"There's only one train on the Trans-Siberian Railway line?" Tom sensed something more in the ticket vendor's words.
"Yes!" The vendor began explaining the history of the Trans-Siberian Railway to Tom with great patience. It was very rare for public officials in Russia to show such enthusiasm in explaining and guiding tourists, as most of the time they were like wooden men incapable of asking a single question. It was only because she would probably gain something that the vendor was so attentive and responsible, willing to go to such lengths.
From the vendor's words, Tom learned that the Trans-Siberian Railway was not built by the Soviet Union. The construction plan for the railway was made by Tsar Alexander III, and it was his son Nicholas II who carried it out, dividing it into seven sections and employing 70,000 railway workers and 20,000 soldiers. It was completed in 1916, and the following year after its completion, Nicholas II was ousted.
The railway was designed not only for civilian use but also for the transportation of minerals and to maintain connectivity in the Far East, so not only passenger trains but also freight trains operated on the line. So, there was more than one train on the line.
Tom was perplexed: which of all the trains would they need for their mission?
"...The Golden Eagle train is a luxury train specially designed for tourists. It started operating a few months ago and has just finished its maintenance these days, which is perfect for your arrival."
"Maintenance?" Tom grasped the deeper meaning behind those words. "Wasn't this train installed a few months ago? How is it possible that it needs maintenance after just a few days of operation?"
There was a flicker of discomfort on the vendor's face. "When it was running a while ago, dozens of people disappeared from the train... The police suspected that they were planning to smuggle them onto the train, so for security reasons, they withdrew the train for a period of security checks... But you can be assured that the train is now perfectly safe."
Tom understood that this had nothing to do with smuggling but with magic! It was evident that the target of their mission was the Golden Eagle train.
"Two tickets, in the same compartment," Hermione said, stepping forward and pulling out her bank card to pay for the ticket cost. She purchased two tickets for a double room on the Golden Eagle train.
There are three classes of carriages on the Golden Eagle: Silver, Gold, and Royal. Each train can accommodate 120 passengers and has professional chefs and doctors. Hermione thought for a moment and chose the Royal compartment.
There are also three classes of compartments on luxury trains; the most common is the Silver compartment, which is 5.5 square meters and is no different from a soft berth in a regular train, except that it is slightly more luxurious and decorative. The Gold suite is 7 square meters and resembles a dormitory for international students or a small hotel. The Royal Suite is 11 square meters: it's hard to imagine an 11-square-meter compartment on a train with all the trimmings of a five-star hotel. It is well-lit and not too narrow, making it a great experience.
Since they are here, what does a little money matter? Why sacrifice for just a few dollars? Hermione thought this way: for a little more money, they could significantly enhance their travel experience. Why not take advantage of it?
The result of a comfortable experience was shocking to Tom when he saw the receipt they were handed. Hermione, standing by his side, smiled and said, "Don't worry, I'll pay for the tickets."
"I will never forget your great favor, Hermione. In the future, I will be at your service as a faithful servant..."
Hermione: (─‿‿─) Disdain.
"I don't want you to be my servant. I have decided that you will be my assistant, like Holmes and Watson..."
"Miss Holmes and her assistant, sounds good..." Tom also decided, since Hermione had paid for the ticket, he would pay for the rest of the journey, hopefully collecting gold on board the train.
As the two spoke, the ticket vendor finished processing the card and issued the tickets. She showed a satisfied smile. By promoting tickets for the Golden Eagle train, she could receive a commission, that was her motivation.
In theory, the most lucrative way for ticket vendors was to partner with resellers and sell all the tickets at higher prices, taking advantage of the additional profits. However, with the new federal administration, that was no longer possible due to the economic recession. There were not many people willing to travel on the luxurious Golden Eagle train. The situation was barely balanced in terms of income and expenses. If they really wanted to make money, they would have to wait for the political situation to stabilize, the economy to grow, and more tourists to arrive, which probably wouldn't happen until the new century.
The proposal for the Golden Eagle had also been a big failure: the economy was in a slump, efforts to develop tourism in the Far East had resulted in designing unattractive, barely profitable luxury trains. If they really wanted to make money, they would probably have to wait for the political situation to stabilize, the economy to grow, and more tourists to arrive, and that wouldn't happen until the new century.
The low turnout had gradually led to a reduction in train frequency since very few people like Tom and Hermione came to the station to buy tickets, and most passengers booked in advance.
It was a coincidence that today was the day the Golden Eagle train was supposed to depart. If Tom and the others had arrived a few hours late, they would have missed the train.
With tickets in hand, Tom and Hermione were led to the station where the Golden Eagle train stopped, attended by Slavic ladies, blonde and blue-eyed, all dressed in beautiful light blue ethnic uniforms. As they were guided, a steam train with light blue carriages appeared before their eyes.
"A blue carriage matches Ravenclaw," Hermione exclaimed, looking at the light blue color.
The stewardess led them toward the train.
But as they approached the train, Tom heard a crisp silver chime and came to a sudden stop, just like Hermione. At first, he hadn't reacted, but then he realized it was the bracelet he had tied around his ankle.
Tom's expression instantly turned serious. He had thought the mission was a mere formality, that the real mastermind had been eliminated by the Aurors, but he hadn't expected to encounter someone with malicious intentions towards Hermione right upon arriving at the station.
But who could it be? Why would anyone have ill intentions towards Hermione? Tom was puzzled. If they were remnants of the Trackers on the train, knowing that they were wizards and had come to clear the train, they would be hostile towards them... but they should know that they are wizards!
