Chapter 5: Eight Teams

Those who remain here must exercise great caution, as no one knows whether there are any wild beasts or similar creatures in this cursed place. Anyone willing to participate in the search outside, please step forward.

Sun Yaojie shook his head and said: "Do you think I am a god? All-knowing? The only thing I can be certain of is that there must be food and water sources in this area. The ghost train brought us here, and it cannot be as simple as wanting to starve or dehydrate us."

Everyone around silently watched this scene, observing as the boy's mother tore open the packaging, took out the cookies, and placed them in the boy's mouth. The little boy began to eat heartily. Meanwhile, other children were tugging at their parents' clothes, softly calling out: "Mom, I want to eat too, I'm hungry..."

The blond-haired man was thrown to the ground, grimacing in pain, unable to get up for a long time. As a result, she took his place and became a member of the team

Well, if luck is on our side, perhaps we can find a way out of this cursed place. By the way, everyone should pay close attention to their mobile phones. As soon as you notice a signal, immediately call for help. Furthermore, it would be even better if we could figure out exactly what kind of place this is.

Lin Xiao listened quietly without interrupting. The solutions proposed by the middle-aged man and Sun Yaojie and others were, in fact, their only viable options at the moment. With around 800 to 900 people gathered together, everyone nodded in agreement. They could not remain here and wait passively; their desire for survival compelled them to actively seek out hope for life.

The words of the middle-aged man attracted the attention of many people. The father of the little boy who was eating cookies walked over and said loudly: "This big brother is right. Staying here like this is not a solution. We need to find a way to get food and drink. While we still have some strength, we cannot waste any more time here."

Lin Xiao and the others were all drawn to it. Wen Ningxuan opened her backpack. Among the crowd, only a very few individuals had taken their backpacks with them when they escaped, and Wen Ningxuan was one of them

Sun Yaojie turned around and flashed a bright smile at Ye Dongling, appearing very cheerful, his smile radiating confidence

The little boy saw the food, hurriedly took it, and then handed it to his mother, exclaiming: "Mom, peel it, peel it—" He wanted his mother to tear open the outer packaging of the small bag of cookies, as he was still too young to open the outer packaging by himself

"Hey, Lin Xiao, it seems like you’re not putting in much effort. Look at Sun Yaojie’s girlfriend, she cares about him so much. Your Wen Ningxuan doesn’t seem to care about you at all." Fang Zhirong nudged Lin Xiao, glancing at Wen Ningxuan, who was already engrossed in her book, and whispered.

Fang Zhirong was taken aback: "Isn't it? But I always feel that there seems to be something between you two. In the company, Wen Ningxuan is known for being taciturn and distant with everyone, yet she seems to be a bit more special towards you. I thought you two had secretly gotten together already."

"This statement makes sense, but how exactly can it be implemented?" someone asked

The middle-aged man said: "As for the specifics, it is necessary for everyone to act according to the situation. In any case, if there are any other discoveries, be sure to find a way to inform others."

In fact, just now, when Wen Ningxuan gave cookies to that little boy, many people witnessed the scene and then realized that it seemed they had not eaten or drunk anything for a while. Some felt a bit hungry, while others felt thirsty. Looking around at the desolate and unfamiliar wasteland, everyone became aware of the seriousness of the situation

Wen Ningxuan has already picked up a book and quietly sat down beside it, placing the short knife aside, and began to read the book earnestly

Lin Xiao shook his head and sighed, "You are completely consumed by lewd thoughts; there is no hope for you now"

The middle-aged man said in a deep voice: "I have a proposal. The elderly, women, children, and infants will stay here, while the other able-bodied individuals will organize themselves into eight teams. Each team will head in one of the eight different directions: east, south, west, north, southeast, southwest, northwest, and northeast, to search for food and water sources. Any team that makes a discovery should return immediately, as mobile phones are currently unusable and the eight teams cannot communicate with each other. Let’s set a time limit of half a day; regardless of whether any discoveries are made, we will return here. What does everyone think?"

Many people nodded in agreement

There was another woman who looked very delicate, appearing to be around twenty-two or twenty-three years old, and she was skilled in martial arts. Just as she was about to join the team, a man with dyed yellow hair, who looked somewhat unruly, made a lewd and mocking remark. She effortlessly executed a beautiful shoulder throw, sending him flying out.

Lin Xiao held a short knife approximately one foot long in his right hand, murmuring softly: "The lair of the Stoneclaw Beast, the Poison Fog Marsh... is it?"

