Low-level Trains didn't have much to begin with, and Chen Mang never expected to profit from them. Their primary role was dissemination—spreading influence while securing an additional Iron Ore source. The goal was to advance to higher-tier regions sooner, mine premium ores, and then return as paying customers.
It was essentially an early-stage investment.
For now, they'd just have to endure the lean times.
The items in the store weren't meant for low-level Trains anyway. A single Level 10 Refrigerator cost 4,500 units of Iron Ore to produce. Even if sold at cost, few low-level Trains could afford it.
After that, Chen Mang said nothing more.
He simply strolled casually through the designated commercial district with Uncle Li and the others. At its peak, only about 90 Train Conductors and their subordinates were shopping there, yet they had already contributed nearly 10 million—878,000 units of Iron Ore, to be precise.
If that population expanded further—
To 900, 9,000, or even 90,000…
The profits would be astronomical!
And if "Neon City" truly reached that scale, calling himself humanity's savior wouldn't be an exaggeration. It would become the planet's sole free-trading hub, enabling countless Trains to survive.
Effectively reducing the Train extinction rate.
"Alright."
After finishing his rounds, Chen Mang turned to Uncle Li and Li Shiji. "For the next few days, you'll be stationed here. Together, we'll expand and strengthen this Neon City. I've granted you high-level permissions."
"Don't hesitate with your ideas—act boldly."
"Don't fear mistakes."
"Even major bugs are fine. With our current low user count, fixes are easy. Understood?"
"Understood!" Li Shiji and Uncle Li straightened their postures and answered in unison, faces serious.
"Good. I'll take my leave now. Report back if you encounter any indecisive situations."
"Yes."
With that, he departed without further delay, leaving Neon City and returning to his Train compartment.
The empty compartment.
Surrounded by floor-to-ceiling windows, the night sky glittered with stars as the roar of Doomsday Cannons echoed incessantly. Chen Mang leaned back in his chair, his gaze settling on the Single Bed tucked in the corner.
He had placed it against two walls for stability.
At night, he'd switch the window glass to full opacity, blocking all external visibility.
He preferred sleeping with his back to a wall—it felt safer.
This thing…
Could probably sell too, right?
Its Level 5 Supermodel Effect allowed free customization of pillows and bedding—buckwheat, silicone, jade, etc. The Level 10 Supermodel Effect granted enhanced sleep quality and extended lifespan.
He felt these two accessories would be quite useful for most Train Conductors.
Spending just one Stellar Coupon could significantly improve one's quality of life and even extend longevity.
However, the former's value should be slightly higher than the latter, since prolonging life in the apocalypse is somewhat of a false proposition.
The main appeal was their affordability—crafting one only required 1 unit of wood.
The Single Bed consumed wood for crafting and Iron Ore for upgrades.
After spending 502,500 units of Iron Ore, he upgraded his "Single Bed" all the way to level 100 in one go, unlocking three brand-new Supermodel Effects.
-
「Single Bed Level 20 Supermodel Effect」: Instantly absorbs urine when wetting the bed.
「Single Bed Level 50 Supermodel Effect」: Sleeping on this bed long-term slightly improves overall physical fitness.
「Single Bed Level 100 Supermodel Effect」: After embedding a Dreamstone, each dream has a chance to bring back an item from the dream. The Dreamstone's consumption varies based on the item's value.
-
A Single Bed worth 508,000 units of Iron Ore!
Level 100!
This was probably the most expensive Single Bed on the planet.
And its effects were surprisingly powerful.
"Dreamstone?"
Chen Mang looked at the Dreamstone on the control panel, its progress already at 100%, and picked up the small, multicolored stone thoughtfully. "This Dreamstone finished charging yesterday, but it didn't seem to have any use."
He hadn't expected it to be for a level 100 Single Bed.
It was impossible for anyone else to have a level 100 Single Bed, so the Dreamstone's true purpose probably wasn't meant for this. Still...
He took the Dreamstone and walked over to the Single Bed, placing it into a newly appeared slot on the headboard.
Randomly retrieve any item from a dream?
He could try it out when he slept later and see what he could bring back.
He could also craft a few level 5 and level 10 Single Beds to put in the shop and see if anyone would buy them. Like the "Refrigerator," this was an item that upgraded individually.
Just then—
"Hm?"
Chen Mang's eyes lit up—Mundo had returned. His current Iron Ore balance was 34 million, and he was still 6 million short of upgrading to level 15 Armor. He had originally planned to mine the remaining 6 million after daybreak.
But now that Mundo was back, he wouldn't have to wait. Mundo had surely brought back a hefty sum of ill-gotten gains.
