Gu Mian stood beside the counter, looking down.
[1. Attendants should replenish the pantry regularly]
[2. Attendants should do their best to fulfill passenger orders and must not refuse orders]
[3. Always carry your work badge; it is the only key to unlocking your designated car's pantry]
[4. Attendants in each car can communicate via intercom]
Intercom? Where is the intercom?
Just as Gu Mian was wondering, he suddenly heard a familiar voice from behind the counter.
"Hello? Lieutenant, Lieutenant, can you hear me?"
The voice was unmistakably Guigu's.
He often addressed Han Shan as 'Lieutenant,' as if he wanted everyone to know that Han Shan, in addition to being an attendant, also held the rank of lieutenant.
Gu Mian then went behind the counter and found the intercom lying quietly inside a drawer.
Luckily, Gu Mian had used an intercom before, so he knew how it worked.
He pressed the button on the side and said, "Alright, stop yelling. Your Lieutenant is on board; he was standing right next to me just now."
Guigu immediately fell silent.
Then, Han Shan's voice came from the intercom, "I'm at the rear of my car. Has everyone else boarded?"
The intercom fell silent.
Guigu's puzzled voice came through, "What's going on? Can only the three of us communicate on this thing?"
Just as Gu Mian was about to say something, a girl's voice came from the intercom. It was Angel Slaughter. "I can hear you. Can you hear me?"
Gu Mian replied, "Yes."
Angel Slaughter sounded relieved. "S-sorry… I didn't know how to use this thing at first. I just pressed some buttons randomly and wasn't sure if you could hear me. I'm glad you can."
Guigu's voice came from the intercom again, "So the other three who haven't made a sound just don't know how to use this, right?"
Han Shan said, "No. It's possible one of them didn't make it onto the train."
"Didn't make it on? Who?" Guigu asked, sounding confused.
Just then, Gu Mian heard Fang Xiang's voice through the intercom, "I'm on board."
His voice was weak, as if he was panting. He said that one sentence and then fell silent, apparently needing to catch his breath.
Then, Suo Qingqiu's and Xiao Tiantian's voices came through one after the other.
Suo Qingqiu said, "It's good Mr. Fang made it."
Xiao Tiantian, in Car No. 2, got down to business. "Speaking of which, did any of you see the list on the counter?"
Gu Mian glanced at the A4 paper beside him. "Yes. It lists some snacks and things."
Come to think of it, 'all-tomato sandwiches' should count as a snack, right?
Xiao Tiantian's voice continued, "No… I mean the passenger count on the list…"
His voice was faint, and he deliberately lowered it, as if afraid of something.
Hearing the tone of Xiao Tiantian's voice, Gu Mian sensed something was amiss.
He glanced at the list on the counter and saw the first few lines:
['Time Escape' Train Trip Overview for Car No. 4]
Sure enough, Xiao Tiantian's even fainter voice came through. "The passenger manifest for my Car No. 2 says there are thirty-five passengers, but… but…"
Xiao Tiantian began to stutter.
Gu Mian instinctively glanced at the passenger area.
Since the dining area of each car was at its rear, from this angle, he could only see the backs of the passengers' heads.
"But… but there's one extra!" Xiao Tiantian finally managed, his voice filled with terror and anxiety.
"One extra?" Guigu gulped.
The passenger area wasn't far from the dining counter. He could easily see them from his position, meaning they could just as easily see him if they turned around.
A chill ran down Guigu's spine.
He lowered the intercom's volume slightly and cautiously checked the passenger count on his list.
['Time Escape' Train Trip Overview for Car No. 1]
"Thirty-two passengers… Don't tell me I have an extra one here too?" Guigu muttered, sneaking a glance towards the passenger area.
Just then, Han Shan's voice came through the intercom, "Everyone, pay close attention to the number of passengers in your respective cars."
Angel Slaughter added, "Right. We should count the people in our own cars."
Guigu chimed in, "Then let's count the passengers in our cars first?"
If every car has an extra person…
At this point, Fang Xiang, who had only spoken once since boarding the train, suddenly said, "I… My leg is injured. I might need to rest for a bit before I can move… It hurts a lot."
Han Shan paused for a moment. "Alright. The rest of us will count the passengers in our cars. Any objections?"
The train was now speeding along. Gu Mian glanced out the window and saw they were already above ground.
The train traveled on elevated tracks, passing dilapidated houses below.
It was late at night, and a full moon hung in the pitch-black sky.
There was an electronic clock beside the counter. Gu Mian glanced at it: 10:43 p.m.
The entire train journey was thirty-four minutes long, with nine stops including the origin and destination. That meant it would stop roughly every five minutes.
Gu Mian frowned, adjusting the guitar on his back. "This is strange," he muttered to himself as he walked towards the passenger area. "Isn't this train stopping a bit too often?"
It was almost eleven at night, and some passengers appeared to be dozing.
Some leaned back in their seats, resting; others held newspapers, apparently reading.
No one paid any attention to Gu Mian, the attendant in a white coat with a guitar slung over his back.
Gu Mian walked lightly down the aisle, observing the passengers.
Actually, he didn't need to. Gu Mian had excellent eyesight; he could count the passengers with a single sweep of his gaze from the rear of the car.
He was only walking the aisle to get a closer look at them.
This time, Gu Mian scanned the car carefully several times. Sure enough, just as Xiao Tiantian had said—
There was one extra! Tʜe sourcᴇ of thɪs content ɪs 𝓷𝓸𝓿𝓮𝓵✦𝕗𝕚𝕣𝕖✦𝙣𝙚𝙩
An extra passenger in the car!
Gu Mian frowned and turned to go back. But halfway there, he overheard two passengers whispering.
"Hey, Xiao Mei, have you seen the news? It seems like a lot of people have been encountering paranormal incidents lately."
Gu Mian looked towards the sound and saw it was a girl with a bob cut, likely a high school student.
The girl with the bob cut was talking to another girl with a ponytail next to her.
Gu Mian perked up his ears.
Xiao Mei bit her lip, lowered her head slightly, and then said softly, "Actually…"
"Actually… when I was boarding the train, I think I saw someone who looked exactly like me!"
This is… the extra one?