Steel steam and flame

This is a joke. Under the dim light, the delicate bullet seems to have been waiting there for a long time. It is extremely delicate in workmanship and reflects an extremely dazzling golden light for Cassia. As soon as Cassia glanced at it from the corner of her eyes, she was attracted by its light and could no longer tolerate anything else.

The pace slowed down mechanically, and Cassia put down his luggage. His head was numb and he couldn't think. There was no struggle at all, as if his thoughts had been completely unified when he picked up the revolver. He bent down, picked up the bullet, held the bullet tightly in his thick palm, and then walked forward with his heart pounding, while putting the bullet into the pocket close to his body, where there was still Leave all the expenses for him to go to school in Manoma.

The cold bullet came into contact with Cassia's hot skin, and he shuddered unconsciously. The cold wind mixed with ice and snow blew in from the vent in front of me, but this cold wind was not as cold as a bullet.

Everyone was doing their own thing, and there was nothing eye-catching about Cassia's appearance.

The food containers were crowded with people, and many hungry people gathered there, eager for someone to give them some food. Buying a ticket is already the limit of their ability. Maybe most people can survive one or two meals, but what happens after that? No one can tell.

Cassia walked out of those cargo boxes under the eyes of countless pairs of evil wolves, and the people standing on both sides were slightly agitated. Impetuous emotions permeated the entire cargo box, the air became throat-burning, and people's faces looked hideous under the gaslight.

It was late at night and everyone's activities came to an end. The hungry bodies also collapsed in front of exhaustion, and people fell into a deep sleep. Outside the train is a cold ice field. The vegetation is lifeless under the ice, and the interior of the train is also lifeless.

Cassia finally slept peacefully for a while, but because he was so focused, he would wake up immediately if there was any movement in the carriage despite his light sleep. In order to avoid accidents with the few luggage in my arms, I had to do this.

It was almost noon when the second day of sunshine came. The vent was the only connection between the world in the cargo box and the outside world. The golden sunlight shone in, printing a large bright light and shadow on the black steel plate. , a little warmth spread into the car along with the sunshine.

But this warmth can't solve any problems. There are more and more people in the food container, and it seems that some people have begun to snatch other people's food, but Cassia has not seen this with her own eyes yet. But to buy food, the journey becomes more difficult.

The Imperial Railways started sending train conductors to check tickets around three o'clock in the afternoon.

The door connecting the cargo box to the passenger compartment was always tightly locked and could only be opened separately from the passenger compartment.

In the afternoon, everyone in the cargo box was still sitting quietly in a daze. Then, with the sound of chains rattling and steam sputtering, the thickened door was suddenly opened, and six fully armed flight attendants stood behind it, without any trace of them. There is no warmth in the expression, like a humanoid machine, and there is no gun, only a sharp stabbing sword and a ferocious iron rod.

They started checking the first section of the cargo box and asked everyone to show their ticket stubs. Of course most people have it, and a few people certainly don't.

In this situation, begging for mercy and selling sympathy will have no effect. According to their words, you must either pay for the ticket immediately or get off the bus. Getting off the train is of course a dead end, because the re-training will never stop to give you a chance to get off.

Someone started to run back from one carriage to another, but this had no effect at all. The third floor of the cargo compartment was completely separated from the two floors below. Even if they were hidden in the surrounding cargo cabinets, the six crew members could not escape. Carpet search. Some of them had no choice but to take out the remaining coins, while others cried and begged for mercy, but were forcibly thrown off the train in front of everyone's frightened eyes.

It was almost dusk when the six flight attendants arrived in the carriage where Cassia was. The people who touched the muddy water had all run to the last few cargo boxes in panic. Those who could still sit here quietly took out their ticket stubs when the six flight attendants arrived.

The flight attendant glanced at everyone with cold eyes, and when his eyes fell on people, they felt like they were being stared at by wild beasts. The atmosphere in the entire carriage was undoubtedly extremely cold at this time. People were pale and breathing hard, their throats were thirsty but they could not secrete any saliva.

