Translator: AnubisTL
Chen Mang paused before pointing to the time displayed on the control panel screen and saying softly, "Doba, from the moment you entered the temporal rift until you returned to the locomotive cabin, a total of 3 minutes and 27 seconds passed."
"Three minutes?"
"There must be a difference in the flow of time," Xiao Ai, standing nearby, interjected.
Soon, Doba finished recounting everything he had experienced.
"..."
After listening, Chen Mang remained silent, leaning back in his chair with his knuckles rhythmically tapping the table. A fortuitous encounter map? The end of the temporal rift was a fortuitous encounter map? And he had encountered other train conductors?
So...
Could the temporal rift be understood as a gateway to certain fortuitous encounter maps?
But not an official entrance, more like a clandestine smuggling route?
After a long moment, he shook his head, looked at the others, stood up, and smiled. "We've found an answer to the temporal rift, though it may not be the final one. At least we have a preliminary solution."
"Now, let's give a round of applause to our pioneers for this exploration!"
"It's precisely because of their existence that the Stellaris can continue to advance."
Loud applause erupted in the locomotive cabin.
Doba, who had been about to say more, paused when he heard the applause, saw Lord Mang's approving gaze, and felt the admiration in Biaozi and the others' eyes. He straightened his posture instinctively, his lips splitting into a wide grin that stretched to his ears.
"It's only right, only right," he stammered.
"Old Pig, remember to record the deeds of Doba and that man—those who dared to be pioneers—and publicize them widely."
"Understood."
None of the items Doba had brought back were accessories. They were fragments of steel, seemingly salvaged from discarded machinery. Xiao Ai had taken them to the Armored Research Center for study.
Meanwhile—
The temporal rift in front of the Stellaris train was visibly shrinking, slowly closing until it vanished completely.
The next moment!
Beep beep beep
The familiar sound echoed through the cabin once more. The target acquisition radar reactivated, revealing all the hidden figures in the city ruins.
Just as he suspected.
The reason the city's signal jamming was so severe was due to the presence of this temporal rift.
"..."
Chen Mang glanced at the target acquisition radar screen, which displayed over ten thousand survivors. His eyebrow arched slightly. He hadn't expected so many survivors to be hiding in the city.
Guard Car No. 7's door immediately opened, and Biaozi and the others filed out once more to gather supplies. This time, the task was much simpler. Guided by Xiao Ai, it was like they had a full-map cheat enabled.
He had no intention of taking these survivors with him.
These survivors had likely been hiding since the apocalypse. Taking them now would likely provoke strong resistance. He didn't want to deal with such emotions. The Stellaris already had enough residents.
If new residents were to be added, they would have to be slaves from other trains.
Only after experiencing the contrast could these people truly appreciate how good life on the Stellaris was compared to the apocalypse, and only then could they better integrate into the train.
Three hours later...
The Stellaris began its return journey, accelerating to its maximum speed of 5,040 kilometers per hour. It began recklessly sweeping through the Stone Man Zone, its target acquisition radar constantly scanning for the Grin and Bear It Train.
The Stellaris hadn't forgotten about that cheating scoundrel.
Though the zone was vast, finding a single train at the Stellaris's speed wouldn't take long.
Sweep through every point!
"Tier 4 Iron Ore, Tier 4 Copper Ore..."
The resource detection radar occasionally picked up Tier 4 Ore deposits, either untouched or currently being mined. Tier 4 Ore appeared frequently in the Purple Zone, making them relatively easy to find. A single deposit typically yielded 10 million units of iron ore.
Only in zones of this caliber could defensive components be upgraded.
But even that seemed daunting.
After all, anyone trying to maintain a large number of train carriages or upgrade their accessories would face upgrade costs measured in the hundreds of millions.
The train didn't stop.
It simply marked the locations of these deposits.
The search for the Grin and Bear It Train continued.
About two and a half hours later...
Found it.
On the target acquisition radar screen, the Grin and Bear It Train was stationary in the wilderness, seemingly taking a break. Its speed was gradually slowing as it approached, no longer intending to ram head-on. At this speed, the drill could shatter the train like glass!
But...
His external accessories couldn't withstand such an impact.
He only had a few hundred thousand iron ore left. He'd better use copper ore instead—he still had nearly 20 million units of it!
Soon, the Grin and Bear It Train's accessory information appeared on the control panel screen.
Tier 14 Mechanical Train:
Highest Defensive Component: Tier 11 Star Ring Energy Shield
Highest Offensive Component: One Tier 14 Comet Main Cannon
Special Accessory: Red-Tier Accessory "Spacetime Leap," activatable once per day. Upon activation, a portal will appear in front of the train, teleporting it to any corner of the current zone.
