Apocalypse: I Built the Infinite Train

"How about it, Brother Lin? With all these guns, I'll let my convoy handle distribution first. Later, I'll just pick up the goods directly from you, alright?"

Lin Xian gave him a meaningful look. "Do you even know how much stock I have?"

"Uh…" Hu Lushou was momentarily speechless upon hearing this. His expression shifted slightly as he looked at Lin Xian and said, "The more, the better! With such a powerful convoy like yours, I'm sure you can get your hands on anything!"

Lin Xian's gaze swept over Hu Lushou and the woman behind him. He spoke calmly, "And if I do have stock, where do I find you?"

Hearing this, Hu Lushou's brows immediately relaxed, and he quickly responded, "Our camp is at the Hengshan Pass Stadium. Why don't you come over now? I'll treat everyone to a hotpot!"

"Oh, really?"

Lin Xian smiled and simply looked at Hu Lushou. That gaze made Hu Lushou's heart feel uneasy.

"No need. You can go now." Lin Xian's expression shifted, and he outright refused. He could see that this guy was itching to slip away. But he wasn't here to be a bandit—there was no need to antagonize a roaming supply convoy. Who knew? He might actually need them in the future.

"Haha, alright! Brother Lin, you're generous! We'll… be off then." Hu Lushou grinned, quickly waved to his men, and they scrambled into their vehicles before speeding away.

Watching Hu Lushou's convoy disappear, KIKI landed beside Lin Xian. "That kind of guy… you're just letting him go?"

"What else should I do?" Lin Xian chuckled. "He didn't force a deal on us. We made a fair trade—an entire truckload of supplies. What more do you want?"

Chen Sixuan looked at him. "You really think he wants to work with us?"

Lin Xian sneered, "That 'reseller' talk? He just wants to sell for me. As for pricing, he doesn't care. His real goal is to stop us from broadcasting prices over the radio, stabilizing the market in this area. That way, he can sell all thoseXinghuo-26 Tactical Riflesat a higher price and recover his costs. But whether we agree or not, his priority is getting away first."

Hearing this, KIKI's brows relaxed, and she let out anOh."That guy's pretty slick."

Lin Xian took a deep breath. "But he was right about one thing—the creatures in the dark are getting stronger. Humans evolve, and so do monsters. Even zombies might become more dangerous. Basic weapons are going to lose their value fast."

Chen Sixuan nodded. "The survivor convoys have realized this too. That's why they all want heavy weapons."

Lin Xian turned to the onlooking survivors and called out, "We still have guns. Anyone else want to trade?"

"Hell yes!!"

Cao Hong was the first to shout, his eyes practically glowing. Seeing Hu Lushou fail to score a deal had been deeply satisfying. He'd thought he was about to lose a golden opportunity, only to realize that theInfinite Convoywas the real big boss here!

"Yes! We want in!"

The sudden shift in the situation energized the survivor groups. They had just realized that theInfinite Convoywasn't just another faction—it was a hidden powerhouse. Their military stockpile was enough to arm an entire battalion.

Once they grasped the reality, the convoy leaders rushed over, eager to resume their trades with theInfinite.

Just then, a middle-aged man named Liao Ming watched Hu Lushou's convoy drive off. He approached Lin Xian and said, "Brother, don't believe a word that guy says. He's as cunning as they come, and his stock isn't from trading."

"Oh?" Lin Xian's brows furrowed. "What do you mean?"

Liao Ming pointed to a box of military rations his men had just unloaded. "This much standard-issue supply? No way he got it from scavenging survivors. When we tried to buy from him before, his men boasted that theFortune-Longevity Convoyhad connections with official organizations—but that's not true."

He then leaned in slightly, lowering his voice as if sharing classified intel.

"You know aboutQingshui Town, right? It's byShijiu Lake. Ages ago, a095 Dragon-Class Transport Shipcrash-landed there. Word is, that golden-toothed brat hit the jackpot—scored a ton of survival supplies off the wreck and used it to start trading. That's how his convoy grew so fast."

