Apocalypse: I Built the Infinite Train-Chapter 215: Booming Business

Hengshan Pass was the first transportation hub city after crossing the Dazhu Mountain Range into the Yunjiang Plains. It was much larger than Jiazhou City due to its unique geographical location. Heading north, one could reach Xilan, passing through Abyss Zones No. 4 and No. 5 to get to Quancheng. The southern route led to Qingshui, Lancheng, and Haedong, bypassing Abyss Zones No. 7 and No. 8. Heading directly east connected to the Orbital Main Rail, which extended past the Parma Grasslands, crossing the Wei River and Longjiang, all the way to Jinhai and Xingcheng—formerly the capital of Dragon Nation, now renamed Dawn City by the Federation government.

The train sped across the boundless plains under the bright sky. There were no mountains in sight, and along the tracks, some dried-up and decayed zombies, long past being “fresh,” were lured by the sound of the train, stumbling toward the rails.

As they approached the city, buildings became more frequent. KIKI remained busy, deploying a drone to survey the area.

In the other carriages, Shu Qin, Luo Ye, and others were making preparations. More zombies appeared along the way, and there were bound to be even more inside the city. Along with other unknown threats, the entire train crew was ready for battle.

Inside the urban area, high-rises grew denser, forming a concrete jungle. Under the sunlight, the city looked desolate.

The Black Rain had yet to reach the Yunjiang Plains, and the once-populated streets had long been abandoned. Greenery had sprouted, vines climbing over low buildings, and even animals now darted between the abandoned cars blocking the roads. Zombies in tattered clothing wandered aimlessly, their low groans echoing as they were drawn toward the vibrations of the tracks.

Dust covered the old shop signs, as if the absence of people had accelerated the decay of roads and infrastructure. Even the railings were beginning to rust.

Inside Infinite Train, many team members leaned against the windows, observing this unfamiliar city. Unlike Yubei City, which had been overrun with zombies, Hengshan Pass looked more like an ordinary city along a refugee route. It reminded Lin Xian of Jiang City.

"This place... doesn't seem to have a lot of people."

KIKI commented as she gazed at the urban jungle under the bright sunlight.

"Were you hoping to see survivors sunbathing on the rooftops?"

Lin Xian replied.

KIKI stretched lazily.

"Honestly, after running in the dark for so long, this kind of weather does feel perfect for sunbathing."

Lin Xian gave no comment, standing up instead.

"We're almost at Hengshan Pass Station. Get ready."

"Got it, boss."

Choo, choo—

Hengshan Pass Train Station was an elevated platform built within the city, making it a natural refuge. However, it had clearly fallen as well. Strangely, there wasn’t a single zombie in sight—it seemed as if someone had already cleared them out.

The heavy black train sped along the city’s elevated tracks, quickly approaching a large passenger station. This was a Orbital Passenger Hub. Lin Xian entered the cockpit and immediately tensed. Inside the station, numerous survivor vehicles were parked, and a heavily armored, green-colored Doomsday Train—somewhat battered but still operational—was present.

The train had multiple gun ports and additional armor grates installed. Though not professionally designed, it looked quite sturdy. The locomotive was a Huanxing Mining Series with a small nuclear-powered engine—far inferior to Infinite Train’s Gemini-11R nuclear locomotive, but still an impressive feat of self-sustaining energy.

Lin Xian's gaze swept across the train and its surroundings. There were quite a few people onboard. Even before entering the station, he noticed multiple glints of light flashing from elevated positions. Squinting, he saw figures standing atop steel frameworks, using binoculars to observe them.

"There are a lot of people. Could it be that these convoys are stranded here because of the Eerie Entities in the Parma Grasslands?"

Chen Sixuan, with her keen eyesight, immediately spotted the station’s interior.

Numerous vehicles—motorcycles, off-road vehicles, jeeps, and vans—were parked there, and survivors had gathered in small groups, as if waiting for something.

Lin Xian smirked.

"Think about it another way—maybe they're all waiting for us."