Overall Threat Rating: Zero
With only a few thousand meters separating them, the Stellaris train slowly came to a halt without any warning. Nine Doomsday Cannons locked onto the train ahead. Amidst the roaring thunder, a storm of shells arced gracefully through the afternoon sun, enveloping the target.
Then—
A panel appeared on the control panel screen:
Detecting incoming firepower. Estimated arrival in one second.
Attack Intensity: Tier 14.
Recommended Action: Ignore.
The next moment!
A crimson beam of light, several meters wide, shot directly from the Grinning Jaws train and slammed heavily against the Stellaris's armor.
"Warning, warning!"
"Vehicle Audio System integrity reduced to 12%. Powerful magnet integrity reduced to 22%. Headlight integrity reduced to 9%. Mechanical Tentacles integrity reduced to..."
Meanwhile, the Stellaris's shells had all missed, crashing into the ground and kicking up dust and flames.
The other train vanished.
It simply disappeared from its spot, leaving no trace behind.
"Damn," Chen Mang muttered.
Chen Mang stared at the data flashing across the control panel screen, slightly stunned. This was the first time he'd ever failed. What shocked him most was the Red-Tier Accessory, the Comet Main Cannon. Its attack method was simply awesome!
A crimson light beam fully five or six meters wide!
If he used this thing to fight a boss, one shot would pierce right through them!
It was far more effective than his Doomsday Cannon. The attack power against bosses was on a completely different level. He hadn't upgraded the accessory earlier because he didn't have enough iron ore.
Now, he was tempted.
But damn it, couldn't he find a way to protect his damn external accessories?!
Every battle, the powerful magnet and that blasted Audio System were always the first to get damaged!
Besides energy shields, was there no other way?
"Repair!"
Chen Mang glanced at the line on the screen: "Repairing all components requires 168,000 units of iron ore. Proceed?" After muttering a curse under his breath, he steered the Stellaris train back onto the wasteland, continuing the search for the escaped train.
"Spacetime Leap."
"What are these Red-Tier Accessories? Where did he get them? They're amazing. I wonder if I can dismantle them."
He had already devoured the Tier 1 locomotive that had been exploring the temporal rift, and the Built-in Space Stabilizer had been reinstalled on the Stellaris.
"Damn it!"
Inside the Grin and Bear It Train, the elderly man stared grimly at the information flashing across the control panel screen. Tier 16 shells? That guy's Doomsday Cannon was Tier 16, and he had more than one!
They had no reason to be enemies.
Why had he attacked without a word?
Fortunately, he had used Spacetime Leap to escape. Otherwise, he would have been finished. Could it be a bounty?
He found it hard to believe. When he left Neon City, he had seen the casino had placed a bounty on him, but he hadn't taken it seriously. He had only worried Neon City wouldn't give him a fair exchange, but the transaction had gone smoothly without any issues.
As for the bounty, he had dismissed it as a joke.
He was a Tier 14 Mechanical Train. Who would risk provoking him for a mere 2 million stellar coupons worth of iron ore?
Have they even calculated how much resources a single battle would cost?
The resources consumed in a Tier 14 Train battle far exceed this amount. No one would make such a losing trade.
But that train had suddenly attacked him without any warning. Could it really have accepted a bounty? They must be insane! The barrage of shells you just fired cost at least a million units of copper ore!
An hour later.
Sitting in the locomotive cabin of the Stellaris, Chen Mang chuckled. He had spotted the Grin and Bear It Train again on his target acquisition radar. Run, run! This zone is so small, where can you possibly go?
And they're even cheating!
So you think having a special item makes you invincible, huh?
The Doomsday Cannon locked on once more, and nearly a thousand shells once again tore through the sky, enveloping the train in a metallic storm!
Spacetime Leap can only be used once a day. They can't escape this time.
In the next moment, flames erupted skyward. The train's locomotive was instantly pulverized, while the remaining carriages, propelled by inertia, rolled a short distance before slowly coming to a halt.
The Stellaris leisurely pulled up nearby.
Guard Car No. 7 opened, and Biaozi and his team once again expertly jumped out to begin clearing the battlefield. This was their specialty.
"First team, fan out from Carriage No. 2. Third team, secure the rear carriages. Second team, provide fire support."
Biaozi, piloting the "Thunder" mech, slowly approached the burning train, his eyes filled with caution. This was an expanded train, with carriages boasting a seven-meter-high interior.
