Chapter Eleven: Chen Siyuan’s Thoughts

Clang, clang.

Driving through an unknown road in the darkness of night was clearly reckless, and the loud noise attracted howls from the zombies outside.

Lin Xian realized this couldn’t go on and hurried to the cockpit.

“We’re about to pass under the elevated light rail line of the Third Ring Road. Maybe we can stop there for a while,” Chen Sixuan said, as if sensing Lin Xian’s worry, immediately offering a feasible plan.

“Good idea!”

Stopping on the overpass would be much safer; most zombies on the ground wouldn’t be able to follow.

But Lin Xian’s greatest concern at the moment was still the white giant monster from earlier.

Squeak—

After the train stopped on the overpass, Lin Xian immediately turned off all the lights inside the vehicle, while continuously observing the movements outside.

“What was that thing just now?” Chen Sixuan asked, her face dark with concern.

Lin Xian shook his head. “Who knows? If something like that targets you, you might not die, but you’ll definitely lose some skin.”

“So what do we do? Wait until daylight to leave the city?”

“That’s the plan. There’s a freight warehouse near Jiang City Station. Tomorrow we’ll check it out, then we can probably get out of the city.”

Lin Xian actually had another motive: he wanted to see if he could find an electric locomotive at Jiang City Station.

The industrial base of this era was largely electrified, but electric locomotives themselves had no prime movers; they relied on electric current supplied through overhead wires to power traction motors. So once the railway electric network was down, these mechanical beasts could only lie dormant on the tracks, practically worthless.

Of course, that meant nothing to ordinary people, but for Lin Xian, it was a different story.

He had previously envisioned hooking up an electric locomotive as a reserve power generator. When he used his supernatural ability to propel the train forward, the electric locomotive could convert kinetic energy back into electricity and store it. Even with only 30% to 40% efficiency, as long as the train could keep moving while he rested, supplying power to the rest of the carriages, it would essentially create a short-term cycle of “infinite energy.”

Jiang City Station was a major platform, so if he could find one there, it would save him a lot of effort later.

“Have you eaten?” Lin Xian looked at Chen Sixuan, noticing her haggard face. Although they had finally eaten something today, she had struggled in a world without sunlight for over two months, her spirit on the verge of collapse.

That afternoon, they had witnessed Director Liang’s brutal death and been attacked by monsters. Now, as she relaxed, Chen Sixuan was mentally disoriented.

“I…” Chen Sixuan’s voice was humble as she replied, “I just organized the water and food supplies. Roughly calculated, if we eat only one meal a day, we can last about a month.”

She felt uneasy saying this because she counted both herself and Lin Xian as having only one meal per day, though Lin Xian had never told her that was acceptable.

Lin Xian’s eyes flickered as he glanced toward Carriage No. 1, where Chen Sixuan had already made the bed and sofa neatly arranged, with pillows and blankets set tidily.

Apart from the television she didn’t know how to install and the steel bed frame that hadn’t been welded yet, Carriage No. 1 had transformed from a homeless dog’s den into a cozy one-bedroom space, giving the two, battered by apocalyptic terror for months, the yearning to lie down and sleep well.

Lin Xian took a can of fruit from the storage rack and handed it to Chen Sixuan.

“Eat this, then get some sleep.”

“Ah?!” Chen Sixuan exclaimed in surprise, her eyes filled with both longing and sudden realization as she looked at the can in Lin Xian’s hand.

The sweet fruit instantly whetted her appetite, but the three words “get some sleep” stirred her imagination.

“Th-thank you,” she obediently accepted it and sat on the sofa, opening the can and taking a sip.

The sweetness was incredible, as if every cell in her body cried out with joy.

At that moment, Chen Sixuan felt dizzy, even her consciousness grew hazy. She ate the fruit greedily, murmuring to herself:

So sweet, so delicious, I just want to sleep.

Ah… what does it matter if I’m a student or a teacher? In this environment, he is a man, and I am a woman.

Besides, he’s a supernatural being who saved my life; even my life belongs to him. What else matters? He can do whatever he wants.

This thought, like a devil’s whisper, echoed incessantly in Chen Sixuan’s mind, sending chills down her spine and making her cross her legs tightly, feeling a strange thrill in abandoning her moral compass.

Soon, she finished the entire can, then stood up. Halfway across the room, she remembered something, turned back, grabbed her backpack, and pulled out a small item she clenched in her hand before silently sitting on the edge of the bed.

At that moment, Lin Xian was in Carriage No. 3, using his supernatural powers to repair the damaged hydraulic tailgate. When he returned to Carriage No. 1 and saw Chen Sixuan sitting with her head bowed by the bed, his brow furrowed.

“What are you sitting there for? Hurry up and sleep. We’re taking turns on watch tonight; you’ll get up later.”

At these words, Chen Sixuan looked up in surprise, her eyes flashing with complex emotions. She hurriedly replied, “O-oh, okay.”

After speaking, she felt both shy and annoyed, quickly going to the sofa, taking off her shoes, lying down, and slipping the small object back into her bag.

Lin Xian took a bottle of water. He naturally noticed Chen Sixuan’s awkward demeanor but wasn’t at the point of being obsessed with such thoughts. That white giant monster from before might still be lurking. In this life-or-death moment, only a fool would fill his mind with thoughts about underwear.

Lin Xian then went to Carriage No. 2, where the mysterious girl was still sleeping. He found it strange.

Normally, that’s way too long to sleep—almost twenty hours since last night—but she was still out cold. Was she really asleep or pretending?

Thinking this, Lin Xian frowned and leaned over the girl, pinching her soft cheek.

“Hey, if you keep pretending to sleep, I’ll toss you out on the street.”

“Wake up!”

“I’m going to take your pants off!”

“Wow, pink…”

Yet the girl remained peacefully asleep, her long lashes fluttering, making Lin Xian feel powerless.

If he hadn’t sensed some mysterious, unknown power within her, he wouldn’t have even thought about saving her. If she were just dead weight, that might be one thing—but who knew if she’d be a help or a threat once awake?

As night fell and temperatures plummeted, Lin Xian sighed helplessly, carrying the girl back to Carriage No. 1. Chen Sixuan was already fast asleep, so he placed the girl on the sofa and covered both of them with two sets of brand-new thick blankets.

“Hmph, having a whole car full of beauties to take care of isn’t bad at all.”

Looking at the two sleeping women—one exquisitely beautiful with gentle grace, the other petite and charming, a little beauty in the making—Lin Xian inexplicably felt a sense of roguish accomplishment.

…