"Bring Mundo here at once."
Soon!
Mundo arrived at the Train compartment with Doba, though Mundo kept his head down the entire time without saying a word.
"What's going on?"
"Did you get dumped?"
Chen Mang frowned as he looked at the two.
"Lord Mang," Doba quickly explained, "Mundo's results this time weren't great. He only earned 7 million units of Iron Ore through trading. He feels ashamed to face you."
"He was a bit unlucky—the regions he went to already knew his reputation..."
"It's fine."
Chen Mang shook his head. "No big deal. Cheer up. 7 million units of Iron Ore is enough. But you've reminded me—do Goblins have female Goblins? With only a little over 100 in your population, that's far too few for a whole race. Any plans to reproduce?"
"No."
Doba's eyes flickered with sorrow as he shook his head: "Lord Mang, Doba is grateful for your kindness, but Doba and my people exist in this world as a form of living dead. We've lost the right to reproduce in this universe."
"Only when civilization is truly rebuilt, and the Goblin race is formally restored, will we regain our physical forms and the right to bear children."
"..."
Chen Mang remained silent for a moment before nodding. "Alright, understood. You may leave now."
The situation was more complicated than he had imagined.
But this matter wasn't immediately important.
Perhaps because his conversation with Doba had gone so smoothly, he'd almost forgotten that Doba was essentially a monster like the Zombies, just one that had regained consciousness.
After Doba and the others left,
he turned his attention to the iron ore balance.
-
"41 million units of iron ore."
-
This amount was enough to upgrade the armor to level 15.
Better upgrade first.
This was a purple zone, where the highest monster level was 15. Not having level 15 armor would leave him feeling somewhat insecure. If he'd upgraded the armor to level 15 when he first entered the purple zone, he wouldn't have had to go through so much trouble.
He could have just stayed put,
unmoved by wind or rain,
standing firm without budging.
Upgrading from level 13 to 14 cost 3 million units per carriage.
From level 14 to 15, it was 5 million per carriage.
The Stellar had 14 carriages + 1 locomotive + 1 Behemoth Car, totaling 80 million units of iron ore needed. With Halved Consumption, it came to 40 million.
After 40 million units of iron ore vanished from the train,
the Stellar's armor finally reached level 15—an incredibly formidable level!
But the cost was—
all the reserves the train had accumulated over these days were completely depleted. Forty million units of iron ore, gone, all gone.
"This still hurts a bit."
Sitting in his chair, Chen Mang let out a long sigh. He pitied himself, and even more so others. If upgrading was this taxing for him, he couldn't imagine how painful it must be for other trains to upgrade their Level Defense components.
It's really tough.
Shaking his head, he stopped dwelling on it and got up to walk to the side. After a quick wash, he lay down to sleep, silently hypnotizing himself:
"Dream about a level 100 train."
"And bring back one piece of level 10 iron ore."
His request wasn't too much—just one piece, was that too much to ask?
Drowsily, he fell asleep.
In his dream, he found himself on a train—or something like a city subway. Dressed in a suit, he was preparing to go to work. His memories felt hazy, probably because he hadn't slept well the night before.
The next moment—
sudden screams erupted from the front of the subway.
In the chaos, he didn't know what was happening, only that he was running with the crowd.
As he ran, he suddenly fell into a river.
The water was black.
Huge sculptures were scattered haphazardly on the riverbed, only partially visible above the surface. The surroundings were eerily silent, and a wave of fear washed over him. He swam desperately, but after five minutes, he realized something—he didn't actually know how to swim.
His previously steady body suddenly became uncontrollable, sinking rapidly.
The choking sensation of inhaling water made him feel miserable.
Struggling violently in the water, he suddenly spotted a woman squatting by the riverbank washing her hair. In his panic, without hesitation—as if grasping at the last straw—he grabbed her hair and started climbing up.
Yet the woman's hair was extraordinarily long.
At least two or three meters long.
After finally pulling himself up, he realized the woman had her backside facing the river—she wasn't washing her hair but her anal hair.
Before he could say anything, an earthquake suddenly struck. The intense sensation of weightlessness jolted him awake.
"Whew."
Chen Mang sat up in bed, startled by the nightmare. Outside the window, it was already noon—he had slept for six or seven hours, and it had been an extremely uncomfortable rest.
He wiped the cold sweat from his back.
After showering and changing clothes, he sat at the control panel, lit a cigarette, and stared with a complicated expression at the single bed in the corner. He didn't even check the Train Log immediately.
Ever since upgrading the single bed to Level 10, he had rarely suffered nightmares. The Level 10 Supermodel Effect of the single bed was supposed to improve sleep quality, yet he hadn't felt any improvement last night.
