Chapter 2: The Transformation Project

Closing the car window, the vegetables in the pot were nearly done. A simple thickening of the sauce followed.

Done!

He had prepared two dishes in total: stir-fried green peppers with dried tofu and diced carrots with corn. These vegetables were chosen because they could withstand long storage; other vegetables had been eaten up days ago.

He plated the vegetables and scooped three bowls of rice.

The train plunged into a tunnel, darkness descending abruptly.

A sharp screech of the brakes sounded.

“Whoosh—”

The dining car lights flickered on, and the entire train came to a complete stop inside the tunnel.

Heavy footsteps echoed from the dim corridor’s end.

A broad silhouette stepped into the dining car, casting a large shadow over the table and obscuring the light.

His voice was deep and gentle. “The weather’s getting hotter.”

This was Liang Kuan, the train driver and the first core member of the armed train team.

Su Huan had heard of him before rebirth but had never met him—he had died early.

Unexpectedly, after rebirth, Su Huan met him right away, and the other happened to be a train driver.

Su Huan nodded and asked, “How much farther to the canned meat factory?”

“Once we get out of this tunnel, we’ll be there.”

“Then tomorrow, drive the train close to the factory so they can get off and scavenge supplies.”

“You decide that. Just as long as I can see my daughter,” Liang Kuan said, then resumed eating silently.

Liang Kuan was a man of few words, so their conversations were mostly Su Huan talking while Liang Kuan listened.

Though somewhat dull, it was far better than the comrades from his previous life.

At least now, he didn’t have to constantly hide from zombies and evolved beasts while simultaneously watching his comrades’ backs.

There were only nine days left, and Su Huan had completed only one-third of the tasks on his mental checklist—far from ready.

Most of the resource gathering was done, but the train modifications hadn’t started.

He had originally planned to find a familiar face from his past life—someone who specialized in locomotive modifications. If nurtured early, they could have shifted their expertise to train retrofitting. But now, he had no idea which repair shop they were hiding in.

So Su Huan planned to seek out another prospective member—the Saint, an exceedingly rare breed in the apocalypse.

The most critical points of the armed train plan were energy and broken tracks.

Not to mention the evolved beasts akin to huskies; soon they would face storms and plant infestations.

The railway tracks there were badly damaged, and without a way to repair them, the armed train would become nothing but an iron shell.

Fortunately, the Saint’s abilities could solve this problem.

If he remembered correctly, the Saint lived in the orphanage near this canned meat factory.

At this thought, a rare warmth flickered in Su Huan’s eyes.

Liang Kuan finished the last grain of rice in his bowl, hesitated, then asked, “How long will this heat last?”

Although Su Huan was mysterious and not exactly a good man, he knew many things.

These were what had allowed him to survive this damned apocalypse and gave him hope to return home and see his daughter.

That was enough.

Compared to the over a thousand people in the rear carriages, he was doing quite well.

“A year, maybe longer.”

“What about the north? Will it be better there?”

“Only worse. The heat is just the beginning. More terrifying natural disasters lie ahead.”

Su Huan’s soft voice echoed through the carriage.

He casually tossed his finished dishes into the sink. “Tomorrow, install the explosion-proof netting on the dining car windows.”

“Understood.”

Su Huan waved his hand. “Go rest.”

Liang Kuan rose and left.

Su Huan glanced at the clock on the carriage’s inner wall.

The hour hand pointed to five in the afternoon, still early before nightfall.

But inside the tunnel, it was pitch black. Though stifling, they wouldn’t attract the zombie horde’s attention.

Stretching, he threw the kitchen knife and cutting board into the sink.

He disliked washing dishes.

…

Su Huan quietly walked toward the rear carriages, contemplating how to arrange them.

No need to think about the locomotive—it was packed with the power system. Only a bit of space near the controls, but nothing much could be done there.

He would just reinforce the sealing and strengthen the power system when possible.

The first carriage—the dining car—would be retained. In the apocalypse, besides the sparks of romance, only good food could soothe the soul.

The team also needed a meeting room.

He could spare some leftover space to create a small storage area for food and clean water for daily use.

The second carriage—the observation car—should be converted into a war room, possibly with a second level to attack enemies approaching the train.

The third carriage would be reserved for himself…

Before he could decide, he had already reached the end of the fifth carriage.

Instinctively, he lifted his heel slightly, spreading his foot to tread silently on the red carpeted corridor.

He looked down at the door handle, where a strand of hair was carelessly wrapped around.

Fortunately, Miss Yu was obedient and had not left the carriage or even opened the door during this time.

“Knock, knock, knock.”

The sudden sound made Su Huan’s raised hand pause midair.

He turned toward the door linking to the sixth carriage.

“Knock, knock, knock!”

Perhaps having not heard the first, the knocks grew more urgent.

Sounds came from inside the soft sleeper compartment.

Su Huan vaguely caught the conversation between mother and child; Yu Jing was telling the child to ignore it.

He lowered his hand and walked toward the corridor door.

Suddenly pulling back the curtain, the person opposite jumped in surprise before saying, “The glass on the zombie carriage behind us cracked!”

“Hmm, noted.”

“Hey, hey!”

Ignoring the shouting, Su Huan lowered the curtain and glanced sideways.

The corridor was pitch black; even inside the soft sleeper compartment, it was very quiet.

Squinting, Su Huan returned to the front carriage, took up his usual wrench, then opened the carriage door.

Outside, the tunnel echoed with beast-like roars.

He lightly leapt to the ground.

Walking alongside the tracks with no protection, for a survivor of four years in this apocalypse, darkness was his safe zone.

Zombies were far more trustworthy than most people.

Carriages six through nine held humans; ten and eleven, the suddenly mutated zombies.

Su Huan stopped outside the ninth carriage.

Inside, faint light flickered like a lighter’s flame, casting large, terrified shadows on the tunnel walls.

Because of the light, the people inside did not notice Su Huan standing outside.

He remained silent, standing still for five minutes.

Finally, he noticed something odd.

They were anxious and fearful, but their faces were not turned toward the tenth carriage locking the zombies.

Instead, they faced the locomotive’s direction.

For them, that was where the danger came from.

The light dimmed as the lighter ran out of fuel, but in the faint glow, a group of men huddled together.

The leader’s face was indistinct, only clad in a large black-gray hooded sweatshirt.

Amidst the chaotic howls of the undead, Su Huan’s lips curled into a slight smile in the darkness.