Chapter 331: Chapter 231: The Old Man and the Sea (Part 2)

“We’d better catch two more; Director Xu needs three, and other laboratories might need one or two for different experiments.”

Before he finished speaking, two more green crabs jumped onto the deck from the water.

These were also ferocious, just a bit smaller in size.

The mongoose’s eyes lit up, “Ha! Here they come!”

The staff member smiled, “We can finally report back.”

The mongoose’s ears suddenly twitched.

The water surface was repeatedly broken open like a sieve.

“Bam bam bam…”

One by one, green crabs leapt from the water onto the deck.

Dozens, hundreds, thousands…

The dense swarm of green crabs froze the smiles on both their faces.

A broadcast outside the car announced urgently, “Emergency notice, an Evolution Beast is attacking the train, all personnel on the deck must immediately enter the train, transportation tasks are terminated. If you cannot enter the train in time, retreat to the upstairs shelter immediately!”

“Should we still catch them?”

“Catch my ass!”

The mongoose grabbed the staff member by the collar and bolted towards the nearest door.

…

Su Huan jumped down from upstairs when he heard the noise.

He saw Lao San, who was surprised and asked what happened to his nose.

Lao San, with a wide whip mark across his face, insisted that he had bumped into something.

Elsewhere, two big men were wrestling, their crashing sounds demolishing the remaining décor in the bar.

A dozen soldiers cornered the Qi brothers, Qi Zhenbang, and Qi Zhendong.

As for everyone else, they had disappeared, leaving only patches of blood being washed across the floor by rain, then shattered away by the armored Qi Jian Country.

The furious Qi Jian Country let out a roar, used his tail to stand up and swung both feet to rise.

His tail carved a deep trench on the ground.

The trench was uncannily similar in width to the scar on Lao San’s face.

Without looking at anyone else, he charged wildly at Liang Kuan.

Then, Liang Kuan nonchalantly grabbed his fist, swung him around with force, smashed through a decorative wall, and sent him flying into the neighboring room with a thunderous noise.

The floor, already full of large holes, groaned under the immense burden.

Su Huan’s eyelid twitched, “Where are those people?”

Lao San grinned, “All went to feed the fish.”

“More than a hundred people?”

“Of course!”

Su Huan was silent for a moment.

“Butcher!”

“Bastard!”

The Qi brothers squatting in the corner, cursing in unison.

Looking as if they wanted to eat Su Huan alive.

Su Huan remained silent.

Not for a moment of silence for those hundred people.

After all, there were at least two who tried to grope him.

He just felt Lao San somewhat misunderstood his orders.

Just then, the enhanced loudspeaker of the train transmitted sounds upstairs.

Accompanied by gunfire like raindrops.

Su Huan walked to the edge of the window and looked down, countless green crabs leaped out of the water, covering the armored train layer by layer, the light from the windows quickly obscured by the crabs.

Even more exaggerated, the crabs actually piled up downstairs like coral reefs, layers upon layers climbing upwards.

In a matter of moments, they had reached the tenth floor.

“Holy crap, where did so many crabs come from?!”

Lao San, holding his collapsed nose with one hand, grinned and grimaced.

“It’s a crab disaster.” Iron Old Man rushed in, paused at the bloody smell, and said, “The scent of blood will attract them, clean up the fresh blood here quickly!”

Su Huan looked at Lao San, and Lao San turned his head away.

Muttered under his breath, “Who could’ve known…”

Su Huan ignored him, turned back to Iron Old Man, “What on earth is a crab disaster?”

Iron Old Man’s face was serious, “Every so often, crabs from Jingchao Lake will migrate en masse, passing by our shelter. As long as we don’t provoke them, it should be fine. There are many of them, but we’re only at their fringes…”

Gunfire erupted fiercely from the floor where Yu Yue was, cutting off the crabs’ ascent as they reached that level.

Su Huan rubbed his brow, “What if we’ve already provoked them?”

Iron Old Man’s face went blank.

He didn’t even look when Qi Jian Country was dragged over by Liang Kuan.

