Chapter 270

Hssss~

With the Mechanical Heart operating, Lin Xian opened the cabin door of the electric locomotive; a pungent stench of decay surged out, making him frown. His mechanical arm automatically deployed a spotlight on his shoulder. He stepped onto the pedal and climbed into the carriage, only to find the narrow interior in utter chaos.

The corpses of a man and a woman, already decayed, were now frozen solid by frost, appearing deeply unnatural.

Lin Xian's gaze swept the area and saw the cramped Chexiang filled with empty supply packaging, along with sleeping bags, blankets, broken lighting equipment, pots, pans, and other debris.

Judging by their clothing, the two corpses were likely a worker couple from the nearby factory who had hidden here—but died before the Extreme Cold Vortex arrived, their bodies left to rot in silence.

The floor was littered with empty medicine boxes; perhaps from illness and starvation, the two bodies had withered into skeletal husks.

During his escape, Lin Xian had seen many such desperate survivors dead in similar ways. He sighed inwardly, then immediately activated his Mechanical Heart to repair several faults in the electrical system and attempt to reactivate the power cells.

Beep. Beep. Beep.

In the cab, indicator lights across various subsystems flickered on. The engine's roar began to rumble slowly. Frozen wheels and brakes shuddered and groaned. The two massive power locomotives stirred to life.

Whooshing~

Snow slid continuously off the locomotives as Lin Xian drove them backward, soon stopping behind the Twin-Star Nuclear Carriage of the Infinite.

Many engineers from Dragon Mountain No. 1 had been watching Lin Xian's actions; seeing him return with a large electric traction unit, they were genuinely astonished.

Lin Xian did not immediately connect the carriages. He planned to wait until dawn to have his team clear out the two power cars before making the connection. For now, he intended to fabricate new composite armor plates.

On the other side, numerous Dragon Mountain No. 1 engineers stared at Lin Xian standing atop the train, unsure of his intent—until the next moment, everyone froze. Those welding steel plates, hoisting materials, or dismantling equipment all halted their work.

Clack-clack-clack! Flashing mechanical aura surged from Lin Xian's hands as materials flew out in abundance, assembling and forging themselves.

Soon, a hoisting frame and an overhead canopy materialized out of thin air, covering the Infinite and shielding it from the howling blizzard.

And on the track hoist, two track-mounted cranes rose straight up from the ground…

Clang-clang-clang~

On the Dragon Mountain No. 1 side, a man laboring to carry a steel frame stood dumbfounded, the frame slipping from his hands and clattering to the ground.

"This… did he just build an assembly workshop out of nowhere?"

"Holy shit, what kind of ability is this…?"

"Awesome!"

"…"

Lin Xian ignored the stares. He planned to first fabricate the necessary framework, then complete the armor plates. The rest could wait until dawn, when other team members could help dismantle and repair the carriage bodies—saving him considerable time.

At that moment, several headlights glowed in the distance. A cluster of tracked polar vehicles roared through the snowstorm, racing toward the freight platform.

Vrrrm~

Soon, the tracked vehicles halted on the large square. Lin Xian scanned them and saw Shi Di, Qian Dele, and a group of people in thermal gear stepping out—all former leaders of several defense-line convoys. Behind them, two more vehicles disgorged a group of strangers. At their head stood a woman with long wavy red hair and an impossibly tall, upright figure, clad in high-gaited boots that made her tower even above most men.

"Lin Brother!"

Shi Di spotted Lin Xian busily working atop the train and led the group over with brisk strides.

"Hey, Lin Brother, how in the world did you build a whole factory in just a little while?!"

"That's exaggerated." Lin Xian walked over, holding an armor plate: "Big Brother Shi, who's this?"

"Let me introduce you to a friend, haha."

Lin Xian couldn't help but smile wryly at the sight. Shi Di was always this warm-hearted—barely arrived in a new place and already made new friends.

The woman stood among the men with commanding presence. She stepped forward, lifted her head, and beneath her windproof goggles, her deep eyes swept up toward Lin Xian on the roof, sizing him up.

"Lin Brother, I heard they said the city is safe now, no need to stay so tense. They've got plenty of intel to share. When they learned you're a mechanical ability user, they also wanted to ask for your help." Shi Di said casually.

Lin Xian set down the steel plate and looked at the woman. "What kind of help?"

"Hello, Captain Lin. I'm Monica. Interested in getting to know each other?" Her voice was bold, undeniably feminine.

This time, Lin Xian had guessed wrong. This woman named Monica was actually Qian Dele's old friend—and another convoy leader.

Lin Xian nodded, leaping down from the roof. "Lin Xian. Infinite Convoy."

Monica shook his hand. Seeing the steel plate he'd dropped, her gaze turned subtle. "Mechanical ability… you didn't build this entire train yourself, did you?"

