novelsite Chapter 50 Visiting the Train
Chapter 50 Visiting the Train
A look of understanding crossed Li Ming's face: "You mean that Ukrainian, Andrei Sokolov?" He clicked on a subpage and brought up some information.
The screen displayed a photo of a middle-aged man with blond hair, angular features, and sharp, eagle-like eyes. Next to him was a brief introduction: a former Ukrainian Army Special Forces sergeant who, after retiring, joined an international mercenary company. Four years ago, he came to Berlin with his savings and several fellow countrymen, opening a Ukrainian restaurant called "Dnieper" in the Kreuzberg district. The information also included several group photos of Andrei with his brothers and nephews, all of them robust and with the ruggedness of soldiers in their eyes.
"Andrei and his men are tough nut to crack," Li Ming said with a hint of admiration. "Everything was peaceful until about six months ago. The Iron Hand, in an attempt to expand their drug business, tried to control several restaurants and bars in the Kreuzberg district as distribution points, using very unethical methods. During a conflict, members of the Iron Hand accidentally shot and killed Andrei's wife, who happened to be in the alley behind the restaurant."
Wang Zhengyang's eyes flickered slightly.
"Then, hell opened up," Li Ming continued. "Andrei and his group of former mercenaries became ghosts of revenge. They weren't many, maybe five or six core members at most. But they were professional, ruthless, and extremely skilled in guerrilla warfare and demolitions. In the past six months, the Iron Hand had been utterly ravaged by them—three drug warehouses were precisely blown up, two mid-level leaders were 'accidentally' killed in a gas explosion at their mistress's house, five shipments of valuable goods were hijacked during transport, and the escorts were all crippled and left at the police station entrance… The Iron Hand had offered a 50,000 euro bounty for Andrei's head, but they couldn't even catch a glimpse of him. On the contrary, their own side was filled with dread."
Where is Andrei now?
"Nobody knows," Li Ming shook his head. "The Iron Hand Gang suspects he might be hiding near the territories of some forces with Eastern European backgrounds, or near places like Zhang Yiqiang's that don't follow the Iron Hand Gang. So lately they've been sniffing around like mad dogs, and Zhang Yiqiang has been under close 'watch.' Last time... well, you used Zhang Yiqiang's name when handling things, so you might have been included in their investigation as well. Were there any 'little mice' wandering around nearby this morning?"
Wang Zhengyang glanced at Li Ming but didn't deny it. This detective's intuition was indeed sharp.
"So, what is Zhang Yiqiang's attitude towards Andrei?"
"He was happy to see it happen, and may even have secretly provided some assistance," Li Ming analyzed. "Andrei is bleeding the Iron Hand Gang dry, which objectively reduces the pressure on Zhang Yiqiang. Zhang Yiqiang, that old fox, is very likely taking advantage of this. Of course, he would never interfere openly, but would only 'inadvertently' let Andrei know which places the Iron Hand Gang's defenses were weak, or 'forgot' to block certain passages."
After the intelligence exchange was completed, a brief silence fell over the carriage. The low rumble of the diesel generator could be faintly heard through the floor.
"Detective Li," Wang Zhengyang spoke again, his gaze calm, "would you be interested in seeing this train? The complete one."
Li Ming gave Wang Zhengyang a deep look, a "I knew it" expression on his face, and nodded: "It's an honor."
The subsequent visits became a series of shocks to Li Ming's understanding of the subject.
From the professional-grade command system in the command center to the modular logistics reserves in the dining cars; from the cutting-edge vertical agriculture and ecological cycle design of the planting cabin to the empty but structurally reinforced third car with reserved heavy-duty interfaces; from the sixth maintenance cabin, comparable to a small factory, to the compact and efficient living cabin that can accommodate nearly a hundred people...
When Li Ming stood on the weapon platform base at the top of the tenth carriage, his fingers tracing the cold, heavy special steel with pre-reserved standard weapon interfaces, his expression was solemn.
Finally, in the eleventh power compartment, looking at the two stably operating 800-kilowatt generator sets, the massive energy storage array, and the sophisticated control console, Li Ming fell completely silent. The surging energy in the air and the highly integrated mechanical beauty told him that this was no ordinary object.
