The cigar in the fortress commander's mouth fell to the ground.

The cigarette butt rolled twice on the steel plate floor.

The adjutant's face turned pale.

"Sir."

"Patrol plane number two has crashed."

The commander slowly turned his head.

"I saw it."

The adjutant swallowed hard.

"It was hit by a car."

The commander's eye twitched.

"I saw it too."

No one dared to speak in the command room.

The scavengers who were originally preparing to leave the edge of the basin all stopped.

The skinny man in the gas mask lay frozen behind the mound.

"this……"

The woman with the broken gun on her back whispered, "You just said we can't crash into the mechs."

The skinny man's lips moved for a long time.

"No, normal cars can't."

The old scavenger stared at the front beam of the Devourer's vehicle, his expression changing.

That's not a normal car.

The woman looked at the person in the driver's seat who was holding the steering wheel with one hand.

"That driver isn't a normal person either."

The sand curtain slowly fell.

The front of the Devourer emerged from the smoke.

The front beam corner is bent.

The right tire is half flat.

Several more pieces of the front armor have fallen off.

But it's still moving.

Su Yuan controlled the Devourer and slowly pressed it against the chest of the fallen mech.

crunch.

The broken front wheel rim rolled over the mech's chest armor and stopped above the cockpit door.

Inside the cockpit, the pilot, his face covered in blood, frantically slapped the control panel.

"Get up!"

"Backup hydraulic start!"

"Start it now!"

A dull, throbbing sound came from the mecha's chest.

The weight of tens of thousands of tons of the Devourer pressed down on the hatch.

The hatch is jammed.

The driver's face was deathly pale.

"Open the door."

"Open the door!"

Su Yuan glanced down at the water temperature gauge.

The red light is still flashing.

But the coolant spraying from the broken tube in the mech's knee caused his mechanical left eye to pause slightly.

He didn't speak.

Wang Hu already understood.

He picked up a thick, greasy leather pipe and jumped off the train.

My knees buckled when I landed, and I almost knelt on the red sand.

He cursed and charged toward the mech's severed leg, dragging the pipe along.

The pilot in the cockpit saw him through the side window and screamed in terror.

"What are you doing?"

Wang Hu gritted his teeth and violently shoved one end of the hose into the ruptured cooling water tank interface of the mecha.

Hot steam hit his face.

His eyebrows were singed.

But he didn't let go.

"What are you doing?"

Wang Hu looked up, his face covered in oil and blood.

"It's sucking the blood off my car."

He dragged the other end of the pipe back to the front of the Devourer and inserted it into the temporary water inlet.

The small fire extended its mechanical claw from inside the vehicle and pressed the manual pump valve.

"The siphon angle is not right!"

Wang Hu stepped on the broken knee of the mecha and raised the tube.

"And now?"

Xiao Huo was watching the water level gauge.

"Got it!"

"The coolant has come in!"

A gurgling sound came from the thick pipe.

Pale blue coolant with the smell of antifreeze was extracted from the mech and poured into the cracked cooling system of the Devourer through the pipes.

The water level is gradually rising.

The frequency of the cylinder temperature warning light flashing has begun to decrease.

Xiao Huo stared at the watch face, his golden vertical pupils growing brighter and brighter.

"It's gone down."

"The water temperature is dropping!"

"Master, the engine meltdown countdown has ended!"

Wang Hu patted the mecha's outer shell with a wrench.

"Thanks for the water, bro."

The pilot in the cockpit was going crazy.

"You can't do this!"

"This is a military mech!"

Wang Hu raised the wrench and knocked on the cockpit window.

thump.

"Say it again."

"I'll tear your cockpit apart too."

The driver immediately shut up.

Finally, someone on the city wall reacted.

"They're pumping out the coolant from Unit 2!"

"Fire!"

"Don't start it! The cockpit of Unit 2 is still trapped!"

"Then attack from the back!"

"There's a coolant leak area next to the rear of the vehicle; if it explodes, it will burn Unit 2!"

"Damn it, they're using Unit-02 as a shield!"

The fortress was in complete chaos.

A heavy machine gunner wanted to open fire.

But the Devourer was pressing down on the chest of the fallen mech, and the vehicle and the mech were entangled together.

If you miss even slightly, you might end up hitting your own people first.

The remaining two patrol mechs didn't dare get too close either.

They had just witnessed their companion being shoved in the knee.

