23: Chapter 23 Exile in the Wasteland

3:30 AM.

Usually, this is the time when the human biological clock is at its most exhausted and sleepiness is at its peak.

But at this moment, the public hall in the middle of the Black Iron was brightly lit, as bright as day.

The lights, originally dimmed to save energy, were now all turned on.

The piercing white light shone on everyone's faces, revealing every trace of terror, unease, and confusion.

All 108 people on the train (except for the three about to be executed) were present.

On one side were the "old employees"—girls from the Art and Design Department, dressed relatively neatly with serious expressions.

On the other side were the "new employees"—girls from the Dance Department, still wearing various pajamas, wrapped in blankets, and shivering.

In the center of the hall, a large open space had been cleared.

Three figures were tied up with special nylon zip ties, kneeling on the cold floor.

Leading them was none other than Zhao Ji.

Her curly hair, which had been meticulously styled, was now a mess. With her face a mix of snot and tears, where was the slightest hint of the bossy young lady she usually was?

Behind her, the two lackeys who used to throw their weight around with her were now paralyzed on the ground with fear, their legs trembling, and there was even a faint, suspicious puddle on the floor.

Directly in front of them sat a high-backed leather chair brought from the Conductor's room.

Lin Xiao sat casually in the chair, fiddling with a fruit knife confiscated from Zhao Ji. The blade flipped in the light, reflecting a cold, sharp gleam.

Behind him stood his "core team."

On his left was Su Qingqian, her face frosty as her hand rested on the hilt of her blade.

On his right was Zhao Xiaotang, arms crossed, her muscles as tense as an iron tower.

Shen Man, responsible for records and logistics, stood to one side. Her face was somewhat pale, but her gaze was firm.

Luo Yao sat on the steps in the corner with her laptop, fingers tapping the keys as she controlled the train's systems.

The entire hall was deathly silent, save for the heavy breathing and suppressed sobs of Zhao Ji and her two companions.

"Is everyone here?"

Lin Xiao finally spoke. His voice wasn't loud, but with the help of the amplification system, it reached everyone's ears clearly.

He didn't roar hysterically; his tone was as flat as if he were holding an ordinary class meeting.

But it was precisely this flatness that made people feel even more terrified.

"I'm actually quite sorry for waking everyone up so late. After all, beauty sleep is very important for girls."

Lin Xiao casually stabbed the fruit knife into the small table in front of him with a crisp thud.

Everyone's heart skipped a beat at the sound.

"But if certain filth isn't cleaned up in time, I... won't be able to sleep soundly."

Hearing this, Zhao Ji, who was kneeling on the ground, shuddered as if struck by an electric shock and jerked her head up.

She crawled forward on her knees, trying to get closer to Lin Xiao, but froze in place under a cold glare from Zhao Xiaotang.

"Monitor... Lin Xiao! I know I was wrong! I really know I was wrong!"

Zhao Ji's voice was hoarse, filled with endless fear.

"I shouldn't have been possessed... I shouldn't have listened to others' slander! It's all... it's all because I was too scared! I just wanted to survive!"

"Wanted to survive?"

Lin Xiao leaned forward slightly, a mocking smile curling on his lips.

"If you wanted to survive, you could have gone to kill zombies, cleaned toilets to earn contribution points, or even come to beg me."

"But what you absolutely should not have done was point your blade at me."

"On this train, I can tolerate your laziness, your stupidity, and even your occasional tantrums."

"Only betrayal—is a capital offense."

As soon as the words "capital offense" were uttered, a collective gasp echoed through the crowd.

The girls from the Dance Department were so frightened they huddled together. Although they had experienced the cruelty of the apocalypse, this was the first time they had witnessed a companion being "sentenced to death."

"No! You can't kill me!"

Zhao Ji panicked completely and began incoherently throwing out her final bargaining chips.

"Lin Xiao! I'm Zhao Ji! My father is the chairman of the Zhao Group! My family has tens of billions in assets! I have countless properties and stocks!"

"As long as you let me go... as long as you can take me to a safe zone... I'll give you all the money! I can have my father give you a listed company! Really! I can write an IOU! A transfer deed!"

Lin Xiao couldn't help but laugh as he listened to these words.

