The clown train traveled across the snowy ground, white steam billowing from its chimney.

Every passenger who had just boarded the train was extremely excited, grateful they had gotten on board. The warm and secure space made the travelers feel at ease.

The meal cart moving through the carriages was laden with food, complete in color, aroma, and flavor—delicacies almost unseen in the apocalypse. Passengers couldn't help but drool at the sight.

When a passenger stopped the meal cart wanting to buy some food, they received shocking news.

"What! A boxed meal with one meat and two vegetables costs five hundred! That's daylight robbery!" the passenger exclaimed in surprise.

The train attendant said unhurriedly, "If you can't afford it, don't eat it. Poor folks can go eat the free cockroach paste."

The passenger grew angry, loudly confronting the attendant.

The elderly on the train watched silently, a hint of mockery in their eyes.

The train had rules, regulations that couldn't be changed by shouting. Everyone had to obey the rules.

If you had money, you were royalty on this train;

without money, you were trash.

With enough money, you could even make the train attendant dance around a pole in the carriage!

Everything had its price;

it just depended on whether the passenger could pay the equivalent amount.

Some clever passengers, upon hearing this, felt relieved inside. The train provided free food—even if it tasted bad, it could fill their stomachs and keep them alive. The availability of free food and water also proved the train's goal wasn't to kill them.

There's no such thing as a free lunch.

The clown train definitely wanted to extract something from them.

Huo Shuangshuang was in carriage thirty-nine. She wasn't in a hurry to upgrade her cabin, planning first to fully understand the train's rules to make the most beneficial choice.

After all, she didn't have much money and couldn't splurge recklessly like Li Xuan and the others.

She scanned the carriage and found a suitable target.

A woman with a child. Being able to protect a child in the apocalypse and successfully board the train meant this person was far from ordinary.

Huo Shuangshuang approached the woman, pulling a piece of candy from her pocket—the cheapest kind from before the apocalypse. "Information exchange."

She stated her purpose directly. There were no fools in this carriage;

without offering something, it was hard to obtain real intelligence.

The woman shielded her child in front of her, watching Huo Shuangshuang warily. "My husband is in the hard seat carriage."

Whether there really was a husband in the hard seat carriage, who knew?

Lower-class carriages couldn't enter premium carriages, and no one in this carriage could verify it.

She didn't need all passengers to completely believe her—just enough so others wouldn't look down on her.

Huo Shuangshuang waved the manual in her hand, trying to appear as gentle as possible. "Killing isn't allowed on the train. No need to be afraid."

"Killing is possible on the train, but the attendants mustn't find out," the woman whispered.

"I mean no harm. After I get the information, I won't bother you again," Huo Shuangshuang said.

The child beside the woman stared fixedly at the candy in Huo Shuangshuang's hand but made no sound or movement.

The woman hesitated for a moment. "You lick it first."

Huo Shuangshuang unwrapped the candy, put it in her mouth, then spat it out. "Not poisoned."

Only then did the woman feel at ease. She didn't give it to the child but ate it herself.

She cherished her child but knew even more that she lacked the strength to protect them.

Early in the apocalypse, she'd given any good finds to her child first. Later, she realized this approach didn't work—the child, even fed, couldn't protect itself. So it became her eating first, then the child.

Huo Shuangshuang watched this silently, mentally labeling the woman as clever. She was doing the right thing;

spoiling a child in the apocalypse was indirectly killing them.

After a moment, the woman organized her thoughts and spoke slowly:

"The manual emphasizes rules about punishments if caught by attendants—all those mean you can do it, but mustn't be discovered. Anything not written is forbidden;

doing it means death. Someone tried killing an attendant, but they resurrected—they're not human at all......"

Huo Shuangshuang obtained much information from the woman but didn't fully trust her. She turned and left the carriage, heading to another no-seat carriage, selected two people, and traded information for candy and compressed biscuits.

Then she compared the intelligence from all three sources to identify the correct information.

After sorting, the confirmed intelligence was:

1: Train attendants resurrect when killed

2: The train's driver cabin has no door, just a metal wall

3: Passengers disembarking early must pay a huge fine;

so far, no passenger has paid the enormous sum to get off early. According to attendants, the train's final destination is a peaceful island without apocalypse or zombies

4: Each person can receive one liter of hot water and two cockroach paste sticks daily for free. Cockroach paste is a jelly-like food, high in energy;

eating it eliminates hunger, but it tastes terrible, like thick snot

5: Toilet time must not exceed ten minutes;

standing ticket carriages have no bathing facilities;

only premium carriages allow bathing, but it costs money

6: Killing is not allowed on the train, but reproduction is permitted, so women are in danger

Huo Shuangshuang glanced around and noticed many eyes fixed on her. Without a doubt, she had been targeted.

