Next to Zhang Tianyuan, Cheng Wanli, who was taking advantage of every spare moment to handle other matters, also took a moment to glance at the screen.
"Is Wilford on this train?"
"Yes, this car has been driven out for several days."
"Is there any way to intercept this car?" Zhang Tianyuan asked.
Upon hearing this, the other staff members on site couldn't help but look troubled. "Judging from the current situation, it's probably difficult to achieve this in the short term."
Historically, many countries have experienced incidents of freight trains starting up and going out of control without a driver.
There are not many options available for these trains.
There are usually only two.
One approach is to derail them in a safe section of the track through track switching and ground operations, in order to avoid greater losses.
The second option is to use another train to catch up with it, connect it to the runaway train, then brake from behind to provide additional resistance, reducing the speed of the runaway train. Finally, people can enter the runaway train from the connection point to bring it back under control.
But this is a method for dealing with runaway freight trains.
The Snowpiercer is currently carrying at least several thousand people.
The first method is naturally no longer applicable.
As for the second method...
From the movie, Snowpiercer seems to have only twenty or thirty carriages, but don't forget, this is a real world.
In addition to passenger and basic life support and entertainment carriages, the Snowpiercer also has a large number of freight and equipment carriages.
Based on what Zhang Tianyuan sees now, the Snowpiercer doesn't have as many carriages as the absurd 1001 in the original manga, but it still has a full 101 carriages.
It's missing a zero, but it's still a behemoth.
Based on the data, its total weight is as high as tons.
In addition, the train was fully loaded with various supplies.
It's definitely a land behemoth.
To slow it down, you need to find something with a similar tonnage.
However, a typical passenger train only has about twenty carriages...
Such a tiny creature is too light to even be a pendant on the Snowpiercer.
"Of course, we do have heavy-duty trains that can rival it."
The staff at Snowpiercer Spacetime opened a document.
"We currently have heavy-haul railways laid across the Eurasia-Africa Continent, with numerous dedicated heavy-haul lines. Part of Wilford's line runs parallel to our heavy-haul lines, which is one of the reasons they were able to complete the line so quickly..."
The railway map unfolds, revealing the routes of Wilford's luxurious train journey around the world. Also marked on the map are the heavy-haul railway lines that have been built in the country for decades.
The round-the-world routes have essentially circled the entire world, while these heavy-haul lines have circled the World Island and more, creating a comprehensive and extensive super-large rail freight network.
The sections shared by the two routes are marked in red, and these stretch intermittently for at least nearly 10,000 kilometers.
Zhang Tianyuan couldn't help but be amazed when he saw this.
Now that he could build this thing, he understood why the power of developed countries in this timeline had been significantly weakened.
in addition.
This technology...
Could you be the contractor for this Wilford route?
Zhang Tianyuan glanced at Cheng Wanli and found him to be calm and composed, without any unusual expression.
The staff member continued, "Our current routine heavy-haul trains consist of 421 freight cars, totaling 40,000 tons, and are a full 5 kilometers long."
"If this train were to carry out the mission, it would definitely be able to intercept Wilford's train..."
40,000 tons versus 12,000 tons— Wilford's truck, let alone nuclear-powered, even if it were just for boiling water and washing coal, would be useless.
In addition, Zhang Tianyuan also heard from the staff that the daily speed of this heavy-haul train is 60 to 80 kilometers per hour.
In contrast, the Snowpiercer, powered by nuclear energy and touted as having perpetual motion technology, has an average speed of 50 kilometers per hour...
You guys are the ones using nuclear power, aren't you?
Zhang Tianyuan had a complaint he didn't know whether he should voice it or not.
Of course, besides its operation, the Snowpiercer also has other energy-intensive projects.
But this speed comparison is really making me want to complain...
Suppressing the urge to complain, Zhang Tianyuan asked, "So where does the problem lie?"
He hadn't forgotten that the staff member had previously said it would be difficult to stop the Snowpiercer, but now he was talking about it so casually, so something must be wrong.
The staff member remained silent and pointed to South America on the route map.
He didn't need to say it.
