Train Survival: Can I get a treasure chest by touching my goddess?

Steam billowed from the chimney in the center of the copper pot, mingling with the rich aroma of butter and the spiciness of chili peppers, weaving a warm, white mist in the living room.

Shen Wen picked up a piece of tripe, rolled it in the oil sauce, and put it in his mouth. The crisp and refreshing taste made him squint his eyes in satisfaction.

"Hey sis, don't just watch me eat!" he mumbled to the two girls opposite him, his mouth full of food.

Su Qingxuan gently tapped the rim of his bowl with her chopsticks: "Eat slowly, no one's going to take it from you. Today is your big day of graduating from university, but you can't be so undignified."

She wore a beige knit sweater, her long hair loosely tied back, with a few stray strands falling beside her fair neck. Her voice was soft, yet it possessed a calming power.

As Shen Wen's adoptive older sister who watched him grow up, she was already used to taking care of this younger brother.

"Yeah, like a starving ghost reincarnated." Su Mu, sitting next to Su Qingxuan, muttered softly, but her chopsticks were still busy.

He discreetly placed a piece of freshly cooked tender beef into Shen Wen's bowl, his eyes quickly sweeping across Shen Wen's face.

He quickly lowered his head again, pretending to focus on the condiments in his bowl.

Shen Wen grinned, feeling a warm glow inside.

Su Mu was half a year older than him; the two practically grew up together.

But she started school a year earlier than him, so she graduated a year earlier.

Unlike her sister, who is gentle and generous, she is rather introverted and quiet, and occasionally she will say something to him that contradicts her true feelings.

But he knew that this girl was very perceptive.

"Oh dear, stop feeding him! Look at that bowl of food, it's almost overflowing!"

Sitting next to Su Mu, Jiang Youchu leaned over, pointed at Shen Wen's bowl with her chopsticks, and started shouting loudly.

She was wearing an oversized anime T-shirt, the design on the chest stretched out of shape.

Her baby face was flushed with a faint blush from the heat of the hot pot, making her look exceptionally charming.

"Shen Wen, hurry up and give me that piece of shrimp paste! I've been trying to find it for ages!"

"Don't you have hands?" Shen Wen retorted with a smile, but still used a slotted spoon to scoop up the shrimp paste rolling in the red soup and handed it to her.

"Thanks! You're so kind!" Jiang Youchu took it with satisfaction, swallowed it in one gulp, and gasped from the heat, but still gave a thumbs up. "This spiciness is intense! This is life!"

She was Su Mu's college roommate and best friend, a typical otaku with a head full of anime and games, and a very outgoing personality. Su Mu dragged her here today to celebrate Shen Wen's birthday.

She was also familiar with Shen Wen; the two often bickered, but got along like buddies.

Su Mu couldn't help but smile as she watched Jiang Youchu eat without any regard for her image, and then secretly glanced at Shen Wen, who was arguing with Jiang Youchu.

The warm yellow light fell on his well-defined profile, which carried a hint of naivety from just graduating from school, yet also made him appear exceptionally reliable due to his composure.

A soft spot in her heart was gently touched by this secret affection.

She kept it a secret for a long time, like a seed buried deep in her heart, never telling anyone.

"Come on, let's toast to Shen Wen's successful graduation and to all of us having a smooth journey ahead!" Jiang Youchu raised her glass of plum juice and made the impassioned suggestion.

"Cheers!" The four glasses clinked together, making a crisp sound, and laughter filled the room.

However, just as that "Cheers!" was uttered...

The world fell silent.

There was no transition, no sound, and not even the slightest feeling of dizziness.

The aroma of hot pot that had been lingering in my nose and Jiang Youchu's excited shouts just a moment ago vanished completely.

Instead, there is a cold smell of steel mixed with engine oil, carrying a musty, stale odor.

The blinding white light gradually faded, and Shen Wen suddenly opened his eyes, his heart clenching painfully.

He was standing.

Instead of sitting at the dining table at home, I was standing in a narrow aisle.

Underfoot was a dark gray metal floor with a non-slip texture.

On both sides were rows of tightly closed dark metal doors, each with a round porthole that let in a deathly gray-white light from outside.

Overhead, old light tubes emitted a pale, faint fluorescent glow, illuminating the entire space with a bright yet cold light.

This is a train carriage.

Shen Wen's breath hitched, and he instinctively turned his head.

They saw Su Qingxuan and Su Mu, who were equally astonished, and Jiang Youchu, whose mouth was wide open enough to fit an egg.

They were all there, standing right beside him, their loungewear looking particularly thin and out of place in the cold, metallic environment.

"Where...where is this?" Su Mu's voice trembled slightly as she instinctively grabbed her sister's sleeve.

Su Qingxuan's face paled slightly, but she squeezed her sister's hand tightly, took a deep breath, and quickly scanned the surrounding environment, trying to make her voice sound calm: "Don't panic, let's see what's going on first."

Jiang Youchu was stunned for several seconds, but then, far from being afraid, she was not scared at all.

Instead, his eyes lit up, and he suddenly rushed to a porthole, straining to look outside, gasping for breath: "Is this still in China?"

"What are you doing here while we're eating hotpot?"

Shen Wen didn't move.

Because a semi-transparent light screen appeared out of thin air in front of him.

Welcome to the survival game "Endless Train"!

[Initial identity generation in progress...]

[Identity generated successfully!]

Name: Shen Wen

Gender: Male

[Body condition: 7 (the average for a normal adult male is 5)]

[Spirit: 8 (Your willpower is quite strong)]

[Sanity: 100 (Please note that a decrease in this value will affect sanity; exploration or mood fluctuations will also affect sanity)]

[Identity: Train conductor of train D5612]

[Ability: None]

[Talent: Goddess's Treasure Chest (Unique Talent)]

[Talent Effect: Can be bound to an object. Based on the object's charm value, obtain treasure chests (including but not limited to: various resources, attribute points, abilities) through intimate contact. Currently bound to: 0/1]

Immediately afterwards, the information on the screen did not stop; a new data stream unfolded and appeared before Shen Wen's eyes.

Only he can see these things.

[You have been detected as the train conductor. Loading train attributes...]

Train number: D5612

[Level: 1 (Initial Train)]

[Speed: 20 km/h (base value; the minimum speed required for the next leg of the journey will be indicated at each stop. If the speed is lower than required, the arrival time will be extended.)]

[Workbench: Rotten Wood Grade (Uses blueprints; can be used for repairing and crafting rotten wood grade tools)]

[Chassis: Level 1 (can defend against attacks from decaying wood-level creatures), Durability 100/100]

Upgrade required: 150 kg of metal

[Wheels: Level 1 (20km/h)]

Upgrade Requirements: 100 kg of metal, 25 kg of mechanical parts

[Base Plate: Level 1 (Based on survivor's sanity recovery * floor level sanity/hour)]

Upgrade Requirements: 100 kg of wood, 50 kg of metal

[Facilities: 0/2 (Upgrades can increase facility capacity)]

[Train Upgrade (Module Available): Upgrade Requirements: 100 kg of Wood, 100 kg of Metal, 50 kg of Mechanical Parts.]

[Note: The train is your mobile fortress; please maintain it properly. Only the train conductor can view all attributes.]

Train conductor?

And then there's all this complicated data... Shen Wen didn't have time to think about it in detail before the text on the screen changed again.

[All members of this carriage have been detected as present. Core rules will be distributed shortly. Please check your messages!]

Immediately afterwards, a mechanical voice devoid of any emotion resounded simultaneously in the minds of the four:

"Welcome to the Endless Train. Here, your only goal is to survive."