As Infinite Train rolled in, countless eyes turned toward the platform entrance. The green Doomsday Train's turret-mounted machine guns began adjusting, appearing to be on alert for their arrival.

The platform and tracks were littered with cleared-out zombies, their bodies still sprawled on the ground.

"They're here, this must be the train."

"Is this the Infinite Train?"

"Everyone, stay cautious. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is."

"Fall back! Take cover!"

Survivors quickly retreated behind vehicles or climbed back into them. The long struggle for survival had made them extremely wary—not just of the Dark Night, but also of unknown convoys.

Onboard the green train, men and women armed with rifles wore cautious expressions. The air was tense.

Lin Xian was surprised by the murmurs he overheard.

"Huh... Didn’t expect just one radio transmission to attract so many survivor convoys."

Apparently, "one rifle and 120 bullets for a box of biscuits" was indeed an irresistible bargain.

Of course, it wasn’t a loss for him. Infinite Train had stockpiles of weapons—scavenged from Tang Hai’s camp, the Fireline Convoy, and the Vajra Convoy. At last count, Chen Sixuan had tallied over a hundred firearms. If needed, Lin Xian could always manufacture more onboard.

That said, with so many people present, he remained cautious. Apart from Jiang Yun’s Bonfire Mutual Aid Gathering, this was only the second time he’d attended a survivor trade meet—and this time, he was the host.

Choo, choo—

Infinite Train rumbled into the main platform, its steel wheels screeching against the tracks.

Lin Xian turned to the window.

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"Stay alert. Some of these convoys seem to be stationed here long-term, but others have clearly arrived just for the trade."

Chen Sixuan warned.

Lin Xian nodded.

"That means our radio broadcast worked. No need to be afraid. This is a necessary step toward forming alliances. Future interactions like this will be inevitable—staying on guard while making contact is key."

Since leaving Jiang City, he and Chen Sixuan had mostly encountered hostile raider convoys, so her caution was understandable. Lin Xian himself wasn’t completely at ease either.

However, living in constant fear wasn’t an option. Sometimes, demonstrating strength was the best way to ensure others stayed friendly.

And he wasn’t about to let his Mechanical Ability go to waste—if it could be used to barter for survival resources, intelligence, or equipment, then why not?

Chen Sixuan nodded in agreement.

Lin Xian lowered the train window, scanning the survivor groups. Then, he spoke in a clear, confident voice:

"We are Infinite Convoy. Are you all here for a trade?"

A middle-aged man wearing a hat stepped forward from behind a van, raising his voice:

"How many guns do you have? How much ammo? Can we trade for something other than biscuits?"

There were four or five large convoys treating the station as a temporary shelter, including the green train. Additionally, over a dozen smaller groups had rushed in from outside the area, each sending two or three representatives. The station was bustling, with over sixty survivors openly visible—suggesting an even larger number of people nearby.

"So it's really one box of biscuits for a rifle?"

The green train's cockpit window rolled down, revealing a shrewd-looking, chubby man who scrutinized Lin Xian skeptically.

"Don't try to scam us. With this many people here, you better back up your words with real goods!"

"Yeah!"

"That’s right!"

"No funny business!"

Lin Xian chuckled and responded loudly:

"Relax. We have plenty of weapons. We're mainly looking for supplies—food, medicine, or even Eerie Blood Crystals."

Hearing that, some survivors stepped forward eagerly.

A woman with a rifle asked:

"You guys fix machines, right? What exactly can you repair?"

Another person chimed in:

"Are you heading to Xingcheng? Can you take passengers? We have supplies to offer."

The trade meet had begun.

Lin Xian raised a hand to silence the growing chatter and spoke clearly,

“Repairs need to be brought here so we can assess the damage. As for water purifiers, we have both Level-1 and Level-2 standards available, but we don’t have the latest Soul Wave Detectors, only the first-gen models issued by Phoenix. Also, we’re not heading to Xingcheng.”

He wasn’t lying.