Looking at the crooked front beam of the Devourer now is like looking at the teeth of a Wasteland Hound.

In the command room, the adjutant was sweating profusely with anxiety.

"Sir, should we authorize heavy artillery bombardment?"

"The pilot of Unit 2 is still alive."

The commander's face was grim.

"Trading a driver for a weird car is worth it."

The adjutant paused.

"But the water tower is also on the edge of the firing range."

"Heavy artillery impacts may affect the outer pumping pipes."

The commander raised his hand and slapped him.

Snapped.

The adjutant's face was slapped to the side.

"Do I need you to remind me?"

The commander looked at the screen.

On the screen, the Devourer was still pumping out coolant.

The engine temperature of that beat-up car had already dropped from the red zone.

The engine's vibrations changed from a near-death gasp to a steady, robust roar.

It is recovering.

A wrecked car that's about to melt down.

By crashing into the Black Gear mech and pumping water out of its cooling system, he managed to save himself.

This is more than just a slap in the face.

This is like pressing the face of the black gear into the red sand and grinding it back and forth.

The commander's eyelids were twitching violently.

"Heavy artillery ready."

Behind the city wall, the heavy gun mounts began to rotate.

Two old-fashioned heavy guns, buried in armored bunkers, slowly rose.

The cannon was aimed at the edge of the basin.

The small fire immediately detected the heat source of the gun mount.

Its tail stiffened.

"Owner."

"They've deployed heavy artillery."

Wang Hu was still outside, holding a pipe and pumping water.

Upon hearing this, he turned to look at the city wall, his face darkening.

"Don't these bastards want to forget about their own people?"

The mech pilot in the cockpit panicked when he heard the heavy artillery preparing.

He pounded on the cabin door and shouted.

"Don't fire!"

"I'm still inside!"

"I'm still inside!"

No one responded to him.

The rules for the black gear are very simple.

The water station cannot be lost.

We can't lose face.

Losing a driver is cheaper than losing a water station.

Wang Hu cursed, "That's ruthless."

Su Yuan looked at the cannons rising from the city wall.

His left hand held the steering wheel steady, while his right wrist braced against the gear shift lever.

The water temperature gauge finally dropped back to the safe line.

Xiao Huo quickly reported.

"The coolant has reached the minimum operating level."

"The engine can withstand high loads for short periods of time."

"But the vehicle's structure is still bad."

Wang Hu dragged the pipe back to the car.

"Are you still going to smoke?"

Su Yuan glanced at the broken knee of the fallen mech.

That's enough.

Wang Hu immediately pulled out the tube.

The mech's coolant sprayed all over the ground.

He threw the hose into the carriage, then turned and crawled back through the broken door.

"Heavy artillery is coming."

The little fire claw pressed down on the throttle assist lever, so tense that his ears were flat against the ground.

"Master, we can't get through the city gate."

"The anti-vehicle trenches are too deep, the city walls are too heavily armed, and the heavy artillery will cover the vehicles on both sides, causing them to scatter."

Su Yuan did not answer.

He looked toward the city gate.

The towering steel city gates were originally tightly closed.

The door is painted with a black gear emblem, and its edges have multiple layers of latches and welded reinforcements.

Just as the heavy artillery muzzle completed its downward angle, a screeching sound suddenly came from inside the door.

crunch.

crunch.

The soldiers guarding the city wall were all stunned.

"Who's opening the door?"

"Who gave the order from the control room?"

"It wasn't us!"

In the command room, the adjutant also turned around abruptly.

"Sir, the main city gate is open!"

The commander's expression changed.

"Who gave you permission?"

He had just finished shouting when the thick steel door behind him opened.

A messenger in a black hazmat suit strode in, bowed, and said, "The governor has given the order."

The commander's throat was blocked.

"The Governor?"

The messenger nodded.

"Stop heavy artillery fire."

"Open the door."

The commander's facial muscles twitched.

"They destroyed Unit 2."

"The governor saw it."

The messenger kept his head down.

"The governor said that he opened the door precisely because he saw it."

The commander clenched his fist.

Finally, he raised his hand and pressed the communication button, his voice sounding hoarse.

"Heavy artillery halted."

On the city wall, two heavy cannons came to a stop.

The cannons were still pointed at the Devourer.

But no shots were fired.

In the basin.

Wang Hu frowned deeply as he watched the steel city gate slowly open.

"What do you mean?"

"You were knocked down?"

