Chapter 379: It Is Alive

"Savior? Me?" Lin Xian was taken aback.

"Don't misunderstand," Jian Xuwēi said softly, exhaling slowly. "This is just psychological preparation—you don't need to…"

"I know," Lin Xian interrupted her, smiling. "I accept your request. In fact, even if you hadn't proposed it, I'd already had the same thought."

Lin Xian told Jian Xuwēi: "We've collaborated before—you know me. I'm no savior, and I have no desire for power or commanding others. Fundamentally, I formed this alliance for survival; everyone shares the same goal. So logically, I have no interest in being a leader or standing above anyone."

"But."

Lin Xian's gaze sharpened, his expression turning serious as he looked at Jian Xuwēi: "Rationally speaking, I must take control of this Skyborne-class train—and only I can build it. Quiet City must dock at Yongcheng Port, and to complete its subsequent construction, only my mechanical ability can do it. There is no other way."

Jian Xuwēi frowned slightly: "You can already build starships now?"

"As long as I have blueprints, I can build them—only the efficiency differs," Lin Xian replied directly.

"Alright, I didn't mean to oppose you—"

Jian Xuwēi naturally carried the aura of a powerful woman; Lin Xian knew she had high ambitions, so after stating his intent, he immediately shifted tone.

"It's fine—you're still Director Jian. I can't possibly manage thousands or tens of thousands of people myself. What I care about most is building our Apocalypse Starship Fortress, ensuring survival. For administration, you're far more capable and experienced than I am."

Lin Xian smiled: "But let's drop the board-of-directors model. Just divide responsibilities by region. Under the apocalypse, there's no need for such complexity."

Jian Xuwēi's expression froze slightly, then her lips curved into a relieved smile as she exhaled: "Fine. From today, you're my captain."

She extended her hand toward Lin Xian: "Pleasure doing business."

"Pleasure doing business."

With the barrier gone, Lin Xian asked Jian Xuwēi: "What's the situation with Jiang Yun?"

"He originally planned to bring people to Quiet City first to negotiate with you and Wang Yue Zhenji. But Shuguang City had an unexpected crisis—his last message was three hours ago. The city's been sealed off; he can't evacuate anyone before dawn."

Lin Xian nodded: "So many people trying to flee Shuguang City— the Federation's going to lose its mind."

"Definitely."

Jian Xuwēi said: "Your actions were just the spark. The resentment in Shuguang City over population and resources had been building for years. There's a saying: 'Those underground are ghosts above; those inside the walls are slaves, those outside are anomalies.' That's exactly this situation. Many had long resented Zhou Mingyuan, the politician. Add the Red Man anomaly crisis, everyone's terrified. Now this scandal breaks, coupled with the Star Abyss anomaly—many large convoys preparing to flee is only natural. The fact they haven't revolted or opened fire is already a miracle."

"So Shuguang City is now facing internal and external crises—but where's Chu Zhaonan?" Lin Xian asked.

Jian Xuwēi said gravely: "Chu Zhaonan rarely shows himself. Many in the city even think Zhou Mingyuan is the Federation Chairman and Shuguang City's mayor, since he handles everything. From what I know, Chu Zhaonan and Zhou Mingyuan are in factional opposition."

"Except the Garrison Command."

"Yes. The Garrison Command has 130, 00 troops on paper, expanded from an initial 40, 00+. Many are Evolved and Ability users, well-equipped, formidable in combat."

"What about the rest?"

Jian Xuwēi said: "There are a few thousand City Defense Police, plus a 20, 00-strong Armed Night Patrol—all founded by Zhou Mingyuan. The Population Control Bureau, Finance Bureau, Construction Bureau—none of them matter. My intel says Zhou Mingyuan has long tried to recruit and absorb Lu Tianye. But Lu Tianye is a strange man. Before the Federation collapsed, he was Deputy Commander of the Marine Corps, an exceptional fighter—he personally commanded the Gray Mist Anomaly battle. He has no bureaucratic tendencies; he only likes fighting zombies and anomalies on the front lines. Many hold him in high regard—he's a true soldier."

