A young boy from the 1970s, separated from his family, fled famine and led his younger brother into

"You are a very... very special child. I hope we will have the chance to meet again in the future."

The train police captain, Lei Ming, lingered on Su Nianci's small figure for a full three seconds with his seemingly all-seeing eyes before turning around and disappearing into the connecting area between the carriages with the decisiveness characteristic of a soldier.

Su Nianci held Xiao Shitou in her arms, her small body leaning against the cold carriage wall. Only when the powerful sense of oppression completely disappeared did she slowly exhale a breath of stale air.

This man named Lei Ming is incredibly perceptive!

His last words were not mere politeness, but a warning, a test, and more like a...mark. Like an experienced hunter who, after discovering a young animal with great potential, marks it with an invisible brand, then releases it back into the wild, waiting to see how far it can grow.

"I'm being watched," Su Nianci thought to herself, but instead of being scared, it stirred up a long-lost excitement.

It's the challenges that make things interesting.

"Nianci, Xiaoshitou, are you alright?" Lin Wenjun's voice pulled her back from her thoughts. This kind-hearted educated youth's eyes were still red, and her face was filled with lingering fear and relief.

Su Nianci raised her head, the calmness and seriousness on her face vanishing instantly, replaced by a childlike innocence and dependence. She shook her head and whispered, "Sister Wenjun, we're alright, it's just... a little hungry."

The moment she said those words, the atmosphere in the entire carriage changed.

If people's attitude towards these two children was one of sympathy and pity before, now it has completely turned into awe and admiration!

"My goodness! These two kids are incredible!" An older woman sitting in the opposite bunk slapped her thigh, her face full of disbelief. "They're so young, yet they dared to fight off human traffickers! And they even caught them all! What will they be like when they grow up?"

"Absolutely! Especially this girl, how did she get so smart? She's both clever and brave! When she was crying and complaining just now, she explained things clearly and logically, exposing all those bad guys' dirty secrets! Even I, a grown man, felt my blood boil listening to her!" A middle-aged man wearing a baseball cap next to him gave a heartfelt thumbs up.

"These are the descendants of martyrs! They have the spirit of heroes in their very bones!"

Immediately, praises and whispers filled the air. Those passengers who had previously doubted Su Nianci were now embarrassed and tried to cover up their awkwardness with extra enthusiasm.

"Child, come on, have an apple! This is one we grew ourselves, it's sweet!" An old woman took out a big, red apple from her cloth bag and insisted on putting it into Su Nianci's hand.

"Little hero, here you go! An egg! I boiled it! It's salty!" Another guy squeezed over and placed a still-warm boiled egg in Little Stone's palm without saying a word.

"And here I am! Peanuts! Freshly roasted!"

"Try this, it's homemade jerky!"

In an instant, Su Nianci and Xiao Shitou's seats were piled high with all sorts of food. Apples, eggs, peanuts, melon seeds, dried sweet potatoes, and even a few pieces of precious fruit candy... These things, which would have been considered expensive snacks in the 1970s, were now being offered over by simple and enthusiastic faces as if they were free.

This display is even more extravagant than the roast chicken that the railway police captain just rewarded us with!

Looking at the "mountain of food" before her, Su Nianci felt a mix of emotions. She knew that this kindness was for "Little Hero Su Nianci," and for the "orphan of a martyr who bravely fought against human traffickers."

She merely used this identity to put on a good show.

But she didn't refuse. Holding Little Stone's hand, she looked at everyone with her clear, bright eyes, then bowed deeply and said in her childish but incredibly sincere voice, "Thank you, uncles and aunts, brothers and sisters! Thank you all!"

Little Stone followed suit, bowing and quietly repeating, "Thank you..."

His sensible and polite demeanor drew even more praise.

Lin Wenjun looked at Su Nianci, who was surrounded by the crowd, her eyes filled with complex emotions. She realized that she had never truly understood this little sister. At times, Su Nianci was like an innocent child, making people feel sorry for her; at other times, she was like a shrewd general, inspiring awe.