The real plan was to sneak into Xingcheng, not charge in openly with the train. Even if he didn’t care about security risks, he couldn’t just take on passengers without making sure he could get them safely to their destination.

Having set the record straight, Lin Xian opened the train door and stepped onto the platform.

At the same time, Car No. 5’s automatic doors slid open, and Luo Ye, Lü Chang, and the others began unloading weapon crates that Lin Xian had manufactured.

The moment Luo Ye stepped out, fully geared up, with a Roarer K23 Electric Gatling Gun strapped to his back, and another male teammate carrying a second one, the survivors froze.

First came shock, then jealousy, then hunger for firepower.

The fat man on the green Doomsday Train was Cao Hong, the leader of Nightshade Convoy.

As the name suggested, his train had a lot of women onboard.

Seeing the scene unfold, his expression twisted as he waved at his subordinates.

“Move it, move it! Get down there and take a look!”

Lin Xian stepped forward, planting a foot on one of the weapon crates.

With confidence, he declared,

“Automatic rifles, VoG grenade launchers, M556 light machine guns, shotguns, 12.7mm vehicle-mounted autocannons, rocket launchers—we have them all. We also carry other equipment, depending on your needs.”

He went straight to business.

“Same deal as we announced on the radio—automatic rifle with 120 bullets for a box of biscuits or half a box of canned food.

Grenade launcher with 12 grenades for two boxes of biscuits and one box of canned food.

Light machine gun with 500 bullets for four boxes of biscuits or two boxes of canned food.

Rocket launcher for two boxes of canned food.

Autocannon for four boxes of canned food.”

These prices were a steal compared to previous trade values in Qu Guan and other convoy deals.

Right now, weapons were more valuable than food, because they were the only thing keeping most survivors alive.

One Level-1 Eerie Blood Crystal could be exchanged for three Xinghuo-26 automatic rifles with ammo—or could feed ten people for five days.

That meant one rifle with 120 bullets was worth at least 1.5 days of food for ten people, or one full box of 20 canned meals—but Lin Xian was cutting those prices in half.

Right now, he didn’t care about profit.

He needed supplies.

And honestly, low-tier weapons would only lose value as people continued evolving abilities—but food would always be essential.

As soon as he finished speaking, the survivor convoys’ eyes lit up, and they rushed forward.

“I’ve got canned food and biscuits—plus jerky!”

“Our convoy needs a lot of weapons!”

BANG—

A middle-aged man yanked open a van, revealing several large crates of collected supplies:

Canned food, biscuits, dried lizard meat, and even a massive jar of blended cockroach paste—gray-brown mush, still clinging to cockroach wings at the edges of the glass.

“We’ll take the autocannon and the light machine gun—is this enough? If not, we have more stock at our camp and can offer more.”

“The hell do you mean ‘we’ll take them’?!”

Cao Hong and his group shoved through the crowd, annoyed.

“What’s this ‘first come, first serve’ crap? If you’re offering more, then so can we! That light machine gun—I’ll give you three crates of canned food!”

The middle-aged man was clearly from a large convoy himself.

But seeing Cao Hong—leader of a train-based convoy—he didn’t flinch at all.

Instead, he grinned smugly,

“Brother, first-come, first-serve. I bid first, so I get the deal. What’s the problem?”

“Oh yeah? That’s fair—but only if the seller agrees. Highest bid wins, right? I’ll offer three crates! How about that?”

“Hah! Make it four. And I’ll throw in a bottle of cockroach oil—secret recipe.”

“We’ll top that with two bags of fried stinkbug chips!”

KIKI and Shasha had been standing behind Lin Xian, excited to see what food they could trade for.

The moment they heard “cockroach oil”, their faces turned green, and they almost puked.

Shu Qin and the others had similarly disgusted expressions.

Sure, they weren’t strangers to post-apocalypse survival food, but being on Infinite Train had spoiled them.

Two full meals a day.

Consistent access to canned food and starch.

An absolute luxury in this world.