Chapter 260: Ghost money is valuable, but the heart is evil! |
The iron door opened, revealing the old couple, still holding that iron bucket. Inside, the sticky liquid food, with traces of blood, made one's eyelids twitch.
This food would make even pigs shake their heads!
"It looks like everyone is tired. Let's have some food first."
With that, he took out some ladles and began to distribute lunch.
The players, empty-handed, began to feel uneasy, shifting in their seats with eyes full of struggle and hesitation.
"Today's lunch is abundant and nutritious. God invented food as the greatest gift to humanity."
"This is also the result of labor. There's no free lunch; everything needs a medium to measure its value. So, guest, what is your medium?"
The old woman looked at the players in the front row. Though she appeared sloppy, her words were not crude.
The player looked at the food and hesitantly asked, "How much is this meal?"
"At least this token lets us know that hard work pays off," the old woman continued, her kind face seemingly teaching the young with good intentions.
The player took out a worn ten-denomination ghost money from his sleeve.
"Good child."
The old woman smiled and scooped a spoonful onto his plate, then moved to the next row of seats.
On the other side, the old man was also distributing lunch. Among the two players seated, one gave a ten-denomination ghost money, and the other only a measly ghost currency.
However, they received the same amount of food.
This was somewhat disheartening.
It felt like charity.
It's not about the amount, but the thought.
When it was the turn of the third row of players, he looked tense, as if sitting on pins and needles.
The old man handed over a tray, his sunken eyes gleaming, his graying eyebrows raised: "Child, what about yours?"
"I... I have no money."
Hearing this, the old man blinked, put away the tray, and said with a smile, "It's okay, child. Strive to get some food next time."
"But during this period, I'm afraid it will be a bit tough for you..."
"In this carriage, I've seen too many tragedies caused by hunger. I don't want to see them again."
With that, he picked up the iron bucket and left.
The man sat there, and as soon as the old man left, he felt a chill down his spine.
That day, too, when the old man left, his seatmate thought he had escaped a disaster, only for his forehead to burst open, spraying blood everywhere.
The other players were also watching him.
He sat there, but after a long while, nothing happened.
He looked bewildered, and the others were puzzled.
Nothing happened?
Is this the consequence of having no ghost money?
Just missing a meal?
Well, damn, that's a good thing!
This scene was also observed by the players in the back, and the heart that had been hanging in suspense finally settled a bit.
But most of the shrewd players still felt it wouldn't be that simple, so those with ghost money in hand still handed it over.
They would rather swallow a meal that upset their stomachs than let their minds be at ease.
Qin Nuo watched from the back and noticed that after some players handed over their ghost money and ghost currency, the old couple would leave a card on their table.
But some players who paid for lunch did not receive one.
He and Fang Ye both noticed this, but neither understood why.
When it came to the last two rows of seats.
After Fang Ye handed over his ghost money, a card was also left on his table.
"Child, what about yours?" The old woman's kindly smile grew even more when she saw Qin Nuo.
After receiving the ghost money, she magically pulled a card from her sleeve and placed it on the table.
"Grandma, what is this for?" Qin Nuo asked directly.
The old woman didn't speak, added lunch for Qin Nuo, and then left with the iron bucket.
The card was metallic, with a black and gold border, featuring only an eye-like pattern, crafted with exquisite and noble workmanship, which stood in stark contrast to the dirty surroundings of the carriage.
Over there, the old couple returned to the front of the carriage. The old woman took the iron bucket and left, while the old man faced the passengers in the carriage and said, "Passengers with cards, please stand up."
This statement confused the players even more, but those with the black and gold cards obediently stood up.
The old man squinted, one hand behind his back, the other counting heads, then nodded and turned to open the carriage door behind him.
"You can go to the next carriage."
All the players were stunned.
Just like that, they could go to the next carriage?
Qin Nuo also found it hard to believe.
"The cost of lunch is just one ghost currency, but the fee to pass to the next carriage is 50 ghost money."
"So, if the ghost money in your hand exceeds the value of 50, you can already go to the next carriage."
"The card in your hand is a pass to the next carriage."
The old man then stepped aside, hoarsely saying, "Go on, isn't the next carriage what you desire?"
"What a great thing!"
Those players holding the black and gold cards were overjoyed and hurriedly left their seats.
A few players stood up, taking out their ghost money, which they had kept in their pockets to avoid swallowing the disgusting liquid food.
They hadn't expected it to be the fee for passage!
The old man shook his head, "Time's up."
"How about we pay during the next meal?"
"The next meal only charges for the food."
These words drove the players who hadn't paid crazy, as if they had missed out on a fortune, filled with regret, wishing they could slap themselves.
Players without ghost money stood up and urgently asked, "When can we leave the train again?"
"The next stop is in five days."
These words almost made them spit blood.
In other words, they would have to stay in the first carriage for another five days!
The key is, they would still feel hunger. How would they survive the next five days?
Hunger can drive people to madness, and they began to eye those players who still had money with a change in their gaze.
The old man saw all this and said, "After nightfall, when the old woman and I are not in the carriage, you're allowed to make some noise."
"During that time, there are no rules. It's your leisure time to appropriately relax and unwind."
These words almost spelled it out.
At night, when the old couple is not around, they can do whatever they want, releasing their desires.
These words were like a reassurance, making those with greed narrow their eyes slightly, having calculated their plans.
Undoubtedly, after Qin Nuo and others left, this carriage would become restless, perhaps even erupting tonight.
Hunger and desire can make anyone's eyes red, leading to primal behavior.
Qin Nuo couldn't help but glance at the old man.
With his hands behind his back, he watched the atmosphere in the carriage change completely, maintaining a calm and composed demeanor.
Though he spoke of not wanting to see people eating each other, he cleverly pushed the passengers to engage in mutual slaughter at the right moment.
Indeed, one cannot judge a person's evil heart by their appearance and words...
Of course, this no longer concerned him.
The next carriage awaited him.
Looking at the open carriage door, inside was pitch black, and no one knew what kind of scene awaited them upon entry...
Nor what awaited them.