23: Chapter 23 New Site, Abandoned City Center Hospital

Su Chen turned his head and looked at Zhang Man, who was standing to the side like a tower of iron.

"Zhang Man."

"Here!" Zhang Man immediately straightened her back.

"Strip her of her windbreaker, shoes, and all supplies that can be used for warmth or self-defense."

Su Chen's voice was cold to the extreme.

"Leave her with only a set of underwear."

As soon as these words were spoken, Zhao Yuxin was struck as if by lightning.

In this wasteland wilderness shrouded in blood-red mist, where temperatures lingered around zero all year round.

Stripping away all cold-weather clothing was a hundred times crueler than killing her with a single knife strike!

"No! Don't! Su Chen, you are a devil! You can't do this to me!"

Zhao Yuxin screamed hysterically, twisting and struggling on the ground like a madwoman.

"Just kill me! Just kill me right now!"

But Zhang Man would not have any sympathy for her.

As the sharpest and most obedient blade in Su Chen's hand, Zhang Man executed orders with swiftness and without a shred of emotion.

"Behave yourself!"

Zhang Man stepped up and slapped her twice, making Zhao Yuxin see stars.

Then, as if skinning a dead pig, she finished the job in a few quick movements.

She forcefully stripped off Zhao Yuxin's thick, worn-out windbreaker, thermal underwear, and even the scuffed sneakers on her feet.

Under the gaze of dozens of eyes around them.

Zhao Yuxin, who had once been a wealthy young lady, was now wearing only a thin, dirty set of lace underwear, shivering uncontrollably as her body turned purple from the cold.

She clutched her arms tightly across her chest, trying to cover her last shred of dignity, her eyes filled with endless humiliation and despair.

"Report, Train Master, she has been stripped clean."

Zhang Man kicked the sour-smelling clothes aside and reported loudly.

"Very good."

Su Chen didn't even glance at Zhao Yuxin on the ground and headed straight for the driver's cabin.

A few minutes later.

The speeding train no. 0099 slowly decelerated with a piercing screech of brakes.

Eventually, the train came to a stop beside an abandoned wilderness station overgrown with black, twisted thorns.

"Open the door."

Su Chen pressed the door control key in the driver's cabin.

"Hiss—"

The heavy armored door of the third carriage slowly slid open to both sides.

A biting cold wind, mixed with a thick smell of blood, instantly flooded into the carriage, causing the girls near the door to shiver involuntarily.

"Get down, Deputy Squad Leader Zhao."

Zhang Man grabbed Zhao Yuxin by the back of her collar with one hand, as if holding a bag of trash, and strode to the train door.

Looking at the rolling, ink-like blood-red mist outside, and hearing the faint roars of monsters.

Zhao Yuxin completely broke down.

"No! Sister Man! Please! Let me stay on the train! I'd rather die than go out there!"

She clutched the edge of the door with both hands so hard that her fingernails began to bleed from the excessive force.

"Don't dirty the train door."

Zhang Man snorted coldly and raised her long leg, clad in a heavy military combat boot.

Without the slightest hesitation, she kicked Zhao Yuxin hard in the stomach!

"Ah!"

Accompanied by a shrill scream.

Zhao Yuxin's thin body flew out of the carriage like a kite with a broken string.

She landed heavily in the muddy wilderness, full of sharp gravel and thorns.

Sharp stones instantly cut through her fair skin, and blood flowed freely.

"Hiss—"

Almost the moment she landed, the armored door closed ruthlessly.

"Woo—!"

train no. 0099 let out a deafening whistle, spewed violent steam from its chimney, and started moving again.

The massive steel wheels ruthlessly ground over the tracks, carrying the warm, safe, and luxurious mobile fortress as it gradually drove into the depths of the mist.

"Su Chen! I won't let you go even as a ghost! Aaaaaah!"

Zhao Yuxin roared desperately in the cold mud.

However, her curses could not reach inside the train.

Instead, they attracted the truly terrifying predators in the surrounding mist.

"Roar..."

"Woo—"

As the roar of the train gradually faded away.

A dozen low-level Ghouls, their eyes glowing with greedy, eerie green light, slowly surrounded her from all directions.

Saliva dripped from their fanged mouths, and they stared fixedly at the fresh, warm, and defenseless prey on the ground.

"No... don't come over... help... help me!"

Across the wilderness echoed Zhao Yuxin's final, heart-wrenching scream, which then abruptly stopped.

