"Two Train Coins from a Level 1 chest, four from a Level 2... so a Level 3 should yield six?"
Compared to the Level 2 chest, the rewards from the Level 1 variety were relatively meager. Still, medicine was a precious commodity in this world, to say nothing of the utility of Train Coins.
"Hm? What's this?"
A message suddenly snagged Ethan's attention.
Li Xiaosheng: ["Anyone looking for Metal? I have a surplus. I'm willing to trade for various resources, but weapons take priority."]
Prioritizing weapons over food suggested that this person wasn't struggling with basic survival. Ethan much preferred dealing with that type of individual rather than those who couldn't even fill their own bellies.
Having made up his mind, Ethan initiated contact with Li Xiaosheng.
A line of text appeared in the private message interface almost instantly.
Li Xiaosheng: "Hello. Are you looking to trade for Metal?"
"How much do you have?" Ethan replied.
"How much do you need?"
The man was cautious. However, the phrasing made it clear that he was sitting on a substantial stockpile.
"One hundred and fifty kilograms of Metal. Can you provide that?"
The chat went silent for a moment.
In his own carriage, Li Xiaosheng rubbed his eyes, staring at the text in disbelief. One hundred and fifty kilograms? That was the amount required for a train's very first upgrade. Why did this person need so much? Had he already gathered the necessary Wood and Machine Parts? Furthermore, where did this "Ethan Ye" get the confidence to try and buy such a massive quantity at once?
After a moment of hesitation, he sent a reply.
"I can provide it. But what are you offering? If it's just the starter dagger, I'll only give you ten kilos."
"How about a rifle?"
Using the Train System's built-in camera function, Ethan snapped a photo of an average-looking Low-Level Marksman Rifle and sent it over.
"One gun, twenty rounds of ammunition. In exchange for 150kg of your Metal. How about it?"
"A gun?! You actually have a gun!? I'm willing to trade, but isn't that price a bit steep? This is highway robbery! Even a gun isn't worth that much!"
Ethan toyed with a single bullet, unsurprised by the reaction. However, as of right now, he was the only person selling firearms. He held the monopoly; he set the price.
"It's not expensive at all. You should understand how vital a firearm is right now. Besides, who knows what the next station will be like? Can you guarantee there won't be any danger? If you have a gun in your hand, your chances of survival go up significantly, don't they?"
Li Xiaosheng knew Ethan was right. He had found over three hundred kilograms of Metal and a treasure chest at his first station, leading him to believe he was the luckiest person among the survivors. But all of that paled in comparison to the power of the rifle in Ethan's hands.
"Can you go a little lower?"
"One hundred and fifty kilograms. If you don't accept, I'll find someone else."
Ethan stroked his chin, eyes narrowing. This Li Xiaosheng clearly had plenty of Metal, and he had completely exposed his desire for the weapon. Under such circumstances, Ethan had no intention of budging on the price.
Staring at the photo on his screen, Li Xiaosheng swallowed hard. He wanted it—badly.
"Can we do a hundred kilograms?"
Ethan spun a bullet between his fingers, a smirk playing on his lips. "I think there are others who crave a gun even more than you do right now."
Li Xiaosheng bit his lip. After a long hesitation, he finally replied:
"Let me think about it."
"Sure. How about ten seconds? I'm quite busy, after all."
"..."
Li Xiaosheng wanted to ask what he could possibly be busy with. Everyone had already departed their first station; in the cramped confines of a train engine, there was nothing to do but organize supplies or talk in the chat room.
He had no way of knowing that Ethan was still at his first station. Nor could he guess that Ethan's goal wasn't to upgrade his engine, but to construct his very first carriage.
Li Xiaosheng took a deep breath, his expression hardening as he reached a decision.
"I've thought it over. I'll do the trade. But I want to know—what do you need all that Metal for? Upgrading the train? Or do you have a blueprint for these guns and can mass-produce them?"
"Don't get me wrong, I'm not like those people in the chat room. I'm not asking for your blueprint. I'm just saying, if you want to trade again in the future, come to me. I'm confident I can upgrade my train to Level 2 within three stations. When that happens, I can help you promote these firearms. People tend to listen to the strong."
Where does this guy get his confidence?
A possibility occurred to Ethan. Perhaps this Li Xiaosheng possessed a Talent of his own. Ethan had no way of knowing what it was, nor any desire to ask.
Upgrading to Level 2 in three stations makes you 'the strong'?
Ethan silently glanced at his own train, which had already reached Level 2 before he even arrived at the first station. He didn't feel like some supreme powerhouse.
He decided the best way to handle such misplaced confidence was with a single tactic: compliance.
"Let's trade."
This was Ethan's first time using the trading system, and he was curious about the mechanics. Following the system prompts, he placed the rifle and the twenty rounds in an open space. A digital shimmer swept over the items, and they vanished instantly. In their place, a neatly stacked pile of metal ingots appeared.
"I see. Quite convenient."
He wasn't worried about Li Xiaosheng cheating him, as all transactions were verified and escrowed by the Train System.
Looking at his gathered resources, Ethan's eyes sparkled. He placed the Low-Level Carriage Blueprint onto the Processing Table. A translucent light screen rose from the blueprint.
[Low-Level Carriage] (Ready for construction) Required Materials: 100kg Wood, 150kg Metal, 60 Machine Parts. [Commence construction? Yes/No]
"Yes."
The moment he confirmed, the materials vanished from the train. Ethan watched through the rear of the engine as the materials began to restructure in the air under a mysterious force, eventually solidifying into the shape of a train car. The carriage dropped from the air, landing firmly on the tracks and sliding forward until it coupled with his engine.
[Construction Successful.] [Modification possible using Glass and Fiber.]
[Low-Level Carriage] [Internal Facilities: None] [Carriage Functions: None] [Modified: No]
This carriage had no external doors; entry required walking through the rear of the engine. The interior was spacious, roughly ten meters long and about one-and-a-half times the height of an adult male. It was wide and bright, with window frames that lacked actual glass—the very thing the "Modification" option was meant for.
"Now I don't have to cram everything into the engine room. And a train isn't really a train with just an engine anyway. This feels right."
Ethan nodded with satisfaction. He took a stealthy peek at his remaining Stamina and Spirit and decided to put any thoughts of Sublimation on hold for the time being.
He began hauling the resources piled in the engine room into the new carriage. He checked the departure countdown. Forty minutes—enough time to bring a few more loads on board.