Just then—
He noticed the Dreamstone embedded in the headboard was faintly flickering, as if signaling something. Could this be the culprit?
Just to make him dream?
After a moment of silence, Chen Mang stood up and walked to the single bed, examining the Dreamstone. He placed his hand gently on it, and a small portal materialized beside the headboard. A strand of hair fell out from the portal.
This was exactly what had appeared in his dream.
Wait—
This wasn't hair. It was anal hair!
But what use could this possibly have? Frowning, he pondered the connection, his thoughts racing. This couldn't be entirely useless—if it were, it wouldn't have been a special function unlocked by upgrading the train to Level 12.
Dreamstone. Level 100 single bed.
A vague suspicion formed in his mind.
In the course of a civilization's development, there were two unavoidable subjects of exploration:
Death. And dreams.
They might be explored through science, philosophy, or even theology. Regardless of the method—whether through hypotheses or self-sacrifice—they would inevitably be studied.
Unsurprisingly, the Mechanical Civilization must have also explored dreams—and had already achieved some results, integrating them into the train for the Train Conductor's use.
This Dreamstone seemed similar to an Energy Stone, serving as a power source.
The Dreamstone embedded in the headboard now showed 99% remaining capacity.
He would test it again tonight.
Resolved, Chen Mang finally spoke. "Xiao Ai, come take this strand of hair and see if there's anything unusual about it."
"Yes, sir!"
He watched Xiao Ai's retreating figure in silence.
Nothing in this world could manifest out of thin air. His memory of last night's dream was already fading, and he wasn't entirely sure if this strand was the same one he had grabbed in the river. But one thing was certain: objects from dreams appearing in reality was utterly bizarre.
Given this...
The civilization level of the Mechanical Civilization might be even higher than he had imagined.
Having already comprehended "death" and "dreams."
Doba and the others were already dead, yet they continued to exist normally as monsters.
Chen Mang shook his head, dispelling all these thoughts from his mind. His primary task now was to level up quickly, striving to reach the Rainbow Zone as soon as possible and upgrade the Train to a sufficiently high level. Only by standing tall could he see far.
He had just picked up Xiao Lu from the bed, intending to toss her aside, when something suddenly occurred to him. His eyes narrowed slightly as he looked down at Xiao Lu in his arms.
Xiao Lu was still in a deep slumber.
She wouldn't wake up until the Train reached Level 15. The Single Bed didn't specify whether it had to be a human or the Train Conductor lying on it.
Who knew what lay in Xiao Lu's dreams? Was there a chance to bring something back from them?
And whether living beings could be brought out remained a mystery.
If living beings could indeed be brought out, Xiao Lu would surely miss her childhood playmates in her dreams. Maybe he could bring back a few S-level Starry Sky Behemoth cubs—though on second thought, it'd be disastrous if her mom tagged along.
That scenario...
Aqua Blue Star still had four years before its destruction. If her mom appeared on this planet, doomsday would arrive instantly.
Congratulations, you've drastically shortened the countdown to the extinction of human civilization.
Great.
With that, Chen Mang slowly pushed the control lever, steering toward the city ruins at the center of the "Stone Man Zone." Today's goal was to gather some supplies and investigate why that area could block the Targeting Radar—perhaps there was something big lurking there.
As the saying goes, boldness comes with skill.
With his Level 15 Armor, he feared nothing in that zone. Even if there were Level 15 monsters, other Trains might cower, but not Chen Mang.
Just look around.
The refrigerator beside him was already stuffed with rabbit carcasses. If not for the fact that monster meat was inedible, he'd have thrown a rabbit feast long ago.
All the loot had been sent to Neon City.
The Train maintained a steady pace as it advanced toward its destination.
Meanwhile, in a corner of the purple "Stone Man" zone, inside a Level 14 Mechanical Train, an old man leaned thoughtfully in his chair. A mermaid knelt beside him as he chewed on the Redheart Nut he had just bought, staring at the "Neon City Free Entry Ticket" in his hand.
Redheart Nut.
1,000 Stellar Coupons per nut.
Specifically treats male dysfunction.
He had bought two to try and found the effects genuinely impressive. At his advanced age, he had finally regained some vigor—not as strong as in his youth, but enough.
"Neon City... what a place."
The old man groped the woman beside him a few times, his mind racing with ideas.
Last night, after a prolonged battle with a boss, he had finally defeated it. Strangely, the boss dropped no items—only a "Neon City Free Entry Ticket."
A Serendipity Map.
He had entered it last night.
