Translator: AnubisTL
"I'm so tired."
About half an hour later, Chen Mang exhaled deeply, leaned back in his chair, and lit a cigarette with weary satisfaction. He watched the pale blue smoke drift out through the skylight. Though his body was exhausted, his eyes were alight with contentment.
He had personally designed the environments within each of the eight space gates.
Each space had a unique theme. Some were water-themed, others garden-themed. He had also crafted over 5,000 Single Beds for the dormitories. Each Single Bed cost only 1 unit of Wood, making them incredibly affordable.
He hadn't slept at all during this period, especially during the nearly 30 hours he spent mining in the "Laboratory." Instead, he stood excitedly in the locomotive cabin, gazing at the iron ore deposits, and occasionally visited the Armored Research Center to check on Xiao Ai's progress with the equipment.
This was a massive opportunity.
The Stellaris had been developing for several months, but this was the greatest opportunity he had encountered yet. It was this opportunity that would determine how far the Stellaris could truly fly.
Just like before the apocalypse.
Many of those with a few million in their pockets had earned it bit by bit, through hard work and diligence. Their motto was "Heaven rewards diligence."
But those with tens of millions or even hundreds of millions in their pockets...
Most of their wealth hadn't been earned.
It had simply fallen from the sky with a plop, like finding money on the ground.
In a daze, Chen Mang didn't know what he was thinking. He only heard the murmur of many residents' voices outside his window, sounding like white noise. He flicked his finger slightly, intending to have Xiao Ai call Ji Chuchu over.
He wanted to celebrate.
But perhaps because he was too tired, the thought remained trapped in his mind. He felt so drowsy that he couldn't even open his mouth.
And so he drifted into a deep sleep.
"Finally asleep," Xiao Ai muttered, fiddling with the equipment at the Armored Research Center. "I thought Lord Mang like me had become a robot too, never needing to sleep."
Then he resumed his serious study of the instrument before him.
The words reappeared on the two screens on his cheeks.
The device had been disassembled and transported with extreme care to ensure it remained intact.
There were no issues.
He was meticulously inspecting each wire and pipe to confirm their integrity. The database contained information about the explosive risk associated with core energy. Before activation, a colored gas had to be used for a venting test to prevent an explosion.
"What a magnificent piece of equipment," he murmured.
"This thing can produce Tier 4 Iron Ore at its peak."
"Too bad the experiment was interrupted just a little too early. If they had managed to research the production of Tier 5 Iron Ore, the train conductor would have been ecstatic."
The train conductor had been in high spirits these past few days.
He couldn't contain his smile.
When the train conductor was happy, he was happy too.
"Brother," Biaozi said, his expression complex as he surveyed the surroundings of Residential District 1, "Lord Mang really can't keep building like this. Look at this place—it's got little bridges, flowing streams, and quaint houses. All it's missing are some sparrows. This isn't a residential district at all!"
"It's a damn villa district!"
"I never lived in such a luxurious place before the apocalypse. And now they get to live here after it?"
"Compared to this, our hard sleepers back in the carriage feel downright uncomfortable," he muttered.
It wasn't jealousy.
He genuinely wanted the residents to live well. After all, the harder they worked at mining, the stronger the train would become.
It was just...
Damn, they're living too well!
It was a good thing the train radio couldn't transmit photos or videos, and the slaves on other trains couldn't see the information on the Stellaris's train radio. Otherwise, if this scene were broadcast, countless Train Slaves would likely flee their trains and rush toward the Stellaris.
Of course, that was just talk.
In the high-level zone, slave revolts and escapes were virtually nonexistent.
First, many of the slaves in the high-level zone had been brought over from the low-level regions long ago. After so much time together, they had grown accustomed to their situation.
Second, this was the high-level zone.
Even if they managed to revolt and kill the train conductor, they couldn't inherit the train. They'd still be stuck waiting to die. Could they really pull out a train token and start their own train?
Even if Chen Mang, with his Tier 0 Authority, were tasked with establishing a Tier 1 train in a Blue Zone infested with Tier 12 monsters, he'd be tearing his hair out in frustration.
