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The sleeper compartment was far better than a regular seat—only four people per compartment, and without any of those unpleasant smells.
When Liu Shuning and her husband boarded, the other two passengers hadn’t arrived yet.
“Wife, do you want the top or bottom bunk? Give me your things and go up to rest for a while.”
“I’ll take the top bunk.” Liu Shuning said as she placed her small backpack on the upper bed.
Just then, the compartment door was pushed open, and two young men entered. Upon seeing the couple, they greeted politely before beginning to organize their belongings.
“Comrades, where in the northeast are you headed? It’s already getting cold up there—did you bring enough warm clothes?”
“Thanks for the reminder, we did bring warm clothes. Judging by your accent, you’re from the northeast too. Which part are you from?” Hearing the familiar accent made Lu Fengnian feel as if he had returned home, and he relaxed noticeably.
“We’re procurement agents from the department store in Harbin, Heilongjiang Province. I’m Liu Yang, and this is Chen Gang. We just returned from a procurement trip to Shanghai.”
“Hello, I’m Lu Fengnian, a soldier. We’re headed to Harbin too.”
“I’m Chen Gang. Liu Yang and I are coworkers.” After speaking, Chen Gang continued to unpack. He wasn’t used to chatting with strangers—on business trips, Liu Yang usually handled the socializing, while he took care of logistics.
“Comrade Lu, I see you’ve got lots of luggage—were you visiting family in Shanghai? Did you get a chance to stroll through Huaihai Road? I hear the goods there are amazing.” Liu Yang spotted the suitcase under the opposite bunk—it was the kind only sold in Shanghai, so he instantly knew the couple had been there.
“I went to my father-in-law’s house to pick up my wife. I don’t have many days off, so I didn’t have time to go shopping. I’m going to fetch some water—want to come along?”
“Wait for me, I’ll grab my cup.”
“I’ll come too.” Chen Gang quickly grabbed his cup and followed. He didn’t want to stay alone in the compartment with the woman on the opposite bunk—just the two of them together felt awkward.
“Let’s hurry. It’s right after boarding, so the line for hot water shouldn’t be long. Later, it’ll get crowded.” Lu Fengnian just wanted to get it done quickly—he wasn’t comfortable leaving Liu Shuning alone in the compartment. But with all their luggage, someone had to stay behind to watch over it.
“While you’re at it, help me warm up the buns too. I’m getting a bit hungry.” Liu Shuning hadn’t eaten much that morning and was starting to feel the emptiness in her stomach.
“Alright. Just don’t go wandering off alone in the compartment.”
“Relax. I won’t leave until you come back. I’m not a child—no need to worry about me.” Liu Shuning rolled her eyes. She was a full-grown adult—did he really think she might get lost?
“Okay, then. We’re off.”
Once they all left the sleeper compartment, Liu Shuning immediately called out to her system.
“Tongzi? Tongzi? Are you there?”
【Host, you finally remembered me. Haven’t you forgotten something these past few days?】
“I’m here to check in, aren’t I? I missed a few days—can the check-in points be accumulated?”
【Check-in points cannot be accumulated. Since you missed three days, you’ll be penalized accordingly.】
The system had initially wanted to remind her, but then decided to let her learn a lesson by keeping silent for three days.
“What?! Points will be deducted? Tongzi, how can you be so heartless! Why didn’t you tell me earlier? You’re scamming me!”
【Host, please mind your words. I’m not scamming you. Daily check-ins are your responsibility. If you neglect your job, it’s only fair your salary is docked.】
“Tongzi, how can a 37-degree being say such cold-blooded things? Fine, but next time I forget, you better remind me!”
【I can do that. I didn’t remind you this time to teach you a lesson. You need to take your tasks seriously. Too many missed check-ins can lead to mission failure.】 System 668 was terrified of what the Central System might do—if the host failed, it would be sent back for reformatting.
“But I don’t even have a task right now. How does missing check-ins count as a mission failure?”
【Your task is to live to a ripe old age. The check-in, though a benefit, is also part of your mission. Since this is your first time missing it, only three points will be deducted.】
“Alright! It’s my fault, I’ll accept the penalty. Keep watch outside for me while I check the farm space.”
【Someone is approaching your compartment from a nearby one. Be alert—the woman carrying a child is a human trafficker. The child has a high fever and, if not treated in time, could suffer brain damage.】
“What? There’s a human trafficker on this train? Time for me to deal with this scum!”
Liu Shuning perked up immediately. Human traffickers were despicable. She was determined to make sure they didn’t walk away today.