Soon, the first team reached the severed end of Carriage No. 2. The train head was long gone, with the armored pilot leading the way, followed by the rest of the squad armed with Giant Wave Gatlings.
Just as they reached the break—before they could even assess the situation inside Carriage No. 2—Biaozi suddenly spotted three heavy machine guns on the carriage roof, their barrels trained on them and already beginning to rotate rapidly. His face contorted in anger as he roared, "Plan 6!"
Without hesitation, he stomped his foot and leaped into the air, his giant axe cleaving through the air toward the roaring heavy machine guns on the ceiling!
Built-in Security System!
"President Ai, the train conductor isn't dead!"
Biaozi, who had reacted instantly to destroy the three heavy machine guns, shouted from his mech's cockpit. If the train conductor were dead, all the train's accessories would be rendered useless, turning it into scrap metal.
The Built-in Security System could only still be functioning if the train conductor was still alive.
The heavy machine guns fired Tier 3 Bullets.
His mecha was completely unfazed.
But the First Squad Members behind him had no mecha armor to protect them. He quickly turned to check on them, and seeing them safely huddled inside the refrigerator as per Plan 6, with no casualties, he finally breathed a sigh of relief.
At that moment, President Ai's voice crackled through his ear.
"Carriage No. 3 is a disguised locomotive. Evacuate immediately!"
"Yes, sir!"
At the same time—
The Doomsday Cannon atop the train immediately locked onto the Stellaris guards nearby and unleashed a furious barrage. However, having received President Ai's warning, they had already taken shelter inside the refrigerators, emerging unscathed.
The target acquisition radar showed that these refrigerators possessed defenses equivalent to Train Armor.
The puny Doomsday Cannon stood no chance of breaking through.
The Stellaris train's Doomsday Cannon quickly targeted Carriage No. 3, unleashing a devastating barrage of its own!
The next moment—
"BOOM!!!"
A deafening explosion ripped across the wasteland. The Grinning Jaws train, consisting of six carriages, had chosen to self-destruct. A massive fireball erupted into the sky, sending countless shards of steel flying in all directions.
Chen Mang instantly killed the dozen or so zombies that had rushed over to join the chaos.
Several refrigerators and mechs soared into the air like kites with broken strings.
"..."
In the locomotive cabin, Chen Mang silently watched the massive fireball and the black smoke billowing into the sky. The explosion had reduced the Audio System he had just repaired to 78% functionality.
This was the most powerful train self-detonation he had ever witnessed.
Did the self-detonation power increase with the train's Tier?
This mission had been a complete waste. Nearly all the slaves on the train were dead, making it impossible for any survivors. The resources were undoubtedly pulverized. But those were secondary concerns. Most importantly, Biaozi was severely injured, and there was no iron ore on the train to treat him.
"Xiao Ai, contact Old Pig and have him return to Neon City to retrieve 1 million units of iron ore."
"Yes, sir!"
Only then did Chen Mang walk towards Carriage No. 2 with a grim expression. By this time, all the guards had crushed their train tickets to return to Guard Car No. 7. They were anxiously carrying Biaozi towards the medical pod in Carriage No. 2.
Although this would mess up the accounts, a living person couldn't possibly be suffocated by their own urine.
Soon after—
Lord Mang saw Biaozi, his body riddled with steel fragments and his legs completely gone, reduced to a half-human torso. Blood gushed from his mouth as he struggled to speak: "Mang... Mang..."
"Enough, don't talk," Chen Mang said, his face grim, waving his hand. "Quickly carry him into the medical bay. Old Pig has gone to Neon City to fetch iron ore. We'll give him a few shots of cardiac stimulant in a moment."
He glanced at the treatment cost: "357,000 units of iron ore." It wasn't expensive, but the train didn't have any.
Biaozi looked terrible, but with the cardiac stimulant, he wouldn't die anytime soon. As long as Old Pig brought back the iron ore, he could be easily healed.
"Mang..."
Biaozi seemed anxious, struggling to sit up in the medical bay. He realized his arms were useless, but continued to tremble weakly: "Grandpa Mang..."
"Relax, as long as I'm here, you won't die."
"Mang..."
"Stop talking. Talking will kill you faster."
"Bingbing... box!"
Just then—
Old Pig returned carrying a refrigerator, his face flushed with urgency. "Lord Mang is back! I was worried we wouldn't have enough, so I brought back 2 million units of iron ore."
The next moment!
The medical pod's lid closed, and a torrent of nutrient solution flooded out, completely submerging Biaozi.