The laughter echoed in the empty hall, full of absurdity.

"Tens of billions?"

He stood up, walked to Zhao Ji, and looked down at her.

"Miss Zhao, are you still dreaming?"

"Open your eyes and look at the world outside. Right now, a pack of instant noodles is worth more than your tens of billions. A piece of toilet paper is more useful than your stocks."

"Using a sword from the previous dynasty to execute an official of the current one? Is your head filled with mush?"

Seeing that the monetary offensive was ineffective, the despair in Zhao Ji's eyes deepened.

Looking at Lin Xiao's handsome yet cold face, she suddenly seemed to grasp at a final straw.

She struggled suddenly. Although her hands were tied, she desperately thrust her chest forward, even intentionally letting her already damaged collar open wider to reveal a large expanse of snowy-white skin and a deep cleavage.

"Lin Xiao... Monitor... please..."

Zhao Ji's voice became sweet and mournful, carrying a hint of naked temptation.

"I know you're a man... Although there are many beauties here, I'm not bad either! I have a great body, and I'm very good at serving people..."

"As long as you don't kill me... I'll be your dog from now on! You can do whatever you want! Any position, any place... I'll cooperate!"

"I've even studied yoga before... I'm really useful..."

As she spoke, she humblingly rubbed her face against Lin Xiao's tactical boots, her eyes flickering with extreme flirtatiousness.

For the sake of survival, what was dignity? As long as she could stay on this train, even as the lowliest slave, it was better than dying outside!

The surrounding girls watched this scene with eyes full of disdain, yet mixed with a hint of sorrow for a fallen peer.

The once-haughty daughter of a wealthy family had now debased herself to such a degree just to stay alive.

Lin Xiao looked down at the woman by his feet.

To be honest, Zhao Ji was indeed good-looking. Although not as peerless as Su Qingqian or as elegant as Liu Ruyan, the delicate nature unique to a wealthy girl combined with her current contrast could indeed pique a man's dark desire for destruction.

In times of peace, if a rich and beautiful woman of this caliber threw herself at him, any man would be tempted.

But...

The hideous face she had when she rushed into the room with a knife flashed through Lin Xiao's mind.

A viper like this was a ticking time bomb if kept around.

He was a pervert, but he wasn't a brainless slave to his hormones.

Besides, he had Su Qingqian behind him, Liu Ruyan, and a whole forest of a train waiting for him to explore. Why bother keeping this crooked tree?

"Sorry."

Lin Xiao pulled his foot back in disgust, wiping it on the nearby carpet as if he had stepped on something filthy.

"My tastes might be varied, but I don't eat trash."

"And I have an obsession with cleanliness—both physically and mentally."

This sentence completely sealed Zhao Ji's fate.

Zhao Ji slumped on the floor dazed, the last light in her eyes extinguished.

"Alright, the farce should end now."

Lin Xiao lost his patience and waved his hand.

"Luo Yao, open the side cargo door."

"Zhao Xiaotang, show them out."

"Yes!"

Zhao Xiaotang had long since grown impatient.

She strode forward, her terrifying strength after genetic modification fully on display.

She grabbed the back collars of the two lackeys with each hand, lifting them as easily as if they were two small chicks.

Then she walked over to Zhao Ji, flipped her into the air with one foot, grabbed the back of her neck, and dragged her toward the side door like a dead dog.

"No... No! Lin Xiao! I curse you! I curse you to a miserable death!"

Realizing begging was futile, Zhao Ji began to curse frantically.

"You bunch of bitches! Watching me die, you won't have a good end either!"

"Clang—Rumble!"

With the sound of machinery operating, the heavy hydraulic door on the side of the hall slowly opened.

A piercing cold wind instantly rushed in, mixed with the unique stench and grit of the wasteland, making everyone squint.

The world outside was pitch black, with only a small area illuminated by the train's lights.

The train was currently hurtling across the wasteland at 80 miles per hour.

By the light, several pairs of glowing green eyes could be seen flickering in the darkness.

Those were mutated wolves, or wandering zombies.

"Down you go!"

Zhao Xiaotang showed no mercy whatsoever.

She stood in the doorway, like a guardian War Goddess.

