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Chapter 200 - Piece of the Pie [2.4k]

 

Translator: AnubisTL

 

"We're all doomed to die?"

The six men exchanged glances, as if they'd already discussed something while Xiao Ai wasn't present. They all chuckled.

"No, no, no," said a burly man in a down jacket over a sweater, stepping forward. "Mr. Robot, I think you've misunderstood. We believe this crisis is real, and we absolutely trust your target acquisition radar is superior to ours."

"But..."

"In this crisis, it won't be us who die. It'll be you, the Stellaris."

"After all, we're all Tier 9 Trains. We can leave the Zombie Basin anytime. We're not trapped here. Why would we risk our lives alongside the Stellaris?"

"You're the ones in a hurry, not us."

"Of course, we're not heartless. If you want to take the lead in gathering us, we'll listen. We can form a temporary alliance and collect all the copper ore from the Low-Level Trains."

"But the Stellaris will need to offer murphy stones in exchange."

"That's right," added a serious-faced man in a dark green military greatcoat, stepping forward. "Our train conductor agrees. Since the Stellaris has so many overpowered effects, you must have plenty of murphy stones, right?"

"There are six of us here. If each of you gives us 100 murphy stones, we'll help you."

"After all, when facing certain death, you wouldn't hesitate to part with a few murphy stones, would you?"

"Don't be so quick to refuse. Use your walkie-talkie to ask your train conductor. I know you can't make this decision on your own."

...

Xiao Ai paused for half a minute, taking in all the information Chen Mang had relayed before speaking again.

"Tier 10 Train is a major hurdle."

"I recall that the Blue Zone is different from other zones. Once a Tier 9 Train enters, it can't return to a low-level region. If you could enter high-level zones so easily, you wouldn't have been stuck in the Zombie Basin for so long."

"I assume you're not prepared to upgrade to a Tier 10 Train. Entering the Blue Zone unprepared would be a death sentence."

"Moreover, these many Tier 9 Zombies and the hundreds of thousands of zombies represent both danger and opportunity. If you can survive this, you'll receive numerous rewards that, when divided among everyone, will significantly accelerate the train's development."

"This isn't just about the Stellaris. It's about you too."

"You're saving yourselves."

"No, no, no..."

The man in the down jacket shook his head firmly. "Our train conductor made it clear: no murphy stone, no deal. He'd rather gamble in the Blue Zone than help you for free."

"For free?" Xiao Ai's eyes flashed with coldness as he chuckled. "Isn't this helping you too?"

"The one who takes the lead pays the price," another man strode over from a distance, his voice laced with annoyance. "You want to be the big brother but don't want to pay anything? Why does the Stellaris always want to have it both ways?"

"To put it bluntly," he continued, "this crisis is entirely your fault. You're the ones begging for our help, understand? Without our Tier 9 Trains, do you even have a clue whether the Stellaris lives or dies?"

"If you're not willing to pay, get lost!"

"When you come begging again, the price won't be the same."

Xiao Ai paused for a moment, then, after receiving another message from Chen Mang, turned toward the off-road motorcycle. "Our train conductor refuses to cooperate. Farewell for now."

"Trying to leave?" The man in the military overcoat's eyes flashed with malice. He immediately pulled out a rifle from his chest and aimed at Xiao Ai, ready to fire.

But then Xiao Ai suddenly stopped, spun around, and, without anyone noticing, had produced two Gatling guns, their barrels already spinning rapidly.

The next moment—

Tutututu!!!

Xiao Ai's two Gatling guns roared to life, unleashing a storm of energy bullets that enveloped the seven men in an instant. Without hesitation, he opened fire.

Three seconds later, the gunfire subsided. Xiao Ai opened the armor on his stomach, stowed both Gatling guns in the pockets of his clothes, and strode toward the off-road motorcycle. He twisted the throttle, sending the bike racing toward the Stellaris train.

The Stellaris had already begun to move, slowly accelerating.

"Hurry, hurry!"

At the rear of the last carriage, Uncle Li stood at the edge, opening the Carriage Armor from the top. It fell to the ground, forming a ramp. The friction between the armor and the ground sparked wildly in the gale, like fleeting fireworks.

Behind the train, Xiao Ai raced toward the rear on his off-road motorcycle.

