NOVEL NEXT Chapter 60: station
On the third day of the first month of the 100th year of the saint's calendar, in the early morning, Oak Town.
Sunny.
Dragging the suitcase with a little difficulty, Anson, who was wearing a black trench coat, walked towards the station while stepping on the muddy ground full of footprints.
The sunny weather after the rainstorm made the whole town seem as clean as it had been carefully washed; the bright sun shone on the scattered roofs, and the cold wind was blowing slightly, causing the flow to flow everywhere, and the sewage mixed with garbage disappeared. That stench; crowds in twos and threes emerged from the tavern, from the house, from the morning fog in the streets.
Street vendors shouting loudly, surrounded by small groups of middle-aged women who went out early, surrounded by fruits and vegetables soaked in morning dew, fresh fish and freshly baked bread compared back and forth, haggling and screaming. One after another, sometimes high-pitched, sometimes low-pitched "local songs";
The alcoholic entrenched outside the hotel door, drowsily holding the last remaining bottle of wine, looking at the closed door of the hotel, and at the same time not forgetting the poor begging hand to the passers-by passing by, but only harvested a bunch of white eyes;
The yawning guard stood lazily on the street, leaning on the rifle in his arms and dozing off; he was kicked over by the children and fell into the mud amid the mockery and laughter of the people around him. inside;
The ragged children scurried back and forth in the crowd, escaping the chagrin of the enraged guards; they waved **** from the **** heap, triumphantly like adventurers returning from the dragon's cave...
Looking at the hustle and bustle of people passing by, full of excitement, joy, all kinds of troubles, and trivial things, An Sen couldn't help feeling a little bit of emotion in his heart.
If there were no guards patrolling the streets, several burnt houses and outposts outside the town... Who would have thought that this place was also affected by the war a few days ago, and there were almost only ruins left.
In just a few days, the people living in this small town forgot about the war and returned to their former calm without changing their faces.
Even the large numbers of people and materials that came and went because of the war attracted more businessmen and hawkers around, making this town that was already full of people even more prosperous.
Dodging the crowd around him, Anson dragged his suitcase and walked towards a fort-like building in the center of the town.
Oaktown Steam Train Station.
It was born in the 95th year of the Saint Calendar. The Railway Committee of the Kingdom of Clovis was determined to expand the "Iron Cross Traffic Network" in the central province and finally connect all large cities, trade centers and key fortresses in the kingdom with railways. as one.
This grand idea that alarmed the royal family and the Privy Council, and even made the Church of Order have to come forward, is called the "Kingdom Regional Traffic Plan for the Holy Ninety-fifth Year".
And it has another name that is even louder among the people, and is opposite to the "Iron Cross Traffic Network" - the Grand Cross Project!
"From the southernmost hill of the kingdom to the northernmost port, it only takes one month!" At the meeting of the Privy Council in front of the royal family, the top head of the railway committee proudly announced to the king:
"The wealth of the entire kingdom will continue to converge to your palace along the rails; the entire kingdom will be connected by these rails, truly integrated!"
Under such a call, the Kingdom of Clovis, which had tasted the sweetness from the initial railway network, finally made up its mind to completely cover the entire kingdom with these steel rails.
The Oak Town Steam Train Station...was born under this background and became the first train platform for the kingdom to expand to the south.
With the outbreak of the war between the Kingdom of Clovis and the Empire, the Grand Cross project was forced to abort; the much-anticipated "Oak Town Station" has also changed from an important transportation hub connecting the south to a rotten rot hanging outside the railway network. tail project...
Passing through the brand new door, looking inside and out, from the rows of wooden benches to the station lounge with people in every corner, Anson felt inexplicably familiar.
Following the endless stream of people and the signs on the walls on both sides, he was like a regular customer who often traveled to and from places like this, and found the ticket gate in front of the platform.
"Snapped!"
The young man in the black and white uniform tore off the ticket gate, stamped it again, and handed the ticket back to Anson with a formulaic smile:
"Welcome to take the 'Steel Sky' steam train. This train goes from Oak Town Station to Wangdu Central West Station, and will not stop at any platform on the way;"
"Your seat is by the window in the third box of car No. 10; we will provide you with lunch and dinner for free during the journey. The conductor will notify you when the meal is served, and you can go to the dining car to eat at that time;"
"If you want to prepare gifts for your family or friends, please don't worry, there are special mobile shops on the train to sell you local specialties and souvenirs of this flight; please rest assured that each item is of high quality and low price, carefully designed for selected by you and fellow travelers;"
"The train will pass through many areas in the central province, including famous rivers, rural wilderness and valleys and hills; you can enjoy the scenery by the window, and you can ask the staff for help with any questions. We will try our best to create the most comfortable journey for you..."
After reading this long series, the young man who kept a still smile looked at An Sen and folded his hands in front of him.
"Uh, may I ask..."
After opening his mouth a few times, An Sen breathed a sigh of relief when he finally got a chance to speak, and couldn't wait to say, "Is there anyone who has come here recently to inquire about and wait for passengers? Or can you tell me who else is in the same box as me? "
According to Carl Bain, Ludwig arranged for him to go with him, but he has not seen the guy mentioned by the other party until now.
The young man in uniform standing upright smiled and looked at him, and after a full minute he didn't have any intention of speaking.
"...Okay, thank you, it's really helpful."
An Sen, who probably understood what was going on, twitched the corners of his mouth and walked directly towards the train platform with his suitcase in hand.
Almost as soon as he left, the enthusiastic voice of the young man resounded from behind:
"Welcome to take the steam train 'Steel Sky', UU Reading www.uukanshu.com This train goes from Oak Town Station to Wangdu Wubao Central Station..."
After passing through a series of stairs along the passage of the ticket gate, and after passing through the basically useless luggage inspection, An Sen who came to the platform went directly to the position close to the center and rear of the train.
Some common sense in this world or this era is diametrically opposed to the "previous life"; the more upscale the carriage, the further back; the first-class seats and the private boxes of the royal family and the nobles are often at the rear of the train.
Looking around at the increasing number of passengers around the platform, An Sen cautiously took out his pocket watch.
Eleven forty-five.
"woo woo woo woo-!"
Almost at the same time, a shrill and loud whistle came from afar; the steel train blazing with bright yellow gas lamps spewed this thick white steam, accompanied by a loud "crack" and the metal friction between the wheels and the track. , stopped steadily.
For a split second, the passengers on the platform either stood still, coughing lightly and continued to read the newspapers in their hands; or they were frightened, shouting and crawling for their lives; or simply Kneeling down on the ground, shivering and praying to God; or taking the opportunity to pick up the packages of those who escaped, and slip away quietly in the thick smoke...
Crying, screaming, running for one's life, calm and composure... On the platform shrouded in thick steam, it suddenly became more lively than the market in Oak Town.
Wearing uniforms, the smiling staff walked around the platform as if nothing had happened, ignoring the scene in front of them as if they had experienced it countless times.
In the thick white steam, An Sen, who looked at the door in front of him, hesitated for a second, then stepped into the car.
At this moment, an extremely excited, slightly immature voice called to stop his footsteps.
"Anson—!"