Translator: AnubisTL
The journey passed without incident.
Chen Mang piloted the Stellaris train, following the convoy along the highway. After about two hours, they reached the outskirts of a bustling city.
This planet had speed limits. Otherwise, at the Stellaris's speed, they could have covered the distance in a matter of sneezes—perhaps a slight exaggeration, but a few more sneezes would have been close.
"Senior," Qiu Yisao's voice crackled over the train radio. "The Peace-Seeking Civilization has strict regulations on trains. Except for the trains of a few leaders and the Law Enforcement Bureau, all other trains must park outside the city."
"The parking lot charges by the day. It's 1,000 units of iron ore per day."
"And you can't carry any firearms or other weapons."
Qiu Yisao spoke cautiously, as if relaying a grave warning.
In truth, it was.
For a train conductor, their entire combat strength resided within their train. Leaving it meant being completely defenseless, like handing their life over to someone else.
However...
"Alright, lead the way to the parking lot," Chen Mang said softly.
He possessed a special item called the Hell Hat, which granted him the same defense as the train's armor within a 10,000-meter radius. He rarely used it, as he generally preferred to avoid putting himself in danger.
He definitely needed to visit the city ahead.
Cities were hubs of civilization, the only places where he could truly learn about a civilization's culture and experience its scope firsthand.
A 10,000-meter radius wouldn't be enough.
Fortunately, he had the refrigerator.
Within the target acquisition radar's range, the refrigerator enjoyed the same defense as the train's armor. His radar had a range of 0.1 light-years, more than enough to cover the entire planet.
Combined with the overpowered effect of his Tier 200 Refrigerator, which allowed him to freely teleport between different refrigerators, he should be safe as long as he was careful. The only real threat would be a city-wide instant explosion, which he might not have time to react to.
But...
Even that scenario was unlikely. With Xiao Ai stationed on the train and the target acquisition radar at full power, no detail would escape her notice, making the risk extremely low.
Thirty minutes later...
The Stellaris followed the Yisao Merchant Guild's convoy into an abandoned warehouse far outside the city.
It looked like a converted granary.
As the warehouse doors slowly creaked open, a cloud of dust billowed out. One train after another entered the vast space. The warehouse was enormous; each train had been upgraded to nearly the same height as the Stellaris. The sheer size needed to accommodate so many trains was staggering.
But...
The Stellaris was too long.
After much maneuvering, they finally managed to turn the Stellaris around inside the warehouse, folding it in on itself to fit.
"..."
Chen Mang stepped out of the Stellaris, accompanied by Old Pig, Biaozi, and others. Standing on the dusty warehouse floor, he stomped his feet a few times before looking up at the dilapidated ceiling and laughing.
"It's been a long time since I've felt this grounded."
He hadn't left the Stellaris in ages.
The mining star was no place to walk comfortably; it hurt his feet.
As for Aquablue Star, that didn't count. It was essentially part of the Stellaris.
This feeling of being grounded was quite pleasant.
The gravity was nearly identical to Aquablue Star's, and the air quality wasn't much different either. It felt surprisingly familiar.
Just then—
Qiu Yisao, standing nearby, walked over alone, looking slightly embarrassed. "Senior, the parking fees over there are exorbitant. Usually, only out-of-towners park there. Locals just find an abandoned warehouse from the past. The only downside is that it's a bit far from the city, so it takes some time to get there."
"Hmm."
Chen Mang glanced around the warehouse interior before walking to the entrance with Biaozi and the others. He spread his arms wide, gazed at the somewhat desolate suburban landscape, and took a deep, satisfying breath.
He liked this feeling of having his feet firmly planted on the ground.
Then, he pulled a cigarette from his pocket, tossed it into his mouth, and turned to Qiu Yisao with a smile. "If we don't have to park in the official parking lot, can't we just leave the train somewhere out in the countryside? Our train isn't going to be ruined by a little rain, is it?"
He had originally asked Qiu Yisao to lead him to the parking lot, but when Qiu Yisao mentioned that locals didn't use it, he followed along, figuring he should do as the locals do.
"No, it won't," Qiu Yisao shook his head. "But the government of the Peace-Seeking Civilization doesn't allow trains to be parked haphazardly in the suburbs. It's considered unsightly and doesn't present a good image to outsiders."
"I have a motorcycle on the train, senior. We might need to ride it into the city."
