Chapter 49.1: Train Robbery
Jiang Xia felt like she was falling apart.
It was as if several screens had suddenly appeared inside her brain.
On the left, the hard-earned entrepreneurial histories of food-industry criminals were playing nonstop.
For example, how to add fluorescent whitening agents and sodium formaldehyde sulfoxylate to flour noodles to make them unnaturally white; how to brew soy sauce using human hair; or simply mix salt, MSG, and coloring agents to concoct something and sell it as food.
If the profits were too low, they could even make milk that contained not a single drop of actual milk and sell it under the name of a dairy product. As for various kinds of meat that had been frozen until they were rotten, there were detailed instructions on how to bleach them with hydrogen peroxide, then disguise them as fresh meat by drowning them in heavily seasoned spices before putting them on the market…
Meanwhile, on the right, the Uncle Hannibal private masterclass had begun.
From how to select the finest ingredients, to how to capture someone, how to process them, exactly how much force to use and where to make an incision for better blood drainage without getting yourself covered in blood and looking like a murderer, what tools to use afterward and how to break everything down, all the way to how to cook each individual cut…
Everything was included.
It was incredibly considerate, practically a step-by-step, hands-on tutorial.
The only problem was that Jiang Xia’s soul was about to leave her body.
Countless images flashed before her eyes in rapid succession. Unfortunately, because Jiang Xia read so quickly, by the time she realized what she had just seen, it was already too late.
My eyes! My eyes! My f*cking eyes!
These images should have been censored with black bars back when the internet was still unregulated!
To be fair, Jiang Xia’s threshold for this sort of thing was actually pretty high. She had already been surfing the internet before the internet was restricted, and had seen all kinds of horrifying gifs. She was the kind of person who could watch The Texas Chainsaw Massacre—a full-on blood-and-guts movie—late at night, use forensic dramas as dinner entertainment, and even finish obscure games like Scorn and NecroVision.
But compared with the Hannibals, all of that was still child’s play.
Holy shit, what kind of Lovecraftian nightmare is this?!
The previous second had been drenched in fresh blood, the next showed a floor littered with rotting flesh, and the second after that came a feast that looked, smelled, and tasted absolutely exquisite. But the moment Jiang Xia remembered what the ingredients had actually been, her face instantly turned deathly pale, and her stomach began churning violently.
She couldn’t take it anymore.
Urgh—!
Jiang Xia hurriedly threw open the window and leaned her face toward it, desperately inhaling the wind that carried the smell of burning coal. She stared fixedly at the scenery in the distance, trying her best to erase everything she’d just seen from her mind.
Nearby, Lu Yixing had just finished putting down his suitcase and was about to sit down when he saw Jiang Xia suddenly do this. He froze.
Huh? Didn’t she say she didn’t get carsick? How did her face turn white after less than three seconds in her seat?
He had to admit, this was the first time he’d ever seen someone’s face change color so quickly.
“Jiang Xia, is your motion sickness really that bad?”
The green-skinned train that had just departed the station was already moving out of the city. The crowds of people gradually shrank into tiny dots in the distance, while rows of similar low houses and towering smokestacks flashed past the window.
The scenery helped dilute the nausea that kept surging up from the depths of Jiang Xia’s stomach. Although those memories and images still kept bubbling back into her mind from time to time, at least she wasn’t going to throw up anymore.
She answered firmly, “I don’t get carsick!”
For the first time, Lu Yixing discovered that Jiang Xia could be this stubborn.
“Okay. You don’t get carsick.”
He couldn’t help smiling, but the next second, his amusement turned into concern. He immediately opened his bag and pulled out some motion-sickness medicine.
“Then do you want to take some motion-sickness medicine?”
After thinking for two seconds, Jiang Xia reached out her hand without even turning her head.
“Give me some.”
The only motion-sickness medicine available here at the time was called Chengyunning, whose main ingredient was dimenhydrinate, an antihistamine that suppressed the vestibular nerves and vomiting center—in other words, it had both sedative and antiemetic effects.
Although the medicine could cause some drowsiness and dry mouth, aside from the dry mouth, every other side effect sounded extremely useful to her right now.
At this point, Jiang Xia desperately wanted to put on a little performance and pass out on the spot.
But that was only wishful thinking.
After all, the system didn’t come with a return policy. Even if she passed out, she’d still have to wake up eventually and face the Hannibals’ little masterclass all over again.
Lu Yixing tore open the plastic packaging, handed her the pills, then picked up Jiang Xia’s flat water bottle, unscrewed the cap, and passed that over as well.
Jiang Xia popped the pills into her mouth, took the water bottle and swallowed them down with a sip, then handed it back. She continued keeping her head beside the window, maintaining a position where she could feel the breeze and watch the scenery outside without actually sticking her head out.
