Translator: AnubisTL
Ten minutes later.
Chen Mang successfully reached the shop he had never entered before.
Flesh Train Parts Shop
The moment he pushed open the door, he heard the clear voice of the shop assistant by the entrance: "Sir, I apologize. This is the Flesh Train Parts Shop. $!!(@*&!! We extend a warm welcome to the esteemed Train Conductor of the Tier 1024 Flesh Train."
"Thank you," Chen Mang replied with a light laugh as he stepped inside. He casually glanced at the shelves on the first floor and waved his hand: "Package everything on the first floor. Ten times the price."
He moved to the second floor.
"Package everything. Ten times the price."
He reached the third floor.
"Package everything! Ten times the price!"
Swift and decisive, Chen Mang emerged from the shop in just a few minutes, followed by Zhang Yi and Zhang Er, who were carrying a refrigerator filled with their spoils.
Onward!
The looting continued unabated!
He had no intention of going to the Memory Bank.
While the Memory Bank offered experience in piloting mechs and close-quarters combat techniques, implanting memories required a certain level of mental power. Currently, only Li Shiji met the requirements. More importantly, memory implantation was harmful to the body, so it was best avoided whenever possible.
After circling the streets on his off-road motorcycle, Chen Mang turned toward the Sun City Entertainment City, still feeling somewhat unsatisfied.
The only places he could spend his money freely were the accessory shops and the Convenience Store.
The remaining shops were mostly service-oriented, primarily Customs Shops offering services he had no use for.
Half an hour later, Chen Mang strode into the casino and sat down at a gambling table. Without even glancing at the five billion chips he had just exchanged, he placed them all on the number "8" and turned to the dealer with a smile. "Let's play."
This was a fairly simple table.
Roulette.
There were 38 numbers. If he bet on the winning number, the casino paid out at 38:1. That meant if he bet a hundred million chips, he could win 3.8 billion. However, in reality, when he cashed out, he would only receive 3.5 billion.
The remaining funds were the casino's rake.
Chen Mang didn't care about winning or losing; he was just sitting there, idly playing for fun.
However...
When the dealer opened the betting round, the number displayed was precisely 8.
The dealer standing behind the table paused in confusion for a moment before speaking. "Sir, congratulations! You've won 19 billion Chips. I don't think we have that many Chips in the casino."
"Um, I'll go ask the Leader."
"No need to ask."
Chen Mang casually tossed the Chips in his hand to Biaozi and the others. "You guys play here. Xiao Ai, come upstairs with me."
Upstairs, in the presidential suite, Chen Mang returned to the familiar spot. The bodyguards at the door bowed respectfully as he approached, then pushed open the door. Inside, Sister Qi, wearing a deep red evening gown, stood holding a glass of red wine, her expression complex as she looked at him.
"I didn't expect you to be back so soon."
"Where did you get those 5 billion Chips? The casino doesn't even have that much money. You're about to crash the whole place!"
Chen Mang walked straight to the sofa and sat down before casually pulling a cigarette from the pack on the table and lighting it. "A casino that can't even come up with 10 billion? That's a pretty trash casino."
"This place has been abandoned for a long time. We have chips, plenty of them—enough for a trillion. But the casino's books only show 26 million left."
"Not enough to redeem the chips."
"No problem."
Chen Mang waved his hand dismissively, then turned to Wang Qi with a smile. "Consider it a gift. How have you been sleeping these past two months?"
"Not bad."
Wang Qi tilted her head and looked at Xiao Ai, who was standing silently nearby. "Who's this? I haven't seen such a primitive robot in ages. It doesn't even seem capable of basic facial expressions."
Xiao Ai remained expressionless, but two words flashed across the screen on his face:
"Slut."
"He's insulting people?"
"He may be physically primitive, but his intelligence level far surpasses yours," Chen Mang said seriously, turning to Wang Qi. "Do you remember what I told you before?"
"That you'd take control of this city and make me the head of three entertainment cities."
"I'm back now."
