Translator: AnubisTL
"Did we just have an earthquake?"
"I don't know, but it's possible. I think I learned in school that basin zones are prone to earthquakes. So, if it was an earthquake, it would make sense, right?"
"Are you sure basin zones are prone to earthquakes?"
"Not entirely. Let me think..."
In the heart of the Yellow Zone's Zombie Basin, under a starry sky, dozens of trains stood parked side by side. Dozens of train conductors, accompanied by their trusted confidants, had gathered for this self-organized small gathering.
The tradition of gatherings had persisted even in the Yellow Zone.
These gatherings weren't just for exchanging supplies; they were also for exchanging information. Face-to-face discussions allowed for the sharing of more effective intelligence.
In the White Zone, gatherings were typically held during the day for safety. While monsters were active day and night, their activity was generally lower during daylight hours, making daytime gatherings safer overall.
But in the Yellow Zone, gatherings were usually held at night.
This way, it didn't interfere with work.
The slaves could rest in the carriages while the train conductors attended the gathering. After the gathering, they could return to mining the next day.
At this moment—
Many train conductors felt a slight tremor in the ground and instinctively glanced toward the sloped face of the small mountain ahead.
There, a seemingly endless tunnel stretched into the mountain, with a glass tunnel within. Most people knew about this, but a thin, pale yellow membrane sealed the tunnel's entrance. Beside it stood a holographic screen displaying the message:
"Restricted Area: No Entry."
Some had tried to explore it, but none had ever managed to enter. Over time, people had stopped paying attention to it. Only newcomers to the Zombie Basin would stubbornly approach, imagining themselves as the chosen one, only to return disappointed.
The ground continued to tremble slightly. It felt as though something had exploded deep underground, like an earthquake, yet not quite.
Suddenly!
A piercing sonic boom erupted in everyone's ears, followed by a train hurtling out of the tunnel at incredible speed. It shattered the membrane and soared into the sky.
Like a meteor from another world, it vanished from sight in the blink of an eye.
The last impression they had of the train was its carriage sides, lined with numerous thrust nozzles. The pale blue flames trailing behind it painted a dazzling spectacle against the night sky.
"..."
Nearly every train conductor stood frozen in place with blank expressions. They stared at the train that had vanished over the horizon, only slowly snapping back to reality and exchanging glances.
"Was that a train?"
"Duh, with that many carriages, it's clearly a train. I have no idea where those people got their Bunny Clouds. I'm already at Tier 8, and I still haven't found that accessory."
"You're always mining; of course you won't get it! Rare accessories like that only drop from fortuitous encounter maps or when you kill Rare Bosses."
"I don't remember anyone in Zombie Basin being that fast. Who could even keep up?"
"Could it be the Stellaris?"
"You mean that train that just arrived in Zombie Basin and already has the most overpowered effects?"
"Maybe."
"..."
Inside the Stellaris, Chen Mang switched to the Bunny Cloud wheels and soared into the sky, searching for a place to rest. The moment he broke through the surface, he spotted the gathering taking place below.
However, he had no intention of participating for now.
He had gained quite a bit from this trip.
He needed to find a place to rest and recuperate.
Soon, he landed on a flat area free of high-Tier zombies. He didn't activate the Vehicle Zombie Shield, as using the accessory consumed energy, and there was no need to activate it for low-Tier zombies. This would also give the people below a chance to practice.
Chen Mang glanced at the resource column on the train panel.
First, the resources:
3.49 million units of iron ore365,000 units of copper ore500,000 units of Wood200,000 units of Red Heart Rock
The iron ore obtained from the trains devoured in the Geocentric Nuclear Bomb Encounter Map had already been included in the previous inventory.
This map had significantly replenished his resources.
He also acquired a white-grade accessory blueprint and four murphy stones, bringing his total to sixteen.
The blueprint was for a Happy Cup Production Line.
Happy Cup cups, tools used for stress relief, were barely usable. Aside from the somewhat troublesome cleaning process and the soreness that could result from overuse, they had few major drawbacks.
He had found this blueprint in the Second Dimension Train.
In reality...
