Free Web NovelChapter 578: Chapter 350: Atonement_2
"Playing dumb now is too late."
Su Huan teased.
After a moment, Tan Yunxi still didn’t respond. Su Huan frowned as "Pan-energy Perception" scanned over the girl and came to an ironic conclusion.
Because of "Beastification," Tan Yunxi’s perceptions had significantly heightened.
Su Huan’s scare had triggered a stress response in the girl.
The train conductor felt a bit speechless and reached out to stroke Tan Yunxi’s head, from the back of her neck to the tip of her tail, releasing a slight electric current from his palm to stimulate the girl’s stiff, locked muscles.
Tan Yunxi moved her stiff neck, her big eyes still showing a hint of daze from the scare.
Su Huan pinched her nose, "Feeling better now?"
Tan Yunxi’s eyes reddened with pain, and she silently nodded.
Su Huan lay on the sofa, very close to the ground; she didn’t dare to stand, so she knelt beside it like an obedient puppy.
After a few questions, the girl spilled everything like beans.
There wasn’t any cliché story.
Tan Yunxi’s family was weak in Black Kite, having been severely hit during the last battle at Yanbei Pass. Director 4 gave them a chance, so Tan Yunxi got on the train.
Everything went smoothly; she just chickened out at the critical moment.
It’s as simple as that.
While the girl seemed proud and strong, she still didn’t have the courage to betray the train conductor, resulting in her self-exposing as a mole.
Now she chose to be a turtle hiding in its shell, leaving everything to the train conductor.
Su Huan didn’t comment, casually running his hand through the girl’s fur, asking, "If Tong Zizhan wasn’t there, would you have bent the branch?"
Tan Yunxi first nodded, then shook her head.
Su Huan asked again, "Do you not want to betray, or do you not dare to?"
The girl hesitated but didn’t dare to conceal and stammered, "Don’t dare..."
Su Huan smiled, "Honesty is a great trait, but are you ready to bear the consequences?"
"Besides, I’m not in the best mood right now, so if..."
Though Tan Yunxi could see the smile on the train conductor’s lips, she couldn’t detect any humor in those dark eyes. Her heart trembled, as if making up her mind, she leaned over and kissed by Su Huan’s moving lips, blocking his words.
It was more of a timid touch than a kiss.
Then, she knelt back down, ears drooping, not daring to look at him.
At Su Huan’s speed, he could have easily dodged, but he wanted to see what Tan Yunxi would do. When the touch really registered in his brain, Su Huan was taken aback.
Was he ambushed?
In both his lifetimes combined, this was the first time.
But soon, reason took over, and he pinched Tan Yunxi’s delicate face, aligning their gazes, teasing, "Do you think this will erase your punishment?"
Yet somehow, a soft and tender feeling kept being relayed from his hand.
...Hmm, and fragrant too.
"No."
Tan Yunxi stuck out her tongue, revealing a flattering smile, looking a bit silly.
Seeing no response from Su Huan, the girl’s smile faded; then tears started to fall silently.
"...I’m scared."
Feeling the warmth in his palm, Su Huan was momentarily stunned.
If Lin Xi were here, she might dry her tears the next moment, revealing an "I was just teasing you" face. If it were Yu Jing, she would only care about her own experiments, not how Su Huan would deal with her.
After staying with such twisted people for so long, Su Huan almost forgot what a normal reaction was like.
Perhaps Tan Yunxi’s was the most normal reaction.
Pleading, asking for mercy, breaking down because of heightened fear.
Su Huan licked the corner of his mouth, squinting slightly, "There’s a way that might lessen your crimes."
"Really?"
Tan Yunxi’s tearful eyes suddenly brightened, like sunshine after the rain.
"Really."
’Such foolishness.’
Soon, some suggestive sounds came from Carriage 1.
A hurriedly approaching Shu Wei paused, used her ability to soundproof, and stood thoughtfully waiting.
