Armed Train in the Apocalypse-Chapter 380 - 254: Breaking Vegetarianism (Part 2)
This breath must be exhaled.
But to whom should it be given?
Su Huan’s smile was peculiar, but his gaze was rarely serious, "I need to find him, whether it’s a person or an organization, I must find him."
Seeing Su Huan fall silent, Shu Wei felt a bit of regret in her heart,
Suddenly hearing this cryptic statement, she was stunned, "Who is it?"
"...The person behind the apocalypse?"
"Yes."
"What if you can’t find them?"
"There always has to be someone."
Shu Wei looked at Su Huan who was extraordinarily gentle today, and couldn’t help but shiver with a sense of horror.
Seeing her slightly unnatural expression, Su Huan remembered to reach up and tug at the corners of his mouth.
He seemed to have developed a conditioned reflex, smiling when happy, smiling when sad, and all his primary emotions here turned into an uncontrollable smile.
"So our mission among thousands is to build a perfect vehicle, traverse through endless disasters, to find him?"
"No, that’s my goal, not yours."
Noticing Shu Wei lost in thought, Su Huan tilted his head, "Don’t you find it interesting?"
Shu Wei opened her mouth, bewildered.
What’s interesting about it?
"It’s like someone throws a rock from afar, scaring a dog crazy, and then leaves, but didn’t expect that dog to run thousands of miles, crossing mountains and seas, and fiercely bite them back."
Shu Wei was even more puzzled.
"Why bite?"
"It’s a dog in the metaphor."
"Why a dog?"
"It bites harder."
Shu Wei was silent for a moment and then spoke slowly, "Ultimately, you want to take down the mastermind behind the apocalypse, which is a noble cause, why not express it differently? Perhaps more people would follow you." 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝐰𝚎𝕓𝐧𝚘𝘃𝗲𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝕞
"You make it sound like a hero."
Shu Wei’s eyes were bright, "You can be too!"
Su Huan patted Shu Wei’s shoulder, the electricity crackling in surprise, "I sometimes feel like a hero too, but you just said ’you’ six times, remember to switch to ’you’ formally next time, but this time, I won’t hold it against you."
Having said that, Su Huan walked away contentedly, leaving Shu Wei standing there with a rigid expression.
Her neck flushed pink.
Hu Shuo holding a paper list ran over, a bit surprised to see Shu Wei standing there stiffly.
But he didn’t think too much about it and followed after the train conductor.
"This is the list of recent offenders."
"Wow, quite a number."
"How should they be dealt with?"
"If they can be punished, punish! If they can be killed, kill!"
Hu Shuo’s heart turned cold.
"Understood."
...
Six o’clock in the morning.
Waves crashed against the rocks at the shore of Tide Watching Island.
A patch of forest was cleared, and the armed train, simply repaired, was stationed above.
About a hundred meters away, a group of armed soldiers languidly carrying axes were chopping wood, the creaking sounds echoed, and one by one the stout mutated trees fell.
Then dragged aside and stacked up, an officer holding a rubber baton shouted the countdown amidst the crowd.
He Jie stood on a large rock, took the list handed over by Hu Shuo, and murmured at how many there were.
Hu Shuo shook his head, meaning not to ask.
He Jie’s gaze sharpened, "All of them done?"
"You handle the ones marked in red, leave the rest to watch."
"Alright."
Once Hu Shuo turned to leave, He Jie furiously shouted at the busy crowd.
"Get over here and gather!"
One by one the sleepless armed soldiers begrudgingly walked over, although dying for a sleep, they still mustered up the spirit to stand in neat rows before He Jie.
By this time both trains had long converged.
The combat performance of the armed soldiers had also reached He Jie’s ears.
They were pulled over to work before having dinner that very night.
Whether participating in the operation or staying behind, injured or unharmed, all the armed soldiers were here.
Though everyone were Evolvers, Tide Watching Island is nothing like the urban ruins.
The apocalypse has just begun, and the steel and concrete structures in the city somewhat restrain the mutated creatures.
But on the island after three months of free evolution, most traces of human inhabitation have been erased.
The soldiers had to conduct high-intensity physical activities, while staying alert against various mutated plants, animals, and the sudden emergence of He Jie.
No joke about the nine-strikes-per-second.
"Two things to say, why are those in front standing so high, the ones in the back can’t hear, the first three rows prepare for push-ups!"
’Damn!’
The soldiers’ hearts resounded with lament.
But almost as soon as the words fell, they already assumed the most standard push-up pose.
The last three rows were in duckwalk position.
Seeing everyone lowered down, He Jie nodded with satisfaction.
"One!"
The first three rows lowered in unison, the last three rows slightly rising, half crouching and half standing.
"First thing, Meerkat, Tian Jiayou, Li Wei... and twelve others, due to outstanding performance in battle, are officially promoted to private!"
Meerkat, lying in front, was slightly stunned, a hint of joy rising in his heart.
After enduring this long, finally his rank can be raised.
Seeing no one speaking, He Jie sneered, "You can cheer now."
Though tired, the soldiers still erupted in cheers for their comrades’ promotion, as if cheering for their future selves.
Meerkat took the opportunity to glance at He Jie’s expression, feeling a vague sense of unease.
"Haha, everyone’s quite happy."
He Jie’s sarcastic chuckle silenced the crowd immediately.
"This is the armed train’s decision, but it doesn’t mean I approve of you bunch of trash! A small island less than twenty kilometers almost cost us ten men, including a damn officer! Pang Tu, get over here!"
Pang Tu, who was in the officer lineup at the side, moved forward with a stern face.
He Jie pointed at the soldiers below, "You get in there too!"
"Yes!"
Pang Tu silently went prone at the side.
He Jie continued, "Seven days till the train departs Tide Watching Island, I’ll put you through a seven-day special training, if you survive, those who should be promoted will be promoted, if not, blame your short lives!"
"Do you understand?!"
"Yes!"
He Jie’s face wore a sinister smile, "The second thing, I know most of you haven’t had meat, today I’ll let you enjoy to your heart’s content."
Lao San, with a stern face, led the combat group to bring a crowd up.
All in all, over seven hundred people.
Most were brought out from the train’s survivors, and some were from New Eden.
Among them, a few were old passengers on the train.
They were all those who violated the rules recently.
With hundreds and thousands crammed in the carriage, problems arise countless daily.
Moreover, the armed train’s rules aren’t strict, some issues are hard to define.
Cases like Old Wu and Meerkat that reached the train conductor were very few.
Mostly it’s handled by the head of each group on their own.
Standards are uneven.
Hu Shuo is stricter, Xiaozhao gentler, while Lao San leans more streetwise.
But not every issue is lightly taken.
The group from Tongzhou Association attempting to hijack Yu Jing had long been purged.
But the survivors’ conflicts don’t have that much time to resolve, each conductor has a myriad of matters, they can’t manage five thousand people, so no matter what happens, it’s suppressed first, and recorded.
Until the conductor has time to deal with them collectively.
It’s the first mass handling since three months, catching the conductor at a less than delightful time.
Most survivors and passengers were brought out while working.
Escorting combat group members didn’t know what they did either, naturally they said nothing.
Upon reaching here, this throng finally sensed something amiss.
Besides chopping trees, the armed soldiers have expended significant time digging numerous trenches amid the intertwined roots on the island.
Each could accommodate a standing soldier.
Seeing this sight, even the dullest felt their legs weaken with fright.
Yet, a sliver of luck lingered in their hearts, hoping it’s merely a minor admonishment.
"Start from the first row, one for each person!"
