Dawn broke.
It had been a peaceful night yesterday.
The Stellar Train was stationed on the wasteland of Crisis Valley, beside two Level 3 Iron Ore deposits. The residents were already swinging their pickaxes with all their might, though anxiety was written all over their faces. Their swings were so frantic it seemed the pickaxes might fly out of their hands.
The reality was...
There were too many residents and too few mines.
If they didn't fight to dig, there simply wouldn't be enough.
With more wolves than meat, internal competition was inevitable.
"Hah..."
Chen Mang stretched lazily as he got out of bed. After washing up in the refrigerator, he lit a cigarette and sat down in a chair to review today's Train Log.
This was practically part of his daily routine.
A wake-up smoke, then checking the Train Log to see what had happened while he was asleep.
The log recorded everything in detail.
As usual.
The residents had already started working. A squad of Guardians, along with 80 armed robots, were patrolling the perimeter to keep monsters at bay. The remaining Guardians were clearing basic missions in the Combat Training Virtual Space.
On the table, there was another serving of rice noodle rolls—left by Xiao Fang.
Everything was nearly identical to the day before.
Such a fixed and monotonous life would have felt unbearably dull before the apocalypse. But now, in the aftermath, it brought an inexplicable sense of security.
Stability could bring boredom, but it could also bring peace of mind.
"Not bad."
Chen Mang took a few casual bites of the rice noodle rolls before setting the rest aside. He was getting a bit tired of them—the food options on the train were still too limited. Maybe he could set up another food production line to diversify the menu.
Looking out the window, the weather was nice today—clear skies with no clouds, the air a mix of chill and warmth.
He picked up Xiao Lu, who was sleeping quietly nearby, and cradled her in his arms, giving her a few affectionate rubs. Honestly, this little thing was surprisingly cute and cozy to hold, with her soft fur making it hard not to pet her a few more times.
"Starry Sky Behemoth?"
He lifted Xiao Lu into the air, studying her closely before murmuring, "I really can't see any trace of a Starry Sky Behemoth in you. I wonder what you'll look like when you grow up..."
By the time the train reached Level 12, this little one would awaken.
Then she wouldn't just feed unconsciously—he'd have to actively provide for her. Hopefully, she wouldn't eat up too many of his resources...
Next, he checked the Iron Ore reserves: 901,000 units remaining.
Once these two Level 3 mines were exhausted, it would be about time for a Train Expansion.
Time passed slowly.
Nothing noteworthy happened that day.
Chen Mang lounged lazily inside the train carriage, basking in the sunlight as he spent the day watching movies—old ones, at that. He'd already gone through most of the films collected earlier, so now he was just rewatching them.
When he got tired, he took a stroll through the other carriages.
In Carriage No. 5, he played around with a stuffed burger for a while, letting off some steam.
Then he headed to Carriage No. 7, where he chatted with Lao Zhu, Biao Zi, and the others for a bit.
He also visited Carriage 10, gazing thoughtfully at the undeveloped "Entertainment Base" before deciding to use the Mechanical Heart to build an amusement park for everyone later—maybe even a roller coaster. Whether others would play or not didn't matter; he wanted to.
He had always wanted to ride one since childhood. But as an orphan, no one ever took him. As an adult, he felt too embarrassed to go. Such a small thing had somehow become a regret in his past life, and now he had the chance to fulfill it.
Next, he checked the filming progress at the "Film and Television Base," offering a few casual instructions.
Finally, he headed to Carriage 11. Under Doba's proud guidance, he inspected the Goblin clan's territory. It was crude but had a certain charm. He asked about Mundo's progress and learned he was still out trading and hadn't returned yet.
On his way back to the Train Conductor's cabin, he passed Carriage 5 and spent some time playing "Twin Phoenixes Pecking Rice."
By then, it was almost evening.
The two Level 3 Iron Ore deposits were nearly exhausted. With nearly 6,000 mining residents working together, the efficiency was astonishing—though at the cost of many bandages.
Quite a few residents had been struck hard by pickaxes on their bodies, feet, or heads. Fortunately, their regular diet of bread and cola had kept their Physical Fitness Index decent, or else there might have been funerals that night.
