第八十六章 商议
The nightmare train galloped across the wasteland.
恶魇列车驰骋在荒原。
Inside the carriage, Yang Zicang flipped through the items Ma Chao had left behind, which included books, spoiled food, some clothes, a valuable watch that now had little worth, and a few feminine articles.
车厢内，杨子藏翻看着马超遗留下来的物品，有书籍、变质的食物以及些许衣物和已经没什么价值的名贵手表，以及一些女性用品。
“Ma Chao, did any previous train conductors bring people into the Lost Frequency Zone?”
“马超，之前的列车长有没有带人进来过失频之地？”
The train nightmare had shifted from initially yielding to the intimidation of Yang Zicang’s White Shadow Thought-Dragon to now enjoying the feeling of carefree galloping, much like a horse basks in the thrill of a sprint.
列车恶魇已从最开始的屈服于杨子藏白影念龙之淫威，变为现在享受这种随意奔驰的感觉，就像马儿天生享受驰骋的快感。
{A few times, but their focus wasn’t here. Most of the time, he came here alone with me.}
{有过几次，不过他们的重心不在这里。大多数时候是他跟我独自前来。}
“So, that means no one from the Heroes’ Posse is in the Lost Frequency Zone, right?”
“也就是失频之地没有雄英组的人，对吧。”
{He once came here looking for a woman named Sun Shangxiang. Later, he found out she had been killed, so they chose a new Sun Shangxiang. She entered my belly just two days ago.}
{他曾来找过一个名为孙尚香的女人，后来得知其已经死于人手，于是他们就选了新的孙尚香，前两天她还进过我的肚子里。}
Code names could be inherited. Yang Zicang speculated that perhaps, after a year or two, another Ma Chao would appear.
代号是会流传的。杨子藏猜测，或许一两年过后，又会有另一个马超出现。
{Other than that, I’m not sure who else came in. However, he had a few enemies here.}
{除此之外，我并不清楚有谁进来。不过他在这里有几个敌人。}
“Enemies?”
“敌人？”
“They know I exist and want to become the new conductor. But they are far away from you.”
{他们知道我的存在，想要成为新的列车长。不过他们离你很远。}
“Yeah, I understand.”
“嗯，我晓得了。”
In less than an hour, YangZicang found three dried bones lying in the wilderness, along with a combat blade. Unexpectedly, it came with an additional 5N damage per attack.
不到一小时，杨子藏就找到了三具跌倒在荒野中的枯骨，以及一把战刀。它竟然附带了5N的每次攻击。
“Too bad there’s no currency here; otherwise, I could have earned quite a bit.”
“可惜这里没有货币，否则我应该能在这儿赚到不少钱。”
Apart from investing, temporal order only allows peer-to-peer transactions without liquidity properties, and it also has an upper limit. Perhaps the only person who could turn it into a currency right now is Mori.
除了投资，时序仅能点对点交易，不具备流通属性，而且还有上限。或许目前唯一能把它搞成货币的人就只有莫里。
YangZicang swung the blade in his hand, the edge carrying a sound of cutting through the air. It could be used normally for at least two or three years without issue.
杨子藏挥了挥手中的刀，刀刃携带起破空声，正常使用两三年都没问题。
“Not bad.”
“还不错。”
The train roamed hundreds of miles across the land overnight, encountering shantytowns struggling to survive, deserted settlement, and thriving boisterous communal areas.
列车一夜间遨游大地数百里，见到了一个又一个或艰难支撑，或完全毁灭，或人气蓬勃的作棚聚集地。
In front of a deserted and dilapidated wooden house, YangZicang, his entire body emanating a pale golden phantom flame, stepped into the eerie gathering area.
一处已经了无人烟的破败木屋前，杨子藏浑身散发淡金色虚焰，走入这处阴森的聚集区内。
{Urgh aaahhh~}
{呃啊啊~}
A phantom sound echoed in his ears. The White Shadow Thought-Dragon naturally materialized, charging into the roof-off wooden house ahead.
幻音在耳畔响起，白影念龙自然浮现，冲入前方破顶木屋内。
Inside, several twisted humanoid mental bodies madly writhed, their forms merging together.
那里几个扭曲人形念力体疯狂扭动着汇聚在一起的身躯。
But as far as the White Shadow Thought-Dragon was concerned, these things offered no real challenge.
但它们对白影念龙来说，根本掀不起什么风浪。
After easily shredding the most vicious ghost-like illusion away in two handfuls.