After another hour, Su Huan emerged from the carriage with a calm face, not only without the oppressive aura, but even the killing intent around him had dissipated. He was holding a tuft of hair between his fingers, so small it looked like a paintbrush.
Shu Wei glanced at the battleground inside the carriage, "Seems like you had a nice rest."
Su Huan took the tablet from her hand, "You still owe me an explanation for last time."
"Conquering a woman quickly boosts a man’s confidence."
"So you’re saying my confidence comes from conquering you?"
Shu Wei puffed out her proud chest, her expression unchanged, "Any man who conquers me won’t feel inferior."
Su Huan, rarely not angry, simply patted her finely-made suit, "I feel like my empire is in turmoil."
Shu Wei was puzzled, "What do you mean?"
"Meeting for a rebellion tonight."
...
"October 12, calm winds."
"Even conquered lands need frequent suppression."
Through an auction, the train exchanged a large amount of surplus zombie materials for various evolutionary resources, with He Jie benefiting the most, obtaining occupation formulas from Tier One to Tier Five, as well as the full set of skill potions for Tier Two "Furious Veteran".
As for He Jie’s path, Su Huan initially only had formulas up to Tier Three, now the entire path was cleared.
That night, He Jie used a Genetic Potion to advance to Tier Two.
He also became the second Tier Two Evolver trained by the train.
The other interesting formula was for the "Power Supplier," called "Blazing Sun Patrol Angel." ƒrēewebnoѵёl.cσm
Though both formulas contained many guesses and uncertain components, they would still save Director Xu a lot of time.
Huang Sea obtained over a dozen kinds of Storm Zone special mutated plants, Qu Hang got that Military Dagger armor, and Wan Xing received several critical potion formulas.
Others also received varying amounts of benefits.
Most crucially, Zhijin’s resource cycle was finally completed. frёewebηovel.cѳm
The entire city could now operate healthily.
Three days later, Yu Yue led her team and ten officer squads to the location of the military factory provided by Deep Blue Data.
The site was next to Limu Ecology; due to prior large-scale transactions, the two did not clash over the military factory. Yu Yue selected some production lines the train didn’t need and gave them to Limu Ecology, earning their friendship.
Limu Ecology later negotiated an alliance with the personnel sent by Li Xinlong.
Half a month later, various production lines and materials for military exoskeletons and power armor were transported back to Zhijin.
Yu Jing, Zhou Qing, and others overturned and began re-manufacturing the nearly completed [Thunder] Power Armor.
Su Huan, during this time, immersed himself in the battle with the zombie tide, not using the "Fusion" ability but only combining fighting skills and energy conversion.
At first, he acted with the Armed Corps, later moving independently.
After hunting Tier Two zombies, he’d drag them next to Iron Wall, then continue the carnage. The time spent increased from ten hours initially to twenty-four, then forty hours, sometimes not returning for three continuous days.
Initially, everyone was worried, but seeing the streaks of lightning piercing through the air for miles every evening put them at ease.
The time point of He Jie’s military order was approaching.
He Jie had to organize large-scale hunts every three days, occasionally encountering the elusive train conductor.
Though he had advanced to Tier Two, it was obvious Su Huan was much stronger.
Especially speed-wise, far exceeding the limits of a Tier Two "Fighting Expert."
Su Huan was engulfed in combat and slaughter, returning to the train occasionally to sleep, but continuously killing zombies, choosing the most inefficient method, focusing energy into a Thunder Blade and hacking away.
Whether Tier Two zombies or regular ones, the train conductor treated them equally.
He Jie started training the troops and fighting even harder.
But as they pushed further north, the zombie counterattacks grew more frantic, and the soldier casualties increased.
Of the original eight thousand soldiers, about one and a half thousand had died or withdrawn, leaving only fifty-five hundred remaining.
Everyone felt Su Huan’s unease, and the train renovation plans were accelerated.