At first, he thought the "Neon City Free Entry Ticket" was worthless, as everyone could claim 20 for free each week. He had assumed he'd suffered a loss, but then he realized the Serendipity Map was entirely different from other maps.
Not only can one freely trade with other Train Conductors here, but there are also many shops selling unique goods. For instance, this Redheart Nut was like rain after a long drought for him.
He was back in action.
Apart from exchanging iron ore, Stellar Coupons could also be earned by recruiting new members. For every new train recruited in the purple zone, the reward was 50,000 Stellar Coupons.
But...
He had a better method.
The old man withdrew his hand from the woman beside him, took out a "Diamond K" from the drawer, and slipped it into his pocket. His eyes gleamed with cunning as he crushed the "Neon City Free Entry Ticket" in his hand.
Recruiting new members?
The reward was too meager.
This special item, which he had never used before, finally had its moment to shine.
-
"Special Item": Diamond K.
"Item Effect": Once activated, this item can transform into any card, with patterns and details perfectly matching the card in hand. Usable twelve times a day.
-
A cheater's best friend!
His target was the casino—he was going to make a fortune there!
With the remaining Stellar Coupons, whether exchanged for iron ore or used to purchase goods, he'd be set for life.
To earn big, you needed more cards up your sleeve. Just then, several strong men strode in carrying storage boxes. His stake this time was 20 million units of iron ore!
If he was going to play, he'd play big!
Neon City.
Sun City, high-rise suite.
Xiao Ai stood by the floor-to-ceiling window, watching the pedestrians on the street below, and remarked, "Someone's cheating in the casino. They've already won 4 million."
"Huh?"
Uncle Li turned to Xiao Ai in confusion. "Director Ai, weren't you just looking at the street? How do you know someone's cheating in the casino?"
"..."
Xiao Ai turned his head expressionlessly toward Uncle Li. "Because I'm an AI. The casino's cameras feed directly into my database. Are you stupid?"
"Oh... Then I'll go inform Lord Mang."
"No need."
At that moment—
Sister Qi, standing nearby, smiled and said, "No need to trouble Lord Mang with such a small matter. The casino's been running long enough to encounter cheaters. There's a dedicated protocol for handling them."
"Xiao Ji, invite this guest to the VIP room."
"What's the protocol? Chopping off hands?"
"No. All robots in Neon City have an unalterable command: they cannot attack others. The protocol is to out-cheat the cheater—win back all his chips."
"Really? I heard Lord Mang mention that some Viper Gang once fought him."
"That was a special case."
"If you lose and end up paying out a huge amount of Stellar Coupons, it could bankrupt Neon City." Xiao Ai turned to Sister Qi, his tone icy.
"Don't worry."
Sister Qi spoke with confidence. "There won't be any mistakes."
Xiao Ai shook his head and said nothing more, only turning to Uncle Li. "Go back and report this to Lord Mang."
"Yes."
"Lord Mang."
Chen Mang nodded, standing by the window as he gazed at the old man exchanging Stellar Coupons for iron ore at the starting point. He murmured, "So this is the guy who took 8 million units of my iron ore?"
"Yes."
Xiao Ai reported quietly, "Sister Qi invited him to the VIP room for a high-stakes game, but he refused and left immediately. With so many people watching, we couldn't force the issue."
"No problem."
Chen Mang shook his head, pausing for a moment before continuing, "This person's Train name seems familiar. I remember seeing it on the Train Radio in the 'Stone Man Zone.' Let him go—I'll find him myself."
"Did you figure out how he cheated?"
"Probably a combination of sleight of hand and a Special Item."
"Many people possess special items, especially those on high-level trains. They basically all have special items of various kinds, and no one knows what they might be holding. Always stay vigilant."
"Understood."
Chen Mang didn't linger any longer and immediately left Neon City again.
Currently, there were less than 1 million units of iron ore left in the train. As for the iron ore reserves in Neon City, they hadn't decreased—in fact, they had increased. After all, the casino didn't gamble against its customers; that guy had only won money from other patrons.
The casino merely took its cut.
However...
Since he was cheating in his establishment, that money was as good as his!
The next moment—
All train conductors in Neon City saw the screens in every shop suddenly switch to the same image simultaneously.
-
「Bounty Board」
Top Bounty: Eliminate the "Snarling Train" - Reward: 2 million Stellar Coupons.
Issued by: Scrap Train.
Reason: Casino cheated me out of my Stellar Coupons!
Second Bounty: None.
-
Since the bounty board was planned to be launched anyway, this was a good opportunity to introduce it. Bounties would be ranked by reward amount, and any matter could be posted on the board.
Since they happened to be in the same region...
Might as well take him out.