Translator: AnubisTL
This was why they upgraded the "Big Pot" to Tier 3 armor.
It started as a regular carriage, but after only a few fires, it was burned through.
After switching to Tier 3 armor, this problem disappeared.
And so—
A grotesquely shaped, utterly bizarre, and distinctly post-apocalyptic Big Pot stove was completed. A dozen women stood nearby, wielding car blade fragments to quickly chop meat and wash vegetables.
Meanwhile, the man they'd found among the residents, claiming to be a former five-star hotel chef, was now being assisted by two or three burly young men as he wielded an impossibly long, oversized ladle, constantly stirring the contents of the pot.
This ladle, too, was fashioned from bound-together table legs.
Old Pig watched this scene and suddenly burst into laughter, his eyes filled with a mixture of dazed wonder and nostalgia. Though he hadn't gone hungry since joining Lord Mang, and could eat his fill of steamed buns every day—with a choice of meat sauce or chili sauce fillings—
But...
After all, it was mass-produced on a production line—essentially fast food.
What good could you expect from something made with iron ore?
He hadn't seen such a scene of human warmth in ages. It made him feel as if the apocalypse wasn't real, as if he were still living in a civilized society. It was wonderful.
If only the Stellaris could continue to develop like this forever.
Finally—
Two hours later, the half-carriage was filled with the steam of the boiling stew. The pork and cabbage stew with vermicelli, this time without any cabbage, was finally done. They had thrown in the entire pig that had been frozen in the refrigerator.
Then came the distribution of food.
Tonight, everyone could eat as many steamed buns as they wanted. The amount of meat, however, varied depending on the resident's Tier. Even Tier 3 Residents were guaranteed a piece of meat in their bowls.
"Hoo-hoo."
A man who had just joined the train and was enjoying Tier 3 Resident status clutched his bowl of vermicelli with excited eyes. He ran to a corner with four steamed buns skewered on his chopsticks and gazed at the steaming vermicelli and the slice of pork belly on top.
Carefully, he picked up a piece of meat and took a half-bite, savoring the explosion of savory flavor in his mouth.
His eyes suddenly began to redden.
He then tucked the half-eaten meat under the bowl, tossed a steamed bun into the gravy, and began to wolf down the meal. Soon, four buns and a bowl of stew were gone. He took a deep breath and finally brought the last half-piece of meat to his lips.
He chewed it with extreme tenderness, as if afraid it would melt away and disappear at any moment. Only when it had truly dissolved into a near-powder in his mouth did he reluctantly swallow.
He set the bowl and chopsticks aside.
As the night wind blew, tears finally spilled from his eyes. He looked up at the distant city ruins, a heavy weight pressing down on his chest. It had been so long since he'd eaten with chopsticks and a bowl; he felt awkward using them.
Brother Biao had brought this back for them today, distributed freely to everyone.
Holding the chopsticks again made him feel human once more.
Ever since the apocalypse wiped out his entire family, he hadn't shed a single tear. He lived each day in a daze, having been a slave on countless trains, long since numbed to the suffering. But everything changed after joining the Stellaris.
He even had time to grieve now, time to think about his deceased family.
If...
If his family had joined the Stellaris from the start instead of that other train, perhaps they wouldn't have been trampled to death. On the Stellaris, every woman could freely choose her own profession; no one would force her.
Even Lord Mang and Brother Biao, the mid-level managers, never coerced any woman. What you did was entirely up to you.
If...
Just then, a middle-aged man approached. He sat down beside the man, patted his shoulder, pulled out a cigarette, lit it, and offered one to the man. "Stop crying. You just finished eating, and now you're making such a racket. Anyone would think you were eating a meal offered to your ancestors."
"Did you lose your whole family?"
"Yeah, I'm the only one left."
The man, his eyes rimmed with red, quickly composed himself and accepted the cigarette from the middle-aged man. The middle-aged man's collar displayed First-Class Resident Status, indicating he was an elder on this train, with a higher status than the man.
"They're all gone," the middle-aged man sighed deeply, found a comfortable position, and gazed at the distant horizon with a satisfied smile. "My family was wiped out too. My wife was disemboweled by zombies right before my eyes."
"When they're all gone, there's nothing left to worry about. It's better than those over there, constantly fretting about whether their families are alive or dead. That feeling is unbearable."
