Anyway, there are plenty of workers and materials in the manufacturing base, so we'll construct according to the scale of top-level shelters.

Mixed energy supply network, plant farms, underground water reservoirs...

Even the simplest walls were replaced with two-meter-thick concrete, along with various anti-climbing designs.

Taking advantage of the breathing room brought by the armed train, this group of workers and experts were determined to use every trick they had, and the base was changing almost daily.

If it weren't for the acid rain causing delays, the construction progress would be even faster.

The third phase of the armed train's renovation has already reached one-third completion.

The base produced seventy new carriages, making up a total of one hundred. The train was split into two, with the old locomotive replaced by two multienergy locomotives named [Xuan Jia].

The locomotives are currently being modified.

However, the carriage framework has already been preliminarily adjusted. The factory manager and Vice President Deng summarized the previous combat experiences of the armed train and structurally reinforced the carriages, especially enhancing the anti-collision capabilities.

The carriages were crafted integrally, solving the train conductor's headache about sealing issues all at once.

Forget acid rain seeping in; it wouldn't leak a single drop even if submerged in water tens of meters deep.

To prove the manufacturing strength of the base, Vice President Deng took a blanket and directly stayed overnight in the test carriage, which was submerged in a larger acid rain pit and covered with soil.

The next day, the carriage was unearthed intact.

...

Outside the train manufacturing center, on the edge of the material area.

During a work break, three elderly passengers in dark blue work uniforms walked over, leaned against a discarded train body, and looked around to make sure no one was paying attention.

They pulled out a cigarette from their pocket and skillfully put it in their mouth.

This nonchalant action instantly caught the eyes of two others.

"Hey, brother, where did you get this good stuff?"

Old Ma glanced sideways at the two, disdaining, "Of course, it's from the logistics group. Look at you two, looking like bears. One for each, here."

He then flicked over two more cigarettes from his pocket.

The other two happily took them and started smoking.

While smoking, they complained, "The cigarettes from the logistics group are too expensive. A pack costs two points, but do you know the purchase price?"

Old Ma's eyes lit up, knowing these old passengers had inside information, "How much?"

"It's also two points."

"What nonsense are you talking about, buying at two points and selling at two points? Do you think the train is doing charity?"

Another person cursed.

"Why are you so impatient? I didn't finish. What they buy for two points is a whole carton!"

"Damn, that's a tenfold profit!"

Old Ma feigned shock, "The points system only recently opened; how do you know the purchase price?"

The man boasted, "I don't know, but I have a good brother, Xiaoma, he's Brother Xiao's right-hand man, and he told me himself."

Old Ma's heart leaped with joy, not expecting to catch such a fish, not big but enough for him to feast.

Liu Ming led the Tongzhou Association to climb up to Tong Zizhan, just in time for the armed train's restructuring.

But not everyone could endure the training by that electric baton bastard in the Armed Corps.

The lucky ones with certain skills would be transferred to the crew group, while the rest could only be eliminated, their fate unknown.

The armed train has recently undergone numerous changes, and rumors and gossip are everywhere.

While full of opportunities, it also makes everyone anxious.

Old Ma is one of those older folks who couldn't endure the Armed Corps' new recruit training and had no skills for the crew group. There are many such old passengers in the Tongzhou Association.

Liu Ming comforts them by secretly gathering information for the association, vowing never to abandon any brother in the association.

Although everyone doesn't quite believe it, they can only hold onto this last straw.

Old Ma painfully pulled out a soft pack from his pocket, with about a dozen cigarettes left, took out two, and stuffed the rest into that person's hand.

His old face wrinkled with a few pleasantries, "Earlier, I was blind, not recognizing Mount Tai. Since you have connections, share some news with us comrades in hardship. We got on this train just one after the other."

That person took the cigarettes, stood a bit straighter, "There are indeed a few pieces of news. Remember Old Guo, who once delivered cherry cans to Brother Xiao? With his wife and kids, they've all moved into the crew group now, just because of a can!"

The man held up a finger, blew a smoke ring, his eyes slightly red.

"Damn, that's some stroke of luck!"

Another person's eyes widened, full of envy.

Old Ma sighed, "It's a pity I didn't have a can back then. Now it's too late to flatter, Brother Xiao's already a lieutenant in the Armed Corps."

"You can try Jiang Rong, maybe her man's dead, she might take a liking to your charming looks, Old Ma... hahaha!"

"Nonsense, don't look at how polite Sister Jiang is to everyone. When she held a carriage alone back then, you think it was because of her softness?"

Old Ma's face changed, whispering sternly.

Now Jiang Rong is a lieutenant, on par with Lu Xiao.

If these lewd words reached her ears, she'd shoot him, and he'd die a wrongful death.

"No jokes, there might be another way. Remember the skinny guy in car number twenty-three? What's his name, Qiang something... He's also made it into the crew group, not sure how. My intuition tells me there's definitely a way behind this. You might want to check it out."

The man who took the cigarette spoke with a facade of profundity.

Old Ma's eyes twinkled, as if he didn't already know. It was he who pitied Zhang Qiang back then and recommended him to join the Tongzhou Association.

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