Translator: AnubisTL
The next moment!
Chen Mang's voice, amplified by the train's external speakers, echoed through the crowd. There were no pleasantries, no unnecessary words.
It was less a speech and more a declaration.
"From today forward,"
"Stellaris will undergo a complete reform. The term 'slave' will no longer be used, nor will the term 'thug.'"
"Perhaps in this apocalypse, all train conductors will still call you slaves, and perhaps you've already accepted that label yourselves. But from this day forward, under my command, you are no longer rights-less slaves."
"As long as you are willing to work hard, you can still find value in this apocalypse."
"You will have the right to marry, have children, and even build your own family within the train."
"Stellaris will not tolerate any worthless parasites, but it will also never betray those who contribute to the train."
Standing atop the carriage, Chen Mang gazed at the dense crowd before him. After a brief pause, he continued with a calm expression:
"You are no longer slaves. You are train residents."
"And the thugs are no longer thugs. They are guards."
"Positions and benefits will be separated."
"There will be many types of positions, but only six tiers of benefits, each corresponding to a different position."
"The lowest tier, Tier 3 Resident Benefits, includes ten slices of bread and two bottles of mineral water daily, with residence in the refrigerator."
"Tier 2 Resident Benefits include twenty slices of bread and four bottles of mineral water daily, with residence in the carriage."
"Tier 1 Resident Benefits include the same daily food supply as Tier 2, with continued residence in the carriage. The number of 'companionship vouchers' earned daily will depend on the amount of resources mined. One 'companionship voucher' will be awarded for every ten units of resource mine mined, with any surplus accumulating until the next day for a complete settlement."
"Third-Tier Elite Talent Benefits include unlimited food and two 'companionship vouchers' daily."
"Second-Tier Elite Talent Benefits include unlimited food and three 'companionship vouchers' daily."
"First-Tier Elite Talent Benefits include five 'companionship vouchers' daily."
Chen Mang looked at the crowd, leaning on his cane as he continued.
"All residents can advance through mining output. Without any special talents, your position will remain that of a resident, with a maximum of First-Class Resident Status."
"Residents who sell meat (TL: you know if you know) will receive Tier 3 Resident Benefits and can advance through the number of 'companionship vouchers' earned, up to First-Class Resident Status."
"Biaozi, Old Pig!"
"Present!"
Biaozi and Old Pig, standing beneath the train, immediately responded in stern, booming voices.
"You two will receive Tier 1 Elite Talent Benefits."
"The other eight guards will receive Tier 2 Elite Talent Benefits, while the remaining twenty guards, who are yet to be recruited, will receive Tier 3 Elite Talent Benefits."
"The companionship voucher can be used not only to buy meat but also to purchase a wide variety of goods within the train."
"For example..."
"Cigarettes, snacks, food, daily necessities, and even a 100-square-meter refrigerator to serve as a wedding chamber, train tokens, and upgrades to your benefits."
"In the future, all those who perform meritorious service will be rewarded with varying amounts of companionship vouchers."
"This is..."
"all I, Chen Mang, can offer you for now. As the Stellaris train continues to develop, all benefits will be correspondingly upgraded."
"Old Pig will explain the remaining details."
With that, Chen Mang didn't linger. He turned and returned to his locomotive cabin, collapsing into his chair with a long sigh. Gazing out the window at the satisfied smiles of the slaves, he chuckled. He had been discussing this train reform System with Old Pig for days.
This was essentially a good solution.
The original train plan had two major flaws.
First, once a slave reached First-Class Treatment, there was no room for further advancement. This would inevitably diminish their motivation to work. However, allowing slaves to advance further was impossible, as the next step would be thug status. It was unthinkable to let slaves live in the Enforcer Car.
Second, the train's current reward system consisted solely of upgrading treatment.
But...
Merit varied greatly. It was impractical to upgrade treatment every time, and what if Old Pig performed a great service in the future? How would he be rewarded then? How could his treatment be raised further?
In other words, there would be nothing left to reward.
