5: Chapter 5 Check-in: Multifunctional Robotic Arm

The first ray of morning sunlight filtered through the slightly cracked bulletproof glass of the cockpit, dappling the control console.

Lin Xiao woke up amidst a slight jolt.

The makeshift cot beneath him (which he had "requisitioned" from Zhao Ji last night) was a bit hard, but for a survivor who had already spent a day in this apocalypse, it was treatment on par with a presidential suite.

He rubbed his sleepy eyes and habitually looked to the side.

Shen Man was sleeping soundly, slumped over the small table at the side of the console.

She was wearing only a thin knit sweater, her body slightly curled up against the morning chill. Her chestnut-colored wavy hair was scattered casually across her shoulders and the tabletop, with a few strands playfully clinging to her rosy cheeks.

She had taken the second half of the night watch. Lin Xiao hadn't wanted to agree, but the gentle older sister figure had insisted on sharing the burden, and Lin Xiao, unable to refuse her, had relented.

Watching her defenseless sleeping face and the voluptuous curves rising and falling gently with her breathing, a warmth couldn't help but rise in Lin Xiao's heart.

In this wasteland world where one could lose their life at any moment, having such a woman by his side was truly a great comfort.

He got up on tiptoe, picked up the black down jacket he had retrieved last night, and carefully draped it over Shen Man.

Although his movements were gentle, Shen Man still flinched like a startled little rabbit and opened her eyes groggily.

"Hmm... Squad Leader? Is it dawn already?"

Freshly awake, Shen Man's voice carried a lazy huskiness that made one's ears tingle. She rubbed her eyes, discovered the down jacket on her, and her pretty face flushed slightly, though the corners of her mouth couldn't help but turn up.

"Thank you... I'm not cold."

"Just wear it. If you catch a cold, it'll be a waste of my medicine." Lin Xiao said, his words harsh but his heart soft. He then stretched his body, his bones popping like firecrackers.

After a night's rest, combined with the lingering effects of yesterday's strengthening potion, he now felt energetic enough to kill a cow.

"System, sign in."

This was the most important thing to do every morning upon waking up.

"Ding! Detected that the second day has arrived."

"Performing today's God-level sign-in..."

A familiar purple-gold light exploded across Lin Xiao's retina.

"Congratulations to the host for a successful sign-in!"

"Obtained S-grade carriage module: Multifunctional Mechanical Arm (Titan Type I)!"

"Obtained critical hit reward: Supply package 'Self-heating Hot Pot Gift Set' x50 boxes!"

Lin Xiao's eyes lit up instantly like two light bulbs.

A mechanical arm! This was good stuff!

He quickly checked the item details.

"Multifunctional Mechanical Arm (Titan Type I): S-grade external module."

"Description: A dual-mounted heavy-duty mechanical arm installed on both sides of the train's locomotive. Crafted from high-strength memory alloy, featuring a self-contained hydraulic assist system."

"Function 1: Grabbing. Can precisely grab supply crates, ores, or creatures within a 5-meter range on either side of the tracks while moving (speed limit below 80km/h)."

"Function 2: Attack. Possesses terrifying grip and striking power, capable of easily crushing the bones of Level 1 monsters or clearing roadblocks."

"Function 3: Assistance. Capable of precision operations (requires manual control or AI assistance), such as repairing the carriage body, building defensive fortifications, etc."

"An artifact!" Lin Xiao punched the air hard.

Yesterday at the mine, although they had a bountiful harvest, they had also taken huge risks. Moreover, because they couldn't stop along the way, they had missed several supply crates on the roadside.

With this thing, it was like having an "auto-loot" cheat! He could drive while picking up trash, and even swat away zombies that dared to pounce on them like swatting flies!

"Install!" Lin Xiao clicked confirm without hesitation.

"Rumble—" The entire Train No. 9527 suddenly shook violently.

Shen Man was startled and quickly grabbed the table. "What's wrong? Is it an earthquake? Or are there monsters?"

"Don't be afraid, it's just installing two hands for our train." Lin Xiao comforted her with a smile.

Through the front glass, Shen Man watched in shock as two openings suddenly split open on both sides of the previously bare locomotive.

Accompanied by a sound of mechanical engagement full of industrial aesthetic, two huge metal mechanical arms, gleaming with a cold silver-gray light, slowly extended outward.