Afterwards, there was only the hair-raising sound of tearing and chewing.

...

Inside the train.

As this cold and cruel trial came to an end.

The atmosphere of the entire train no. 0099 underwent an extremely subtle, yet incredibly solid transformation.

If, previously, these girls' obedience to Su Chen was largely due to fear of his power and a desire for food.

Then now, after witnessing the fate of the traitor with their own eyes.

All reluctance, jealousy, and even those unrealistic, saintly hearts were completely nipped in the bud.

The cohesion of the entire team reached an unprecedented peak at this moment.

Su Chen was the only king on this train, a god who could not be defied!

After purging the traitor, the train returned to calm and efficient operation.

The girls' enthusiasm for work burst to the extreme.

Chu Qingxue managed the internal affairs in an orderly fashion, the contribution point system was strictly enforced, and no one dared to have any complaints.

Su Xiaoxiao was like a tireless spinning top every day, counting the logistics supplies clearly, and even recording the whereabouts of every single screw.

And in these few days, the busiest person was none other than Liu Ruyan, who had just been appointed as the "Chief Researcher."

The Life Science Research Carriage was brightly lit.

Liu Ruyan's fiery figure was covered in a loose, pure white sterile lab coat.

She pinned her wavy hair behind her head, wore goggles and a mask, and stood intently in front of the micro-biochemical operating table.

Using her [Life Recovery] talent, she carefully extracted the vital blood from the heart of a violent Armored Dog.

Then, she fused this blood, which contained violent energy, with the mutated mint extract produced in the ecological carriage, performing an extremely complex fusion in a petri dish.

This silver-grade medium carriage not only significantly reduced her mental energy consumption.

Those advanced automatic analysis terminals also saved her from countless tedious trial-and-error processes.

Two days passed quietly in this tense and fulfilling atmosphere.

Just on the morning of the third day.

Su Chen had just woken up from the soft leather bed and was preparing to take a hot shower.

A grand, emotionless, mechanical voice from the Heavenly Dao suddenly exploded in everyone's minds!

[Ding! Region-wide announcement!]

[Ten kilometers ahead, we are about to arrive at the fourth mandatory stop—the Abandoned Downtown Hospital!]

[Duration of stay: 4 hours!]

[Area Intel: This area was once the top medical center before the apocalypse broke out. The underground warehouse contains a large amount of uncontaminated high-grade medical equipment, special antibiotics, and gene potion stock solutions!]

[Warning: This area is infested with extremely dangerous high-grade mutants and unknown biochemical viruses. The mortality rate is extremely high! All Train Masters, please explore with caution!]

Hearing this prompt, Su Chen opened his eyes abruptly.

He pushed away Lin Momo, who was clinging to him like an octopus in his arms, sharp brilliance flashing in his deep eyes.

"Antibiotics... gene potion stock solutions..."

A cold smile of determination curled at the corners of Su Chen's mouth.

In this wasteland world lacking medicine, once you are seriously injured in battle, or infected with some unknown tetanus or biochemical virus.

Even if your combat power is strong, without special antibiotics, you can only watch yourself slowly wait for death.

These supplies are absolutely strategic hard currency!

Since he had encountered them, he must take them all; even if it were a spider cave, he would still venture in!

"Brother Train Master, are we going to fight monsters?"

Lin Momo rubbed her sleepy eyes. Although she was a little scared, she obediently climbed out of bed and began to help Su Chen get his tactical suit.

"Yes, going to stock up on some goods."

Su Chen quickly got dressed, put on his signature black tactical windbreaker, and stuck the [explosive combustion iron staff] on his back.

He strode out of the master bedroom and issued an assembly order through the broadcast system.

"Chu Qingxue, Zhang Man, Lin Momo, and bring along three girls from the combat group with the best shooting scores."

Su Chen's steady and powerful voice echoed throughout the carriages.

"Within five minutes, fully armed, assemble at the train door, prepare to assault!"

"Received!"

Just as Su Chen was preparing to head to the driver's cabin, Liu Ruyan's panting voice, full of mature charm yet tinged with a hint of excitement, suddenly came through the communicator.

"Train Master... don't rush off yet, come to the research carriage quickly, I've prepared a big surprise for you!"

Hearing this alluring voice, Su Chen raised an eyebrow.

He turned around and pushed open the white airtight door leading to the [Life Science Research Carriage].

As soon as he entered, a rich, fresh herbal fragrance wafted towards him.