His mother looked at Wen Ningxuan and said gratefully: "Thank you"

In her backpack, there were mostly books, along with a few bags of dried snacks. She took out a bag and walked over, handing it to the little boy who was crying, softly saying: "Baby, don't cry, this is food, it's for you"

Sun Yaojie raised his voice, which resonated in everyone's ears, invigorating all present

You are a girl, and you are still wearing high heels. How can you go out with us? It will definitely affect others. Never mind, I understand your intentions. You should stay here and patiently wait for everyone's good news.

The middle-aged man with a fierce expression led a team heading east. The team led by the tall, slender man, who stood about 1.9 meters tall, chose the south. Lin Xiao, Sun Yaojie, and their group opted for the west, while the other five teams proceeded in the directions of north, southeast, southwest, northwest, and northeast respectively.

Almost all passengers' luggage was left on the S601 train at that time. The shortage of food and drinking water would be fatal; without food and water, a person could potentially die within three days. According to the notice board, the ghost train would appear once every seven days. Unfortunately, the crowd, lacking both water and food, would not be able to wait for that day.

The incident occurred suddenly, and everyone was taken aback, hurriedly turning to look in that direction. They saw a young man in his twenties in the crowd, his feet trapped in a quagmire. He struggled while screaming "Help!" but the more he struggled, the deeper he sank. Soon, both of his legs were completely submerged in the mud.

Shi Lei nodded and said, "This statement makes sense, Sun Yaojie, can you guess the origin and purpose of that ghost train?"

Out of eight or nine hundred people, more than three hundred were ultimately selected to form eight teams, with each team consisting of around forty individuals. The remaining individuals stayed behind to await further news. Lin Xiao, Sun Yaojie, Shi Lei, Fang Zhirong, and Wu Xuwen were all in the same team, while Wen Ningxuan and Ye Dongling, being girls, stayed behind to avoid burdening the others in the team

Under the command of this middle-aged man, the group began to assign teams. Those who were too young or too old, as well as the vast majority of women, were left behind. Only a few women, among whom were two fitness instructors, along with several others who had practiced karate or taekwondo to varying degrees and appeared to be even more formidable than the men, were permitted to join the teams

The team that Lin Xiao and others belong to consists of forty-three members, among which there are two women, while the remaining forty-one are all men. One of these women is a retired weightlifter, and her physique is more muscular than that of the vast majority of men. Her face is as broad as a silver basin, appearing three points more rugged than that of a man.

The tall, slender man, approximately 10.9 meters in height, also raised his voice to speak

"Grandma, I seem to be a bit hungry too..." Fang Zhirong licked his lips, gazing from a distance at the cookie in the little boy's hand, unable to help but mutter softly to himself

Fang Zhirong chuckled and said, "If you don't admit it soon, I might just take action against her."

"Everyone has seen it, right? We currently have neither food to eat nor water to drink. Staying here is equivalent to waiting for death." The middle-aged man, whose face was covered in a thick beard and looked fierce, suddenly raised his voice, immediately attracting the attention of many people who turned to look at him.

Sun Yaojie smiled and said, "Speaking of which, Wen Ningxuan and you are quite a match. However, I think the most important thing in her eyes is probably books, with her boyfriend only coming in second place."

You truly have the leisure to indulge, but let's talk about it once we are able to leave here alive. Lin Xiao's expression was rather grave

Everyone, please do not push. It depends on your own situation. Sir, you are over sixty, right? It would be better for you to stay here and wait for news. What? You are in good health? I know you are strong, but ultimately, you cannot compare to the young men. If you travel with us, it will slow everyone down and affect efficiency.

Since the ghost train has left us here and has even prepared several boxes of short knives for us, there must be a reason or purpose behind it. It certainly will not allow us to die of hunger or thirst here. Everyone will surely be able to find a source of water and food

Sun Yaojie stated: "When the team that has found food or a water source returns, they can gather some firewood to start a fire. Other teams, upon seeing the thick smoke here, will be able to return."

Yaojie, you must return safely. Ye Dongling waved at Sun Yaojie from a distance

Wen Ningxuan gently touched the little boy's head, shook her head, and then let out a soft sigh

Suddenly, a mournful cry of "Ah" echoed through the air

Lin Xiao was taken aback and chuckled, saying: "What are you talking about? Wen Ningxuan is not my girlfriend, so why would she care about me?"

Sun Yaojie said: "Lin Xiao, do not worry. I believe my reasoning is sound. That ghost train must hold secrets that we are yet unaware of. Its leaving us here must have a deeper meaning. If it were merely to kill us, at that time in the 'Stone Claw Beast's lair,' it only needed to close the train doors tightly and prevent us from boarding. We would have long been bitten to death by those Stone Claw Beasts. Why go through the trouble of bringing us here just to kill us?"