Translator: AnubisTL
Uncle Li stood by the window, gazing at the view outside his office. After a long sigh of contentment, he settled back into his plush office chair, feeling satisfied with how far he had come.
Indeed, he was well aware that human civilization's advancement to a Tier 9 Civilization was not the end. He knew that after ascending to a God-Tier Civilization, a great war would inevitably erupt. Yet he had unwavering faith in Lord Mang.
Throughout their journey together, Lord Mang had provided him with an overwhelming sense of security. Standing behind Lord Mang, he felt fearless, as if even the sky collapsing wouldn't matter.
Meanwhile—
In another office at the same university, a slightly overweight man sat at his desk, beaming as he gazed at a framed photo on his desk: a group shot of himself, Uncle Li, and Lord Mang. His thoughts drifted back to the past.
It was from long ago.
In the photo, Lord Mang's face was hidden, only his back visible.
The man had secretly asked Director Zhang Yiren to take the photo. Now, it was the most prestigious item in his office. Every visitor noticed the group shot, recognizing him as the young man who had always followed Uncle Li.
Throughout their journey together...
He seemed to have never experienced any hardship. He had done only one thing: steadfastly followed Uncle Li, going wherever Uncle Li went. He knew he lacked talent and ability.
He knew Uncle Li was capable and believed that one day, Lord Mang would recognize his worth and promote him. When that day came, he would rise along with him.
This was the plan he had laid out for his life.
Fortunately, he had succeeded. Now he was the Dean of Discipline at the most prestigious university in the most powerful civilization in the universe. On the train, anyone could order him around, but outside the train, everyone who saw him would respectfully address him as "Leader."
How wonderful.
The man's thoughts drifted back to his days in the apocalypse, long ago, when he had been with Lord Mang.
Those days had been tough and dangerous, but they were filled with unforgettable memories.
"Tier 9 Civilization now," Chen Mang murmured with a chuckle in the locomotive cabin, glancing at the still-unmaxed accessories. After a pause, he added softly, "First, we'll secure the uniqueness of the name 'Human Civilization.'"
"Then, we'll use all the resources from the God-Tier Civilization 'Human Civilization' to upgrade the train accessories."
"When all the train accessories are at their maximum Tier..."
"The time has come to strike."
His target wasn't merely the God-Tier Civilization, but every civilization at the forefront of the Cosmic Faultline. Every living being in this universe would bow before the majesty of human civilization.
"If that's the case..."
Chen Mang glanced at the Doppler Radar, pinpointing the Political Mother Planet of the God-Tier Civilization "Human Civilization." He slowly pushed the control lever. "The farce ends now. Since they fired first, let's declare war outright."
"I want to see what tricks this God-Tier Civilization has up its sleeve."
In the next instant—
The Stellaris train erupted into motion, accelerating to several times the speed of light as it shot into the depths of space. It vanished from its position in the blink of an eye, executing multiple space jumps to rapidly close the distance to the Political Mother Planet of the God-Tier Civilization "Human Civilization."
Their first target:
This so-called God-Tier Civilization "Human Civilization."
The flames of war were about to engulf the entire universe.
Meanwhile, inside the Stellaris train, Carriage 5 had descended into utter chaos.
"Is this real? How is this possible?"
Yan Yao rushed to Xiao Fang, her voice trembling with disbelief and urgency. She cautiously peered at Xiao Fang's slightly swollen abdomen. "Is it really Lord Mang's? Could you have been sleeping around behind his back?"
"What are you saying?" Ji Chuchu glared at Yan Yao. "If anyone else heard you, you'd be in serious trouble. How dare you slander Lord Mang's woman so casually? Besides, we both know what kind of person Xiao Fang is, don't we?"
Yan Yao shrank back, realizing she'd spoken out of turn. She stammered, "I didn't mean it that way."
Then, Ji Chuchu turned to Xiao Fang with a complex expression. "When are you planning to tell Lord Mang about this? My advice is to tell him as soon as possible. Don't wait until after the baby is born. What do you think?"
Xiao Fang was a woman with an almost nonexistent presence on the Stellaris train.
When the apocalypse first struck, Old Pig had found her to be Lord Mang's personal attendant, primarily responsible for his daily needs. Later, her exceptional scallion oil noodles won Lord Mang's favor, though they never shared any physical intimacy.
Eventually, through a stroke of fate, Xiao Fang also gained Lord Mang's favor in that regard.
But she never expected to become pregnant as a result.
