Armed Train in the Apocalypse

Chapter 558 - 340: Gathering at Zhijin (2)

Even if this man couldn’t take out a penny from his pockets, she still wanted to drag him to bed tonight."It looks like your drink is about to finish."

"No need."

Zhong You coldly refused.

The woman sensed his displeasure and moved her body closer to him. Feeling the reaction from the man beneath her, she chuckled inwardly and whispered into his ear, "This one’s on me."

With a strong will, Zhong You slightly pushed the woman away, his voice calm, "I can’t afford to pay."

The woman’s eyes filled with amusement as she opened a beer and brought it to Zhong You’s lips with a coquettish laugh, "Drinking this beer means you’ve paid."

The cold alcohol, with its bubbles bursting, splashed into his nostrils, causing Zhong You’s breathing to become much heavier, and the hand that was holding the woman’s waist unconsciously sank into the fullness beneath it.

"Ahem, seems I came at the wrong time."

An aged teasing voice suddenly appeared beside him.

Seeing the lust in Zhong You’s eyes vanish instantly, the woman felt like a duck about to be caught had flown away, and she was momentarily furious. She turned and cursed sharply, "Get lost, bastard, don’t ruin my good thing!"

But an irresistible force from her waist made her instantly behave.

Zhong You placed the woman onto the chair beside him, looking intently at the person across the table, who was wearing a wool coat and a necktie, looking more like an old gentleman ready for afternoon tea than a scavenger in the apocalypse.

The surrounding covetous glances were driven back coldly by two imposing men.

The old gentleman wasn’t at all angry at the woman’s insults, he smiled, "May I sit opposite you?"

"You’re joking, Mr. Shu. You can sit wherever you like."

Zhong You didn’t rise, but every muscle in his body was tense, as if facing a formidable enemy.

The woman saw the old man’s attire and his entourage and realized she had misspoken, silently sitting by Zhong You’s side like a gentle and obedient woman, totally unlike her previous feisty demeanor.

"What do you want with me?"

Zhong You didn’t bother asking how he was found, although Black Kite was weakened from the battle with the armed train, their foundation was still there, unlike the Steel Council which was completely destroyed; finding him was too easy.

Mr. Shu handed him a rectangular box, "Perhaps this can serve as the basis for our conversation."

Seeing the box, Zhong You’s gaze immediately sharpened.

This box was equivalent to an archive folder; every formal member of Black Kite possessed one.

Inside the folder were his own records, along with some items symbolizing honor and status. Surprisingly, there was also someone else’s file inside, alongside a handgun and a deformed copper kite tail, its edges stained with blood.

Seeing this copper kite, Zhong You’s calm eyes surged with tumultuous waves, his muscles spasming uncontrollably.

"Apparently, you recognized it. This belongs to Cao Yong, who died near the birthplace of the Tier Three Zombie. After confirmation, Number 1 ordered him to activate the Tier Three Zombie. By the way, I noticed a few days ago that your archive was sealed by Number 1, which is why I remembered."

Mr. Shu’s voice was calm and composed, exuding control over everything.

"Impossible!" Zhong You suddenly raised his head, his eyes chilling, "I saw him die with my own eyes; no one could survive such an explosion, not even me!"

Mr. Shu shrugged indifferently, "Number 1 died long ago, years before the apocalypse."

Seeing Zhong You frown, Mr. Shu continued, "The one you saw was just a clone modification, don’t ask me how many Number 1s there are, you wouldn’t reveal your back-up plans to others, would you?"

It took Zhong You a while to process this news, his voice hoarse, "That’s my business, what do you want from me?"

"You familiar with the armed train’s auction?"

Zhong You hesitated for a moment, then nodded. The news had spread widely, with Scavengers often discussing those drool-worthy treasures.

He was somewhat shocked at Su Huan’s grandiose manner.

Mr. Shu, "I need some capable people to accompany me to the auction. You know that person’s temperament; I worry he might capture us all and demand ransom..."

Zhong You retorted bluntly, "Even if you bring along a bunch of Tier Two, it’s useless."

