I, the screenwriter, have experienced a resurgence of inspiration.

At 3:10 a.m., the G2024 train was traveling westward on the Longhai Railway at a speed of 298 kilometers per hour.

The carriage was very quiet.

Most of the car lights had been dimmed, with only the row of ground lights in the aisle still on.

The constant temperature air conditioner blew a mixture of instant noodle smells, orange peel smells, and the faint smell of baby formula from the child.

The passengers were slumped in their seats, some with U-shaped pillows on and mouths slightly open, others with their coats covering their faces and fast asleep.

Someone's phone was lit up, short videos were scrolling across the screen, and blocks of color of different sizes were projected onto their face, their expression calm.

It was just an ordinary, everyday day.

In carriage number seven, a middle-aged man was resting his head against the window, his head swaying slightly with the train's movement.

Next to him was a young girl with earphones in her ears and her eyes closed.

"squeak--"

Suddenly, the train began to slow down, and the sound of wheels rubbing against rails came from the carriages ahead, like a giant file grinding the rails.

Everyone leaned forward slightly.

Some people slid off their seats, some people's phones flew out of their hands and hit the aisle, and some people shouted a swear word.

Someone dropped a boiled egg on the ground and ran down the aisle.

The lights overhead began to flicker, sometimes bright and sometimes dim.

The moment the lights went out, the carriage was plunged into darkness. Moonlight shone through the windows onto the ground, reflecting a large expanse of white light, making everyone's faces appear white.

"What happened?"

"I don't know, did you bump into something?"

"What would it take for a high-speed train to stop after hitting something?"

"Emergency braking? It might be a signal malfunction."

"In the middle of the night..."

"Mom, I'm scared."

"It's nothing, it's probably just a temporary stop."

The train conductor's voice came over the loudspeaker; it was a young woman's voice, her tone tinged with an indescribable mix of excitement and suppressed emotion.

Dear passengers, due to uncontrollable factors, the train crew has applied the emergency brakes.

Please remain where you are and do not panic.

We have contacted staff to handle the situation. Please remain where you are and do not panic.

The announcement was repeated twice before it stopped. Someone grabbed the train police officer, who also looked bewildered and didn't know what had happened.

"Uncontrollable factors?"

What are uncontrollable factors?

"Has there been an accident?"

"Is anyone injured?"

"Where's my phone? Has anyone seen my phone?"

The carriage became chaotic. Some people stood up and stood on tiptoe to look ahead, while others turned on their phones, the light from the screens forming small patches in the darkness.

Someone is making a phone call; the call connects, but the sound is intermittent.

"Hey Mom, I'm still on the high-speed train. The train just stopped, I don't know why, it was probably a temporary stop. Don't wait for me, go to sleep."

"Honey, I'm in the car. The car suddenly stopped, but it's okay, it just stopped for a moment. Don't worry, it shouldn't cause any delays."

"Boss, I might be a little late; the train has been temporarily stopped."

Some people even pressed their faces against the windows to look out, trying to figure out why the ground was so bright tonight.

On both sides of the railway, there should be fields of farmland outside the window.

It was just the beginning of winter, and the fields were bare, with no crops.

Through the windows, you can see several houses with lights on, the light shining through the windows, and occasionally you can hear the barking of dogs.

The railway tracks gleamed with a cold, white light and stretched out into the distance.

But at this moment, there was a thick fog ahead of the railway tracks.

Someone leaned against the car window and shouted, "There's fog ahead! A lot of fog!"

Many people crowded to the window to look; the grayish-white mist swirled, and the railway tracks stood silently at the edge of the mist.

Then, a beam of light from a helicopter shone down from above.

"Click-clack-click-clack—"

"Click-clack—"

"Click-clack-click-clack—"

The passengers strained to look out and saw helicopters flying overhead, their beams of light hitting the end of the tracks and illuminating a patchwork of gold and black.

The gold color represents the sand.

The ink-black color is an endless, surging sea.

"ocean--"

Someone's voice changed, as if they had seen something utterly unbelievable, and they pressed both hands against the window, pounding on it forcefully.

"The sea! It's the sea! There's a sea out there!!"

"ocean??"

"Where is the sea in Gansu Province?"

"Where did this come from? Is it still in China?"

"Why isn't the helicopter flying forward? Can't it get in?"

"Is it a copy? Quickly call the Special Administration Bureau!"