"Alright, but once we're inside, don't call me senior anymore. We need to keep a low profile. Just call me Chen Mang."
"This..."
Qiu Yisao stood frozen, his gaze darting between his brothers from the merchant guild nearby and the hundred-plus fierce, uniformed men standing behind Chen Mang.
After a long moment, he stammered, "Senior... with this kind of entourage, it might be hard to keep a low profile."
"True," Chen Mang said, glancing back. After a moment's pause, he casually added, "Biaozi, have everyone else get on the train. Just you, Old Pig, and the Zhang Brothers follow me."
"That's much better. What about your brothers from the merchant guild?"
"They usually work separately for the guild. They only work together when there's a major project."
"So only these train conductors are coming with us? What about the people on the train?"
"You mean the people below?" Chen Mang replied. "They're all under long-term contracts with the train. They live, eat, and sleep on board and never leave."
"Understood."
Dust swirled in the wind.
Led by Qiu Yisao, Chen Mang's group marched toward the outskirts of the highly modern city. Once they reached the main road, they found themselves in a long queue just before entering the city.
A checkpoint.
But the inspection process was remarkably swift.
Chen Mang sat astride his motorcycle, gazing at the terrestrial aircrafts ahead and behind him with curiosity. They resembled cars but flew just above the ground, giving them a distinctly futuristic appearance.
I'll buy one later to play around with.
Indeed.
His primary purpose for coming here was to spend money.
In the entire Kasha Civilization Federation, all civilizations used iron ore as their currency. Of course, other resources could be substituted with prior agreement with merchants.
Some civilizations had attempted to introduce their own currencies, but it proved too difficult to implement. After all, no currency could be as stable as iron ore. Whether in times of war or peace, iron ore would never suddenly devalue or collapse.
Though there was no official currency, there were tokens.
For example, every citizen of Sanshui City had a wristwatch that could store iron ore in a digital form at the bank, making transactions more convenient. However, this was mostly used by locals; most travelers still preferred to pay with physical iron ore.
Today's spending target: 10 million units of iron ore.
He planned to buy a lot of things, including crop seeds and various other odds and ends.
Soon—
As the line gradually moved forward, Chen Mang reached a checkpoint resembling a highway toll booth. The spotlights on either side of the barrier cast red beams across him, and several lines of text appeared on a screen on the wall:
[Scanning complete.]
[No wandering civilization detected. Life Level: Tier 0. No lock required.]
[Entry granted.]
[The Peace-Seeking Civilization welcomes you to Sanshui City, its 8th Main City.
We wish you a pleasant journey and a happy life. Please abide by the laws and regulations of the Peace-Seeking Civilization and respect local customs. In case of any emergencies, dial 2377998, the Mayor's Hotline, using your wrist device or a public phone for assistance.]
After several lines of text appeared on the screen, the indicator lights on both sides of the wall turned green, and the gate ahead opened.
This signaled that normal passage was permitted.
Chen Mang twisted the throttle slightly and rode his motorcycle through the checkpoint. Just as Qiu Yisao had said, his status as a "Civilizationless Wanderer" meant he couldn't join any civilization.
For example, he couldn't join the Peace-Seeking Civilization now. After his own civilization had been destroyed, he became a wanderer. To reintegrate into a new civilization, he had only two paths:
First, rebuild his own civilization.
Second, have a child with someone from another civilization. The child would automatically inherit the Civilization Imprint of that civilization, and subsequent generations would eventually fully integrate.
The Civilization Imprint.
It originated from the Cosmic Rules, or rather, it was a natural byproduct of the cosmos' normal operation.
It couldn't be faked.
Each civilization's Leader possessed a unique seal, known as the Civilization Seal, which only they could use. When the seal was stamped on a planet, the cosmos recognized that planet as belonging to that civilization.
On the galaxy map, this was represented by the planet's affiliation with that civilization.
It was incredibly simple.
Any unclaimed planet can be claimed with a Civilization Seal.
As long as you can survive the consequences.
The Civilization Imprint can be used in many ways, such as marking wormholes during their creation. Any civilization that advances to Tier 1 can obtain this seal, but Chen Mang wasn't planning to rebuild his civilization just yet.
Rebuilding a civilization in this zone would require scrutiny by the Kasha Civilization Federation. If approved, the civilization would join the Federation. If rejected—deemed too risky or useless—the Federation would simply destroy it.