The mechanical arms were as thick as an adult's thigh, with blue energy light flickering at the joints, and the mechanical claws at the ends were razor-sharp, like the talons of a steel beast.

"This... this is too cool!" Although Shen Man didn't understand machinery, she felt the shock and sense of security brought by this heavy industrial violent aesthetic.

"Squad Leader, how did you do this? Is this also your talent?"

"Secret." Lin Xiao blinked, pretending to be mysterious. "As long as you follow me, this train will even be able to turn into a Transformer in the future."

After installing the mechanical arms, Lin Xiao was in a great mood.

"Grr..." His stomach protested at the right time.

The bit of compressed biscuits from last night had long since been digested.

Lin Xiao glanced at the other reward in his system inventory—50 boxes of self-heating hot pot.

If it were in civilized society, this stuff would just be emergency food, and even if it were a so-called big brand, the taste would just be so-so.

But here? When everyone was gnawing on black bread as hard as stone and drinking cold water with a metallic taste, a steaming, spicy, and delicious hot pot was a supreme royal feast!

"Let's go, beautiful Shen, call Qing Qian and the others, it's time to eat." Lin Xiao waved his hand and walked out of the cockpit with several boxes of self-heating hot pot.

In the carriage, people were waking up one after another.

Most of the girls had dark circles under their eyes and were shivering in the corners. Although down jackets had been distributed yesterday, there weren't enough, so many people could only huddle together in one piece of clothing to keep warm.

The atmosphere, a mix of hunger, cold, and fear, was so stifling that it made it hard to breathe.

When Lin Xiao walked out holding those colorful boxes, everyone's eyes converged on him.

"What... is that?"

"It looks like... self-heating rice? No, that packaging... it's Haidilao self-heating hot pot!"

A foodie girl who recognized the brand couldn't help but exclaim.

Lin Xiao ignored their greedy gazes and walked straight to the largest iron table they had cleared yesterday.

"Su Qingqian, Luo Yao, Zhao Xiaotang, and Shen Man, come here."

The named individuals quickly gathered around.

Zhao Xiaotang yawned, rubbing her wrist that had been "injured" yesterday (though it had long since healed), and complained, "Squad Leader, calling us this early in the morning... I haven't slept enough yet..."

But when she saw clearly what was on the table, her eyes widened instantly, and her yawn was swallowed back.

"Holy crap! Hot pot?!"

Lin Xiao tore open the packaging, put the heating pack into the water, and quickly put the lid on.

"Sizzle—" With a pleasant sound of boiling water, a plume of white steam emerged from the vent.

Following it was an incredibly overpowering spicy beef tallow aroma!

This aroma was like a nuclear bomb, instantly detonating in the enclosed carriage!

The girls who were originally pretending to sleep or daydreaming were all like they had their souls hooked, their noses twitching frantically, and saliva secreting uncontrollably.

That was hot pot! With meat! With vegetables! With vermicelli! Most importantly, it was hot! It was spicy!

"Gulp..." Even the usually aloof Su Qingqian couldn't help but stare at the steaming box, her throat moving slightly. She was also a closet foodie in school and loved this the most.

"Squad Leader... is this... really for us to eat?" Luo Yao had already abandoned her image, slumped on the table, looking at Lin Xiao with eager eyes, like a little kitten waiting to be fed.

"Of course." Lin Xiao smiled and pushed the few boxes of hot pot that were already heated in front of them. "This is a perk for the core management team. Only when you're full do you have the strength to work."

"Wuwuwu, Squad Leader, I want to have your babies!" Luo Yao cheered and couldn't wait to lift the lid.

The red oil rolled, and the aroma was pungent. A large, tender slice of beef, mixed with lotus root slices and kelp, was stuffed into her mouth.

"Hot, hot, hot... huff... so good! So, so good!" Luo Yao was so happy that tears were about to come out.

Zhao Xiaotang was not to be outdone, eating the wide vermicelli in big mouthfuls, sweating profusely from the spice but shouting that it was satisfying: "Awesome! This is what life should be like! That canned food yesterday was good but too greasy, this one hits the spot!"

