Chapter 173: Begin Modification

……

After communicating with Ding Jun, Lin Xian gradually developed a vague understanding of the night.

Under the influence of this force, all surviving humans, like Chen Sixuan, underwent daily unknown evolution—this was made possible by Chen Laoshi's increasingly strong inner will and belief, allowing a weak woman to endure until now.

Lin Xian also briefly communicated with Chen Sixuan and the train; so far, the train's evolution resembled Kiki's, falling under the stage-based evolution of an ability user.

It had likely reached the "Evolution Level" from the earlier Angel Project, achieving the initial level where one could truly develop their own ability—even so, the train's overall strength and recovery rate were already extremely high by ordinary standards.

Chen Sixuan, meanwhile, underwent subtle, gradual changes, most notably in her perception: countless nights spent on watch had made her acutely sensitive to minute sounds and observations in the dark—a development Lin Xian had never anticipated.

With Ding Jun's research and analysis, combined with the transformations of the train and Chen Sixuan, and the addition of Shu Qin, a formidable woman, Lin Xian felt his confidence strengthened considerably.

After stepping off the train, he immediately began rapidly working on its modification.

Although it was daytime, due to the need to dismantle carriages and their location in the wilderness, Lin Xian specifically assigned Lu Xingchen and several team members to guard the perimeter; even Sha Sha, that little girl, actively patrolled everywhere.

Hss!

With the help of Chen Sixuan and Kiki, the Infinite Train began separating each carriage.

This train upgrade differed from all previous ones—it was a complete, from-inside-out overhaul. Fortunately, with Shu Qin's team now joining, manpower had increased significantly; men and women alike were energized and, under Lin Xian and Chen Sixuan's coordination, began organized, orderly work.

Lin Xian directly ordered all contents from his No. 1 carriage removed and completely emptied, then moved this carriage to the rear to be converted into a defense carriage; the several high-comfort, fully-equipped passenger carriages were repurposed as No. 6 dining car and Nos. 8, 9, 10 living carriages, while one premium first-class carriage was reconfigured as his new No. 1 carriage for modification.

His first step was carriage body modification: Nos. 2, 5, 11, and 12 carriages would have openings cut into their bodies to facilitate later installation of lift platforms, weapon mounts, automatic blast doors, and lift panels, among other features.

Then came mass production of roof armor, side armor, and flap shields to reinforce the entire train, turning it into a complete steel fortress!

He currently had no shortage of these materials; he had even built a simple gantry crane on the platform, and once he manufactured the armor plates, the train would use the crane, with personnel led by the train, to assemble, weld, and bolt them on—greatly saving his time.

On the other side, Shu Qin led her team in unloading supplies from over thirty surviving vehicles; Lin Xian glanced and saw there was plenty—various firearms, ammunition, food, equipment—all present, and the remaining heavy truck was fully loaded with living supplies.

After clearing these supplies, Lin Xian planned to mechanically devour those vehicles to upgrade his Mechanical Heart and acquire more materials.

The 1130 CIWS required many high-grade materials and vast quantities of ammunition; the PX-5 engineering robot was the same—both were advanced devices he had never built before, nothing like a door panel you could just slap together.

Clang clang clang…

At this moment, Lin Xian resembled a creator: heavy armor panels materialized out of thin air, still warm, then lifted away by cranes.

Next came the automatic blast doors for Nos. 5 and 11 carriages; Lin Xian used the blueprint from the garrison zone of the airport.

With these doors, the train gained strong protection while allowing convenient boarding and disembarking—far more efficient than the original setup, which relied solely on the rear protective plate and cockpit door. Then came the lift platforms for Nos. 2 and 5 carriages, primarily intended for rooftop machine gun emplacements; however, since the train used a mobile Gatling gun and Chen Sixuan used a sniper rifle, there was no need for a separate machine gun tower.

Lin Xian's idea was to create a flexible personnel entrance: when the lift plate rose, a retractable bulletproof cabin cover would seal it, ensuring airtightness; if external firing was needed, one could simply open it from inside.

In No. 2 carriage, Lin Xian reserved a large area for future installation of the G3 electromagnetic railgun; this device, like the 1130, was sizable and required a hidden, lift-up design—its complexity was considerable.

In addition, Lin Xian accepted Kiki's suggestion and added concealed firing ports along the sides of other carriages, fully sealable from within.

These were all external modifications; on the other side, Chen Sixuan and Kiki led teams to completely empty the train's interior, preparing to inventory all supplies and then layout the carriages according to the finalized plan.

Within, the living area required construction of bed frames, dining tables, chairs, storage cabinets, refrigerators, as well as onboard restrooms and water recycling and heating systems—all requiring mechanical fabrication by Lin Xian.

To others, Lin Xian resembled a creator.

Complex components within the carriages, previously requiring industrial support, became effortless in his hands.

For example, Shu Qin's team had previously lived, slept, and cooked entirely on their vehicles, using makeshift setups—either pieced together from discarded materials or secured with ropes.

But Lin Xian needed none of that; in No. 2 carriage, the space-capsule-style bunk beds Kiki wanted were, to him, the simplest mechanical structure—given materials and a blueprint, he could finish it in minutes.

Most crucially, they could be directly fixed to the train, as if factory-made, utterly devoid of any shabby feel.

!

The new team members stared in stunned silence.

Meanwhile, after the Nos. 8, 9, and 10 living carriages were modified, these people became ecstatic.

Not only did the carriages' thick armor provide immense security, but their interiors were clean and tidy, each compartment equipped with comfortable beds—utterly paradise for survivors who had long endured cramped conditions in vehicles.

"Whoa, living here feels so safe."

"Oh my god, we actually have our own rooms now…"

"I can't believe it—Captain Lin is amazing."

"I'm totally in love with this train."

On the living carriages, the new survivors enthusiastically set up their new home, everyone—men and women alike—working together in perfect harmony.

(End of Chapter)