With this Civilization Seal, you truly stand on the chessboard of the cosmic civilization struggle, truly participating in this era of great conflict.
It's a ticket to glory, but also a ticket to Hell.
Soon after leaving the checkpoint, Chen Mang entered Sanshui City.
"..."
Leaning on his cane, Chen Mang stood still, observing the bustling crowds and the endless stream of vehicles on the streets. He blended seamlessly into the scene, not because his attire perfectly matched the surroundings.
Rather, the city was filled with such bizarre and diverse individuals that his cane didn't even draw attention.
Across the street, someone was walking upside down, hopping along with their head to the ground.
"Hoo."
After a long moment, he exhaled softly, his expression subtly complex.
He had witnessed the destruction of a civilization firsthand over a year ago. The Heaven-Slaying Civilization, newly advanced to Tier 1, was instantly annihilated by the Zerg Civilization. When he saw this unfold on the galaxy map, he hadn't felt much.
Just a planet gone.
A civilization's name erased.
On the galaxy map, such planets were as common as grains of sand, countless and easily overlooked. One more or one less made no difference to anyone.
But now, standing here in a city of the Peace-Seeking Civilization, a First-Tier Civilization, he truly grasped the brutal reality of civilizational war.
Everything around him—the towering skyscrapers, the pedestrians on the streets, the trains rumbling along the tracks—could vanish in an instant, dissolving into nothingness and taking billions of lives with them.
The civilization's history, culture, technology, everything would be completely erased.
No one would care.
Aquablue Star had rebuilt remarkably well over the past year, but in two years, it would become a dead star. He needed to find a new Habitable Planet and stow it in the train before then.
Qiu Yisao and the others had already departed. After such a long separation, Chen Mang told them to return to their families first and that he would contact them if any issues arose.
Before leaving, Qiu Yisao had left him a phone number that could be reached through this civilization's wristwatches or public phones.
"Let's go," Chen Mang said, no longer lingering. He leaned on his cane and followed the crowd down the street, gazing at the dazzling array of shops on either side. Zhang Yi and Zhang Er, each carrying a refrigerator on their shoulders, scanned their surroundings with vigilant eyes, alert for any potential threats.
Anyone else can die.
Lord Mang cannot die.
If Lord Mang dies, we're all doomed. To say nothing of the Stellaris train being immediately scrapped and its energy supply cut off, Aquablue Star, stripped of its Stellaris cabin, would face an even greater apocalypse.
Our sister would die too.
The Peace-Seeking Civilization was heavily promoting tourism, but not all cities were tourist destinations. Sanshui City was one such tourist hub, home to many people from other civilizations.
Humans made up the largest group.
Fully sixty percent of the population appeared human, differing only in height or skin color. The remaining forty percent comprised a diverse array of other species.
"That... the Great Onion Civilization?"
Chen Mang turned to look at a man who had just brushed past him, quickly scrolling through the information on his tablet. His gaze finally settled on a particular page.
"The Great Onion Civilization."
"The beings of this civilization have green onions growing from their heads, which serve as highly sensitive physiological organs."
"In critical moments, pulling out and consuming one can rapidly heal all injuries."
"Effective only for the individual consuming it, and it cannot regenerate."
"The beings of this civilization are extremely fond of green onions, even breaking through technological barriers to cultivate them. According to the Kasha Civilization Federation's statistics, there are only three types of train accessories related to green onions."
"One type was discovered in the ruins of the Mechanical Civilization, but they are scarce."
"The other two were painstakingly developed by the Great Onion Civilization to ensure a sufficient supply of fresh green onions for consumption during interstellar travel."
"Thirteen years ago, the Great Onion Civilization attempted to market a batch of accessory blueprints, but the results were disastrous."
"This civilization has two planets: one habitable planet and another dedicated to researching and cultivating various green onion varieties."
"How amazing," Chen Mang murmured, his gaze fixed on the man with the giant green onion growing from his head as he gradually receded into the distance. "I wish I could catch one and keep it on the train."
He had just bought the tablet from a shop. It contained basic information about most civilizations.
For example:
This civilization was incredibly united—almost frighteningly so.
He had to admit it.
According to the data panel, First-Tier Civilizations rarely produced accessory blueprints. Yet this civilization had not only created one but two, a testament to their strength. Such a feat would be impossible without extraordinary unity, even if the accessories were only white-grade.
