Doomsday Mechanic: My Train Can Be Modified Infinitely

At six o'clock in the morning, the sky over Berlin was still gray.

The maintenance depot was already brightly lit. Chen Yishang was squatting on the roof of the tenth carriage of the train, holding a laser rangefinder and marking the installation points of the weapon platform. Beside him were eight 2B9 "Cornflower" mortars that had been transported back yesterday, their barrels gleaming with a cold, hard metallic luster under the lights.

"Brother Wang, look here." Chen Yishang pointed to the circular base reserved on the top of the carriage. "It's a standard NATO weapon interface, 42 centimeters in diameter. The bases of these eight cannons are all 40 centimeters in diameter. I plan to install an adaptive fixing ring, and fill the two-centimeter gap with a hydraulic buffer pad. This will ensure stability and absorb recoil."

Wang Zhengyang stood on the edge of the roof, leaning over to examine it. He reached out and touched the edge of the base—it was welded with a high-strength alloy, the surface smooth and the edges sharp. This was the modular weapon interface he had insisted on adding when designing the train, and now it seemed to be an absolutely correct decision.

"Is the cushioning material good enough?" he asked.

"That's enough." Chen Yishang took out a piece of black, rubbery material from his toolbox. "These are shock-absorbing pads I salvaged from the landing gear of an old helicopter. They're oil-resistant, heat-resistant, and have just the right elasticity. I've calculated that each cannon needs four pads, so eight cannons would require thirty-two. I have forty-five pads on hand, and I still have some left over."

Wang Zhengyang nodded. Although Chen Yishang was talkative, he was indeed reliable. He could think of these details in advance and prepare solutions.

How long will the installation take?

"If all goes well, we can install four guns during the day." Chen Yishang wiped the sweat from his brow. "The main problem is the calibration, which takes a lot of time. The level and elevation angles of each gun need to be adjusted, and the rotating mechanism also needs to be tested. However..."

He grinned: "Once it's all installed, our train will have real heavy firepower. An 82mm mortar, with a maximum range of five kilometers, and a single high-explosive shell can create a kill zone ten meters in diameter. If we encounter anything unpredictable..."

"Let's get it installed first," Wang Zhengyang interrupted him. "Where's Li Ming?"

"Let's count the ammunition down here." Chen Yishang pointed to the inside of the carriage. "The 300,000 rounds of ammunition and 800 mortar shells that were brought back last night all need to be sorted, registered, and treated for moisture. Li Ming said we need to find some dehumidifying boxes today to repackage and store the ammunition."

Wang Zhengyang jumped off the roof of the vehicle, landing silently. He went inside the vehicle and saw Li Ming squatting among a pile of green ammunition boxes, holding a tablet computer and recording something.

"How is the situation?" Wang Zhengyang asked.

Li Ming looked up and adjusted his glasses. "The quantity of ammunition isn't a problem, but storage is. The 5.45mm and 7.62mm bullets are fine; standard ammunition boxes will suffice. But mortar shells..." He pointed to dozens of wooden crates with Russian writing in the corner, "Ten rounds per crate, eighty crates in total. Each shell weighs 3.1 kilograms. It's too heavy, and it requires a constant temperature and humidity environment. The way it's currently piled up together might cause problems in the long run."

"Solution?"

"Two options." Li Ming stood up and pulled up the design plans on his tablet. "One is to modify part of the sixth carriage into a professional ammunition depot, equipped with temperature control and dehumidification systems. But this would take up storage space for living supplies. The second option is decentralized storage—storing some in each carriage to reduce single-point risk, but it's more troublesome to manage."

Wang Zhengyang thought for a few seconds: "Option one. Centralized and decentralized storage is safer. As for management..." He looked at Li Ming, "You develop an ammunition management system, including procedures for receiving, registering, and returning ammunition. Once Andrei's team joins, they will be responsible for its implementation."

Li Ming nodded and began taking notes on the tablet. Just then, the garage door opened.

Natasha walked in. She had changed into clean clothes—a gray sports T-shirt and black cargo pants, her hair tied in a simple ponytail. The marks on her face from last night's beating were still slightly swollen, but they had subsided considerably. She was carrying two plates with fried eggs, bacon, and bread on them.

"Brother Chen said you haven't had breakfast yet." She handed a plate to Wang Zhengyang in a very soft voice.

Wang Zhengyang took the plate: "Thank you."

Natasha handed another plate to Li Ming, then stood aside, somewhat reserved. Her gaze lingered on Wang Zhengyang's face for a moment before quickly shifting away, but that look... was a focused, almost scrutinizing observation, as if trying to understand what kind of person this man who had saved her twice really was.

"Have you eaten?" Wang Zhengyang asked.

"I've already eaten," Natasha nodded. "Brother Chen cooked a big pot of oatmeal porridge this morning, and I had two bowls."

"That's good." Wang Zhengyang started eating breakfast. The fried eggs were cooked perfectly, the bacon was crispy, and the bread was toasted. It seems Chen Yishang is indeed skilled in logistics.

"Brother... Brother Wang," Natasha hesitated for a moment before speaking, "When are we going to find my father?"

"We'll go after breakfast," Wang Zhengyang said. "Make sure you're ready, wear sturdy shoes. The hydrological observation station is in the west area of ​​the dock, it's a bit of a walk."

"I'm ready," Natasha said quickly. "We can leave anytime."

Wang Zhengyang looked at her. Besides worry, there was a resolute light in the girl's eyes. She could remain calm in the face of those Indian thugs, recover quickly after witnessing the bloody scene last night, and now she was eager to save her father—this girl's mental fortitude surpassed that of most adults.

"Go tell Chen Yishang to prepare a first-aid kit for you," Wang Zhengyang said. "Also, bring some water and food. We might be staying there for a while."

"Okay." Natasha turned and ran to the roof of the car.

Li Ming watched her retreating figure and muttered, "This girl... is not simple."

"Her father is even more remarkable." Wang Zhengyang finished the last bite of bread. "He was able to lead five or six men to fight against the Iron Hand Gang for half a year, blow up three of their warehouses, and kill two of their leaders... This is not something an ordinary person could do."

"Are you really going to recruit them?" Li Ming asked. "Andrei's team are currently outlaws being hunted by the Iron Fist. Recruiting them would be tantamount to declaring war on the entire Iron Fist."

"War has already been declared," Wang Zhengyang said calmly. "We've been involved ever since we killed Zhang Yiqiang last night. The only difference now is whether we're passively drawn in or actively taking advantage of this opportunity."

He put down the plate and looked at the mountain of ammunition boxes piled up in the carriage: "The train needs an escort. The three of us aren't enough. Andrei's team are professionals, experienced in combat, and tactically proficient. Besides..."

He paused for a moment: "They are desperate now. In times like these, if you lend a helping hand, they will be your most loyal allies."

Li Ming fell silent. He knew Wang Zhengyang was right. The three of them alone were simply not up to the task of protecting this train and dealing with the chaos and dangers to come.

"What about Mr. Zhou?" Li Ming asked. "Zhang Yiqiang is his man. We killed Zhang Yiqiang and took his goods. He won't let this go."

"So we need allies," Wang Zhengyang said. "Andrei's team is the ally we need. As for Mr. Zhou..." A cold glint flashed in his eyes, "If he's smart, he should know that now is not the time to make enemies. If he insists on coming..."

He didn't finish speaking, but Li Ming understood.

If necessary, Wang Zhengyang wouldn't mind killing a few more people.