"I've taken control of this city. I've checked, and it's powered by an 8th-Tier Energy Stone with 37% capacity remaining. According to Xiao Ai's information, this should be enough to keep the entire city running normally for 217 years without entering sleep mode."
"From today onward, no one in this city will enter hibernation. I'll grant you high-level permissions, allowing you to control all the city's robots."
"Only a few shops are currently open. Most are closed."
"My first mission for you is this: relocate all open shops in Neon City to the vicinity of Sun City. This includes the Memory Bank, the Mechanical Train Parts Store, and all others. I want this area to become a bustling commercial district, with every shop open for business."
"I want it to be lively and bustling. If any guests arrive, you must treat them as well as possible and prevent them from wandering into other zones."
"Really?"
A flicker of light flashed in Wang Qi's eyes, her expression one of disbelief. "No more hibernation? But that means our energy will only last for 217 years."
"That's enough," Chen Mang nodded silently. An 8th-Tier Energy Stone required 5 billion units of iron ore—it was damn expensive!
He wasn't even sure if he'd live to see 217 years from now. If he did, he certainly wouldn't be short on 5 billion units of iron ore by then; he could just replenish it. If he didn't live that long, what was the point of saving? He'd just spend it lavishly.
"No problem," Wang Qi said, a strange light in her eyes as she studied the young man sitting before her. She hadn't expected him to return just two months later and forcefully seize control of the city.
"Aren't you afraid of the city's original owner?"
"Why not ask if he fears me?" Chen Mang chuckled, waving Xiao Ai to wait outside. He then walked over to Wang Qi, gazing down at the woman in his arms, gently caressing her red lips as he whispered, "This city is very important to me. If you do well, you'll be richly rewarded."
"After all, it's the only Tier 4 Smart Chip in Neon City."
"Don't disappoint me."
"As for now..."
"I like your deep crimson evening gown."
Wang Qi, sitting on the sofa with eyes as soft as water, looked up at Chen Mang. She slowly leaned her head against him and whispered, "Thank you, master."
An hour later.
Chen Mang led Biaozi and the others out of the casino. Instead of riding their off-road motorcycles, they strode down the street, Chen Mang outlining his plans for the future to Xiao Ai.
"First step," he said. "Shrink the business district. Neon City is too vast. We don't need the entire city right now. We only need a small portion, centered around Sun City. Move all the shops there."
"Second step," he continued. "Didn't we find the 'Neon City Free Entry Ticket Production Line' on the second floor of that factory? Produce a massive batch of these tickets and distribute them for free to every train conductor we encounter."
"Third step," he concluded. "Completely replace this city's monetary system with 'Stellar Coupons.' Set up the city's spawning area in the plaza in front of Sun City's gates. Establish several shops in the plaza where train conductors can exchange resources like iron ore and copper ore for Stellar Coupons."
"Let the train conductors use their resources to exchange for stellar coupons, then spend them at the shops."
"Excellent plan," Xiao Ai nodded admiringly. "There's just one small problem: we've already cleared out both the Mechanical Train Parts Store and the Flesh Train Parts Shop. What will customers buy when they arrive?"
"Just put the useless stuff back later, won't you?" Chen Mang rolled his eyes. He'd gotten too excited earlier and bought everything he could see. Now he had to restock the shelves—it was a bit embarrassing.
"And we should also sell some of our train's specialties."
"For example, I have a special item called the Cosmic Pouch. It creates a personal pocket dimension, but our train's Space Pouch can do the exact same thing at a fraction of the cost."
"We can sell refrigerators too."
"And those foods with overpowered effects—Cola, bread slices, and so on."
"Simple First-Aid Kits, mechs... we can sell all of that."
"We could also offer knowledge-based products."
"For example, we could sell information about the overpowered effects of the Doomsday Cannon at Tier 5, Tier 10, and Tier 20. Someone is bound to want to know this. Before using the Murphy Stone, no one knew what the subsequent overpowered effects would be. We could sell this information at a reasonable price—keep it cheap, or people will just resell it secondhand."