"But you don’t require me to pay a ransom."

Mr. Shu smiled.

"In light of the information offered, I’ll accompany you. But if things turn rough, don’t count on me."

Zhong You indirectly indicated.

"No problem, I’ll come find you here tomorrow morning."

After Mr. Shu left, the bar quickly buzzed with speculation about his identity, with occasional glances cast towards the corner where the two were.

The woman pressed her body against Zhong You’s, her eyes brimming with curiosity, "Seems you’re quite the big shot."

"But that doesn’t change the fact I can’t pay."

"You’ve already paid."

Zhong You packed up his things, then hoisted the woman over his shoulder, heading directly to the second floor.

The woman giggled repeatedly, drawing the covetous eyes of the bar crowd. Two men with bad intentions blocked Zhong You’s path, but within a second, they were sent flying.

Engulfed in desire, Zhong You had no interest in tangling with them.

Seeing the mangled bodies embedded in the counter, the crowd swallowed hard and walked away nonchalantly; tonight, no one would dare trouble him again.

By six the next morning, Zhong You opened his eyes, precise as a clock.

"Ugh, so painful..."

The woman on the bed gritted her teeth, rolling over to lie on him, her skin luminous and exposed, with blue and purple bruising visible beneath her legs.

Zhong Your actions of rising became stiff for a moment, gently pushing aside the woman’s thighs.

Sitting on the bed, he hesitated briefly, leaving behind a handgun and all the food he had.

Upon leaving, through the nailed window’s gaps at the corridor’s end, he saw a jeep awaiting him below.

He got into the car, heading straight for Zhijin.

The convoy reached Zhijin’s outskirts in just two days, much faster than his prior visit.

"Half a year ago, this place was bare, can’t believe he actually built it up."

Mr. Shu looked out the car window at Zhijin with a sense of wonder.

But Zhong You was no less shocked, months ago, Zhijin had been a chaotic mess, strewn with roving zombie herds, collapsed structures, and various mutant beasts and plants.

Did this all take only a few months to construct?

In view was a towering steel wall over 20 meters high, with heavy machine guns and grenade launchers mounted on top, and beneath which newly planted small trees swayed in the wind.

Drone rifles whirred past above the convoy and the heads of migrating families.

Occasionally, fully armed soldiers would emerge in armored vehicles from within, patrolling the highway.

Often, a dual-layer train carriage, 30 meters long like a bus, led the way, followed by a dozen military jeeps and armored troop carriers, the rumbling tracks accompanied by soldiers’ voices broadcasted through loudspeakers.

"In the 10-kilometer vicinity of Zhijin, armed conflicts are prohibited, violators will be executed on sight!"

"Scavengers wanting to join, line up at the city gate to register for identification tags, no queue jumping allowed, violators will be shot!"

"Trade participants must also obtain identification tags; entering the city without them will incur shooting!"

"..."

"The slogans sound loud, but it’s uncertain if they have the strength."

The driver cast a disdainful glance at the soldiers, commenting scornfully.

They were mere unranked Evolvers, he alone could wipe out an entire squad.

As a Tier One Evolver, he had the privilege of looking down on these soldiers.

In the passenger seat, Zhong You squinted, he’d seen many of the armed train’s people, yet there wasn’t a familiar face among them.

The convoy reached the gate, where soldiers showed no intention to give trouble, merely checking the cars for zombies or mutant beasts before letting them pass. Before leaving, they gave them a small metal strip.

The driver turned the strip over curiously, "Is this some sort of credential?"

Zhong You took a glance, slightly puzzled, unable to discern any unique features of the metal strip.

The convoy drove inside, following soldiers’ guidance, into the second checkpoint, a large open area encircled by iron walls, and only inspected vehicles could truly enter beyond those iron walls.

At the forefront of the open ground stood two small trees, each about two meters high, the width of a bowl, with branches crossed onto the road.

Initially ignoring them, the driver attempted to drive over, only for a branch to reach in through the car window and snatch the keys.

The driver’s expression changed abruptly, "Damn! Mutant plants!"

He instinctively reached for the rifle hanging on the car door.