36: Chapter 36 Energy Revolution: Nuclear Power

Early the next morning.

As the first rays of sunlight spilled through the train window, Lin Xiao was already awake.

Looking at Su Qingqian, who was still fast asleep in his arms, he gently kissed her forehead, then carefully withdrew his arm and got out of bed.

Although a land of tenderness is the graveyard of heroes, he could not indulge himself yet.

As the Conductor, he had more important things to do.

The "big treasures" he brought back yesterday were still waiting for him to digest and absorb.

Lin Xiao walked out of the bedroom and came to the control room next door.

Luo Yao was currently sporting two large dark circles under her eyes, dozing off on the console, with draft papers filled with data piled up beside her.

This little girl had probably stayed up all night studying that nuclear reactor and the AI chip.

"Wake up, little sleepyhead."

Lin Xiao smiled and tapped her on the head.

"Mmm... Squad Leader?"

Luo Yao lifted her head groggily, and upon seeing Lin Xiao, her eyes lit up instantly.

"Squad Leader! You're finally awake! I have a major discovery!"

She grabbed Lin Xiao's hand and pointed excitedly at the screen.

"That micro nuclear reactor! I've completely decoded its interface protocol! It can be integrated into Black Iron's power system at any time!"

"And that AI chip! I've also performed an initial format and rewritten its underlying logic, adding a core command of 'Absolute loyalty to the Conductor'!"

"As soon as you give the order, we can begin an unprecedented overhaul of the train!"

Watching Luo Yao's excited state, the smile in Lin Xiao's eyes deepened.

He turned his head to look out the window.

The wasteland remained desolate, and in the distance, signs of a zombie horde surging could be vaguely seen.

But he felt no fear in his heart.

"Good."

Lin Xiao waved his hand, full of heroic spirit.

"Notify all core members to gather in Carriage No. 1!"

"Today, we are going to let Black Iron... be reborn!"

In the early morning of the canyon, the mist had not yet dispersed.

Black Iron was like a patient undergoing precise surgery; all the armor plates on the front of the train had been removed, revealing the massive and complex mechanical internal organs inside.

"Careful! Everyone, be careful! This is our heart!"

Luo Yao was wearing a pair of oil-stained coveralls, her originally delicate, fair face smudged into a little kitten's, holding a wrench as she stood on high scaffolding, directing a group of "engineering girls" below.

Most of these girls were from the Dance Department and had now become Luo Yao's assistants; although they were sweating profusely from exhaustion, their eyes were filled with excitement.

And in the core power room at the front, Lin Xiao was shirtless, revealing his lean and perfect muscle lines, personally doing the most strenuous work.

He lifted the incredibly heavy core component of the old-style steam boiler with both hands, and with a low shout, his arm muscles bulged, and he forcibly dismantled it and threw it aside.

"Clang!"

A loud crash announced the end of the steam age.

"Squad Leader, clean that spot! We're putting the 'big guy' in!"

Luo Yao poked her little head out from above, watching Lin Xiao's sweat-drenched pectoral muscles, and couldn't help but swallow; she then quickly wiped the corner of her mouth with the back of her dirty hand, pretending she was looking at the equipment.

"Alright, Chief Engineer Luo."

Lin Xiao teased, picked up a rag, and quickly cleared a space.

Then, he moved his mind.

That suitcase radiating a sci-fi luster—**[Micro Cold Nuclear Fusion Reactor (Prototype)]**—appeared out of thin air on the base in the power room.

"Is this... our new heart?"

The surrounding girls gathered around, holding their breath as they looked at this exquisite creation that was only the size of a suitcase, yet claimed to be able to power the entire train.

Compared to the bulky, crude steam boiler and diesel engine from before, this thing was simply a work of art.

"Don't let its size fool you; its energy density is ten million times that of fuel!"

Once Luo Yao entered the technical field, she radiated confidence.

She jumped down, skillfully opened the case, and revealed the deep blue reaction core inside.

Then, she picked up the **[Smart AI Chip]** brought back from the ruins and carefully inserted it into the train's main control slot.

"Performing underlying protocol handshake..."

"Rewriting energy distribution logic..."

"Connecting to Helios-Alpha reactor..."

Luo Yao's fingers moved so fast on her portable keyboard they were a blur, and lines of green code scrolled frantically across the temporary monitor beside her.