【She’s at the door. For your safety, I’m awarding you a mini stun baton in advance.】
A tiny stun baton suddenly appeared in Liu Shuning’s hand. If one didn’t look closely, it could easily be mistaken for a pen.
Before she had time to examine it, footsteps sounded outside the compartment door.
A middle-aged woman in a gray top entered Liu Shuning’s sleeper compartment, carrying a child in her arms. Behind her followed a man in his thirties.
“Miss, are you the only one in this sleeper compartment?”
If Liu Shuning hadn’t already learned from the system that these two were human traffickers, she would’ve thought this woman was just a kind, simple peasant.
“No, this compartment is already full. Which car are you from? Did you lose your seat?”
Liu Shuning tried to stall for time. Unless absolutely necessary, she didn’t want to resort to violence.
In this life, she wanted to be a gentle woman and bid farewell to the iron-willed tough girl of her previous life.
Playing the weak to outsmart the strong, like Lin Daiyu pulling a willow tree by the roots—why not?
“My son and I are bringing this child to Heilongjiang to visit family. We left in a hurry and couldn’t get sleeper tickets. You know how noisy the regular cars are, and our child is still small—I’m afraid he’ll cry and make a scene. I was hoping to find someone to switch sleeper tickets with us. We’re willing to pay double the price. Would you consider trading tickets with me?”
The woman dug around in her pocket for a long time before finally producing a train ticket.
Liu Shuning didn’t dare take anything from a trafficker—who knew if the money or ticket was drugged?
“No, thanks. I have a long trip ahead. I can’t endure a hard seat for over a week. Why don’t you wait for my husband to return, and I’ll ask if he’s willing to switch?”
She continued to play along. It had already been about ten minutes since Lu Fengnian left—he should be back soon.
“Then take the ticket for now, and I’ll give you the money too.”
The woman pulled out sixty yuan from her pocket and offered it to Liu Shuning along with the ticket.
Liu Shuning immediately held her breath and took a few steps back. That was close—if she hadn’t been on guard, she might’ve already been drugged.
“I don’t want your money. Just wait for my husband to return.”
Seeing Liu Shuning avoid the ticket and cash, the woman realized her plan had been exposed. She glanced at the man behind her and exchanged a subtle signal.
The man stepped forward, eyes flashing with menace, and reached out to grab Liu Shuning.
But she remained calm. With a slight twist and sidestep, she easily avoided his grasp.
His hand caught nothing but air. He froze for a moment, clearly surprised by her reaction. Liu Shuning used the opportunity to step back and increase the distance between them.
“You little brat, don’t make me get rough. Once I catch you, I’ll break your arms and legs and see how far you can run!”
The man grew anxious. He had to subdue her quickly—if she started shouting and revealed their identity, it would all be over.
“Come at me, then! You two traffickers think I’m scared of you?” Liu Shuning even made a face at him. With skills like his, she could take on ten of him at once.
In her previous life, she was the heir to the Liu family martial arts school—even her brother wasn’t a match for her. Taking on two untrained traffickers was a piece of cake!
“Fine, once I get you back to our place, I’ll have some fun with you. When I’m tired of playing, I’ll sell you to some remote mountain village.”
The man pulled out a handkerchief from his pocket—he didn’t believe he couldn’t take down one little girl.
Meanwhile, Lu Fengnian, who had gone to get water, suddenly felt uneasy. As soon as he filled the cups, he left Liu Yang and the others behind and rushed back.
Just as he reached the compartment door, he heard the man’s threats. Furious, he dropped the water cups and charged into the carriage.
He arrived just in time to see the man reaching out to grab Liu Shuning. Without hesitation, Lu Fengnian delivered a powerful kick, sending the man flying out of the compartment.
The man slammed hard onto the floor outside.
Lu Fengnian’s eyes burned with fury as he clenched his fists and advanced step by step.
The trafficker looked up in fear, scrambling to get up and escape. But Lu Fengnian didn’t give him the chance—he surged forward and stomped on the man’s ankle.
The man trembled with fear under Lu Fengnian’s overpowering presence. He knew he’d messed with the wrong person today. Struggling to rise, he was instantly pinned again by a firm stomp to his chest, rendering him immobile.
“Speak! What are you doing in the sleeper compartment?” Lu Fengnian barked.
The man kept his head down, too scared to answer.
At that moment, the woman tried to sneak away with the child.
“Fengnian! That woman’s one of them too! The child she’s holding was kidnapped!” Liu Shuning had been keeping her eyes on the woman the whole time. Seeing her attempt to flee, she quickly alerted Lu Fengnian to catch her.