Everyone prayed that these six people who were as solid as ice would leave as soon as possible.

However, things often do not go as expected.

"Whose child is this?" The voice had no emotion, no magnetism, and no emotion at all. Apart from being loud and clear, it was just like the roar of a machine.

Everyone's eyes were attracted at this moment.

The flight attendant was tall and his head almost touched the top of the cargo. He held a dark and extremely rough iron rod in his hand, and the other end of the iron rod lifted the brim of a girl's hat, revealing the girl's immature face of about six or seven years old, and her exquisite facial features, which were as stunning as the workmanship of a famous artist. Her long, light blond hair was very messy, all hidden under her clothes.

Her hat was attached to her clothes, and her nearly one-meter-tall body was completely hidden in a gray men's coat that didn't suit her at all. Because the brim of the hat was lifted, the clothes were also pulled up to a certain height, and the pale little feet without shoes were completely exposed to the air in the cargo compartment.

The girl's eyes are as dark as Cassia's sister, the same color as the endless black sky. It's just that there is no moon in this sky, there are no stars flowing all over the sky, and there is not a trace of light. It is a color of death and silence, a color that can only be possessed by the dryness of all things.

"Whose child is this?" the steely man asked again, his voice unquestionable and no one could resist.

"She's just a child..." A woman's pleading voice sounded in the dim carriage, as faint as smoke that could be blown away by the wind at any time.

"Your child?" This is a cold question. When his eyes turned around, he had the look of a wild animal looking at its prey.

"No, no, no..." Cold sweat suddenly broke out on the woman's back, her breathing suddenly became extremely rapid, and her pale face turned ashen. She turned her head away, not daring to even look over. The weak body could only tremble in the corner, and then cried helplessly.

"Open the door." Everyone in the carriage fell into the ice cellar, but no one was willing to stand up.

Another flight attendant machine usually takes out the password card from the bag and inserts it into the card slot on the side of the carriage. Steam and white mist suddenly spewed out from the connection. As long as the lever on the side was pulled, the cargo compartment door could be opened.

"Noer, come here." In the eyes of everyone, Cassia stood up stiffly, but these few words required great courage and strength.

In the end, the flight attendant did not pull down the control lever, and six pairs of eyes exuding a breath of ice watched closely as Cassia walked over step by step.

Cassia felt that these six pairs of eyes were twelve dark, bottomless gun barrels, as if huge steel bullets could burst out of them at any time, breaking her weak body into pieces. But nothing so bloody happened until the end. Their eyes are majestic, like giants looking down at the pitifully small ants at their feet, like ferocious wolves teasing prey that cannot escape. With every step he took, Cassia endured tremendous pressure and expended a lot of energy. With every step he took, the regret in his heart surged like spring water.

"I accidentally fell asleep and didn't pay attention to my sister." Cassia spoke carefully. He took out his ticket stub and showed it to the flight attendant, then squatted in front of the girl and took out the pocket of the girl's thin clothes.

There was no light in the girl's eyes, and she looked blankly at the stranger named Cassia in front of her.

"Noer, where is your ticket?"

Of course there was nothing in the pockets, that was obvious to everyone.

"It seems that the ticket stub has fallen off. Look, my ticket stub is there, and Noel's ticket..." Cassia could have sworn that her mind had never been so slow, and it had never been so painful to pass. Although he didn't give any hope early on, when the fact that the girl didn't have a ticket stub in her pocket was revealed before his eyes, he still felt the cold air radiating from the bottom of his heart.

"One hundred catties, two thousand two hundred holy coins." The ruthless words made Cassia tremble all over. The only warmth in his hands and feet was gone, and only a pounding heart was still pacing. How could a six or seven-year-old girl have such weight, but the weight of the words coming from behind was something that Cassia could not resist. He wanted to defend himself, but the courage that surged into his throat was finally suppressed in his throat.