Back in the command center, the setting sun streamed through the train windows, bathing the interior in a warm gold. Li Ming remained silent for nearly a minute, his gaze sweeping once more over the meticulously crafted interfaces, the clearly labeled pipelines, and the obviously modular, prefabricated carriage structure. A strong thought lingered in his mind: this was something no individual or small team could have built from scratch in a short time. The specifications of the equipment, the integration approach, and even the sourcing of some materials all subtly pointed to a systemic, perhaps even national or top-tier conglomerate-level, engineering standard.
He exhaled slowly, turning to Wang Zhengyang, his tone more inquisitive: "Mr. Wang, I take back what I said earlier. This is not merely a 'heavy train' or a 'mobile fortress'... its level of completion and professionalism is more like a meticulously designed 'standardized forward base module.' My experience is limited, but some specifications and integration don't resemble those of a civilian project." He paused, looking directly at Wang Zhengyang, "Are you, or the team you represent, carrying out some kind of... unknown 'overseas testing mission'? Preparing for a larger contingency plan?"
Li Ming's intuition told him that this young man likely had unimaginable backing. Otherwise, the train's integration capabilities and resolute redundancy design, surpassing current commercial technology, would be inexplicable. If that were the case, then this murky water might be deeper than he imagined, but it could also mean a more solid backing. He was willing to bet on this possibility.
Wang Zhengyang walked to the window, looking at the team members busily working outside. He neither directly confirmed nor denied Li Ming's guess, but offered a meaningful perspective: "Detective Li, do you believe that everything we are familiar with has a solid foundation for survival? Financial crises, climate change, large-scale conflicts, unknown risks... the list of possible bad things is long. Some institutions or groups are simply taking these 'low-probability, high-impact' events earlier and more seriously than the public, and are willing to invest in the research and testing of 'feasibility studies.' This train can be seen as a 'system-wide survivability verification platform' for extreme discrete environments."
He turned around, his gaze calm yet profound: "What lies behind it is unimportant. What matters is that it is here now, and it possesses the functions it was designed to have. This provides a choice, an option that, in the face of probability collapse, differs from simply going with the flow."
These words neither confirmed nor denied, but instead further solidified Li Ming's suspicions. He didn't press further, simply nodding deeply. Regardless, the steel behemoths before him were undeniably real. Being within them, the "absolute sense of security"—isolated from the turmoil of the real world by their heavy armor, independent energy source, circulation system, and tight surveillance—was something he had never experienced in his years of adventure. Even if the outside world was in chaos, this place seemed to exist in its own world. This sense of security itself possessed an irresistible allure.
"I understand." Li Ming's tone became more pragmatic. "Whatever it is, it represents a rare kind of 'order' and 'possibility' in chaotic times. I'll keep a close eye on Zhang Yiqiang, especially that batch of 'goods' over the weekend. I'll also keep an eye on Andrei's intelligence. As for Mr. Zhou's connection... I'll investigate it carefully."
He made the request again, but this time from a slightly different angle: "Mr. Wang, if the situation in the future truly reaches the point where it is necessary to activate this 'verification platform,' I hope that my family and I will have the opportunity to become part of this 'feasibility study.' Of course, before that, I will prove my worth."
Wang Zhengyang looked at Li Ming, assessing his value and insight. He could tell that Li Ming didn't completely believe in that rhetoric, but Li Ming chose to focus on the tangible "security entity" before him, rather than getting bogged down in vague background information. This was a pragmatic and intelligent choice.
"Yes," Wang Zhengyang promised. "Based on continued contributions and mutual trust, there will be room for collaborators here. The prerequisite is that you agree to the rules here and become part of the system's effective operation."
"Of course, this is your train." Li Ming extended his hand, this time with a firmer grip. This was not just an intelligence transaction, but more like a pre-purchase of a ticket to the future, and the object of his bet was this reassuring steel train, and the even more powerful unknown force that it might represent.
After Li Ming left, Wang Zhengyang stood alone in the command center, staring at the complex intelligence map on his tablet. Zhang Yiqiang, Mr. Zhou, the Iron Hand Gang, Andrei… the undercurrents in Berlin were deeper than he had anticipated. But regardless, the Longyuan's refit must continue, and the plan to return east would not change.
That batch of "goods" over the weekend might be an opportunity. And Andrei's "nail," if used well, could perhaps tear a bigger hole in the Iron Hand.
He turned off the tablet and turned his gaze to the Dragon Abyss ship gradually sinking into the twilight outside the window. The steel silhouette in the afterglow resembled a lurking beast, quietly gathering its strength.
The chessboard is laid out, and the pieces are in their places. And he is about to make his next move.