Translator: CinderTL
The charges were clearly fabricated, less about seeking justice and more about issuing a threat.
Director Qiao's attitude confirmed this.
Leaning back in his seat, Director Qiao didn't deny it. "Since that's the case, I'll be blunt. I need you to do something for me. If you succeed, I'll let you go, and we can all part peacefully."
"If you fail, don't blame me. Your charges are quite clear." Director Qiao's voice turned stern. "Executed in seven days."
"What do you need us to do?"
Director Qiao's gaze became strange, his voice dropping to a whisper. "Have you heard of the May Train Disappearance Case?"
At the mention of the May Train, everyone's expressions shifted, but they feigned ignorance. "No."
"Hmph—" It seemed even mentioning the case was painful for Director Qiao. He pulled out a pack of cigarettes, lit one, and slowly began to recount. "It happened three years ago. War raged everywhere, and refugees fled their homes, including many who came to our Grey Stone Town."
"At first, things were manageable. But as the number of refugees grew, our small town simply couldn't accommodate them all."
"After all, they were our fellow countrymen, and we couldn't just let them starve. So we found a train to transport them to another town far from the war zone."
"That town was vast and sparsely populated, capable of supporting them."
"But who could have predicted that this act of kindness would unleash disaster!" Director Qiao's expression suddenly changed. He raised his head, his eyes filled with fear as he looked at Jiang Cheng and the others.
"The train disappeared on the way?" Linghu Yong asked, confirming his suspicion. He remembered Director Qiao mentioning the May Train Disappearance Case earlier.
Director Qiao shook his head and slowly massaged his temples. "If that were the case, it would have been easier to handle."
"The train was delayed. It was supposed to arrive in the evening, but the people waiting at the station waited until midnight, and the train never showed up."
"Just as they were about to turn and leave, someone suddenly heard a rumbling sound, and the ground began to tremble."
"In the darkness, the train simply rolled in."
"If it weren't for the inevitable, deafening noise of this massive machine, no one would have even noticed it."
"Because the train was completely dark. Not a single light was on, not even the headlight on the locomotive."
It was only when the reception team shone their flashlights on the train's engine that they realized this was the May Train they had been waiting for.
Initially, the reception team had only found it strange, but they hadn't given it much thought. After all, the war was raging, and Little Dongyang's planes didn't care whether a vehicle was carrying troops or refugees—they dropped bombs at any sign of light.
But after the train came to a complete stop, the reception team on the platform slowly began to feel uneasy.
It was too quiet. Not a sound came from the train.
The train's lights were off. From the outside, the carriages were pitch black, impossible to see through. All the doors were closed, and no one was disembarking.
After a tense standoff, the reception team couldn't stand it any longer. They approached the train, shone their flashlights inside, and peered in.
What they saw was horrifying. Several carriages in a row were completely empty.
At that moment, the person who had gone to check the engine came scrambling back, bringing even more terrifying news: the engine's cab was deserted!
Yet the fire in the furnace was still burning fiercely, and the coal shovel was still stuck in the coal pile, as if someone had been stoking the fire just moments before.
But in the next instant, they had vanished.
No, not just one person—everyone on the entire train had disappeared!
It was midnight, and no one dared to board the train to investigate what had happened. Instead, they rushed back to the Town to call for help.
The incident caused a major commotion. The next morning, a large crowd gathered at the station. Taking advantage of the midday sun, a few brave souls downed shots of strong liquor, armed themselves with rifles, and boarded the train to see what had happened.
But as soon as they stepped inside, they were stunned by the scene before them. All the luggage was neatly arranged on the floor, along with old blankets, worn clothes, and simple food items left on the seats and tables.
Only the people were gone.
Director Qiao's expression was strange as he said, "It felt as if they had only stepped away temporarily and would return at any moment."
But as things stood, the missing refugees never returned. Otherwise, Director Qiao wouldn't have found them and threatened them with criminal charges to resolve the matter.
"Director Qiao," Pi Ruan stammered, his face pale after hearing the story. "This is terrifying. Can't you assign us a different case?" he pleaded.
Director Qiao glanced at him dismissively, ignoring his plea. "Let me finish," he said coldly.
Fatty's heart clenched at those words. He knew this wasn't over.
"The people who boarded the train searched from front to back. Each carriage was almost identical, except for the missing people. Their belongings and luggage were all intact, untouched."
Director Qiao's tone shifted as he looked up at Jiang Cheng and the others. The atmosphere in the room grew heavy.
"The door to the last carriage was locked from the inside. It couldn't be opened."
"The investigators who boarded the train assumed someone must be inside since the door was locked from within. They shouted through the door, claiming they were from the next town and there to pick them up, urging them not to be afraid and to open the door."
"But after shouting for a long time, there was no response—not even a sound. It was as if no one was there."
"After discussing it, they left two people to watch the carriage while the others went to explain the situation and fetch tools to force the door open."
"But when the group returned with the tools, they found the two people left behind had vanished."
"They searched the adjacent carriages but couldn't find them."
"Panic erupted. It was clear something terrible had happened. But the two men left behind had been armed. Even if they'd encountered danger, wouldn't they have made some noise?"
At that moment, the remaining few seemed to realize something. They turned their heads and collectively stared at the last car. The locked gate.
Tension filled the air. No one spoke. They divided tasks: two men began dismantling the gate, while the others nervously aimed their guns at it.
With a creak, the gate swung open. The darkness behind it was absolute. As beams of flashlight pierced the gloom, the scene before them left everyone stunned.
The small car was packed with people standing shoulder to shoulder, all facing away from them, motionless.
Among them, two figures stood out as eerily familiar.
(End of the Chapter)
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