The two sets of skills were still taking turns playing out in her mind.
Human adaptability really was limitless. After the initial overwhelming shock had passed, Jiang Xia, although still feeling nauseous, was gradually able to watch some of it without completely losing it.
She tried to stay optimistic and flexed her hands.
Come to think of it, her cooking skills must be extraordinarily good now. In certain respects, she could probably even go head-to-head with Big Sis.
As for what kind of cooking skills…
Never mind.
Anyway, she didn’t want to eat meat anymore.
She didn’t want vegetables either.
Just let her survive on dew.
Should she consider hanging an IV of glucose for the next few days?
Speaking of which, that particular Hannibal’s method of processing lamb…
Stop!
Jiang Xia hurriedly skipped over that little culinary tip.
She tried to find some amusement in her misery. If she worked on adapting to all this a little more, she could probably make a career switch and become a forensic examiner.
And really, she had to admit, humanity was astonishingly capable of challenging the boundaries—and the absolute bottom line—of food.
The finished products all looked remarkably convincing. They were even a little tempting—
Stop, stop, stop!
She forcibly cut off the train of thought, and her face grew even paler. She abruptly closed her eyes.
The damn system’s negative side effects were showing up again.
Just like with the theft skill, the ingrained muscle memory could make her unconsciously perform certain acts of wealth redistribution. This time, the sheer flood of images and behavioral logic had clearly affected her thought processes as well.
For that brief moment just now, she had actually become possessed by Hannibal, thinking those “foods” looked perfectly edible.
It was also possible that this was the brain’s own form of self-protection, Jiang Xia thought.
It was like standing on top of a tall building and looking down, fully aware that jumping would be extremely dangerous, yet suddenly experiencing an urge to jump. Or seeing something unbearably cute and suddenly wanting to squeeze it to death.
It was the result of extreme stimulation overloading the brain’s ability to process information, causing it to produce thoughts that were the exact opposite of what one would normally expect.
But regardless of which was the case, things had gone a little too far.
Meeting an old police detective—or even a provincial department expert who had met countless people—in this state…
It would absolutely be no less troublesome than having the Thief King aura on her!
Oh no. Is it too late to start minoring in acting skills?
Jiang Xia suddenly felt that getting motion sick was actually pretty great. The more severe, the better. Looking sickly and weak should be able to cover up quite a few of her abnormalities.
After pondering for a moment, she tried her best to forget the Hannibal masterclass and instead recalled all the various methods used to process counterfeit food.
Her stomach, which had finally settled down, immediately began churning again.
Urgh—!
“Why isn’t the medicine working?”
Lu Yixing had thought Jiang Xia was already recovering, so he hadn’t expected her condition to suddenly worsen again. He frowned slightly.
“Jiang Xia, are you okay? Do you want some water?”
This time, Jiang Xia didn’t try to be stubborn.
She weakly said, “Not really. Give me the water bottle.”
Lu Yixing immediately handed it over.
Jiang Xia took it, sipped some water, then sighed and said with feigned confusion, “I used to take the train to Quancheng for school. I’ve ridden the train more than ten times, and I never got motion sick at all. I don’t know why it’s so bad this time.”
Lu Yixing was also a little puzzled. If Jiang Xia’s motion sickness was this severe, how had she managed to travel to Quancheng for school before?
But then again, she was attending a vocational secondary school. Something that important—something that could change her fate—what was a little motion sickness in comparison? She’d have to force herself to go even if she felt sick.
He just hadn’t expected her to push herself this hard for the sake of solving a case.
He actually admired that kind of dedication.
So there was really no need for her to be so stubborn about it. He wasn’t going to tell anyone.
The problem was, how was she going to survive the journey? They still had two whole days on the train. Could she really make it?
Just as Lu Yixing was worrying over this, the middle-aged man sitting across from them looked at the two newcomers and shook his head helplessly.
“You young married couples really are something. You weren’t like this before, but now you’re throwing up this badly. It’s obvious you’re pregnant!”
He pointed at Lu Yixing and urged him, “And you, as her husband, don’t just stand there handing her water! Hurry up and pat her on the back!”
“Cough, cough, cough!”
At those words, Jiang Xia nearly choked on her water.
She looked up at the middle-aged man across from her, and for a moment, she actually had no way to refute him.
After all, under normal circumstances, based on the story she’d given, his guess would have been about ninety percent correct.
“Comrade, you’ve misunderstood.”
Lu Yixing also choked for a moment, a hint of embarrassment appearing on his face. “She’s just my colleague. We’re going south on a business trip this time.”
“A business trip?”
The middle-aged man froze. He looked at Jiang Xia, then at Lu Yixing, and suddenly understood.
The south, huh?
