Chapter Ninety-One: Begin the Attack

A Bigger Lie? The speech that would unravel the conspiracy was still going on.

Seeing the protests gradually subside, Fang Nian continued.

“Fine. Now that we have dealt with the issue of the carriages, let’s talk about your rebellion. You all know this: on the Doom Train, this was never the only uprising. There may have been only a handful of major revolts, but rebellions have broken out almost every year, and people have died each time.”

At this point, Fang Nian suddenly shifted his tone.

“And yet, have you never noticed that every time someone disappears, a new face appears on the train to take his place? All these years, the number of people on the train has never decreased.”

When he finished, Fang Nian looked toward Brian and Scorpion.

“So the world has ended, has it? So this is the apocalypse? Then why, all these years, have you always been able to find replacements? Are there still survivors on Earth? Can they survive in the apocalypse you describe? Then why did we ever board the train?”

Brian’s expression twisted into something hideous.

“Enough. Stop.”

Scorpion also ground his back teeth together and glared at Fang Nian. At this point, he truly believed him. Fang Nian really did possess the certainty needed to expose them; he had the means to do it.

“You really want to tear off the mask, kid? Maybe that is not your best choice. You cannot beat the people behind us.”

By now, Fang Nian was almost immune to their threats. He spread his hands and said indifferently, “Fine. Do as you like. Your threats mean nothing to me. Since the two of you dared to do this, don’t be afraid of the consequences.”

“All right, I’ll continue. These two may seem to be leaders of two different classes—Brian upholding the order of the wealthy, Scorpion leading the poor. On the surface, they appear to be opposites.”

“But in truth, they are birds of a feather. Every rebellion is deliberately incited by Scorpion and prepared for suppression by Brian. The stage of revolt aboard the train has also become their stage. Using these uprisings, they can stage a bloody spectacle for the audience. What the audience sees is a performance more real than any movie, and naturally they are willing to pay them exorbitant ticket prices.”

Everyone was stunned. They seemed to understand what Fang Nian meant, yet at the same time, they understood nothing at all. Only after a moment did a bewildered voice rise.

“What do you mean, audience? Are there really people watching us right now?”

Fang Nian gave an ambiguous nod, then revealed the astonishing secret hidden behind the Doom Train.

“That’s right. This so-called apocalypse, this so-called frozen world, were all fabricated by Brian and Scorpion. The Doom Train itself is just a lie they created to deceive you. The Earth has not frozen over, and the apocalypse never came at all. All of it is an invention. The world still exists, and it is just as it was before you entered—full of life.”

“They merely forged an apocalypse, then brought you into this giant film set and built a new worldview inside your minds. After that, they manipulated your lives and sold it all to viewers around the world who love reality shows. In doing so, they satisfied both their lust for power and their greed for money.”

“And every time one of you dies, they forcibly invite others into this giant set to continue the performance, making money this way again and again. I think, little by little, even they themselves have come to believe this world is real. They, too, live inside it.”

When Fang Nian finished, everyone was stunned. None of them had imagined that such a thing could actually exist. Had they truly been deceived by a group of people all this time? In an instant, the crowd erupted.

“If what he says is true, then Earth is still there. My wife and child are still there. My parents are still there. I can still see them?”

“If that’s the case, can I go back? I want to return to Earth. I miss the sun, the beach, barbecue and hot pot. I want to go home.”

“If that’s true, then are those two even human? For their own pleasure, for a moment of amusement, they sacrificed our entire lives and even destroyed countless families to carry out something so horrifying. I’m going to kill them.”

“Yes. If all of this is real, then I will tear them apart piece by piece. I will make them pay in blood. Nothing can stop me from killing them.”

...

The crowd surged with indignation. One after another, they glared at Brian and Scorpion, wishing they could rush forward and kill them on the spot. But there were also some who did not believe Fang Nian.

“Don’t listen to this man’s nonsense. Maybe he just wants to rule over us, so he’s using us to get rid of Brian and the others. The real villain might very well be him. Don’t believe him so easily.”

“Exactly. The more terrifying the villain, the more he relies on words to win people over. He says Brian and the others are using false hope to make us submit, but isn’t he doing the same? He seems to be painting a world full of hope for us, but in truth he’s only using us. I’ve seen plenty of this kind of thing in the real world. I’m telling you, this guy is definitely not a good person.”

“I agree. I don’t believe him either. This is the apocalypse. This is a world where humanity cannot survive. I believe my own eyes. Everything I’ve seen over all these years cannot possibly be fake.”

“Yes. The world we see every day—how could it be fake? How could it just be a three-dimensional image on the train window? Impossible. None of this is real.”

...

As the voices opposing Fang Nian gradually grew louder in the crowd, hope began to appear on Brian and Scorpion’s faces as well. The seeds they had planted seemed on the verge of bearing fruit.

But very quickly, Fang Nian crushed the spark of their counterattack and said to them both, “You think there will still be one? Stop dreaming. There won’t be any more. Your era is over.” Then he looked toward the front of the train.

Seeing Fang Nian’s cold smile, Brian and Scorpion felt as though they had plunged straight into an abyss. Their expressions were a marvel to behold. And when they saw the position of Duan Rui at this moment, the final line of psychological defense in his mind utterly collapsed. He knew they were truly finished this time, but instinct still drove him to shout at Fang Nian.

“No, please, don’t. If you do that, then we’re really done for. And you have to believe me—you won’t survive either. They will absolutely not spare you.”

Yet facing Brian’s plea, Fang Nian felt no trace of pity. He said calmly to Duan Rui, “Do it.”