Besides the tablet, he had also purchased a wristwatch and four universal translators for Biaozi and the others, spending a total of 6,000 units of iron ore. The wristwatch alone cost 2,000 units.
"Lord Mang," Biaozi suddenly said, his expression odd. "If that green onion is their most sensitive physiological organ, does that mean that if they're critically injured, they have to choose between death and castration?"
"That's not it."
Old Pig shook his head. "It's just their most sensitive organ. It doesn't affect their fertility. At most, they might not be as talkative about it later. In fact, I suspect the Great Onion Civilization wouldn't have survived until now if they hadn't kept it for themselves."
"That's not quite right."
Chen Mang flipped through the information on his tablet, speaking softly. "The Great Onion Civilization survived not because of the Mechanical Civilization's gentleness, but because their methods were simply too mild."
"According to the tablet," he continued, "the Great Onion Civilization suffered a humiliating period at the hands of the Mechanical Civilization long ago. After learning about the Great Onion Civilization's unique trait, the Mechanical Civilization captured many of their people and subjected them to inhumane experiments."
"These experiments, combined with other technologies, led to the development of the yellow-grade accessory, the 'medical bay,' and its accessory blueprint."
"The medical bay is an accessory that all trains receive after upgrading. Its presence has elevated the medical standards of tens of thousands of civilizations across this zone to an extremely high level, and the Great Onion Civilization played an undeniable role in this achievement."
"That inhumane experiment doesn't sound very gentle."
"Relatively speaking."
Chen Mang leaned on his cane and walked to a bench on the side of the street, sitting down and flipping through the tablet. "After all, the Mechanical Civilization didn't directly destroy the Great Onion Civilization. Instead, they allowed its civilization to continue."
"In the cosmos, that's not just gentle—it's practically foolish kindness."
"Leaving a seed that will inevitably seek revenge in the future."
The tablet contained vast amounts of information on various civilizations.
Except for the Kasha Civilization, even the Mechanical Civilization had a wealth of data, and Chen Mang finally understood why the "Train System" had become the dominant force in the cosmos.
It was both inevitable and a trend.
The original blueprint for train accessories was accessible to any civilization, allowing them to perfectly integrate their creations into the train.
It was like the train was just a "smartphone," and each civilization could download different "apps" from the market or develop their own programs to seamlessly integrate into the phone—a fully open-source platform.
Most importantly—
It allowed civilizations to absorb the essence of others.
The Mechanical Civilization could never possess the traits of the Great Onion Civilization. These were Civilization Traits, impossible to steal unless through reincarnating into the civilization. However, they could achieve a form of indirect plunder through the research of the original blueprint for train accessories.
Over time, as a civilization accumulated the traits of all others, its power would become terrifyingly multifaceted.
The train served as the vessel for this transformation.
This included the "Cultivation Civilization." This civilization focused on cultivating the self rather than external forces. In the cosmos, this meant elevating one's "Life Level," placing them on par with Cosmic Behemoths.
However, only members of the Cultivation Civilization could become cultivators.
Individuals from other civilizations, even if they obtained the same Cultivation Techniques, would be unable to cultivate. This too was a Civilization Trait.
Thus, the Mechanical Civilization once again captured large numbers of cultivators and developed the "Combat Training Virtual Space." Through the use of Virtual Map Chips and other methods, they enhanced their comprehensive physical fitness until they broke through a certain limit, raising their Life Level from 0 to 1.
They had gathered the strength of all civilizations into one.
According to these records, the Train System wasn't developed by the Mechanical Civilization. It seems to have existed long before, but the Mechanical Civilization popularized it, creating numerous original blueprints for train components. Through continuous refinement and improvement, the system gradually became the dominant civilization system in this zone.
As for civilizations beyond this zone, he knew nothing.
Now, it seemed the train was the last viable option.
Cars and heavy trucks were too small to accommodate enough vehicles and people.
Aircraft and Starships couldn't be upgraded from Tier 0 and were initially unusable.
Only trains could perfectly achieve this: starting at Tier 0 on land, they could be upgraded step by step, constantly equipped with various accessories based on individual needs, and have additional carriages built. Specific accessories could be upgraded to create a train entirely customized for its owner's needs.
"..."
Chen Mang sat on a public bench in the street, scrolling through information about various civilizations on his tablet. He lingered longer on the Mechanical Civilization, studying it carefully.