两下撕扯掉最厉害那只恶灵般的虚影后。
By the corner of the room, a phantom sobbed as it drifted before YangZicang, speaking in an almost inaudible voice:
屋角一个幻影哭喊着飘在杨子藏身前，以难以听清的嗓音道：
“{Release… me… from… my pain…}”
{解脱…我…的痛苦…}
A bone-like saber formed of psychic energy was stabbed into his chest. The mere sight of it fed a sense of mental anguish back to Yang Zicang through his eyes.
他胸前被刺着一柄骨头模样念力灰刀，只是看一眼，杨子藏就感觉眼睛反馈给了精神痛苦情绪。
All the surrounding psychic bodies were pierced by these same gray blades.
而周围这些念力体们身上都插着这样的灰刀。
“Don’t struggle. Let me take it out for a look.”
“别挣扎，我取下它看看。”
The White Shadow Thought-Dragon rippled its form, lowering a head as large as half a human down to the psychic body. Using its mighty curved jaws, built for perfect interlocking and tremendous force, it extracted the gray blade. As soon as it left the man’s psychic body, the blade dissipated like smoke.
白影念龙身形一荡，将半人大小的头颅伸到这念力体跟前，用嵌合能力极强的弯齿巨颚将灰刀抽出。它一离开男人念力身躯，就如烟雾消散。
[Gained 7.1N.]
[我获得了7.1N]
Yang Zicang helplessly watched the man’s relieved expression. He waved his hand, and the White Shadow Thought-Dragon cheerfully rushed towards the surrounding apparitions.
杨子藏无奈看着男人解脱般的神色。他挥了挥手，白影念龙欢快地冲向四周幻影。
[Gained another 2.8N.]
[我又收获了2.8N]
[…4.5N…]
[…4.5N…]
Yang Zicang picked up a wooden sliver from the ground and activated “Ironflame Swordsmanship.”
杨子藏从脚边拾起个木条，发动“烈焰剑道”。
The mysterious energy flowing through his muscles rapidly surged into his hand.
体内游荡在肌肉间的神秘能量快速涌动至手上。
WHOOOOM! The wooden rod burst into flames, illuminating the dark interior of the room.
轰！木条燃起火焰，照亮漆黑的屋内。
Inside the room, a dozen twisted and withered corpses came into view. Men, women… they were bound together, and the dried grime on the floor soiled most of the space. Decades had passed.
屋内，十来具扭曲风干的尸首映入眼帘。男男女女们被人捆在一起，地上干枯的污秽脏了大半个屋子，已经许多年了。
Yang Zicang looked upon this scene with a flash of anger in his heart.
杨子藏有些怒意的看着这一幕。
These people were mostly residents of the settlement.
这些人应该都是聚集地的居民。
He looked at the faint magic patterns on the ground, where in the center lay a large man holding a bone knife. Extremely similar to the strongest psychic entity from before, his skin was still relatively full even after several years of death, showing no signs of withering.
他看向地面隐约的魔纹，正中有个倒在地上，手握骨刀的大汉。跟之前最强那念力体男人极其相似，哪怕死去数年，他的皮肤也比较饱满，没有干枯迹象。
“Damn thing.”
“该死的东西。”
Yang Zicang coldly drew his blade, flames tinged with red-gold radiance surging forth, and cleaved the head into ashes with a single stroke.
杨子藏冷漠地拔刀，附带红色金辉的火光涌现，一刀将它头颅砍成了飞灰。
Flames roared into the sky, engulfing the house.
火光冲天，将房屋燃烧。
Yang Zicang glanced at it once, turned back, and stepped into the train, heading into the distance.
杨子藏看了它一眼，回首跨入列车内，向着远方而去。
……
……
At breakfast time, everyone was beaming with joy over the new well. Throughout the day, people gathered spontaneously to guard it; anyone who caused trouble faced a collective backlash. It had become the best spot for chatting and playing cards.
早饭时间，有了新井大家喜气洋洋，整天都有人自发在井边守着，谁敢坏事就群起而攻之。这里已经成了大家聊天打牌的最佳场所。
“Wang Chong.”
“王翀。”
Wang Chong, still washing up, heard Yang Zicang calling him and rushed over excitedly.
还在洗漱的王翀听到杨子藏喊自己，兴冲冲的跑去。
“This is for you.”
