Strong Medicine

Some say the Twelve Calamities are a potent medicine that accelerates evolution.

Of course, others claim there are sixteen.

The madmen of the Machine Cult have always preached that Pan-Energy is the energy leaked from Pandora Inkbox, that Evolutionists are the chosen people blessed by the divine, and that machines are the arks upon which humanity carries its flesh.

Those who dabble in the forbidden curse such notions, shouting that steel is rot and flesh is the only song of joy.

But for an ordinary person in this apocalypse like Su Huan, it is nothing more than a soul-shivering slaughter.

He spent a month fleeing the extreme heat, yet it took him three years to barely escape the acid rain.

But before he could even catch his breath, he was submerged by the floods that followed close behind.

To this day, he clearly remembers the burning sensation as the encroaching floodwaters eroded his skin and flesh.

Rainwater poured into his nasal cavity, stinging pain wrapped around every nerve; there was nowhere to hide, nowhere to escape, only despair.

But luckier than most, he was reborn.

The misfortune is that if his planning is flawed, he might have to experience it all over again.

According to Su Huan's projections, his Armed Train will only be qualified to barely protect itself once it reaches the third phase.

Phase One: Reasonably sturdy physical defense, freshwater circulation, material reserves, a small team that obeys orders, and a large labor force.

Phase Two: A defense system capable of resisting multiple natural disasters, dual circulation for freshwater and food, simple weapon systems, a squad of Evolutionists, and a train society with clear class structures.

Phase Three: Dynamic defense system, resource recycling system, energy recovery system, powerful weapon systems, preliminary scientific research capabilities, Evolutionist teams, and a train society.

He must not only survive but also rely on the memories of his past life to preemptively seize resources and talent amidst these disasters.

Only then can he create a snowball effect, allowing his Armed Train to become a major apocalyptic power like Deep Blue Data.

Therefore, his time is extremely tight; he had previously avoided bringing the train into cities as much as possible.

He simply did not want to waste time on these people who were about to be eliminated.

But right now, this conflict seems to have become inevitable.

The sun set, darkness swallowed the carriage, and only the pair of eyes where Su Huan sat glowed faintly.

"I hope they are smart enough to accept my deal."

He took out his personal log and pulled a black pen from the pen holder on the table, first drawing a calendar in the log, then crossing out the numbers one by one.

The rustling sound of the pen was like a sharp blade, swift and decisive.

04:15 AM.

Su Huan opened his eyes faintly. He did not turn on the lights, instead waiting for his eyes to adjust to the darkness before quietly sitting up from his bed.

He lifted a corner of the curtain and stared solemnly out the train window.

Faint water vapor drifted in through the gaps in the window, and thousands of invisible raindrops passed through the explosion-proof mesh, striking the inner steel plate.

The window by his bed had been shattered last time, but since there were no replacements, he simply left it empty and welded an openable steel plate to the inner layer.

The steel plate has two modes: one is fully open, and the other is to pull a handle to turn it into a shutter-like configuration, making it convenient for those inside to observe the situation outside.

With the steel plate and the explosion-proof mesh, nothing can get in.

When he has the ability later, he will just patch it with a piece of tempered glass.

After observing for a long time, Su Huan did not smell any pungent odors or hear any strange sounds.

Only then did he cautiously open the steel plate and reach his hand out.

The humid, sweltering air instantly flooded into the carriage, and even the rain carried a hint of warmth.

Feeling the moisture on his palm, Su Huan brought it to his nose and sniffed, only relaxing once he confirmed it was ordinary rainwater.

High temperature surged in his hand, and the drizzle was instantly evaporated into nothingness.

Su Huan stood by the window for ten minutes before closing the steel plate, as if this boundless dark night held an infinite temptation for him.

Opening the door without a sound, Su Huan walked quietly down the corridor, from the head of the train to Carriage 7, standing in each carriage for about five minutes to let his Pan-Energy Perception cover every corner.

This included the cabin where Qi Xiaoba and the others were staying.

Of course, this was not to check the quality of their sleep, but simply his way of eliminating potential crises.

He does not like having things on his train that he does not know about.

Suddenly, some subtle changes outside the train caught his attention.

The time reached 05:00 sharp, and he decided to write in his log first.

"December 20th, early winter, 29°C-"

"The conductor always has endless worries."

--"Conductor's Log"

The train lay quietly on the tracks, and from the direction of the Water Plant, several electric vehicles were parked on the road.

The group stepped off the vehicle, clutching long blades and clubs, treading nervously through the mud as they approached the train.

If not for the clouds obscuring the moonlight, one could have clearly made out the security uniforms they were wearing.

"Damn it, it's actually raining." The leader was a man with slanted eyes and a prominent nose, giving him a sinister appearance.

"If we can take this train, we won't have to stand in the rain ever again."

A rugged-looking man beside him spoke up.

It was none other than Brother Dog, who had narrowly survived the previous night!

"If we really take it, Brother Dog, you'll be a blood brother to me, Lao Hu. But if..." The man with slanted eyes let out a cold, mirthless chuckle, leaving the rest of his sentence hanging.

Brother Dog's expression was grim, but he did not retort.

Little Ghost was dead, and five of the brothers who followed him had died in a single night!

The people he used to bully now looked at him as if they wanted to devour him alive.

Without those brothers, he didn't dare close his eyes on the train.

He decided to go all in and simply not go back.

But the thought of Su Huan's Armed Train left him unwilling to let go; a mobile, well-supplied, and sturdy fortress capable of resisting zombie hordes was nothing short of a paradise in the apocalypse.

He decided to gamble, contacting Star Property Management at the Water Plant to form an alliance.

He would lead the way, they would provide the men, and they would seize the Armed Train under the cover of night!

"As long as you can open the door, we'll be brothers for sure," Brother Dog whispered.

"Lao San, he's talking to you!"

The man with slanted eyes turned to look at a rat-faced fellow. The man was carrying a police baton and wearing his security cap at a tilt; hearing his name, he quickly stepped forward.

He first glanced at Brother Dog, then smirked obsequiously, "Boss Hu, don't you know my lock-picking skills? Old Wang's wife changed her door locks six times, and didn't I get in every single time?"

Seeing his subordinate so confident, the man with slanted eyes wore a smug expression, "Don't just brag. If you can't get in, I'll have your Blue String ripped right off!"

"Hey, isn't that it up ahead?"

The rat-faced man pointed toward the steel dragon on the tracks.

The group looked up to see the silhouette of the train, nearly five meters tall, looming in the curtain of rain, its dark steel plating exuding an imposing aura.

Just looking at it, a sense of security welled up within them.

The man with slanted eyes' gaze brightened, "Good stuff, this is truly good stuff!"