A person could make quite a bit of money by bringing some goods back from there. This young woman had probably hidden how severe her motion sickness was so she could secure this opportunity.
From a personal perspective, he could understand it.
But as a supervisor, he really didn’t like workers who did this.
Wasn’t this just going to cause trouble for everyone else?
His attitude couldn’t help but turn somewhat colder.
“There isn’t much you can do about motion sickness. Just drink more hot water.”
The all-purpose drink more hot water cure.
Jiang Xia immediately noticed the sudden change in the man’s attitude. After pondering briefly, she quickly figured out the reason and then promptly forgot about it.
This little misunderstanding wasn’t going to affect anything. Right now, the most important thing was getting rid of the side effects brought on by the system.
There weren’t many ways to alleviate motion sickness, and without any more advice to offer, Lu Yixing was at a loss as well. He turned his head and asked, “Jiang Xia, what do you think? Want me to pat your back?”
“No need. I’ll just sit by the window and get some air for a while.”
Jiang Xia turned her head slightly, avoiding the man’s gaze and refusing to make eye contact.
“This makes me feel a little better.”
“All right.”
Lu Yixing sat down.
“My surname is Guo. My name is Guo Qingshan, and I’m the director of the Sales Department at the Taikang City Leather Factory. Here’s my business card.”
The middle-aged man in the lower berth across from them introduced himself again. He pulled a stack of business cards from his pocket and handed one to Lu Yixing.
Then he asked, “And what’s your name, comrade?”
“Lu Yixing. I’m from Changning City.”
When traveling, Lu Yixing generally didn’t reveal his real occupation. Once people knew what he actually did, he’d have to watch his behavior and maintain a certain image for the rest of the trip. It was exhausting.
He took the business card Guo Qingshan handed him and, borrowing his mother’s occupation, said:
“I work at the Changning Institute of Architectural Design.”
“Oh, a professional!”
Guo Qingshan gave him a thumbs-up and asked enthusiastically, “Is this your first time traveling far from home? Riding the train is pretty boring. Didn’t you bring anything to pass the time?”
The train ride would take two whole days. There were no cell phones in this era, so if you didn’t bring something to keep yourself entertained, the trip would be practically indistinguishable from being in prison.
Jiang Xia had brought a book, but unfortunately, she already had Hannibal’s masterclass playing in her head. There was no way she could concentrate on reading now.
As for Lu Yixing, this trip was a mission. His job was to ensure Jiang Xia’s safety, so bringing something for entertainment would practically count as dereliction of duty.
He shook his head slightly.
“Forgot to bring anything.”
“Ah, that’s normal. No big deal. I brought some playing cards.”
Guo Qingshan immediately pulled four decks of cards out of the bag beside him.
“How about a couple rounds of Gouji?”
Gouji was a four-player game, so Lu Yixing alone wasn’t enough to make up the numbers. He turned his gaze toward Jiang Xia, who was still staring out the window.
“Comrade Jiang, want to join us? Maybe playing a game will make you feel a little better.”
“My stomach hurts. I’m not playing.”
Jiang Xia waved her hand. The most important thing for her right now was getting herself back under control.
Lu Yixing also shook his head slightly.
“I don’t know how to play this.”
“This…”
Guo Qingshan was a little disappointed. He was just about to put the cards away when the person in the middle berth, who had just woken up, poked his head out.
“Playing cards again? I’m in. Get two more people and let’s play Daidui Men.”
The man in the upper berth above Lu Yixing had only just boarded the train. He had been bored out of his mind, so the moment he heard someone mention playing cards, he immediately chimed in.
“You’ve got cards? Then I’m in too.”
With that, he started climbing down.
Lu Yixing frowned slightly.
If the man from the upper berth came down, he’d inevitably crowd onto Lu Yixing’s berth. And they would still be one player short, meaning they’d have to call someone else over. That would completely block his line of sight.
After weighing his options for a moment, Lu Yixing volunteered.
“I know how to play Daidui Men. I’ll join you.”
“That works out perfectly.”
Guo Qingshan was delighted. “Now we’ve got a full table.”
Lu Yixing took the opportunity to say to the passenger from the upper berth, “Why don’t you sit on the folding seat in the aisle? Otherwise, it’ll be too crowded if you sit on the lower berth.”
The passenger from the upper berth nodded.
“Sure.”
Guo Qingshan began shuffling the cards. As he did, he asked the newcomer from the upper berth, “Hey, where are you from?”
“Same as these two youngsters. I’m from Changning too. Name’s Liu Ping. I work at a textile factory. I’m heading south this time to negotiate a deal.”
As he spoke, Liu Ping unfolded the folding seat in the aisle and sat down.
“I’m from farther north. I’m from Renzhong City. Name’s Zhang Yongfeng.”
