The Secret Investment Formula of a Chemical Genius - Chapter 155



Only Krnovel

Episode 155 Freight Car

When reading a book, listening to music, going to the bathroom, or even closing your eyes and resting in bed.

The train ran without stopping for a moment.

We were able to travel through Salt Lake City, Utah, famous for the Winter Olympics, Denver, Colorado, and finally arrive at Omaha.

“He’s gone.”

“I know.”

The two of us watched the departing train for a moment.

“When is the next train?”

“There are about 2 hours left.”

The final destination of the first train I rode was Buffalo, New York.

We decided to transfer here and head to our final destination, Washington DC.

“Isn’t this station a bit small?”

“I guess it’s because the population is small.”

Omaha is a small city with a population of 480,000.

Maybe that’s why.

The size of the station is also relatively small compared to Emeryville, Oakland, where we first took the train.

Only people who had just gotten off the train with us were wandering around the station.

“I think we have some time before the train arrives. Should we grab something to eat?”

“Okay then.”

There were no restaurants or shops inside the train station.

Eventually, we stopped at a nearby convenience store to buy some quick bread and drinks and headed back to the Omaha train station.

“The old man sitting next to me snored really loudly. Oh, I couldn’t even sleep properly because of the noise.”

The guy rubbed his neck with his hand, seeming tired.

… … I couldn’t sleep because of the sound of you going.

“What? Why are you looking at me like that?”

“……no.”

After finishing his meal, the guy who couldn’t stand boredom even for a moment twisted his body and started talking to the person next to him.

The awkwardness was brief.

The guy’s social skills were effective here, as he quickly became friends with the people next to him as if he had known them for a long time.

“Let’s go. The train will be arriving soon.”

“Oh, okay. It was nice talking to you, Tommy!”

“Have a nice trip, my friend!”

After getting out of the station, we stood on the platform marked 6.

As the train’s estimated arrival time approached, the once deserted platform began to fill with people.

“Tommy?”

“Uncle Tom’s nickname. He told me to call him that.”

In such a short period of time, we even exchanged nicknames.

If you dropped this guy in the middle of the Amazon jungle, he’d probably be friends with cannibals and laugh it off.

I’m killing time by continuing such meaningless conversations.

Someone bumped into me with a thud!

“Tommy is thinking of buying a tractor these days… … .”

Somehow, I feel empty.

I unconsciously put my hand in the back pocket of my pants where my wallet was.

does not exist.

I looked on the floor, wondering if I had accidentally dropped it, but I couldn’t find my wallet.

“Is that the guy just now?”

“maybe.”

Taekang also noticed what happened to me right away.

“What about the montage?”

“About 170cm tall, brown curly hair. Freckles on face, gray hooded top.”

“You managed to see everything in such a short time. Let’s see where this little rat is hiding.”

The guy opened his eyes half-asleep and quickly scanned his surroundings while placing his palm on his forehead.

And then.

As if he had discovered something, he quickly started running somewhere.

It’s not that fast.

Despite carrying such a huge load, he seemed to be the only one unaffected by gravity.

A pickpocket who was sneaking around and walking calmly among people.

Seeing that sight, he seemed to be in a state of panic and started running at full speed.

I also ran towards the two people.

The pickpocket’s movements were as agile as a cat.

Between people.

He dug into the narrow space and tried to hide his body.

But every time, Taekang doggedly followed me, as if he had radar in his eyes.

The distance between the pickpocket and Taekang is gradually narrowing.

The distance between me and that guy grew further and further.

Still, perhaps because of its large size.

Since I could see the guy from afar, I was able to follow Taekang without any trouble.

When you start to feel a little out of breath.

“Ah, put this down!”

A man struggling with Taekang’s hand grabbing his neck.

A slightly young face even for a Westerner.

The pickpocket appeared to be a teenager.

“Help me! This guy is trying to take me!”

“Ha, how ridiculous. That little thing can’t keep quiet.”

“This guy is a gangster!”

“What? I’m a thug?”

Taekang’s face suddenly turned grim.

People who were watching the situation began to stir.

If things continue like this, it feels like things will go strangely.

Just as I was about to leave.

“What’s going on?”

A white man named Tom, who had been talking to Taekang earlier, came out from among the people.

“Oh, this guy pickpocketed my friend’s wallet.”

“Pickpocketing? Really?”

“Where~ shall we look?”

“You monster! Don’t touch me! Help me!”

The pickpocket struggled to escape, but he couldn’t overcome the guy’s brutal strength.

And finally.

“Found it!”

