Translator: AnubisTL
Whether this was a blessing or a curse, he couldn't say.
But this fortuitous encounter map was meant for entertainment. The train conductor wouldn't suffer any injuries or casualties here, so there shouldn't be any major dangers. Still... the man felt he was about to encounter something he'd never experienced before.
He walked into the casino and followed the staircase to a VIP Lounge on the upper floor.
Pushing open the door, he found only a tall woman in a long dress seated at a gambling table, gazing at him with a half-smile while swirling a glass of red wine.
She was beautiful.
This was the first thought that flashed through the middle-aged man's mind. There were no visible traces of mechanical organs on her, making her appear completely human. She was also exceptionally attractive, and her aura was undeniably powerful, like that of a Boss.
He tried to maintain his composure, sitting down at the table and meeting her gaze without arrogance or subservience.
"May I ask your name?"
"Just call me Sister Qi."
Sister Qi looked at the middle-aged man before her and said, "I admire your rookie experience. I also have some experience with high-tier trains during their rookie phase. I'd like to collaborate with you on a rookie train conductor tutorial to help more new conductors survive, reduce their mortality rate, and allow them to go further."
"These experiences are priced at 100 stellar coupons."
"Fifty-fifty split."
The middle-aged man shook his head. "I don't need that much."
"Do you think Neon City lacks that much?"
"This is mainly about helping rookie train Conductors grow quickly. You'll gain fame, not profit."
"I need you to share more detailed experiences, ideally down to specific accessories."
"What kind of experiences do you have?"
"A lot. For example, the overpowered effects of all craftable accessories at Tier 5, Tier 10, and Tier 20."
"Keep me anonymous."
"Oh?"
"Many of these experiences are drawn from my past. If my opponents learned about them, it could cause me trouble."
"Understood."
"I won't make any demands. I just want to ask one question."
"Ask away."
The middle-aged man leaned forward slightly, his gaze fixed on Sister Qi with undisguised intensity. He spoke slowly, each word deliberate: "I'm already a Tier 18 train, essentially among the First Tier powerhouses. Yet, I still feel powerless facing the apocalypse."
"You're the first mechanical lifeform I've met who can communicate clearly, and you control all of Neon City."
"Can you tell me—"
"What Tier does a train need to reach to truly survive the apocalypse?"
"..."
Sister Qi fell silent, unsure how to answer. Her database held no such information. She instinctively glanced at the camera, seeking Lord Mang's help, but quickly realized her mistake and turned back, continuing, "Tier 100. Tier 100 is enough."
"Tier 100?"
The middle-aged man froze for a moment, then a flicker of despair and helplessness crossed his eyes. He slumped back in his chair, shaking his head with a bitter laugh.
"So, if the apocalypse comes to this planet, its destruction is inevitable?"
"Tier 100."
"I'm only Tier 18, and the resources I need are already astronomical—tens or hundreds of millions of iron ore at a time. To reach Tier 100, all the mines on Aquablue Star combined might not be enough. How could anyone possibly reach Tier 100?"
"If one planet's mines aren't enough, find more planets. The star sea has plenty of planets."
The man didn't reply immediately. He sat silently in his chair for a long time before finally speaking softly, "You're talking too far ahead. I don't know if I'll even live that long."
"I've accepted the task. Have someone contact me to coordinate."
With that, he rose and walked out.
The Red Zone was extremely dangerous.
Not long ago, he had witnessed a Tier 17 Mechanical Train nearly destroyed there. That day, three consecutive trains had triggered crises within a fortuitous encounter map, leading to three major Event Crises in his zone.
The crises had lasted a full 48 hours.
After those 48 hours, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that the Red Zone had been almost completely wiped out. He himself had been on the brink.
Fortunately, shortly after the Event Crises began, a train called the Stellaris successfully cleared the fortuitous encounter map and ended the crises. Otherwise, the Twilight Coast zone might have been a scene of utter devastation.
Perhaps it would have been a field of corpses.
He had been reluctant to upgrade to a Tier 19 Train. In fact, he had met the Upgrade Requirements a month ago, but he hadn't dared to proceed. His energy shield Tier was too low. He lacked the confidence to survive in the Golden Zone, where monsters could reach Tier 21.
Even though he was already in the First Tier, he still felt insecure.
"No way," the man suddenly realized something. Without a leaderboard or any way to contact other zones, he had always assumed he was already at the top, the ceiling of the train hierarchy.
After all, he had acquired his train shortly after the apocalypse began and had developed it rapidly ever since.
