"Don't worry, I won't sell you out. But resources are limited. Everyone aboard the train will have to work, and anyone who joins later will need my permission."
Su Huan reminded them meaningfully.
In his previous life, Qi Xiaoba had adopted many orphans left behind by the apocalypse.
He could accept Master Ba's do-gooder streak, but only within limits—and only if it helped keep the group's spirits steady.
He had no intention of turning their armed train into a mobile orphanage.
"All right, let's talk about what we need to do next." Su Huan clapped his hands, drawing everyone's attention.
"We'll stay here until tomorrow morning, then head to the steel mill and get a batch of steel to reinforce the train."
Su Huan turned to Yu Jing. "I need you to come up with a preliminary plan for modifying the train. It should cover every carriage, withstand a massive zombie horde, and leave room for weapons we can install later."
Yu Jing lowered her head, deep in thought.
Su Huan frowned. "Can't you do it?"
Beside her, Yu Yue looked nervously at her daughter.
"No. I took a look around this morning and already have a preliminary plan. It should meet your requirements."
Yu Jing met Su Huan's gaze, her almond-shaped eyes shining brightly.
Su Huan was delighted, but kept his expression calm. "Let's hear it."
Yu Jing cleared her throat. "The main steel plates at the front of the locomotive are between 15 and 25 mm thick. The front impact zone is 20 to 25 mm, the sides are 15 to 20 mm, and the roof is around 15 mm. It may look thick, but this old A3 carbon steel isn't very impact-resistant."
"Ordinary carbon-based creatures can't stop a moving train, but since this is the apocalypse, we have to prepare for the worst. Say there's an elephant on the tracks. If the locomotive hit it as it is now, it would definitely take damage. If something struck the side plates, they might even tear open."
"This morning, we welded on steel plates angled at 30 degrees. They can push aside obstacles on the tracks and low-tier zombie hordes, but that's nowhere near enough. I think we should add a ram to the front of the locomotive."
"That way, it could smash through an Evolutionary Beast like the Blood Hound too!"
Yu Jing clenched her fist and mimed a charge. This morning's Blood Hound had left a deep impression on her.
"Next, the carriages need reinforcing."
"The old green cars only have plates around 3 to 5 mm thick. Most of the walls are 3 mm, with the rest made up of insulation and interior lining. Those are the parts that need the most work. I suggest welding on 1.2 cm steel plates."
"Then we can add a honeycomb buffer layer on the inside to increase the thickness. It'll take up quite a bit of space, but the train's safety matters more than its carrying capacity."
"There are too many windows on the carriages. I suggest sealing the storage cars with steel plates. For windows that need to let in light, we can use blast-resistant mesh to make light-transmitting grilles. But we should also install another layer of 10 mm steel plates inside every window, to make sure no light from inside the carriages leaks out."
Su Huan pictured Yu Jing's plan in his mind. Many of her ideas matched his own.
Her insistence that safety mattered more than carrying capacity especially pleased him.
"That's well thought out. What about the roof and the gangways between the cars? Give me the short version."
Yu Jing took a sip of cola and continued. "For the carriage roofs, my approach is to attack rather than defend. The train is already quite tall. Because of the air-conditioning units, even the ordinary cars are 4.8 meters high—almost like small city walls."
"I plan to build a gangway on the second carriage, the second level of the sightseeing car, connecting the roofs of the cars behind it and creating a combat platform."
"That's the general idea."
She laid out her thoughts clearly and sharply.
There was no hint of shyness or hesitation. Just like at her interview, she presented her strengths and expertise with confidence.
Most importantly, Yu Jing wasn't just talking. She also produced a sheet of scratch paper covered in calculations.
It listed the sizes and amounts of materials needed to armor every carriage.
Standard steel plates measuring 1.25 m × 2.5 m: 3,000 in total.
It was only a rough estimate, but still impressive.
Su Huan looked at Yu Jing, who was clearly confident in her plan. His eyes brightened with undisguised admiration.
"The overall design looks good. I have two suggestions. First, besides the ram, I'd like to add a way to clear weeds. I don't know if you've noticed, but a red mutated plant has started growing on the ground."
"I suspect it may eventually spread everywhere. If it grows across the tracks, it could slow the train down considerably."
"Second, we absolutely have to reinforce the roofs. You saw the Blood Hound today. Four or five meters isn't much of a height for an Evolutionary Beast. We can keep the plan for a combat platform on the roof, but the carriage roofs themselves need to be reinforced."
"That's the plan for the first phase of the armed train. Does anyone have anything to add?"
Su Huan asked.
Yu Jing had spoken at length. Now she seemed lost in thought and didn't answer.
The boy hesitated for a moment and glanced around. When no one else spoke up, he finally said, "If the goal is to keep zombies out, why not add spikes along the sides of the train?"
"Spikes have too little surface area and break easily. They look impressive, but they're not very effective against something like a zombie, which can't feel pain. Still, we could weld on some steel bars to prevent climbing. They could also serve as protective bumpers."
Yu Jing, who had seemed distracted, immediately gave a professional answer.
Su Huan encouraged him. "Xiao Ba's suggestion is good. By the way, I'm curious—how much metal can your ability control?"
At the question, everyone turned to look at Qi Xiaoba.
A spoon on the wall floated into the air without any force acting on it.
"My ability is called Metal Control. I can use the energy in my body to influence any metal, making it float like this, or even... fly."
The corner of Su Huan's mouth lifted.
As expected, what an enviable talent.
In his previous life, Su Huan had guessed that Xiao Ba's ability was Metal Control. There was no other way he could have manipulated metal so skillfully.
He had also seen other Manipulators, but their core traits were only Metal Affinity or Flame Affinity.
Metal Control was a high-level ability. It could be developed later with gene serums, but the chances were extremely low.
The spoon glided smoothly around the carriage once, then returned to the group.
"In this mode, the heavier the metal, the more energy it takes. If I want to change..." The metal spoon gradually grew thinner. Its wooden handle detached on its own, held in place by a metal strip as it was set on the table. "The energy it takes depends on the metal's strength. The harder the metal, the more energy it takes to change it."
"Complex operations also use a lot of energy, but I haven't tested the limits of my ability."
Qi Xiaoba gave a brief summary, giving everyone a clear idea of what his ability could do.
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