Zhang Tianyuan suddenly realized what was going on.
" South America doesn't have our heavy-haul railways?"
"Yes."
"It's not just in South America, it's not in North America either."
"Of course, we can connect to Wilford's luxury line; given its construction standards, it's perfectly fine to use it as our heavy-haul rail."
etc!
Zhang Tianyuan astutely noticed a bright spot.
Since the Wilford railway can also be used as a heavy-haul railway...
If we consider this line in conjunction with the heavy-haul railways connecting Asia, Eurasia-Africa, isn't this essentially a world connected by heavy-haul railways?
From another perspective, Wilford's railway is essentially a variant of heavy-haul lines in North America and South America!
If we add another eight north-south and eight east-west railway network to South America and North America in the future...
Well, no wonder Wilford's wild idea came true.
The world has become a little more reasonable.
The staff also wanted to explain why the train was stopped.
Zhang Tianyuan waved his hand, indicating that he didn't need to continue.
If we send out heavy-haul trains now, we can only detour via the eastern route of North America, and only then will we have a chance to catch up with the Snowpiercer located in eastern South America.
If you take the route from the western part of North America, you'll only collide head-on with the Snowpiercer.
The problem is that this chase takes time, and the Snowpiercer is also moving forward during this time.
So although heavy-haul railways are slightly faster on average than Snowpiercer, in reality, they can't catch up in less than a year and a half.
In this way, neither a direct derailment nor a dragging-down tactic can be implemented.
"If we wait a while, we are 100% confident we can stop them," the staff member added.
"Once they cross the Bering Strait and enter the Asia continent, we can outflank them at any time."
Zhang Tianyuan glanced at it.
This plan is indeed good, but it takes too long.
Given the Snowpiercer's speed, which is completely inadequate for nuclear power, it would be at least December by the time it reaches Asia and enters the mainland.
There are still five months to go.
Not to mention the last carriages of the Snowpiercer, where cannibalism could happen at any moment.
By then, the Planetary Engine might not be able to keep up with the increasingly cold climate...
What he wanted was Wilford in the car; only by getting his hands on him could he quickly dispel the rumors spread by Mather.
This will make the work of the Mutual Aid Society go more smoothly.
If we have to wait five months, not only will the daylilies be too cold, but many people will also have passed away.
Zhang Tianyuan thought for a moment and said, "Is there any way we can use psychological tactics to break Wilford's train from the inside?"
The staff member looked up, holding a shorthand notebook. "Please speak."
"I've seen Wilford's ads; quite a few people on the train must believe in his doomsday theory, which is why they're on the train."
"If we can refute his argument, the higher-ups will naturally come up with a solution."
Although his argument is true in some respects...
Zhang Tianyuan silently added a sentence in his mind.
Just as the staff member finished writing down what was said, Cheng Wanli, who was discussing disaster relief and prevention work with his assistant, suddenly turned around:
"If that's the case, I can ask the local authorities to cooperate and do some publicity work on-site."
What does Chairman Cheng plan to do?
"I'm preparing to issue a repatriation order to recall as many of our citizens as possible around the world. We can then use the excuse that some of the people kidnapped on the train might be our citizens, have the local authorities try to dissuade them, and then tell the truth to the people on the train."
This plan is sound; it's at least worth a try.
It's better than resorting to the desperate measure of airdropping special forces into the train by helicopter to seize control.
Cheng Wanli acted quickly.
In less than half an hour, his own order to return home was sent out to the world through signals and various diplomatic agencies, and the evacuation was proceeding in an orderly manner.
Meanwhile, the local authorities in South America also received Cheng Wanli's message.
The hijacker on the train Wilford, may have taken domestic citizens hostage. We hope they can do their utmost to stop him and ensure the safety of the hostages.
"If this outcome is not possible, we hope that you will engage in negotiations with the hijackers and strive to wear down the will of the mastermind Wilford and the other resisters in the car."
Shortly after the message arrived in South America, before any response was received from the local authorities, Mather received the relevant information.
South America is, after all, his traditional territory.
The secretary simply reported it as something insignificant.