"I've been on many trains."
"The Stellaris is the best-equipped and most powerful I've seen. Since you're lucky enough to be here, make the most of it. When you eventually achieve First-Class Resident Status, you can trade stellar coupons for cigarettes. Then, next time someone catches you with red eyes, you can just say it's from the smoke."
"I'm too old."
"Nothing left to worry about."
"You're different. See over there? There are plenty of young women. Find someone you like and start a family. It'll be a support system for you in this apocalypse."
"Mhm."
The man nodded heavily, then turned to the middle-aged man beside him. Their eyes met, and they suddenly burst into laughter, slapping each other on the shoulders.
In the apocalypse, the most precious commodity isn't resources, but hope.
And aboard the Stellaris, a glimmer of hope was being born. Though still faint, it would surely grow stronger with time.
"Sigh..."
In the locomotive cabin, Chen Mang gazed out at the train residents, sighing softly in resignation. He had only shown them a little kindness—the carriage had cost him a mere 15,000 units of iron ore, which he could partially recoup using the Geothermal Core Furnace.
Combined with some salvaged supplies and the captured pig, the residents were already moved to tears. Everywhere he looked, eight out of ten people had red-rimmed eyes.
The main reason:
The communal meal, cooked in the Big Pot, reminded them of family. And since their families were mostly dead, it naturally made them cry.
He then tapped the table. Xiao Fang, who had been standing guard at the door, cautiously pushed it open and entered.
"Lord Mang."
"Hmm?"
Chen Mang pointed at the bowl of pork stewed with vermicelli on the table. "Take this bowl and eat it."
Xiao Fang, the woman who had been responsible for his daily meals and care, was petite and delicate.
"Huh?"
Xiao Fang was slightly stunned. She then glanced at the bowl piled high with ribs on the table, her mouth watering involuntarily. Just as she was about to speak, saliva uncontrollably dribbled from her lips. She immediately covered her mouth in panic, her voice trembling. "Lord Mang, I... I..."
"Alright, stop dawdling." Chen Mang waved his hand impatiently. "Do I have to beg you to eat?"
Hearing this, Xiao Fang dared not say another word. She quickly stepped forward, picked up the bowl of ribs, and hurried back outside the locomotive cabin. She then snuck to the gap between Carriage No. 2 and Carriage No. 3. Seeing no one nearby, she finally gave in to her excitement, clutching the bowl of ribs and running all the way to Carriage 5. She looked at Ji Chuchu, who was sitting by the window, and shouted excitedly, "Sister Chuchu! Sister Chuchu!"
"Look what I got!"
"Lord Mang gave me these big ribs. Hurry, let's eat them together. If anyone sees us, we'll have to share."
"Huh?"
Ji Chuchu was slightly stunned, then her voice choked with tears. "I just finished eating! I can't eat anymore. You shouldn't have brought them over in the first place."
"No way. I have to taste a rib to see what it's like. I'll force it down if I have to. You can eat the rest yourself. You're so kind, Xiao Fang, sharing them with me like this."
"Hehe. If it weren't for Sister Chuchu teaching me these past few days, I don't know how many mistakes I'd have made. Lord Mang hasn't scolded me once in all this time, all thanks to your guidance, Sister Chuchu. There are so many ribs!"
"They were specially prepared for Lord Mang, so they're bound to be good."
"But Lord Mang did scold me just now. He said I could have this bowl, and I instinctively declined. That's when he got angry."
"Of course! Why would you make Lord Mang repeat himself over such a small thing? If he offers you something, just take it without hesitation. Forget those old-fashioned, overly polite habits."
"Mm-hm, I'll remember that from now on. You're really something, Sister Chuchu. Lord Mang hasn't yelled at you once in all this time, while Brother Biao, Trainmaster Zhu, and even that robot have all been yelled at. Only you haven't."
"Hmph, I don't give him a chance to yell at me."
In the locomotive cabin.
Chen Mang sighed softly and picked up the two warm meat ribs on the table, taking a bite. Honestly, for a moment, he began to doubt whether this world's civilization had completely skipped the "Culinary Arts" skill tree.
He had never tasted such terrible ribs.
The meat's stench assaulted his nostrils.
While there was indeed a smoky aroma, that was all there was to it.