Xiao Huo shook his head.

"Wasteland warlords aren't such polite creatures."

Su Yuan looked inside the door.

The mechanical left eye rotates at a low frequency.

After the city gates were opened, no negotiating team came out.

There were no slave soldiers.

The tracks appeared first.

Huge tracks.

Each track was as tall as two people, and it produced a heavy friction as it rolled over the steel rails inside the city gate.

Next came a heavy-duty fortified vehicle.

It is much larger than a regular armored vehicle.

The vehicle was so wide it almost filled the city gate, and its outer shell was made of multiple layers of welded steel plates. A giant drilling rig was mounted at the front.

The drill bit was retracted above the front of the machine, with dried mud and black mineral powder still clinging to the auger blades.

The sides of the vehicle are covered with hydraulic supports, and the rear is towed with a cable reel and a large generator set.

This is not a war chariot.

This is a heavy-duty monster that compresses the entire mine onto a tracked chassis.

The fortified vehicle drove out of the city gate and stopped between the fallen mech and the Devourer.

A small platform rises from the roof of the vehicle.

A person was sitting on the platform.

wheelchair.

A gray blanket covered her legs.

The man was very thin, with a sickly pale complexion, and his neck and arms were covered with IV tubes connected to a life support box at the back of his wheelchair.

His hair was shaved very short, his cheekbones were prominent, and his eye sockets were deep-set.

But those eyes were very bright.

It's so shiny it's almost hard.

He wore a warlord's long coat with black gears and an old blue star military tag hanging on his chest.

Two heavily armored guards stood beside the wheelchair, their guns lowered but ready to be raised at any moment.

All the soldiers guarding the city wall bowed their heads at the same time.

Even the commander in the command center stood up straight, even through the screen.

The man in the wheelchair looked at the fallen mecha.

Then he looked at the cockpit that was being crushed.

Then look at the crooked front beam of the shovel on the front of the Devourer.

He coughed twice.

The guard next to him immediately handed him an oxygen mask.

The man waved his hand in refusal.

He stared at Su Yuan and spoke.

The voice wasn't loud, but it was amplified throughout the entire basin via the fortified vehicle.

"You crashed into one of my patrol planes."

Wang Hu gripped the wrench tightly.

The small fire claw pressed against the control panel, ready to help Su Yuan shift gears at any time.

Su Yuan remained in the driver's seat and did not get out of the car.

The mechanical left eye is aimed at the man in the wheelchair.

"It's blocking the way."

The man in the wheelchair twitched his lips after hearing this.

It's not a laugh.

It felt more like a pressing pain in my lungs, which I stubbornly endured.

"If someone is blocking your way, just ram them."

"Pump water if there's a shortage."

"If the car is about to break down, use the enemy's coolant to keep it alive."

As he said this, his gaze swept over the damaged body of the Devourer.

"Your car is shockingly rotten."

Xiao Huo muttered to himself in the car.

Is that polite?

Wang Hu lowered his voice.

He is telling the truth.

Xiao Huo remained silent for half a second.

"That's even more impolite."

The man in the wheelchair continued, "But you can fix it."

"It will be held."

"They even dare to use a regular mech as a roadblock shovel."

The commander on the city wall couldn't help but interject.

"Governor, these people attacked Black Gear military property and also drained military coolant. According to the Water Station Act, they should be executed immediately."

The man in the wheelchair did not turn around.

"Shut up."

The commander's face stiffened.

The man in the wheelchair raised his withered hand and pointed at the fallen mecha.

"You have three mechs."

"Let a beat-up car wreck a car."

"You still have the nerve to bring up the water-standing method?"

The commander's lips moved, but he ultimately lowered his head.

"Yes."

The man in the wheelchair looked at Su Yuan again.

"My name is Huo Chen."

"Governor of Black Gear Water Source Fortress"

Wang Hu whispered, "The governor has come out."

Xiao Huo looked at the drilling fortress vehicle.

"He didn't come to surrender."

Su Yuan remained silent.

Huo Chen raised his hand.

The guards behind him attached a projection panel to the outer shell of the fortress vehicle.

A rough topographical map lit up above.

Deep in the basin.

Underground fault.

Remnants of water sources from the old era.

A red-marked route extends from the fortress deeper into the basin, marking three subsidence zones, two radiation swamps, and a black circle labeled "Drilling Failure Zone".

Huo Chen gently tapped the armrest of the wheelchair with the back of his hand.