Zhang Yongfeng plopped himself down on Guo Qingshan’s lower berth without the slightest hesitation.
“I’ve practically been living on this train for a whole day already.”
Guo Qingshan placed the shuffled cards on the little table.
“Let me tell you, nights on this train are nothing like nights at home. They’re damn hard to get through.”
Zhang Yongfeng was the first to pick up a card.
“Last night, three different groups of people came over and rummaged through my bag. Damn thieves! If I hadn’t been awake, they’d have cleaned out my pockets too!”
“Jeez—the pickpockets are that bold now?”
Liu Ping sucked in a breath when he heard that.
“I went out of town two months ago, and it wasn’t anywhere near this bad.”
“You just don’t travel enough. You don’t know how bad things have gotten these days. Society’s going downhill by the day!”
Guo Qingshan picked up a card.
“Our route is relatively safe. We mostly just have pickpockets. There are some places where, if the train passes through at night, they’ll actually pry open the windows and use hooks to steal your luggage!”
“I’ve even heard that some people just disappear.”
As he spoke, Zhang Yongfeng looked up at Jiang Xia. His expression became somewhat more serious.
“Miss, I’m not trying to scare you, but you really need to be careful at night. After all, it’s a lot easier to rob a woman than a man.”
Guo Qingshan also looked over. Seeing how deathly pale Jiang Xia’s profile was, he took the initiative to reassure her.
“Don’t listen to him. This route of ours is pretty safe. It’s mostly just pickpockets.”
After saying that, he paused for a moment before suggesting, “But there’s really no way we dare sleep at night. Still, nobody can stay awake all night indefinitely. How about we work something out and take turns keeping watch?”
At that, Jiang Xia looked up and glanced at the two men.
So that’s what all that talk was about. They were laying the groundwork for this little alliance.
To people born after the millennium, people from this era could seem overly familiar. They had little sense of personal boundaries and didn’t pay much attention to privacy, which could be rather annoying. But in reality, this was simply a survival strategy forced upon them by their environment.
When personal safety couldn’t be guaranteed and no individual could remain vigilant for long periods of time, the only option was to exchange information and surrender some degree of privacy in order to quickly establish trust with the people around them, and then cooperate to fend off potential risks.
It was highly effective in the current situation, with pickpockets running rampant.
Lu Yixing pondered for a moment.
He really hadn’t expected traveling to be this dangerous nowadays.
Originally, he’d planned to keep watch himself at night and rest during the day. But judging from the situation, that clearly wouldn’t work.
After assessing whether the identities of these people were genuine, Lu Yixing agreed.
“I think that works.”
He paused, then pointed at Jiang Xia with a playing card.
“If we’re dividing up the shifts, I’ll take her share.”
“No need.”
Guo Qingshan pointed with his head toward the middle berth across from them.
“I know him too. There are five of us in total. If we’re only keeping watch from around eight at night until six in the morning, that’s ten hours. Perfect—two hours per person. If you really feel bad about it, she can take a shift during the day.”
At that point, there’d be practically no difference between keeping watch and not keeping watch.
Jiang Xia gave a slight nod.
Putting everything else aside, the people she’d encountered on this trip had all turned out to be pretty decent.
“Keep watch alone?”
Lu Yixing frowned slightly.
Standing guard at the gate of a military camp was one thing, but these were several strangers on a train. He couldn’t bring himself to trust them completely.
“I don’t think that’s a good idea. The person keeping watch during the first half of the night will be fine, but if you’re sleeping for one stretch and getting up for another during the second half, that’s going to be miserable. And being alone makes it easy to get drowsy. If you fall asleep, we’re in trouble. Why don’t we have two people on watch? That way we can chat and keep each other awake. Even if that means longer shifts, we can make up for the lost sleep during the day.”
“I agree.”
Liu Ping also felt that having two people would allow them to keep an eye on each other.
“Two people is definitely better.”
“That works too.”
Guo Qingshan’s main goal was simply to have someone share the burden of keeping watch. He wasn’t particular about the exact schedule or who took which shift. Since the other two had made their preference clear, he agreed.
“Then tonight, we’ll draw lots using the cards. Whoever gets the higher card takes the second half of the night, and whoever gets the lower card takes the first half. The person who draws the lowest card takes the daytime shift. The female comrade doesn’t need to draw—she can just take the daytime shift. How does that sound?”
Liu Ping felt much more reassured and immediately agreed.
“Sounds good!”
“Looks like I can finally get a good night’s sleep tonight.”
Zhang Yongfeng picked up the last card and happily announced, “Come on, come on, I’m playing! Four, five, six, seven, eight. Anyone want it?”
“I do.”
Liu Ping played a card.
“Six, seven, eight, nine, ten.”
“Pass.”
“Me too.”
“Your turn.”
“Then a pair of threes.”
…
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