“Gather everyone, protect the shelter.”

“How confident are you?”

“I don’t know, the number of green crabs is enough to overwhelm the entire shelter.”

“Then why defend? Yu Yue, inform the train to circle back, prepare to pick us up and evacuate. Let Qu Hang notify the people upstairs to retreat.”

Su Huan walked outside.

“Where will we retreat to?”

Su Huan stopped and looked at him, thought for a moment, and honestly said, “Haven’t figured it out.”

“There’s nowhere for over five thousand of us to go, right?”

Iron Old Man showed no anger, no sadness, not even a hint of emotion, as if merely stating a simple fact.

Su Huan didn’t answer either, finding a new place for over five thousand people was indeed challenging.

And not everyone in the shelter are Evolvers, he wasn’t sure how many would survive.

The old man walked to the edge of the shattered window, the rain wetting his graying short hair and beard.

“When I was born, people were eager to throw their pots into the blast furnace, stacking steel into mountains big and small, so my father named me Qi Tieshan, hoping I’d be as useful to the country as those piles of iron.”

“Just like that pot, even if it’s just a little bit useful.”

“I served as a soldier for twenty years with this name, never taking a step back.”

“Everyone says there’s an Iron Mountain in Guan Chong.”

“Now standing on this land, where do you want Guan Chong’s Iron Mountain to retreat to?”

Iron Old Man turned to look at Su Huan, his spine straight, like an old gun, rusted but still capable of roaring.

Su Huan looked at this stubborn old soldier, and said seriously, “But you’re not an Iron Mountain. If the Mutant Beasts press in, and the flood rushes in, there will be nothing left here.”

The old soldier’s words were ironclad, “If it’s gone, we rebuild it, house by house, as long as I’m alive.”

“If I die, my son will keep building. If my son dies, there’s still…”

Iron Old Man suddenly remembered his disappointing grandson, a flicker of unspeakable sorrow in his eyes.

“There’s still me!”

Xiaodong stood out to say.

The old soldier smiled.

“That’s the spirit of Guan Chong, that’s the Iron Mountain of Guan Chong!”

Xiaodong bowed apologetically to Su Huan, his head almost touching the ground, “Sorry, Bro, I’m a Guan Chong person; I want to stay with Grandpa Tieshan and protect my home.”

The green crabs were already climbing into the window.

The inquiry from Yu Yue reached his ears.

Su Huan waved silently, the soldiers released the Qi brothers and began to evacuate in an orderly manner.

Lin Jin and Lao San opened their mouths but said nothing, Liang Kuan said nothing either, turning to leave.

Watching their retreat, Qi Jian Country and the others showed no disdain or anger, but only indifference and solemnity to face the upcoming battle.

Iron Old Man picked up the shotgun he had dropped on the ground.

Aimed at the oncoming green crabs and pulled the trigger.

…

Su Huan took a few steps and heard the roar of the shotgun from behind.

As if it were competing with the storm.

But guns run out of bullets, people grow tired.

Will his last bullet be for defending his hometown, or will it be for himself?

Will Iron Old Man regret it then?

Bringing his son, Xiaodong, and everyone to die here.

Everyone would perish.

Leaving nothing behind.

His so-called rebuilding was merely a brief boost of morale.

But this brief sound would ultimately be drowned out.

Will it be?

Liang Kuan noticed the train conductor’s steps slowed.

Until he completely stopped.

Without any surprise or doubt, Liang Kuan simply took off his shirt and handed it to Lao San, who was holding his nose.

The latter was stunned, “Why?”

“Getting into a fight, hold it for me.”

Before Lao San could ask who they were fighting, everyone heard a long sigh.

“How much work will they have to do to make up for my losses…”

A pale blue lightning flickered in the void, spreading like a quickly expanding Thunder Divine Kingdom in the wind and rain.

A hundred meters in diameter, four buildings were entirely enveloped in intimidating electric light.

Everyone seemed to hear a low shout echoing like a mountain falling into a valley.

“Thunder Pool.”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep