The "Survival on the Train" game has bugs, it's really laggy!

The air was very heavy in front of the Blackwater section.

It wasn't the tide, it was the sinking. The Devourer stopped very slowly, its headlights only brushing the ground for half a second before being turned off.

The water surface was strangely flat, like an old, unpainted wooden board.

Dark and still.

Only the echo of water dripping from the pipe walls lingered in the maintenance tunnel.

Three short and two long.

Bubbles are rising again.

From the center left of the black water, the intervals are very precise. Three shots, pause for one beat, then two shots.

Stop again.

Repeat.

Xiao Huo is typing on the main screen.

There are underwater brakes, don't run them over.

The words had barely left the carriage when a muffled thud came from carriage 005. It wasn't metal hitting metal, but the whirring sound of a steel cable being suddenly taut.

The young survivor's voice squeezed in from the tailgate channel, trembling slightly but not breaking. "Tail beam—27! The bottom beam, number 005, is caught on something! It's wet and cold, it's a chain!"

Tang Lan pressed down on the brake lever, but it didn't release. "Number 013 is partially locked. Tailgate locked."

Wang Hu had already poked half his body out, his low-beam flashlight only on one line. The light reached the edge of the black water; three feet below the surface, a section of old iron chain protruded diagonally from the silt. The chain links were rusty and wet, the hooks locked onto a reinforcing plate on the bottom beam of No. 005. The chain was taut, the other end disappearing into the deeper water.

"It's not a tail hook," Wang Hu said in a low voice. "It's hooked onto the beam."

Shen Yuanzhou coughed twice on the stretcher, his throat rattling. "It's not a system format... This chain, it's from the old track crew... they used water bubbles to make a signal."

The veteran engineer's voice came through the support team channel, with the sound of running in the background. "What do you need?"

Wang Hu stared at the underwater area. "Long hook. Wooden wedge. Cooling pipe. Lime powder. Quickly."

In the control room, Lu Mingyuan stared at the main screen. The stress line on the tail beam was still climbing. 27.3. 27.5. The gas alarm in the third carriage next to him jumped to 23, and the yellow light came on.

The broken speaker inside the wall suddenly switched on. There were two crackling sounds of electricity.

"Stern contamination detected and confirmed by the underwater braking chain. Immediate removal of tail anchor 005 is recommended. Otherwise, tail boom 013 will reach its breakage limit within ten seconds. The left bypass rail is now open. Light load detour. White light is on."

As the horn's blast faded, a narrow rail emerged from the mud on the left side of the black water. The rails were clean. At the end, an old white light shone. The light was dim, but it was conspicuous in the darkness. A metal sign was flipped over, reading: Light-loaded main vehicle detour route. No. 005 is not permitted.

Someone in the carriage gasped. In the wounded area, a soldier with a severed arm slowly turned his head, looking towards the rear door. The unhooking cover was there. Tang Lan's rifle butt was still pressing against the warning light next to it; the light housing was broken, and the red light was flashing.

"Tail beam 27.8," the young survivor reported, his voice strained.

The veteran mechanic shouted into the third channel, "The left cup is leaking! The water's about to come out!"

Several curves from the small torch converge on the main screen. Tail beam stress. Poison gas safety. Bypass rail white light current. Underwater chain tension. All four lines are climbing.

A young technician in the control room spoke up, his throat dry: "The drag force of the long trainset is too great... The bypass rail's load-bearing capacity is green... Maybe..."

Lu Mingyuan didn't turn around, only saying, "Watch the lead car."

Su Yuan didn't move. He sat in the driver's seat, his right hand on the steering wheel, his eyes fixed on the main screen. The screen was divided into three sections. On the left was the rhythm of bubbles on the water surface, three short and two long, very steady. In the middle was a close-up of the hook point of the No. 005 bottom beam, the chain link was tightly engaged. On the right was the stress curve of the tail beam, 27.9.

Wang Hu handed the long hook to the repairman and took the cooling pipe himself. "Boss, where's the other end of the chain?"

Su Yuan looked at the bubble. "Wait."

The tail boom jumped to twenty-eight. Inside carriage 013, a wounded soldier whispered, "Just cut it... dragging it out any longer..."

Tang Lan didn't turn around, but instead pressed the brake lever down another half step. "If anyone utters another word, I'll cut off their tongue first."

The young survivor stared at the screen on the tailgate, his lips pale, but he still reported: "Right wheel of No. 005 is stable. Isolation box is cold. Tail beam is 28mm."

Su Yuan spoke, his voice low. "Wang Hu. Lime powder. Sprinkle on the water. Aim at the point where the chain enters the water."

Wang Hu leaned halfway out of the side door and flicked his wrist. Lime powder was scattered, landing on the black water. It didn't disperse. The powder pressed against the water's surface, slowly gathering into a thin line, pointing directly at the taut old chain underwater. The line wasn't straight; it trembled slightly, as if being pushed up from below by something.

The small flame superimposes three lines: water surface ripples, tail boom stress, and bubble rhythm. When the bubbles become denser, the tail boom curve will rise once. Half a second before each rise, the water surface ripples will tremble.

Su Yuan stared at the screen for five seconds. "It wasn't intentional."

Wang Hu turned his head: "Huh?"

Su Yuan pointed underwater. "The other end of the chain is the brake wheel. It's being dragged around by the convoy. When we move forward, it bites. When we stop, it loosens its grip slightly."

Shen Yuanzhou, panting, replied, "It's...it's the old ferry brake...we were afraid the car would go too fast and run over the black water pit...that's why it was installed..."

The veteran engineer overheard this on the rear channel and cursed, "Damn it, these guys even use water to deliver messages!"

The system loudspeaker beeped again: "Tail beam has reached 28.3. Cut-off countdown begins. Ten, nine..."

Tang Lan drew her gun and fired a shot in the direction of the loudspeaker. The bullet struck the wall, sending a flash of sparks through the air. The loudspeaker went silent. But the white light on the bypass track remained on.

Wang Hu handed the cooling pipe to the mechanic next to him and grabbed a long hook. "Boss, can we still use the loose half of the chain?"

Su Yuan nodded. "It can be remounted. It's not a hindrance, it's an underwater anchor."

"Twenty-nine tail beams!" the young survivor shouted.

Tang Lan growled, "Loosen the brakes by half a step on number 013. Push forward."

The brake lever was pushed forward half a notch. Vehicle 013 lurched forward, and vehicle 005 was pulled along with it. The stress curve of the rear beam twitched, but didn't rise any further.

Wang Hu knelt outside the side door, a low-beam flashlight between his teeth. He stared at the water, waiting. The bubbles changed from three short bursts to two long bursts and one short burst, then back to three short bursts. The rhythm of the old underwater chain's vibrations changed accordingly.

"That's it." Wang Hu extended the long hook, the tip close to the water's surface, waiting for the moment the underwater chain would reel in. The chain loosened slightly, and the hook tip plunged downwards, biting into a link. His arm muscles tensed; he didn't pull, but simply held it in place.

The veteran engineer arrived with a support team. Two people cranked the winch, one carried a wooden wedge, and others held dry sandbags and lead sheets.

Su Yuan switched to the support team channel: "Pillar. Third one. Ground anchor hole."

The veteran engineer immediately understood and led his men to the third pillar of the platform. The pillar was old, with manual reinforcement welds at the base. The anchor holes were still there, but not completely covered with mortar. He looped the steel cable around the pillar, through the hand-cranked winch, and used a grappling hook to attach the other end to the handle of Wang Hu's long hook.

"The load is distributed among three points," Su Yuan said. "The pillar bears the lateral force. Number 005 bears the downward force. Number 013 bears the forward drag."

Wang Hu tucked the blood-stained bandage from his wrist into his sleeve, then gripped the long hook handle with his other hand. "Boss, when are we going to collect them?"

Su Yuan stared at the bubbles. Three short. Two long. Three short. When it turned into two long, the underwater chain would loosen a little.

"When the bubble becomes two long, you pull back half a turn. Tang Lan simultaneously releases the brake slightly. The No. 005 silencer continues to stay on the track."

A young survivor reported: "Tail beam 28.5. Chain tension hasn't dropped."

Tang Lan looked at the watch face: "The drag force of number 013 is normal."

Wang Hu waited. The bubbles changed from three short to two long. He tightened his arm, and the hand crank turned half a circle. The steel cable taut. The long hook shank pulled the old underwater chain slightly off course. At the same time, Tang Lan pushed the brake lever forward a little. Number 013 moved forward two inches. Number 005 was pulled along with it.

The stress curve of the tail beam dropped slightly. 28.3.

The veteran engineer yelled, "Wedges! Insert them into the base of the posts!"

The maintenance worker hammered wooden wedges into the seams of the anchor holes at the base of the post. The steel cables were then tightened.

On the small screen, the three lines separated. The underwater chain tension was no longer directly transmitted to the 005 tail boom, but was instead largely diverted by the support column. The 005 silencer continued to drag along the welded rail, leaving black lines in the sand along the water's edge.

In the control room, the young technician stared at the model, opening his mouth as if to speak. His colleague next to him patted him on the shoulder but didn't say anything.

