Translator: AnubisTL
Most importantly—
There was absolutely no need to worry about network intrusions.
The Stellaris train had no network whatsoever, neither external nor internal. In fact, none of the trains did. Each Iris Chip came equipped with its own information receiver and transmitter. Any commands from the Train Auxiliary AI within the target acquisition radar's range would be received by the chip's receiver.
This method of communication was extremely difficult to intercept or hack.
Xiao Ai had already gone to work.
Chen Mang sat alone in the locomotive cabin, holding up a mirror to scrutinize his own eyes. He was trying to locate the Iris Chip within his pupils, wondering if the panels he could see were also transmitted from a chip in his eye.
He could see two distinct panels:
The Train Conductor Panel, inherent to the "Mang" birthmark on his hand.The world's intrinsic system panel.
The former had appeared when he first transmigrated and issued three missions. Upon completion, he had gained Tier 0 Authority with Infinite Upgrade, after which the panel ceased its tasks.
The latter was the system interface inherent to this world, displaying partial information such as regional broadcasts and special item details.
This information typically appeared in three ways: as a semi-transparent panel floating before him, on the control panel screen, or as a massive light curtain hovering in the air, similar to those found at zone boundaries.
The display method wasn't fixed; it adapted to his convenience. If he was in the locomotive cabin, the information appeared on the screen. If he wasn't, it materialized as a floating panel before him.
"Is it really not here?" Chen Mang rubbed his eyes so vigorously that they reddened, yet he still couldn't find the Iris Chip. Could it be a more advanced version, or some other high-tier accessory beyond his comprehension?
After a long while, he gave up. He grabbed a hot towel, placed it over his eyelids, leaned back in his chair, and began to doze.
So tired.
Meanwhile, the Stellaris train had stopped on the Sha River Plains. All the train crew members were disembarking to line up for the Iris Chip implantation procedure.
"Uncle Li."
At the back of the crowd, a young man stood beside Uncle Li and sighed with resignation. "There's really nothing we can do. The train's technology is advancing too rapidly. I never imagined you'd lose your job so quickly."
"Lord Mang went all-in on the Iris Chip."
"It's absolutely counterfeit-proof, handles digital currency, provides AI statistics, and has virtually zero margin of error."
"Train residents can now check their stellar coupon balances in real-time, and even see how much they mined above their quota yesterday, all on the Iris Chip. The data is backed up in the AI's database. To make purchases, they simply scan their eyes at the shop counters."
"They can even access their comprehensive physical fitness data."
"Uncle Li, how can you possibly compete with that? It's completely impossible. You'll have to retire."
"But..."
Uncle Li's face was ashen, utterly devoid of his former swagger as a slave. His lips trembled, pale and cracked, his eyes filled with bitterness and despair. "But I only started this job a few days ago! I was the one who assigned all those resident IDs!"
"Well, those IDs have now been integrated into the chip's interface, so at least that work wasn't a complete waste," the young man remarked with a click of his tongue.
"Your design was excellent," the young man said. "We numbered the train crew based on when they joined, with Lord Mang as number one and Trainmaster Zhu as number two. Lord Mang even continued using your system."
"Maybe..."
"Uncle Li, are you thinking of a new plan?"
"I..." Uncle Li stumbled slightly, then took a deep breath, forcing himself to regain his composure. Through clenched teeth, he declared each word with unwavering resolve: "I have never been afraid of failure in my life!"
"I've failed countless times, but every time, I've found the strength to stand up again!"
"Even when backed into a corner, I've always found the courage to start over!"
"What doesn't kill me only makes me stronger!"
"Just wait—"
"I'll come up with a new plan right now!"
"I really admire that spirit of yours," the young man said, giving Uncle Li a thumbs-up, his eyes filled with genuine respect. "Seriously, Uncle Li, I believe you'll succeed eventually. It's just a matter of time."
The procedure took about two hours.
Every member of the train crew, except Lord Mang, had an Iris Chip implanted in their eyes. The chips adhered to the surface of the eyeballs, causing no pain or discomfort, and wouldn't dislodge even during intense combat.
The Iris Chips were uniformly positioned over the left eye. This placement was strategic: most people are right-handed and tend to rely on their right eye in combat situations, allowing the left eye's projected display to remain unobstructed.
Moreover, when aiming a firearm, most people instinctively close their left eye and use their right.