"And then there's the casino."
"The casino is another excellent way to make money. But we'll eliminate betting against the house. All guests will only be able to bet against each other, and the casino will simply take a cut."
"Next, we'll design a 'New Customer Referral Reward.'"
"For instance, if a train conductor enters Neon City through a Neon City Entry Ticket gifted by another train conductor, both parties will receive a referral reward. This will create a viral spread effect among our guests."
"We'll also return to the Iron Ridge Wasteland and distribute Neon City Entry Tickets to every train passing through those zones. As these trains travel to other zones, they'll carry our entry tickets with them."
"This planet is big enough!"
"With a staggering 50 million trains, just 100,000 entering our Neon City would generate an astronomical profit."
"The amount of iron ore we can mine is inherently limited!"
"Neon City is a game-breaking existence. It not only facilitates Cross-Regional Trade but also Cross-Regional Communication. I will make this the Holy Land in every train conductor's heart!"
"For example, if a train is being pursued or faces danger, the conductor can even post a rescue mission here, summoning train conductors from the local zone to come to their aid!"
"And..."
Chen Mang spoke with fervent enthusiasm, his hands gesturing wildly in the air, saliva flying as his eyes gleamed with excitement. It was as if he could already see the glorious Neon City of the future before him.
Xiao Ai silently took notes nearby.
Biaozi watched Lord Mang's back with a wide, admiring grin.
He didn't understand most of what Chen Mang was saying.
But he could tell Lord Mang was incredibly impressive.
And...
It seemed like trains would soon be bringing a steady stream of iron ore here. Previously, they had only traded with trains from a single zone. But if this plan succeeded, after a period of incubation, their train would be able to trade with trains from many different zones.
After the apocalypse.
The planet was divided into countless zones, each with its own unique train system. However, in Neon City, trains from all zones could meet and gather.
Sometimes, he felt incredibly lucky to have ended up following Lord Mang.
Sun City.
Standing by the floor-to-ceiling window of a skyscraper, Wang Qi watched Chen Mang's receding figure on the street below with a complex expression. When he first told her about this plan two months ago, she had thought it was insane.
Two months later, he had accomplished his "insane" plan.
And now, he had an even crazier one.
This man truly dared to dream big.
And he dared to act on those dreams.
After a long moment, a slight smile curved her lips as she spread her arms to bask in the warm sunlight. She was finally free from her long slumber, and she had a new job and a new master.
For years, she had been locked in a bitter power struggle with the other two managers of the entertainment city.
In the end...
She had suddenly and inexplicably emerged victorious, without any warning.
That's what happened when you hitched your wagon to a powerful figure. There was no other way.
Chen Mang continued walking and talking, his mind racing. He spoke whatever came to mind, mainly providing direction while leaving the more detailed work to his subordinates.
For example, pricing goods.
The exchange rate between resource mines and stellar coupons.
The amount and specific procedures for new customer rewards.
This wasn't something that could be done overnight.
They would need to wait until they returned to the train to plan a near-perfect SOP together, then continuously adjust it based on feedback in the days to come.
Crushing the Neon City Free Entry Ticket granted access to the city for up to 48 hours, with the option to leave early—a significant upgrade over the Neon City Entry Ticket, which didn't allow early departure.
The Neon City Free Entry Ticket production line was located inside the factory, resembling a train accessory but not installed on the train itself. It consumed an 8th-Tier Energy Stone, but the consumption was negligible, almost imperceptible. There was no need to worry about it.
"Whew."
Chen Mang finally finished outlining all his plans after an unknown amount of walking. He accepted a bottle of water from Biaozi, moistened his dry lips, lit a cigarette, and stood on the street corner, gazing at the brightly lit city in the distance with a light chuckle.
"If my life had an autobiography," he mused, "this would be a major turning point."
From this day forward, he was fully in control of the means of production. His development speed would be many times faster than if he had toilingly mined resources on his train.
Progress would be slow at first, but once things got going, the profits would be unimaginable.
(End of the Chapter)
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