Yu Jing’s mechanical workshop was brightly lit.

However, there were few people.

Considering the time, today happened to be a break.

Su Huan crushed the tendon on a chicken foot with his teeth and walked in with interest.

Besides researching Yu Jing’s exoskeleton, the Mechanical Testing Laboratory often resembled the execution department on the train. Whether it was the mass production of materials by the manufacturing team or the upgrade and modification of the train, the execution parts were all led and completed by the Mechanical Testing Laboratory.

This is also the core reason why Su Huan allocated a large amount of resources to the Mechanical Testing Laboratory despite its lack of strong research capability.

Here gathered the train’s most skilled practical talents.

"Xiao Ai, adjust according to the parameters I just mentioned, then hang up Exoskeleton No. 12."

The woman’s voice was measured, its tone warm.

Su Huan raised his eyelids in surprise, it wasn’t Yu Jing, nor was it that girl Tan Yunxi.

Accompanied by the sound of the track sliding, an exoskeleton was moved to the center of the room. Standing in front of it was a woman wearing a gray and camel-colored knitted sweater, her hair was coiled at the back, silver-white and transparent, yet her roots were glossy black, exuding a warm and steady aura.

Black hair regeneration only appeared on those older Tier One Evolvers.

There was only one person on the train who met this condition.

Engineer Ma, Dean Zhou.

Dean Zhou also noticed Su Huan’s presence, turned around, and respectfully said, "Train Leader."

Su Huan approached with the chicken foot, pushed it in her direction, "Want some?"

Dean Zhou politely said thank you, unhesitatingly grabbed a piece with her hand, and placed it in her mouth to chew slowly.

Su Huan’s lips curled.

It wasn’t dissatisfaction, on the contrary, he was very satisfied.

Sharing food is the highest etiquette in the wilderness, and not refusing means the highest trust in the wilderness.

"Where’s Yu Jing?"

Eating a plate of chicken feet, the train leader began to chat idly.

"She hasn’t rested for two days, she’s sleeping now."

"How’s everything on the train?"

"Everything is good here."

Perhaps feeling that she hadn’t sounded sincere enough, Dean Zhou emphasized her words again, "There is order, resources, work. To maintain such a place in this era requires a lot of effort."

"I’m very fortunate to work on such a train with the students."

Su Huan had heard too many blatant flattery before, but this subtle praise visibly relaxed him.

Yet, he always wanted to challenge others a bit.

"After all, you are working for me. You could have lived for yourselves. Perhaps without me, you would gradually become the first power in Xinma County, building a larger shelter and protecting more people..."

Su Huan’s voice was like a devil’s whisper, painting a beautiful picture.

Dean Zhou looked at Su Huan dazedly, even her gentle brows contained something strange.

Why would someone like to belittle themselves this much?

"Actually, our life is not as easy as it seems to you." Dean Zhou sighed faintly, "Because I took an extra piece of bread at the supermarket, my son was eaten by a corpse herd, my husband was stabbed to death by a group of people robbing food. If you have been to the streets under Horse Doctor’s jurisdiction, you should see a kind of fried rat meat skewer, which is the food for most Scavengers, but there is an even easier and less risky source of meat..."

"No other family?"

"Before the apocalypse, my daughter said she was going to dinner with friends and never returned."

"I’m very sorry."

Su Huan said insincerely while eating chicken feet.

Although knowing Su Huan’s apology was just a verbal habit, Dean Zhou shook her head.

"I used to have many students. Some were playful, some rebellious, but they were all young, they had plenty of time to experience and change, but the apocalypse took away their chances. Even with our utmost effort, it’s hard to reach the baseline of ’survival’. What scares me even more is that children lost their learning opportunities, teenagers lost their time to grow, and we elders are slowly dying, the knowledge we hold can’t be passed on in time..."

"We’ve spent hundreds of thousands of years moving away from the primal age of eating raw meat and blood, but in one night, we’ve regressed a hundred years. What if it takes a year, ten years, even a few generations later?"

"So what do you want?"

Upon hearing this, a devout and determined look appeared on Dean Zhou’s face, "Initially, I wanted to establish a shelter to protect my students, protect more children and young people, rebuild schools, pass on my knowledge, let them live with dignity and not revert to beasts. But on this armed train, I saw the best possibility at this stage..."

Su Huan had finished his chicken feet and had no more reason to listen.

He replied dryly, "A very nice ideal."

But he didn’t think there was a chance of realizing it.

The current decline is just the beginning. Once Dean Zhou’s generation dies, the wilderness will become completely barren land, reminiscent of the Warring States thousands of years ago, where ’wild men’ in the wilderness were treated as beasts for sport and entertainment by ’nationals’ from larger forces.

In his past life, besides killing Evolution Beasts, Su Huan mainly focused on clearing marauders in the wilderness.

Whether they were marauders or Scavengers, it was merely a matter of an organization’s definition.

But he felt no psychological burden about it.

No one would consider individuals with bizarre evolutionary organs, treacherous and cruel nature, and a penchant for robbing and cannibalism as their kind.

"I have only ideals, but you are realizing them."

Dean Zhou extended her right hand with eyes ablaze.

"Hiss..."

Su Huan felt it hard to face such expectant eyes, racking his brain he couldn’t figure out where it went wrong, causing her to have such a misconception.