"Attention all passengers, we will shortly be arriving at Rongcheng City, the third station. The train will stop for one minute. Passengers planning to disembark here, please prepare in advance."

This stop, potentially teeming with protagonists, had also arrived.

Gu Mian shifted his gaze to the passenger area. Still, no one seemed ready to get off at this station.

Angel Slaughter's voice came through the intercom: "Um, Doctor, there's someone who's been standing near your counter for quite a while now."

Since Angel Slaughter was in Carriage Five, which was adjacent to Gu Mian's, she could see the situation around his counter.

"I think that passenger probably wants some raw meat as well... Doctor, are you planning to come back?" Angel Slaughter's voice sounded slightly hesitant.

Everyone except Gu Mian had received raw meat orders, but they had no such thing in their storage.

The passengers who had placed orders had now returned to their seats to wait. If they were kept waiting too long, something terrifying might happen.

So, staying away from the counter seemed like a good choice for now, but no one knew what might happen if they left their counters unattended for an extended period.

Suo Qingqiu's hesitant voice came through: "Speaking of which, wouldn't it be bad if we don't return to our counters?"

"Indeed, it wouldn't." Gu Mian rubbed his chin, then turned off his intercom to prevent passengers from overhearing anything inappropriate as he crossed the passenger area.

Han Shan gripped his pen. "Are you going back?"

Han Shan's intercom was still on, and Gu Mian heard Guigu's voice coming from it.

His voice was urgent. "Lieutenant, I can't get any raw meat! Am I supposed to cut it from myself?"

Han Shan picked up his intercom. "Don't worry. We'll get off at the next station and take a look."

Guigu sounded perplexed. "Get off? Can we even get off?"

Guigu then seemed to be flipping through something. After several seconds, his voice came again: "That's right! There's no rule stating crew members can't disembark. I finally get what that vendor at the last stop was for—to let us restock the dining car's supplies! As long as we get back on the train before it departs, we're good!"

Guigu's words gave the others an idea.

Several of them began to consider the feasibility of this idea.

Angel Slaughter's voice came through: "Since there's no rule against crew disembarking, we should be able to get off and restock at the station. But will there even be vendors at the next stop? And selling raw meat, of all things…"

Guigu replied, "Since he was there, he must have been there for a reason. We'll know once we get off the train and see."

Then Angel Slaughter added, "Even if there are vendors at every station, and even if they sell raw meat, would they have enough to supply passengers in all seven of our carriages?"

Han Shan remained silent for a few seconds. "Probably not."

This was likely an opportunity for the players to slaughter each other.

Supplies were scarce. If they wanted to ensure their own carriage was adequately stocked, they would probably have to fight other players for resources.

Eventually, it might even escalate to other players becoming resources themselves.

This malice was all too obvious. Han Shan gripped his pen. He really didn't want to follow the malicious scenario set up by this instance.

But now, he had no choice.

A passenger had already ordered two jin of raw meat. If they didn't disembark to restock after reaching the station, they would probably die even sooner...

Thinking of this, he looked up at Gu Mian.

He saw the chainsaw-wielding doctor turn around, apparently intending to return to his counter.

But then, Han Shan saw him stop abruptly and turn back.

"What's wrong?" Han Shan squeezed the pen in his hand.

Gu Mian glanced at the pen in Han Shan's hand. "I heard something strange in the passenger area earlier. I was about to mention it, but I got interrupted..."

Han Shan frowned. "What is it?"

Gu Mian glanced at Han Shan's pen again. "You seem to really like holding that pen when you talk."

Han Shan loosened his grip slightly. "Is that what you discovered?"

"No," Gu Mian shook his head, getting to the point. "Earlier, I heard a girl say that when she was boarding the train, she thought she saw someone who looked exactly like her."

Someone identical?

Han Shan's frown deepened.

Gu Mian stared at him, really wishing he could catch a fly and place it right between Han Shan's furrowed brows.

But alas, there were no flies to be found here. Gu Mian tightened the strap of the guitar on his back and started walking towards his counter.

He quickly entered the passenger area.

The passengers still appeared to be behaving normally; nothing seemed out of place.

A passenger who had been reading a newspaper seemed tired. He placed the paper on the small table in front of him, then rested his head on it and fell asleep.

Gu Mian glanced at the newspaper as he passed by.

The headline on the paper was large and eye-catching: *ANCIENT BUILDING FROM 50 YEARS AGO SUDDENLY APPEARS IN RONGCHENG CITY; REPORTEDLY, THIS BUILDING WAS DEMOLISHED LAST YEAR*

The newspaper seemed to be one provided on the train, as many passengers were holding identical copies.

Gu Mian didn't linger. He looked up and continued towards the counter.

About halfway there, he saw the figure standing in front of his counter.

It was a middle-aged woman. Gu Mian had noticed her earlier; when he was delivering orange soda, this woman had gotten up and walked towards the rear of the carriage.

Now it seemed she hadn't been going to the restroom, but rather had intended to place an order.

Gu Mian took a few more steps, and now he could see Angel Slaughter in Carriage Five.

Angel Slaughter was standing at the very front of Carriage Five, apparently tidying something, but Gu Mian noticed her gaze kept flicking towards his carriage, clearly keeping an eye on his area.

When Gu Mian walked past, he saw Angel Slaughter give him a somewhat surprised look, but the expression quickly vanished. She concealed it and resumed surreptitiously observing Carriage Four.

She clearly hadn't expected Gu Mian to return to his counter so decisively.

By this time, Gu Mian had reached his counter. The woman seemed to have been waiting there for a very long time.

The woman's complexion was rather pale, and fine beads of sweat continuously trickled down her forehead.

Gu Mian couldn't tell what season it was in this instance, but the air conditioning on the train maintained a comfortable temperature. Considering this, the woman in front of him seemed unusually hot.

"Hello," Gu Mian said, approaching her. "How can I help you?"

The woman turned her head with some difficulty to look at Gu Mian.

Her face was now even more clearly visible to Gu Mian.

Deathly pale, or rather, a ghastly white. Her eyes were bloodshot, her lips seemed drained of all color, and her bangs were soaked with sweat, clinging to her forehead.

A few strands of hair stuck to her damp forehead, looking rather eerie.

She struggled to speak, her voice strained: "Meat… two jin. Two jin of meat. Raw."

Not far away, Angel Slaughter tensed up.

She remembered that when the passenger in her carriage had ordered two jin of raw meat, their expression hadn't been this terrifying.

Why did this passenger, ordering from this doctor, look so...

Angel Slaughter furrowed her brow. Could it be because the woman had been waiting for too long?

Gu Mian was now behind the counter. He glanced at the attendant's rules.

**Attendants should strive to fulfill passenger orders and must not refuse them.*

He then glanced at the passenger manifest on the counter.

*'Time Escape' Train Journey – Carriage Four Passenger Overview*

*Passengers: 31*

And yet, in his carriage, there were 32 humanoid figures seated in the passenger area.

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