Chapter 1238 Lu Chong Goes to Night
At dusk, in Beibei, at the Longfeng Railway Freight Station.
This railway station, originally used for cargo transshipment, was reopened and given new military attributes after the apocalypse, as the battle to retake Chongqing progressed.
Double-layered barbed wire fencing was erected around the platform, and temporary searchlights were set up at key locations. The bright light illuminated the platform area as if it were daytime, creating a stark contrast with the approaching twilight.
Clad in camouflage and armed with guns, the guards stood in standard tactical formations, guarding every entrance, high point, and along the railway line, their cold eyes scanning for any movement.
The air was thick with the smells of diesel fuel, rust, and a tense, oppressive atmosphere...
Beside the platform, a unique "steel dragon" lies quietly.
This is not an ordinary passenger or freight train, but a heavily modified armored command train.
The front of the vehicle is a powerful internal combustion locomotive, with the cab and key areas covered by additional armor plates. A remote weapon station is mounted on the roof, with the dark muzzle of a 35mm quadruple anti-aircraft gun pointing to the side.
The several carriages being towed behind were even more daunting:
The outer walls of the carriages are covered with thick composite armor, and the windows are narrow and inlaid with bulletproof glass. Two of the carriages have a noticeably raised top with rotating turrets, and the outlines of anti-aircraft guns and automatic grenade launchers can be vaguely seen.
All the carriage side walls are painted with a gray-green digital camouflage pattern to suit the railway environment, and are also sprayed with the emblem of the Central Plains Theater Command and the unique markings representing the Chongqing Military Region.
The entire special train resembled a war behemoth clad in steel armor, ready to roar at any moment, radiating a chilling aura that kept strangers at bay.
Beside the special train, soldiers from an enhanced guard battalion were conducting final boarding checks. They were well-equipped, had stern expressions, and moved cleanly and efficiently, demonstrating extremely high military proficiency.
"Om-"
At that moment, outside the railway station, a low, rumbling sound of a diesel engine approached from afar.
A convoy of several Mengshi 3 armored vehicles and military off-road vehicles, flashing their lights, sped into the martial law station area and drove directly onto the platform, stopping smoothly near the doors of the special train.
The car doors opened in unison, and the first to jump out were fully armed guards who quickly established a perimeter.
Immediately afterwards, surrounded by several senior staff officers and adjutants, the tall Lu Chong, wearing a military uniform jacket, strode down.
The elation of the afternoon was no longer visible on his face; instead, a solemn dignity shone through. His gaze swept over the heavily guarded platform and the special steel train, and he nodded in satisfaction.
However, the most eye-catching figure in the group was the one who got off another armored personnel carrier right after Lu Chong.
Xiong Yuting was still wearing that drab, ill-fitting gray coat, her messy hair fluttering gently in the evening breeze.
Her stunningly beautiful, almost otherworldly face, bathed in the bright lights of the platform, seemed to radiate a soft glow, standing out starkly against the cold, hard military environment around her, like a pale and dangerous exotic flower that had strayed into a steel jungle.
She seemed to be full of curiosity about everything around her. Her purple eyes widened slightly. She first looked up at the towering platform roof and the blinding searchlights, then looked down at the rough cement ground under her feet and the railway tracks that stretched into the distance, as if she were studying something new and interesting.
As her gaze swept over the soldiers standing like statues, the weapons gleaming with a cold metallic light, and the massive armored train, there was no awe or fear that a normal person would have in her eyes, only a pure and empty desire for exploration.
Jia Daiquan, like the most vigilant bodyguard, followed closely behind Xiong Yuting, keeping a half-step distance to her side.
His body was slightly tense, and one hand hung casually at his side, but he was actually ready to deal with any unexpected situation at any time.
His gaze almost never left Xiong Yuting, observing her every subtle expression and movement, as if he were taking care of a beautiful but deadly round-headed old man who could suddenly erupt at any moment due to the stimulation of an unfamiliar environment, his nerves were taut to the extreme.
The stationmaster, an elderly railway worker with graying temples, now wearing a uniform bearing the railway system's insignia, hurriedly jogged over to greet Lu Chong, stood at attention, and saluted, his voice slightly hoarse with nervousness:
"Reporting, sir! The special train is ready and can depart at any time!"
Lu Chong casually returned the greeting, but his gaze bypassed the stationmaster and landed on the railway tracks that Xiong Yuting was curiously "studying".
"Yes, thank you for your hard work," he replied briefly, then gestured to the staff officer beside him.
The staff officer immediately understood and began guiding the group to move towards the middle carriages of the special train.
The staff on the platform responsible for guiding and logistics stood still, watching the group with awe. The beautiful girl being carefully "protected" by Jia Daiquan felt an indescribable pressure, even though she didn't know what was going on, and dared not even breathe.
Led by Lu Chong and his staff, the group split into two groups. Lu Chong's group boarded a particularly spacious carriage in the middle of the special train, which had been modified for comfort.
The other group, which was actually just Jia Daiquan and Xiong Yuting, boarded a slightly back section of the train that had been temporarily reinforced.
Lu Chong originally planned to arrange a few more guards for Jia Daiquan, but Jia Daiquan refused, considering that strangers might upset the girl.
At this moment, Jia Daiquan led Xiong Yuting into the car almost half-guided and half-guarded, arranging for her to sit in a relatively independent seat by the window, while he himself sat directly opposite her, maintaining a subtle and vigilant posture.
Lu Chong sat down in the command seat of carriage number 1, took one last look at the soldiers standing solemnly outside the window and the gradually darkening sky, and nodded to the guard battalion commander standing at the carriage door.
"set off!"
The order was quickly transmitted via communication channels.
Woo——! ! !
The long, deep whistle broke the evening's tranquility, drowning out the roar of the diesel engine.
The heavy wheels began to turn slowly, rubbing against the rails and making a powerful clanging sound, gradually increasing in speed.
Soon, the special train, clad in steel armor, like a giant dragon awakening, carried the newly appointed commander of the 3rd Army Group, a former battalion commander filled with trepidation, and a mysterious girl with purple eyes.
As dusk deepened and the guards saluted solemnly, the train departed from the Longfeng Freight Station, speeding along the railway tracks that stretched northeastward, towards the night province, towards the night market, towards the location of the chairman who held all power!
As the train passed, only the slight vibrations of the rails and the lingering diesel exhaust in the air remained, like a silent footnote, foreshadowing a wave that might sweep across higher levels, quietly approaching with the turning of the iron wheels.