"Deep in the basin lies the remains of an ancient water source."

"A deep water vein control well left over from the old days of Earth."

"We've found the entrance."

"But we can't get in."

Wang Hu frowned.

"You have drilling vehicles, mechs, and heavy artillery, and you still can't get in?"

Huo Chen glanced at him.

"Three drilling vehicles went in, two got stuck, and one came back. The driver went crazy."

"Four mechs went in, two lost a leg, one lost contact, and the last one crawled back with half of its fuselage attached."

"Heavy artillery swept through the entrance."

"It's no use."

A small flame peeked out.

"So you want us to go?"

Huo Chen nodded.

To be precise.

"Let this car go."

He looked at the Devourer.

"That place isn't a problem with firepower."

"It is the road."

"The collapsed layer will be heavily loaded with vehicles."

"Narrow cliffs can trap wide vehicles."

"The underground utility tunnel has a series of sharp 90-degree bends."

"There is also an old mine shaft with a slope that exceeds the limits of conventional vehicles."

"Our driver dares not."

"I dare, but my skills aren't up to par."

"If you're skilled enough, you'll brake as soon as you see the collapse layer."

Huo Chen's gaze fell back on Su Yuan.

"You are different."

"You could have stepped back just now."

"But you step on the gas."

"You know the car will fall apart, but you still step on it."

"You know that hitting the wrong angle will cause it to flip over, so you still hit it."

"There are quite a few lunatics."

"But there are very few madmen who can channel their madness into tires, clutch, gear lever, and inertia."

Wang Hu's brows slowly relaxed as he listened.

Little Fire whispered, "Is he praising his master?"

Wang Hu replied, "This wasteland-style compliment sounds like an autopsy report."

Huo Chen coughed even more violently.

The liquid pump in the life support tank was running rapidly.

The guard tried to step forward, but he stopped him by raising his hand.

He stared at Su Yuan.

"Employee betting"

"Help me escort the drilling rig to the ruins control well."

"If you can open up the water channels, I will give you water."

"Enough to fill your vehicle's water tank, spare water tank, plus three sets of deep-cleaning water filters."

Wang Hu's eyes flickered.

Little Fire's tail also lifted up.

Deep water purification filter cartridge.

This thing is more valuable than a gun in the wasteland.

Huo Chen continued, "In addition..."

"Here's a heavy-duty cooling system for you."

"military."

"It's better than this pile of duct tape and rotten pipes you have now."

Xiao Huo immediately looked up.

"Can I request to hear the second half of the sentence?"

Wang Hu muttered under his breath, "Have some self-respect."

Huo Chen ignored them.

"But if you fail."

"The car is mine."

"People return to the mines."

"You will be shackled and forced to dig through water veins until your lungs rot."

The soldiers guarding the city wall once again revealed their coldness.

This is the real Black Gear.

It wasn't given away for nothing.

There was no goodwill involved.

There were only gambling tables and chains.

Wang Hu gripped the wrench, his face darkening.

"Old Su."

"This isn't a collaboration."

"They're using us as reckless scouts."

Su Yuan looked at the topographic map.

The machine's left eye scanned the subsidence zone, sharp bends, mine slope, and areas where drilling had failed.

He asked, "How much water should we give you first?"

Huo Chen narrowed his eyes.

"You haven't agreed yet."

Su Yuan said, "The engine has just been replenished to its minimum capacity."

"To get deep into the basin, you need water first."

Huo Chen looked at him.

The two stared at each other across the red sand and the fallen mech.

The cannon muzzles on the city wall are still there.

The drill bit for the fortress vehicle is still stored away.

The engines of the Devourer emitted a rough roar.

A few seconds later, Huo Chen raised his hand.

"Give him a ton of industrial cooling water."

The commander immediately panicked.

"Governor!"

Huo Chen turned to look at him.

"You want him to drive that vehicle and continue using our mechs to rehydrate?"

Commander, shut up.

Soon, two water tanker tracked vehicles drove out of the side gate of the fortress.

They didn't get too close, stopping about thirty meters away. The guards pulled out a thick pipe and connected it to the Devourer's temporary water inlet.

Wang Hu personally stood guard by the side, holding a wrench on his shoulder, glaring at anyone who came near.

Xiao Huo stared at the water gauge, his eyes gradually brightening.

"It's flooded."

"The water tank is at 20% capacity."