Not to mention escaping.
Leaving the train meant becoming walking protein, easy prey for any monster looking for a snack.
It was winter.
Perfect for surviving the cold.
"Relax," Old Pig said, unfazed. "The Stellaris is constantly evolving, and every aspect will improve. That includes more than just the train's combat strength."
"It also includes comfort for residents, work motivation, advancement opportunities, currency stability, and the preservation of the humanities."
"Haven't you noticed?"
"Lord Mang has always planned for the worst-case scenario."
"What scenario?"
"The sole preservation of human civilization." Old Pig paused before continuing. "If the apocalypse intensifies to the point where everyone here is doomed to die, the Stellaris will serve as the last vestige of human civilization, ensuring its survival and continuation."
"You mean..." Biaozi mused, "Lord Mang will eventually lift the birth control restrictions?"
Currently, no one on the Stellaris could conceive except for the livestock in Breeding Car 15. It wasn't a matter of lacking obstetricians—in the apocalypse, bringing a child into the world would be a cruel act.
The first words the child learned were: "Mom, look! Those are zombies!"
"Definitely," Old Pig nodded firmly. "The continuation of a race lies in reproduction. Humans get excited at the sight of flesh simply because of the genetic inheritance at work within us. That's just your brain rewarding you with dopamine."
"Otherwise, it's just two pieces of meat. What's there to get excited about?"
"Especially for children born on the Stellaris, they will become the backbone of the Stellaris's future."
"But not a restriction."
"The time required for cultivation is too long. I estimate it will take at least five years."
"That sounds like a long time," Biaozi said, fiddling with his fingers.
"It is, especially in the apocalypse. We can't even be sure we'll survive until then. Alright, get back to work."
"Wow!!!"
"Lord Mang is awesome! Lord Mang is awesome!!!"
As the residents filed back into the Resident Car in an orderly manner and entered the space gate residential district, they were immediately stunned by the scene before them. Their faces flushed with excitement, they raced towards the refrigerator dormitories!
This isn't a residential district at all. It's clearly a villa district.
Just as I thought.
Without relying on collective allocation, they'd never have lived in such housing in their lifetimes. Before the apocalypse, they couldn't have afforded it.
The female residents were especially thrilled because the dormitories were finally segregated by gender. Previously, there had been no such thing as separate male and female dorms; everyone had shared the same space.
In each dormitory corner, three Tier 1 Pure Water Filters served as toilets. The purified freshwater was piped directly to the bathhouse for residents to bathe.
Before, a single refrigerator housed over 200 residents, all sleeping on the floor.
But now—
A refrigerator held only 30 residents, providing much more space. No one had to sleep on the floor anymore; everyone had their own bed.
"This is amazing," a man murmured, lying on the soft bed, his eyes fixed on the ceiling with excitement. "It's been so long since I slept in a bed. It's so soft, it's almost unfamiliar."
He had previously worked on the Azure Dragon Train and had only recently transferred to the Stellaris. He had also happened to join during the train's reform.
Life conditions had improved severalfold. The Azure Dragon's accommodations were simply incomparable to this.
Most importantly, he had met his big brother on the Stellaris not long ago. They shared a dormitory, and their beds were right next to each other. This big brother, No. 789, was an old resident who had been with the Stellaris since its early days.
"Big brother!"
The man turned his head to the middle-aged man sitting on the bed and exclaimed excitedly, "When I came in just now, I saw two oxygen generators set up deep in the Residential District. Trainmaster Zhu said that as long as we don't close our dormitory door, the oxygen from those two generators will be enough for everyone in this space."
"How much energy do you think those two oxygen generators consume each day?"
"Lord Mang is so good to us. Is he really not losing money?"
"What if the train runs out of resources? Won't we all die too?"
"How would I know!" The middle-aged man rolled his eyes dismissively. "I've never been a train conductor. How would I know how much energy those two oxygen generators consume each day? I was just wondering if today counts as a good day."
"Of course it counts!"
"So, should we celebrate?"
