Chapter 129: The Alliance |
"We're basically banding together now, but in the current situation, we can't take all of you with us. Everyone’s vehicles are loaded with supplies, and if we make it across the Dazhu Plateau alive and find a few survival carriages in Jiazhou City, we might really be able to form a mobile fortress train and survive together."
Right now, the Infinite Train didn’t have enough survival carriages. The immediate priority was reaching the High-Altitude Corridor before nightfall. The city was shrouded in dense fog, and solving their current predicament was the top priority. There was no time for Lin Xian to refit the train or search for additional carriages.
The entire freight platform was filled with either container cars or flatbed trailers. The idea sounded great, but reality was far from ideal.
Shu Qin had only spoken casually, but Lin Xian’s words unexpectedly touched her. She smiled and said, “Thank you. We’ll all do our best to survive and keep pace with your train.”
“That’s the spirit!”
Unlike the sentimental mood, Old Mo grinned and said in a carefree tone, “But if you get the chance, I’d suggest heading to Xingcheng or Jinhai to modify the train with wheeled tracks. There’s a tech called Amphibious Transformation Drive, allowing interchangeable movement. If you get that working, you could drive anywhere without needing rails.”
Xu Jin let out a breath and said, “Whether it's tracks or treads, you’ve got a much better path than us with our trucks and off-road vehicles. So let’s cut the chatter and get into the city before dark. The spaceport announced that the Climbing Passage will shut down tomorrow, but with that ‘big guy’ in the sky, who knows if the airport can hold out? If we don’t make it up there, all this talk is meaningless—we’ll just be stuck here in Yubei City waiting to die.”
Lin Xian nodded, his expression growing serious. “Alright, let’s move out. Stay sharp and don’t fall behind.”
“Safe travels.”
“Take care, kid.”
With a few simple words, their temporary alliance was formed. Xu Jin returned to his convoy to organize things, and soon, the parked vehicles ahead cleared the road.
From a distance, Lu Xingchen, who had been lounging under his RV, casually pushed down his sunglasses, stretched, and started packing away his sunshade and reclining chair before getting back into his vehicle.
“Who’s that guy? He looks so smug.”
Inside the Infinite Train's cockpit, KIKI and Shasha peered through binoculars, watching Lu Xingchen.
Shasha pouted, “It’s freezing, and he’s out sunbathing? Is he hot or something?”
Lin Xian walked into the cockpit and quickly relayed the latest updates. Then, he started up the train, guiding it toward the freight station’s exit.
The industrial city was built at the base of the snow-capped plateau, and from the station’s vantage point, they could see the outskirts of the city nestled within a mountain valley—but the main city center was still out of sight.
However, beyond the valley, they could see the High-Altitude Corridor’s towering Sky Pillar, standing majestic and imposing.
Zzzzt...
“Captain Lin, can you hear me?”
The alliance team synchronized their radio frequencies, and now Lin Xian, Old Mo, Shu Qin, Xu Jin, and the enigmatic Lu Xingchen were all linked and communicating.
On a heavy truck fitted with anti-slip chains, Shu Qin checked her radio and said, “It’s 18:15 now. We have about half an hour before nightfall. I estimate it'll take us around 40 minutes to reach the spaceport—assuming nothing unexpected happens.”
“Doesn't matter if it's night or not,” Xu Jin replied. “The city's already filled with fog, and the Phoenix Group warned about eerie entities appearing in daylight—so who knows how many monsters are lurking around? I’d bet it’s just as bad as nighttime.”
From his perspective, Yubei City was already in a catastrophic state. Going in now was a life-or-death gamble, day or night. With the Climbing Passage shutting down soon, this was the last chance for nearly 200 people to escape.
“Yeah, the fog is just as bad as the dark.”
Lin Xian responded over the radio. He had already survived the fog escape in Beiwang, so he knew firsthand that the mist was indistinguishable from total darkness.
Thinking back, it had already been snowing when they entered Beiwang. The Phoenix Group’s report was proving to be eerily accurate.
“Let’s move out. Stay alert.”
Lin Xian’s expression hardened as he drove the Infinite Train forward. The main road was clear of snow, likely plowed by other trains.
Aboard the Infinite Train, the crew was on high alert.
Luo Ye and Shasha were fully armed. Thanks to Lin Xian’s Manufacturing Plant, Shasha now carried a full ammo backpack filled with grenade launchers, while Luo Ye had two full belts of bullets slung over his shoulders—looking well-stocked and ready for battle.
“Ugh, we’re gonna see that giant jellyfish again...”
KIKI rubbed her hands together and grimaced. “I really hate anything with tentacles.”
Beep—beep—beep—
Lin Xian used the scanner blueprints he got from Xu Pu to quickly fabricate a water quality detector. He handed it to Chen Sixuan and instructed, “Chen, take a cup of water and test it. If the light is green, it’s Level 1 quality. Then check again in an hour to see if there’s any change.”
Chen Sixuan immediately understood his intent and went to fetch water.
KIKI asked, “You really think the Dark Infection can taint bottled water?”
“No need to think—I know it can.”
Lin Xian turned to KIKI. “But what I’m testing now is our train’s defense.”
He considered explaining the Eerie Cube, but then realized he didn’t fully understand it himself. Dark Invasion, Night Infection, Fear Corruption—even he was totally clueless about how they worked. Trying to explain them would be pointless.
That was a problem for Ding Junyi and the Phoenix Group to study. Until they had solid research results, all he could do was test if the Eerie Cube’s shielding worked.
If the train’s water remained unchanged, then the Eerie Cube was indeed a priceless artifact. The Federation would definitely want to study it, but even with his Mechanical Heart, Lin Xian could neither scan nor modify it—only seal it away.
Clang—clang—
The Infinite Train rolled out of the station, heading down the mountain road toward the city.
Behind it, countless trucks and vehicles followed in an orderly fashion. At the very back, Old Mo’s two massive fortress trucks rumbled along, towering over the rest.
Among the moving vehicles, a sleek, luxurious RV cruised along, driven by Lu Xingchen. Wearing sunglasses, his sharp features oozed confidence as he casually whistled a tune.
Inside the RV, Buddhist charms hung from the rearview mirror, and the dashboard was lined with soft padding and delicate trinkets. Unlike the desperate, ragtag survivors, his vehicle was immaculate and stylish.
Hearing the intense radio chatter between the convoy leaders, he smirked slightly and muttered,
“Everyone’s so tense... sigh.”
He adjusted his sunglasses with a flick of his fingers.
A tiny flame ignited at his fingertip, flickered for a moment, then was effortlessly snuffed out by his breath.
“No big deal. I’ll step in if needed.”
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