Although Su Qingqian ate elegantly, chewing slowly and swallowing carefully, her speed was not slow at all. Her face, which had been somewhat pale from the cold, was flushed with a layer of red from the stimulation of the chili, and amidst the curling steam, she was breathtakingly beautiful.

The laughter and strong aroma here were simply torture for the others in the corners.

Especially Zhao Ji. She held half a piece of expired black bread so hard it could kill someone (collected from yesterday's welfare distribution), and watching Lin Xiao's group gorging themselves, her eyes turned red with jealousy.

"Why... why can they eat hot pot, and we can only eat this pig swill?" Zhao Ji gritted her teeth, her nails digging into her palms.

"Because they dare to risk their lives." A girl next to her who was washing Lin Xiao's socks said coldly, "If you dare to go down and kill zombies, you can eat it too."

Zhao Ji was rendered speechless and could only slam the bread onto the ground: "I will not eat food given out of pity!"

A few seconds later, she silently picked it up again, brushed off the dust, and stuffed it into her mouth, chewing while crying. It was impossible to say it tasted good, but she was really hungry.

Lin Xiao ate the beef while observing everyone's reactions. This class difference established through food was more effective than any preaching.

He saw several girls who had been hesitant, their eyes had changed, filled with that desire of 'next time, I also want to risk my life.'

"Ahem." Lin Xiao put down his chopsticks and wiped his mouth. "Are you full?"

"Full, full! I've been fully revived!" Luo Yao rubbed her round little belly, looking satisfied.

"Since you're full, let's talk business." Lin Xiao opened the hand-drawn map hanging on the wall—this was drawn by Luo Yao overnight through system data analysis.

"Our next stop is a place called 'Misty Forest'." Lin Xiao pointed to an area on the map covered by a green shadow.

"There, it's no longer those slow zombies. According to Luo Yao's data analysis, a mutant creature called 'Wind Wolf' is entrenched there."

Hearing "wolf," the faces of several girls changed.

"Wolf? Doesn't that mean they are very fast?" Zhao Xiaotang frowned. "My chair leg might not keep up with their movements."

"That's right." Lin Xiao nodded. "Wind Wolf, a Level 1 agility-type monster. Fast speed, sharp claws and teeth, and they act in groups. Much harder to deal with than those blockheaded miner zombies."

"But..." Lin Xiao changed the subject, a glint flashing in his eyes. "That is also a place we must go. Because we need upgrade materials."

"Although our train has a power core, its defense is still the initial G-grade iron plating. It will fall apart if it encounters even a slightly strong impact. And in the Misty Forest, there is an abundance of [Ironwood] and [Mutant Rubber], which are essential for upgrading the carriage armor and shock absorption system."

"Besides, I just installed that thing." Lin Xiao pointed towards the front of the train. "I was just worrying about not having a place to test it out."

He stood up, his gaze sweeping over the four girls. "This time, our tactics must change. No more getting off the train for a hard fight, but instead..."

"A defensive counterattack from the train."

After breakfast, the train continued to move forward.

As they got closer to the Misty Forest, the surrounding environment began to change.

The original cracked wasteland land gradually disappeared, replaced by large patches of gray-black moss and ferns. The humidity in the air increased significantly, and a layer of water mist began to condense on the train windows.

Even more eerily, a milky white thick fog began to permeate the surroundings. Visibility rapidly dropped from several kilometers to a few hundred meters, and then to a few tens of meters...

"Attention! About to enter the mist area!"

Luo Yao sat in the passenger seat, her hands operating the system interface in the void rapidly, her little face tense. "Visibility is less than 20 meters! Radar is being interfered with by a magnetic field, scanning range is reduced to 100 meters!"

"Shen Man, notify the rear carriage, all windows must be closed and locked! No one is allowed near the windows!" Lin Xiao immediately issued the order.

"Received!" Shen Man held the walkie-talkie, her voice steady.

"Su Qingqian, Zhao Xiaotang, go to the rear of the train. That is a blind spot in our line of sight, and also the place most likely to be ambushed."

"Understood." The two women looked at each other, picked up their weapons (Su Qingqian's ice axe and Zhao Xiaotang's new weapon—a crowbar picked up from the mine), and rushed to the rear of the train.

The train plunged headlong into the thick, milk-like white fog.

The world around them vanished instantly, leaving only the sound of wheels grinding over the rails and that unsettling, deadly silence.