Chen Sixuan’s eyes sharpened slightly. Every time the team encountered danger, she was always forced to hide in the safest part of the train. Even though Lin Xian believed she had been helpful, after experiencing so many brutal battles, her mindset had toughened. She felt she should at least learn some self-defense skills. Now that Lin Xian wasn’t around, this need became even stronger.
Shasha looked at Chen Sixuan in surprise and stuck out her tongue. “Alright, but I’m not that great at it either. I only know how to shoot. As for how to actually aim a sniper rifle properly, I have no idea.”
“It’s fine.” Chen Sixuan stepped forward and took the sniper rifle. The moment she held it, she felt its immense weight, causing her to clench her teeth as she lifted it. She let out a slow breath. “It really is heavy... But this weapon—if we encounter monsters like the ones before—might actually be useful.”
Shasha nodded. “This thing packs a serious punch and has an insanely long range. I’ve seen it on TV before—it can shoot straight through a car in one shot. Biubiu~”
“Chen Jie, this here is the trigger, and the safety is right here.”
“This is the bipod. Big guns like these usually need one. Unless you have superhuman strength, shooting in a prone position without support is nearly impossible…”
“What do you mean by ‘without support’?”
Suddenly feeling wide awake, Chen Sixuan, under Shasha’s guidance, earnestly started learning about the rifle’s components and aiming principles.
A noise suddenly came from outside, making both of them freeze.
“Chen Jie!” Shasha whispered.
“That sound… it came from outside.”
Hearing this, Chen Sixuan frowned and quickly gestured for silence. She then tiptoed to the window and carefully lifted the blackout cover.
A flashlight beam flickered briefly along the side of the train.
Chen Sixuan immediately covered her mouth in shock.
There were people outside!
The wind and snow howled in the night, and the entire train had gone dark.
Standing inside Car No. 1, Chen Sixuan and Shasha anxiously peered outside.
“There’s more than one person,” Shasha murmured. “Chen Jie, I think someone has their eyes on our train.”
Chen Sixuan looked uneasy. “This road connects Mount Daluo to Yubei City. It’s close to the highway. Maybe someone noticed the train parked here and came to investigate.”
“What should we do? Should we respond?” Shasha asked.
“Has this happened to you before?”
“Well… when my brother and I were driving, we’d sometimes come across other teams. Most of the time, people just went their own way. Occasionally, friendlier groups would stop to chat during the day or form convoys at night for safety. But in our case… they’re probably just curious.”
Chen Sixuan shook her head. “Let’s wait and see. It’s already nighttime, and it’s dangerous outside. If they’re just survivors checking things out, they’ll probably leave after looking around. But if they have bad intentions, we need to be cautious.”
Shasha nodded. “Yeah, Lin Ge upgraded our armor. We should still be pretty safe...”
Chen Sixuan nodded, but then a thought struck her. She pulled Shasha close and whispered in her ear.
“Go warn your brother. Have him guard the back. We still have two cars on the trailer.”
Shasha’s eyes widened. Those two vehicles were sitting out in the open on the flatbed trailer. If someone quietly drove them away, it’d be a huge loss.
Realizing the urgency, she immediately crouched low and scurried toward the rear.
Meanwhile, Chen Sixuan moved to the cockpit and peered outside through the porthole. The night was pitch-black, and faint rustling noises came from the tracks. There were definitely several footsteps approaching. As the sounds drew closer, she instinctively stepped back, blending into the shadows of the corridor.
Suddenly, someone climbed onto the front of the train, and a flashlight beam shone inside, sweeping across the space.
“Huh? Doesn’t look like anyone’s here,” a man whispered.
“Maybe they’re sleeping in another carriage?” another voice suggested.
“Be careful. This whole train is armored—it’s definitely not an ordinary train.”
“You keep watch here. I’ll go call it in.”
Hiding in the shadows, Chen Sixuan pressed her hand tightly over her mouth. Taking advantage of the moment when the flashlight wasn’t pointed at her, she stealthily retreated to Car No. 1. She grabbed the walkie-talkie and huddled in a corner.
“Shasha, there are quite a few of them. Be careful.”
“Got it. If they try anything, we’ll fire a warning shot.”
“Yes, let’s scare them off first. If they’re just a regular survivor team, they’ll probably run.”
“Chen Jie, if they don’t make a move, they might be planning something. If a fight breaks out, should we start the train and leave?”
Shasha’s worried voice came through the walkie-talkie.
Chen Sixuan’s expression darkened. She fully understood the predicament they were in.
The train was dark, covered in snow—this might give outsiders the wrong idea.
“No, we can’t. Lin Xian isn’t back yet…”
Her gaze drifted toward the back of the car, where a radio still sat quietly on the sofa.
Her instincts told her that Lin Xian was still on the train. If she moved the train now, she wasn’t sure if it would cause problems for him.
“You’re right. Lin Ge… Hey, Chen Jie, listen!”
Just as Shasha finished speaking, an extremely faint sound came from inside Car No. 3, moving toward Car No. 2.
Something was inside the train.
For some reason, hearing that sound made Chen Sixuan feel both terrified and relieved.
She and Shasha both had the same thought—this must be Lin Xian! That meant he was still alive!
Suddenly, gunfire erupted from Car No. 5.
Luo Ye was firing a machine gun through a shooting port near the hydraulic ramp. He had spotted several figures sneaking around the rear, trying to climb onto the flatbed trailer to unchain the vehicles.
The machine gun roared, its bullets spraying across the flatbed car and into the snow, sending sparks and ice flying.
The intruders panicked and scattered in fear. One unlucky man took a direct hit in the shoulder, blood splattering everywhere as he screamed in agony.
The gunfire immediately intimidated the prowlers. They quickly vanished into the darkness.
The deafening shots also drew in a horde of zombies from the nearby forest, their shrill howls echoing as they charged toward the train.
“They’re climbing onto the train!”
Shasha gripped her grenade launcher and relayed through the walkie-talkie, “Chen Jie, be careful!”
The tension spiked in an instant.
Hearing Shasha’s warning, Chen Sixuan’s brows furrowed. But right now, her focus was entirely on the movement inside the train—searching for any sign of Lin Xian.
She didn’t turn on the lights, carefully listening for any sounds inside the car.
Then, suddenly—the entire train’s lights flickered on.
Chen Sixuan flinched, startled. She glanced up at the ceiling lights, confusion filling her mind.
Following an instinct, she stepped over to the lighting control panel.
She switched the lights off again.