Translator: AnubisTL
"Is the soup good?"
Uncle Li slumped into his chair, his body trembling slightly. He lit a cigarette and took a drag, pausing for a moment before turning his complex gaze toward the young man beside him. "Do you know why I succeeded before the apocalypse?"
"Because you worked hard."
"No, because the era was improving."
Uncle Li shook his head. "When the era is improving, your efforts are like running on a speeding train. You might feel like you're running hard, but it's the train itself that's truly propelling you forward. Many people attribute the era's benefits to their own hard work."
"Actually..."
"Hard work is only a small factor in determining success. The larger factor is whether the train beneath you is speeding forward or moving backward."
"This was true before the apocalypse, and it remains true afterward."
"The reason I can now use these unorthodox methods to try and get ahead is because I'm on the Stellaris. If I were on any other train, I wouldn't have the space to research things like Zombie Grinding Cages. I'd still be mining."
"That's why I understand this better than you."
"If you don't seize the opportunity in the early stages of a train's rapid growth, you'll never get another chance."
"This is the time for drastic measures—think what others wouldn't dare to, do what others wouldn't dare to."
"The early stages are often the best time for chaotic growth."
"Do you understand?"
The young man nodded seriously. "Yes, Uncle Li. You are the train beneath me."
"..."
After a moment of silence, Uncle Li sighed wearily. "Fine, then."
"Bring me paper and pen. I'll dictate, and you record the data."
That night, the residents of the Stellaris train were too excited to sleep. The train's explosive growth had led to an unprecedented surge in their happiness index, making it difficult for them to adjust.
Meanwhile, in a corner of the Zombie Basin, a Tier 8 Mechanical Train slowly came to a halt. The locomotive cabin door opened, and a middle-aged man stepped out, his gaze fixed on the three cigars planted in the ground.
They were almost perfectly intact, with only the tips showing signs of having been lit.
Cigars, unlike cigarettes, extinguish themselves if not puffed after being lit.
"What's this?"
The middle-aged man pulled the three cigars from the soil with a puzzled expression. His face twisted into a strange grimace. "Using cigars as incense? What a waste! Are they really that extravagant?"
Only then did he finally stick a cigar in his mouth, lower his head, and light it with a lighter. He then exhaled a long, satisfied breath.
"No matter who this incense was offered to," he muttered. "I'll accept it on their behalf."
Daylight gradually broke.
A new day had dawned.
Chen Mang, still half-asleep in his chair, blinked awake. After washing up, he accepted the millet porridge and pickled mustard Xiao Fang offered. He took a sip, then sat down to review the Train Log, speaking as he did so.
"Where did this millet porridge come from?"
"We found some millet during our last trip to the city to gather supplies. Old Pig had the cook prepare it last night. It simmered all night, so it should be quite fragrant."
"The pickled mustard is what was left over from the train's previous meals."
"Mm."
Chen Mang nodded, sipping the porridge from the bowl's edge and picking up a piece of pickled mustard to eat. "I don't like hot food. Next time, let the millet porridge cool to lukewarm before serving it. You can have the rest of the pot."
"Alright, Lord Mang."
...
Inside the locomotive cabin, Chen Mang sat in his chair, having eaten his fill. He lit a cigarette and gazed out the window at the desolate landscape, casually resting his feet on the window's edge. The monsters in Crisis Valley were far fewer than he'd expected, perhaps because he was on the periphery. So far, he hadn't encountered a single high-grade monster, only Tier 6 or 7 grunts.
He hadn't even seen a Tier 10 monster.
Dawn had just broken.
It was midwinter, and a bone-chilling wind whipped across the train's roof, seeping through the open window. Wrapped in a blanket, Chen Mang found the contrast quite comfortable. He enjoyed this interplay of hot and cold—like curling up in bed with the window open in winter, or snuggling under a thick blanket with the Air Conditioner running in summer.
After a moment of contemplation, he turned his attention back to the train panel.
Yesterday, he had spent tens of millions of units of iron ore to upgrade every aspect of the train's overall capabilities to their absolute limits. Whether it was attack, defense, or living conditions, the Resident Car now had two carriages.
That would be the maximum. No more would be added for the foreseeable future. For now, it was more than enough.
Even if more survivors arrived, it wouldn't matter.
But...
The mine was only so big. No matter how many survivors there were, it wouldn't increase production efficiency.
When he had just 100 survivors, adding another 100 doubled production efficiency. But when he had 5,000 survivors, adding another 5,000 wouldn't increase production much at all—maybe enough for two shifts.
And the mine couldn't withstand such intensive excavation anyway.
Just then—
The train radio in the locomotive cabin suddenly began flashing red.
"Oh?"