Lin Xiao stood to the side; although he couldn't understand the code, he could feel the tension in the air as a qualitative change was about to occur.

It was like putting a Star Destroyer's engine into a tractor; the sense of anticipation was off the charts.

A full half hour passed.

Luo Yao took a deep breath and finally hit the Enter key.

"Click!"

"Squad Leader! It's done! Please start it yourself!"

Luo Yao stepped back, made a "please" gesture, her eyes shining.

Lin Xiao stepped forward, looking at the start button blinking with a red standby light.

This press would mark a new era.

He didn't hesitate at all and pressed down hard with his thumb!

"Hum——————"

There was no deafening roar as expected, nor any billowing black exhaust.

An extremely low hum, as if coming from a deep-sea whale fall, instantly spread throughout the entire Black Iron.

It was a high-frequency vibration filled with power; even the air seemed to become viscous at this moment.

The reactor core instantly lit up with a dazzling blue light, and immediately after, countless streams of blue energy flowed along the superconducting lines Luo Yao had re-laid, like blood in veins, instantly flowing to every corner of the train!

**[Ding! Detected a fundamental change in the train's power source!]**

**[System evaluating... Upgrade successful!]**

**[Current Vehicle: Black Iron (Nuclear-Powered Version).]**

**[Level: LV.4 (Intermediate Armored Train).]**

**[Max Speed: 300km/h (Limit Removed).]**

**[Energy Status: Infinite (Remaining Fuel Life: 500 years).]**

**[New Features: Full-train constant temperature system, high-power power grid, primary energy shield (charging).]**

"Success!!!"

In the power room, the girls erupted in earth-shattering cheers.

Luo Yao was so excited she jumped onto Lin Xiao's back from behind, her two little legs tightly wrapping around his waist, hugging his neck while screaming and laughing.

"Squad Leader! We did it! Infinite energy! Wuwuwu... No more turning off lights to save electricity!"

Lin Xiao supported Luo Yao's bottom with his backhand to keep her from falling, and a look of ecstatic joy appeared on his face.

"Well done, Luo Yao! You deserve the most credit!"

He kissed Luo Yao's dirty little face hard, not caring at all about the smell of machine oil.

This little girl was simply a treasure!

Meanwhile, in the train's living quarters.

In the dormitories, which were dimly lit due to power rationing, suddenly—

"Bzzzt... Click!"

The lights overhead flickered, then instantly shone as bright as day!

It wasn't just the lights.

The air conditioner's vents suddenly increased airflow, and the previously stuffy carriage instantly became cool and pleasant.

A powerful sound of the water pump running came from the direction of the bathroom.

"What's going on? Power's back? So bright?"

"Oh my god! Look at the faucets! There's hot water! And the water pressure is so strong!"

"Air conditioning! The AC is cooling! Oh my god, this is so awesome!"

Shen Man was worrying in the kitchen because the gas was running out, and today's lunch was still not sorted.

Suddenly, the all-electric integrated stove, which she hadn't dared to use to save electricity, automatically lit up its indicator light.

The microwave, oven, and even the dishwasher nearby all entered standby mode.

"This... this is..."

Shen Man covered her mouth, looking at everything before her in disbelief.

As the head housekeeper, she knew exactly what this meant.

It meant they had completely said goodbye to the life of primitive people and had returned to that convenient, comfortable civilized society!

In this apocalypse, to be able to take a hot shower anytime, anywhere, and eat barbecue while enjoying air conditioning—what kind of heavenly life was this?!

"Long live the Conductor!!!"

Don't know who shouted it first.

Immediately after, the cheers rose wave after wave, echoing throughout the canyon.

This leap in quality of life was even more exciting than giving them gold bars.

At night, a celebratory banquet.

To celebrate the train's upgrade, Lin Xiao specifically approved that electricity could be used freely and ingredients could be cooked freely tonight!

The carriages were brightly lit, and the music was thundering (Luo Yao had fixed the onboard sound system).

The girls changed into their most beautiful clothes (mostly costumes from the Dance Department; although there was a bit less fabric, everyone loved looking at them) and sang and danced in the carriage.

Lin Xiao sat in the main seat, holding the newly recovered, rosy-cheeked Su Qingqian in his left arm, and holding a glass of red wine in his right hand.

Looking at this group of vibrant girls before him, and listening to the low and steady hum of the engine, he felt unprecedented satisfaction.