Three minutes later, the medical pod reopened. Biaozi, now draped in several tattered rags, stood up again. After stretching his limbs, he leaped out of the medical bay and knelt on one knee, his expression solemn. "Thank you, Lord Mang, for saving my life. But, Lord Mang... next time, could you let me finish speaking?"
"I wanted to say that Old Pig didn't need to go back. I found the storage box containing the iron ore in Carriage No. 2. At the last moment, I stuffed the storage box into the refrigerator."
"Otherwise, I wouldn't have been so badly injured."
"The refrigerator was blown to pieces. I wanted to ask Lord Mang to send someone to retrieve it before someone else finds it."
"Did I stop you from speaking?" Chen Mang rolled his eyes, exasperated. "Your throat was full of blood, gurgling like a drain. I was afraid you'd choke to death. Xiao Ai invited you into the cluster mind, but you didn't join."
"Huh? I don't think I received that."
"Third Squad Captain!"
"Present!"
"Go retrieve all the debris scattered by the explosion."
The Third Squad Captain hesitated, wanting to say something, but ultimately swallowed his words. He replied with a stern face, "Yes, sir!"
Then he turned and left quickly.
At the moment the train exploded, those inside the carriages had little time to react. However, upon learning that the train conductor was still alive, Biaozi had already raised his guard to the maximum and stuffed his train ticket into his mouth.
Initially, when President Ai issued the order, he had been prepared to retreat.
But then he saw a storage box.
Almost instinctively, he shoved the storage box into a refrigerator. Just then, the train exploded. The massive blast instantly reduced his "Thunder" Mech to fragments. Fortunately, it had held for a split second, giving him time to bite down on the train ticket in his mouth.
Yet, due to the extreme proximity of the explosion, both his legs were blown off.
As for the guards outside the train, they had all taken refuge inside the refrigerator, so no one was injured—except for Zhang Yi and Zhang Er. They had been chewing on steamed buns at the time and hadn't had time to bite down on their train tickets immediately.
However, because of its Tier 12 armor, the mech sustained only 27% damage. Biaozi suffered minor injuries, which were bandaged and stitched up, leaving him almost fully recovered.
Soon after—
All the refrigerators and the two Pope Mecha that had been blown away were brought back, along with a pile of twisted scrap metal found in the ruins, compressed to just one meter in height.
"This..."
In Carriage No. 2, Biaozi stared at the charred mass before him in disbelief. "Are you sure this is my Thunder Mech? My mech wasn't this short, President Ai. Can it even be repaired?"
"... ."
Xiao Ai, standing nearby, displayed the words "Idiot" and "Moron" on his face. He remained expressionless and silent.
"President Ai, why do you always insult people?"
"What do you think? Do you think this can be fixed? Tell me how you'd repair it. Go on, explain your repair strategy."
"If it can't be fixed, just don't fix it. Why be so angry?" Biaozi mumbled, shrinking back slightly.
He then turned to Chen Mang hesitantly. "Lord Mang, how much iron ore did my injuries consume?"
"357,000 units of iron ore."
"Huh?"
Biaozi was slightly stunned. "So many? How many units of iron ore were in the storage box I brought back? Will it cover the cost?"
"Many?" Chen Mang pointed to the medical bay. "We extracted 106 fragments from your body and you are thinking of covering the cost?"
"Can you not feel pain?"
"You're still alive after all this. You've got a truly tough constitution. If your comprehensive physical fitness had been even slightly weaker, you'd be dead by now."
"Old Pig."
"Yes, sir."
"Organize all these fragments and collect the scrapped mecha. Set up a display at Resident 8's exhibition booth. Then, ask Xiao Ai for two photos of Biaozi's injuries—front and back—and frame them for an honor wall."
"Understood, Lord Mang. I know how to do it."
...
Biaozi stared blankly at the scene before him, slightly dazed. Huh? Huh... Huh? He seemed... he seemed to be getting up? A surge of joy welled up inside him, but he kept his face impassive, doing his best to suppress his excitement.
After everything was done, Chen Mang patted Biaozi's shoulder and said with a smile, "It's more than enough to cover the cost. The storage box contained exactly 17 million units of iron ore. Well done! You've earned it!"
"But—"
"The Stellaris will earn countless units of 17 million iron ore in the future."
"If you die, the Stellaris will never find another Biaozi."
"You are more important to the Stellaris than 17 million units of iron ore. From now on, prioritize survival over reckless heroism. Do you understand?"
"Understood!"