Even destroying a train would be unlikely to yield a blueprint from the opposing train, since everyone uses their blueprints immediately. Who would keep one unless they had no use for it and planned to sell it?
This thing...
"Hmm."
After pondering for a moment, Chen Mang decided to spend 4,500 units of iron ore to craft it and upgrade it to Tier 10. While it had no use for him, he could produce a few to stock the Resident Store. This would not only diversify the shop's offerings but also provide residents who couldn't afford to pay the pleasure workers with an alternative way to relieve stress.
Happy Cup Production Line Tier 5 Overpowered Effect: Softer and more bouncy.
Happy Cup Production Line Tier 10 Overpowered Effect: Halved Consumption.
Not bad, Chen Mang thought. It used to take 10 units of iron ore to craft one, but now it only takes 5 units.
Still a pretty useless accessory, though.
No wonder the Second Dimension Train had kept it aside for sale. But whether it would actually sell was another matter. Unless the price was low enough... If the price is right, no blueprint is unsellable. Even the worst blueprint is still an accessory.
Chen Mang leaned back in his chair, gazing at the vacuum-packed Salted Duck in the refrigerator beside him. There were hundreds of bags, all spicy. This was a good thing—a change of flavor when the train's usual fare grew tiresome.
He casually opened a bag and tore off a duck leg, popping it into his mouth.
Hmm?
Not bad at all. Chen Mang's eyes brightened slightly. Perhaps it was because he hadn't eaten it in a long time, but the meat was dry-fried, with hardly any moisture. It had a satisfying chewiness and a rich flavor. Though a bit spicy, it was addictive.
I don't know where that guy got it from. Is there a salted duck factory in the Zombie Basin?
But after just a dozen bites...
Chen Mang's cheeks flushed slightly. He tossed the salted duck aside, quickly grabbed a bottle of ice-cold mineral water from the refrigerator, and chugged the entire bottle in one go. But it was completely useless. That salted duck was unbelievably spicy!
His mouth felt like it was on fire, and a sharp pain shot through his tongue.
At first, the spiciness seemed manageable, just a pleasant kick. But after a dozen bites, the full force of the heat hit him. He even felt like his tongue was losing all sensation.
"Hiss..."
Chen Mang gasped for air, but the pain didn't subside. He looked down at the salted duck's packaging on the floor. The flavor listed on the label was indeed "Spicy and Numbing," not "Extra Spicy."
"Damn it!"
Without hesitation, he strode toward the Medical Pod in Carriage No. 2. He couldn't stand it anymore. He was burning up! He needed to reboot!
After rebooting, Chen Mang returned to the locomotive cabin, his system fully restored. He gave the half-eaten bag of salted duck to Xiao Fang, who was standing at the door, before turning his attention back to the rest of his loot.
Chen Mang knew these salted ducks were beyond his enjoyment. They'd be better used as interrogation tools.
Just feed them the salted duck, no water!
Of course, that was just a joke. He took a dozen packets and placed them in the Resident Car, then distributed the rest among the guards to sample.
The confiscated cigarettes were all deposited in the Resident Store, while the various supplies were stored in the carriage refrigerators. There were plenty of refrigerators, so space wasn't an issue. As for the two to three hundred figurines...
"They're actually quite nice," Chen Mang mused, picking up a figurine roughly the size of a phone. He examined it carefully before tossing it back into the pile. Though useless, it seemed a waste to throw them away. He'd leave them in the Resident Store and see if anyone wanted them.
It's worth noting that according to information from Biaozi, there wasn't a single female on the Second Dimension Train—it was entirely male.
Information from the slaves of the Second Dimension Train revealed that not long ago, the train's "Built-in Security System" had suddenly opened fire in the middle of the night without warning, killing all the female members.
Even the female pigs weren't spared.
Although every train was equipped with a "Built-in Security System," hardly any had ever used it. This accessory primarily served as a deterrent. Once activated, it wouldn't just kill one or two people; in a dense crowd and chaotic situation, precise targeting would be impossible.
During the Second Dimension Train incident, many men were also killed in the chaos.