Everyone crowded towards the window, standing on tiptoe in the aisle, stepping on seats, and holding their phones above their heads—

sea.

A vast expanse of sea.

As the mist dissipated, the silvery-white sea shimmered under the moonlight, waves surging and rolling in from afar, as if something enormous was slowly breathing beneath the surface.

The coastline is right at the end of the railway tracks.

The railway tracks are neatly broken off along the coastline, replaced by beaches.

Soft, golden sand.

The beach extends into the sea, and the light from the helicopter shines on the shallow water, revealing the shells and fish being tossed and turned by the waves.

Silver fish are leaping on the surface of the sea.

It was impossible to see clearly on the distant sea surface, and the helicopter seemed unable to get close; all that could be seen was a huge shadow moving beneath the water.

Sometimes it floats up, and sometimes it sinks down.

It looked like a giant piece of driftwood, or perhaps a snake.

The entire carriage fell silent.

No one speaks.

No one screamed.

No one complained.

Everyone's mouth was agape.

Everyone forgot where they were, where they came from, and where they were going.

All they could think about was the shimmering sea.

—That sea that spread out at three o'clock in the morning, directly in front of the Longhai Railway, less than two hundred kilometers from Xishi, as if it had overflowed from a dream.

……

……

……

3:15 a.m.

The Baoji section of the Lianyungang-Huoerguosi Expressway.

A white SUV was driving in the slow lane, with a family of three inside.

The father was driving, the mother was in the passenger seat, and a seven or eight-year-old boy was fast asleep in the back seat, wrapped in a down jacket.

They had just attended a relative's wedding and were preparing to rush home that very night.

The car headlights illuminated the road ahead, revealing only an empty expanse.

During this time period, large trucks are parked in the service area, and occasionally a small car will drive by in the overtaking lane.

The father is listening to the radio.

The mother is looking at her phone.

Neither of them spoke, only occasionally exchanging warm glances and smiling at each other, their eyes falling on the sleeping child.

The outside temperature was close to zero degrees Celsius, and a layer of grayish-brown remnants of snow could be seen on the roadside.

The car in front suddenly turned on its hazard lights.

One.

Two vehicles.

Three vehicles.

Soon, all the cars in front turned on their hazard lights, the yellow lights flashing intermittently.

The father frowned, released the accelerator, and the car's speed gradually decreased.

"What happened? Was there an accident?"

The mother sat up straight with concern, turning to check on her child: "Is there a traffic jam? Should we call the traffic police?"

She turned on the navigation, which showed that there was traffic congestion ahead.

All the cars in front were stuck in the road, and many drivers had gotten out and were standing on the side of the road. Some people were standing on the roof of their cars, standing on tiptoe to look ahead.

The navigation froze for a moment.

The woman's voice calmly repeated:

"...Rescheduling your route...Rescheduling your route:"

The route is 1,320 kilometers long and is expected to take 16 hours and 41 minutes…

"Is there a problem with the navigation? You stay in the car with the child, I'll go down and take a look."

The father opened the car door, took a few steps forward, and happened to run into the car owner next to him who was walking back from the front, looking excited.

For some reason, the other person's face was contorted with an indescribable excitement, and they were gesturing wildly.

"Hi! Hi! Hi!!"

"What happened? Did something happen up ahead?"

The man hurriedly shook his head, ran to the trunk, grabbed a fishing rod, and ran off. His father, completely bewildered, instinctively followed.

More people are moving forward.

Everyone had the same expression: excitement, shock, bewilderment, and a mixture of not knowing whether to laugh or cry.

"Hey Mom! You believe me or not! I'm on the highway! There's the sea ahead! Really! I'm not kidding! Go watch TV! It'll definitely be on the news soon!"

"Hey? Are you alright? Is everything alright at home? I'm so glad you're alright, I thought the house had been flooded by the sea, it scared me to death!"

"Hello, is this the Special Administration Bureau? I'm on the Lianyungang-Huoerguosi Expressway! Driving from Xi'an to Lanzhou! Just past Baoji West section, the expressway ends! In front of me is the sea! And a beach! A beach! The sea!"

"What do you mean by 'being verified'? Come and see for yourself! Come and see, I'm right here, come and see!"

"Hey guys, look! Look where I am! I'm in Gansu, right on the highway! There's the sea in front of me, this is definitely not special effects, look! Look at that fish! It's jumping!"