"So the real power brokers in Shuguang City are still Chu Zhaonan and Lu Tianye?" Lin Xian asked.

Jian Xuwēi nodded: "Yes."

Lin Xian frowned slightly: "Then does that mean the withdrawal from Jinhai and the full-scale retreat were all arranged by Chu Zhaonan—with no involvement from Zhou Mingyuan?"

"Exactly."

"Then it's clear," Lin Xian sneered. "Chu Zhaonan is also cooperating with the Deep Red World. The question is—what else are they planning, besides their actions on Star Abyss #5?"

"Whatever they're planning, the anomaly in Star Abyss #5 has disrupted the survival status of all survivors worldwide. The Phoenix Society has already intervened. Now that the Deep Red World's involvement has been exposed, both Shuguang City and the Phoenix Society will inevitably take action," Lin Xian's eyes burned. "I feel we must move quickly. If conflict erupts, the Deep Red World as an unstable factor could make the situation in this region impossibly complex."

"I think the same. Those convoys leaving sensed the danger. Shuguang City has seven million people, surrounded by Star Abysses #5, #7, and #8. If they can't enter the underground cities, even high walls won't help. Now they've allied with the Descent Faction—preemptive evacuation is the only sensible choice."

Lin Xian nodded: "Then let's move fast. Build standard ship-carriages, repair the train, prepare ammunition. I think after dawn, the fire in Shuguang City will burn hotter. If necessary, we may have to detour through Chan Pass."

"Alright," Jian Xuwēi looked at Lin Xian. "Then, Captain, will you transfer the Infinite's crew aboard first?"

"Not yet," Lin Xian looked around the cabin and said: "I'll first connect the entire Startrain to my mechanical ability for control, then I'll arrange it."

Jian Xuwēi softly replied "Alright," then turned and left.

Lin Xian stepped out of the corridor, gazing at the spacious cabin passage with eager eyes. Though narrower in width, the "Skyborne Startrain" was elongated—designed for Earth-Moon orbital transport, it resembled a train scaled up several times.

But beyond its unusual shape, its interior was entirely standard starship design—stronger in defense and propulsion than ordinary starships. As a space vehicle meant for "transport," it demanded extreme durability and frequent atmospheric entry/exit. Its hull used ultra-carbyne alloy and composite thermal insulation layers, resistant to 2000°C sustained erosion. There was even a middle layer of self-repairing gel sealant for space airtightness, followed by structural inner layers.

But the problem was: this startrain was sturdy, yet not sturdy enough. The composite insulation layer didn't account for Anomaly attacks. Wang Yue Zhenji suggested adding external high-strength defensive armor plates—a major project. But Lin Xian now had dozens of manufacturing drones, and Quiet City was still here. He planned to prioritize solving the armor issue first; otherwise, if the startrain got damaged, repairs would be troublesome.

Passing through the corridor, Lin Xian entered the main bridge. According to Federation starship standards, this was the core command center: captain, first officer, helmsman, tactical officer for weapon systems, shield manager, security chief, engineering team, information officer, communications officer—all managing the startrain's navigation, offense, and defense.

Beyond that were personnel responsible for living areas: science officer, chief engineer, medical officer, internal security, etc.

Looking at the large bridge capable of holding over a dozen people, Lin Xian exhaled deeply and immediately activated his mechanical perception. After completion, his Mechanical Heart would connect to the entire "Skyborne Train"—every corner, every pipe, every weapon under his control. He could repair remotely and directly control levitation flight.

The Startrain was at least three to five times larger than the Infinite. Just the four main ships exceeded two kilometers in length. According to Jian Xuwēi's engineers, even in its unfinished state, the Skyborne Train already weighed over 820, 00 tons, equipped with an ionized air sheath layer. This system used microwave emitters on the bow array to ionize the air ahead into a low-density plasma sheath roughly 0. meters thick, primarily to reduce atmospheric friction during high-speed cruise and atmospheric entry.