Since the Iris Chip's display is projected directly onto the surface of the eyeball, it remains visible even when the eye is closed, though the background appears pitch black.
"Hey, this is kinda magical, huh?" Biaozi remarked.
The train was currently stationary for maintenance. Biaozi, perched on the edge of the carriage with his legs dangling freely, repeatedly summoned and dismissed his display, his face glowing with excitement. He reached out to touch the intangible interface, like a child with a new toy.
The display could be controlled by thought, disappearing entirely when deactivated and reappearing as a semi-transparent overlay that didn't significantly obstruct vision.
However, if it did interfere with vision, its transparency could be freely adjusted from 1% to 100%—though who would ever set it to 100%?
When activated, a pale white, translucent panel materialized about half a meter in front of him, displaying several lines of black text.
The only way to remove the chip was to physically gouge out the eyeball.
Name: Biaozi
Train: Stellaris
Position: Captain, Guard Team One
Balance: 63 stellar coupons
Benefits: Tier 1 elite talent benefits
Comprehensive Physical Fitness: 12.1
"Lord Mang is truly amazing," Biaozi muttered, staring at the semi-transparent panel floating before him. "This thing makes me feel so much closer to the Stellaris. It's like... going in raw."
"Lord Mang set up this panel. The Auxiliary AI's baseline for an average adult male's comprehensive physical fitness is 10, and mine's 12.1. What's yours, Old Pig?"
"Mind your own business," Old Pig snapped, rolling his eyes. "You've been grinding in that Tier 10 Combat Training Virtual Space every day. Of course your physical fitness is higher than mine. What's the point of even bringing it up? Still..."
He paused, glancing at the woman chatting with Xiao Ai on the Sha River Plains. "I bet her score is higher than yours."
"Definitely higher than yours."
"No doubt about it."
Biaozi said awkwardly, "I fought her in the Combat Training Virtual Space. It was obvious she'd never killed anyone or seen blood before. She was scared at first, and I kept defeating her. But after she got used to it, I stopped sparring with her."
"What do you mean?" Old Pig asked.
"Can you imagine how you'll feel standing there with a dagger while a mountain charges at you?" Biaozi replied.
"Helpless, weak, pathetic, terrified," Old Pig said.
"After losing countless times, I finally got serious and won. Then I never fought her again," Biaozi said.
"Huh?" Old Pig looked at Biaozi in surprise. "So even after she got used to killing and seeing blood, she still couldn't beat you in the end?"
"Yeah," Biaozi nodded. "That time, I didn't use a dagger. I grabbed a handheld Gatling gun—pretty effective. That mountain turned into a bloody rain in an instant."
"Her name is Zhang San," Biaozi added. "Her comprehensive physical fitness is better than 99.9% of adult men. Lord Mang hasn't finished developing the Single-Soldier Skeletal Armor yet. But if he ever outfits Zhang San with one and gives her a vehicle blade fragment, I bet he could take down three to five Tier 2 zombie wolves in close combat."
"Doesn't sound that impressive. Didn't you take down several Tier 2 zombie wolves on your first field mission?" Old Pig asked.
"It's different," Biaozi replied. "This was pure melee combat. I could never pull that off in close quarters."
"If you put it that way, she must be seriously strong," Old Pig said, his curiosity piqued as he glanced at Zhang San in the distance, who appeared to be arguing with Xiao Ai.
"Absolutely," Biaozi agreed.
He sighed softly. "Otherwise, she wouldn't have secured her position as captain of the second guard team as a woman. Even Lord Mang respects her, and no one in the team questions her authority."
"She truly rose from humble beginnings through sheer force of will," Old Pig said.
"That's seriously badass."
Just then, Xiao Ai, still chatting with Zhang San in the distance, turned toward the train, a camera perched on her shoulder.
"President Ai," Old Pig greeted her, rising curiously to meet her. "Were you two arguing just now?"
"No, we weren't arguing," Xiao Ai replied, shaking her head. "She wanted to change her name because she hates 'Zhang San.' She insisted on 'Zhang Damei,' so I changed it for her. The real issue is her loud voice—she kept insisting someone on the train was spreading rumors about her and Li Yi."
"I don't care about her reasons," Xiao Ai said. "If she wants to change her name, she can."
"Besides," she added, "as far as I know, she's the only one spreading this rumor. It seems she's fallen in love."