Liu Ruyan was standing in front of that high-tech composition analysis terminal.

Today, she wasn't wearing that loose lab coat but a tight black hip-hugging skirt, with a white coat draped casually over it.

This outfit, which perfectly combined the abstinence-style doctor's uniform with an extremely sexy figure, could simply kill a man.

Seeing Su Chen enter, Liu Ruyan's seductive peach-blossom eyes lit up instantly.

Like a little girl who got a perfect score on an exam and was eager to claim credit from her parents, she stepped in her high heels and ran over with a "da da da" sound.

Then, without any hesitation, she threw herself directly into Su Chen's arms.

"Train Master!"

Liu Ruyan's full, soft body pressed tightly against Su Chen, her hands wrapped around his waist, and she looked up with a delicate, beautiful face, her cheeks flushed with excitement.

"I succeeded! I really succeeded!"

"Oh? What good thing have you developed?"

Su Chen took the opportunity to wrap his arms around her slender waist, which could be held in one hand, and squeezed the perky curves with his large hand, neither too lightly nor too heavily.

Liu Ruyan's body trembled slightly, but she still carefully took out three vials of deep blue liquid in crystal glass tubes from the sterile counter nearby, as if presenting a treasure.

Under the light, the liquid emitted an extremely pure, charming luster full of the rhythm of life.

A flash of brilliance appeared in Su Chen's eyes, and the investigation effect of his SSS-rank talent immediately provided feedback.

[Item: junior physical strengthening potion (Top Quality)]

[Creator: Liu Ruyan (S-rank Life Recovery bonus)]

[Description: A gene potion perfectly fused with high-grade monster vital blood and mutated plant extracts. After consumption by an ordinary person, it can permanently increase constitution and strength by 5 points (first time only). After consumption by an esper, it can slightly strengthen their talent intensity!]

"Top quality potion?"

Su Chen looked at these three vials of deep blue liquid, and a trace of surprise could not help but flash in his eyes.

Being able to permanently increase an ordinary person's constitution and strength by 5 points is almost equivalent to turning a girl who has no strength to truss a chicken into a strong man who can kill a cow with one punch!

Not to mention that it can also slightly strengthen an esper's talent intensity.

This is absolutely revolutionary for the improvement of the entire train's combat power!

"Well done, Ruyan."

Su Chen did not skimp on his praise; he lowered his head and planted a heavy kiss on Liu Ruyan's alluring red lips.

Liu Ruyan was kissed until she panted, her eyes filled with thick tenderness and pride.

Being able to solve problems for this god-like man and demonstrate her irreplaceable value was her only wish now.

"Go, call Zhang Man over."

Su Chen released Liu Ruyan, his eyes flashing with eagerness.

"With such good stuff, I have to find someone to test its efficacy."

In less than a minute.

Zhang Man, wearing a black tight tactical vest and exuding a wild sense of power, walked quickly into the research carriage.

"Train Master, did you call for me?"

Zhang Man stood straight, her eyes fanatical and respectful.

"Drink this."

Su Chen didn't waste any words and directly handed a [junior physical strengthening potion] to Zhang Man.

Zhang Man didn't even ask what it was or if it was poisonous.

She took the glass tube, pulled out the stopper without hesitation, tilted her head back, and with a "gulp," drank the deep blue liquid in one go.

This unhesitating trust and execution made Su Chen very satisfied.

As soon as the potion went down.

Zhang Man's face turned red instantly, and even the veins on her neck bulged out.

"Uh... Ah!"

Zhang Man let out a low roar, suppressing extreme pain.

She felt as if she had swallowed a ball of burning magma in her stomach, and this terrifying heat flow surged wildly through her blood to her limbs and bones!

Accompanied by the teeth-gritting sound of bone friction and muscle tearing and restructuring.

Zhang Man's clothes were instantly soaked with sweat, clinging tightly to her body.

"Hold on, this is your genes restructuring."

Liu Ruyan watched nervously from the side, her hands clenched, ready to release her healing talent at any time.

The pain did not last long.

About three minutes passed.

Zhang Man panted heavily and slowly straightened her body.

At this moment, although her height had not changed significantly.

Her already very solid muscle lines became tighter, smoother, and full of explosive power.

Even the surface of her skin faintly shimmered with a metallic luster!

"Train Master... I... I feel like I can punch an elephant to death right now!"

Zhang Man looked at her hands in disbelief and clenched her fists tightly.