But the information was only half true.
This isn't official history, more like a wild tale.
But it's not entirely hearsay; there's some basis in fact.
Back then, on Aquablue Star's galaxy map, the Zerg Civilization's domain lay furthest west, the Kasha Civilization Federation's domain furthest east, and a buffer zone lay in between. The Mechanical Civilization's domain bordered the north.
Now, it's almost completely destroyed.
The great war that ravaged that area left the space there utterly chaotic. The region still bears the scars of countless attacks, and countless beams of light-based energy are still flying through the zone, unable to stop until they hit something.
The Kasha Civilization Federation possesses a two-way permanent wormhole leading to those ruins.
Every year, countless people venture there to explore.
The death rate is a staggering 78%.
For every ten trains that enter, only two or three return alive. The relentless stream of explorers persists solely because any valuable artifact recovered from the Mechanical Ruins almost guarantees immense wealth.
After all, in this region, the Train Civilization System traces its ancestry back to the Mechanical Civilization. Anyone lucky enough to find an accessory blueprint, especially for a useful accessory, strikes it rich!
A wave of wealth!
As long as you have the resources, you can endlessly manufacture corresponding accessory blueprints. The price is obvious—as long as it's not some useless accessory like a green onion blueprint.
"Whew..."
After a long while, Chen Mang finally raised his head, rubbing his stiff neck. He had once obtained an accessory blueprint—a blue-grade accessory called the "Deep Sea Shield."
However, that blueprint was more like a small "original blueprint," not a true original blueprint. It was a small blueprint left by the Mechanical Civilization within a shuttlecraft. When deployed on a Doomsday Planet, it allowed the planet to have multiple copies of that accessory blueprint, unlike the large original blueprints that could be endlessly replicated.
He had been sitting here for a long time, his neck starting to ache.
Looking at the crowd on the streets around him, it was only now that he truly grasped that he was standing on the territory of a civilization. Only from a higher vantage point could one see more.
For the past half-day, he had been immersed in this information, gaining a basic understanding of the civilizations in this zone.
But he suddenly noticed something very interesting.
According to historical records, many powerful cultivators in Cultivation Civilizations were arrogant, believing that true strength must come from within and not be borrowed from external forces. Otherwise, they wouldn't be considered true powerhouses.
The Mechanical Civilization, however, didn't even bother arguing about this.
"Mine, mine, all mine."
They simply seized everything, compressed it into accessories, and installed them on their trains. Whether it was external power or their own, they wanted it all—everything was theirs.
In terms of cultural inclusivity, the Mechanical Civilization was unmatched. They perfectly embraced the unique traits of different civilizations without a hint of discrimination. Everything was considered valuable.
Initially, the Cultivation Civilizations were proud that the Mechanical Civilization acknowledged the power of their Civilization Traits.
But soon, they began to regret ever promoting their Civilization Traits in the first place.
"Let's go," Chen Mang said, lighting a cigarette and bringing it to his lips. After stretching his limbs, he continued down the street. "Let's find a restaurant and see what strange and exotic things other civilizations are eating."
Gourmet cuisine? He wasn't holding his breath. He had a feeling they'd end up eating something bizarre, like green onion sashimi.
High-rise buildings lined both sides of the street, resembling office towers. He wondered what kind of jobs they housed. In the Peace-Seeking Civilization, most people followed the established routine of work and employment. Only a handful of families with assets would take a gamble, risking everything—their life savings, loans, and even emptying their six pockets—to build a train capable of interstellar travel, hoping to strike it rich beyond the stars.
After all, a train could earn iron ore far faster than a job ever could.
Take, for example, the salary of a convenience store clerk in Sanshui City. He'd seen a recruitment ad posted outside a store offering around 5,000 units of iron ore per month.
And yet, he had obtained over a trillion units of iron ore on Mining Planet No. 1. That was just from mining half the planet; the rest was still being extracted slowly by the Stellaris train.
He increasingly felt the Stellaris was like a mechanical dragon, swallowing mining stars whole and slowly digesting them.
He wondered when he'd get to devour another such mining star.
He did some calculations.
At the salary of a Sanshui City convenience store clerk, assuming he spent nothing and saved every unit of iron ore, it would take him 25 million years to accumulate that much.
Not bad.