The system speaker was fixed; it made a crackling sound, but didn't speak. The white light on the bypass rail was still on.

The stress in the tail beam has dropped to 27.8. It's still decreasing. 27.6.

Wang Hu grinned but didn't say anything. He didn't loosen his grip on the long hook, but the muscles in his arm relaxed a little.

Inside cell 013, several wounded soldiers stared at the main screen. Next to the detachment cover, Tang Lan's gun still pressed against the shattered lamp housing. No one looked in that direction anymore.

Tang Lan breathed a sigh of relief, but didn't release the brake lever. "Lead car, next step?"

Su Yuan looked at the black water. "Push forward. Speed: one kilometer. Continue towing with the 005 silencer. Use the underwater chain as an anchor."

A young survivor reported: "Tail beam 27.4. Right wheel of No. 005 is stable."

Wang Hu secured the secondary rope on the long hook shank, and wrapped the other end around the side door armrest. "Anchor point secured."

Su Yuan lightly pressed the accelerator. The Devourer moved forward. The wheels pressed against the rails at the edge of the black water, and water overflowed the underside of the wheels. It was cool. The old underwater chain was pulled forward by the convoy, the chain links scraping through the silt and kicking up a small plume of black smoke.

In the third quarter, the veteran mechanic shouted, "The water cup is wobbling! It didn't tip over!"

Bubbles are still rising from the black water. Three short bubbles and two long ones. The rhythm remains unchanged.

The convoy slowly made its way into the black water. The speed was very slow. The No. 005 silencing bobber dragged along the water's edge, its sand tracks partially covered and partially exposed by the black water. The tail boom stress remained stable at 27. It neither decreased nor increased.

The system loudspeaker went completely silent. The white light on the bypass rail flashed twice and then went out. The metal sign tilted and slid into the mud.

Wang Hu stared at the underwater scene. "Boss, is the wheel at the other end of the chain still turning?"

A small flame was used to simulate a sonar. Ten meters underwater, a rusty brake wheel shell was half-buried in the silt. The wheel teeth were stuck in the chain links, and every three engagements, the chain would loosen slightly.

Su Yuan said, "The wheel is old, but it's still usable. It can be used as an underwater deceleration anchor."

The veteran engineer shouted over the rear channel: "Support team in place! Trackside noise reduction points have been set up! Sandbags, rubber mats, and lead sheets have all been fitted with pipe clamps!"

Tang Lan reported: "Tail beam No. 013 is 26.8. Low drag and stable."

The younger survivor's voice became a little steadyer: "Right wheel 005 is normal. The isolation chamber is at a low temperature. The silencing weights are dragging on the ground normally."

The black water was getting deeper and deeper. The wheels of the Devourer were already more than half submerged. The 013 was even lower, with water bubbles rising from the gaps in the tracks. There was a slight seepage at the seam of the floor of the third carriage, which the old mechanic was plugging with an old towel.

Shen Yuanzhou sat up slightly, supporting himself on the stretcher. Xu Shen pressed down on his shoulder, but he ignored him. "The chain... was modified by Ji Yun and the others... in case the car went too fast... and crashed into the brake rut..."

Su Yuan looked ahead. At the end of the black water, the tracks emerged from the silt, connecting to a dry maintenance tunnel. But there was a depression in the middle, and the broken pieces of the old tracks could be vaguely seen underwater.

"A brake rut," Su Yuan said.

Wang Hu stared at the broken stub. "How wide?"

Xiao Huo measured: "Three meters. There are old buffer wheels at the bottom of the pit. But the axle is broken. Driving directly over them will cause the wheels to jam."

Su Yuan looked at the old chain underwater. "Does the chain still work?"

Shen Yuanzhou chimed in, "You can... hang the chain at an angle, let the front of the bike go first... the weight of the bike on the chain... and it will slowly slide over..."

The veteran engineer yelled, "Add another winch! Attach the auxiliary cable to the front pipe clamp!"

The maintenance worker ran over and attached the second steel cable to the clamp on a section of thick water pipe in front of the brake ditch. Two steel cables were used: one from the pillar to pull No. 005, and the other from the front clamp to prepare for the crane head.

Su Yuan said, "Tang Lan, loosen the brakes by half a stop three meters before the rut. Let the front of the car slide down freely a little."

Tang Lan nodded: "Received."

The convoy reached the end of the black water. The water level dropped, revealing the rusty rails. Three meters ahead was the brake crater. The crater walls were steep, and the old buffer wheel at the bottom was crooked, its broken ends resembling gaping teeth.

Wang Hu fastened the second auxiliary cable to the hook on the front beam of the Shihuang. The maintenance worker cranked the winch, and the steel cable tightened.

