The Targeting Radar screen showed a group of Survivors hiding inside a Train?
"..."
Chen Mang's expression turned slightly odd. It was said to be a Train, but in reality, it was just a single carriage and a locomotive. The external Armor was already in tatters, and his Targeting Radar could pick up information about other Trains within range.
Based on the information he had gathered, this Train was on the verge of being scrapped, unable to start normally. The integrity of its various components had dropped below 10%, rendering it practically unusable.
And this Train was currently stuck in a pond.
Normally, deep within the ruins of Taiping City, most Trains couldn't venture in. Everyone could only drive their Trains to the outskirts of Taiping City and then send Thugs in to search for Survivor supplies. For this Train to appear here, unless something unexpected had happened, it was likely swept up by a tornado on the plains a few days ago and dropped here from the sky.
After relaying the orders to Biao Zi and the others...
"Vroom!"
Accompanied by the aggressive roar of off-road motorcycle engines, Biao Zi and his team formed a long line and charged straight into the depths of the city ruins.
In a pond deep within the city ruins, a Train was submerged, its locomotive completely immersed in the water, with only half of the carriage exposed above the surface.
This was a man-made pond.
After a year into the apocalypse, it had been left unattended. Though it hadn't completely dried up, the water level had indeed dropped.
Several completely decomposed corpses floated on the surface, emitting an unbearable stench, and the black pond water made it difficult to approach.
"Damn it!"
Inside the Train, a man was cursing under his breath in frustration. He had been incredibly unlucky lately. Not only had he been unable to sell Ji Chuchu, which was already frustrating enough, but a few days ago, he had the misfortune of being swept up by a tornado and flung into the sky.
Dizzy and disoriented, he had passed out on the spot.
When he woke up again, the Train was reduced to just one carriage, stuck deep in a muddy pond within the ruins of Taiping City. The Train was practically beyond repair, completely unable to start again.
Without the protection of the Train, how was he supposed to face those ferocious monsters?
He didn't dare leave the pond to venture into other parts of the Taiping City ruins. At least here, he was in a relatively safe spot. Over the past few days, he had observed that the Zombies and Zombie Wolves didn't dare enter the water, making this place somewhat safe.
But the food reserves in the Train had been completely exhausted. The carriages equipped with food production components had long been swept away to who-knows-where. Only the No. 2 Slave carriage remained.
However, there weren't many Slaves left. Many had died during the violent shaking, and those who survived were mostly severely injured.
Everyone was in a half-dead state.
"No!"
A glint of ruthlessness flashed in the man's eyes as he popped his head out of the carriage to survey the surroundings. Continuing like this would surely lead to death. He had to find a way to get some food.
Just then—
"Huh?"
The man suddenly froze in place. He seemed to vaguely see several motorcycles kicking up dust as they navigated obstacles, rapidly approaching him from the edge of the pond.
Are these people crazy?
Daring to move like this in the ruins of Taiping City? And where did they even get these off-road motorcycles?!
He stared at the scene, his expression fluctuating. If they were ordinary Survivors, they wouldn't dare to act so brazenly. These people were most likely Thugs sent out by a Level 3 Train to search for Survivors.
They were probably here to investigate his Train, which was stuck in the pond.
If he waved for help, they would surely rescue him, but he would then have to live under their thumb as a Slave.
He had once been a Train Conductor managing over a hundred people. Naturally, he didn't want to live under someone else's command, but if he hid and didn't show himself, he would eventually starve to death.
After a brief hesitation, the man took a deep breath and quickly made a decision. He took off his jacket, held it above his head, and crawled out of the carriage, shouting with all his might, "Help! Help!!"
Survival came first.
He could figure out the rest later.
The next moment—
"Roar!"
Perhaps the noise was too loud. From the ruins in the distance, seven or eight Level 2 Zombie Wolves, previously asleep, emerged, their eyes blood-red and fixed on Biao Zi and his team, who had just parked their off-road motorcycles.