[part:gemini-3.1-flash-lite]

With a burst of strength in his arms, he first threw out the two lackeys who had already fainted from fear.

"Ah—"

Two short, sharp screams vanished instantly into the wind.

It was Zhao Ji's turn.

She clung desperately to the door frame, her nails snapping off, dripping with blood.

"No... I won't go down... There are wolves out there... There are monsters..."

She stared into the endless darkness outside, a terror far greater than death.

"Goodbye."

Zhao Xiaotang spat out the two words coldly, raised a foot, and kicked Zhao Ji hard in the backside.

"Ahhhhhhh—!!!"

Accompanied by a piercing, agonizing wail, Zhao Ji's figure was like a kite with a broken string, instantly left behind by the speeding train.

The darkness swallowed her up in an instant.

Immediately afterward, the faint, excited howling of beasts drifted through the wind, along with some hair-raising tearing sounds.

"Bang!"

The cabin door slammed shut.

The cold wind was locked outside, and the carriage returned to warmth once more.

But everyone's hearts were as cold as ice.

This was the consequence of betrayal.

Exile.

In this apocalypse, exile meant the most painful, most desperate death.

Lin Xiao stood on the high platform, his gaze like a torch, slowly sweeping across the entire room.

Every girl who met his gaze instinctively lowered her head, not daring to look him in the eye.

Even Liu Ruyan, who had just pledged her allegiance, was pale at this moment, her body trembling slightly.

She was glad she had chosen the right path; otherwise, the one flying out just now might have been her.

"Did you all see that?"

Lin Xiao's voice broke the deathly silence.

"I know some of you think I'm cruel. Thinking that since we are all classmates, there is no need to be so ruthless."

He paused, stepped down from the high platform, and walked into the middle of the crowd.

"But I want to tell you something."

"This is not a school; this is the apocalypse."

"I, Lin Xiao, am not your nanny, nor am I a saint."

"I am the Conductor of this train, the king here, and the only person who can lead you to survive."

He pointed a finger at the pitch-black night outside.

"Outside is hell."

Then he pointed toward the greenhouse carriage and the kitchen behind him.

"Here is heaven."

"As long as you are loyal, obedient, and willing to work."

"If I have meat to eat, you have soup to drink. If I have a bed to sleep in, you have a floor mat to sleep on."

"Whoever performs well, I will give her vegetables, let her use hot water, and even give her better treatment."

Speaking of which, Lin Xiao's gaze lingered on Liu Ruyan for two seconds.

"For example, student Liu Ruyan, because of her meritorious report and good performance. I announce that she is exempt from cleaning duties for one month, promoted to the official leader of the 'Mobile Team', and rewarded with one bottle of shampoo and two cans of beef."

"Wow..."

A low murmur of envy rippled through the crowd.

Canned beef! Shampoo!

This was practically a fortune!

The girls who had previously had some complaints about Liu Ruyan "betraying" her companions now looked at her with nothing but envy and desire.

This is the most realistic side of human nature.

"But!"

Lin Xiao's tone shifted, becoming murderous.

"If anyone dares to bite the hand that feeds them and turns their blade against their own people."

"Zhao Ji is the example."

"Do you understand?!"

With that last shout, Lin Xiao used his dantian strength, making everyone's eardrums buzz.

"We understand!"

"We understand, Squad Leader!"

Over a hundred girls responded scatteredly, their voices trembling but filled with awe.

"Louder! Didn't you eat?!" Zhao Xiaotang roared from the side, waving her fist in coordination.

"We understand!!!"

This time, the sound was uniform, echoing throughout the carriage.

Lin Xiao nodded with satisfaction.

This was the team he wanted.

He didn't need them to love him; he only needed them to fear him, respect him, and be unable to live without him.

As for love? That was a matter for after they had spent a long time together (in every sense).

"Very good."

The frost on Lin Xiao's face melted instantly, replaced by a warm, spring-breeze smile.

This kind of Sichuan opera face-changing maneuver made him even more unfathomable and instilled fear.

"Since everyone is so spirited, don't go to sleep yet."

"To celebrate the removal of the traitor and to welcome the new classmates..."

"Shen Man! Open the storeroom!"