How had he and Hermione been discovered? Tom kept walking, his mind racing: Was it because of what Hermione had just said? Was it the term "Ravenclaw" that revealed their whereabouts?
Then, these two train attendants are very suspicious. After all, only they could have overheard their conversation.
"Will you accompany us on this journey?" Tom asked casually as they stepped through the train door.
"Of course, sir. We will be part of the crew, accompanying you on your journey," the two ladies replied in an official tone.
Tom understood the situation and decided to pay attention to these two train attendants to avoid falling into a trap.
The attendants led them to their own compartment.
"It's enormous!" Hermione exclaimed as she entered the compartment with Tom. How big is this compartment? There was a very visual observation: in one compartment, there were two windows, each the size of a coffee table, making the compartment extremely bright.
"Truly luxurious," was her second reaction. The basic color of the compartment was blue, but there was also a variety of solid wood furniture: a sofa bed that looked very comfortable, two tables - a vanity table and a dining table with flowers, fruit, and chilled champagne.
Chairs, sofas, toilets, showers, bathtubs... - everything seemingly unrelated to trains - were present in this compartment.
Tom and Hermione placed their carry-on bags under the table, and then they heard a rustle from the window. Tom looked up and thought, "Damn!" He saw a large, fiery red bird standing next to the train window, staring at him intently, trying to get in.
After settling Fawkes, they headed to the luxurious restaurant car of the train with a pleasant tinkling of bells. To their surprise, even after the attendants had left, Hermione's ankle bracelet continued to chime with every step she took.
"Could it be broken?" Hermione wondered, which slightly affected Tom's confidence in his alchemical skills.
"Hmm, it makes sense," Tom thought. He himself didn't have much confidence in his abilities either, after all, the Omnioculars were known to be fragile. But for Hermione's bell to ring wherever she went was truly unusual.
"Let me fix it later. Let's eat now."
They hadn't eaten today yet, and their stomachs were empty. When Tom and Hermione entered the dining car, they found several people already seated in the compartment.
There were even acquaintances! The man with sunglasses they had met on the street was sitting at a table by the window in the center of the dining car with his companion.
When he saw Tom and Hermione enter, an expression of discomfort crossed his face, and he immediately looked away, as if he hadn't seen anything.
Tom didn't bother with the man either. He chose a table in a corner and sat there with Hermione, quietly waiting for the waiter to arrive.
Next to them sat an elderly Asian couple, dressed in simple gray clothes. But the fact that they were on the train meant that their families weren't as poor as their clothes suggested. Sitting in front of the elderly couple was a thin young man with curly hair, small eyes, a sharp nose, high cheekbones, and an Asian face.
In addition to these people, there were half a dozen sparsely seated tourists. It was mealtime, but there were only about ten people in the dining car. Although it was a small number of people, they were probably all the passengers on the train.
"What would you like to eat?" The stewardess, dressed as such, appeared next to Hermione and handed her the train menu.
"A black tea and a slice of cheesecake to start," Hermione said, craving something sweet, so she chose a dessert as an appetizer. Tom, on the other hand, opted for French-style gratin snails: the snail meat was extracted, cut into small pieces, marinated with cream, spices, and parsley before being placed back into the snail shell and sealed with cheese before baking. It was a precise recipe and best served with slices of baguette on the side.
"Please bring the pre-ordered chicken," the elderly couple in the front seat didn't order but instead requested a portion of their order.
After ordering one by one, the stewardess returned with a cart full of food. She placed a small, intricately painted plate and a silver dessert spoon in front of Hermione and then firmly placed a delicate cream cheese cupcake on this plate. After serving Hermione's meal, she placed a small snail-shaped plate with six snails in front of Tom, accompanied by a small basket of baguettes.
She then brought out the food ordered by the elderly couple: two roasted chickens! They were wrapped in parchment paper and placed in a closed jar. When the waiter took them out of the jar, he removed the oil paper and placed them on the plate, releasing a savory aroma.
Tom couldn't help but salivate: chicken and trains went well together!
Tom couldn't resist salivating: chicken and the train were a perfect combination! Perhaps a bit embarrassed, the elderly couple tore off a chicken leg and a large piece of meat and handed it to Tom.
"Try this, it's a famous dish from our homeland," said the grandfather of the couple, speaking fluent British English. The chicken on his plate, wrapped in seven or eight layers of oil paper inside and out, still oozed its own oil. Now that it had been exposed in the train for a while, the meat aroma lingered in the nostrils of several people.
"Authentic Texas chicken, made from fattened chickens raised by farmers for three years, thoroughly seasoned and stewed for so long that the aroma permeates the meat." He not only shared the chicken but also proudly described the origin of the chicken in front of him, instantly drawing closer to Tom and Hermione.
"Texas roasted chicken, Daokou grilled chicken, Goubangzi smoked chicken, and Fuli roasted chicken are the four famous chickens of our region. You can't travel by train without trying them. Even some gluttonous young people have missed the train because of buying chicken..." The grandfather began to ramble on about the origins and stories of the four famous chickens: "...in my opinion, Texas roasted chicken is number one - firm meat, not greasy, perfect for eating cold, while Goubangzi smoked chicken is the best..."
As they chatted, the stewardess began serving food to the customers. After the last dish arrived, she took a bouquet of flowers from the bottom of the cart and placed it in a corner of the car as decoration.
Tom glanced at the bouquet and saw that it was extremely beautiful, although it had a very peculiar appearance.
"What kind of flowers are those?" Tom asked Hermione beside him, but she didn't know either.
With the fragrance of the flowers, they enjoyed the food in front of them.