Translator: AnubisTL
The entire process was uneventful.
This was a no-man's land.
There were no monsters, no people—only a dilapidated and abandoned laboratory.
Though the process was arduous, the results were always satisfactory.
"..."
Chen Mang smiled warmly at Xiao Ai, who was tinkering with the machine. "I'll leave this to you. Get it up and running as soon as possible. I want to see its effects."
The most crucial items had already been moved.
The others were busy transporting the remaining materials and equipment from the laboratory, including beds, diaries, and daily necessities from the employee dormitories.
Once everything was moved, he would try to pry the materials from the laboratory walls. He didn't know what they were, but their shielding effect was remarkable.
Later, he would test whether the drill could pierce the glass dome and complete the mining of the three mines within.
"Biaozi, come with me for a stroll."
"Yes, sir."
Soon after—
The two of them took the life elevator all the way to the surface, arriving at the center of a valley.
Chen Mang stood there, leaning on his cane, gazing around. The surrounding mountains completely enclosed the valley, blocking his view. He had no idea which zone they were in; the train radio simply displayed "Unknown Zone."
He had a rough idea, though.
After the apocalypse, the entire planet had been divided into countless zones. But there were always corners and crannies that remained unclaimed by any zone—these were likely the Unknown Zones.
"..."
He smiled, looking around. He had finally grasped the true nature of the apocalypse and understood just how chaotic this planet had become. But none of it mattered.
As long as his train continued to grow stronger, he could survive no matter what the planet became. Even if death was inevitable, he would live his life to the fullest before it came, making a grand spectacle worthy of his brief and brilliant existence.
"Let's head back."
"Huh? Oh, right, Lord Mang."
Standing behind Lord Mang, Biaozi waited expectantly for him to share some heartfelt words. He had already prepared his own heartfelt words, but before he could even speak, they had stood there for a while and were about to leave.
Hadn't he been called up here for a heart-to-heart?
"Lord Mang, be careful."
Though a flurry of thoughts raced through his mind, Biaozi quickly regained his composure and blocked the elevator door with his hand. "I'll go deposit the energy stone. Lord Mang, you go ahead. There's a refrigerator nearby. It'll be much more comfortable to stand inside. Otherwise, the rapid descent will make you feel disoriented."
An hour later.
Everything in the laboratory had been completely cleared out.
Chen Mang steered the train, its Tier 100 drill spinning at high speed against the glass dome. A large hole quickly formed, and a group of residents, pickaxes in hand, jumped down through the opening and began mining inside the dome.
Though the dome was vast, it could only accommodate a maximum of 1,000 residents mining simultaneously. There simply wasn't room for more.
Now that the train's regular mining operations were underway, there were more people than resources. Residents had to compete fiercely for mining spots; if you took a moment to smoke a cigarette, your spot would be gone.
These three Tier 4 Iron Ore deposits were estimated to contain a staggering 30 million units of iron ore!
The sheer quantity was astounding!
But since it was Tier 4 Iron Ore, with one unit equivalent to 1,000 units of Tier 1 Iron Ore, the mining speed would be much faster, not too slow.
"Tsk tsk," Chen Mang chuckled, sitting in the locomotive cabin and watching the scene outside. "Each swing of the pickaxe is like getting dozens of units of iron ore at once. Three Tier 4 Iron Ore deposits..."
"This is great. If only we could have more opportunities like this."
He hadn't found any energy stones in the laboratory.
This meant the energy hub that powered the entire Train Tunnel and the laboratory's lights wasn't located here, but likely elsewhere.
After the first group of residents mined for 10 hours, they were replaced by a second group. After the second group mined for another 10 hours, 1,000 more residents took their place.
Roughly 26 hours later, after continuous mining, all three Tier 4 Iron Ore deposits were completely depleted!
A total of 30 million units of iron ore had already been delivered!
Chen Mang glanced at the resource totals on the train panel.
"40.21 million units of iron ore, 2.19 million units of copper ore, 2.47 million units of wood, 4.48 million units of Red Heart Rock."
He had never been this wealthy.
Never.
The opportunity in the Train Tunnel, combined with Mundo's trickery, had sent the train's ore reserves soaring to astronomical levels.