"Tonight, everyone gets an extra pack of ham sausages! And boil two big pots of seaweed egg drop soup!"

"Eat your fill before you sleep!"

"Long live the Squad Leader!!!"

At this moment, the previous fear was instantly washed away by immense joy.

For those who are starving, the temptation of ham sausages and egg drop soup is enough to heal any psychological trauma.

This was the ultimate application of the "carrot and stick" method.

Giving a tiny bit of favor after extreme fear makes people grateful to him.

The crowd cheered and swarmed toward Shen Man to collect their food.

The originally oppressive hall instantly became lively.

Lin Xiao did not join the excitement but turned and walked toward the front of the train.

Liu Ruyan watched his retreating figure, hesitated for a moment, gritted her teeth, and followed quickly.

Su Qingqian and Luo Yao exchanged glances and followed as well.

Returning to the driver's cab.

Lin Xiao plopped down into the chair, loosened his collar, and let out a long breath.

"Whew... Acting cool is really tiring."

He muttered to himself internally.

Just now, to maintain that domineering CEO persona, his face had gone stiff.

"Conductor..."

Liu Ruyan walked in, holding a cup of warm water, and handed it to him cautiously.

Her eyes were more submissive than before, even carrying a hint of ingratiation.

"Please drink some water. You said so much just now, your throat must be dry."

Lin Xiao took the cup, looking at her with a half-smile.

"What? Didn't I scare you just now?"

"You did," Liu Ruyan nodded honestly, "But it also made me see many things clearly."

She walked behind Lin Xiao, reached out quite naturally, and began to knead his shoulders.

Her technique was more skillful than last night, and the pressure was just right.

"I know that only by following you can I live like a human being."

"Zhao Ji was stupid. I, Liu Ruyan, am not stupid."

Lin Xiao narrowed his eyes comfortably, enjoying the service of this Dance Department goddess.

"Smart people. I like dealing with smart people."

At this moment, Su Qingqian and Luo Yao also entered.

Seeing Liu Ruyan massaging Lin Xiao, Su Qingqian's eyes narrowed slightly, but she didn't say anything, just silently walked to the other side and began to organize the documents on Lin Xiao's table.

She knew that as the team grew, there would only be more and more women around Lin Xiao.

If she were to get jealous, she would drown in the vat of vinegar later.

What she needed to do was to be irreplaceable. Whether in combat power or status.

Luo Yao, on the other hand, hopped onto the sofa heartlessly, swinging her two small legs.

"Squad Leader, Squad Leader! Just now, when I was checking the surveillance playback, I discovered that before Zhao Ji was thrown out, she seemed to have stuffed something into the door crack."

"Hm?" Lin Xiao opened his eyes, "What thing?"

"It seems like... a USB drive?" Luo Yao frowned, "But it has already been blown away by the wind. I tried to recover the data stream, and it seems to be a coordinate signal transmitter."

Lin Xiao's gaze turned cold instantly.

Coordinate signal?

This woman, Zhao Ji, even at the point of death, she still wanted to screw him over?

If a coordinate signal was transmitted out, it meant... it might attract even more powerful enemies.

"Can you track where the signal went?" Lin Xiao asked.

"I can't track the specific receiver, but that frequency..." Luo Yao's fingers tapped the keyboard rapidly, "It seems to belong to some kind of large-scale military band. That Zhao family, their background doesn't seem simple."

"Military band..."

Lin Xiao pondered for a moment, then sneered.

"Whatever monsters or demons they are."

"It's good that they're coming."

"My Black Iron is just worrying about not having high-level monsters to grind for experience."

He patted the back of Liu Ruyan's hand, signaling her to stop.

Then he stood up, walked to the huge floor-to-ceiling window, and looked at the endless dark wilderness outside.

"System, open the train upgrade panel."

**[Current Points: 8500.]**

**[Required for next level (Intermediate Armored Train): Train Core Lv2, 10 tons of Rare Metal, 20,000 Points.]**

"The road is long and the burden is heavy."

Lin Xiao sighed, then turned back to look at the room full of beauties.

"However, with you all here, this journey isn't lonely."

"Everyone, are you ready?"

"The next stop might not just be zombies and thugs."

"What we have to face might be the true apocalyptic storm."