Biaozi grinned, unable to contain his excitement. Ah, I still can't keep my cool, can I?
After clearing the battlefield, the Stellaris slowly departed the area. The train had completely disintegrated in the explosion, leaving nothing behind. According to information from the casino, the man had exchanged 20 million stellar coupons for Chips.
Before leaving, he had also taken away 8 million units of iron ore.
There should have been more inside the train.
At least another 14 million units of iron ore had been reduced to ash in the explosion.
But...
17 million units of iron ore was enough.
Although there were 17 million units of iron ore, they weren't individual pieces. They were all high-tier ore, which, when converted, amounted to 17 million units of iron ore.
"..."
In the locomotive cabin, after Chen Mang finished repairing the Audio System, he finally spoke. "Tell Old Pig to return the 2 million units of iron ore he brought back."
"Also, have Mundo and Doba come over again. I have important matters to discuss with them."
"Yes, Lord Mang."
Biaozi was overjoyed, exceptionally happy today. He even felt like he was floating as he walked.
The corners of his mouth stretched uncontrollably to his ears.
Today was the first time Lord Mang had formally praised him, acknowledging his worth. Throughout a man's life, he truly seeks only one thing: recognition.
Especially after seeing Resident Car No. 8.
The discarded mecha displayed on the platform, along with the nearly a hundred steel fragments extracted from his body, made him nod in satisfaction, pretending not to hear the residents' collective gasps.
After a light cough, he turned to Old Pig beside him. "When will you get a chance to hang around here?"
"That'll have to wait until I'm dead and turned into a black-and-white photo," Old Pig muttered. "I don't get a chance to get injured either. My contributions aren't as tangible as yours. It's like the more horribly injured you are, the greater your merit."
"Hey, Old Pig, I can taste the vinegar in your words!"
"You've really changed. You're calling me Old Pig directly now. You used to call me Trainmaster Zhu."
"Heh, are you jealous?"
Old Pig paused before shaking his head. "A little. But you need to be careful. Stop trying to take all the credit. If you keep playing like this, you'll end up killing yourself."
Biaozi smiled without responding, simply standing there gazing at the two photos hanging on the wall.
At the time, he hadn't felt much.
Now, looking at them, it seemed rather gruesome.
His front and back were riddled with steel fragments, making him look like a nightmarish hedgehog.
"Hey, Trainmaster Zhu, why did you crop the photos? I'm so big and handsome, you should have hung the whole thing up for me to show off!"
"Don't be an idiot," Old Pig said flatly, turning and walking toward Carriage 7. "I can't be bothered with you."
Biaozi didn't mind. He just chuckled to himself, muttering, "Don't try to take all the credit?"
"Lord Mang already said it: avoid being greedy for merit and rushing ahead. That's a definite order. If the train is to develop rapidly, someone has to dance on the edge of a blade. What would a desk-bound bureaucrat like you know about that?"
Old Pig was in a foul mood today, feeling rather depressed.
Alone in the room of Carriage 7, he served as the deputy train conductor, the second-highest-ranking official on the train. He handled all the train's daily affairs and management, overseeing nearly ten thousand residents without major incidents.
All the trivial matters also fell to him to arrange.
But...
His contributions seemed difficult to quantify.
Unlike Biaozi, who had secured 17 million units of iron ore—a tangible achievement. The scars on his body were genuine medals of honor.
But Old Pig's...
His mind restless, Old Pig picked up a pen and aimlessly scribbled on paper. His thoughts were scattered, and he even considered requesting Lord Mang to join the guards.
Just then—
Someone suddenly pushed open the door.
"Who is it?"
Old Pig instinctively looked up. When he saw it was Lord Mang, he quickly rose to his feet and respectfully greeted, "Lord Mang."
"Sit down."
Chen Mang, carrying two bottles of wine in one hand and two cigarettes in his mouth, sat down at the table with a slightly muffled voice. He pulled a handful of melon seeds from his pocket and placed them on the table, then took a cigarette from his mouth and offered it to Old Pig, smiling. "What's wrong? Feeling out of balance?"
"N-no, not at all."
Old Pig's ears flushed crimson almost instantly. He awkwardly avoided Lord Mang's gaze, forcing himself to say, "I'm recording this incident in the History of Train Development."
Chen Mang chuckled without speaking, simply pulling out a lighter from his pocket and holding the flame up to Old Pig's face. "Do you remember when we first met?"
Seeing this, Old Pig quickly stood up and bent over to shield the flame.
"Of course I do, Lord Mang."
(End of the Chapter)
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