If this had been when he had first transmigrated, nearly starving to death, he would have devoured them in two bites. But he hadn't gone hungry in a long time, and after a few ribs, he couldn't eat any more.
Humans...
They adapt to their environment too quickly. After just a few days of good living, his palate had already become picky.
Then he glanced at the 3D train model on the train control panel screen, specifically at the "Nitrous Tailpipe," and chuckled.
This green-grade accessory consumed 25,000 units of iron ore to reach Tier 10.
After reaching Tier 10, its acceleration increased from 30 km/h to 120 km/h.
With the Windfire Wheel equipped, the train's maximum speed now reached 462 km/h.
The base movement speed of a Tier 4 Train is 160 km/h.
He calculated that even if he upgraded the Bunny Cloud special wheel to Tier 10 and added the Nitrous Tailpipe, the train's speed would still fall far short of the 650 km/h required for takeoff.
The train could only achieve takeoff by reaching this critical speed while equipped with the Bunny Cloud wheel.
The Bunny Cloud's speed enhancement effect was inferior to the Windfire Wheel's, its only advantage being the ability to fly.
To reach the 650 km/h threshold, he would need additional acceleration accessories or to upgrade the Nitrous Tailpipe by dozens of tiers at once.
Of course.
After reaching Tier 10, the Nitrous Tailpipe gained two overpowered effects.
Nitrous Tailpipe Tier 5 Overpowered Effect: Energy consumption halved.
Nitrous Tailpipe Tier 10 Overpowered Effect: Merges into a single unit, dramatically increasing speed!
The train's Generator and locomotive's energy stone had long been replaced with Tier 2 Energy Stones. Tonight, using the Nitrous Tailpipe for cooking all night consumed about 1% of the Generator's Tier 2 Energy Stone—not too energy-intensive, perfectly acceptable.
Like the vehicle blades, the Nitrous Tailpipe was a single, integrated accessory. It was directly attached to the train's body. Once crafted, all future standard carriages would automatically come equipped with four Nitrous Tailpipes, two on each side. Upgrading one upgraded them all simultaneously, unlike armor, which had to be upgraded individually.
Except for the locomotive.
Each carriage had four Nitrous Tailpipes, two on each side.
The Tier 10 Overpowered Effect allowed all the Nitrous Tailpipes on the outside of the carriages to instantly merge into two massive Tail Jets that spanned the entire length of the train's sides in case of an emergency.
The train surged forward with even greater power.
It accelerated faster.
The effectiveness depended on the energy stones consumed.
This accessory was quite useful.
Chen Mang smiled, glancing at the other accessories on the train control panel. Among the accessories upgraded to Tier 4, he had only upgraded the "Special Effects Control Console" and the "Train Ticket." The others were merely crafted but not upgraded.
The "Hell Cannon" was currently unnecessary. His existing attack methods were sufficient, so he wouldn't waste resources on it. Adding another cannon wouldn't significantly increase his combat power, and he likely couldn't afford to use it often anyway.
The "Energy Shield" was also unnecessary for now.
This device could only block energy attacks. To defend against physical attacks, he would need to activate its overpowered effect, which was far inferior to his armor. His armor completely nullified any attack, regardless of its Tier, as long as it wasn't higher than his armor's Tier.
No matter what Tier the attack was.
The "Radar Jammer" was quite useful, but the train currently lacked surplus iron ore. He would put it aside for now. He wasn't afraid of being discovered, and even if he couldn't defeat an enemy, he could easily escape.
Few could match his speed.
Even if someone truly outpaced him, he could simply burrow underground. No one could outrun him there unless they were willing to spend a fortune in murphy stones to reinforce their drill.
Meanwhile, he had upgraded the "Train Ticket" accessory to Tier 10.
The main reason was its affordability.
Reaching Tier 10 required only 4,400 units of iron ore—less than the cost of a single serving of pork, cabbage, and vermicelli stew. Those people probably didn't realize that the resources spent on tonight's stew could feed them for days.
It was an absolute luxury!
In this apocalypse, besides him, what other slave could even dream of eating such a thing? When he was first enslaved, Master Kun had fed him nothing but scraps.
Damn it, he thought. It was better not to dwell on it; the more he thought about it, the angrier he became.
And he even burned incense!
Fuck incese, Go burn in hell and eat moldy bread slices!
(End of the Chapter)
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