The cleaner's face was gaunt, her skin an unhealthy pallor crisscrossed with fine, unsettling black lines. Her eyes were sunken deep within their sockets, dull and lifeless. Her hands were skeletal, the nails caked with dark filth, and the joints swollen and discolored from years of labor—tinged with an eerie bluish hue.
She wore a rigid, unnatural smile—one of professional courtesy—that only heightened the sense of unease as her gaze swept briefly over each passenger.
At once, silence fell over the carriage once more. Only the dull, rhythmic creaking of the trolley wheels could be heard.
"Good afternoon. Do you have any trash to dispose of?" she asked mechanically, stopping at each row to pose the question.
Creak…
The oppressive atmosphere thickened as she moved forward. No one dared to breathe too loudly, the carriage plunged into a deathly stillness.
As the trolley neared, a young couple preemptively waved their hands. "No, no—nothing to throw away…"
Only after the cleaner had passed did the girl realize she had been holding her breath.
She clutched her pounding heart, turning to her boyfriend—his face was equally pale with fear.
Creak…
The trolley stopped again.
"Good afternoon. Do you have any trash to dispose of?" she asked, now standing beside the man in glasses.
He shook his head hastily, sweat trickling down his temple. "N-No…"
She turned her attention to the elderly gentleman seated beside him, and the dialect-speaking uncle sitting at the window.
"Good afternoon. Do you have any trash to dispose of?"
The old man eyed her warily, shaking his head with repeated insistence. The uncle, seeing this, imitated his gesture and declined as well.
Finding no need to collect from them, she tilted her head toward the young mother nearby.
"Good afternoon. Do you have any trash to dispose of?"
Now up close, the mother could see her clearly—and instinctively held her breath, trembling as she pulled her child close. Her lips moved, but no sound emerged. She was too frightened to speak.
Perhaps noticing the lack of response, the cleaner repeated her question—this time with a chilling shift in tone:
"Good afternoon. Do you have any trash to dispose of? Thank you for your cooperation. Hello, do you have any trash to dispose of? Thank you for your cooperation."
Panicking, the mother scrambled through her bag, retrieving a handful of trash and passing it over with trembling hands.
"Yes—yes, here—take it…" she stammered, shielding her child's curious gaze with one hand.
The cleaner accepted the refuse with her stiff smile, nodded, then turned to Meng Changyi.
"And you, miss? Any trash?"
Meng waved her hand. "None, thank you."
The cleaner gave a slight nod and moved on down the aisle.
Creak…
It wasn't until she exited to the next carriage that everyone exhaled in relief.
"Oh my God, that cleaner was terrifying… I thought I was going to faint…"
"I looked her in the eyes… I nearly lost it…"
"Mommy, why can't I look at that lady?"
"I… I think I smelled something… like the stench of death…"
"Jia Jia, be good. Don't look. You'll have nightmares."
"What smell?"
"...Nothing, just… something foul, that's all…"
For some reason, the man in glasses felt his eyelid twitching. Something told him not to speak the truth—he decided to trust his instincts.
At that moment, static crackled through the loudspeaker.
"Zzzzz… Attention, passengers. The train will soon arrive at East B City Station. The stop will last five minutes. Please prepare to disembark, and take care of your belongings. Mind your step."
The announcement echoed through the carriage, and everyone's expressions shifted.
Train Rule No. 12:
Passengers who need to disembark, please prepare your luggage in advance. Line up in an orderly manner. Do not push. Be mindful of your footing to avoid tripping or getting caught in the doors. Passengers not scheduled to disembark, do not exit the train without reason.
"I can't stay on this cursed train any longer! I'm getting off early—anyone coming with me?"
"Huh? But the rule says not to get off without reason…"
"They're right… it's probably best not to."
"But I'm not getting off without reason—I'm getting off early. That's different. I'm not breaking the rule, am I?"
"Man, this is messed up… should we risk it? Ugh, forget it. Something about this doesn't feel right. Better to stay put—who knows what might happen…"
Some passengers were determined to get off early. Others hesitated.
In that strange, tense atmosphere, the train began to slow.
The broadcast repeated:
"Dear passengers, we are now arriving at East B City Station. Passengers who need to disembark, please take your belongings and exit the train in an orderly fashion."
All eyes turned instinctively toward the doors.
In the silence, thick with dread, the carriage doors slowly slid open…