Chapter 22: Progress of the Train Retrofitting

Most of the zombies in cars 10 and 11 were dead. It was time to make Wan Xing work a little overtime; otherwise, those crystal reserves would go to waste.

Su Huan tapped on a cracked window, and with a "clatter," the glass shattered into pieces. He shook his head and said, "Forget it. You guys go ahead and study it. Just detach this car and leave it here. Bring the luggage car from the back and attach it instead, then sort through the luggage inside."

Wang He wiped away his sweat and agreed. His attitude was significantly more respectful than it had been the day before. After spending a night on the train, he had figured out exactly why Su Huan was the conductor, and he felt immensely fortunate that he had stepped up when he did. There were two other workers of the same rank as him, but they had been hesitant and hadn't come forward that day.

"Alright, keep up the good work. If you need anything, communicate with Xiao Ba," Su Huan said with a yawn.

This time, apart from Gao Zhe and the 120 workers from the construction crew, the rest of the passengers were once again driven off the train. However, there were no specific steel plate assignments this time—just routine supply scavenging. There were no harsh requirements for medicine, though if they brought back purified water, there might be a random "Conductor's Mood" discount.

Once he had finished assigning tasks, Su Huan returned to the train to catch up on sleep. He was woken up at two in the afternoon by a cacophony of noise. Opening his door, he saw Yu Jing directing Qi Xiao Ba to tinker with something at the end of his car.

"What are you doing here?" Su Huan walked over, asking curiously.

Qi Xiao Ba was manipulating a metal sheet in his hands, and Yu Jing explained, "Didn't you say each car needs to have a four-ton purified water tank reserved?"

Su Huan understood. "It is time to make the water tanks. Our purified water reserves have been low, and I haven't taken a shower in a long time."

The third car originally had eight compartments, three of which he had knocked through to serve as both a modification workshop and his living quarters. Although he wasn't particularly demanding about sleep quality, he knew that in the future, it would be better to separate them. Doing so would take up at least six compartments, leaving one at each end. Now, the rear one had been dismantled by Yu Jing, and Xiao Ba was using stainless steel to craft the water tank.

Su Huan looked at the remaining space. "It seems like there's enough room for a fuel tank, too."

Yu Jing pulled a pencil from her hair, sketched a few lines on a blueprint, and said crisply, "Just about. We'll get it all done shortly. Xiao Ba's ability is truly impressive; the welded metal has no seams—it's completely airtight."

Su Huan touched his forehead with his fingertips and said, "Dismantle the front compartment as well. Turn it into an open-plan small living room."

"Understood."

After giving his instructions, he walked toward the rear of the train.

He first inspected the progress of the steel armor plating. The steel cladding for the first thirteen cars had been welded, and the attention to detail was high. Every window was fitted with blast-proof mesh, and the seams between the plates had been fused together using Xiao Ba's ability. It felt incredibly smooth, without a single burr. Even the large scratches and dents had been smoothed out; if not for the patches of blood that hadn't been wiped away, last night's zombie horde would have felt like a dream. Each car now featured three twenty-centimeter triangular ridges along the edges to prevent large-scale attacks from making direct contact with the train body.

The rear five cars had only undergone simple welding on both sides, and there hadn't been time to install the blast-proof mesh yet. The luggage car had replaced number 24, and the damaged car had been abandoned on the adjacent tracks. He remembered feeling the train move while he was sleeping, but he hadn't paid it any mind—it must have been when they were moving that thing.

The workers were sitting on the train or along the tracks, eating their boxed lunches. Su Huan glanced over: it was shredded potato with vinegar over rice, mixed with strips of dried chili.

After inspecting the progress, he went inside the train for a routine supply check. Even though Su Huan appeared to be someone who just collected things without organizing, he knew exactly how much was on the train, better than anyone else. Trusting your subordinates was fine, but you couldn't be ignorant of your own affairs—especially when it came to things that were as vital as life itself.

A faint sound of footsteps approached. Su Huan instinctively glanced to the side.

Yu Yue walked over from the other side of the car, wearing an apron over her knit sweater. The bright yellow color cast on her face accentuated her gentle disposition, making her aura feel even more graceful.

"Brother Su, dinner is ready."

Su Huan stood up and stretched. "What did you make?"

"The main dish is beef stewed with potatoes, vinegar-glazed vegetable meatballs, then two seafood stir-fries—one spicy and one mild—plus a pot of corn and pork rib soup."

Su Huan gave Aunt Yu a surprised look. It had a mix of sour, sweet, salty, and savory flavors. It seemed she had put some real thought into it.

Seeing Su Huan tidying up the supplies, Yu Yue hurried over and leaned down to help. Su Huan threw a few scattered items onto the shelves by category and handed some of the food with shorter shelf lives to Yu Yue.

"That's enough. No need to tidy up anymore. Let's go."

Yu Yue stopped, wanting to maintain a proper distance from Su Huan, but the aisle of the storage car was narrow; if Su Huan didn't move, she couldn't pass. The night lights were off, and the glow from the following car streaked across Su Huan's profile, hitting Yu Yue's hands as she clutched a pile of miscellaneous items—her grip so tight her knuckles had turned white.

Su Huan sensed her hesitation and shifted slightly to the side. Yu Yue walked past nervously; as she brushed by him, she could feel the warmth of his breath on her skin, but until she had completely passed him, nothing happened. There was no clumsy touching as she had feared. For some reason, a tiny trace of disappointment flickered in her heart.

"You can take a shower once every three days, but it cannot exceed ten minutes," Su Huan reminded her.

Although Aunt Yu still smelled pleasant, the hair at her temples was already greasy and clinging to her face—she looked a bit like those wives in Korean dramas tangled in the mundane desires of life. He preferred things to be fresh and cozy, like quilts dried under the sun.

A faint blush rose on Yu Yue's beautiful swan-like neck, and she let out a sound as soft as a mosquito's buzz: "Mm..."

She hurried away with quick steps, as if desperate to escape the car. Su Huan found it slightly strange; he had just been thinking about the train's water usage and had said it offhandedly.

Once she had passed, he walked over to the shelf, grabbed a few bottles of soda, and headed to the dining car. The food was already on the table, and the others were waiting for him.

"Help me get a glass, and add some ice," Su Huan said.

Seeing him arrive, everyone took their seats in turn. Under the warm yellow light, the tangy scent of the sweet-and-sour meatballs mixed with the savory aroma of the rib soup, drifting straight into his nostrils. Su Huan poured a glass of cola, watching the fine bubbles collide with the whiskey ice cubes, creating a crisp crackling sound. He tilted his head and downed it in one gulp.

He savored the icy sensation as the cold cola flowed from his throat into his stomach, chasing away the lingering heat.

"Ha~ refreshing!"

"You guys have some too."

Su Huan passed the bottles of soda over. After everyone had poured their drinks, they instinctively looked at Su Huan. They had all figured out his temperament: breakfast was usually for assigning tasks, and dinner was usually for reviewing progress. Seeing them so self-aware, Su Huan was quite satisfied.

"You all saw the results of the first phase of the armed train last night. I am very satisfied with the current effect, but we still need to pick up the pace."