novelsite Chapter 2 The Train
Chapter 2 The Train
Wang Zhengyang changed into a well-fitting dark suit, put the printed and bound project documents into his briefcase, and left the apartment.
Oberhausen marshalling yard is located on the outskirts of Berlin, its vast yard divided into countless sections by a crisscrossing network of tracks. At 2 p.m., the duty supervisor, Schmidt, a ruddy-faced, stocky middle-aged German man, was waiting at the door on time.
"Mr. Wang, welcome. EIS-7 is on orbit 3."
Wang Zhengyang followed Schmidt deeper into the marshalling yard. Then, he saw it.
The dark gray steel behemoth lay silently on the tracks, its five locomotives connected in a "one-to-four" formation, pulling thirty-six mixed flatbed and container wagons. The wagons, freshly washed, gleamed with a cold, heavy metallic sheen in the slanting afternoon sunlight of autumn. But Wang Zhengyang's gaze did not linger on their appearance.
"I'd like to see the driver's cab and generator compartment first." His request was direct and professional.
Stepping into the cab of the first high-speed train, the interior is a typical example of German industrial design: everything is well-organized, highly modular, and features numerous electronic displays and control terminals (all of which will become obsolete after the apocalypse). Wang Zhengyang moves about seemingly casually, his fingers inadvertently brushing against the edge of the main control console, the metal frame of the driver's seat, and the fixed frame of the instrument panel.
The ability of mechanical affinity unfolds quietly, and perception spreads out like an invisible net:
- The internal wiring harness of the console is neatly arranged, but the fan bearing that cools the central main control computer has extremely slight wear noise, with an estimated remaining life of about two thousand hours.
- The hydraulic shock absorber cylinder under the driver's seat is well sealed and shows no signs of leakage.
- On the right side of the instrument panel area, there are two fixing bolts with a preload torque slightly lower than the standard value.
The most crucial generator compartment is located at the rear of the vehicle. Two MAN diesel engines are mounted side by side, their outer shells brand new. Wang Zhengyang placed his palms flat on the protective covers on the outside of the engines and closed his eyes.
A deep examination of the metal reveals: the piston rings fit perfectly against the cylinder wall, providing excellent sealing; the crankshaft's dynamic balance is extremely precise; the turbocharger blades are smooth and undamaged, without any minor cracks; and the fuel filter has clearly been recently replaced. The entire powertrain is in near-brand-new condition.
"May I take a look at its comprehensive overhaul record from last year?" Wang Zhengyang withdrew his hand and asked.
Schmidt handed over an industrial tablet PC. Wang Zhengyang quickly and carefully reviewed the electronic files: a detailed maintenance checklist, including the replacement of all rubber hoses, partial upgrades to the electronic control system, flaw detection reports for key parts of the vehicle body structure, and a complete redo of the anti-corrosion coating. The records were complete and impeccable.
"The vehicle's basic condition and power system meet our initial requirements." Wang Zhengyang handed the tablet back, his tone calm. "Now, we can discuss the specific lease terms."
The ensuing negotiations lasted approximately forty minutes. Wang Zhengyang seamlessly switched between his roles as a technical expert, the project's authorized representative, and a shrewd negotiator. He first emphasized the project's long-term nature (at least six months, possibly longer) and the potential value of future collaborations, hinting at stable rental income and opportunities for technical exchange. He then demonstrated his ability to pay, indicating he could accept partial prepayment of rent, but using this as leverage to demand a significant reduction in the security deposit and a more flexible payment schedule.
When Schmidt stated that the deposit was a mandatory company requirement and could not be waived, Wang Zhengyang proposed a compromise: "We understand DB's regulations. How about this: We accept a monthly rent of 7.5 euros, and the deposit is reduced to 1.5 euros. We will pay the first month's rent plus the deposit, totaling 9 euros, in one lump sum upon signing the contract. However, we hope that the payment date for the second month's rent can be postponed by thirty days—this is exactly the standard timeframe for project approval and funding in our domestic market. This will not only demonstrate our sincerity in cooperation but also fully comply with the regulations of the financial process."
As he spoke, he looked calmly at Schmidt, without applying pressure, simply stating an arrangement that was reasonable for both parties.
Schmidt pondered, his fingers tapping unconsciously on the edge of the tablet. Finally, he nodded. "Mr. Wang, your proposal... is acceptable in principle. However, the formal contract needs to be drafted by the company's legal department, which will take approximately two business days. In addition, you will need to provide your company's valid registration documents, as well as relevant background materials from the project proponent for record-keeping."