“这个送你。”
A long blade, covered in many stains, was tossed over by the young man. As soon as Wang Chong caught it, his expression changed: “Giving this to me? Isn’t this…”
一柄周身许多污迹的长刀被年轻人丢了过来。王翀刚一接手，顿时脸色一变，“送我？这不是…”
“What’s up?” Xu Xiuchuan and a few others gathered around.
“咋啦？”徐秀川几人围了过来。
Wang Chong glanced at those in the shelter area looking their way and urged, “Let’s talk inside.”
王翀看了眼棚区内望向这边的几人，急道：“进去再说。”
Six or seven people squeezed into the already small room. Xu Xiuchuan, upon taking the blade, gasped sharply. He never thought he would ever actually touch something like this.
六七个人挤进了本就不大的屋子里，接过刀的徐秀川倒吸口凉气。他从来没想过自己会亲自摸到这种东西。
“An eon… war artifact?”
“时序…战器？”
“And five years at that, holy shit!”
“还是五年的，草草草！”
“This… this must be worth thousands of Chrono years.” Qian Zhongsheng’s head was spinning as he said, “If I had something like this back there, would I have tripped up in a C-tier pit?”
“这，这能值几千年时序了吧。”钱钟生脑袋有点发晕的道：“要是在那边有这东西，我它娘的会在C级坑内栽跟头？”
“Oh? Worth that much Chrono, is it?” Yang Zicang leaned against the doorframe with his arms crossed, chuckling.
“哦？值那么多时序的吗。”杨子藏抱着膀子笑呵呵靠在门框上。
Qian Zhongsheng nearly slapped himself twice, but then thought again—how could Yang Zicang possibly not know its value?
钱钟生差点给自己两巴掌，但又一想，杨子藏怎么可能会不知道它的价值。
“It wouldn’t be worth that much back where we’re from, but it’s quite valuable over here.”
“在我们那儿值不了那么多，但在这边挺金贵的。”
Wang Chong snatched the knife back, looking at Yang Zicang hesitantly: “Bro, I know you probably have better stuff, but giving something this precious to us…”
王翀将刀一把夺了过来，他看向杨子藏，犹豫了下：“哥，我知道你应该有更好的，但是吧，这么贵重的东西给我们几个…”
“Brother Jia, if he won’t take it, give it to me. Give me one of those things too, and I won’t ask for an extra minute.”
“甲哥，他不要给我吧，你给我也放个那玩意儿，我绝不要额外一分钟。”
“Alright, I’ll give you guys the next ones I find. This blade is just something I stumbled upon while picking through trash last night.”
“行了，以后捡到新的再给你们。这刀也只是我昨晚捡垃圾偶然捡到的。”
Hearing Yang Zicang say that, the room erupted into cries and groans.
听到杨子藏这么说，屋内顿时鬼哭狼嚎。
……
……
Upon hearing the report, Ning Yang furrowed his brow.
宁洋听到汇报后，眉头皱了皱。
So this Jiazi Intermission was indeed a last-minute decision. That meant Wang Chong and the others had been bought off by him shortly after he met them?
这个甲子间，果然是临时起意来的，所以王翀几人也是被他刚认识不久就收买的人？
“Did they really say ‘Chrono Weapon’?”
“他们真的说时序战器？”
{It was a bit far to hear clearly, but at least two or three of them were saying that term ‘Chrono Weapon’. He claimed he found it while scavenging last night.}
{有点远听不清楚，不过的确有两三个都在说时序战器这个词，他说他昨晚出去捡回来的。}
Ning Yang laughed in anger.
宁洋被气笑了。
Found while scavenging…
捡回来的…
Wang Chong, these idiots—could they really fall for such nonsense? No wonder they’ve been so easily tricked into spilling information.
王翀这些蠢货，这种鬼话都会信，难怪会被人套出话。
Would I really not know if I were the overlord of this land? If there were such good stuff within these dozens of miles that I hadn’t found, then I’d be a damn mule.
真当自己不是这片地的地主？这方圆几十里若有那种好东西没被自己发现，那自己就是蠢驴来的。
“Find an excuse to kick him out this afternoon.”
“下午找个由头把他赶出去。”
{Brother Ning, why this afternoon? We can make him scram right now, many of us.}
{宁哥，为啥是下午，现在咱哥儿几个就让他滚。}
“He’s got Master Zuo seriously fooled. I’ll make up an excuse to take Master Zuo out first, then we’ll talk.”