Combined with the eight Star Propulsors, this behemoth could cruise at over 4. Mach within the atmosphere—faster than Quiet City. In space, it had an electrostatic field generator to resist charged particle streams, high-energy heavy ions, and secondary radiation.

The Mechanical Heart unfolded like a domain, swiftly embracing the entire main bridge. Instantly, all information devices and the main frame extended within Lin Xian's consciousness. Dense integrated circuit systems spread like spiderwebs, stretching from the work corridor to the second ship. The vast Star Navigation System gradually emerged, then advanced forward—he saw the cryogenic sleep chambers.

Then his consciousness entered the core power layer. The 5, 00-megawatt "Star-Driving" nuclear core pulsed like a brilliant blue supernova exploding within his Mechanical Heart. The helium-3 fusion storm was tamed by a beryllium alloy confinement ring. Five thousand megawatts of energy surged through superconducting pipes. Then he saw the precisely engineered magnetic levitation track bow—its shape resembling a horizon gate—this was the Startrain's "landing gear" for rail-bound operation.

Further back, Lin Xian's Mechanical Heart reached the living quarters. Hundreds of honeycomb-grid living cabins flashed past—standard spaceship design, varying in size, all brand-new, radiating a sense of safety.

Finally, Lin Xian felt his consciousness enter the engine chamber. Instantly, the majestic Star Propulsors unfolded like a nebula, revealing a deep blue schematic. Wherever his awareness touched, a vast mechanical image appeared before his eyes.

"What a giant. Just scanning it nearly drained my energy. Luckily Jian Xuwēi had the complete blueprints—I don't need to rescan…"

Lin Xian closed his eyes. Suddenly, his heart stirred—the Star Propulsors roared to life. A powerful energy surge erupted. Behind him, the superstring reactor's phase rainbow ring resonated mysteriously with the "Star-Driving" nuclear core. Instantly, Lin Xian felt the entire "Skyborne Startrain's" energy converge in his hands. With a single thought, this 800, 00-ton super-starship could ignite and surge into the sky!

At that moment, everyone in Factory No. 1 felt the vibration and turned their gazes toward the colossal vessel.

"What's happening? Did the Startrain activate?!"

"Definitely Lin's in control."

"We should call him Captain Lin now!"

"Isn't he the Alliance Leader?"

"What alliance leader? You've read too many novels."

"I meant the Alliance's leader—"

In the Skyborne Train's main bridge, Lin Xian, his spirit surging, had already reorganized the command structure.

Aside from himself as supreme leader, responsible for decisions and emergency judgments, Lin Xian handed all management of the ship's personnel to Jian Xuwēi—he was happy to be free of it. The core Gugan from the original Infinite, along with Mo Nika, Qian Dele, Shi Di, and Ningjing, would continue operating as a strategic elite team. No complex management system was needed—most of them lacked professional starship crew skills; forcing roles would be meaningless. For example, helmsman—essentially train control—no one here knew how. With training, Luo Yang and others might learn quickly, but Lin Xian still had Grace. Later, full ship control would be handled entirely by Lin Xian + Grace AI.

As for chief engineer, Lao Mo and several mechanical engineers from Jian Xuwēi's side could easily handle it. For logistics, Lin Xian had Li Yi, Xiao Yuan, Miao Lu—he could rest easy.

After all, Shi Di, Qian Dele, Mo Nika, Shu Qin, Da Lou, Liang Lei, Huo Ge, Kiki, Xiao Qing, Bai Bai, and Hu Lushou, Sun Chang—all were strictly speaking, elite survivors of the apocalypse.

They'd face survival crises ahead. Compared to that, internal matters were minor. Lin Xian didn't want to overcomplicate things.

"Hmm, this feels a bit like Quiet City?"

