Buy a Ticket to Board

"Anything you say?"

"Anything!"

"Absolute obedience?"

"Absolutely!"

The girl scrubbed the sweat from her face, revealing fair skin. She had some confidence in her looks.

Su Huan narrowed his eyes and sized her up. "Get on and wash the dishes first."

When she reached the dining car, Yu Yue was the only one there, dealing with the dishes and chopsticks he'd left from the day before.

Su Huan said flatly, "Go clean the rooms."

Yu Yue turned around in surprise. She saw another girl behind Su Huan, gave her a complicated look, then wiped her hands and stepped aside.

The girl hadn't even wiped the tears from her face, but her heart was already wrapped in overwhelming happiness and delight. She hurriedly took the dishcloth.

"How old are you?"

Su Huan continued questioning her.

"Eighteen. I have my ID in my bag."

There weren't many dishes in the sink, and the girl finished washing them in no time. She waited anxiously for Su Huan's next order, her ears turning red as she wondered what he was thinking.

"It's good that you're an adult. You can look after yourself, so get off the train." Su Huan spoke calmly.

"Huh?"

The girl stood rooted to the spot, as if struck by lightning.

After a long moment, she managed a stiff smile. "Didn't we already settle this? Brother Su, don't scare me..."

Su Huan looked surprised. "Settle what? You only have two and a half portions of supplies. Out of the goodness of my heart, I let you wash some dishes to make up the remaining half, so you've paid off what you owed me. But to get on the train, you still need three portions of supplies."

Then he raised an index finger to his lips, his tone turning dangerous. "Don't tell me you're trying to get a free ride?"

Tears spilled down her face again. "I can do a lot more..."

"What can you do? What do you like?"

"I can..." The girl faltered. "I like traveling. I've been to lots of places. I can dance, and my English is great. I'm also an influencer, and lots of people like me."

Su Huan leaned back against the sofa and said offhandedly, "Take off your pants."

"Huh?"

The girl froze, then hesitated. "Right here? Isn't that a little..."

"That's enough. Get off the train."

Su Huan couldn't be bothered to listen any longer.

"I'll take them off!" The girl yanked her high-waisted jeans down to her ankles.

She clutched the hem of her hoodie and lifted it as high as she could, afraid Su Huan would decide he couldn't see enough and kick her off the train.

Her pretty face flushed bright red with shame and anxiety. A glistening bead of sweat slid down her, passing over her chest and stomach before landing in her delicate navel. The pretty little hollow quivered.

Su Huan remained cold. "Too late."

After spending too long around perverts, ordinary people seemed completely out of place when he looked back at them.

But it wouldn't take long for their self-respect and reserve to crumble. They'd soon return to the world he knew.

For now, he could still have some fun with humiliation games.

Su Huan stood up.

The girl didn't dare say anything else. Looking as though the sky had fallen, she walked off the train and lingered nearby, unwilling to leave.

There wasn't a trace of pity in Su Huan's eyes.

He needed people, but he needed people who were useful.

Of course, someone pretty enough to offer both physical and emotional companionship could be useful too. But the girl had a narrow face and thin legs—not his type.

Auntie Yu, timid as she was, was more fun.

After sending the girl away, Su Huan tucked a sign under his arm and carried a register to the sixth carriage.

It was noticeably hotter in here. Keeping it cool took electricity, and until Su Huan had fully developed his abilities, every bit of energy had to be conserved.

The carriage was full of clothes in disarray, and the air reeked of foot odor and urine. Fortunately, there was a toilet inside. He looked around, but apart from some thin plastic covers, he didn't see anything dirty.

"Tsk, they've still got plenty of energy."

Su Huan sighed and opened a nearby window to air the carriage out.

Liang Kuan came over, carrying a fire axe.

Su Huan chuckled. "Don't be so nervous. We're collecting tickets, not taking lives."

Liang Kuan nodded firmly and tightened his grip on the axe. "I understand."

Su Huan opened the carriage door and hung up the sign he'd been carrying. Four large characters were written on it: BUY A TICKET TO BOARD.

"Everyone, come on over! Tickets are on sale!"

Su Huan called out, then found a chair and sat down comfortably.

He loved this feeling of getting something for nothing.

The passengers hiding around the train cautiously emerged from their various hiding places.

They were all seasoned survivors, hardened by Su Huan's training, and knew exactly how to avoid being spotted by zombies.

If you accidentally attracted zombies, you were on your own. Don't expect Su Huan to open the doors and let you in.

The train was far more important than people.

Before long, the passengers gathered at the sixth carriage door with bags of supplies.

"Why is it the sixth carriage today? Wasn't it always the fifth before?" asked a man wearing cargo pants.

Su Huan glanced at him. He looked a little familiar. Taking the backpack he handed over, Su Huan patiently explained, "We're clearing this carriage out. It won't be open to passengers anymore. From now on, it'll be used exclusively for trading."

"A ten-pound bag of rice. Good stuff. All right, that counts as three portions of supplies."

With real supplies in hand, Su Huan's mood lifted even more. "Since you're a regular passenger, I've got a small job for you. Do it well, and I'll waive one portion of supplies."

The man in cargo pants' eyes lit up. "What job?"

Su Huan pointed inside the carriage. "Take out all the trash, then sweep the floor clean."

The man hurriedly grabbed his backpack and eagerly went inside to get to work.

Hearing this, the people behind him hurriedly asked after handing over their supplies, "Are there any other jobs?"

Su Huan glanced at the next person. He didn't recognize him, so he must have boarded in the last couple of days. "No. Next."

A woman with a troubled expression handed him a huge bundle covered in a black garbage bag. The webbing between her thumbs and forefingers had turned purple from the strain.

Su Huan took it suspiciously.

Well, it was pretty heavy.

He opened the plastic bag outside. Inside was an air compressor weighing about twenty kilograms. It was no small feat for a woman to have carried it all this way.

Afraid Su Huan wouldn't accept it, the woman quickly explained, "My husband used to be a carpenter. This compressor works with a nail gun. I brought that too; it's on top."

Su Huan looked her over. She seemed like a diligent person. "All right, you've paid your fare. Come in and clean this carriage. Wipe every nook and cranny. The windows should be polished enough to reflect a person. Do a good job, and your ticket will be free tomorrow."

The woman thanked him again and again.

Before long, a mountain of supplies had piled up beside Su Huan: rice and flour, diesel, cigarettes, alcohol, sweets and tea, household goods, medical equipment, production tools, and all sorts of odds and ends.

This was much faster than going out to scavenge himself.

Just as Su Huan was thoroughly enjoying collecting fares, a group of unfamiliar faces approached. They looked like a family: three men, two women, and a child.

The train was often spotted by locals, who mistook it for a government rescue train.

"Dad, look! The train's still running. I told you—how could a country this big collapse just because of a few viruses?"

The speaker was a man with glasses and cramped-looking features.

His father's hair was half gray at the temples, and he wore a dark blue jacket. The moment he saw the train, his spirits lifted too. "Hurry, go ask them!"

But the people around them only looked at him coldly and said nothing.

The bespectacled man sensed something was wrong. He approached the carriage, then spotted Su Huan.

He looked Su Huan up and down and asked tentatively, "Is this train a government rescue train or not?"