For a ruler, having nothing left to reward meritorious subordinates was an extremely dangerous sign.
At this point, a currency was essential.
Thus, the companionship voucher was born.
Once the companionship voucher became currency, its function as a means to buy meat became its least significant aspect. The residents selling meat and the Stellaris train served as an anchor, much like gold and government bonds anchored paper currency.
He no longer needed to worry about running out of rewards.
He held complete control over the distribution of companionship vouchers. While slaves could only advance to First-Class Resident Status at most, they could continuously earn companionship vouchers to exchange for a 100-square-meter house, including upgrades in benefits.
Meanwhile, residents selling companionship vouchers gained greater freedom in market transactions compared to the previous system.
Everyone could set their own prices based on their appearance, skills, or even emotional value.
For example, one woman charged three vouchers per session, while another charged five.
This system transformed the train.
Production efficiency surpassed that of the slave system, and everyone's work ethic soared.
In the old slave system, all slaves had vacant eyes, uncertain of what tomorrow would bring. They knew only to work. But with this new system, everyone had a goal.
He stocked the Shop with many valuable items.
With his left hand, he manufactured companionship vouchers and distributed them through Resident Benefits.
With his right hand, he collected the vouchers through the Meat Coupon Shop.
It was like passing a hand over the other, but this system would mobilize the enthusiasm of everyone on the train. This method was far more sophisticated than the previous "Big Pot" reward system, though special times called for special measures.
The Stellaris currently held absolute dominance internally and externally, and it only worked because resources were abundant.
Other Trains
Who had time to think about that? They needed to focus on where to mine tomorrow.
He was quite satisfied with his system design, even though it still had flaws. But every system started as a rough draft and gradually standardized over time; no group's system was perfect from the start.
"Tier 3 Elite Talent Benefits for 200 companionship vouchers?"
After Old Pig finished speaking, all the slaves gathered around the train, staring at the prices posted on the large posters outside the carriages. A resident with Tier 1 Slave status, eyes wide with shock, muttered as he counted on his fingers.
"I'm Tier 1 now. I get one companionship voucher a day."
"So, in just 200 days, I can upgrade to Third-Tier Elite Talent Benefits? After that, it's two companionship vouchers every day, and I'll break even in 100 days."
"After that, it's pure profit—two companionship vouchers every day."
"That's 600 companionship vouchers a year, so..."
"What about slave treatment?" A slave poked the man lost in thought, his gaze also fixed on the large poster plastered outside the carriage. "Lord Mang said we're residents now."
"Oh right, residents, residents..." The man blushed, embarrassed. "I'm still not quite used to it."
Inside the locomotive cabin, Chen Mang turned to Old Pig, his voice grave. "There will inevitably be gaps in this System when it's put into practice. For example, the pricing of goods."
"You need to keep a close eye on things in the coming days."
"Understood?"
"Understood," Old Pig replied seriously, nodding. After a moment, he asked, "Lord Mang, what about Ji Chuchu, those young celebrities, and Li Shiji?"
"..."
Chen Mang pondered for a moment before speaking. "Ji Chuchu and Li Shiji will receive Third-Tier Elite Talent Benefits and reside in the two elite talent carriages. The young celebrities will be given Tier 3 Resident status."
"After all, they're celebrities. Their prices won't be low."
"Alright, there's one more thing."
Old Pig hesitated before lowering his voice. "Lord Mang, you said last time you'd reward Ji Chuchu to the best-performing slaves. But the best-performing slaves are all goblins. They don't play with women."
"Besides them, no one else has touched Ji Chuchu."
"Mm."
Chen Mang nodded casually. "Understood. Tell her to come see me later."
"Yes."
Today.
All the slaves were resting, their eyes glued to the dazzling array of goods on the list.
"Honey, if you work hard mining, can you buy me a house?"
Amidst the crowd, a young couple stood together. The girl gazed at the refrigerator priced at "1000 Companionship Vouchers" on the list, her eyes sparkling like stars. "One day, we'll definitely have our own house on the Stellaris train, right?"
