Chapter 24: Dawn Project

Lin Xian pressed the girl firmly to the ground, preventing her from escaping easily.

“Now that you’re awake, why pretend to sleep? What’s your real goal?!”

The girl was stubborn, struggling violently. “I… I…”

Lin Xian’s gaze turned cold; he drew his blade and held it directly before her eyes. “Do you think I’m the kind to cherish beauty and pity grace?”

Seeing the steel blade glint with cold light, the girl’s eyes widened in panic. “I’m sorry! Don’t kill me! Let me go—I can’t breathe!”

The girl was now restrained, her face flushed.

Lin Xian frowned. He wondered: hadn’t this girl just shattered his door with her bare hands? Why was she now utterly powerless?

As he thought this, the girl suddenly burst into tears.

“Wahhh! Don’t kill me! If you don’t kill me, I’ll do anything you want!”

No sooner had the words left her lips than she twisted her head and bit down hard on his ankle.

Hss!

A searing pain shot through him. Lin Xian’s brow furrowed. Fuck, this bitch was cunning—she’d ambushed him when he wasn’t expecting it!

In pain, Lin Xian swung his blade sideways and slammed it against her forehead.

Thud!

A sharp crack echoed. The girl cried out “Ow!” and immediately passed out.

“Still pretending?!”

Lin Xian’s face darkened with anger. He had no mercy left. He rummaged through the tool box in Car 3, found a roll of nylon zip ties, and bound her wrists and ankles tightly. Only then did he feel slightly relieved.

He leaned against the side of the carriage and looked at his ankle—a deep, unmistakable tooth mark.

“Fuck, am I gonna turn into a zombie?”

To his surprise, the girl lowered her head and muttered under her breath.

“You’re the zombie. Your whole family are zombies.”

Lin Xian’s gaze turned icy. “So you’re not pretending to be unconscious anymore?”

“Speak. What’s your name? What’s your goal? Why did you pretend to sleep the whole time? Or you can stay silent—I’ll just throw you off the train.”

Lin Xian drew his short blade, his voice cold and chilling—no one doubted he’d do it.

Clank. Clank.

The train rolled forward slowly. The radio remained silent. Chen Laoshi hadn’t sent a message—meaning the path ahead was clear.

“My name’s Kiki.”

The girl’s tone shifted—from the earlier high-pitched, innocent, childish voice—to one suddenly cool and detached.

Damn. She was faking it all along.

“How did you find me? What’s your goal? Why pretend to sleep the whole time? Don’t make me keep asking questions—you know your situation.”

Kiki buried her face in the floor, then sighed heavily. Bound and helpless, she struggled to sit up, glaring at Lin Xian with hatred. Her small face was streaked with tears, her eyes still red—but there was no trace of victimhood. Her ability to switch emotions so effortlessly was astonishing.

“What else? Didn’t you wave a flag on the rooftop that day?”

Wave a flag?

Lin Xian frowned. “You’re telling me you were on that helicopter?”

“Who else?” Kiki stared at him blankly.

“Continue.”

“Didn’t you see the plane crash?”

“So?”

“I had nowhere to go.”

“And then?”

“You watched me change my underwear.”

“...” Lin Xian frowned. “What does that mean?”

Kiki clenched her teeth, whispering softly.

“Yes, I woke up the next day. But I didn’t know who you were or where I was. When I opened my eyes, I saw you...”

Lin Xian’s expression changed.

“So?”

“So I naturally assumed you were...”

“A pervert?” Lin Xian blurted out.

“So your goal in pretending to be unconscious was just to steal food and ambush me?”

“Not exactly. I just wanted to escape—but never got the chance,” Kiki said, sounding wounded.

Lin Xian’s expression darkened, then he blurted out:

“Fine. You think I’m a pervert who’s holding you captive? Then go.”

!

Lin Xian glanced at the setting sun outside and said bluntly:

“If you’re so smart, I’m sure you can survive out there. Your family seems well-off—why not let your dad come rescue you?”

Lin Xian’s gaze was cold, his tone laced with Shitan .

“My dad’s dead.”

Her voice was flat, showing no trace of grief.

Silence filled the carriage.

“Then it’s none of my concern.” Lin Xian stood up.

“No! I originally wanted to run away, but now I realize I misunderstood you. Don’t throw me off the train, please!” Kiki hurriedly pleaded.

Lin Xian sneered.

“You didn’t realize you misunderstood me—you realized you can’t survive outside.”

The girl was clever, but Lin Xian looked at her calmly. “Sorry. You’re worthless to me.”

Kiki panicked instantly. “Wait! You... you take me to Jinhai. My father is chairman of Linglong Group, a Level Two investor in the Dawn Project. He had full rescue rights under the Dawn Project—those rights automatically passed to me after his death. If you take me to Jinhai, someone will come to pick me up. Then I can give you any supplies you want—or arrange for you to become a Third-Class Citizen of the Dawn Project, granting you access to the underground city.”

In Car 3, the orange-yellow glow of the setting sun filtered through the armored grates, fading across their bodies. Lin Xian listened, then frowned.

He’d heard of the Dawn Project. In the early days of the Apocalypse, countless versions of it circulated online. Some claimed it was the government’s underground city initiative to survive the end. Others said it was a drifting starship plan to preserve humanity’s last spark.

Rumors abounded, mixed with conspiracy theories—no one could tell truth from fiction.

“Sorry,” Kiki was surprised—her words drew no reaction she expected. Instead, Lin Xian’s face remained calm as water. “I’m not interested.”

“You don’t believe me?”

“Even if I did, I’m still not interested.”

Lin Xian spoke firmly, his gaze piercing.

“I’m not just uninterested—I find it boring. Why not jump off yourself? Saves me the trouble.”

Whether her story was true or not, he had zero interest. Compared to a Third-Class Citizen status in some underground city, he trusted his own ability far more. If he used it well, his survival odds were high—far better than being buried underground. Besides, who knew if such a place would strip him of his autonomy?

Seeing Lin Xian’s cold indifference, Kiki’s eyes finally flickered with panic—but she quickly masked it, sneering at him.

“Why aren’t you interested in the Dawn Project? Do you really think this train will save you?”

“Forgive me, but your plan is childish. Have you considered the world’s collapsed? The Ring Star Railway has no maintenance engineers. One-fifth of its 320,000 kilometers runs over oceans. What if the tracks break? What if the train breaks down? What if supplies run out? What if storms, tsunamis, or earthquakes hit?”

New book, seeking follows!

PS: This chapter’s plot has been slightly adjusted—please understand.

(End of Chapter)