Lin Xian glanced at Shi Di and Qian Dele with a strange expression, thinking: What the hell did you two tell her? Does she think I'm supposed to build her a train?

"No. If I had that ability, I'd build a spaceship. Why would I still be crawling on the ground?"

Giggling~

Monica laughed at his reply, waving apologetically. "Sorry, I was too forward."

"Monica, don't underestimate this handsome guy," Qian Dele said slowly. "He's young, but without him, all of us—including the Phoenix Society—might not have survived the blizzard." He pulled his coat tighter and turned to Shi Di. "Shi, let's move somewhere else. Didn't you say you knew a good place to drink?"

"Of course! Follow me!" Shi Di laughed.

Dragon Mountain No. 1 had a specially modified dining car. Besides daily supplies, it stored numerous alcoholic beverages in special containment cabinets—a hybrid of restaurant and bar. Dragon Mountain No. 1 had several entertainment cars; this was one of them, often used by other passengers for relaxation.

Inside, it was warm. Outside, the continuous hiss of welding echoed. Inside, Shi Di, Xiang Ningjing, Qian Dele, Lin Xian, Monica, and a dozen other convoy leaders sat around a sofa. Shi Di poured each person a large cup of liquor. Clear liquid gushed out with a loud splash, filling the air with a strong aroma. Only then did Lin Xian realize Shi Di had poured baijiu.

"This is our Dragon Mountain specialty—Dragon Mountain Burn Knife. Perfect for freezing weather. Come on, everyone try some!"

"Whoa, baijiu? Smells strong!" Captain Zhou, a rugged man, sniffed it and immediately lifted his cup for a sip.

"Mmm, not bad, not bad~"

The woman named Monica picked up her cup, sniffed it, smiled faintly with glinting eyes, then downed it in one gulp.

This stunned the others. No one expected a woman to be so bold.

Beside her, Qian Dele was unfazed. He glanced at her, nudged his own cup a few inches away, and said smugly:

"You drunkard, don't start acting crazy later—I won't be able to hold you down."

"Nonsense. Who's acting crazy?" Monica giggled. The liquor hit her, flushing her cheeks red, but her eyes grew clearer. She shrugged off her coat, revealing a tight red wool sweater—and a generous bust. "Shi Brother's right," she said. "Baijiu's perfect in the cold. My train's got every kind of liquor—except baijiu. I've missed this taste for a long time."

As she spoke, she poured herself another cup, clearly in high spirits.

"Hahaha! This girl's got guts! I'll gift you a whole crate later!" Shi Di laughed, then raised his cup. "Come on, everyone—first drink, then business!"

"Captain Lin." Xiang Ningjing noticed Lin Xian's silence, raised her cup with a smile.

"Lin Team Leader." Ningjing noticed Lin Xian's silence, raised her cup, and smiled at him in greeting.

Lin Xian lifted his cup and took a sip. Instantly, sweet warmth surged through his throat, followed by a sharp burn that shot straight to his skull. Within a few breaths, the lingering chill on his skin began to vanish. After a few more sips, he felt warmth spreading to his ears and limbs—his whole body glowing with comfort.

In this apocalyptic winter, sipping liquor like this—just hours after battling snow wraiths—was something none of them had dared imagine.

After one shot of liquor, everyone around the circle felt their fatigue and cold ease significantly.

"Qian Brother… why don't we let this Miss Mo tell us about the city first?" Shi Di said, then added to Xiang Ningjing and Lin Xian: "Miss Mo is Qian's old acquaintance. Her convoy arrived days before us and knows the current situation in West Lan City well. Plus, she specifically wanted to ask Lin Brother for help, so we came together—just to give everyone some peace of mind." Xiang Ningjing nodded. Dragon Mountain No. 1 had been on edge, utterly tense. Hearing Shi Di's words, she finally exhaled slightly.

"Just ask me directly~ No need for Qian to introduce me. I saw your convoys storm into West Lan City at night—you must've fought a major battle."

Monica poured herself another cup, crossed her legs, and said: "Don't worry. Many newcomers are just like you, especially since the cold snap hit. Fewer convoys have come lately—most are survivors barely escaping snow wraith hordes."

"But you can relax. West Lan City is far safer than anywhere you've been before. Now that you're here, your lives are at least secured."

"Is it because of the city's defense system?" Xiang Ningjing frowned.

Monica nodded. "Partly. The terrain is easy to defend. There are highly developed fortifications and land-based heavy weapons. Originally, the Federation planned to develop this place into a permanent city like Dawn City. But after the government collapsed, they couldn't afford the budget or manpower, so they abandoned it and focused on underground cities and Dawn City."

"So… have any weird entities appeared in the city since the Nightfall?" Lin Xian asked.