Chen Mang, who had been about to upgrade other accessories, paused. A flicker of anticipation crossed his eyes. He wondered what good news his Travel Frog had brought back this time. He suddenly realized that the Travel Frog's purpose wasn't just to bring back resources; it also provided emotional value.
At least he now eagerly anticipated what his two Travel Frogs would bring back each day.
Travel Frog: "Lord Mang, I've discovered an unmined Tier 4 Iron Ore!"
Stellaris: "Send me the coordinates. Anything else?"
Travel Frog: "Nothing."
Stellaris: "If there's a Tier 4 Iron Ore mine there that hasn't been exploited, it must be extremely well hidden. There should be other mines nearby."
Travel Frog: "Not really hidden. There's a train right next to it mining Tier 3 Iron Ore."
Stellaris: "So you're saying they're ignoring the Tier 4 Ore and mining the Tier 3 Ore?"
Travel Frog: "Yeah, but that train is currently sending me a private warning to leave immediately."
Stellaris: "Understood. Go back to what you were doing."
...
Chen Mang narrowed his eyes, pulling his gaze from the train radio. Suddenly, something clicked in his memory. Back in the Zombie Basin, he had stumbled upon a hidden opportunity: a safe buried deep underground.
Inside, he found a Tier 4 Red Heart Rock Mine Refresh Token and the blue-grade Mecha Blueprint "Thunder."
These two treasures had ensured the train's mecha freedom for a long time. They never ran out of Red Heart Rock, and they still hadn't used it all up.
At the time, he hadn't given it much thought.
He'd simply assumed the two were a matching set, ensuring the train wouldn't run out of materials for building mechas.
But now, it suddenly struck him: the Pickaxe Production Line was a green-grade Accessory, meaning it could only be upgraded to Tier 3 at most. The Tier 3 pickaxes it produced could only mine Tier 3 Ore, not Tier 4 Ore.
Neither the 4th Tier Red Heart Rock Mine nor the Tier 4 Iron Ore Erdan had discovered could be mined by a normal train.
To mine Tier 4 Iron Ore, the Pickaxe Production Line had to be upgraded to Tier 4 using a murphy stone.
Clearly, the train parked next to the Tier 4 Iron Ore must have run out of murphy stones. The train was now in a desperate situation, constantly shooing away other trains that approached the ore, unable to mine it themselves. The train was practically tearing its hair out in frustration.
"..."
Chen Mang's expression was slightly odd. He could certainly understand the urgency. Just thinking about it made him anxious. If he were in the same situation, he'd probably be just as desperate. But this person was lucky to have encountered him. Chen Mang was always kind-hearted.
Immediately, a message was pinned to the top of the train radio chat:
Stellaris: "Selling Murphy Stone, limited to one per purchase. Price: 2 million units of iron ore. Firm price, remote transaction available."
Soon after, several replies flooded the train radio:
"Are you crazy? Trying to sell a Murphy Stone like it's a family heirloom?"
"That price is ridiculous. No one will buy it."
"Is that the point? Shouldn't the focus be on why his message is pinned with a colored border? Did he buy VIP status?"
"Hey, didn't you guys buy the First Recharge Pack before the apocalypse? The 9.9 pack gave you a blue-grade accessory and a train token. The 648 Noble Pack included a Rare Train Token and 100 Murphy Stones, and there was a separate 648 Resource Mega Pack with 10 million units each of iron ore, copper ore, and wood."
"Huh? Are you serious or just joking? I always thought we were all on the same starting line. Why do you have a First Recharge Pack?"
"That guy who mentioned the First Recharge Pack earlier is a Tier 11 Train. It doesn't sound like he's lying."
"I'm starting to believe it, honestly. I've encountered so many opportunities along the way, yet I'm still only a Tier 10 Train. There are so many higher-Tier trains out there. I suspect they're all using cheats."
"Huh?"
Chen Mang glanced at the train radio with slight surprise. He wondered if it was because of the zone, but the people here seemed noticeably more friendly.
Could it be that with the Regional Crisis level lowered, the intense competition had eased, leading to greater camaraderie?
It was possible.
Buying a murphy stone for 2 million units of iron was out of the question. While rare, it wasn't worth that much.
But...
There wasn't a fixed market price for it. The supply was so limited that most people who had it kept it for themselves rather than selling it. For rare commodities like this, the price was usually determined by the urgency of the buyer's need.
Two million units of iron ore might seem like a lot.
But for a train desperate to mine Tier 4 Iron Ore, it was nothing. A Tier 4 Iron Mine could easily yield eight or nine million units of iron ore.
The train was still undergoing repairs, and the coordinates were too far away. He decided not to go for now, but that guy definitely needed the Murphy Stone.
Nine million versus two million.
The choice was clear.
As expected, a train conductor soon came knocking to inquire about the price.