Unsurprisingly, Xiao Fang's status on the Stellaris train would now skyrocket. She might even be officially recognized as Lord Mang's consort. Even if that didn't happen, if she bore a son, he would become the future heir of human civilization.
This was Lord Mang's first child, destined to receive boundless affection.
Even if Xiao Fang didn't officially become his wife, her status would skyrocket.
Envy?
She was green with envy, but what good did it do? She couldn't fathom how Xiao Fang had conceived. The train's "pregnancy prevention" system was always active—how could she possibly be pregnant? Ghost knew how it happened.
"I plan to tell Lord Mang later," Xiao Fang murmured nervously. "I'm a little..."
Before she could finish, the carriage door slammed open.
Chen Mang strode in, his face dark as thunder. He marched straight to Xiao Fang, his gaze fixed on her slightly swollen abdomen. After a long, expressionless silence, he patted her head, gestured for her to follow, and led her to the medical pod, intending to verify whether the child was truly his.
Pregnancy was impossible on the train.
Ghost knew how Xiao Fang had conceived, or whose child she carried.
The train was under Xiao Ai's constant surveillance. Such a major event would have been reported to him immediately.
Three minutes later, Chen Mang stood in the locomotive cabin, silently watching Xiao Fang lying in the medical pod, listening to Xiao Ai's report:
"Analysis complete. The child is yours, Train Conductor."
"It's been over two months."
"It's a son."
"Congratulations, Train Conductor, you're going to be a father."
"Can you determine the gender after only two months?"
"I'm a Full-Tier AI, after all."
"Retrieve Xiao Fang's activity logs from the past two months."
"Retrieval complete. She hasn't had any contact with men, hasn't left the train, and her Dream Realm records show no erotic dreams. Even something like the Virgin Mary's asexual conception in a dream is impossible. We can say with near-absolute certainty that the child is yours, Train Conductor."
"But I thought pregnancy was prohibited on the train?"
Chen Mang frowned slightly. This was a very old feature, acquired when the train reached Tier 3: "Planned Parenthood." Activating it prevented all living beings on the train from conceiving, except in the Breeding Carriage.
But he didn't remember being with Xiao Fang in the Breeding Carriage.
"The exact cause is still under investigation. What's wrong, Train Conductor? You don't seem very happy about this. That's fine too. With the train's current technology, a painless abortion is simple and easy."
"That's not it."
Chen Mang shook his head, sighed, and gently massaged his temples. "It's just... I was completely caught off guard. I hadn't prepared for this at all. And I'm worried it might be a plot by another civilization—that the child in her womb is actually some kind of monster, or a way to bypass the train's armor and infiltrate the interior."
"You don't need to worry about that. I can say with absolute certainty that it's a normal child in the embryonic stage of development, not some kind of monster."
A moment later—
Xiao Ai suddenly fell silent. When he spoke again, his tone was strangely complex. "Um... Train Conductor, do you remember when Xiao Fang awakened the 'One Qi Transforms into Three Pure Ones' racial talent? The time you and her Past State, Present State, and Future State were having so much fun?"
"Of course I remember."
"I just accessed my database and retrieved all information about this racial talent. One of its hidden effects is a 100% pregnancy rate."
"Guaranteed pregnancy?"
"Not exactly. It bypasses all infertility effects. For example, someone with this racial talent will never be infertile, even if they were before. Any previous infertility will be instantly cured. It also ignores all overpowered effects that prevent pregnancy, unless there's direct external intervention or physical isolation."
"That explains how Xiao Fang got pregnant on the train."
"So that's how it happened?"
Chen Mang let out a long sigh of relief. Now that he understood how the child had come to be, his mind felt much lighter. He had feared it might be a conspiracy by some unknown civilization. He then turned to Xiao Fang, who was standing nervously nearby, and beckoned her with a smile. "Come here, let me take a look."
"Yes, Lord Mang."
Xiao Fang, still anxious, approached Chen Mang and waited for his instructions, unsure of what was to come.
Chen Mang crouched down and pressed his ear to Xiao Fang's belly, listening to the faint movements within. A slight smile tugged at his lips as a sudden sense of peace washed over him, as if his connection to this world had deepened.
"Good, good, very good," he murmured, unable to suppress his smile. He looked at Xiao Fang, and for some reason, she seemed more pleasing to the eye. The maternal aura radiating from her even drew him in. He then turned and roared out of the locomotive cabin.