Surely no one could have progressed faster than him.
Could it be that he wasn't on the top at all, but in the second or even third place?
The man shook his head, dismissing the thought. He glanced at his balance of several million stellar coupons, planning to visit the Mechanical Train Parts Store later. Ironically, the stellar coupon and a train, Stellaris, shared the same name.
In a dimly lit corner of Neon City, the dwarf and the young man exchanged glances, each seeing the same suspicion in the other's eyes.
Their Neon City Free Entry Tickets had been found.
The dwarf had visited Neon City before, but it was nothing like the city of today. The changes were drastic, especially the shift to stellar coupons as currency. Seeing familiar items in the Mechanical Train Parts Store only deepened his unease.
The two men's minds raced to the same conclusion almost simultaneously:
That man,
He had seized control of this city and become its master. However, they both remained silent, understanding that if Lord Mang hadn't revealed his identity, he intended to keep it hidden. They wouldn't pry.
Every train conductor who entered Neon City would become a loyal user.
This was a revolutionary development.
The gathering had lost much of its purpose. Slave trading had dwindled significantly above the White Zone, except for the rare sale of exceptionally beautiful women, such as celebrities, who were still traded at the gathering.
Moreover, Neon City offered more than just free trade.
It also provided entertainment.
Conductors could purchase unique goods.
They could network with other conductors.
And they could eavesdrop on conversations between powerful figures to gather valuable secrets.
For example:
With only three minutes remaining until Neon City closed, a young man pushed open the door of a toilet stall and emerged shakily. He had been sitting on the toilet for nearly 24 hours, and his legs were numb.
He hadn't gone anywhere all day.
He had remained hidden in the corner of the toilet, patiently waiting.
Though his body and mind were exhausted, feeling more drained than after a full day of mining, his spirit was incredibly exhilarated, his eyes shining brightly.
This was his second time!
This time, he had hidden in the toilet the entire time, eavesdropping on conversations between train conductors who had brought thugs with them to the restroom, or between conductors who knew each other well. He had overheard many secrets and gossip.
If fantasy novels often depict taverns as sources of information, in non-fantasy novels, the restroom could serve the same purpose.
The information exchanged in restrooms is often surprisingly accurate. After all, few people boast or exaggerate in such a solemn setting. The atmosphere is so serious that it instinctively compels people to speak the truth.
Through the information he had overheard today, he keenly grasped a crucial point: information asymmetry!
Each zone produces different accessory blueprints, and their prices vary accordingly. For example, the "Drill" accessory blueprint was practically ubiquitous in his zone, almost every train possessed one. Yet, a train conductor who had just used the restroom was complaining to his thug about the lack of drill blueprints in this vast area, even though the resource detection radar showed the ground beneath them was rich with ore, just out of reach.
The drill accessory blueprint was indeed not for sale, not even in his own zone.
After all, nearly everyone already had one. Most people only needed a single copy, and there was no point in acquiring a second. No one would buy it.
What he needed to do now was return to his zone, quickly acquire drill accessory blueprints, and then sell them at a high price the next time he entered Neon City.
That was his plan!
This was a chance to make a quick fortune. Once information became transparent, prices would stabilize, and such exorbitant profits would disappear. But until then, he could make a killing.
The young man, his legs still numb, dragged himself out of the toilet with difficulty, leaning against the wall for support.
But as he left the restroom, he was stunned.
"What? I just took a shit, and you're charging me 4,700 stellar coupons?"
The staff member stationed at the toilet door replied gently, "Sir, we charge by the minute. The first five minutes are free. After that, it's 100 stellar coupons per half hour."
"...Here!"
Neon City closed.
Chen Mang had returned to the Stellaris's locomotive cabin. All the residents were asleep, and he reclined in a chair, listening to Uncle Li's report.
Uncle Li cleared his throat to moisten his voice before beginning. "Last night, for Neon City's second grand opening, we operated for 24 hours. A total of 568 train conductors entered Neon City, resulting in a 173% increase."
"The peak number of train conductors staying in Neon City saw a 180.2% increase resulting in a total of 282."
"Of these 568, 82% were from Tier 6 trains or lower."
"Among the 568, 123 were returning visitors, while the remaining 445 were new arrivals. Of these newcomers, 223 were recruited through our referral program."
"Total revenue for the day was 30.12 million stellar coupons, a 62.9% increase from the previous week."
"Mm."
Chen Mang leaned back contentedly in his chair, feeling quite pleased as he listened to Uncle Li's report. Everything was trending upward. "Of that 30.12 million in revenue, how much can I withdraw directly?"
