Fog-Shrouded Station

The Infinite sped through a stretch of mountains. Before long, instead of gradually opening up, their view was swallowed by a blanket of white fog.

Inside the cockpit, Chen Sixuan watched the situation on the rail radar, her brows tightly furrowed.

"There's such heavy fog even after snow... Something's not right."

"It's a good thing, too."

Lin Xian stared into the dense fog ahead. "A train this large entering the city is bound to attract the attention of plenty of survivors. This fog saves us a lot of trouble."

Chen Sixuan uneasily glanced toward Carriage 3, where Kiki was excitedly adjusting the motorcycle.

"Do you trust her?"

Compared to the relationship between Lin Xian and Chen Sixuan, Kiki was an uninvited guest. Moreover, both of them could clearly sense an impenetrable disguise around the girl, so Chen Sixuan was skeptical of nearly everything she said.

Lin Xian remained utterly calm as he said lightly, "She's a smart person. She knows this train can't move without me, so unless she has a better survival strategy, cooperating with us is her best option if she wants to stay alive."

Chen Sixuan nodded slightly at his words and was about to speak when Lin Xian suddenly wrapped an arm around her waist and fiercely kissed her lips. Chen Sixuan's face instantly flushed red, and her heartbeat raced. "Ah... what are you doing?" she cried shyly.

"Teacher Chen." Lin Xian looked at Chen Sixuan with undisguised appreciation in his eyes. "It was fortunate to have you last night."

Held in his embrace, Chen Sixuan said nothing, but joy spread through her heart at Lin Xian's words.

Though she did not appear particularly strong-willed, she had always been a competitive woman since childhood and had never been willing to be treated like a mere vase. At this critical moment of life and death, hearing Lin Xian's acknowledgment gave her a deep sense of validation.

"Don't underestimate me. No matter what, I'm still your teacher..."

There was a touch of playfulness in Chen Sixuan's voice, but she quickly realized that the remark sounded somewhat ambiguous given their current relationship, and her expression changed slightly.

Lin Xian smiled faintly. "That's right. They say teachers are guides through life. Now, you really are the guide of this train."

Clank, clank~

The train passed through a switch and slowly entered a station platform shrouded in fog. Visibility was extremely poor, limited to less than a few meters. To ensure they did not crash into other trains parked at the platform, Chen Sixuan quickly pulled the brake lever.

"Am I still staying behind to guard the train?"

Lin Xian nodded. "Yes. We don't have any better means of self-defense right now. I'll feel more at ease with you staying aboard."

Although that meant one fewer teammate to search for supplies, all his possessions were on the Infinite. He definitely would not feel at ease without someone watching over it.

Besides, Chen Sixuan was just a vulnerable woman with neither abilities nor weapons. Guarding the train was the best choice for her.

Chen Sixuan nodded. "Then don't worry. I won't open the door for anyone."

Lin Xian looked at her. "If there's an emergency, you can go to the electric locomotive's cockpit and start the train. I taught you how before, right?"

At the same time, he took out a white remote control. "This is the emergency brake for the electric locomotive. At a critical moment, it can be used to start the train or brake using the reserve power."

"Ah, this..."

Chen Sixuan looked startled. She could hardly believe Lin Xian was letting her operate the train, and warmth immediately filled her heart. She knew it was a sign of his trust in her. Without any pretense, she accepted it and looked at him resolutely.

"Okay, I understand."

After giving Chen Sixuan his instructions, Lin Xian checked the time. It was 16:50, with around two hours left before nightfall, so he hurried to Carriage 3.

Kiki was already seated on the motorcycle, wearing the windproof goggles Lin Xian had prepared for her. With her long legs and slender waist, one foot on the clutch, she handled it with considerable skill. She looked every bit the sexy biker girl.

"I've been waiting for you. This thing doesn't have much fuel."

Lin Xian tucked the short blade behind his back and used his ability to slowly lower the tail lift. He walked over to the motorcycle, then frowned slightly at Kiki's thin arms and long legs.

"With fog this thick, don't ride too fast."

"Oh, stop talking nonsense!" Kiki patted the back seat with a look of disdain. "Get on."

Lin Xian let out a breath and climbed onto the back seat. As he hesitated over where to put his hands, Kiki directly grabbed one of them and placed it around her slim waist. Annoyed, she said, "You were so fierce when you kicked me off the train yesterday. Why are you getting bashful over grabbing my waist now? Hmph, hypocrite!"

Lin Xian: "..."

The temperature outside had already dropped below zero, yet Kiki was still dressed in tiny shorts and a strapless crop top. The thickest thing she wore was her baseball jacket.

Lin Xian placed both hands around her slender waist. Her fair, smooth skin felt supple and pleasant to the touch, but also somewhat cold. He could not help saying, "Aren't you cold dressed like that?"

"Do I have any other clothes to wear?"

With that, she rolled her eyes at Lin Xian, started the motorcycle, shifted into gear, released the handbrake, and the motorcycle roared forward.

At the same time, Chen Sixuan, who was guarding the train, quickly raised the hydraulic tail lift, lowered all the blackout panels, and turned off the lights inside. The entire train vanished into the dense fog like a ghost.

Woo~ Woo~

The motorcycle's white headlights pierced through the fog ahead as it drove onto a road leading into the city.

The fog was deathly silent, with only the roar of the motorcycle engine echoing through it, drawing zombie howls from all directions.

Both sides of the road were packed with abandoned cars. A thin layer of snow covered the various scraps of garbage scattered across the street. Feeling the bone-piercing wind, Lin Xian's worries only deepened.

Passenger train carriages had heating systems, but everything on the Infinite was decades old, and Lin Xian had never activated them. Repairing or installing heating equipment would also be no small undertaking.

And once the heating system was turned on, power consumption would increase significantly.

During last night's battle, if not for the reserve power of the Huanxing 7F electric locomotive, Lin Xian's stamina alone would never have been enough to fight that giant insect while also traveling three or four hundred kilometers.

The trouble caused by the extreme cold was far more serious than he had imagined.

Kiki had mounted her phone on the front of the motorcycle, displaying a map she had preset. Though the navigation system was gone, she seemed to have memorized the route by heart, speeding swiftly into the fog.

Lin Xian sat behind her, somewhat curious. "Why does it feel like you've been here before?"

"Tch. My sense of direction is amazing. There are only a few streets in this place—how complicated could the roads possibly be? Hold on tight!"

With that, she twisted the throttle, and the motorcycle accelerated again. But after they had traveled only a few hundred meters, Kiki suddenly slammed on the brakes!

Screech!!

The sound of tires scraping against the road echoed through the street, while a series of approaching zombie noises came from behind them.

"What is it?" Lin Xian asked.

Kiki frowned into the fog ahead and slowly said, "There's something up ahead!"