"Today's a good day, a really good day."
The Stellaris, laden with its bounty, re-entered the Train Tunnel, following the tunnel's path back to the Blue Zone, Crisis Valley.
But Chen Mang, seated in the locomotive cabin, couldn't help but hum a little tune.
The corners of his mouth were pulled up in a grin he couldn't control, stretching all the way to his ears.
It was an uncontrollable joy.
He wasn't one to wear his emotions on his sleeve. He'd always believed he could keep his feelings tightly contained, that if he didn't want to show them, he wouldn't.
But...
He now realized that when someone suddenly struck it rich, it was impossible to hold back.
"When we get back, I'll offer three sticks of incense to Heavenly Father!"
"And craft three of the finest cigars!"
"Let's splurge on another feast. Have Uncle Li get some cattle, sheep, and pigs slaughtered so everyone can enjoy a good meal."
"Train Conductor," Xiao Ai said softly, "the train isn't the same as before. We used to have just over a hundred people, but now there are over 5,000. Even if we slaughtered several cattle and sheep, there wouldn't be much meat for each person."
"Besides, according to your plans, isn't the Breeding Carriage supposed to be for raising livestock? If we slaughter them all, who will we raise more?"
"That's true." Chen Mang nodded thoughtfully, then smiled cheerfully. "But we should still celebrate good news. Let's launch a poll on everyone's Iris Chips. I'll announce that I'm in a good mood today and want to celebrate. We'll ask everyone how they'd like to celebrate."
"Should we watch another movie, or should we wait until I upgrade my Tier 12 armor and see if we can scavenge some supplies from the city ruins for a feast?"
"Understood."
"What's up?"
In the Resident Car, Old Pig, who was talking to a resident, glanced at the laptop next to him and casually asked the handsome young man, "What's it about? Go ahead and speak."
The young man was responsible for writing novels on the train as a form of entertainment for the residents.
"Um..."
The young man said hesitantly, "A few days ago, I slipped and fell backward in the shower. My whole body is in pain. I've been trying to endure it, but it's really slowing down my writing progress. I was wondering if I could request some medicinal spray for bruises and injuries?"
Old Pig frowned slightly and waved his hand. "Go ahead. Just tell the clerk at the Resident Store. I'll inform President Ai later to issue instructions to the clerk. Go on."
Only then did he turn his attention to the middle-aged man standing before him.
"Aren't you a stand-up comedian? How's the script I asked you to prepare last time?"
"It's ready."
The middle-aged man quickly pulled out a script from his pocket and handed it over. "I finished it in my spare time. It's a script centered around the apocalypse. I've rehearsed it several times privately. Trainmaster Zhu, I'm ready to perform whenever you need me."
"Not bad."
After a cursory glance, Old Pig looked at the man. "Can you do a dramatic expression? Let me see one. Make it an intense one."
The middle-aged man's expression immediately became agitated. His eyes widened in shock, his right hand pressed against his gums, and his face quickly flushed red.
"Mmm..."
Old Pig frowned slightly. "It lacks emotional tension. Watch me, and learn."
"Uncle Li," the young man standing in the corner of the carriage, near the entrance of the Resident Store, said, looking at the scene unfolding nearby with a bewildered expression. "Why does Trainmaster Zhu even know how to do stand-up comedy? Do you need to give the Leader a stand-up routine these days just to be a deputy?"
"Does he have to start every meeting with, 'Hey, all you young and old folks here today, that's what I call authentic!'"
"They say it's good to have many skills."
"But doesn't he have too many skills? It feels like he can do anything."
"You think everyone's like you, a 'small-town youth'?"
"Hey, Uncle Li, that's not right. You know I hate that term. Just because I earn less and live in a small county town doesn't mean you can label me like that. I used to be happy. It's only since being reduced to a 'small-town youth' that I've started feeling unhappy."
Uncle Li patted the young man's shoulder apologetically. "Don't take it to heart. I didn't mean to look down on you."
"I've always thought you were actually very efficient and had a clear sense of purpose."
"Often, you don't make money not because of your own shortcomings, but because of society. But what does it matter now? It's the apocalypse. There's no point in dwelling on such things."