"27.77 million units of iron ore are available for immediate use."
"Let's withdraw it all later."
"Understood."
"Also, why did our revenue only increase by 62.9% despite a 173% surge in passenger numbers?"
"The main reasons are: First, the initial wave of passengers was mostly just curious onlookers who didn't spend much. Fewer people visited the Customs Shops. Second, the Free Trade Market captured a significant market share, from which we earned no profit at all. Many train conductors used their stellar coupons to buy items from other conductors, causing a slight outflow of funds. If we charged transaction fees, we could have shared in that portion of the pie."
"I see. Let's hold off on that for now. Keep it free until we have more passengers, then we can start charging fees."
"Understood."
After Uncle Li left, Chen Mang stretched languidly, washed up, and prepared for bed.
He hadn't slept in a long time.
He'd been up all night since yesterday.
Among the 50 mines, Chen Mang prioritized mining iron ore. The ten iron ore mines were nearly exhausted, and would be completely depleted in half a day. He planned to upgrade both his armor and train once they were finished.
He had plenty of space.
He had plenty of mines.
He could accommodate enough residents to mine simultaneously, which naturally increased efficiency.
"Xiao Ai."
"Yes."
"I want to rest well tonight. Don't create any dream realm."
"Understood."
He fell asleep quickly.
Chen Mang soon drifted into a hazy slumber. Some people rarely dream, while others dream almost every night. He didn't know what determined this.
But tonight, he dreamed again.
And not just one dream, but a series of interconnected dreams.
Perhaps it was because he had spent the previous few days mining in his dreams.
Tonight, he dreamed of mining again, but this time it wasn't Tier 10 ore, but 9th-grade ore. He swung his pickaxe with all his might in the dream.
Daylight broke.
Chen Mang woke up. Exhausted, he slept until noon.
"What the hell kind of madness is this?"
Chen Mang slowly opened his eyes, feeling the soreness in his lower back and shoulders. He angrily flexed his completely limp and aching arms. He hadn't used Dream Creation last night, so why had he dreamed of mining again?
Can't we stop mining already?
Is mining really this exhausting?
He felt as if he'd been violated, his entire body limp and sore, unable to muster the slightest strength.
"Xiao Ai, are you sure you didn't use Dream Creation last night?"
"Train Conductor, I cannot disobey any of your commands."
"Sigh."
After washing up, Chen Mang got up, lit a cigarette, and sat down to review the previous night's Train Log. In reality, the Stellaris had remained stationary in this space all night. Since there were no monsters here, the Train Log naturally didn't contain much information.
Still, he instinctively scanned through it, checking the operational status of various accessories and systems. It had become a habit. He couldn't start his day without a quick review; something always felt missing.
But then—
Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed the Dreamstone on his bedside table flickering faintly.
"..."
Chen Mang's mouth widened slightly, a flicker of disbelief in his eyes. His breathing quickened. No... it can't be that, can it?
He hadn't brought anything back from his dreams for days.
He'd almost forgotten about it entirely.
After all, it was a rare occurrence—he couldn't rely on it.
Yet today, it had lit up again.
He vaguely remembered dreaming of more than just mining last night, but the details had already faded, as dreams always did upon waking.
Taking a deep breath, he nervously approached his Single Bed and placed his hand on the Dreamstone. A portal immediately materialized beside it.
He reached into the portal and retrieved a transparent, stalactite-like object that shimmered brilliantly under the lamplight.
At the same moment, the Dreamstone's capacity plummeted from 98% to a mere 3%.
The object in his hand was none other than a 9th-Tier Iron Ore!
Chen Mang's ears flushed crimson. Gazing at the ore, he couldn't contain his excitement and swung it through the air with a triumphant flourish, shouting, "Awesome!"
"Damn it!"
"All that hard work these past few days wasn't in vain. I almost dug half my life away!"
A 9th-Tier Iron Ore.
Worth 100 million units of iron ore.
Just this small stalactite in his hand, if placed in the White Zone, would undoubtedly trigger an all-out brawl. Any White Train that got their hands on this 9th-Tier Iron Ore would immediately take off!
"Awesome!"
"So awesome!"
Chen Mang sat back in his chair, exhilarated and satisfied, admiring the iron ore in his hand. It looked far more beautiful than any other iron ore he'd seen, in a completely different league.
It was equivalent to the total iron ore content of ten Tier 4 Iron Mines.