Xiao Ai shook her head and strode toward the locomotive cabin, eager to get back and fix herself up. Going out with a camera on her head was just too embarrassing.
"Fallen in love?" Biaozi stared in bewilderment at Zhang San—no, Zhang Damei—bouncing around happily in the distance with her hands clasped behind her back. After a long moment of confusion, he murmured, "Lord Mang doesn't object to train crew dating. In fact, he seems to encourage it."
"Lord Mang might not mind, but I bet Li Yi would object."
"Has that guy been laid off?"
"He has, but he's still receiving Tier 3 senior talent benefits. Lord Mang hasn't mentioned anything to me about it yet."
"But—" Biaozi frowned. "Even if she's in love, how could she fall for Li Yi? He's older than me, practically your age—a middle-aged geezer! And last time I saw them, they were arguing."
"Zhang Damei actually grabbed Li Yi by the collar with one hand and hoisted him into the air."
"How could anyone fall for that?"
"When you put it that way, it makes sense. Conflict leads to interaction, interaction reveals hidden qualities, and gradually, love blossoms."
"So that's why he wants to change his name to Zhang Damei? He probably thinks Zhang San sounds too masculine and not presentable enough to his crush."
"Most likely."
"I think she'd be better off forcing Li Yi to change his name to Li Si. Zhang San and Li Si—they'd sound like a perfect pair."
TL/N: Zhang San (张三) and Li Si (李四) are placeholder names in Chinese, similar to "John Doe" and "Jane Doe" in English.
"Yeah, you probably shouldn't say that within her earshot."
"Why not?"
"I'm afraid she'll actually drag Li Yi to President Ai to get his name changed."
"True enough." Biaozi gazed wistfully at President Ai's receding figure. "But I have to admit, her intelligence seems to be growing exponentially. She can now hold normal conversations with me and even handle these minor issues independently."
Xiao Ai was the name of the AI.
Lord Mang had given her that name, a rather intimate term. They couldn't possibly call her Xiao Ai themselves—that would imply they were on the same level as Lord Mang.
And so, they began addressing her with the honorific "President Ai."
From then on, President Ai took full responsibility for managing the train's ecosystem, much like a chief administrator. Calling her "President Ai" felt entirely appropriate.
"Hey, Trainmaster Zhu, has your comprehensive physical fitness reached Tier 10 yet?" Biaozi asked.
"..."
Old Pig hopped out of the carriage, shooting Biaozi a disdainful glare. "You don't think I'm so relaxed right now that I'll answer any question you throw at me, do you?"
"Silly roe deer," Biaozi muttered.
"I'm off to work," Old Pig said, striding into the crowd.
"A pack of cigarettes, please."
Inside Carriage 11, a resident dressed in bright orange wandered through the shop before approaching the woman behind the counter at the entrance.
"Two stellar coupons," the woman said, retrieving a pack of cigarettes from the display case and handing it over. She pointed to a coin-sized camera nearby.
The man glanced at the camera, and a text notification popped up before him:
Train Resident ID 182. Purchased one pack of cigarettes for two stellar coupons. Remaining balance: three stellar coupons.
The man could no longer contain his excitement. He grabbed the pack of cigarettes and left the shop, marveling at how convenient, practical, and fun the Iris Chip was.
As the train evolved, more service-oriented jobs became available, such as cleaners and shop assistants. These low-labor positions were typically filled by women. While earning stellar coupons was far slower than mining or butchering, the ease of these jobs made them popular. Old Pig generally avoided assigning men to such positions, deeming it a waste of manpower. Instead, he placed women in these roles.
However, Old Pig made one thing abundantly clear to all female service workers, including those pleasure workers: they must never show the slightest dissatisfaction towards customers and must always serve with a smile.
Yet, this requirement seemed entirely redundant.
To be able to work peacefully as a shop assistant during the apocalypse was a blessing earned through generations of good karma. The shop assistant behind the counter couldn't stop smiling, perfectly embodying the concept of "smiling service." Her professionalism was impeccable.
(End of the Chapter)
📖Read [MAT] ahead on Pa.treon@AnubisTL upto c214. [+4/+9.4k]
🎁All [2] Novels can be accessed for just $6/mo.
🔥Translated [700+] Chapters and [1.42M+] Words.
[MASS RELEASE: +19 | 31JUL25] ✍REQUESTING REVIEWS🙏