Thirty-five percent.

"Fifty percent."

"Master, the cooling cycle is stable."

Wang Hu licked his dry, cracked lips.

"I must say, this water smells really good."

Xiao Huo looked at him warily.

"Brother Tiger, this isn't for drinking."

Wang Hu said, "I know."

Xiao Huo added, "Your eyes don't seem to know."

Wang Hu rolled his eyes.

The water tanker stopped pumping.

The guard pulled the tube and retreated.

Huo Chen looked at the Devouring Wasteland.

"Now."

"Your car can move."

"My conditions are also stated here."

"Enter the ruins."

"Winners get the water and cooling system."

"If you lose, you leave with your car and your life."

Su Yuan gripped the steering wheel with his left hand.

He did not answer immediately.

He looked at the drilling fortress vehicle behind Huo Chen.

The front of the vehicle has a large drill bit, complete tracks, and heavy hydraulic supports.

If this thing were disassembled, it could replace so many parts on the Devourer.

But now is not the time to demolish it.

Su Yuan's mechanical left eye slowly rotated.

Click.

He spoke.

"Roadmap"

Huo Chen waved.

The guard tossed a metal storage plate over.

Wang Hu caught it and inserted it into the side opening of the control panel.

A small flame allows for rapid reading.

"The route deep within the basin has been received."

"Incomplete parameters for the collapsed layer."

"The mine slope marking is abnormal."

"Some data from the drilling failure area was deleted."

It looked up.

"They hid something."

Huo Chen did not deny it.

"In a bet, you always need cards."

Su Yuan looked at him.

"You better promise that the cards you've hidden won't prevent me from getting the water."

Huo Chen's eyelids drooped slightly.

"You'd better also promise not to turn my drilling rig into scrap metal."

Wang Hu couldn't help but laugh.

"Your requirements are a bit high."

Xiao Huo whispered, "Given the owner's driving habits, I can't guarantee the completeness rate."

Huo Chen's bodyguard's face darkened, and he slightly raised the muzzle of his gun.

Su Yuan gently turned the steering wheel with his left hand.

The front beam of the Devourer was still pressing against the chest of the fallen mech.

The pilot in the cockpit was so frightened that he immediately shut his mouth and even held his breath.

Upon seeing this, Huo Chen raised his hand to signal the guards to lower their guns.

"Release the pilot of Unit 2."

Su Yuan did not move.

Huo Chen said coldly, "The cooling water has been provided."

Su Yuan looked at Wang Hu.

Wang Hu grinned, picked up a wrench, walked over, and knocked on the cockpit shell.

"You're lucky."

Su Yuan shifted into reverse.

The Devourer slowly retreated half a meter.

The cockpit door finally popped open.

The driver tumbled and crawled out, his face covered in blood, his legs too weak to stand.

He didn't even dare to look at the Devourer, and was dragged back to the city gate by the Black Gear soldiers.

The Devourer was put back into gear.

The engine roar was much more subdued than before.

Water temperature is safe.

The oil pressure was barely stable.

The front of the car is bent at one corner, but it's still usable.

Huo Chen's wheelchair platform slowly descended and returned to the interior of the drilling fortress vehicle.

The side armor plates of the fortified vehicle opened, revealing an internal communication cable.

Huo Chen's voice came through the speaker.

"Keep up."

Falling behind means losing.

The drilling fortress vehicle began to turn, its tracks rolling over the red sand, heading towards the red-marked route deep in the basin.

Su Yuan gripped the charred steering wheel tightly with his left hand.

The fractured section of the right wrist is against the upper stop bar.

Wang Hu placed the wrench across his lap and looked at the heavy-duty fortress truck in front of him.

"Old Su."

"This trip is probably even dirtier than the last one."

Little Fire lay on the control panel, its paws pressing against the newly restored coolant gauge.

Friendly reminder.

"The vehicle's condition still indicates a mobile accident scene."

Su Yuan pressed the clutch.

Shift gears.

bang.

The Devourer slightly raised its front, trailing black smoke and green insect blood, and followed the giant drilling fortress vehicle.

On the city wall, the Black Gear guards made way.

The mech that was overturned by the Devourer was still lying in the red sand, with pale blue coolant dripping from its broken knee.

A mechanic squatted down nearby, looking at the rusty iron filings remaining in the knee joint gap, and muttered a curse under his breath.

"That's fucking Liang Qian from the bulldozer business."