"No problem." Wang Zhengyang extended his hand. "I will begin preparing the relevant documents tomorrow. I look forward to a smooth collaboration with DB."
As they left the Oberhausen marshalling yard, the setting sun cast EIS-7's long shadow onto the gravel roadbed. Wang Zhengyang took one last look at the silent steel silhouette. Thirty days later, when the world sank into darkness and chaos, it would no longer be DB number EIS-7, but would become the "Longyuan," tearing through the night and carrying the flame of civilization.
And he will be the only one who can awaken and control it.
Upon returning to his apartment, Wang Zhengyang immediately began processing the company registration. Registering a brand new limited liability company (GmbH) in Germany was a cumbersome and time-consuming process, which he couldn't afford to wait for. Through a reliable intermediary, he found a ready-made shell company called "Eurasia Technology Bridge Co., Ltd." Registered in Berlin, its business scope conveniently included "machinery equipment leasing, technical consulting services, and international trade," and it was completely clean and vacant. The acquisition price was €8000, including all legal document changes and expedited service fees. He paid a deposit and demanded that the change of legal representative and shareholding be completed within three days.
Subsequently, he opened a corporate account at Deutsche Bank in the name of the new company and transferred €20 from his anonymous personal account as initial operating capital. The remaining approximately €10 remained in his personal account for expenses that were inconvenient to process through company accounts.
Having finished all this, Berlin outside the window was completely shrouded in night. The city lights were still dazzling, but Wang Zhengyang knew that this brilliance wouldn't last long. The financial pressure hadn't disappeared; 30 euros was still far from enough for the massive project. He needed more leverage.
A plan took shape in his mind: apply for a short-term operating loan from a bank under the names of "Eurasia Technology Bridge Co., Ltd." and "Sino-German Heavy Equipment Joint Testing Project". The collateral could be the €20 cash deposit in the company's account, and the letter of intent for cooperation on the "national-level project" (albeit a forged one). The risk lay in the potential due diligence the bank might conduct, but the opportunity was that, if successful, he could leverage more initial capital.
He decided to contact the bank tomorrow to explore the possibilities.
That night, Wang Zhengyang found a completely broken laser printer in the basement junkyard. Wang Zhengyang's goal was not to repair it, but to mentally "draw" and understand the precise spatial location, connection relationship, and main failure points of all its internal mechanical components without disassembling its plastic casing, relying solely on his mechanical affinity.
He turned off the overhead light, leaving only a dim desk lamp. He gently pressed his palms against the sides of the printer's slightly rough plastic casing, closed his eyes, and concentrated all his attention.
The mental energy seemed to transform into countless tiny tentacles, seeping inward along the gaps in the plastic molecular structure. At first, it was a chaotic mess, then outlines began to emerge: the rubber roller assembly responsible for feeding the paper, the precision rack and stepper motor that drove the optical components to move laterally, the gear system that drove the toner cartridge to rotate, the complex laser scanning mirror assembly, and the core photosensitive drum (toner cartridge) assembly.
His perception became increasingly clear. He could "feel" that one of the bearings in the main drive motor was severely lacking in oil, and that dry friction was producing tiny metal shavings; in the gear set, the two gears responsible for transmitting the main torque had chipping at the tips of their meshing teeth that was difficult to see with the naked eye; and that the organic photoconductive layer on the surface of the toner cartridge had several fine scratches and charge leakage points due to long-term exposure and aging.
The whole process lasted nearly an hour. When he let go and opened his eyes, the internal structure diagram of the broken printer was clearly imprinted in his memory, as if he had disassembled it countless times by hand.
The precision and depth of the capabilities have shown a noticeable improvement compared to the afternoon test. The activation level of the gene engine is estimated to have quietly increased to around 0.22%. This growth is clearly closely related to proactive and focused use.
After training, Wang Zhengyang stood by the window of his apartment, gazing at the flowing traffic and neon lights of Berlin's nightscape below. What surfaced in his mind, however, was the dark Berlin of his past life—a place where electricity was dead, fires flickered sporadically, and screams and shouts echoed everywhere.
Several key names and faces became clear. One of them was "Boss Zhang"—Zhang Yiqiang. A "capable man" with considerable fame in the Berlin Chinese community in his previous life, he ostensibly ran a building materials and logistics business, but in reality, he had connections to all sorts of people and maintained a group of followers. In the early stages of the apocalypse, he quickly took control of a block by using pre-stockpiled supplies and ruthless methods, but was soon wiped out by the increasingly ferocious mutated beast horde and internal strife. He was greedy, shrewd, and dangerous enough. He might be a source of certain supplies, but more likely, he was a threat that needed to be prevented or eliminated in advance.
