Chapter 88

"Whoo... Whoo..." The train whistle let out a sharp blast.

"Add coal! Add coal!" Hearing the commotion, the foreman issued his command.

In the engine, several coal stokers, bare-chested and drenched in sweat, scooped coal into the boiler with their shovels. Inside the boiler walls, the flames roared, turning the fire into steam to drive the pistons back and forth.

"Chug! Chug! Chug..." The train's iron wheels began to turn with difficulty. But once it started, it wouldn't stop, getting faster and faster.

Under the warm spring sun, another train departed from Changsha to Shanghai.

"Hey, hey, we haven't boarded yet!" Realizing the train had started, many people carrying large and small bags jumped and shouted on both sides of the train. Many passengers, some who hadn't managed to squeeze on, and others who were standing by the train out of curiosity, watched the steel giant depart.

This was the Republic of China era, and trains were still a rarity.

Some people, quick on their feet, grabbed onto the bottom of the train doors and climbed aboard with great effort. However, more people were gradually left behind, stomping their feet and sighing as the train pulled away.

On the moving train, it was already packed with people. The carriages were full, with some hanging outside the train, some crouching on the roof, and others hiding under the seats... From a distance, the train, gradually speeding away, seemed to be carrying several circuses.

"Phew~~ Finally, it's moving." In a wooden compartment, four people, drenched in sweat, sat facing each other and sighed in relief. Even for trained individuals, such a crowded situation, akin to the Spring Festival travel rush, was helpless.

But at least they had boarded successfully.

As the train started moving, the passengers in the carriage gradually calmed down, no longer walking around, making it more comfortable.

"Looking at the two of you, you don't seem surprised. Have you ridden a train before?" Li Shier asked.

"No." Guo Xingxing and the innkeeper shook their heads in unison.

"No? You're so indifferent even though you haven't. Women, you just lack... what's the word, oh, curiosity," Li Shier said, shaking his head.

The innkeeper shook her head slightly.

Guo Xingxing's eyes widened: "Li Shier, you're older than me, and I call you brother, don't think it's anything special! What's so great about a train? I've even ridden in a taxi. Do you know what that is?"

"Tch, you just got a ride because of your brother..."

"Alright, alright, stop arguing!" Dugu Fu, feeling helpless, intervened between the two.

Before forming this team, he hadn't expected that his senior... would be so chauvinistic. It seemed that in his eyes, women were only good for serving tea, cleaning rooms, making beds, and bearing children. He would often let out strange remarks.

It wasn't a big deal, but Guo Xingxing had a soft exterior and a strong will. She could tolerate it once or twice, but after a while, arguments would break out.

Chauvinism, which had long disappeared in the real world, made Dugu Fu never think that the newly formed team would face the risk of disbanding for such a bizarre reason.

"Let's start the lesson. Both of you, stop talking so much!"

Hearing the word "lesson," Li Shier and Guo Xingxing reluctantly stopped arguing.

Dugu Fu glanced at the innkeeper, feeling relieved that she hadn't joined in. Compared to Guo Xingxing, the innkeeper had an even more fiery temper. However, ... perhaps because she had been saved by Li Shier, she never got angry at his remarks. Otherwise, it would have been impossible to get along.

Rubbing his temples, Dugu Fu organized his thoughts: "First, let's talk about why our destination is Shanghai. To leave a world, you can usually go in any direction..."

"Planetary worlds are different, and we'll discuss that with gravity later. For the Republic of China Master World, theoretically, you can go in any direction as long as you reach the edge of the world."

"However, as you can see from the map, the north is icy, the northwest is a desert, the west is the world's spine, and the south is a humid jungle... the key is, they are all land."

"The closer you get to the edge of the world, the harsher the environment becomes, the more desolate the conditions, and the greater the danger. If you encounter danger on land, even if you're just one step away from the edge of the world... if you fall, you'll never reach it."

"The sea is different. Although the weather is harsh and unpredictable, it's still better than the extreme conditions on land, as long as you can get a large ship. And since the ship floats, even if you're far from the data stream, you might still drift into it." Dugu Fu explained.

Guo Xingxing blinked her big eyes and added, "And Shanghai is the most prosperous city in this world, with the largest port and various tonnage cargo ships, merchant ships, and warships. Those are our targets, right?"

"Exactly!" Dugu Fu praised.

"It's nothing, at least I'm better than some people." Glancing at Li Shier, Guo Xingxing waved her hand, "Let's talk about the train first. So that some people don't say we lack curiosity. Since this train takes two days to reach Shanghai, we have plenty of time for lessons."

Li Shier narrowed his eyes slightly.

Here we go again! Dugu Fu groaned inwardly. However, ... transportation is a topic that can't be avoided in adventures. In a world like the Republic of China Master, horses still have a market, but if they were in a technologically advanced dimension, the three of them would be at a loss.

Clearing his throat, he began his explanation: "In 1776 AD, Watt created the first practical steam engine... note, I'm talking about the history of the Celestial World."

"Our world's history is fabricated by the Celestials. Some parts are the same as the historical text, but most have been altered. You know the Gregorian calendar used by Westerners, right?"

The three shook their heads in unison.

"Then I'll start from the beginning. The correct world time now is March 22, 2714..." Teaching people from different dimensions was a challenging task, but it was necessary.

These few were just ordinary NPCs, unlike the main characters in stories who had been adventuring for lifetimes and had been exposed to such things countless times. Once they awakened, their memories returned, and they suddenly understood everything.

They had to start from scratch!

As the train moved, the temperature in the carriage gradually rose. The narrow space was crowded with people, shoulders brushing against each other, and the air was stifling, like a steamer. Even though the windows were open, it didn't help much.

The teacher and students were suffering through the lesson when a sudden commotion erupted nearby.

"Damn, don't you know to apologize when you step on my foot?"

"Who stepped on your foot? You bumped into me!"

What started as a minor incident turned into a verbal spat due to the heat and everyone's short tempers. The verbal spat quickly escalated into shoving, and the shoving quickly turned into a full-blown fight...