After all, this is perfectly reasonable, and there's no possibility of any behind-the-scenes deals.
But when Mather saw it, he was so frightened that his heart nearly jumped out of his chest.
The secretary might not know what Cheng Wanli was up to, but how could he not?
wrong!
Maybe Cheng Wanli didn't do it.
It's very likely that the extremely mysterious Mutual Aid Society that came later!
Since they can predict the end of the world, their technology must be very advanced. They might have found some clues online and know that Wilford is a key figure, so they want to arrest him!
Mather was scratching his scalp so hard he almost tore it apart.
I really feel helpless about this...
If Wilford is arrested, Morgan and his powerful associates might be fine, but he'll definitely be the one to take the blame!
But he couldn't simply order the Snowpiercer to be destroyed by missiles...
There were thousands of people on board who had been abducted and put on the train within their own country.
He was still hoping to live a good life in the future, and he absolutely couldn't lose his skin!
He knows so much; if he were to lose this layer of skin, someone might just take advantage of it and make him lose a layer of skin in a physical sense as well.
Mather was anxiously waiting inside.
Then the secretary came in again. "Sir, Morgan is on the phone."
This made Mather's eyes light up. "Connect me right now!"
These guys finally called!
He contacted these people immediately after the incident, but none of them responded...
The phone was answered.
Morgan's voice came through the microphone as soon as it was placed to his ear. " Mather, what's the situation outside? We've discovered that the temperature drop is much greater than expected."
Holy crap!
These people don't even know about the Mutual Aid Society?!
Where did they hide?
Dead turtle!
A dead turtle that can only lay one egg when it gives birth!
Mather cursed inwardly, but his face remained impassive as he solemnly recounted the events that had transpired during this period.
"So, the huge blue jet we saw that day wasn't a result of a war strike?"
Morgan, on the other side, was also thinking, "Holy crap!"
They had just arrived at the shelter that day when they spotted a terrifying blue jet of gas from the sky.
Needless to say, those with guilty consciences immediately assumed that Cheng Wanli had discovered their conspiracy, and this was a devastating blow from Cheng Wanli.
Everyone huddled in shelters designed to withstand a nuclear explosion, spending several days in fear. They didn't even dare connect to satellites or other communication devices, for fear of exposing their signals or being exposed to nuclear radiation.
Several days passed before they dared to emerge from the bunker, having observed no unusual activity.
The moment the bubble appeared, Morgan called Mather through the previously established channels...
Then I learned about the Mutual Aid Society.
Are you not lying to me?
Morgan instinctively suspected that Mather had made this up himself as a way to get revenge on him.
Soon after, he received intelligence from his subordinates that information about the Mutual Aid Society was everywhere online, and Cheng Wanli had even publicly announced that he had made contact with the Mutual Aid Society.
Many other countries are also rushing there to prepare to establish contact with the Mutual Aid Society...
Morgan's face darkened instantly.
Who would have thought that plunging all of humanity into crisis would be a prerequisite for summoning a parallel universe?!
Especially after hearing that the Mutual Aid Society seems to have its sights set on the traitor Wilford, trying to pry the truth about the extreme cold apocalypse out of him...
Not to mention Mather, even Morgan himself felt a little uneasy.
That's a super organization that can travel between parallel universes!
And it possesses such terrifying power.
Morgan recalled the terrifying plasma jet he had witnessed that day...
If the jet stream had been directed downwards that day, even an underground base designed to withstand a nuclear explosion would likely have succumbed.
"Fuck!"
I'll help you resolve this!
Morgan made a decision immediately.
Since the world hasn't ended yet, he can still mobilize his forces, and even in South America, there are people helping him.
"Hello..."
Morgan picked up the phone...
At this time, in South America.
A police helicopter took off quickly, taking advantage of the brief period of good weather.
The target is the Snowpiercer, just ten kilometers away!
------Aside------
The heavy-haul railway example in this article is adapted from the following example: On April 2, 2014, a 30,000-ton heavy-haul train consisting of 4 electric locomotives and 315 freight cars was successfully tested on the Datong–Qinhuangdao Railway. The train was 3,971 meters long.