Translator: AnubisTL
"Just as I expected."
As soon as Black Rat stepped out of the locomotive cabin, he couldn't help but chuckle. He turned to Old Pig beside him and said, "Thank you for the tip, Trainmaster Zhu. I'll need your guidance in the future."
After a moment's pause, Old Pig replied with a natural and friendly smile, "Of course, of course."
"Lord Mang will probably kill Biaozi, right? After all, Biaozi concealed his past as a train conductor."
"Normally, according to wasteland customs, he should be executed."
"Then it's settled."
Meanwhile—
Biaozi had received the message and, upon reaching Carriage No. 2, ran into Old Pig, Black Rat, and the others.
"Biaozi."
Black Rat, hands in his pockets, looked at Biaozi approaching and said with a smile, "Thank you for telling me that Lord Mang only cares about the position, not who occupies it. If you can sit there, why can't I?"
"I've already reported you to Lord Mang."
"Nervous?"
"When people have something to hide, they get as pale as you are now. Look at your face—it's completely white."
Biaozi, who had been puzzled as to why Lord Mang had summoned him, turned deathly pale as Black Rat spoke. His eyes widened in disbelief, fixed on the smile plastered across Black Rat's face.
Black Rat looked utterly unfamiliar.
He hadn't expected Black Rat to betray him.
His body trembled so violently he could barely stand. His eyes reddened, and he clenched his jaw, spitting out each word: "Black Rat, I treated you well!"
"Well?" Black Rat's expression darkened instantly. "When we first joined Lord Mang, why did you make me take the first night watch? With so many others available, why me?"
Biaozi took a deep breath, ignoring Old Pig standing nearby, and decided to lay everything bare.
"Back then, no one respected me. Only you and Erdan always stuck by my side, my most trusted confidants. Who else would I have sent on watch? And that night, you fucking fell asleep, leading to the train being surrounded by zombie wolves."
"Afterward, when Lord Mang demanded accountability, I took the blame for you!"
"Have you forgotten?!"
Black Rat let out a cold laugh, too lazy to argue further. He turned to Old Pig. "Trainmaster Zhu, do you have any cigarettes? Can I bum one?"
"I do."
Old Pig's face remained impassive as he quietly pulled a cigarette from his pocket and offered it to Black Rat.
Black Rat took the cigarette and walked over to Biaozi. He stuffed the cigarette into Biaozi's mouth, lit it, and then gently patted his cheek. "It's okay, Brother. I know you have a habit of smoking a last cigarette before you die. Didn't I take your last one earlier?"
"I'm making up for it now."
"Smoke this and go peacefully."
Biaozi's face was ashen, his eyes bloodshot. He spat the freshly lit cigarette onto Black Rat's face, then looked past him at Old Pig, his voice trembling with fear as he forced himself to speak calmly. "Trainmaster Zhu, what's Lord Mang's attitude? Can you give us a hint?"
"..."
Old Pig shook his head, his face still blank. "I don't know."
"How many percent do you think I have?"
"I don't know."
"Not even one percent?"
Old Pig shook his head again. "I'm not sure."
As a subordinate, it was never wise to speculate on the thoughts of one's superiors. Old Pig had been a subordinate for far too long. He might not be particularly skilled at getting things done, but he knew very well how to survive.
After all, when you get down to it, most things—aside from highly specialized tasks—are pretty much the same no matter who does them. Even if someone else took over, it wouldn't make much difference.
Having failed to glean any information from Old Pig, Biaozi took a deep breath, forcing himself to steady his nerves. After smoothing out the wrinkles in his clothes, he turned and picked up the freshly lit cigarette from Black Rat's feet, ignoring the man's sneering expression. He put the cigarette in his mouth.
Standing at the locomotive cabin door, he took two deep drags, finishing his "last cigarette." Then he crushed the cigarette butt in his palm, his heart as cold as ashes.
With a slow, lifeless movement, he pushed open the door. Lord Mang was sprawled in his chair, feet propped up on the table, completely absorbed in a movie.
Biaozi didn't dare speak. He quietly closed the door and stood silently by the side, patiently waiting. The only sound in the room was the movie's narration, a white noise that made his body feel weak and shaky.
Time passed.
As the end credits music began to play, Chen Mang switched to the next movie with a lingering sense of satisfaction. He pulled two cigarettes from his pack, casually tossed one to Biaozi, lit his own, and said nonchalantly, "Anything you want to say?"
