Quan leaves his village and boards a train to Thanh Hoa, where he secures a seat, thinking, “a train seat in wartime, like a bowl of rice in the time of famine” (154). A train attendant ousts the two young men across from Quan from their seats in order to give seats to two Party members. For rest of the train ride, Quan listens to the conversation of the Party members, who represent everything Quan (and by extension the author) dislikes about the Party: hypocrisy, manipulation, and corruption. Towards the end of the train ride, a young soldier attempts to call out the Party members for insulting Marx. In response, the Party members exercise their power, shaming the younger man into silence.