"Metal Manipulator"

Su Huan put on a perfectly timed bitter smile. "What rescue? We're just a bunch of refugees. Who could've imagined the world would turn into this overnight? We figured it'd be colder up north, cold enough to freeze those walking corpses to death."

"We're running low on food, so everyone's getting off to look for some. Do you want to get on the train?"

The man with glasses glanced at the silent crowd around him, then hesitated.

Su Huan continued, "There are a lot of people on board. If anything happens, we can look out for one another."

While they talked, his family gathered around him too. The old woman, her face lined with wrinkles, said, "We'll get on, we'll get on! It's better to stick together and keep warm. But about the tickets..."

Her eyes darted around, and she put on a pitiful expression. "Our whole family barely managed to escape. We didn't bring much money, just the car we left outside. I don't know if that'll cover the fare?"

Su Huan cursed the old woman inwardly.

Did she think he was blind? He'd just seen her hiding jewelry with her daughter-in-law behind everyone's backs.

But he didn't let it show. Instead, he blinked a couple of times, his eyes reddening as he sighed. "It really isn't easy, traveling with your whole family. I'll cover the tickets out of my own pocket, but don't tell anyone, all right? Otherwise, the train conductor will fine me."

The old woman's wrinkles spread as she smiled. "Young man, you're such a good person. Don't worry, our whole family knows how to behave. We won't say a word!"

Su Huan smiled and opened his register. "Just leave me your names, and you can get on. You're in car 20."

The man with glasses still felt something was off, so he decided to be cautious and gave a false name.

After writing down their names, Su Huan said, "Go in and keep walking toward the back. It might be a bit crowded, but you're getting on in years, so ask them to make room for you."

"All right, all right. What a good young man."

The old woman praised him again and again.

The family didn't suspect a thing and happily boarded the train.

Only after they were aboard did Su Huan let out a cold laugh. Not one member of that family was any good.

The young woman had tried to ask him for help several times, and the old woman's younger son looked vicious, with one hand kept in his pocket.

Worst of all was the little brat. He'd swiped a bag of potato chips as soon as he got on, and his technique was so practiced that it clearly wasn't his first time.

And they were his favorite flavor, too.

Even so, Su Huan had let them on without hesitation.

In fact, he was looking forward to what would happen.

In a confined place with scarce resources, people's morals broke down all the faster.

Of course, Su Huan was largely responsible for the atmosphere aboard the train.

He had made the imbalance in resources worse.

Su Huan looked at the old passengers, their faces strange and uneasy, and said with a fake smile, "I covered your tickets too. If you're unhappy about anything, say so."

They all shook their heads.

Newcomers boarded for free, but the next day, once they reached a new place, they had to repay the train conductor's kindness twice over.

Otherwise, they'd be kicked off the train.

By then, the train had already traveled who knew how many kilometers, far from anywhere familiar. Leaving it now would mean certain death.

The collection of supplies continued until the sun began to set.

Su Huan suddenly spotted a familiar figure and froze.

"Master Ba..."

"Can we get on?" asked a young woman wearing a short-sleeved shirt from an orphanage.

Su Huan's eyes were fixed on the person in front of her.

A boy in a black shirt sat in a wheelchair. His black-and-white eyes still held a metallic sheen that hadn't yet faded.

There were really two key figures behind the construction of the Armed Train.

One was Su Huan, who provided all kinds of energy. The other was Master Ba, who could reconnect broken tracks.

In his previous life, he'd met no more versatile Metal Manipulator than him. Any kind of alloy could be flattened, kneaded, and shaped at his whim.

Su Huan had planned to look for him once he was done here. He hadn't expected to run into him now.

What a remarkable coincidence.

Su Huan felt even more confident in his plans for the train.

When Su Huan didn't answer, the woman gritted her teeth and asked again.

Su Huan licked his lips. "No problem. Get on."

At last, a hint of joy appeared on the woman's face. She wheeled the boy to the train, then bit her lip at the height difference and grabbed both sides of the wheelchair.

She lifted the heavy wheelchair straight up.

Everyone was a little surprised.

Su Huan watched closely. The metallic sheen in the boy's eyes had grown even stronger.

"Give her a hand getting him aboard."

Su Huan spoke to Liang Kuan beside him.

When he'd met Qi Xiaoba in his previous life, the other man had already been a second-tier professional in the Manipulator field.

He only knew that Qi Xiaoba came from an orphanage in Wen'an City. Qi Xiaoba had always kept everything else close to his chest.

As for the young woman, Su Huan had never seen her before. She must have died.

Qi Xiaoba was best known for taking in many orphans of the apocalypse and for often helping others, earning a reputation as a bleeding heart.

No one understood him, Su Huan included.

In the apocalypse, everyone was looking out for themselves. Who would want to play the bleeding heart?

But whenever anyone mentioned Qi Xiaoba, they'd all give him a thumbs-up and call him Master Ba.

No one knew when Master Ba's kindness might shine down on them.

And Su Huan had been lucky enough to receive that kindness twice.

Liang Kuan stepped forward and took the wheelchair from the woman.

There weren't many people left outside, and Su Huan planned to close up after collecting fares from this last group.

Suddenly, a faint thud caught his attention.

He looked up in confusion, but the strange sound had already stopped.

For some reason, a creepy feeling crept over him. He instinctively activated his level 1 Pan-Energy Perception.

There was nothing unusual within a one-meter radius.

"Just imagining things..."

Su Huan muttered, about to call for the next person, when a scream suddenly rang out in front of him.

Su Huan looked up reflexively, his pupils shrinking to pinpoints.

A wild beast about the size of a medium-sized dog sailed overhead and pounced on a passenger who was about to board.

Its jaws clamped down, spraying blood everywhere.

The beast had no fur, as if it had been skinned alive. Its raw, bright-red flesh was exposed to the air, and its veins wound across its body like pipes on the surface. Its crimson eyes narrowed as it searched for its next target.

Then its gaze met Su Huan's.

"Evolutionary Beast—a Blood Hound!"

In an instant, every hair on Su Huan's body stood on end. He shouted, "Close the door!"

At the same time, he yanked down the window.

"Bang—screee!"

Sharp claws scraped against the tempered glass with a piercing screech.

Several passengers scrambled aboard.

Seeing that it couldn't break through the window right away, the Blood Hound dug in its paws and sprang toward the train door.

Its mouth was full of fangs, its expression savage!

But it was facing Su Huan's icy gaze—and his raised index finger.

"Bang!"

The Blood Hound was sent flying.

The energy inside Su Huan poured out all at once, like floodgates thrown open.

But the strike was meant to knock the beast back. It hadn't done much damage.

Su Huan barked, "Close the door!"

Liang Kuan hurried forward and pulled the train door shut.