Chapter 13: Ambush

Because they were still within the main city zone, Lin Xian deliberately slowed the train’s speed; the urban area was chaotic, and he feared disrupted tracks while also avoiding excessive noise that might draw too much attention.

As the light rail merged into the Jiangyu trunk line, the sides of the road gradually opened up; occasional wandering zombie livestock on the tracks were simply crushed underfoot.

Soon, the number of track switches ahead increased, revealing a wide area filled with freight trains parked along side tracks.

Among them were several container-specific trains, but without exception, all cargo doors had been opened, and every item had been looted by survivors, leaving only piles of cardboard boxes and plastic bags behind.

The rest were mostly mixed freight trains—mixed with less-than-carload shipments, flatcars, fuel tanks, and more—but clearly they hadn’t escaped looting either; several carriages had even toppled onto the tracks…

The side tracks connected to a distant loading platform and crane workshop—clearly the Jiang City rail freight handling center. Such facilities were typically located before passenger stations in cities. Lin Xian stopped the Wuxian Hao at the double-track station entrance, studied the route, then opened the door and stepped onto the side track beside the switch machine, placed his hand on it, and activated the motor!

Squeak!

He altered the track switch, then returned to the train, drove the Wuxian Hao onto the loading side track, and stopped before a platform marked “Loading Platform 4.”

“Hold onto the radio. Even if it’s me, don’t open the door—I’ll open it myself.”

Lin Xian slung his backpack over his shoulders, grabbed his short knife, and told Chen Sixuan: “As long as you don’t open the door, no one can touch you.”

Chen Sixuan nodded; she now knew Lin Xian’s ability allowed him to control trains, so she obediently memorized his instructions.

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

Hss~ The cockpit hatch opened. Aside from the cockpit hatch and the rear door of Car 3, all living carriages had been welded shut and reinforced with steel plates; anyone inside was perfectly safe unless they encountered that strange white giant from last night—ordinary people or zombies posed no threat.

Lin Xian stepped out and closed the hatch. As soon as his feet touched the tracks, a bone-chilling wind slammed into his face.

He glanced at the blazing sun overhead and thought, This bizarre climate is fucking ridiculous.

With his speed attribute enhanced, Lin Xian moved far more nimbly; holding his short knife, he dashed across several tracks, glancing toward the front and rear of each train as he passed, searching for a suitable locomotive.

His plan was to resolve the electric locomotive issue while daylight lasted; if he couldn’t find one, he’d scavenge some supplies here and then proceed to Jiang City’s main station a few kilometers away.

Lin Xian scanned train after train until he reached the head of the container-specific train, where he spotted a silver Huanxing 7F electric locomotive—his eyes lit up immediately.

The Huanxing 7F electric locomotive was sixty meters long, its body primarily silver with blue accents, its streamlined design appearing highly futuristic; it was nicknamed “Huanxing Strongman,” boasting a staggering 58,800 kilowatts of power, making it a standard Huanxing rail freight locomotive.

This behemoth required connection to the rail grid to operate. Since the apocalypse, this industrial giant had become worthless, stranded on the tracks, gathering dust—no fuel, no water, massive on the outside but cramped inside, so no one bothered with it.

The Huanxing 7F was twice as long as the Whale 03E’s heavy gas turbine, a true electric monster, with intricate internal components including not just the drive motor but also advanced kinetic recovery and energy storage systems—perfect as a temporary battery for the Wuxian Hao.

“You’re the one.”

Lin Xian reached out and touched it; his Mechanical Heart began scanning the drive system and found the locomotive in excellent overall condition, nearly new.

He’d hit the jackpot.

Because of his unique ability, things survivors completely ignored were treasures to him.

Just as Lin Xian prepared to activate the locomotive and uncouple the carriages, a fragmented voice suddenly came from behind.

He instantly turned cautiously—the sound originated from a warehouse atop the platform.

Lin Xian crouched low, slipped through the coupling gap between two freight cars, followed the sound, and discovered it came from a warehouse marked “Warehouse 14.”

Thump-thump-thump~ Thump-thump-thump~

A steady series of knocks—continuous, unlike the mindless clatter of zombies.

Lin Xian climbed onto the platform and crept closer to each warehouse door from the inside; the knocking grew louder, and faintly, he heard someone shouting.

“Help! Is anyone there!!”

The voice was muffled, as if blocked by some soundproofing.

Lin Xian arrived at Warehouse 14’s door, peered cautiously through the half-open entrance, and realized it was a cold chain warehouse—containing two large white refrigerated chambers. But since Jiang City had been without power for so long, the air inside reeked of an indescribable rot; Lin Xian sniffed and nearly vomited up his canned meat. Only when he stepped inside did he see: behind the isolation window of Refrigerated Chamber One, two women were trapped—one frantically pounding on the door.

The woman looked to be in her thirties, her face flushed red; the other, an elderly woman in her fifties or sixties, sat slumped on the ground, barely breathing.

As soon as Lin Xian entered, the woman spotted him and screamed:

“Please, open the door! My mother’s dying!!”

But Lin Xian’s expression hardened instantly—he sensed danger, and leaped forward.

In an instant, a gunshot rang out behind him.

Bang!

Ambush!

He instantly recognized the trap: a woman locked in a freezer screaming was far too obvious.

Her aimless cries would attract only zombies—clearly meant to lure him in.

Bang-bang-bang! One shot missed, followed immediately by a burst of bullets.

Lin Xian didn’t pause for a second; he reacted instantly, sprinting toward the door of the other refrigerated chamber and slamming it shut behind him.

!

Bang-bang! Bullets struck the freezer door, sparks flying.

“Holy shit, this kid’s fast!”

“Don’t let him escape!”

“The idiot ran into the freezer—hahahaha…”

At that moment, two men rushed over, each armed—one with a long weapon, one with a short one.

The leader, mid-forties, with a dark expression and a massive tattoo on his neck, kicked the freezer door hard—only to find it locked.

“Huh? Weird.”

The thinner man peered through the window at Lin Xian’s wary expression, then walked to the door and tugged the latch—it didn’t budge.

“Why won’t this damn door open?!”

Large freezer doors were specially designed: to prevent condensation and ice from forming on the handle due to cold seeping through metal, the handle could only be operated from the outside—but for safety, an alarm button was installed inside.

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

“Fuck.”

The leader immediately raised his gun and fired two shots at the observation window—loud echoes rang through the warehouse—but he didn’t realize the window was 200 millimeters thick, making the entire freezer as fortified as a bunker.

“Mom!”

At that moment, the man shouted.

The door to Refrigerated Chamber One opened; the woman who had pretended to beg for help and the elderly woman stepped out one after the other, surrounding Lin Xian with hostile expressions.

“This kid’s clever…”

New book, please follow!

(End of Chapter)