He slammed the throttle, lifting the front wheel slightly.

The motorcycle soared up the ramp and into the carriage. Uncle Li glanced at the approaching trains in the night, snorted contemptuously, and spat a thick wad of phlegm out the side of the train. "Go eat shit," he muttered.

Then, he quickly pulled the armor back up, sealing the carriage once more.

Xiao Ai had already tossed the off-road motorcycle to the side of the carriage and was striding through several carriages toward the locomotive cabin.

Inside the locomotive cabin.

Chen Mang glanced at the target acquisition radar screen. The two Tier 9 Trains chasing them had been left far behind. When it came to speed, the Stellaris, even in Gale Weather, feared no one!

The train's top speed had already exceeded 1,000 kilometers per hour.

How could they possibly catch up?

If Xiao Ai's route hadn't exposed the Stellaris's position, those trains' target acquisition radars wouldn't have even been able to detect it.

"..."

He leaned back in his chair, lit a cigarette with a calm expression, and gazed at the train radio. It was clear the plan had failed.

Humans, when faced with disaster, could actually be quite united.

But unfortunately...

It always had to be before the disaster truly struck. Many people clung to a sense of false hope, not even sure what they were hoping for. Even those Tier 9 Trains, with a clear escape route, had dared to make outrageous demands.

One hundred murphy stones per train.

What nerve.

If he had this many murphy stones, why would he need to cooperate with them? He could simply sell a single murphy stone on the train for 50,000 units of iron ore and make over 6 million units!

"Train conductor," Xiao Ai said as he pushed open the door. "Do you have any other plans?"

Chen Mang fell silent for a moment before exhaling a long plume of smoke and waving his hand dismissively. "Call Mundo and Doba over."

"These are the only six murphy stones left on the train," Chen Mang said, pointing to the stones on the table. He turned to Mundo. "When you teleport to the high-level zone and encounter a High-Level Train, you can sell these to them."

"Start with a high price. If they can't afford it, gradually lower the price."

"Iron ore only," Doba said, nodding seriously. He turned to Mundo. "The higher the price, the better, but if they can't afford it, lower it."

"Understood!" Mundo nodded emphatically.

"Go now. Whether or not you manage to sell these six murphy stones, you must return to the train within 20 hours. Go to No. 4 Living Compartment and collect two Goblin Tickets each."

"Bring some other supplies too—cigarettes, cigars, Cola, Space Pouches, whatever you think is necessary."

"Doba, go ask Mundo to try teleporting while carrying the refrigerator. If he can't, have him wear several layers of clothing."

A single pocket can have space-storage functionality.

But you can wear multiple layers.

Or, like Xiao Ai, you can cut the space-storage pocket from your clothing and create a miniature Space Pouch. Then you can simply put one Space Pouch inside another.

This was Xiao Ai's invention.

He named it the "Xiao Ai's Space Pouch" and even had a pocket sewn into his stomach.

The price was incredibly low—just one unit of Wood.

It was the most cost-effective item on the train. While a refrigerator also had space-storage functionality and a larger capacity, a Tier 10 Refrigerator required 4,500 units of iron ore. That price was far higher than a Space Pouch.

After finishing these preparations, Chen Mang turned to Xiao Ai again.

"Go sell the Space Pouches. Price them at 1,000 units of iron ore each."

"Before the Zombie Volcano erupts, let's earn as much iron ore as possible. After the disaster strikes, we'll raid a few trains and avoid Tier 9 Zombies. Our goal is to gather at least 6 million units of iron ore."

"Understood."

As for the targets...

Chen Mang calmly stared at the two Tier 9 Trains on the target acquisition radar. They were no longer pursuing him; now it was his turn to hunt. He had been trailing them from a distance, waiting for an opportunity to strike when one of them became isolated.

Tier 9 Trains.

With a surprise attack, he might even prevail.

The Doomsday Cannon's 9th-tier shells cost 700 units of copper ore to manufacture. After the two-fold cost reduction, each shell now cost only 175 units of copper ore.

He had a total of 1.295 million units of copper ore, enough to produce 7,400 9th-tier shells.

This amount of ammunition wouldn't be nearly enough to face the Zombie Volcano, but it was more than sufficient to ambush a single Tier 9 Train. Their Tier 8 Zaibatsu Energy Shields wouldn't stand a chance against his Doomsday Cannon.