The guy who laughed loudly took a wallet out of the pickpocket’s arms and spread it out wide for people to see.

Long story short, people check the photo of the ID in the wallet.

“What? It was a real pickpocket.”

“I just wasted my time.”

People dispersed, shaking their heads.

“Should I report this to the police?”

“No, it’s okay. I’ll take care of it.”

“Okay.”

The man named Tom nodded his head toward me and disappeared into the crowd.

“Let go of it! Let it go!”

“Why don’t you be quiet? You pickpocket or something.”

“I’m not a pickpocket! That guy told me to do it!”

The pickpocket started talking incoherently, perhaps because he was very flustered.

“Ha, where does this little thing keep lying?”

“I’m not lying! That guy who looks exactly like you, that guy! That guy! He said all I had to do was steal his wallet! He’d give me $870!”

The pickpocket pointed his finger at me.

“Where is that Asian guy now?”

The pickpocket’s face darkened for a moment as he turned his head here and there to look for something at Taekang’s question.

“Father, I’m sure you were here just a moment ago… … .”

A voice that is getting smaller and smaller.

The moment Taekang was about to say something with an expression like, “Then that’s right.”

“He promised to give you $870?”

“Yeah, that’s true… … .”

I tapped Taekang on the shoulder.

“Are you okay?”

“There are no other weapons like guns or knives?”

“I looked into it earlier, and it seems like there’s nothing like that.”

“Okay then.”

As Taekang let go of his hand, the pickpocket rolled his eyes.

The guy who was slowly backing away suddenly turned around and looked like he was going to run away.

I took out all the cash in my wallet.

“… … !”

In that instant, the movement stopped.

“Can I talk to him alone for a moment?”

Taekang, who had been looking back and forth between me and the pickpocket, let out a deep sigh.

“I’ll be standing over there, so if you see anything strange, just wave at me.”

“okay.”

As if telling him not to do anything reckless, Taekang glared at the pickpocket and then moved about 7 meters away.

I turned my head slightly, and saw eyes moving around, following the cash in my hand.

I put $100 of that into the guy’s hand.

“… … !”

The pickpocket’s eyes widened, seeming very flustered by the unexpected situation.

“What’s your name?”

“… … .”

“I have $770 in my hand, not counting the $100 you just gave me. Depending on how you answer, it could all be yours.”

A rumbling Adam’s apple.

“name.”

“… … Juan.”

“How old are you?”

“17 years old,”

“Are you from Mexico?”

“……that’s right.”

I put the $100 in cash I had in my hand back into Juan’s hand.

“Illegal stay?”

“uh.”

As the conversation grew longer and longer, he seemed to realize that I wasn’t going to harm him, and his guard gradually eased.

“Is it true that the Asian told you to do that a little while ago?”

“That’s right! He gave me $200 and told me to steal your wallet!”

Juan’s speech became faster as if he was momentarily excited.

“What does he look like?”

“What do you mean, you’re just Asian!”

“There are things like height, age, and appearance.”

Juan’s eyes shot up as if recalling a memory.

“Height, he was a little taller than me. He looked older. Appearance… … Miss, oh! And I see!”

Juan seemed to remember something and took something out of his pocket.

“I told you to give this to me if anything goes wrong. I’m sure it’ll be fine.”

I opened the small note Juan had handed me.

“… … That person gave this to you?”

“Okay. Is it okay now?”

Juan tried to snatch the cash from her hand.

I pulled my hand back slightly.

“Oh, why! I did everything you told me to do!”

“Let me ask you just one more thing.”

I took the photo out of my wallet and thrust it in front of Juan’s eyes.

“By any chance, the person you just saw… is this him?”

Brown eyes landed on the photo.

A short period of time that lasts only a few seconds.

“This guy… … .”

Just as Juan was about to open his mouth.

bang!

A huge explosion is heard behind me

I turned my head in surprise.

“Run away!”

“Hurry up! Hurry up!”

The place became chaotic in an instant.

In addition to the chaotic situation, several loud noises struck my ears.

A derailed freight train on the opposite track was tossed around like a crumpled can.

Taekang, who had been away, hurriedly came to me.

The emptiness felt in my hand for a moment.

When I turned my gaze, the cash I was holding in my hand was gone.

Juan is the same

Taking advantage of the confusion, it seemed like he disappeared along with the money.

“Hey, look over there.”

Taekang pointed somewhere with his chin.

Platform 6.

In the place where we were standing a little while ago.

A huge iron plate, torn by the impact, was stuck deep into the ground like an iron stake.

“… … .”

