Chapter Thirteen: Ambushed

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Since he was still within the main urban area, Lin Xian deliberately slowed the train’s speed. The city’s disorder made the railway unreliable, and he wanted to avoid loud noises that might attract too much attention.

As the light rail merged into the Jiangyu mainline, the roads on either side gradually opened up. Occasionally, he crushed wandering zombie beasts on the tracks without hesitation.

Soon, more switches appeared ahead, revealing a wide area where various freight trains were parked along the branch lines.

Among them were several container trains, but without exception, all the container doors were open. Survivors had long since looted all supplies, leaving only scattered cardboard boxes and plastic bags on the ground.

The rest were mostly mixed freight trains, combining less-than-truckload cargo, flatbeds, and tank cars, but these too had not escaped damage—several cars had even toppled onto the tracks.

The branch line connected to a distant loading platform and a crane workshop, clearly the city’s rail freight loading center. Usually, such facilities are located before passenger stations in cities. Lin Xian stopped the Infinity at the double-track railway entrance, studied the route, then opened the door and went over to the branch line switch. Placing his hand on it, he activated the motor.

Squeak!

He changed the switch setting, then returned to the train and drove the Infinity onto the loading branch line, stopping in front of a platform marked “Loading Platform 4.”

“Take the walkie-talkie. Don’t open the door, not even for me—I’ll open it myself.”

Lin Xian slung his backpack on, drew his short knife, and warned Chen Sixuan, “As long as you don’t open the door, no one can harm you.”

Chen Sixuan nodded. She now understood Lin Xian’s special ability to control trains, so she faithfully took note of his instructions.

“Then… be careful,” she replied with concern.

The cockpit hatch of the Infinity opened with a hiss. Except for the cockpit door and the tailgate of car number three, all other living compartment doors had been welded shut and reinforced with steel plates. Anyone inside was safe from ordinary zombies or people, as long as they didn’t encounter the bizarre white giant creature from last night.

Lin Xian stepped off and closed the hatch. As soon as his feet touched the track, a bone-chilling cold wind struck him squarely.

He glanced up at the blazing sun, cursing this strange weather under his breath.

With his speed attribute enhanced, Lin Xian moved much more swiftly. Holding his short knife, he darted across several tracks, glancing both ways along the trains to find a suitable locomotive.

His plan was to fix the electric locomotive problem while it was still daylight. If that failed, he would scavenge some supplies here, then head a few kilometers out to Jiang City’s main station to search further.

He scanned each train car until he reached the head of a container train, where he spotted the locomotive: a silver Huanxing 7E electric locomotive. His eyes lit up immediately.

The Huanxing 7F electric locomotive is 60 meters long, predominantly silver with blue stripes, and its streamlined body looks highly futuristic. Known as the “Huanxing Hercules,” it boasts a powerful 58,800-kilowatt output and is a standard freight locomotive for the Huanxing line.

This giant beast needs to connect to the railway’s electric grid to move. Since the apocalypse, this industrial titan had been useless—left to rust on the tracks, with no fuel or water onboard. Despite its massive size, its interior space was limited, so few would covet it.

The Huanxing 7F is twice as long as the heavy gas turbine Giant Whale 03E and is a true electric monster. Its intricate internal design includes advanced regenerative braking and energy storage systems, making it a perfect temporary battery for the Infinity.

“This is the one,” Lin Xian said.

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Lin Xian reached out and touched it. The mechanical heart began scanning and activating the drive system, revealing the locomotive was in excellent condition and almost like new.

He had struck gold.

Thanks to his unique ability, what other survivors dismissed as worthless was a treasure to him.

Just as Lin Xian prepared to start the massive machine and decouple the carriages, a broken voice suddenly came from behind.

He turned cautiously; the sound came from a warehouse above the platform.

He crouched and slipped through the gap between two freight cars inside the inner track, following the noise to a warehouse marked “No. 14.”

Knock, knock, knock… knock, knock, knock…

A series of rhythmic knocks, clear and deliberate—not like the mindless noises of zombies.

Lin Xian climbed onto the platform and approached the interior rooms step by step. The knocking grew louder, and he faintly heard someone calling out.

“Help! Is anyone there?!”

The voice was muffled, as if blocked by soundproofing.

Lin Xian reached the door of warehouse No. 14 and peered through the half-open door. Inside was a cold storage warehouse with two large white freezers. But since Jiang City had lost power long ago, the warehouse was filled with an indescribable stench of decay. Lin Xian sniffed and nearly vomited the canned meat he had just eaten.

He stepped inside and finally saw, through the isolation window of freezer number one, two women—one wildly pounding on the door.

The woman looked to be in her thirties, her face flushed red from exertion. The other was an elderly woman of fifty or sixty, sitting on the floor and breathing shallowly.

As Lin Xian entered, the younger woman spotted him and cried out,

“Please, help me open the door! My mother is dying!”

But upon hearing this, Lin Xian’s gaze sharpened. Something was wrong. He leapt forward.

In an instant, a gunshot rang out behind him.

Bang!

An ambush!

He immediately saw through their scheme. A woman locked in a freezer screaming was far too suspicious.

Her aimless shouting would only draw zombies—they obviously wanted to lure him out.

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Bang! Bang! Bang! None of the shots hit him, but a hail of bullets followed.

Lin Xian did not hesitate. Reacting swiftly, he dashed toward the door of the other freezer and slammed it shut behind him.

Bang! Bang! The bullets struck the freezer door, sparks flying.

“Damn, this guy’s fast!”

“Don’t let him escape!”

“That idiot ran into the freezer, ha ha…”

Two men hurried over, each armed—one with a long weapon, the other shorter.

The leader looked to be in his early forties, his face dark and shadowed. A large tattoo adorned his neck. He kicked the freezer door but found it locked.

“What the hell?”

The other, thinner man peered through the window warily and tried the latch—it didn’t budge.

“How come this damn door won’t open?”

The large freezer doors are specially designed to prevent cold from forming ice on the handles, which can freeze and block operation. Handles can only be opened from outside, but inside there’s an alarm button for safety.

Strangely, after Lin Xian entered, the door could no longer be opened from outside.

“Damn it.”

The leader raised his gun and fired twice at the freezer window, the shots echoing inside the warehouse. But he didn’t realize the window was two hundred millimeters thick. For insulation, the freezer was like a heavy fortress.

“Mom!”

The man shouted suddenly.

Then, the door of freezer number one swung open. The woman who had been feigning distress and the elderly lady emerged, followed closely by several others who closed in on Lin Xian with hostile expressions.

“This kid’s pretty sharp…”