The boy's expression darkened, and he remained silent. He only wished this were all a dream, that when he woke up, everything would return to normal.
What human rights? What resident status?
He didn't want any of it!
He just wanted to be a slave!
When you're a happy slave, with food every day, no worries about safety or monsters, isn't that fucking great?
Pre-Apocalypse
He worked his ass off overtime just to buy a house and get married. The apocalypse finally came, and he didn't have to worry about buying a house anymore. But how did things evolve? He was fucking buying a house again?
What the hell? Buying a house in the apocalypse?
Was he destined to be haunted by homeownership his entire life?
Even if he threw himself in front of a train right now and went to Hell, would he still have to buy a house there? Was he doomed to buy this goddamn house?
Originally, the train required everyone to mine at least 10 units of ore daily.
Now?
If he wanted to buy a house, he'd have to work longer hours to earn more companionship vouchers.
"Honey, is it okay?"
Sigh
The man took a deep breath, forcing a smile as he stroked his girlfriend's head. "Of course it's okay."
"I knew you were the best, honey."
Her face was filled with longing. "Lord Mang is so kind. Other train conductors call us slaves, but Lord Mang calls us residents and even gives us a chance to buy a house. It's wonderful, honey. We're finally not slaves anymore."
...
The man remained silent for a long moment before finally clenching his jaw and speaking each word with deliberate force.
"Yeah, we're finally not slaves anymore."
That's right.
Our status isn't slave anymore!
But why do I feel even more like a slave than before?
Lost in thought, he glanced at another middle-aged couple in the crowd. The middle-aged woman looked genuinely happy, while the middle-aged man happened to be looking at him.
Their eyes met.
Both saw the despair in the other's gaze.
But...
The man looked at the "Goods List" and suddenly chuckled wryly. If they could really have their own home on the Stellaris, it might actually be quite nice.
In the apocalypse, living together with someone you knew and loved...
It didn't sound so bad after all.
"Tsk."
Chen Mang, reclining in a chair in the locomotive cabin, had been watching the young couple's inner turmoil through the window. He couldn't help but shake his head and laugh. "Tell me, these two aren't even that deeply in love, yet the guy naturally took on the responsibility of buying a house."
If they were truly in love...
He'd just give them a refrigerator.
His "Doomsday Marriage Certificate" had been piling up for days, with no one to use it.
Ji Chuchu, kneeling silently beside him, remained quiet. She knew Lord Mang wasn't truly expecting an answer.
Chen Mang finally turned his gaze away from the young couple. He didn't care what they thought; he only knew the male would have to work even harder at mining from now on. As for the female, she would have to meet the minimum requirement of mining at least 10 units per day, though she didn't seem particularly eager to do so.
Finally.
This matter could be put to rest. Next, he would prepare to head to the Green Zone, the Sha River Plains, to complete his S-Rank Difficulty job advancement quest.
He glanced at Ji Chuchu, kneeling beside him.
"Did you change clothes again?"
"Mhm."
"There's a dress hanging over there for you."
"Really?"
Ji Chuchu's eyes lit up as she looked up at the low-cut evening gown hanging on the nearby rack.
"Put it on."
Chen Mang picked up the remote and replayed a variety show Ji Chuchu had once starred in on the screen. Only after she had changed did he give her a once-over, chuckling, "That's slutty enough."
"As long as Lord Mang likes it."
He had spent 500 units of Wood crafting this high-precision garment. Only after putting it on did she truly exude the aura of a celebrity.
"I'm coming, Lord Mang."
"Mhm."
"No!"
In the crowd, the middle-aged man finally snapped. Turning to his wife, he roared, "Are you done yet? What the hell is your obsession with buying a house?"
"You lived in your mother's womb for ten months."
"Did you develop muscle memory from it?"
"Before the apocalypse, I struggled for twenty years just to pay off my mortgage. Now you want me to buy another house? I'm over forty! Can I even handle it? Ten units of iron ore a day is already too much—I can't dig anymore!"
"Divorce!"
(End of the Chapter)
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