[Time: 9:25 PM]

[She suddenly stood up and grabbed Han Shan: "Wait, what are you doing!"]

[The 'Time Escape' train let out a sound—

The text ended abruptly, not even deigning to grant a period.

Make no mistake, it truly wasn't finished.

This pen didn't finish writing the latter content, but the information given previously was already quite sufficient.

Gu Mian held the notebook, stroked his chin, and said, "I know the key lies in this notebook's content, but I'm still curious... What pen is that in your hand?"

Han Shan didn't say much; he took the pen from his pocket and tossed it to Gu Mian.

Gu Mian, with quick reflexes, caught it, preventing this remarkably clever little thing from hitting the ground.

As soon as he caught this remarkably clever little thing, its description panel appeared.

[Pen-shaped Real-time Repeater]

[Description: The essence of humanity is repetition... No, this thing doesn't seem to be human, does it?]

[Function: Repeats, in written form. Press the button on the pen's body, and it will record surrounding events in real-time. The level of detail in the recording depends on luck.]

[Usage Frequency: Usable three times a week. Each use lasts about half a minute (duration primarily depends on luck).]

It seemed the content had ended abruptly because the pen's usage time was up.

Han Shan looked at Gu Mian. "This thing is unstable..."

He paused for half a second before continuing, "For instance, if this pen were to record a scene like this, and if your luck is bad, the record might be very rudimentary."

"With no record of time, location, actions, or expressions, it might simply state something like, 'A man spoke, another man listened.'"

Not necessarily both men, Gu Mian thought to himself.

Han Shan didn't know what Gu Mian was thinking and continued, "But if your luck is good, it will record things in great detail, including the time, place, and people involved. Sometimes, it might even include more elaborate descriptions."

Gu Mian nodded. It seemed what the pen had just recorded wasn't particularly detailed, nor was it too simplistic. There was no location, the character introductions were somewhat brief, and only the time was reasonably detailed...

As he was thinking, he looked at the first line—[Time: 11:56 PM]

After reading this line, he glanced at the third line from the bottom of the notebook—[Time: 9:25 PM]

According to the time in this instance, the 11:56 PM in the first line should be correct.

But right after [The 'Time Escape' train let out a sound—], when Han Shan took a large step behind the vendor, the time mysteriously changed to 9:25 PM.

Han Shan frowned. Did our time change at that moment?

Could this be an instance related to time?

As he pondered, Han Shan's frown deepened. "After the train made a sound, the time changed... Is the change in time related to the train's sound?"

Gu Mian tossed the pen back to Han Shan and glanced at the notebook again. "Earlier, when we were on the platform, you heard the train make a sound twice, right?"

Han Shan nodded.

Gu Mian continued, "Those two sounds came from different directions; they definitely weren't from the same location. But the record indicates both sounds were from the 'Time Escape' train."

The others were discussing something over their walkie-talkies. For some reason, a strange static kept coming through. Gu Mian found it noisy and turned his walkie-talkie off.

Han Shan's walkie-talkie was still on, so he could still hear if anything happened.

"That is indeed strange." Han Shan's glasses reflected the light. "Those two sounds... one came from the direction the vendor had her back to, and the other came from the direction of our train. Two completely different directions."

Han Shan fell into deep thought.

Gu Mian suddenly said, "Also, that vendor on the platform was very odd. She didn't know who the Attendant for Carriage Two was, but she seemed certain I wasn't him. She also found it very strange that I came to collect something reserved for the Attendant for Carriage Two."

Han Shan put the pen back into his pocket. "Perhaps it's because she saw you get off Carriage Four?"

"No," Gu Mian shook his head. "You got off Carriage Three, but she still thought you might be the Attendant for Carriage Two. I suspect she doesn't identify us by which carriage we're from."

Han Shan's frown deepened. "Then how does she tell?"

"Perhaps she saw what the Attendant for Carriage Two looks like?" Gu Mian suddenly laughed.

Han Shan squinted. "But the Attendant for Carriage Two disappeared before we reached that station. There's no way she could have seen him, unless she had seen him before... Wait a minute?"

Seen him before?

The only chance for the vendor to have seen Xiao Tiantian, the Attendant for Carriage Two, was at the third station's platform.

At the third station, Rongcheng City, everyone except Gu Mian and Fang Xiang had disembarked from the train.

The vendor found it strange when Gu Mian went to collect the item reserved for the Attendant for Carriage Two because she hadn't seen Gu Mian at all on the Rongcheng City platform.

But she was clearly the vendor at the fourth station. How could she have been at the third station and even seen Xiao Tiantian?

Just then, Han Shan suddenly remembered the sound of a train rushing past them every time they went through a tunnel.

"Those people..." He frowned.

However, before he could finish, a mechanical announcement broadcast from overhead: "Attention, passengers. We are about to enter a tunnel. The train's power supply will be temporarily cut. Please prepare yourselves."

At the same time, Gu Mian suddenly heard Suo Qingqiu's voice, sounding very rushed, from Han Shan's walkie-talkie: "Wait!"

Before Gu Mian could understand what she was trying to say, the entire carriage plunged into darkness, and Suo Qingqiu's voice cut off abruptly.

A few seconds later, the sound of a train approaching from behind grew louder and closer.

In the darkness, Gu Mian heard Han Shan move in front of him, followed by the scratching of a pen tip.

"Do you have a flashlight?" Gu Mian suddenly asked.

The sound of Han Shan's pen scratching didn't stop. "No."

That leaves no other choice, Gu Mian thought, taking the [Strange Camera] from his pocket. This device was meant for photographing invisible ghosts, but now it would have to serve another purpose.

In the darkness, Han Shan suddenly heard a sound like a camera shutter, followed by a brilliant white flash that erupted before his eyes. It vanished in an instant.

Han Shan asked, "Did you take a picture?"

Gu Mian was looking down at the camera in his hand. "Mm-hm."

The camera screen emitted a faint glow, and Han Shan, not far away, could also see its display.

Gu Mian had aimed the camera out the train window, so naturally, it captured the scene outside.

On the screen, a white train was visible on a nearby track, traveling alongside them.

Han Shan's pupils constricted as he stared at the camera screen. "They aren't!"

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