"Whew."
Night had fallen.
Standing inside the Train Conductor's cabin, Chen Mang watched the winding-down scene outside and stretched contentedly, murmuring, "What a fulfilling day. Being a good Train Conductor isn't easy—you have to take care of every corner, every detail."
Most trains didn't have many Slaves. The most he'd seen was Shen Ye's, with just over 1,200.
Slaves, when few in number, could double efficiency with each addition. But once the numbers grew, the efficiency gains diminished sharply.
His train might have the most Survivors of any in the Blue Zones.
As for the entire planet? There were surely others with more. After all, there were 50 million trains out there.
Just then—
A flash of white light filled the train, followed by Xiao Ai's voice: "Train Conductor."
"Hmm?"
"Today, you patrolled the entire train, inspecting almost every area. When passing Carriage 14, you even stood in the aisle admiring that Ground Burst Missile for a long time."
"So? What's the problem? Don't you think a missile lying peacefully in a carriage is cool? Is it wrong to look at it a little longer?"
"No. But you passed Carriage 2 twice without once considering visiting the Armor Research Center to see me."
"..."
Chen Mang's lips twitched. He immediately grabbed his cane and stood, heading toward the connected Carriage 2 behind the cabin. "I'm going now."
Had he upgraded the "Train Auxiliary AI" too much?
Last time, he'd leveled it up to 100. Maybe that had made its thinking abilities a little too advanced.
Soon.
Chen Mang pushed open the door to find Xiao Ai standing proudly beside an unfamiliar machine, the characters for "proud" displayed on screens embedded in each cheek.
"And this machine is?"
He shifted his gaze from Xiao Ai to the instrument, examining it up and down. It resembled a massive meat grinder, though excessively large—a cylindrical structure about ten meters in diameter.
The entire body was made of steel.
Only one side had a glass panel, allowing a clear view of the internal mechanism.
In the center of the cylinder was a steel pipe embedded with countless Train Blade Fragments—all level 100. To say they could slice through iron like mud or cut hair with a mere breath wouldn't be an exaggeration.
It was obvious.
Once this machine started, the grinder would reduce anything dropped inside into minced meat.
"What do you think?"
Xiao Ai introduced it proudly, "This is the result of my work from last night until today—22 hours straight. Last night, based on the data in my database, I ran a quick simulation. Uncle Li's idea for the 'Zombie Spawning Cage' has a success rate of about 0.9%."
"The information in my database tells me this is practically impossible."
"But—"
"I still went ahead and built this grinder in advance, making it the follow-up equipment for the 'Zombie Spawning Cage.' It can turn all the spawned zombies into pulp. I've also connected this 'Grinder' to that red instrument, the 'Cosmic Receiver,' via a pipeline."
"This grinder doesn't just mince meat. At the top, there's a massive piston, like a giant straw. Once a batch of zombies is ground into paste, it applies intense pressure to squeeze out all the Core Energy from the zombies, which then flows through the pipeline to the Cosmic Receiver. The Cosmic Receiver converts it into Iron Ore, which then materializes as corresponding deposits in the Space Gate on the other side."
"Everything here is ready. We just need Uncle Li's 'Zombie Spawning Cage' to be completed, and we can start immediately!"
"Not bad."
After listening to Xiao Ai's explanation, Chen Mang remarked in surprise, "Not needing sleep really is an advantage. You finished this massive grinder in a single day. Did you do all this alone? Are you some kind of superhuman?"
"Of course not alone."
Xiao Ai shook his head. Immediately, over a dozen robots crawled out from inside the grinder, while dozens more peeked out from behind the Cosmic Receiver. Some others, busy modifying mech suits, stood up from the nearby scaffolding.
"To be precise, 198 workers. Among the robots we retrieved from 70,000 meters underground last time, some were beyond repair. I salvaged their parts, reassembled them, and managed to restore 197 robots. Add my original one, and that makes 198."
"What's the power source for this engine?"
"Connected to the Circuit System and Generator, consuming Energy Stones."
"What about the engine itself?"
"Dismantled from an Off-Road Motorcycle."