Moreover...

He hung far behind at a distance of 20,000 meters, completely undetectable by the target acquisition radar of the other train. His Tier 10 Radar Jammer was so effective that even if they detected him, he could still disguise himself as a flesh train using his Mechanical Tentacles.

From this extreme range, he could lock onto the Tier 9 Train with his Doomsday Cannon and unleash a devastating instant strike.

Afterward, it would be time to seize the spoils.

If they wouldn't listen to reason, then it was time to let physics do the talking.

They had to choose between the sugar-coated pill and the cannonball.

And at that moment—

Inside the Combat Training Virtual Space, nine Tier 9 mechanical train conductors stood on a platform, holding a small meeting.

"What the hell are you doing?"

A middle-aged man frowned. "I knew things might fall apart, but did you have to make it happen so quickly? I hadn't even arrived yet, and you'd already blown up the negotiations? Shouldn't you at least wait until everyone's here before you start talking?"

"Can't you show some consideration for those of us who traveled a long distance?"

"Consideration?" The bald man's face darkened. "Who the hell showed me any consideration? My second-in-command died without a word, and who am I supposed to turn to for justice?"

"That Stellaris train doesn't play by the rules at all! When negotiations failed, they just killed people!"

"Even if we cooperate with such people, they'll betray us in the end!"

"What do we do now?" The middle-aged man looked at the man, his voice grave. "We all know our situation. If the Blue Zone were so easy to reach, we would have gone long ago. We wouldn't be stuck here for so long."

"We're stuck in the Zombie Basin precisely because we can't reach it."

"We can use the fact that Stellaris doesn't know these things as leverage in negotiations. But if negotiations completely collapse, we'll all die. The plan Stellaris proposed is indeed our only way to survive: all trains must gather together to stand any chance of survival."

"We must also collect the copper ore from the other trains. Otherwise, we won't have enough."

"How much murphy stone do you want per train?"

"One hundred."

"So much? Didn't we agree on fifty per train at first?"

"I was leaving room for negotiation, but he didn't even counteroffer. He just flatly rejected it."

"..."

After a long silence, the middle-aged man finally gritted his teeth slightly. "If that's the case, there's only one way: wait. Wait until we die!"

"If the Stellaris can't execute his plan during this Zombie Volcano crisis, he's doomed!"

"He doesn't know yet that we can't leave the Zombie Basin either."

"Let's act calm."

"When he can't hold back and comes begging us again, we'll lower the price then. He won't have any choice but to accept."

"This is a test of who has the stronger mental fortitude."

"His target acquisition radar can tell him when the Zombie Volcano will erupt, but we don't know. Those who can see the fuse are often the least able to remain calm. In that sense, we have the advantage."

"I'm fine with that," the bald man said impassively. "But let me be clear: after this disaster is over, we've already agreed to launch a full-scale assault on the Stellaris. Even with all his overpowered effects, I don't believe he can withstand six Tier 9 Trains."

"I'm definitely getting a piece of that pie."

"Alright, count me in."

Under the cover of night, the two Tier 9 Trains that had been traveling side by side finally separated, each heading in a different direction.

"Hmph."

The bald man, having just emerged from the Combat Training Virtual Space and returned to the locomotive cabin, glanced at the pinned message on the train radio with a sneer. "Now they're selling Space Pouches? 1,000 units of iron ore each?

"What a fine item indeed."

Even he was tempted.

It was clear that the Stellaris was trying to quickly gather iron ore to upgrade to a Tier 9 Train and escape the Zombie Basin. He actually hoped the Stellaris would manage to collect enough resources to reach Tier 9. The thought of the Stellaris's expression when they realized that even at Tier 9 they still couldn't escape the Zombie Basin made him chuckle.

He didn't buy one.

Though he desperately wanted one, he knew the Stellaris would never sell him one.

But it didn't matter.

When the Stellaris came begging him later, all of this would be his.

If they wanted help, they'd have to beg properly.

But right now, the most important thing was to choose a new second-in-command. His previous one had just been killed.

Just then—

Beep, beep, beep-beep-beep.

The train's emergency alarm blared to life.

(End of the Chapter)

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