Drool dripped from their fangs, staining the ground with the scent of death.
They advanced step by step.
A fierce battle was about to erupt.
"..."
Biao Zi sat on his off-road motorcycle, one foot on the ground, his expression alert as he watched the approaching Zombie Wolves. He tightly gripped a Train Blade Fragment in his hand. Though he was a bit nervous, he was still in control.
At the same time, he frowned and glanced at the Train in the pond and the bloated, rotting corpses floating on the surface of the water. His nose twitched involuntarily.
The stench.
It was overpowering.
The pond water had probably become a breeding ground for viruses. Figuring out how to get the people out of the Train was going to be quite challenging.
Just then!
"Roar!"
The Zombie Wolves finally couldn't hold back any longer, letting out low growls. They crouched low, their limbs tense, ready to attack at any moment.
But then—
"Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!!"
Several sharp whistling sounds suddenly rang out beside Biao Zi and his team. Eight crossbow bolts shot from the distance, nailing the Zombie Wolves to the ground with lightning speed.
Five Zombie Wolves died instantly, without even a scream. The remaining three struggled for a few moments before also falling silent.
"..."
Biao Zi turned to look at the Stellar Train, which had somehow climbed onto the rooftop of a 36-story building. He was momentarily stunned before breaking into a smile. This long-range firepower support was truly reassuring.
He had served as a Thug on other Trains before.
But never had he felt this safe during a mission.
With off-road motorcycles as transportation, Soaring Dragon Assault Rifles and Train Blade Fragments as weapons, Targeting Radar and Hive Mind providing detailed enemy information, and the Train offering long-range fire support—it was a completely different experience compared to his previous Thug missions.
It was a pure case of dimensional superiority.
The Stellar Train currently had eleven carriages. The rooftop of the high-rise couldn't fully accommodate all eleven, so three carriages hung mid-air, perpendicular to the ground, clinging to the side of the building.
It had a certain post-apocalyptic aesthetic.
Then he turned his attention to the carriage partially exposed in the pond, pondering how to rescue these people.
Minor injuries were manageable. The Stellar Train now had excellent methods for treating external injuries, even capable of regenerating lost limbs. But this black pond water—if any wound came into contact with it, severe infection was almost guaranteed. Survival would then depend on fate.
Biao Zi scanned the surroundings and quickly came up with a plan.
Ten minutes later.
Two tree trunks by the pond were cut down by Biao Zi and his team using Train Blade Fragments and pushed into the pond, forming a makeshift bridge.
These trunks connected the edge of the pond to the exposed carriage.
Soon, several Survivors crawled out of the Train and onto the trunks, lying flat and slowly inching their way forward.
By the time all the Survivors had reached the shore, the Stellar Train had somehow arrived at the edge of the pond.
Sitting at the control panel, Chen Mang immediately noticed Ji Chuchu among the crowd. Though disheveled and with her makeup ruined, her natural beauty was still evident.
Besides her, there were several other women of good quality.
They were all minor celebrities in this world.
Though Ji Chuchu was more famous and popular.
"Good."
Chen Mang nodded slightly. These were valuable resources.
Soon, Lao Zhu emerged from the Train and walked over to Biao Zi, speaking in a low voice, "I'll take these celebrities. Lord Mang wants them brought to the Thug Car to be cleaned up. As for the rest, take them all to the last carriage."
"Understood."
"Oh, and one more thing." Lao Zhu casually pointed to the man who was now wearing a flattering smile. "You're the Train Conductor, right?"
"Yes, yes..."
"Kill him."
"Huh?"
The man froze in place, fear instantly flooding his nerves. Just as he was about to run, everything went black. Thick blood slid into his eyes, and as his consciousness faded, he collapsed to the ground.
His last thought before death was:
Didn't we meet at the last gathering? Have you forgotten?
We had some connection, didn't we?
"..."
After completing the execution, Biao Zi took a deep breath, trying to calm himself, though his index finger still trembled slightly.