As for the more specific steps to take over the next thirty days, Wang Zhengyang already has a clear and resilient framework in his mind. He has considered what to do at each step, the priority order, and what obstacles might be encountered. Details need to be continuously filled in and adjusted based on the actual situation during action, but the core logic is already solid.
Reason was the only and most powerful weapon he carried between the two worlds. He did not rely on luck, nor did he place his hopes on nothing; he believed only in meticulous calculation and unwavering execution.
00:20, outside the Oberhausen marshalling yard.
Wang Zhengyang came here once again. He didn't try to go in, but stood in the shadows outside the fence in the distance, silently gazing at the even deeper and larger outline of the EIS-7 in the darkness. The night wind swept through the empty shunting yard, bringing with it the faint sounds of machinery in the distance and the faint smell of rust mixed with diesel fuel.
He slowly raised his right hand, palm open, pointing it towards the direction of the train. He wasn't trying to unleash any superpowers; he was simply fully activating his mechanical affinity, which was only at 0.22% activation.
A faint, distant, yet undeniably present sense of connection emerged. As if separated by hundreds of meters of void, his perception barely touched the cold shell of the steel behemoth. The feedback was indistinct, like touching the bedrock of a mountain in a thick fog, but he could "feel" its overall, heavy, dormant, solid presence.
"Soon," his voice was low and almost carried away by the wind, "he will no longer be asleep."
He turned and walked steadily toward the nearest subway station entrance. The chill of the Berlin autumn night posed no threat to his body, which had undergone initial strengthening.
The subway car was nearly empty. Wang Zhengyang found a corner seat, closed his eyes, and seemed to be resting. But in his mind, a digital map of Berlin was unfolding, with invisible markers being drawn one by one: Oberhausen marshalling yard (the core base), several large building materials and industrial secondhand markets in the east of the city (potential sources of materials), areas with a concentration of universities and research institutions (potential technical information or special materials), major traffic arteries and bridge nodes (key to future evacuation routes)...
An invisible network of resources and pathways woven for survival is quietly taking shape in his absolutely rational mind.
[Late at night, in the apartment]
Wang Zhengyang completed his final pre-sleep checks: the sturdiness of the door and window locks, the concealment of the ventilation openings, and the legally purchased tactical folding knife placed within easy reach of his pillow. Then, he lay flat on the bed.
His body relaxed, but his consciousness wasn't completely dormant. He ran through one last rapid mental simulation:
If bank loans are not an option, what's the backup plan? — Utilizing mechanical affinity, one can "identify" and dismantle valuable specialty alloy parts, precision bearings, or intact industrial motors from junkyards or abandoned factories on the outskirts of cities, and then monetize them through clandestine channels. It's inefficient and risky, but it can solve immediate problems.
What if recruiting core technical personnel is unsuccessful, and it's impossible to find fully qualified and reliable candidates in the short term? — Lower the initial standards, prioritizing loyalty and learning ability. Professional skills can be quickly developed under high-pressure environments. The key is to use the irresistible promise of "stable future and domestic resettlement after the project ends" to deeply align their personal interests with your own goals.
What if... that psionic interference field that would cause such a cataclysmic change in the world were to erupt prematurely for some unknown reason? — Then all plans would be completely disrupted. The minimum contingency plan is to ensure that, within this week, basic protection and startup preparations for the EIS-7 cockpit and generator set are completed, a minimum amount of fuel, weapons, and three days' worth of rations are stockpiled, and that one is inside or very close to the train in the event of a disaster.
Every deduction has its branches, and every branch has a corresponding, either coarse or refined, approach. There is no room for luck; only calculation.
As the first rays of dawn's gray-white light began to seep into the sky outside the window, Wang Zhengyang's breathing became slow and long, and he entered a light sleep. His muscles were not completely relaxed, maintaining a subtle tension that could unleash power in an instant. This was an instinct he had developed during countless perilous nights in his previous life, deeply ingrained in his bones.
Deep within his dormant body, the Caldova Gene Engine continued to operate at minimal power, like the most sophisticated nanomachines, silently optimizing his neural network and strengthening his cellular activity. The activation level climbed extremely slowly but steadily in his slumber: 0.23%.
The thirty-day countdown has silently passed, with sixteen hours already gone.
The steel gears have already etched the first irreversible mark on the track of fate.