"One million units of iron ore. Remote transaction confirmed. Deal now."
"No rush to sell. Two million. I'll wait for the right buyer."
"...One point five million."
"Two million."
"One point seven million, Brother. You know the market price for Murphy Stones. Honestly, one million units of iron ore is already an overpayment. I bought one before for six hundred thousand units."
"I know. I'm waiting for the right buyer. No rush. Two million is my final price."
"1.88, just for good luck." (88 is a lucky number in Chinese because 88 (bā bā) sounds like (fā fā) which can be interpreted as 'wealth wealth')
"Alright, deal."
As the Heavenly Balance materialized on the control panel, the remote transaction concluded. Another Murphy Stone vanished from the train, leaving only 17 remaining.
"High-level zones are still the best," Chen Mang thought contentedly, settling into his chair with a satisfied grin. He sent Erdan a message, asking him to check if anyone was currently mining the Tier 4 Iron Ore. In the low-level regions, he knew he'd never sell a Murphy Stone for 1.88 million units of iron ore in a lifetime. Buyers simply wouldn't have the funds, no matter how much they wanted it.
He had originally aimed for 2 million.
He knew that even if he demanded 2 million, the other party would have to buy it. They had no other choice. Trying to find another buyer at a gathering, on the train radio, or through a fortuitous encounter map would take too long. By the time they returned, the opportunity would be long gone.
He agreed to 1.88 million because he found the number auspicious.
In the high-level zones, a certain unspoken rule prevailed, especially among miners: All mines operate on a first-come, first-served basis.
This wasn't a matter of etiquette or regulation, but a fundamental law of survival. After all, most trains were high-attack, low-defense vessels. If you tried to steal a mine from a Tier 10 Train, Tier 11 Train, or even a Tier 13 train, you'd be crushed in an instant. Even a Tier 1 Train or Tier 3 train could easily wipe out a Tier 3 Iron Mine.
The only way to survive was to follow the established order.
Chen Mang had learned this lesson the hard way. He'd once tried to steal a Tier 4 Ore mine from a Tier 8 Mechanical Train. The result? His Tier 4 Red Heart Rock Mine was completely destroyed, and he barely escaped with his life.
Now, he understood the importance of respecting the first-come, first-served principle.
He had once been a reckless young man, but after experiencing the harsh realities of the high-level zones, he had matured. He now knew that in this world, only the strong survived.
He had already sent Erdan a message to check on the Tier 4 Iron Ore mine. If no one was mining it, he would immediately send Erdan to claim it.
He had no intention of letting this opportunity slip through his fingers.
He knew that if he didn't act quickly, someone else would snatch it up.
He had to secure this mine before anyone else could.
He had to act now.
He had to move fast.
He had to be decisive.
He had to be ruthless.
He had to be the first.
He had to be the strongest.
He had to be the one who survived.
He had to be the one who thrived.
He had to be the one who conquered.
He had to be the one who ruled.
He had to be the one who became divine.
That's the unspoken rule: "All mines operate on a first-come, first-served basis."
This isn't etiquette or a regulation.
It's a survival principle.
After all, most trains are high-attack, low-defense machines. When you attack a train, it's likely to retaliate simultaneously. Neither can withstand the other's assault, resulting in mutual destruction or both trains being crippled.
In this environment, almost everyone adheres to this unspoken rule.
After all, most trains that make it to this zone understand one thing:
In this world, no opportunity, no matter how great, is more important than survival. Everyone has become more cautious, and these basic survival principles help maintain a semblance of order in this chaotic, lawless zone.
It's worth noting that flesh trains are extremely rare in this zone, only one-twentieth the number of mechanical trains.
"We can't keep upgrading the Pickaxe Production Line with murphy stones forever, can we?"
Chen Mang quickly scrolled through the train radio, reviewing the train conductors' chat logs from the past few days. Not every train had the opportunity to obtain murphy stones. This meant that after leveling up a few more tiers—perhaps to Tier 11, Tier 12, or Tier 13—new mining accessories should become available.
These accessories would be of a higher grade, ensuring that even trains without murphy stones could extract High-Grade Ore. He couldn't simply leave this batch of trains stuck.
Although trains in this zone had a much higher chance of obtaining murphy stones than those in low-level regions, Chen Mang found no useful information in the logs. They were mostly filled with idle chatter.
He turned his gaze from the train radio back to the train panel. Currently, the train still had—
16.54 million units of iron ore.
After upgrading the Resident Car, the space gate, the various plants and flowers, and building an additional 100 Tier 10 Refrigerators, the total cost had only been a million units. Adding in the extra income he had just earned, the train's iron ore reserves were back up to 16.54 million units.
He suddenly understood why the wealthy always seemed to have endless money: they simply had enough of it.
(End of the Chapter)
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