The coin in his hand still retained Cassia's own body temperature, but it was taken away by a hard palm with white gloves, and the remaining warmth finally disappeared.

The leather shoes of the six flight attendants bounced on the steel plate. Until the sound was drowned in the whistling wind from the vents, Cassia still didn't have any strength to stand up.

He regretted in his heart, he was afraid in his heart, he wanted to cry loudly in his heart, he wanted to vent loudly in his heart, his temperament was as gentle as a kitten that loves to bask in the sun at noon, and he couldn't bear to see the flying bird desperately throwing itself at the light and slamming into the glass window. Moths can also be sad. In his heart, he believes that he is a weak and incompetent coward, so he must appear to be strong and tough in words and deeds to disguise it.

I squatted there for a long time until my legs went numb, and then I lost all feeling in my legs. A frightening scream came from the carriage behind me at some point, and all those who tried to resist were thrown off the train.

Tonight, no one was willing to get up and light the gas lamp. Only the bright moonlight falling from the vent illuminated the cargo compartment.

In the end, Cassia could only sigh. Her chest was filled with mixed emotions, but the regret and depression in her heart could not dissipate much.

Until dawn came the next day, Cassia could not close her eyes. At his feet was his precious luggage, but in his arms lay a girl of unusual weight. The girl put on Cassia's thick spare clothes, and put on temporary and crudely modified shoes for her little feet dangling in the air. At this moment, she was sleeping in the arms of a stranger to her.

The girl slept too deeply, her eyes tightly closed, and there was no sign of wanting to open them at noon. Her long eyelashes seemed to hang under her eyelids, swaying slightly as she whispered in her sleep. Her breath was very long and heavy, like a giant black whale that could tear apart the currents in the deep sea. Every breath she took was using all her strength.

Cassia looked carefully at the sleeping girl's quiet face, and then thought of her sister who was already far away at the border. It was still winter, and Lilia was tightly wrapped in quilt at this time, lying in a ball next to the stove to sleep, not wanting to get up. I think when early spring comes, Lilia will also start attending school in the small town.

At this time, the girl sleeping in her arms moved, and the light in Cassia's eyes returned to the cargo compartment.

The girl finally opened her eyes, and the dark sky finally had some light.

"What's your name?" Cassia's voice was extremely gentle. Maybe she was thinking of her sister just now. Her tone was quiet and gentle, although it was not intoxicating.

"Noer." A shallow voice came from the girl's mouth, vague as if she was not full of sleep. She changed to a more comfortable sleeping position and closed her eyes again.

Cassia opened her mouth, her eyes swayed for a time, confused for a time and then became extremely clear. She wanted to ask something more, but she looked at the girl who fell asleep again and finally couldn't utter any more words.

So, in the afternoon, when Cassia went to the thin figure in the food compartment, another girl appeared. He held the luggage in one hand and held the girl in the other, walking slowly through the increasingly crowded first few compartments. The air is full of restlessness. Just a small spark can ignite all the combustion-supporting materials!

Some people are more cautious, and the hungry wolves no longer have a fierce look in their eyes, but endless greed.

The train showed no sign of stopping at the platform, and all the emotions and feelings continued to ferment in the dim cargo compartment.

Cassia came back with an ugly face, and the girl Nuoer sat next to him, nibbling bread bit by bit with warm water. He naturally leaned on the cargo board behind him. There was more food in the suitcase for the next few days. He didn't want to go to those carriages anymore. The people guarding there looked at him as if they were deciding on a prey. So the young man wanted to close his eyes and take a rest, but all he could think of was the greedy and distorted faces of those hungry and cold people.

So in the darkness in the corner of the cargo compartment, remembering a slight metal collision sound that no one noticed, Cassia tremblingly put the brass-cased bullet into the honeycomb magazine of the revolver.