"Whoa, aDragon-Class Transport Ship? That thing's a beast—thousands of tons! That's insane luck." KIKI gritted her teeth in frustration. "That's total bulls**t luck."

Lin Xian, however, was thinking about something else entirely. He immediately asked Liao Ming, "Is the transport ship still there?"

"Why?" Liao Ming was caught off guard, then laughed. "That wreck's been picked clean by countless scavengers. Now,Qingshui Townis crawling with zombies. You're planning on looting leftovers?"

"I'm just curious." Lin Xian smirked, but his mind was already made up.

What he was really interested in was thetransport ship itself. A massive machine like that—wrecked or not—was a goldmine. He could scan and break it down system by system. To him,thatwas the real treasure!

Nuclear-powered turbine processors, anti-gravity propulsion systems, engine modules, onboard radar, ship-based anti-air weapons…

Even if it was just raw material, aerospace-grade alloys were leagues better than standard train carriages. Back when he leftUnderground City No. 9, he had to abandon the crashedIron Guard Battalion'sgunships and fighters because of the impendingDark Tide. Even now, that still felt like a huge waste.

—

Outside Hengshan Pass Station

Several armored vehicles sped down overgrown streets, plowing through waves of zombies.

Inside one of them, Hu Lushou sat in the passenger seat, his face twisted in frustration. His second-in-command,Sun Chang, was at the wheel.

"F***! That was a huge loss! First, theSilver Starpops up, thenDragon Mountain No. 1, and now thisInfinite Train?! F***ing train crews—why do they always have so much firepower?!"

The burly Sun Chang drove steadily, not even glancing at him. "Their prices were reasonable. How was it a loss?"

"You don't know s**t!" Hu Lushou grumbled, nostrils flaring. He glanced at Sun Chang but quickly softened his tone.

"Mark my words—if we don't offload these basic rifles soon, they'll be nothing more than firewood!"

Sun Chang's brows furrowed slightly, but she said nothing.

Their convoy roared through the streets, drawing hordes of zombies in pursuit.

—

Back at Hengshan Pass Station

The region had multiple survivor groups. Some had established shelters in the ruins, while others were just passing through, aiming forXingchengin the east orDawn Centerin the north. Convoy camps were scattered across the city, occupying supermarkets, police stations, prisons, and any well-fortified buildings.

TheInfinite Train'sfirst public trade, broadcast over the radio, had been a massive success. The team loaded up carriages 6 and 7 with all sorts of supplies. Survivor convoys, in turn, secured weapons at bargain prices. Spirits were high.

One by one, the convoys finished their trades and drove off. The station gradually quieted down.

As the last group departed, Lin Xian noticed an armored vehicle parked in the shadows.

A short-haired woman in a black coat stood in front of it, watching him quietly. No one else had seemed to notice her.

As soon as Lin Xian met her gaze, she smiled slightly—like an old acquaintance greeting a friend.

Lin Xian frowned. He had no idea who she was.

At that moment, Chen Sixuan and the others were still busy loading supplies. Lin Xian, feeling suspicious, decided to approach.

The woman's lips curled slightly as he walked up.

She appeared to be in her thirties—short hair, neat and clean. She wasn't strikingly beautiful, but her features were refined. Most notably, her deep brown eyes carried an unfathomable depth.

"Hello, we meet again." Her voice was steady as she greeted him.

Lin Xian was taken aback. "Have we met?"

"Hua Xiaoling."

She extended a hand. "Thanks to yourTraction Plan, theClimbing Elevatorwas a success."

Lin Xian finally realized what was going on and shook her hand. "So, you came fromYubei City?"

Hua Xiaoling smiled lightly and looked at him. "In that chaotic situation, you were busy saving the world. It's understandable that you didn't notice me. But that was truly a genius plan."

"You flatter me."

Lin Xian shifted his gaze to the armored vehicle behind her. It was a standard military-grade combat vehicle. From its appearance, it was clearly not something ordinary survivors would own. Its tinted windows obscured the number of people inside, and everything about it suggested that Hua Xiaoling wasn't here to trade weapons like the others.