But she wasn't panicked. Having been naturally beautiful since childhood, she was used to such gazes. Before the apocalypse, men were somewhat restrained;

after, they became direct.

She became the exploration team squad leader in R City not by selling her body but by fighting her way up.

In terms of combat ability, she didn't lose to men and was proficient with firearms and bladed weapons.

'The standing ticket carriage is too dangerous;

I must upgrade. Seated or sleeper carriages are safer,' Huo Shuangshuang thought.

While awake, she wasn't afraid of anyone targeting her, but she wasn't made of iron—she needed sleep and could easily be controlled while unconscious.

The seated carriage was different. She had just learned the seated carriage rules: passengers sitting in their own seats cannot be harmed by anyone.

"Attendant! I want to upgrade my cabin!" Huo Shuangshuang pulled out red bills from her padded coat.

The carriage passengers were stunned. They thought Huo Shuangshuang had little money, since her backpack was small. When gathering information, she had opened it, revealing some canned food and weapons.

No one expected she had hidden money in her coat. Instantly, many passengers showed regret—if only they had acted earlier, subdued Huo Shuangshuang, wouldn't she have lent them money then?

The train attendant approached cheerfully, taking the money from Huo Shuangshuang. "Seated carriage?"

"Yes."

"Please follow me."

A survivor, unwilling to let it go, spoke up pleadingly: "Beauty, lend some money."

Huo Shuangshuang revealed the black pistol at her waist. "Still want to borrow?"

The survivor backed off. "You should've said you had the great equalizer earlier."

The train attendant remained silent, not intending to intervene.

Passing through the standing ticket carriage, a familiar voice sounded. Huo Shuangshuang looked back.

It was a high-ranking official from the R City survivor base. Two days ago, during a meeting, he had arrogantly claimed Li Xuan collected money because he was poor before the apocalypse, thinking hoarding money was a stupid decision.

The dark-skinned man rubbed his hands, smiling ingratiatingly. "Shuangshuang, lend some money. I don't have enough to upgrade my cabin."

Huo Shuangshuang mocked, "Didn't you say Li Xuan was talking nonsense? Didn't you think collecting money was useless? Now you want to borrow? Too late."

The dark-skinned man's face darkened. After the apocalypse, this was the first time someone had disrespected him. His status in the R City survivor base was far above Huo Shuangshuang's—basically her boss's boss. "Watch your attitude. Hand over the money now, for me to safeguard."

"Did someone hit your head? Still think you're high-ranking?" Huo Shuangshuang sneered.

You!

The dark-skinned man pointed at Huo Shuangshuang, furious. "Will you lend it or not! The train will eventually return. After we're back, do you still want to be squad leader or not!"

"Heh, anyone who wants it can have it. I've been fighting tooth and nail outside while you hid in the base backstabbing me. Did you really think I have no temper?" Huo Shuangshuang suddenly drew a silver dagger, pressing it against the man's neck.

A drop of blood trickled down.

Sss~

The man panicked, sucking in a sharp breath. "Don't be rash! Killing isn't allowed on the train! Attendant, stop her!"

The attendant looked back calmly. "She hasn't broken any rules yet."

Huo Shuangshuang snorted coldly, sheathing her dagger. "Scared of what? I wouldn't trade my life for yours. You're not worth it."

Then, Huo Shuangshuang followed the attendant to another carriage.

Leaving the man behind in helpless rage. The survivors in the carriage, learning he was a high-ranking official from the R City base, felt greedy.

The man having no money didn't mean he had nothing good on him.

They didn't believe he'd board empty-handed;

he must have water and food on him—not as good as train-bought food, but definitely better than cockroach paste.

Soft sleeper carriage

The comfortable, warm bed let Li Xuan sleep for twenty hours straight. Waking up, he felt somewhat disoriented, unsure if he was in the apocalypse or before.

"Haven't slept this well in so long," Li Xuan murmured.

Feeling something in the blanket, he lifted it and found Huo Lingling curled up on the bed, her head against his chest. Her breathing blew warm air on his skin, slightly ticklish.