Only the slaves from the Second Dimension Train had truly witnessed the Built-in Security System's power. Consequently, the slaves on this train were the most docile. Especially after seeing the ten Heavy Machine Guns inside the carriage, they obediently entered the refrigerator without a trace of resistance.
In contrast, the slaves in the other carriages still had some troublemakers. However, under the third team's suppression, these troublemakers were swiftly dealt with.
"Over 1,900 survivors have been added."
Almost none of the slaves were troublemakers; they were either docile or, more accurately, numb.
"..."
Chen Mang frowned slightly. With the addition of these 1,900 survivors, the train's total population now exceeded 3,300. The daily consumption of various accessories, along with food, water, and other expenses, had reached nearly 6,000 units of iron ore.
He opened and closed his eyes, and when he woke up today, the 6,000 units of iron ore he had mined were gone.
This was during normal rest periods, or mining operations.
Whenever combat or unexpected events occurred, consumption would skyrocket, and it wouldn't just be iron ore; copper ore and other resources would also be consumed.
"Well," he sighed, shaking his head in resignation. But he quickly smiled again. While daily expenses had increased, mining efficiency had also improved. It wasn't just a matter of pros and cons; the scale had simply grown larger.
With a larger scale came greater rewards.
But if there were a gap, a period without iron ore income, the entire operation could collapse.
He didn't dwell on it. Instead, he spent 190,000 units of iron ore to craft Iris Chips for all 1,900 survivors, instructing Xiao Ai to implant them one by one. He also used over 1,900 units of Wood to make each survivor a set of clothes.
Of course, they were orange-red.
This was the standard uniform for the Stellaris train. In the hazy apocalypse, wearing bright-colored clothes seemed to lift spirits.
"Am I really that important?"
In Carriage No. 2, named "Space Gate" by the Mecha Research Center, Xiao Ai was tinkering with the experimental instruments he had brought back from the "Geocore Nuke" fortuitous encounter map when he heard Lord Mang's order:
He was to implant Iris Chips.
This task could only be entrusted to him, as his hands were steady enough.
Xiao Ai gazed expectantly at the crude robot secured to a frame in front of him. He was rebuilding his body so he could split himself in the future, allowing him to be in multiple places at once.
Without delay, he left the Space Gate, packed the newly produced Iris Chips and clothing into a refrigerator, and carried it toward the Resident Cars at the rear.
Carriages 10 and 11 had originally been Goblin Carriages, housing over a hundred goblins. But Doba had already moved all the goblins into the "Space Gate" installed in Carriage 11, where they were all living inside a refrigerator. These two carriages had been empty for some time.
However, the Resident Store had been set up inside a refrigerator in Carriage 11.
Old Pig had arranged ten refrigerators in Carriage 10, each serving as a dormitory for 200 survivors. These refrigerators would be their living quarters for the foreseeable future.
The survivors would start with Third-Tier Resident benefits.
Xiao Ai stood at the refrigerator door, methodically implanting Iris Chips. Each person who received a chip followed the example of those before them, picking up their assigned clothing from a pile nearby. Everyone entering the refrigerator, male or female, was completely naked, their bodies bare.
But no one spared them a second glance.
First, they were all covered in grime. Second... in a situation like this, who cared about such things?
The difference between humans and dogs is that humans still cling to a semblance of romance. When it comes to that act, they at least demand a certain atmosphere: a private space, soft music, and, for the truly extravagant, the presence of someone they love.
"Nothing?"
Biaozi, his brow furrowed, stood to the side with his squad, both intimidating the crowd and keeping an eye out for promising recruits. He was looking for individuals with high comprehensive physical fitness and mental power who could be trained as backup guards for the first team.
With so many train residents, their guard force needed expansion. Otherwise, if too many guards died during an external mission, there would be no one to replace them. At least a reserve force of guards needed to be trained, right?
"Nothing," Xiao Ai replied, her voice as emotionless as a robot on an assembly line, as she continued to implant Iris Chips, one after another. "Due to their frequent mining work, their comprehensive physical fitness is decent, but it still doesn't match that of the train's current residents."
(End of the Chapter)
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