The moment the words left his mouth, Biaozi's body finally gave way. He collapsed to his knees, his eyes red-rimmed, and his voice trembling hoarsely, "Lord Mang, I've been hiding something from you. I was afraid you'd think that because I used to be a train conductor, I wouldn't be content to serve under you."
"But—"
"It's precisely because I was a train conductor before, and because I failed several times, even nearly losing my life in the wasteland, that I understand how difficult it is to be a train conductor."
"I've witnessed the Stellaris's progress these past few days. It's far superior to anything I ever experienced."
"Lord Mang, I truly consider the Stellaris my home. When I lie awake at night, thinking about being a part of it fills me with pride."
"Since I've been following you, Lord Mang, I, Biaozi, can honestly say I've never done anything to betray you or the Stellaris. I've worked diligently every day, never daring to slack off."
"There's a saying in our village," Biaozi said. "When a whore turns honest, she's the most devoted."
"That's how I am, Biaozi. Having witnessed the dangers of the wasteland, I understand even more clearly how fortunate I am to follow you, Lord Mang."
"Lord Mang!"
"If you give me another chance, you'll see my actions. If I ever displease you in the slightest, you won't even need to lift a finger. Just say the word, and I'll kill myself."
With that, Biaozi buried his head on the floor, his body trembling uncontrollably as he awaited his final judgment. He had always feared this thunderbolt would strike, but never imagined it would actually happen.
After a long silence, Chen Mang, lounging in his chair, casually stubbed out his cigarette in a nearby Cola and said in a calm, quiet voice, "The man you have there—Black Rat, right?"
"I don't like him."
"Handle it as you see fit."
Biaozi's body stiffened instantly. After kowtowing three times, his eyes red-rimmed, he straightened up from the floor, his face streaked with tears he didn't know when he'd started crying. His voice hoarse, he said, "Lord Mang, you'll see my actions from now on."
With that, he slowly withdrew from the locomotive cabin.
Outside the locomotive cabin...
Black Rat, pinned to the ground by two thugs, stared at the cold, black muzzle of the gun pointed at his head. His eyes were filled with terror as he struggled violently, screaming at Old Pig with a heart-wrenching cry, "You've got the wrong man! You're supposed to kill Biaozi, not me!!"
"I reported a crime and deserve credit!"
"If you kill me, who will dare report anything in the future!"
"You can't kill me! You can't kill me!"
...
Old Pig sighed as he watched Black Rat's desperate struggle. He had been warned by Biaozi several days ago, but it seemed Black Rat hadn't listened, instead walking himself straight into a dead end.
Black Rat had placed too much faith in the rules.
Logically, it should have been Biaozi who died.
Black Rat still hadn't grasped that while the wasteland had its own set of unspoken rules, the final say on each train still belonged to the train conductor. What the conductor said was law. This wasn't the Pre-Apocalypse, where everything was done strictly by the book.
He had brought this upon himself.
"Black Rat," Biaozi said, his eyes red-rimmed as he approached Black Rat with the Soaring Dragon Assault Rifle. He pressed the muzzle against Black Rat's head, speaking each word with deliberate clarity: "Or should I call you Blacky, the nickname you had in the village? After we all left, you earned the name Black Rat for your habit of stealing chickens and dogs."
"I treated you well over the years. That we, brothers, have come to this end is entirely your fault."
"Brother Biao! Oh, no, Brother Biao! Brother Biao!"
Seeing no one speak up for him, Black Rat's eyes flashed with despair, his voice cracking with tears. "Give me a chance! Spare my life, please! I'll do whatever you say from now on. I swear I'll never dare again! I really won't!"
"Erdan, we came out of the village together! Can't you say something for me?"
"I can't."
Erdan, never one for words, shook his head, his face grim. "You betrayed even your own people. If we were still in the village, your family's reputation would be so tarnished they'd be cursed behind their backs every day."
Biaozi squatted down, pulled a cigarette from his pocket, lit it, took a deep drag, and then stuffed the lit end into Black Rat's mouth. He patted Black Rat's cheek gently and whispered, "This is a death cigarette."
"You have to smoke a death cigarette before you go on your final journey. That's the proper procedure."
"Since we were once brothers, I'll personally send you on your way."
The next moment—
Before Black Rat could say another word—
Tutututu.
The sharp crack of gunfire, barely audible amidst the clang of mining tools, erupted on the opposite side of the train. The slaves remained unaware of what had transpired.