Su Yuansong applied the brakes. The Devourer slid forward. The front of the vehicle plunged into the brake rut. The front wheel hovered in the air for a moment. The old underwater chain snapped taut, the chain links biting into the teeth of the drive wheel, making a screeching sound.

The stress in the tail beam jumped back to 28.

Tang Lan immediately slammed on the brakes. "Hold on."

Wang Hu stared at the underwater scene. "The wheel is still biting!"

Xiao Huo typed: "The brake wheel is not completely faulty. The chain provides some braking force, but it's not enough."

Su Yuan switched to the support team: "Take half a turn off the steel cable in front."

The veteran engineer personally cranked the winch. The steel cable lifted the front of the Devourer slightly. The front wheel pressed back onto the broken edge of the ditch. Part of the vehicle's weight was on the ditch edge, and part on the old underwater chain.

Number 013 followed. The tracks rolled over the edge of the brake rut, causing the vehicle to tilt. The young survivor gripped the tailgate frame, his other hand steadying the handlight. "Twenty-nine on the tail beam! Number 005's right wheel is off track by half an inch!"

The silencer scraped against the rocks along the edge of the pit, sending sand and bits of rubber flying.

Su Yuan didn't press the accelerator. He let the weight of the front of the car slowly press down. The old underwater chain emitted a continuous groaning sound. The chain links slid past the brake wheel teeth one by one.

The veteran mechanic shouted, "The water cup tipped over! Hold it steady!"

In the third carriage, the old mechanic held onto the cup holder with one hand and used the other to hold down the cup that was about to tip over. Water had spilled all over the floor, and no one cared.

Su Yuan stared at the underwater scene. He would engage the brake wheel three times, then release it slightly. He counted: One, two, three. Release. The front of the vehicle slid forward a foot during that half-beat.

"Take another half turn of the steel cable in front."

The old engineer shook the engine. The locomotive moved forward a little more.

The front of car number 013 went over the edge of the ditch. The car's center of gravity shifted. The rear sank. The muffler number 005 was dragged along the edge of the ditch, scraping off a layer of rust from its bottom. The stress on the rear beam jumped to 29.3, then dropped back to 28.5.

Wang Hu stared at the underwater chain. "Boss, the wheel is about to give way."

Su Yuan nodded. "Tang Lan, release the brakes. Let number 013 glide over by itself."

Tang Lan shifted the brake lever to neutral. Number 013 slid forward due to inertia. The tracks rolled over the edge of the ditch, making a snapping sound, and slammed into the bottom. The vehicle lurched violently. A muffled groan came from the wounded area.

Number 005 was being pulled forward. With a clatter, the old underwater chain slipped halfway out of the brake wheel's teeth. But it was still hanging there. The chain hook was caught on the bottom beam of Number 005, while the other end dragged in the silt at the bottom of the pit.

Report from Xiao Huo: "Tail beam 013 is at 29.6! Right wheel 005 is off track by one inch!"

Su Yuan stepped on the accelerator. Not a lot, but enough. The front of the Devourer had already passed the ditch, the front wheels on the dry track. The rear wheels were still stuck on the edge of the ditch. He pressed the accelerator, the car lurched forward, the rear wheels rushed onto the edge of the ditch, and the entire car lurched forward.

This sudden surge pulled up vehicles 013 and 005 behind it as well. Vehicle 013's track caught on the broken axle of the old buffer wheel at the bottom of the pit and rolled over it with a screeching sound. Vehicle 005's silencer dragged over the silt at the bottom of the pit, and the old underwater chain was suddenly straightened, the chain links scraping sparks off the brake wheel's outer shell.

The tail beam stress curve jumped sharply to thirty, then plummeted back down. Twenty-nine. Twenty-eight. Twenty-seven.

The convoy sped out of the brake rut. The blackwater section was left behind. Ahead was a dry maintenance track, the rails dusty, with old sleepers and dripping water from the pipe walls.

Su Yuan applied the brakes. The car came to a stop.

Wang Hu flipped back through the side door, two more red marks appearing on his palm. He wiped his face. "That's enough."

Tang Lan released the brake lever, her fingers a little stiff. "Tail beam number 013, 26. Stable."

The young survivor crouched by the tailgate, stared at the dial for three seconds, and then spoke: "Right wheel 005 is back on track. Isolation box is at low temperature. Muffler... one layer has worn off, but it's still hanging there."

The veteran mechanic re-secured the cup holder in the third section. "Three cups, one broken. Two more left. The leak in the third section has stopped."

