Players, Please Board the Train

The elderly man’s companion was badly injured, his left arm missing below the elbow, blood seeping through the cloth wrapping the wound.

Further ahead, a middle-aged woman was enthusiastically pitching specialty skincare products to two young female players, the three of them chatting up a storm.

”...Guess what this lipstick is called? I’ll tell you, it’s called Soul-Stirring! Just the scent alone is incredibly fragrant, no man can resist it, and a single kiss is even more powerful, guaranteed to make any dream guy fall into your hands!” The middle-aged woman said smugly. ”Before I entered the game, I had a crush on a minor celebrity, spent a lot of money, but how could a celebrity pay attention to someone ordinary like me? Even if I wanted to keep him, there were plenty of young female players lining up.”

”After using this lipstick, that little thing changed his tune immediately, calling me sister this and sister that, and within a few days we were sleeping together. But I found him too clingy, so I switched to someone else a couple days ago.”

The two female players were clearly tempted, and the one with curly hair pressed further, ”Is it really that magical? We’ve bought some special products before, and the results were just average.”

”Would big sister lie to you?” The middle-aged woman continued, ”This is goods sourced from other wormhole points, scarce and hard to get. How many Districts have you been to? There’s no way you’d come across this!”

The two female players hesitated for a moment before paying up. The middle-aged woman added, ”Apply this before bed and it’ll also beautify your lips, guaranteed to make them look like jelly, so tempting everyone will want a bite.”

That remark hit the sweet spot for the female players. Another woman with short hair said, ”Even if we don’t necessarily need it for men, who can resist looking more attractive?”

”Exactly!” After successfully closing that sale, the middle-aged woman turned her target to the woman knitting yarn behind them. She sat down beside her and said, ”Sister, you’ve got some nice crochet work going there.”

”I’m not buying lipstick.” The woman didn’t even lift her head, her fingers moving rapidly.”We can still chat even if you’re not buying.” The middle-aged woman said with a smile, ”Are you married, sister? Knitting this for your kids?”

”Women aren’t as carefree as men. Instead of fighting in and out of the game, isn’t it better to stay home with the kids and watch them grow up?”

”Daily expenses should also prioritize the children.”

”But entering the game is unavoidable, it’s just a pity the kids have no one to keep them company.”

”Have you heard of Mother’s Fragrance?” She abruptly changed the subject.

The woman knitting didn’t respond, but the middle-aged woman showed no embarrassment whatsoever and continued on her own, ”Mother’s Fragrance is essentially a body scent extracted from a mother’s bodily fluids.”

”I heard it was invented by a famous perfumer. She was dying of a terminal illness, but her child was too young to be without their mother. Worried that her child wouldn’t adjust after she passed, she used her own fluids to distill a bottle of perfume. Sprinkling it on the bedsheets made the child feel like they were sleeping in their mother’s embrace.”

As she spoke, she pulled out a syringe-shaped item. ”This is the tool for making Mother’s Fragrance. Want to give it a try? Though the scent extracted with this tool might not be detectable by adults, since it’s just a person’s natural body odor after all.”

Only then did the knitting woman look up at her. Beneath a pair of red, swollen eyes were dark bruises all over. Her lips moved faintly, ”All three of my children are dead.”

Even the middle-aged woman couldn’t find words for that. After a few seconds, she said, ”In this world, being alive isn’t necessarily a good thing either.”

The woman went back to her own business.

The middle-aged woman had already canvassed all the female players in this carriage and was about to head to the next one when Yan Jiayu returned.

She greeted her warmly, ”Sister, your skin is so nice. You must be very particular about skincare.”

Yan Jiayu nodded in wholehearted agreement.

The middle-aged woman pulled her to sit across from Xu Huo, then trotted out the same sales pitch she’d used on the two female players earlier to push her skincare products. But Yan Jiayu asked instead, ”Have you used it yourself?”

”Oh, sister, how could I not use the things I sell myself?”

Yan Jiayu tilted her head and gave her a once-over. ”I think the results look pretty mediocre. Why don’t you try mine instead?”

She pulled out a bottle of baby cream and set it on the table. ”Pure plant ingredients. I’ve used this my whole life, and the results are remarkable.”

The middle-aged woman’s smile froze for a split second, then she quickly swapped what she was holding for the lipstick. ”Women dress up for those who appreciate them. Young girls should always look beautiful, that way your boyfriend will definitely never want to leave you.”

She pointed at Xu Huo. Yan Jiayu glanced at him too. ”He’s not my boyfriend.”

”As long as you’re not related, a handsome man and a beautiful woman, how hard is it to make it happen?” The middle-aged woman had the air of someone who’d been there, done that. ”Use this lipstick, and your wish is guaranteed to come true!”

Yan Jiayu shoved a piece of jerky into her mouth. ”Can I get rich with it too?”

The middle-aged woman choked again, then quickly pivoted, ”I also have items that boost luck, they’re just expensive...”

Yan Jiayu let out a small sigh. ”Guess why I want to get rich?”

The middle-aged woman let out a dry laugh and decisively abandoned that customer, turning her gaze to Xu Huo instead. ”This gentleman here carries himself with great dignity, his romantic luck must be excellent. Pair that with one or two little items to boost your charm, and everything you want to do is bound to go smoothly!”

Xu Huo pointed at his ears, then waved his hand dismissively.

The middle-aged woman’s smile vanished for an instant, and Yan Jiayu translated from the side, ”He’s telling you he’s deaf.”

The middle-aged woman turned and left immediately.

The carriage door opened and closed again. Yan Jiayu dumped her snacks onto the table, then called over a train attendant.

After getting the menu, she placed a few dishes as quickly as possible, then asked Xu Huo, ”What do you want to eat? I’ve tried the Big-Headed White Frog on the train before, it tastes amazing.”

Xu Huo ordered today’s special, slipping a little tip into the menu as he handed it back.

The train attendant asked with a smile, ”Will you two be dining in the restaurant car?”

”We’ll head to the restaurant in a bit.” Xu Huo said.

”Very well, I’ll come notify you both in advance.” The attendant said before leaving.

The food on the train was extraordinarily expensive. Once the attendant was gone, the players who’d been playing cards invited Xu Huo and Yan Jiayu to join the fun. Xu Huo wasn’t interested, but Yan Jiayu went over, asking curiously, ”How do you play this game?”

”Easy,” one of the players quickly explained the rules. ”You’re a newbie, so we won’t charge you for the first three rounds you lose.”

The gambling resumed. Yan Jiayu lost the first three rounds, and the others kept their word by not asking her for money. But starting from the fourth round, she only won and never lost, wiping the floor with the men beside her until their faces couldn’t hide their discomfort.

Yan Jiayu quit while she was ahead, strolling back with a grin and telling Xu Huo, ”I won back today’s meal money.”

”If I’d known I was going to lose, I might as well have just bought myself something good to eat.” A player with a miserable look on his face in the next seat said dejectedly.

Yan Jiayu laughed heartily, grabbed a whole bag of her stored food, and dumped it on their table. ”I’m treating you all to specialties from various places.”

The card players stopped their game entirely, clamoring that everyone present deserved a share, and divided the food among the other players in the carriage as well.