"No matter what others say about you..."
"In Uncle Li's heart, you'll always be that sunny, cheerful, and ambitious young man."
"Uncle Li."
"Hmm?"
"Your compliments are so cringeworthy. They reek of middle-aged decay."
"Er..."
"You know how to do that?"
After Old Pig finished his instructions, Biaozi sidled over, winking and nudging him. "Did you just learn that routine recently? Planning a solo stand-up routine for Lord Mang?"
...
Old Pig remained expressionless for a moment before quietly saying, "My mother is intellectually disabled, and my father is deaf and mute. People with these conditions often have exaggerated expressions because they struggle to communicate. They worry that others won't understand their emotions or intentions."
"Especially their smiles."
"Have you ever seen a deaf person smile?"
"They always smile broadly, accompanied by exaggerated gestures. Unable to express themselves verbally, they fear you won't perceive their kindness. That's why their expressions are often so exaggerated. In comedy, this technique is known as 'making a face.'"
"What we call 'making faces' is about conveying your emotions clearly to the audience at a glance."
"Whether you're a comedian or a deaf person, that's what you strive for."
"If you had a deaf father, you'd be making faces too."
"Huh?"
Biaozi froze, his smile quickly fading. He straightened up awkwardly, stammering in confusion, "Um... my condolences, my condolences. I've got something to take care of over there. I'll be heading over now."
"Don't take what I said to heart, okay? I was just talking off the cuff."
"Um... cheer up. I'll get back to work now."
After passing through the long tunnel, Chen Mang didn't follow the train tunnel all the way to the mechanical train. Instead, he stopped at the edge of Crisis Valley, where he had first entered. He switched out his Bunny Cloud Wheels and found the hole he had emerged from.
He climbed back to the surface from deep underground.
He planned to stay put and rest for a while.
He didn't bother trying to seal the hole. If someone discovered it, so be it. He couldn't completely block it anyway. It was just a shame that his secret base now risked being exposed.
"Upgrade the armor first!"
The Stellaris train had stopped in the wasteland. Night had just fallen, and it had only recently grown dark.
Chen Mang sat in the locomotive cabin, gazing at the series of data displayed on the control panel screen. Naturally, he would upgrade the armor first. This wouldn't take much. With Tier 12 armor, he would be completely safe in this zone, fearless even against Tier 12 monsters!
It's worth noting that the overpowered effect of the drill, after reaching Tier 100, remained unchanged: it just kept getting harder and faster.
Its main features were toughness and speed.
He still hadn't found a way to perfectly merge the "Drill" and "Train Expansion" accessories. He wanted to keep the drill while also transforming the train into a heavy-duty model. He didn't want to compromise; he was considering whether there was a middle ground or a perfect solution that would allow him to have both.
Upgrading Tier 8 armor to Tier 9 armor cost 500,000 units of iron ore per carriage.
Upgrading Tier 9 armor to Tier 10 armor cost 700,000 units of iron ore per carriage.
Upgrading from Tier 10 to Tier 11 armor cost 1 million units of iron ore.
Fifteen carriages and one locomotive required a total of 16 million units of iron ore. After the upgrade cost was halved, only 8 million units were needed!
After consuming 8 million units of iron ore, the Stellaris train's armor successfully reached Tier 11!
The Stellaris train still had 32.21 million units of iron ore remaining.
It was barely a scratch.
Without pausing, the Stellaris train began upgrading its armor from Tier 11 to Tier 12. Each carriage cost 1.5 million units of iron ore.
This required a total of 24 million units of iron ore!
With the upgrade cost halved, only 12 million units of iron ore were needed!
After consuming another 12 million units of iron ore, the armor of all fifteen carriages and the locomotive of the Stellaris train had reached Tier 12.
With this, no monster in the Blue Zone of Crisis Valley would be able to harm the Stellaris train.
Oh, except for the external accessories like the powerful magnet and external speaker.
It was truly a curse.
Every time a fight broke out, these accessories would inevitably get damaged. The cost of repairing the external speaker alone had already surpassed the cost of building several new ones from scratch.
Fortunately, they were all low-Tier accessories, so they wouldn't cost much to replace.
(End of the Chapter)
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