"Hasn't any strange entity appeared in the city since nightfall?" Lin Xian asked at last.

Monica looked at him, intrigued. "Even if they do appear, they're not scary. Tens of thousands live here. A few weird entities? They're not enough for the big convoys to fight over blood essence. Other survivors don't need to worry about this."

The group's expressions shifted. They'd never heard of people competing over weird entities—until now, everyone fled from them.

But after a moment's thought, they understood. If only a few Class-C or Class-B weird entities appeared, they'd pose no real threat to tens of thousands of well-armed, battle-hardened survivors.

But everyone could understand once they thought about it—if only a few C-rank or B-rank strange entities were active, they posed no real threat to this massive group of tens of thousands of survivors, all well-armed and on the move.

"So for the next few days, you can rest safely inside the city," Monica said. "Recover your strength, recruit more people. The Phoenix Society and the Arctic Wind Alliance have abundant supplies. Even without exchanging blood essence, the Phoenix Society offers free basic supplies and defensive weapons—or you can simply join another convoy or the Phoenix Society. It's a good option."

"Recruit more people?" Shi Di found the term novel. "So… are they competing for manpower here?"

"Not exactly competing," Qian Dele said calmly. "When numbers grow, small convoys seek to join big ones. Ability users look for protection. The Phoenix Society supports but can't fully absorb such a massive population. Joining them requires high standards, constant dangerous missions, and high mortality. It's more comfortable to stick with a big convoy."

"It's not robbery," Qian Dele said calmly. "When there are so many people, small convoys naturally seek to join larger ones. Power users look for protection. Phoenix Association can only offer support—they can't possibly take in and care for such a huge crowd. Besides, joining Phoenix Association requires high standards, and missions are always dangerous with high fatality rates. It's simply more comfortable to stick with a large convoy."

Monica smiled slightly. "Joining the Phoenix Society isn't easy. Most convoys choose cooperation. Survivors head toward the dawn, but the Phoenix Society marches toward death. Most people have to ask themselves: Do I have that kind of courage?"

Mo Nika smiled faintly. "Joining Phoenix Association isn't a good deal. Most convoys choose cooperation instead. After all, survivors head toward places of life, while Phoenix Association heads straight toward places of death. Ordinary people have to think hard about whether they have that kind of courage."

Initially, many thought joining the Phoenix Society meant finding a powerful protector. But that's precisely where the Phoenix Society differed from the Federation's Dawn City.

Lin Xian had already understood this. Dawn City collected protection fees, but the survivors under its protection bore no responsibility for defending the city—unless it fell.

But the Phoenix Society had no city. No base. They received global support, guided survivors toward dawn, aiming to lead them in resisting darkness—not sheltering them. Joining them meant participating in humanity's salvation. Few possessed such awareness.

This was also why the Interstellar Army remained revered. After the Apocalypse, they became the only armed force capable of protecting survivors. When the world burned, they alone chose to stand before the people.

"Big convoys recruit powerful ability users, gene-evolved individuals, and those with special skills. All convoys do the same—building strength to increase their own survival odds."

Monica sipped her liquor, continuing: "Blood essence is now hard currency. You can trade it with big alliances, organizations, or the Phoenix Society for plenty of supplies and weapons. West Lan City is starting to resemble a survivor settlement—there's even a hint of commerce. You might even find… springtime goods on Tian Nan Street."

Qian Dele rolled his eyes and spat at her. "So what? It's all about survival. At this point, customs and laws mean nothing."

"That's not what I meant," Monica said, pressing her wine cup against her flushed cheek, her gaze sweeping meaningfully over the men. "Those women? They're ruthless. Special ability users offering… services. Ever tried that?"

"That's not what I meant, though~"

At her words, several convoy leaders spat out their drinks. Even Lin Xian and Shi Di stared in shock.

Special ability users…

Before Monica mentioned it, Lin Xian had never considered this possibility.

The men exchanged glances. Only Xiang Ningjing crossed her arms, watching Monica with cool detachment. "Say something serious. Like what resources the city has—or the Phoenix Society's plans."

Monica smiled faintly, took a sip, and spoke seriously:

"Tomorrow morning, you can stroll along the streets near Zhongyangdajie where survivors gather. You'll find almost anything you need—if you have supplies or hard currency like blood essence."

"As for the Phoenix Society, I only know the head here is Zhao Yu. The Seventh Reconnaissance Battalion answers to him. Their current plan is to evacuate West Lan City before dawn on the 31st—that's two days and two nights of rest. Also, the Nightwalkers Organization is conducting ability assessments at the Michel Church on Zhongyangdajie. Any ability user above Evolution Level or gene-evolved above Level 3 will receive supplies as a reward for testing. Those with Diamond Level get more."