While trains could mine iron ore at a faster rate, they also lost money even faster. The upgrade costs for accessories were simply unaffordable for most people, and losing money was the best-case scenario. One misstep could lead to the train's destruction and the death of its occupants.
The phrase "betting one's entire fortune" referred to the nouveau riche, not the middle class.
The middle class would exhaust their savings upgrading just a few accessories.
Nor did it apply to the wealthy. Every wealthy family had their own trains, and their paths were already paved before they were even born.
Society had become remarkably harmonious, completely devoid of anxiety. He noticed that many people looked quite well.
There were no class conflicts whatsoever.
The primary conflict between classes wasn't about one group oppressing another. It stemmed from the lower classes seeing opportunities to climb upward. Occasionally, someone would succeed, fueling anxiety and a desire to join them.
But the vast majority couldn't achieve this. This disparity between hope and reality gave rise to conflict and anxiety.
The Train System perfectly resolved this issue.
The lower classes could no longer see any chance of upward mobility. With absolutely no opportunity to climb, they instead accepted their current circumstances. In a twisted sense, this was one way to maintain social harmony.
The gap between the rich and the poor had become absurdly wide.
This eliminated any conflict.
That's good.
Just then—
Bang!
The door of an office building facing the street on the right was flung open. Two or three security guards kicked out a young man with disheveled hair. The middle-aged man following behind spat a thick wad of phlegm at his feet without a trace of mercy, his eyes filled with mocking contempt as he sneered.
"Let me tell you the truth: the company only hired you to reduce taxes. Did you really think your garbage ideas were valuable to us?"
"You're nothing but a waste."
"Do you really think you're so smart?"
"Competing with me? Did you actually think you could win? I was already eating this rice bowl when you were still in your mother's womb! Do you really think your bizarre ideas are groundbreaking?"
"That's not groundbreaking, that's just plain stupid!"
"Get out. Your severance pay will be deposited into your personal account within fifteen working days."
The young man, his hair a tangled mess, rose silently from the ground. He gathered his scattered documents into a file bag and clutched it to his chest, pushing through the crowd to cross the street.
In the twilight.
The young man lowered his head, his expression hidden from view. Only a few rays of sunlight fell upon him, making him appear somewhat forlorn.
It was clear.
Regardless of civilization, the instinct to watch a spectacle was universal.
In just over ten seconds, a crowd had already gathered at the company's entrance.
"We've found it."
Old Pig handed Chen Mang his tablet, explaining, "Lord Mang, this company is called Sanshui City Feiyang Technology Co., Ltd. Their primary business is researching and developing accessory blueprints. The Peace-Seeking Civilization government holds a 51% stake."
"It's essentially a semi-official enterprise."
"Founded 79 years ago, they haven't produced a single accessory blueprint to date."
"The remaining 49% is held by seven companies acting as proxies. These companies have changed hands multiple times, ultimately ending up with Sanshui City Scientific Research Investment Co., Ltd. The shareholders of this company all share the same surname: Jiang."
"Furthermore, the Peace-Seeking Civilization has a policy that provides tax subsidies to companies that hire homeless individuals from other civilizations."
"Researching accessory blueprints?"
Chen Mang gazed thoughtfully at the information on the screen. He had long wanted to establish his own research team. After all, his team would possess the ultimate advantage: the ability to endlessly explore overpowered effects, a capability no other civilization possessed.
But the resources needed to build it were simply too vast.
Since he first conceived the idea, he had barely made any progress.
"Follow him."
Chen Mang looked up at the young man who was disappearing down the street and murmured, "Follow him and see where he goes."
He was intrigued by the young man.
The middle-aged man's words had piqued his interest: "strange and bizarre ideas."
Chen Mang had always been drawn to such unconventional thinking.
Hidden beneath the bustling city lay a slum built within the city's sewer system, the most concealed corner of the entire metropolis.
It wasn't difficult to find.
It was simply unnoticed.
People only looked up at the gleaming facades of the skyscrapers, never down at the manhole covers.
A young girl sat beside a sewer ditch, scrubbing clothes in a basin with all her might. She kept glancing up at a beam of light filtering down from the surface on her left.
That was the only entrance nearby.
The ordinary sunlight here had become a luxury.
Finally—
After countless upward glances, the girl spotted a familiar figure. She immediately dropped her work and ran towards him with unrestrained excitement, throwing her arms around the young man and burying her face in his chest.