"Naturally. Big Brother, how do you want to celebrate?"
"Go buy a pack of cigarettes. Let's smoke together."
"...?"
The man looked at the middle-aged man with a helpless expression. "Big Brother, I'm still only at Tier 3 Resident Benefits. I need First-Class Resident Status to start earning stellar coupons. I don't have any money."
"But Big Brother, this dormitory seems pretty comfortable. Do you really need to save up for your own refrigerator?"
"Of course! A man needs his own private space."
"This place... seems even better than the environment in Carriage 6 for Advanced Talent males."
The young man stood at the entrance of Residential District 1, peering inside. "What do you think, Uncle Li? They even have a rock garden with water flowing down it!"
"...?"
Uncle Li glanced disdainfully at Residential District 1. The environment was indeed nice, but what good was it? Living in Carriage 6 was a symbol of status! A symbol of talent!
After a casual glance around, he strode towards his Cultivation Car 15. His experiment had reached its final stage; he was only here to collect bandages from the Resident Store. Otherwise, he wouldn't have left his carriage at this crucial moment.
"Hey, Uncle Li, wait for me!"
Seeing Uncle Li leaving, the young man didn't linger and hurried after him.
Inside Breeding Car 15.
The young man stared at Uncle Li, who had a dozen cigarettes clamped in his mouth and was holding a car blade fragment, his scalp prickling with unease. He hesitated, "Maybe we should reconsider this? Lord Mang might not even really need your Zombie Grinding Cage."
Hmph.
Uncle Li took a deep breath, his face hardening as he turned to the young man. "I have no choice. The train's population is growing, and the Stellaris is thriving. I can't spend my whole life being called a pig farmer. I must rise above this! I must become a high-ranking official on the Stellaris, and I'm willing to pay any price to achieve that!"
He then clenched his jaw tightly around the dozen cigarettes. These were train-made cigarettes, known for their pain-relieving properties.
He immediately dropped his pants.
With a swift chop, the blade fell.
His body trembled violently from the excruciating pain, but he still managed to toss the severed organ to the young man. His forehead quickly broke out in a cold sweat as he urged urgently, "Hurry! Stitch it onto that zombie and see if it works!"
"Hurry!"
Three minutes later.
"Uncle Li, it's working!"
"Quickly take it off and bring it to me! Bring me the bandages and needle and thread so I can stitch it back on. Wait, you idiot, go wash it off first! Spray it with disinfectant!"
Ten minutes later.
Uncle Li, now reattached to his original organ, trembled as he picked up a dozen cigarettes without lighting them. He shoved them directly into his mouth and chewed them rapidly, trying to dull the pain.
His expression was one of extreme agony.
Yet his eyes shone with a strange light. His voice, hoarse from the intense pain, trembled with excitement as he rasped, "My theory was correct after all!"
"Zombies can reproduce, but only if you give them a good dick—one that fits perfectly. The bandages and needle and thread on this train are perfect for a seamless stitch."
"But..."
"Although those zombies have distinct male and female genders, the male zombie only gets a functional penis when facing a female zombie. After eating some Red Heart Nuts, it experiences a physiological response."
"That female zombie isn't attractive either."
"I suspect that while these zombies appear to be a single species, they may actually be divided into numerous distinct races. I need more zombie samples."
"Just give me enough zombie samples!"
"I'm certain I can create a Zombie Grinding Cage. I can feel it—I'm so close. It just feels like something's missing."
"..."
The young man looked at Uncle Li with a complex expression. "Uncle Li, no wonder you succeeded before the apocalypse. I think this money should go to people like you."
"I'd rather just be a simple town youth."
Huuu...
After a long while, the pain gradually subsided. Uncle Li sat back in his chair, stretched a few times to make sure the wound was completely sealed, then wiped the sweat from his brow and murmured softly,
"The path to success is always thorny."
"No one achieves success easily. Every hardship we face is a test of our mettle."
"Uncle Li."
"Hmm?"
The young man gave a thumbs-up, his eyes filled with admiration.
(End of the Chapter)
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