"Tsk."
Old Pig, standing nearby, clicked his tongue as he watched Black Rat fall into a pool of blood. "Just the other day, your hand was shaking when you killed your own mother's idol. Now, killing your former brother, your hand is as steady as a rock. How's that?"
"Trainmaster Zhu," Biaozi forced a bitter smile. "Please don't mock me. What I said that day was just nonsense. I was simply terrified, worried that if I were exposed, I'd meet the same fate."
"Alright, alright." Old Pig couldn't help but laugh as he patted Biaozi's back. "Go clear your head. I know this is tough for you. You were brothers once, after all. But in a way, this might be a blessing in disguise."
"I'll find a place to bury him."
"Good."
Inside Carriage 5, Ji Chuchu sat by the window, witnessing the entire scene unfold. Yet her expression remained remarkably calm. She simply hummed softly as she ran a comb through her hair. After the apocalypse, she had seen far too much of this.
It had almost become commonplace.
"Sister Chuchu," a girl beside her whispered, leaning in with a gossipy expression. "After Lord Mang had you go in alone that day, did he touch you?"
The other girls nearby immediately perked up their ears.
Ji Chuchu, though only a First-Class Slave, was allowed to live in the Enforcer Car. The girls beside her were all minor celebrities, just not as famous as she was. While they couldn't live in the Enforcer Car, they were occasionally allowed to visit.
"He did," Ji Chuchu replied, sticking out her tongue and smiling. "Lord Mang seemed quite satisfied."
"Huh?" The gossiping girl blinked, puzzled. "If he touched you, why didn't he take you in? You'd be the second-in-command on this train, and we could all benefit from your position. This train is so much better than the one we used to be on."
"Lord Mang asked me how many men I'd been with, and I told him the truth. I guess he thought I'd been with too many." Ji Chuchu didn't seem to mind the topic, her language blunt and direct.
"You idiot!"
The young girl said with a hint of disappointment, "If you'd claimed you were still a virgin, Lord Mang might have taken you in."
"Virgin?"
Ji Chuchu picked up a nearby mirror, gazed at her reflection for a long moment, and then tilted her head with a smile. "Even if I had remained pure before the apocalypse, after a year in this world, what are the chances I'm still a virgin?"
"I'd bet Lord Mang wouldn't believe it even if you said it."
"Besides..."
"Even if I had been taken in at first, my priority would have been to distance myself from you all and sever ties. Meddling in the harem is strictly forbidden. I'd have spent every day in the locomotive cabin, dedicated to serving Lord Mang. I wouldn't have had time to bother with you."
"Sister Chuchu," a few young girls nearby pretended to wipe away tears with mournful expressions. "You're so heartless."
"You can't hold the center stage without being ruthless."
Ji Chuchu glanced out the window at the men dumping corpses into the underground river. Her eyes narrowed into a smile, but she remained silent. She had initially fantasized about this scenario, but when Lord Mang showed no interest, she decided to change her approach.
No matter how ruthless men might be...
Even they needed a touch of tenderness and comfort.
All she had to do was provide that comfort, and she could live well on the train. This was the capital her beauty had given her. She'd never understood why some beautiful women were so resistant to relying on their looks.
Beautiful women didn't need to rely on their looks to eat.
It was like rich second-generation heirs insisting on building their fortunes from scratch.
Trying too hard to prove oneself to others only wasted the capital one already possessed.
In the locomotive cabin.
Chen Mang hadn't paid much attention to the earlier incident. Only after watching another full movie did he lean back contentedly in his seat. This time, no one interrupted his viewing.
In the apocalypse, finding such a moment of relaxation was rare.
Satisfied.
Just then—
The Train Radio suddenly beeped. Someone had sent him a private message. After receiving the Oxygen Machine, he'd removed the part about needing one from his pinned message, leaving it permanently displayed.
Each pin lasted about ten minutes.
He'd instructed the Train Auxiliary AI to automatically repin his message at regular intervals. Finally, after watching two movies, someone had messaged him privately again.
(End of the Chapter)
📖Read [MAT] ahead on Pa.treon@AnubisTL upto c180. [+8/+18.8k]
🎁All [3] Novels can be accessed for just $6/mo.
🔥Translated [600] Chapters and [1.05M+] Words.
🔔 Become a member before 8 August to enjoy 50% off. Just $3.