"I remember that part wasn't upgraded—it's only level 1. The rotation speed isn't fast enough, right?"
"It's a bit slow, but it'll do for now."
Chen Mang shook his head and immediately spent 175,000 units of Iron Ore to upgrade the yellow-tier component 'Off-Road Motorcycle Production Line' to level 20 before continuing, "Just upgraded it to level 20. The rotation speed should be sufficient now."
"We'll replace it later."
"What about those mechs under the scaffolding over there?"
"Biao Zi and the others' mech levels are a bit too low; they're not sufficient in the Blue Zone. Biao Zi's physical condition isn't ready for the 'Thunder' mech yet. They're currently modifying it, welding on higher-grade armor for him."
"Mhm."
"One more thing, Train Conductor. Since we brought back so many robots last time, I dismantled several and finally located the module where an AI can reside within these robots. I can accompany you to Neon City now."
"Oh?"
Chen Mang raised an eyebrow slightly. "That's good news. With your Supermodel Effect that can infiltrate networks, we'll have free access to many restricted areas in Neon City. But if the Train comes under attack while you're there, can you still execute the preset counterattack commands?"
"Yes. At level 10, perhaps not, but at level 100, I can fully split myself—the core AI will remain on the Train to carry out the defensive countermeasures."
"Excellent. Prepare these next few days. We'll depart soon for Neon City again."
"Understood!"
Returning to the Train's control room, Chen Mang sat back in his chair and exhaled deeply. Xiao Ai had bombarded him with a lot of information all at once. This guy… was becoming more and more human-like, even knowing how to fish for praise.
Back when his level was lower, such matters would've simply been relayed through the Train's sound system.
Instead of complaining resentfully about not visiting him.
The two level-3 Iron Ore mines had been fully depleted, and the Train's resources now stood at 14,215,000 units of Iron Ore.
The level-100 Solar Energy Panels could completely cover the Train's daily consumption while also generating an additional 180,000 units of Iron Ore per day.
A total of 14 Carriages and one locomotive.
The expansion cost was 14 million units.
Without hesitation, Chen Mang pressed the "Train Expansion" button again, adjusting the parameters to one Carriage at 10 meters wide, 30 meters long, and 10 meters high.
The next moment—
A line of text appeared on the control panel screen.
-
「Train expansion will commence once the countdown ends. Before then, please ensure all personnel have evacuated the Train to prevent accidents.」
「00:29:59」
-
Did they really need to leave the Carriages?
Chen Mang didn't say much, simply picking up his cane and carrying Xiao Lu as he walked out of the control room. Immediately afterward, all screens in the Train lit up, and a piercing alarm blared through every Carriage.
Xiao Ai's mechanical voice quickly followed.
"The Train is about to undergo an upgrade. All residents must evacuate in an orderly manner. Residents of Zones 1 and 2, exit the Carriages first. Residents of other zones, remain in your designated areas and do not move around."
Though the number of residents was large,
the sight of the hundred Heavy Machine Guns on the ceiling slowly rotating—as if eager to pick off any troublemakers—ensured that everyone obediently followed instructions.
The level-100 Internal Fire Control System might seem redundant, but it wasn't entirely useless. Without those hundred guns, the residents wouldn't be so compliant.
The Train was too small.
The train doors were too small, and the movement of over 6,000 residents inside the carriages was overly crowded. It really should have been expanded long ago. Although the area inside the Space Gate was large enough, people couldn't stay there indefinitely. Just a trip to the Resident Store and back could leave you drenched in sweat from the crowding!
Soon—
All the residents on the train, including the creatures from the Breeding Carriage, were brought down. At this moment, there wasn't a single living being left aboard the Stellar.
Everyone stood in place, gazing at the Stellar Train before them.
In the distance—
A line of defense was spread out by a group of Black Hole Armed Robots and Guardians.
Uncle Li, who was leading various livestock like cows, sheep, and pigs—even a man and a large number of Zombies—on chains, naturally became the center of attention in the crowd. Many residents looked at him with curiosity. The train had gained many newcomers who had never seen Uncle Li before, though the older residents knew him from when he used to record their Stellar Coupons for a while.
But he was soon out of a job.
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