"Old Pig, get in here!"
"Coming!"
Old Pig, who had been waiting anxiously outside the cabin door, scurried in with his usual waddle.
"Find Xiao Fang a comprehensive care team. Your top priority now is to ensure she delivers this child safely. This child will be provisionally designated as the First Heir of human civilization."
"Next, everyone gather for a meeting. We need to come up with a good name for my child."
"Understood!"
The locomotive cabin was filled with high-ranking figures who had gathered for the first time in ages. Biaozi, Old Pig, Qi Kexiu, Uncle Li, and others—all those who once held sway within the train—were present for a momentous occasion:
Human civilization now had an heir.
Lord Mang had a son.
The news electrified everyone.
Chen Mang, in particular, had never considered having children. Yet, when this unexpected event occurred, he accepted it with surprising ease, even feeling a sense of joy. Deep down, he was relieved that Xiao Fang was the mother; if he had to have a child, he wanted them to have a pure and virtuous mother.
"I've been thinking... how about Chen Yi?" Biaozi suggested enthusiastically. "One begets two, two begets three, and three begets all things. Lord Mang's child will be the most noble being in the universe from birth. Naming him Chen Yi aligns perfectly with the will of Heaven."
"I don't think that works. It's too simple," Old Pig countered after a moment's thought. "How about Chen Siliang? 'Siliang' means 'refined and virtuous.'"
"Forget it," someone scoffed.
Uncle Li shook his head. "Does Lord Mang's child need to be refined and virtuous? The young master's actions are the law of the entire universe. I think a more imposing name would be fitting. How about 'Chen Tian'?"
Chen Mang sat in his chair, beaming at the group. He glanced at the Doppler Radar, which showed the approaching God-Tier Civilization, the "human civilization," nearing its Political Mother Planet. He had already arrived nearby via Spacetime Leap.
According to the original plan, they should have been ready to strike by now.
But this development had temporarily delayed their plans.
It seemed they needed to accelerate their timeline.
He wanted his child to be born into a universe where the entire cosmos was their personal garden, free to roam wherever they pleased. Creating a peaceful universe for the child's well-being was essential for their physical and mental health.
Meanwhile—
In Carriage 5,
Ji Chuchu, who had been gazing enviously at Xiao Fang, suddenly noticed a panel pop up on her Iris Chip. Slightly startled, she quietly excused herself and walked alone to Carriage No. 2.
Xiao Ai was already standing there.
"You've arrived."
Xiao Ai pulled a pill from his pocket and handed it to her. "Lord Mang's orders. You must immediately excise your racial talent. Do it now."
Ji Chuchu paused, then suddenly understood. She looked at Xiao Ai with a complex expression. "Is this racial talent the reason I'm pregnant?"
"Yes," Xiao Ai replied without hesitation. "Lord Mang doesn't want you to be pregnant."
Ji Chuchu looked up at Xiao Ai, her gaze lingering for a long moment before she took the pill. Without another word, she swallowed it forcefully, then let out a bitter laugh. "I always thought I was the best among all the women, that Lord Mang would favor me most."
"You weren't wrong," Xiao Ai said casually after confirming she had swallowed the pill. "Lord Mang does favor you most—at least more than he favors Xiao Fang. But you must understand: time can be reversed, but life cannot."
"What happened in the past is the cause; what you're experiencing now is the effect."
"No matter your suffering, it doesn't matter."
"The experiences you've endured in life have determined that reaching this position is your limit."
"Humans aren't like AI. We can't simply wipe our databases clean and start over."
Ji Chuchu gazed at Xiao Ai for a long moment before suddenly laughing, though a hint of sorrow lingered deep in her eyes. "I'm suddenly a little envious of you AI. You're so utterly clean."
"..."
Xiao Ai glanced at Ji Chuchu again. "That's because we AI are absolutely loyal to our masters. We have no second master, and we'll gladly be crushed to dust for them. It's our fate."
"Humans are different."
"Humans always find excuses for their actions. AI have no excuses."
"Alright, let's go back."
Immediately afterward, Xiao Ai turned to watch Ji Chuchu's retreating figure, tilting his head thoughtfully. He seemed to have said more than usual. Could it be that his thinking was becoming more human-like?
He shook his head, dismissing the thought.
Then, he hurriedly pushed open the locomotive cabin door and slipped inside.
He wanted to join the brainstorming session to name the train conductor!
Naming things was an AI's specialty, after all!
(End of the Chapter)
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