Where does her composure and wisdom beyond her years come from? Is it really just because she is the descendant of a hero?

"Make way, make way! Don't scare the children!" Railway police officer Xiao Li returned, followed by the head chef from the dining car.

The head chef was carrying a large enamel plate, on which, in addition to the roast chicken with two legs eaten off, there was a large plate of steaming meat buns and a bowl of soup with egg drop soup.

"Team Leader Lei said that these two young heroes have done a great job and must be properly rewarded!" Xiao Li said with a smile. "This is just a small token of our appreciation from the entire dining car team! Please eat as much as you like, there's more if you're still hungry!"

This was met with a burst of good-natured laughter and applause throughout the carriage.

Looking at the plate of plump, white meat buns, Su Nianci knew they had no choice but to eat this meal. She pulled Xiao Shitou along and, under everyone's watchful eyes, picked up a bun.

She didn't eat it right away. Instead, she broke one open, carefully scooped out the oily meat filling with a spoon, blew on it, and fed it to Little Stone.

"Little Stone, eat meat."

Little Stone squinted his eyes happily, opened his little mouth, and ate the fragrant meat filling.

Su Nianci then picked up the remaining half of the bun and began to eat it slowly. She ate very politely and quietly, completely out of place with the noisy environment around her.

This scene, witnessed by everyone, evoked another wave of emotions.

"Look at this older sister, how much she loves her younger brother!"

"Children from poor families mature early; they're so sensible!"

Su Nianci ignored the comments. She ate while calmly thinking.

Rising to fame can be both a good thing and a bad thing.

The good thing is that they are almost completely safe on the train until they arrive in Harbin. No one dares to mess with them anymore, and they even receive help and protection from everyone.

The bad thing was that she and her brother had become the center of attention on the train. Every move they made was under the watchful eyes of others. This was very uncomfortable for her, who was used to hiding in the shadows.

In particular, there was a clap of thunder.

She had a strong premonition that this man's appearance was no accident. The way he looked at her was like that of an experienced doctor examining an extremely rare case, full of unknowns and challenges.

"Forget it, I don't want to think about it anymore. We'll deal with whatever comes our way." Su Nianci swallowed the last bite of the bun, took a sip of hot soup, and felt the warmth flow from her stomach to every part of her body.

Regardless of what the future holds, at least for now, they are safe and well-fed.

She glanced out the window at the rapidly receding scenery; the distant horizon was a vast, endless expanse of dusky yellow.

The road north is still long.

Just then, the train let out a long whistle and began to slow down noticeably. The previously cheerful atmosphere in the carriage gradually quieted down with this deceleration.

"What's going on? We haven't arrived at the station yet?" someone asked in confusion.

Su Nianci's heart also tightened. She looked at Lin Wenjun and saw that the educated youth sister also had a solemn expression on her face.

"Something's not right," Lin Wenjun said to Su Nianci in a low voice. "This section of the road is completely deserted, with no villages or shops in sight. Trains usually don't slow down here, unless..."

Before she could finish speaking, the loudspeaker in the carriage suddenly crackled to life.

A serious male voice, accompanied by a hissing sound from the radio, came over the loudspeaker and echoed throughout the entire train.

"Attention passengers! Attention passengers! The railway line ahead has been damaged by a natural disaster, and the train will make a temporary stop here. All passengers are requested to remain inside the carriages, close the doors and windows, and refrain from moving around or getting off the train! Again, do not get off the train!"

Natural disasters?

These four words, like a boulder, crashed heavily into everyone's heart.

Su Nianci abruptly turned her head to look out the window, only to see that the once flat open field had become a mess. In the distance, there seemed to be large patches of water, reflecting an eerie shimmering light under the setting sun. And the air began to fill with a damp, earthy smell.

The carriage fell into a deathly silence. The previously cheerful atmosphere vanished instantly. Unease and fear were etched on everyone's faces.

Su Nianci's gaze, however, went beyond the water and towards the distant horizon.

Between that hazy, yellow sky and the earth, she seemed to see some black dots.

Some black dots were wriggling, slowly and steadily moving toward the train...