This was life.

This was the path to becoming an apocalypse overlord that he wanted.

"Lin Xiao, thank you."

Su Qingqian leaned on his shoulder, her eyes hazy.

"If it weren't for you, we might have died in some corner long ago; how could we be like this now..."

"Silly, this is your home too."

Lin Xiao kissed her hair, his gaze deep.

"However, this is just the beginning."

"With nuclear power, I can equip this train with real 'fangs'."

The next day, early morning.

**[Day 7.]**

This was the one-week anniversary of the apocalypse, and also the day the legendary "newbie week" ended.

Lin Xiao woke up early, didn't disturb the beauty beside him, and went to the rooftop terrace alone.

The wind on the wasteland in the early morning was strong, but he was only wearing a shirt; the surging power within him made him impervious to cold or heat.

"System, check in."

Lin Xiao silently recited in his heart.

The seventh day; according to the usual nature of systems, there would definitely be big loot today!

**[Ding! Detected the host has checked in for seven consecutive days...]**

**[Calculating cycle rewards...]**

**[Congratulations to the host! Triggered "Grand Slam" super critical hit!]**

Golden light exploded on Lin Xiao's retina!

Sure enough!

**[Congratulations to the host for obtaining S-rank vehicle weapon: 'Thor' Small Electromagnetic Railgun (Mk-I) x1!]**

**[Description: The pinnacle of pre-war technology for infantry/vehicle heavy weapons. Uses the immense Lorentz force generated by electromagnetic fields to accelerate special tungsten alloy projectiles to 7 times the speed of sound. Possesses extremely strong penetrating power and kinetic destructive power. No recoil, extremely long range. Requires high-energy power to operate (current conditions met).]**

**[Congratulations to the host for obtaining special building blueprint: 'Inception' Virtual Training Room x1!]**

**[Description: Uses brainwave connection technology to construct a high-fidelity battlefield in dreams. Users can hone combat skills and practice tactics within it; there is no penalty for death, and it does not consume real-world stamina. Note: Can significantly increase members' actual combat experience level.]**

"Holy crap! God-tier gear!"

Lin Xiao looked at these two rewards, so excited he almost couldn't help but roar at the sky.

This was simply a matching service!

With the nuclear reactor, this "electromagnetic gun," a huge power consumer, finally had a place to be used.

And that virtual training room perfectly solved the problem he had been headache-ridden about—those girls from the Dance Department, although their physical fitness had improved, had poor actual combat experience and would easily panic if they really encountered a zombie horde.

With this, he could train them into cold-blooded female warriors in their dreams!

"Install! Install immediately!"

Ten minutes later, on the roof.

The dual machine gun turret that was originally installed there had been moved to the side.

Replacing it was a silver-white metal creation filled with violent aesthetics.

It didn't have the thick barrel of traditional artillery, but was composed of two five-meter-long parallel rails, surrounded by dense superconducting coils, with the base connected to that thick blue cable leading directly to the nuclear reactor below.

The streamlined shell radiated a cold murderous aura, with the muzzle pointing at the sky, as if to blast apart the firmament.

"Is this... the electromagnetic gun?"

Zhao Xiaotang ran up carrying a steel pipe, looking at this new toy, her eyes wide as copper bells.

"Squad Leader, does this thing work? It doesn't look as thick as a cannon."

"Whether it works or not, we'll know if we try."

Lin Xiao stood in front of the console and put on goggles.

"Luo Yao, target locked."

"Target: That nameless hill two thousand meters ahead."

"Received! Fire control radar locked!"

Luo Yao's voice came through the headset, carrying undisguised excitement.

"Reactor power output... 50%... 80%... 100%!"

"Charging complete!"

Between the two silver-white rails, dazzling blue electric arcs began to light up.

The air was filled with a heavy smell of ozone.

The surrounding magnetic field twisted violently; Zhao Xiaotang even felt the steel pipe in her hand trembling slightly, wanting to fly away.

"Goodbye, little hill."

Lin Xiao curled his lips into a cold smile and pressed the red launch button hard.

"Fire!"

"Zzzzz——————!!!"

There was no earth-shattering explosion.

There was only an extremely sharp, screeching sound that seemed to tear through space!

A deep blue beam, almost impossible to capture with the naked eye, instantly pierced through the air, leaving a straight vacuum channel in the sky!