Realizing this, Lin Xian suddenly understood: Quiet City overall had very few administrators. Qian Suxun, Tianye Lan—they were just given simple roles. Almost the entire Quiet City ran on drones, including its operations—directly controlled by Wang Yue Zhenji, the AI. So Quiet City had no departments like Shuguang City. And Lin Xian possessed the same ability as Wang Yue Zhenji. So even if the population grew, he only needed to communicate with his core team—the entire Skyborne Train would be under his absolute control.

Whoosh.

Lin Xian retracted his Mechanical Heart perception, exhaled heavily, and opened the holographic screen to check current data.

【Current Mechanical Heart Level: LV. (17640/20000)】

Mechanical Consumption: 5 (2065/3000) — Improve consumption efficiency

"An entire Long-class transport ship gave me so many Mechanical Points—this is truly a rich man's war."

Lin Xian stared at the panel. He was only two thousand Mechanical Points away from his second Mechanical Awakening. Now that he had the "Skyborne Train," he needed to reconfigure its weapon systems. This meant he could fully consume the United Train—including his own Infinite—to rapidly level up!

"By the way, this train still has no weapon systems. Once the fourth standard ship-carriage and second-layer armor are built, I'll have Wang Yue Zhenji help me install a Railstar Cannon and Hyperion Dingxiang Constraint Cannon first. I'll build the rest en route—it'll save me a lot of time."

Under Jian Xuwēi and the original convoy leaders' command, vast quantities of supplies were being loaded into the Skyborne Train's cargo holds. Other crew members, including children from Carriage #10 and other trains, were being moved into standard ship-carriage sections under Li Yi and Sun Yuzhen's coordination. Excited voices erupted across the magnetic levitation docking zones.

"Whoa, a spaceship!!" Mo Xiaole's eyes sparkled.

"Are we flying into space now?"

"So amazing!"

"So big—will there be an amusement park on it?"

"Everyone, be quiet!"

…

Meanwhile, all core Gugan teams had boarded the third main ship. Relocating thousands was a massive undertaking. Though four standard living ship-carriages could accommodate four thousand people, Lin Xian felt no rush—since the Skyborne-class still lacked weapons, moving everyone aboard at once would waste the weapons on the United Train.

So on the Infinite, Lin Xian left Shu Qin, Da Lou, Li Yi behind. On Longshan No. 1, Shi Di remained temporarily in charge. For easier coordination, Ningjing, Xiao Qing, and Bai Bai boarded the Skyborne Train first. Qian Dele took the lead—he directly gifted his train to Lin Xian, then moved his hundred-plus crew into the standard carriages. He and Xiao Meng settled in the third main ship.

Mo Nika was even more carefree. She left all her male subordinates on the Mo Queen, awaiting Lin Xian and Jian Xuwēi's next orders. She handed over her trained female squads to Lin Xian for deployment, then moved into the main ship alone. In her words: "Finally, I don't have to worry about so much…"

"Swallowing Qian Dele's and Mo Nika's trains should be enough…"

Lin Xian watched the holographic display of each compartment, calculating. At that moment, Chen Sixuan entered the main bridge and said: "Lin Xian, construction progress in Quiet City is moving fast. Qian Suxun says the unfinished section should be completed within 24 hours."

"So fast?" Lin Xian exclaimed.

"It was already 60% done. Wang Yue Zhenji deployed six thousand robots—this speed's reasonable, right?"

Kiki walked up from behind. Both stared at Lin Xian with different expressions. Chen Sixuan sighed: "Since we came out of the Star Abyss, our progress has been too rapid. We shouldn't worry about orbital issues anymore, right?"

"Yes," Lin Xian nodded. "I was thinking how to modify it. But after Lao Mo told me, I realized the Infinite could only be upgraded for all-terrain mobility. To fly, we needed a new vessel. This giant is a godsend—it gave us thousands a chance at survival."

"And like Quiet City, it can still drive on the ground," Kiki said proudly. "Safer than a starship. Later, we can even break out into space."

Chen Sixuan smiled, looking at the two: "I remember when we first left Jiang City, Kiki had many ideas. Most have come true, right, Lin Xian?"