Her eyes brimming with joy, she looked up at his familiar face, its sharp angles etched in her memory.
"Brother, you're finally back."
"How was it? I bet the Boss praised you today, right? I knew you could do it, Brother. I found a really pretty coat today. I'll wash it and hang it up for you to wear to work tomorrow."
"That's a big company. You need to dress well."
"After today, you'll officially become a full-time employee. Brother, you're so close to realizing your maritime dream."
"..."
The young man remained silent, holding his sister close for a long moment before finally releasing her. He looked at her hands, still raised in the air and covered in suds, then took a file folder from his pocket and tossed it into a nearby sewer ditch. His voice held a note of resignation and forced composure.
"I'm unemployed."
"That company was a scam. They hired me just to meet the three-month employment requirement for tax subsidies. They never seriously listened to my ideas, and they didn't even care about creating the accessory blueprint."
"In three months, I never even saw the lab or the research factory."
"Everyone just sat at their desks, churning out one fantastical PowerPoint presentation after another to beg for more research funding from the government."
"They weren't developing blueprints."
"They were developing PowerPoint presentations."
"When I came back, I saw a convenience store hiring a store clerk. I chatted with the boss for a while, and he told me to come in for a seven-day trial tomorrow."
The sister, who had been smiling brightly just moments ago, suddenly looked flustered at the disappointment on her brother's face.
"But..."
"But when civilization hadn't collapsed, Father was the most brilliant scientist at the Research Institute. brother, you inherited all of father's legacy, and this is still the career you're most passionate about. To become a store clerk..."
But soon, her expression turned serious as she clenched her small fist and waved it resolutely. "It's okay, brother. Even as a store clerk, I believe you'll do great. I'll be fourteen in a year, and then I can go out and earn money to help support the family."
"Mm-hmm."
The boy forced a smile and pulled out a small paper cupcake from behind his back. "It's not all bad news. They compensated me for three months' wages. I calculated it, and if we save a little more, we can rent a small house on the surface."
"Ah!"
At the sight of the cupcake, the girl's eyes lit up with delight, but she quickly whispered, "Brother, aren't you saving money to build the train? You don't need to waste money on snacks for me anymore."
"It's your birthday today, didn't you forget?"
"Is it?"
The boy walked to the side of a ditch, sat on the ground, and stared at the chalk calculations he had made on the wall. After sitting in silence for a long time, lost in thought, he pulled out a half-smoked cigarette butt he had found on the road, lit it, and a bitter smile appeared through the swirling smoke.
In truth, he hated his sister.
If he didn't have her, he wouldn't have to force a smile and return here. He could simply leave this bewildering world. Sometimes, attachment is a painful burden. With attachments, it becomes harder to die.
Sanshui City was vast, accommodating travelers from different civilizations.
Yet it was also small.
So small that there was no place for the siblings to call home.
Perhaps...
Perhaps he was truly wrong. All his knowledge came from his father's notes, and his ideas might be nothing more than impractical fantasies. He had never received systematic training.
He might be better suited as a convenience store clerk.
Half a cigarette burned out quickly.
The young man silently retrieved the damp clothes from a nearby washbasin and walked toward the wall, preparing to erase all the data written there. He should focus on practical, fundamental work from now on. The man was right.
Just then—
"Wait a moment."
"Don't move."
The young man froze, turning to see a man approaching him with a cane. His clothes were clearly of high quality, and he was followed by several burly bodyguards—not the kind of figures one would expect to find in the slums.
His expression shifted slightly. He immediately reached into his pocket to protect his sister behind him and produced his employee ID.
"Gentlemen," he said. "I am a researcher at Feiyang Technology Co., Ltd. in Sanshui City, a company partly owned by the Peace-Seeking Civilization and highly protected by the Law Enforcement Bureau. May I ask what business you have here?"
Chen Mang remained silent, striding toward the wall and examining the characters and data scrawled across it. He took out a pair of translation glasses from his pocket and put them on.
He studied the wall intently for a long moment.
Cai's eyes flickered with a hint of surprise as he turned to the young man beside him.
"Little Brother, how are you related to Uncle Li?"
The concepts sketched on the wall were for several accessories, even including their origins—some directly pointing to a specific civilization, making them highly aggressive.
Many of the technical terms were beyond his comprehension.
But he understood one thing.
"Zombie Manufacturing Cage." What a coincidence.
(End of the Chapter)
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