Nightmare’s Call

The train slowly roared into life.

Lin Sheng sat on his seat with his eyes closed. His posture was upright as if he was looking at something, or was meditating.

And these sorts of changes had slowly affected his daily life.

A large part of the memory fragments had subconsciously infused somethings that he had no idea he had liked into his daily routine.

Lin Sheng had noticed it now, but he was not concerned.

As soon as he managed to get Dao Ning, the Deathclaw to join, he had got on the train to the city the next target lived in.

Lin Sheng was wearing a simple black shirt, with an intricate black leather box placed by his leg, and another black long box lay by it.

The train was a normal rapid service with an openable window. As the wind blew it, it cast off the stale air and unbearable temperature inside the carriage.

Opposite of Lin Sheng was a black-haired lady in a white uniform.

Her facial features were not exactly pretty, but her long legs covered with skin-colored pantyhose sat in an angle gave was visually seductive.

Beside her was a bespectacled and proper man, and he was trying to chat her up.

Lin Sheng took the small tumbler off his table and opened it up for a drink.

The girl opposite him was talking about job searching after graduating with the bespectacled man. On the right side, a father alongside his son was reminded of things not to do in hushed whispers. While two youths in front of him were seated cross-legged as they played cards.

Behind him was probably someone who was well to do as he sat there with his phone gaming on it.

“This is Xilin’s train service… It sure is backward as hell that I’m starting to miss the planes on Earth.”

Lin Sheng retracted his gaze and started to think about how should he convince the second martial arts master.

“If Dao Ning the Deathclaw was a declawed tiger, then Seahawk Roland is a true blue-black society leader. Mere words will probably not convince him.

Lin Sheng pondered as he tried a way to get Seahawk Roland’s trust.

Sadly, he heard from Sarroux and Dao Ning that Seahawk Roland was a sly old fox even when he was not what he used to be.

But under him was a disciple that he had trained up since young as a shield. And he heard that the disciple did well, and was operating a real estate company.

“…My cousin back then was like that too, and he got beaten half dead for his troubles. He only came back alive after my uncle went over to pick him up.

The bespectacled man suddenly walked about the safety issues in Ninghai City, the destination of the train.

“Well, nothing much we can do with the chaotic world now. My cousin brother was a naïve one and ruffled the wrong feathers. By the time he got sent to the hospital, his right leg was totally shattered and was declared crippled.”

The man sighed again.

The lady listening too started frowning.

“Did they manage to catch the guy? This is serious, surely it’ll go to court no?”

The man shook his head.

“There’s no way. He had no connections or whatnot. In the end, it was my uncle and mother’s intervention that they found the person, and got them to pay 500,000 as compensation.

He then stole a glance at the girl’s legs before continuing.

“Frankly speaking, it was not a complicated matter to start with, but my cousin brother was stubborn. Sigh…”

“Five hundred thousand? That person paid up?” The lady puffed up her considerable chest, “If someone is willing to go that far, they won’t be cowed so easily.”

“Usually yeah,” the man nodded. “But for those people, as long as you are fiercer than them, they will still be afraid. They’re human after all. So we had to find someone who would strike fear in them.”

He maintained a smile, as he tried to imply that his family was influential enough to not to be messed with, being able to suppress a mean criminal just like that.

And unsurprisingly, the girl’s attitude towards him changed a little.

In this chaotic world, a man that could provide safety and security was indeed attractive to any females.

Lin Sheng simply swept his gaze past the man. He looked flighty and his movement had a sort of faint exaggeration to it, plus he had that show-off feel to him; it would be surprising if half of what he said was real.

But seeing that the girl taking it literally with her eyes opened widely in a slight surprise, he did not say anything.

In order to meet Dao Ning the Deathclaw today, Lin Sheng had dressed up rather maturely, alongside the black box beside him, it gave him some sort of gravitas.

The man noticed that and smiled.

“May I know where you are going? Ninghai as well?” he asked.

“Yeah, going for a short trip to Ninghai, to unwind.” Lin Sheng said with a smile.

“Ah, I see. I have lived in Ninghai for about ten odd years. It’s pretty good for a trip. The air is good, not much pollution, and while it is not super developed or rich, it is comfortable living there.”

The man started going about the various tourist spots in Ninghai.

He then started going on about Ninghai’s slightly restive nature, and what places to avoid.

Lin Sheng only smiled in response.

The man clearly took himself as a senior and warned Lin Sheng about some local taboos, clearly seeing Lin Sheng as a junior.

After a while, the man quickly exchanged contacts with the lady.

As soon as they arrived at their destination, the man patted his chest, to give confidence to the lady.

“Ninghai’s train station is a rather chaotic place. Follow me close. Don’t go alone, or you might get swiped. And honestly, those people here could tell if you are not a local with a glance.”

Then he looked at Lin Sheng.

“Young man, want to come along with us? The train station is a mess, you might get targeted if you are alone.”

Being the flighty person he was earlier, these words were simply for show to the lady.

Lin Sheng smiled as he declined. “I’ll be fine. I’m used to going out alone.”

And the train slowed down as it entered the station.

It was just that outside the station, there were a few armed soldiers in dark green uniforms. Plus two officers, one male one female. Their uniforms were prim as black leather boots covered their soles as they wore a special beret with an insignia of a silver eagle.

And the male officer was one-eyed as he wore an eyepatch. He was well built and his gaze was ferocious.

The two seemed to be chatting, seemingly as they waited for someone.

“A silver eagle?” Lin Sheng tried to recall. There were rarely any silver eagle insignias in Xilin’s military; rather they were more common with the Redwinians.

And now Xilin and Redwin were in a tense situation, so why would there be Redwinian military officers here?”

But soon he noticed that the soldiers around them had the Xilin’s blue hydrangea insignia on it.

The train slowly went past them.

And for some reason, as Lin Sheng looked at the Redwinian officer, he felt like he was looking at a primal beast of sorts.