Li Xuan saw Huo Lingling's eyelids twitch, knowing she was awake. He reached out and pinched her nose.

Soon, Huo Lingling opened her eyes herself. "You, bad."

Li Xuan released her, pinching her cheek instead. "Why are you here?"

"Sleeping together is warmer," Huo Lingling said.

"The bed's so small, aren't you cramped?"

"Hehe."

Li Xuan sat up. Huo Lingling curled in his arms like a koala.

Gurgle~

"You haven't eaten?" Li Xuan heard the sound and looked down, rubbing Huo Lingling's little stomach—empty.

"We haven't eaten yet!" Yun Xiuzhi and Huo Lingling said simultaneously.

"Why not?"

"Waiting to eat with you."

Li Xuan called the attendant. "Do you have a menu?"

The attendant shook his head. "No menu. Guests can directly state what they need. The train has everything."

"Do you have Tyrannosaurus Rex meat?" Li Xuan asked.

The attendant nodded. "Yes. Which cut would you like? I recommend the hind leg meat of a juvenile T-rex. After cooking, the meat is tender, soft, and melts in your mouth, rich in nutrients. One serving costs only fifty-eight thousand eight hundred eighty-eight."

It really exists!

Li Xuan was amazed. As expected of the mysterious clown train. Who knew how the train obtained T-rex meat—did it travel to the Cretaceous period to catch one?

The attendant seemed to read Li Xuan's thoughts and replied immediately: "The clown train once went to Blue Star during the Cretaceous period and collected many ingredients."

Li Xuan stroked his chin. "The T-rex meat on the train is limited, right? If I buy it all, then order another serving, would the train not provide T-rex meat, or go catch another one for meat?"

The attendant fell silent, as if Li Xuan's question conflicted with his underlying operational logic. After a long while, the attendant spoke again: "The train would go catch another T-rex for meat, but it requires time. You would need to wait patiently."

"One serving to try."

Li Xuan glanced at the Chinese Alligator. "One serving of Sarcosuchus meat, uncooked."

He wanted to fatten the alligator before the apocalypse ended, giving it ample energy to mutate and awaken stronger abilities than in its original future.

Sarcosuchus was the Chinese Alligator's ancestor, surpassing it in both size and bite force. Letting the alligator eat Sarcosuchus flesh might make it stronger.

Huo Lingling raised her hand. "I want a serving of Megalodon meat!"

The attendant reminded: "Megalodon meat doesn't taste good."

"Doesn't matter, I want to eat it!"

"Get me some caviar," Yun Xiuzhi said.

She had never eaten caviar and was curious about its taste.

Before the apocalypse, she couldn't afford caviar;

after, even less so—resources were scarce, where would she find caviar?

Then, Li Xuan ordered several dishes that were very expensive before the apocalypse, all delicacies he had previously been reluctant to eat.

The attendant noted everything down, asked about their preferred cooking methods, and finally said: "Thank you for your patronage. Total: one hundred twelve thousand."

Huo Lingling took out the travel bag, retrieved exactly one hundred twelve thousand—not a cent more.

The attendant left with the money. Soon, an announcement echoed through the train: "Congratulations to the passenger in soft sleeper carriage one for a single food purchase exceeding one hundred thousand! Becoming the first passenger with food consumption over one hundred thousand! The clown train will present a valuable gift!"

Huo Lingling froze for a moment. "Why the announcement!"

"After the broadcast, everyone on the train knows we're rich. For a while, we better not leave the soft sleeper carriage," Yun Xiuzhi said.

Huo Lingling waved her pink fists. "Afraid of what? I'll beat them up barehanded!"

"True, the manual says no killing, but doesn't say no maiming. Next time we go out, don't bring money. If they have ill intentions, let Lingling intimidate the other passengers first," Yun Xiuzhi nodded.

On the clown train, many large animal transformation abilities were restricted. With Huo Lingling's combat power, almost no one could match her.

In other train carriages, passengers who learned someone spent one hundred thousand on a meal were envious.

Huo Shuangshuang bit into her compressed biscuit, knowing the passengers in the announcement were Li Xuan and the others. Only Li Xuan would have that much money.

'One hundred thousand, what delicacies are they eating?' Huo Shuangshuang wondered, unconsciously licking her lips.

'When I'm hungry tomorrow, I'll also spend money on a chili fried pork with noodles!'