Shen Yuanzhou leaned against the stretcher, his eyes fixed on the main screen. On the screen, the tension line of the underwater chain slowly reached zero. It wasn't broken; the chain had loosened and was dragging in the silt at the bottom of the brake crater, no longer bearing any weight.

The camera panned to the bottom beam, number 005. The chain hook was still gripping the reinforcing plate. But the chain itself had softened and dangled into the silt at the edge of the black water. Water plants and rust were hanging from the chain links.

The veteran engineer shouted into the rear channel: "Positioning of No. 005 confirmed! Silent stern anchor! Ballast silencer! Waterborne anchor dragging! Forward to all channels!"

The support team began sending supplies forward. Dry sandbags, old rubber mats, long hooks, and cooling pipes were piled up beside the tracks. Someone carried over iron wedges, preparing to insert two more under wheel 005.

Wang Hu squatted down next to No. 005 and patted the outer casing of the silencer. The casing was covered in scratches and black sand. "This thing's come to life."

Tang Lan poked her head out of carriage 013. "Who's going to lock the uncoupling protective cover?"

The young survivor stood up, walked over, and fastened the protective cover, pressing the latch into the slot. Click. He checked it again, his hand on the lock cylinder, not releasing it immediately.

Su Yuan sat in the driver's seat, looking at the main screen. He pulled up all the data. The tail boom stress was stable at 25. The toxic gas safety was at 19. All parameters for No. 005 were normal. The underwater chain tension was zero.

Shen Yuanzhou's voice came through the channel, very softly. "Ji Yun and the others... modified the brake rut... to prevent cars from rushing through too fast... so they put underwater chains... to slow them down..."

The veteran engineer chimed in, "Damn it, our good intentions have been used as a weapon by the system. They're using this chain to force us to cut the tail anchor."

Su Yuan didn't reply. He switched to scanning the track ahead. The maintenance track stretched forward, dry and straight, with old markings beside the rails. A small fire marked the route; there was a fork in the road 400 meters ahead, with two tracks, one to the left and one to the right. There were no system lights, no metal signs.

Wang Hu tightened the cloth strips around his hands again and stood up. "Boss, shall we move forward?"

Su Yuan looked into the darkness ahead. "Let's go."

The convoy started again. The speed was still slow. One and a half kilometers. The front of the Devourer rolled over the dry track, raising a little dust, which was then pushed back down by the moist air. Locomotive 013, with low drag, creaked as its tracks gripped the old sleepers. Locomotive 005 brought up the rear, its silencer trailing behind, the sand tracks dried and becoming a light gray line.

Four hundred meters ahead, we've reached the fork in the road. The left track is wider, and there are oil stains on the rails. The right track is narrower, and there's an old water pipe beside the track with a hand-carved arrow pointing to the right.

Small-scale scan: "The load-bearing data for the left track is normal. There is vibration in the water pipe beside the right track."

Wang Hu stared at the water pipe on the right. "Another microphone?"

Su Yuan looked at the arrow on the right. The arrow was deeply carved, but most of it was covered by grease. He reached out and wiped it away, revealing the characters below. Two characters: Zhenshan (镇山).

Shen Yuanzhou coughed: "The right line... leads to the coal and water compartment..."

The veteran engineer shouted from behind, "The vibration frequency of the right-side water pipe... is close to the sound of boiler water circulation! But it's very weak! It's a cold start!"

Su Yuan applied the brakes. The convoy stopped at the fork in the road.

Wang Hu picked up a wrench. "I'll go knock it first."

He walked to the right-hand drain pipe, squatted down, and gently tapped it twice with a wrench. *Clang. Clang.*

The echo traveled far from the pipe, then returned from even deeper within. Thump. Thump. Not a water hammer. It was the striking of metal. Soft, yet clear.

Three short. Two long.

Xiao Huo translates: "It's not an SOS code. It's the rhythm of the water bubbles from earlier."

Su Yuan stared into the darkness on the right. There were no lights there. Only a faint glow reflected from the water pipes and rails.

Wang Hu turned around: "Boss, shall we go in or not?"

Su Yuan didn't answer. He stared at the dark scan image deep within the right-hand side of the main screen. There was a faint heat source on the image. Very small. Very unstable. Like a heartbeat.

The young survivor whispered by the tailgate, "The coal water compartment... someone is really knocking..."

The veteran mechanic spoke up in the third channel: "Water cups... these three water cups of mine... when we were passing them through the black water just now... the right cup was shaking the most... now, it's starting to shake again."

On the main screen, the liquid level fluctuation curve of the water glass on the right side of the third section is gently pulsating, facing the dark direction of the right line.

Su Yuan raised his hand. "Stop the car. Silence. Listen."