“… … .”

The two of us were speechless.

Because I could vividly picture in my head what would have happened if I had been standing there.

The tremendous shock that shook my body has subsided.

“Let’s go first.”

“okay.”

The two of us approached the scene of the incident.

A relatively deserted and quiet station.

A freight train that runs carrying luggage, not a passenger train.

Should I say that it’s a blessing?

Compared to the scale of the accident, there were virtually no casualties.

As the shock wore off, other people at the station also slowly raised their heads and approached the scene of the accident.

“Here! There are people here!”

We exchanged glances and approached the place.

A locomotive lying on its side at an angle.

Inside, a man who appeared to be the engine driver was lying there, bleeding.

The door is stuck on the floor and blocked.

People stamped their feet to try to get the person inside out somehow.

It was difficult to move a lump of iron weighing tens or hundreds of tons using only human power.

At that moment, Taekang pushed the people aside and stepped forward.

“What are you going to do?”

“Somehow.”

The guy who spoke with a calm expression took off his outer garment and began to wrap it around his right hand.

Then he walked towards the front window of the locomotive.

People also realized what Taekang was going to do from now on.

“Wait a minute! If you do that, your hand… …!”

Tom, who was watching the situation among the people, shouted something.

“Huh!” The guy took a deep breath and swung his fist the size of a pot lid and hit the glass with all his might.

thud!

It didn’t sound like a fist, but more like someone was swinging a hammer.

But despite the tremendous noise, there wasn’t a single scratch on the glass.

“Look, that’s tempered glass… … .”

Tom approaches Taekang as if trying to stop him.

The guy clenched his fist again and slammed his fist against the glass window with all his might.

Kuung!

“… … !”

“… … !”

Unlike the first time, the glass shattered into pieces without any strength.

Taekang glanced at Tom.

“what?”

“No, that’s not true.”

Tom stepped back, laughing in vain, as if he found it ridiculous.

Meanwhile.

The guy crawled inside the locomotive, almost squeezing his body in.

People with their hands clasped together watched the scene with anxious faces.

And not long after.

The guy crawled out, carrying the sagging body in one hand like a load.

“are you okay?”

“It seems like he’s breathing. He’s also somewhat conscious.”

“That’s fortunate.”

The guy who came out was shaking off the glass powder on his body.

I approached the fallen engine driver.

“Are you okay?”

“quality…….”

The engineer opened his lips as if trying to say something.

Your voice is too small.

I couldn’t hear what was being said.

“Your injuries are serious. Please don’t say anything until the paramedics arrive… .”

Even though I told him to stop talking, he grabbed my sleeve desperately.

“Quality… … Mo… … .”

There’s nothing I can do.

I brought my ear as close to his lips as possible.

“Quality… … acid… … ammonia… … num.”

“… … !”

The engineer lost consciousness after saying those words.

Leaving him in the care of the people, I hurriedly approached the collapsed freight car.

A transparent white substance in round clumps.

Ammonium nitrate was fully loaded into the freight car.

“What’s wrong? Are you suddenly so thoughtful?”

“… … Evacuate.”

“what?”

I bit my lip hard.

“We need to get out. This place is going to explode any minute.”

“… … !”

“Tell the people quickly and tell them to evacuate! We need to get as far away from here as possible!”

With an ominous look on his face.

“okay!”

In a panic, the guy shouted at the people in a loud voice.

“Everyone run! It’s going to explode!”

At the sudden shout, people looked bewildered.

“Get as far away from the accident scene as possible! It’s going to explode!”

The guy pointed at the wagon with his finger and screamed.

“… … !”

“… … !”

Only then did people start to leave hurriedly, one by one.

“Let’s escape quickly too.”

He gestured towards the guy who was carrying the injured engineer.

Taekang and I started running with all our might.

Those who saw that sight also began to run away desperately, as if they had a bad feeling about something.

And the moment people just get out of history.

Boom!

A huge explosion, incomparable to the sound when the accident first occurred.

A gust of heat surged from behind me.

The shock wave caused most people to fall forward.

“… … .”

“… … .”

Red flames and black smoke rising high into the sky.

People couldn’t take their eyes off the sight.

I too am sitting on the floor watching the scene.

Taekang came over, wandering around.

“How about it? Adventure and thrill, that’s what you want.”

“Adventure, thrill, freezing to death.”

The guy sat down on the floor with a face that said he was going to die.

“But, why is it that wherever you go, accidents and incidents keep happening? You’re not the icon of bad luck either.”

… … I wish I was unlucky.

I crumpled the note in my hand.