"You heard the radio broadcast and came specifically to find me?" Lin Xian asked.

Hua Xiaoling took out a business card and handed it to him. "We're very interested in yourMechanical Ability. TheFoundationhas sent me to extend an invitation for collaboration. Are you interested?"

Lin Xian raised an eyebrow and took the card. It read:

SIID Foundation Laboratory – Senior Director, Hua Xiaoling

"SIID Foundation Laboratory?" Lin Xian frowned. "You're with theFederation?"

He recalled something fromDark Radio. After escaping, KIKI had shown him a file on theAngel Project, which had mentioned aSpecial Item Investigation Department (SIID). This department was supposedly dedicated to researching forbidden artifacts.

Hua Xiaoling smiled faintly. "Technically speaking, theSIID Foundation Laboratorywas established by theLofi Consortium. Before theFederationdissolved, we were in a cooperative relationship with the government. But now, we operate as an independent entity."

"Independent?" Lin Xian narrowed his eyes. "What do you mean?"

"It means that whether it'sPhoenixorDawn City, we remain neutral." Seeing Lin Xian's confusion, Hua Xiaoling continued with a slight smile, "Most people think the post-Federationstructure is chaotic, but that's mainly due to the different philosophies regarding civilization's survival. Currently, the most widely recognized authority is thePhoenix-ledRescue Faction.

Phoenixhas three core divisions:

Then, there's the Survival Faction, which is primarily driven byProject Dawn. Many survivors still consider the remnants of theFederationas the true government.

After the firstPolar Night, the originalAngel Projectwas dismantled and split into multiple parts. TheSpecial Item Investigation Departmentyou mentioned? That's one of the teams we fund, tasked with studying anomalies related to the darkness."

"OurFoundation, however, approaches everything from a scientific standpoint. We seek to understand civilization's transformation and the nature of theDark Invasion."

Lin Xian's frown deepened. "You'reArrivalists?"

Hua Xiaoling chuckled. "Don't be so tense, Captain Lin. I just told you, we're neutral. TheArrivalists—those zealots who worship theDark Powerand view theApocalypseas divine judgment—are lunatics."

She tilted her head slightly. "From a scientific perspective, they're just insane."

"No argument there." Lin Xian exhaled, then looked at her seriously. "So, what exactly do you want to collaborate on?"

"Mechanical Innovation."

Hua Xiaoling got straight to the point. "If civilization is to evolve, the most promising field is artificial intelligence and advanced technology. This is the last remaininghuman legacy. Genetic evolution andAbilitiesare still largely unexplored. Don't you agree?"

Lin Xian instantly understood—they were after hisMechanical Ability.

Among all knownAbilities, his was possibly the only one directly linked to human technology.

Too bad my power isn't actually an Ability…

Lin Xian sighed internally.

"You make a valid point, but you might be overestimating myAbility."

It was indeed powerful—hisResearch Centercould generate blueprints far beyond their technological era. But Lin Xian had no intention of revealing too much. Even just hisMechanical ManufacturingandDevouringfunctions were already eye-catching. Back inYubei City, many people had taken note of it. At the time, survival had been his priority, so he hadn't concealed his power. But now, it was bound to attract the attention of groups likePhoenix.

He had expectedPhoenixto approach him first.

Yet, before they could, theSIID Foundationhad already come knocking.

Hua Xiaoling merely smiled at his response and didn't press further. Instead, she remained calm and said, "That's fine. Our full-scale laboratory is located atShijiu Lake. We've made significant progress in researching theDarkness,Genetic Evolution, andAbilities. You're always welcome to visit. I think you'll find our work fascinating."

"Alright," Lin Xian replied.

Hua Xiaoling nodded slightly, then turned and entered the armored vehicle. Within moments, it sped off and vanished beyond the station.

—

Lin Xian stood still, watching the armored vehicle disappear.

"The Foundation, the Lofi Consortium, the Angel Project, the crashed transport ship…"

He pondered for a moment.

"Where did this so-called neutral organization suddenly come from?"