"What's wrong?"
Lao Zhu, who had been about to leave, noticed Biao Zi's reaction and raised an eyebrow in confusion. "Did you suddenly convert to Buddhism? Got a moral hang-up about killing?"
"This man was a Train Conductor. Lord Mang would never allow someone who used to be a Train Conductor to become a Slave on the Stellar Train."
"Someone who's been a Train Conductor wouldn't be content staying in a subordinate position. They'd definitely cause trouble later."
"In the wasteland, it's an unwritten rule that all Train Conductors, whether captured or absorbed, must be killed. And any Slave found to have been a Train Conductor is also executed. Isn't that already a well-established custom?"
Biao Zi forced a bitter smile and shook his head. "Sigh, of course I know that. He was Ji Chuchu's agent. When my mother was still alive, she really liked this guy. It felt like I was killing my mother's idol. It just hit a nerve."
"Is that so? Someone actually liked an agent?"
Lao Zhu didn't dwell on it, casually waving his hand. "Next time something like this happens, just let your subordinates handle it. Even in the apocalypse, you shouldn't be forced to kill your mother's idol, right?"
"But this works out."
"Since your mother liked this guy, we're sending him down to keep her company. At least she won't be lonely."
"Get your emotions in check. We still have tasks to complete. Don't delay the progress."
"Don't worry, Train Conductor Zhu. It won't be a problem."
"Phew..."
Watching Lao Zhu walk away, Biao Zi took another deep breath and looked down at the body lying in a pool of blood. He had served as a Train Conductor several times before, and this was his deepest secret on the Stellar Train. This secret must never be discovered.
He had once harbored the hope that even if this secret were exposed, Lord Mang, seeing his loyalty, might spare him.
But now it seemed...
This secret must remain hidden. In the wasteland, no one could tolerate someone who had once been a Train Conductor under their command. It was like a ticking time bomb.
And he couldn't prove that he would never explode.
Since ancient times, self-justification has always been a difficult task.
The best solution was to keep this bomb hidden, so no one would know of its existence.
He instinctively glanced at Hei Hao and another brother who had always followed him. Only these two knew his secret. No one else did.
"Brother..."
Hei Hao instantly understood the look in Biao Zi's eyes, his mouth twitching. "You're not thinking what I think you're thinking, are you?"
"Ahem."
Biao Zi coughed lightly, trying to mask his awkwardness, and patted Hei Hao's shoulder. "What are you thinking about? Just spacing out, that's all. Let's get these Survivors into the carriages."
"We still need to search the next area for more Survivors."
"Don't overthink it. We're brothers forever."
With the Targeting Radar as support and the Stellar Train equipped with Spider Legs, it could traverse most areas within the Taiping City ruins.
As night fell, the Survivor rescue mission came to an end.
Different Survivors reacted with varying emotions when found, but no one cared.
No one cared about what these Survivors thought.
They were all crammed into the carriages.
By nightfall, they had completed the search of the western suburban ruins of Taiping City. Except for a few areas that were truly inaccessible, most Survivors hiding in the ruins had been rescued.
Those who had managed to survive this long were hiding in extremely concealed locations.
For example, those hiding in Air-raid Shelters—if they didn't open the steel doors from the inside, it was indeed difficult to break in from the outside. If they refused to come out, the team simply left.
By the end of the day, they had found 289 Survivors.
"..."
Night had fallen, and the Stellar Train was parked on the outskirts of Taiping City ruins, taking a break. Inside the locomotive, Chen Mang frowned slightly as he tallied the day's gains.
Nearly 300 new Slaves.
This was a great harvest. Production efficiency would significantly increase.
But...
This was a city. He had only searched one suburban area and found so few people?
Had everyone else died?
Was the mortality rate a bit too high?
He had also steered the Train to a library, scavenging many paper documents, which gave him a better understanding of this world. This city wasn't transient; it had a permanent population of several million.
Yet, just one year into the apocalypse, almost everyone had died?
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