# Chapter 328: Crossing the Thunderstorm Zone
Xu Huo calmly ordered his food, paying no attention to the stares from others in the dining car. After the meal arrived, he ate slowly and methodically.
Those people wearing matching uniforms were clearly wary of him. Three of them discreetly sized him up before, at the signal of a middle-aged man, returning to the rear carriage.
A solid door with no windows separated the first-class carriage from the dining car. The moment they opened it, Xu Huo caught a glimpse of numerous black suitcases placed on the floor inside, along with metal parts on the tables and floor that he had never seen before.
After finishing his meal, he asked a staff member if he could enter the lounge. The staff member told him, however, that the lounge fees were exorbitant, and like the dining car, it would not be open to guests after lights out. So even if he paid, he would still have to return to his passenger carriage before lights out.
The kitchen up ahead was off-limits for tours, so Xu Huo followed the staff member back to the third carriage through a restricted passage. Along the way, he tried to obtain access permissions for the staff-only passage from the employee, but was politely brushed off.
However, the staff member did remind him of something else. "The D009C Fracture Zone is a high-frequency thunderstorm area, sir. You might consider purchasing a box of train crew-specific earphones to protect your hearing."
"A high-frequency thunderstorm area?" Xu Huo paid without hesitation and asked, "Will it affect the train?"
"Please rest assured, sir. The train is equipped with the most advanced lightning protection systems and will not be struck. You only need to protect yourself when the thunderstorm occurs." The staff member smiled.
After returning to his carriage, Xu Huo soon received a delicately packaged square box. Opening it, he found it full of parts. The over-ear headphones had no headband casing—only the two ear cup sections. They attached to the ears using special magnetic force, so aside from a ring of soft padding, the outer metal casing looked somewhat bulky. There were also many parts, some quite intricate, requiring self-assembly.
"What's this thing?" The skinny monkey who had been watching the card game was the first to sidle over, reaching for the parts in the box. Xu Huo grabbed his wrist, twisted his arm back, and pulled a small part from his hand. "That player from earlier is still waiting to cause you trouble. This is your first warning. One more time, and I'll throw you out."
The skinny monkey grimaced and nodded repeatedly. After being released, he pouted. "It's just a pair of earphones. What's the big deal?"
"I'm not playing anymore." The female player at the card table set down her cards and sat down next to Xu Huo, her eyes curving as she looked at him. "Handsome, you're really good-looking."
"I know." Xu Huo didn't pause in his work.
"...And you've got a lot of masculine charm." The female player continued.
"I know that too." Xu Huo checked the instruction manual.
"Then won't you take a look at me? Am I pretty?" She twirled a strand of long hair around her finger.
Xu Huo finally gave her a glance. "Average."
The female player's face showed anger, but she quickly suppressed it, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Handsome, where did you get this thing? Is it a special item?"
Everyone in the carriage pricked up their ears.
"It's not an item. Just an ordinary pair of earphones." Xu Huo had finished assembling them. He lifted them to his ears, and the two ear cups automatically attached, instantly blocking out all external sound.
The female player was still saying something, but he pointed to his ears, indicating he couldn't hear, then closed his eyes to rest.
The female player left in a huff.
Outside the window, the light quickly dimmed. The previously clear sky suddenly churned with wild clouds, forming hanging, teat-shaped cloud peaks that drooped from the horizon, seemingly within reach.
"What's going on? Is it getting dark? Isn't it too early?" The baby-faced man frowned.
"It should be a space with harsher weather conditions." The female player, well-traveled, said calmly, "As long as we stay in the train, it'll be fine. The train can pass through spatial fractures. A little wind and rain is nothing."
She spoke with such certainty that the other players relaxed slightly. Just then, the skinny monkey took out a pair of earphones identical to Xu Huo's and prepared to put them on. The blond man beside him immediately grabbed his shoulder. "Little brother, do you have another pair of earphones you could sell me?"
The skinny monkey smiled and shook his head. "I barely managed to get this one myself. These earphones are just for soundproofing. I'm just afraid of thunder. She's right—the train will definitely be fine. It's just that the thunderclaps are a bit ear-splitting."
He was referring to the female player.
But seeing that both he and Xu Huo had prepared earphones in advance, she began to hesitate. Just as she reached for the call button, the train's announcement suddenly rang out:
"Ding-dong! Thank you, players, for riding the Dimensional Fracture Special Train. The train will now cross the thunderstorm zone. Based on current weather predictions, this thunderstorm zone will maintain a frequency of two hundred lightning strikes per second for two hours. Please take care to protect your vision and hearing."
"During the crossing of the thunderstorm zone, staff will not provide service. If you have special needs, please handle them yourselves. Thank you for your understanding. We wish you a pleasant journey."
The announcement repeated once. As it ended, the players in the carriage were about to speak when the sky outside suddenly flashed white. The overcast sky blazed blindingly bright in an instant, followed by thunder rumbling violently in their ears—as if it hadn't been filtered by the train at all, but was roaring directly inside the players' eardrums.
At that moment, nothing could be heard. The players in the same carriage pressed themselves against the windows and the front and rear doors. Two careful players even held the doors shut.
The two hundred lightning strikes per second weren't all concentrated directly above the train. Taking advantage of the gaps between flashes, Xu Huo barely managed to catch that the person closing the front door was the female player, while at the rear was an unremarkable male player. The other players were almost all pressed against the carriage walls, leaving no gaps behind them.
He also immediately positioned himself by the window. The earphones completely blocked out the sound, making things much easier for him compared to the other players who had to endure the continuous thunder. Of course, there was one other person in the same situation.
The skinny monkey had also put on a pair of fully sealed sunglasses. Using the thunder as cover, he knocked out the player at the rear door, then quietly opened the door and slipped out. After a short while, he returned, carrying a leather suitcase.
That suitcase was identical to one carried by a player in the front carriage. But when he came back, Xu Huo confirmed that both that player and his suitcase were still in the carriage.
The skinny monkey moved through the carriage toward the front door. However, the female player guarding the door had her eyes slightly open. He quickly sidestepped, pretending to trip on a seat, and crashed into the burly man in front.
The burly man immediately threw him off and raised his hand to teach him a lesson. But behind him, another player silently aimed a blade at his neck!
The burly man reacted quickly enough to narrowly avoid the fatal strike, but a gash was still opened on his neck. The smell of blood spread through the carriage.