By now, the entire batch of iron ore had been fully excavated. The residents were carrying refrigerators, transporting the ore to the No. 3 Storage Car.
"Perfect."
Chen Mang glanced at the Dreamstone progress indicator on the train control panel. It was now at 14%, the second Dreamstone currently being created. In about a month, it would reach 100%, granting him another Dreamstone.
But this process was incredibly slow. Having tasted the benefits, he now couldn't fall asleep at night without a Dreamstone.
The Dreamstone beside his bed was only at 3% completion and would soon be used up.
He fell silent in thought.
All Tier 12 Trains possessed the ability to create Dreamstones, while Dream Creation was a function exclusive to Tier 13 Trains. His Stellaris was currently a Tier 13 train.
When these two functions were combined, they could create Dream Realms.
The effects were split evenly between entertainment and mental power enhancement.
Dream Realms created through Dream Creation allowed users to effectively cultivate mental power within the dream.
The effect wasn't significant.
He had rarely heard Dreamstones mentioned on the train radio, suggesting they were largely useless to most people. This meant he could buy them up in bulk!
"Xiao Ai, have Uncle Li and the others set up a stall in Neon City to buy up more Dreamstones."
"Yes, sir!"
Once someone tastes sweetness, they'll keep craving it.
Why was he so happy?
It wasn't just because of a single 9th-Tier Iron Ore.
More importantly, he had confirmed that the 9th-Tier Iron Ore from his dream could actually be produced.
Though the probability was incredibly low, he had stumbled upon it by sheer luck. But as long as there was a chance, the rest could be achieved through sheer volume.
Take the fusion of sperm and egg, for example. It's a matter of selecting one sperm from hundreds of millions to fuse with the egg—a classic example of using quantity to overcome probability.
If he could acquire a massive amount of Dreamstones, he could craft Tier 100 Single Beds for every resident. Then, every night in their dreams, he could use Dream Creation to have them continue mining!
He had over 6,000 residents. Even with a low probability, he was bound to get a 9th-Tier Iron Ore every few days, right?
After recouping his investment, everything else would be pure profit.
The only problem was...
"Hmm."
Chen Mang pondered for a moment before speaking. "Xiao Ai, do you think it would be too tiring for the residents to mine during the day and then continue mining in their dreams at night?"
"No," Xiao Ai's voice replied from the locomotive cabin. "Once the train reaches a higher Tier, we'll research how Doba and the others were resurrected after death and then have the train residents continue mining in Hell after they die."
"Speak human."
"I apologize, Train Conductor. I was just trying to be humorous," Xiao Ai said apologetically. "Theoretically, this would exceed the body's limits."
"It's like running a 24-hour shift."
"It would put a lot of stress on the body. Unless we inject several cardiac stimulants and drink multiple bottles of Cola every day, but even then, it would still deplete vital essence and shorten lifespan."
"Shorten lifespan? The Tier 10 overpowered effect of the Single Bed is precisely longevity."
"Then there's no problem. It's a closed loop."
"Mm."
After a pause, Chen Mang continued, "A Tier 100 Single Bed isn't cheap. Each one costs roughly 510,000 units of iron ore. Building 6,000 of them is definitely unaffordable."
"Understood."
"First, have Neon City prepare to purchase Dreamstones."
"Once we've acquired 100 Dreamstones, we'll use 50 million units of iron ore to craft 100 Single Beds. We'll test the production rate and calculate the return on investment. If it's profitable, we'll gradually expand production."
"Understood."
After finalizing this plan, Chen Mang sat back in his chair, a satisfied expression on his face as he gazed at the control panel screen.
A profitable business isn't necessarily a good one.
A truly good business is one that's both profitable and replicable.
This is why so much capital has poured into pre-packaged meals. No matter how delicious a century-old family recipe is, it's useless if it can't be replicated. Capital values replicable business models above all else.
"Excellent."
He believed the Dreamstone acquisition would go smoothly. Once he had the first batch, he'd assess the results.
If this plan succeeded, he'd gain a massive amount of iron ore!
He'd given the plan a beautiful name:
"Cyber Mining."
"Actually..."
At that moment, Xiao Ai's voice echoed through the train: "Train Conductor, you could completely immerse the residents in the Combat Training Virtual Space, sustaining them with nutrient solution while keeping them in a constant state of sleep."
"They could mine iron ore in their dreams 24 hours a day."
"They could have three dreams a day."
"This would significantly increase the probability of obtaining iron ore from their dreams."
"There wouldn't be any need to mine in the real world at all."
(End of the Chapter)
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