“左师傅被他蛊惑的不轻，我待会找个借口把左师傅带出去再说。”
{We’ve underestimated Master Zuo too much.}
{是我们太轻视左大师了。}
Inside the small room by the entrance, Captain Jia conferred briefly with a few people beside him, whispering his plan in a low voice.
门口小屋内，贾队长跟身旁几人碰了下头，低声交代了下计划。
“What reason should we use?” Niuwa said.
“我们该找什么理由？”牛娃道。
“Think he’s some big shot? We don’t need a reason. You’re really just a brute from a cow.”
“真当他是个人物啊，还需要理由，你真是牛变的。”
Niuwa scratched his head. He still felt these guys were making a mountain out of a molehill, especially since they’d just put on his hat.
牛娃抠了抠脑袋。他始终感觉这几人有点小题大做，明明刚穿了人家的衣服。
But he was just the man in charge of the dirty work and couldn’t deal with anything else. He could only sigh at his bad luck—this time, he’d end up a beggar out in the wilderness.
不过自己只是个负责动手的人，其它事自己也管不着。他只能叹甲子间倒霉，这下要去荒野上当叫花子了。
Just then, Zhang Yuanxin’s frowning figure appeared in front of the wooden hut beside the main gate of the shed area.
正在这时，张远信皱着眉头的身影出现在棚区大门旁的木屋前。
Huddling inside saw someone coming and quickly stopped their discussion. Captain Jia smiled as he asked:
屋里几人瞧见有人来，赶紧停了商议，贾队笑问道：
“Master Zhang, what gives you the leisure to step out?”
“张师傅怎么有闲心出门了。”
“I’m looking for you guys. After I fell asleep last night, I felt like someone came into the room.”
“我就是来找你们的。我昨晚睡着后，好像感觉屋里进来过人。”
“Really? Did you lose anything?”
“真的？丢东西了吗。”
“No, but…”
“没，但…”
“That might be just some itchy fellow who bumped you open, Master Zhang. Remember to lock the door with a wooden stick tonight.”
“那可能是哪个手痒把你们推开了吧，张师傅你今晚记得拿木棍顶上门。”
Seeing that the others weren’t paying attention to him and were subtly hinting for him to leave, Zhang Yuanxin walked away with a dark look on his face.
见几人心思没放在自己身上，话里话外还隐隐赶自己走，张远信脸色难看的离去。
As he disappeared through the main gate, a man in the small guardhouse near the entrance curled his lip:
等他走进大门，门口小屋里一人撇撇嘴：
“He hasn’t even done anything yet, and he’s already acting like an assistant camp chief.”
“还没搞出啥动静呢，就当自己是副棚主了。”
“Keep your voice down. Boiler-making is crucial for us. We’ll need that tech to even get an order ticket in the future.”
“小声点，锅炉制作也是我们的重中之重，以后还得靠这玩意儿获得订货函。”
“That can’t be the only thing we rely on. Sigh, we’ve got way too few people here who know how to actually build things.”
“那也不能只靠这个，唉，咱们这儿懂做东西的人太少了。”
Items that used to be everywhere leave you scratching your head when you actually try to make them. Forget about the recipe—even when you have the materials and components right in front of you, you wouldn’t know how to assemble them.
以前随处可见的物品，真要去制作它们时就抓瞎了。别说配方，甚至材料和部件摆在面前都不知如何组装。
For a joint, building a complex item—you try to find someone with genuine first-hand manufacturing experience, or at the very least, a blueprint.
在这里，制作复杂物品的引擎，只能找有真实制造经验的人，否则最好搞到蓝图。
“Aren’t you a mechanic?” Niuwa suddenly looked at the scrawny man across from him. “Why don’t you build a car then?”
“你不是会修车吗？”牛娃突然看着对面的小瘦男人道：“要不你造个车。”
The man in question—who was always squatting next to Captain Jia acting as his assistant—didn’t like that suggestion one bit. He pursed his lips sourly:
这一直蹲在贾队长身边充当下手的男人不乐意了，他瘪瘪嘴道：
“Do you know how to use a smartphone?”
“你会玩手机吗。”
“Yeah…”
“会啊…”
“Oh yeah? Then come over here and build me an MCU. You’re barking about building a car—believe me, I’ll turn you into one first.”
“来来来，你给我制造个MCU。还造车，信不信我把你变成车。”