"Once it's daylight, you can walk around the few streets near Zhongyangdajie where survivors gather—you'll find pretty much anything you need. As long as you have something valuable to trade, or hard currency like Blood Essence, you can get anything."

As for the Phoenix Society, I only know that the person in charge here is Zhao Yu, and the Seventh Investigation Corps is under his command; the current plan is to evacuate Xilan City before dawn on the 31st, meaning everyone has two full days and nights to rest and regroup. Additionally, the Nightwalkers Organization is conducting ability assessments at the Michel Church on Zhongyang Avenue, and those with abilities above Evolution Level or gene evolution above Level 3 will receive some supplies as a reward for participating—more for those at the Diamond Level.

But I must also warn you.

Monica looked at the group: "Xilan City has no shortage of powerful figures. Both the big caravans and Phoenix City are watching closely. If one of our own tests strong abilities, they'll inevitably attract the attention of these caravans—each offering wildly different terms, meaning plenty of temptations. Every day, people from our caravan disappear after testing, defecting to others. It's completely normal."

"Hah~ I thought it was something serious." But Shi Diyuan, upon hearing this, shrugged indifferently: "If they want to leave, and find a better place to live, that's only natural. If my people find a good shelter where they can rest under a big tree, I'd be overjoyed—it'd relieve me of so much pressure. Hahaha."

Shi Diyuan seemed utterly unconcerned. Lin Xian could see this too: the vast majority of people on Longshan No. 1 were ordinary civilians—mostly survivors picked up along the way, aside from the original residents of Longshan.

These people had been sheltered by Longshan No. 1 during their flight. Shi Diyuan and Xiang Ningjing had mobilized them, training and arming themselves. Individually, these thousand-plus people on Longshan No. 1 couldn't match the elite caravans, yet the fact that this massive orbital fortress had survived this long meant it had its own unique strengths.

"Since it's safe here, perfect," Shi Diyuan said to Ningjing. "Let those brats go out during the day to scavenge for supplies. Bai Bai and the other psychics and enhanced should also be arranged for testing—they can get some supplies back too."

Ningjing nodded: "Mm, I already promised them on the train. We're partners with Phoenix Association now. Letting them get tested helps boost our own people's strength and morale. Supplies aren't the main point."

Lin Xian silently thought: it seemed the Nightwalkers hadn't just approached Wuxian Hao—they'd also reached out to Longshan No. 1. That meant Shi Diyuan must have received a Crimson Phoenix Token too. He just didn't know if he'd gotten the Cold Dark Reagent.

Hearing this, Monica looked curiously at Shi Diyuan: "I thought such a massive end-time fortress as yours was meant to recruit more elite soldiers. But it sounds like you're not interested?"

"That's right. We don't actively recruit."

Ningjing said bluntly: "We help when we can. If someone wants to leave, we don't stop them. Everyone on this train is like family—we're all fighting just to survive. There's no talk of perks or treatment."

Ningjing's words resonated with several other caravan leaders. They too were groups of survivors who had gradually banded together on the road, sharing food and drink equally, never discussing perks or treatment.

"Then what about this handsome guy?" Monica now turned to Lin Xian, intrigued. "Earlier, I heard Qian Dele and Shi Brother talk about your deeds. Someone like you—even Phoenix Association reached out with an olive branch. Have you ever thought of recruiting soldiers, expanding your influence, to secure more chances of survival?"

"Me?"

Lin Xian, suddenly the center of attention, replied calmly: "I don't need more people right now, so I have no such plans. Exchanging other things, or buying supplies and weapons, maybe."

He said this to deter the trouble of people seeking protection because of his mechanical psychic ability. He knew he couldn't shelter so many—but if he found the right partners, he'd consider it.

Monica let out a soft "Oh," her tone tinged with disappointment as she teased: "Really? That's a shame. When I heard about your deeds, I was completely stunned—I admired you so much, I even thought about bringing my mobile train to join you."

She turned reproachfully to Qian Dele: "Qian, look—he doesn't even care about me."

"Oh come on, bringing a whole train to join? That'd be great!" Shi Diyuan's eyes lit up, turning to Lin Xian: "Lin Brother, seriously consider it. This Miss Mo has an intercontinental train—she follows the elite route. Her cars are automated weapon platforms, all-terrain systems, weapons managed automatically—super impressive. Only twenty people on board, but they pack firepower equal to two hundred!"

"She's joking, Old Shi."

Qian Dele crossed his arms, glancing at Monica with annoyance: "Tsk tsk tsk~ Didn't I tell you to drink less? You've had too much again. You're asking him for help—say two more words and he'll think you're crazy. I won't speak up for you then."

Lin Xian was left speechless. This woman had gone through bottle after bottle—just a short conversation, and her bottle was already empty. She'd drunk at least half a pound.

Yet she seemed more alert than ever, her speech growing even more open.

(End of Chapter)