"Not yet," Lin Xian shook his head, inhaling deeply. "We now have a larger, flyable vessel—but we still need to reconfigure armor and weapons. With more people, we haven't yet established large-scale living zones, research areas, farming, or livestock. I want this to become a true fortress where we can live safely, flee from danger, and greatly increase our survival rate."

"But we can't just be optimistic. We must also consider the worst. Even with a starship, we're not safe. A 30, 00-ton Dreadnought-class aerospace vessel crashed. The 400, 00-person Qingluan Floating City sank into the Pacific. Since the Day of Revelation, the Federation had many starships trying to flee Blue Star—all failed. Against the darkness, we're still fragile," Lin Xian looked deeply concerned. "I must fully arm this giant. Equip weapons to Quiet City's scale. The primary goal: face S-Class threats. Even if we can't destroy them outright, we must at least have the ability to escape."

Kiki grinned at Lin Xian: "Hey, you've been nagging all this time. We've survived every disaster so far. Worrying about distant threats won't help. Why not check out your captain's cabin? Right across from me~"

"Have you all moved in?"

Chen Sixuan nodded: "It's spacious—four decks. I arranged everyone according to the Infinite's layout. Most live on the first deck, close together. The main ship can't hold many—just the core members, as you said. Everyone else is in the standard living sections."

Intrigued, Lin Xian followed Chen Sixuan and Kiki to the core living area. Dozens of living cabins lined the space—all luxurious. Opening the door, the space was vast, radiating the clean, sterile feel of deep-space travel.

"See? Such a big bed~" Kiki said.

"By the way, this room was partly yours too," Lin Xian said to Kiki.

Kiki rolled her eyes: "I don't care. Everything's yours—and mine too~ Great! Such a huge bathroom~"

Chen Sixuan looked at Lin Xian: "Each room in the core living area has its own bathroom. There's a dedicated kitchen, dining hall, even a fitness cabin with a swimming pool…"

"I never thought we could live so well even after the apocalypse," Lin Xian said with a smile.

"Actually, you've been giving us a good life all along."

Chen Sixuan said: "Before Shu Qin and the others boarded the Infinite, they were eating dried rat meat. Our Infinite has protected us extremely well—it's got plenty of living space."

Lin Xian nodded, speaking with obvious reluctance: "Yes, if it weren't for the track issues, I'd really hate to leave."

"Stop being sentimental—this largest room is yours."

Kiki walked ahead and opened an automatic door; instantly, a spacious captain's cabin appeared before Lin Xian. This room was the closest to the main bridge, and only four rooms occupied this entire deck—besides Lin Xian and Chen Sixuan, the other three were occupied by Kiki and Shasha, one by Jian Xuwēi, and another by Mo Nika…

Everyone except Lin Xian was female…

He understood why Kiki and Shasha lived here, and now he understood why Jian Xuwēi and Mo Nika did too.

Kiki gazed at the spacious room, her face filled with contentment: "Outside, zombies roar and monsters fill the city, yet we're living in a luxury cabin aboard this starship—it's so comfortable. I hope this peace lasts longer."

"By the way, where's Director Ding?"

"She's still on the Infinite doing research," Chen Sixuan said. "She seems to have made some discovery—she hasn't slept all this time."

"Alright, I'll go see her right away." Lin Xian checked the time. He'd been busy all night and had planned to sleep, but now, after finding Ding Junyi, he intended to visit Wangyue Zhenshi to check on the giant exosuit—there seemed to be no time left.

On several aerial docking bridges of the interstellar train, personnel from the United Train were busily hauling cargo. Lin Xian hurried down and returned to the Infinite. As soon as he entered Carriage Three, he saw Ding Junyi wearing goggles, carefully dripping a chemical solution into a glass container, inside which lay a black biological tissue.

"You're done?"

"Not yet. Chen Laoshi said you had some findings?"

"Do you remember the dark-eroded cell tissue we brought back from the Star Abyss?" Ding Junyi said.

Ding Junyi now removed her goggles and spoke to Lin Xian:

"It's alive."

(End of Chapter)