"Exhausting."
About half an hour later.
Chen Mang let out a long sigh, leaning back in his chair as he wearily lit a cigarette. Watching the pale blue smoke drift out through the skylight, though physically drained, his eyes shone with satisfaction.
Each of the eight "Space Gates" required meticulous environmental design from him.
He had crafted distinct settings for each space—some featured water-themed landscapes, others garden-style courtyards. Over 5,000 single beds were arranged in the dormitories, costing just 1 unit of wood each—an affordable expense.
He hadn't slept during this entire period. Especially during those nearly 30 hours mining in the "laboratory," he remained awake, standing excitedly in the train compartment to observe the iron ore deposits, occasionally checking the Armor Research and Development Center to monitor Xiao Ai's progress with the instrument.
This was a monumental opportunity.
Though the Stellar Train had been operational for months, this was the most significant breakthrough they'd encountered—one that would determine how far the Stellar Train could ultimately journey.
Just like before the apocalypse.
Many who saved up millions did so through gradual earnings, thrift, and relentless diligence—their motto being faith in hard work's rewards.
But those with tens of millions or even billions?
Most didn't "earn" that wealth.
It fell from the sky with a splash—like picking up free money.
In his drowsy state, Chen Mang couldn't quite grasp what he was pondering, only registering the murmurs of residents outside the window—white noise to his ears. He flicked his fingers lightly, intending to have Xiao Ai summon Ji Chuchu for a celebration.
Yet exhaustion overwhelmed him; the thought barely formed before his lips seemed too heavy to part.
And so, he sank into deep slumber.
"Finally asleep," Xiao Ai muttered from the Armor Research and Development Center, tinkering with the device. "Thought Lord Mang had turned into a robot like me, never needing rest." His expression then sobered as he resumed studying the instrument, the characters for "focus" and "serious" reappearing on his dual cheek screens.
The device had been transported and disassembled with extreme care, remaining intact.
No issues there.
He was now inspecting every circuit and pipeline for integrity, as the database warned that core energy carried explosion risks. A colored gas leak test was mandatory before activation to prevent detonation.
"What a treasure," he murmured.
"This thing can produce up to Tier 4 iron ore."
"Pity. If only that experiment hadn't been interrupted—just a little longer, and we might've achieved Tier 5. Imagine how thrilled the Train Conductor would've been."
The Train Conductor had been radiant these past two days, smiles unstoppable.
His joy was Xiao Ai's joy.
"Brother," Biao Zi said with complicated emotions, surveying the transformed 1st Residential Zone. "Lord Mang really can't keep designing like this. Look—we've got 'a bridge, flowing water, and homes' alongside 'withered vines, old trees, twilight crows.' All we're missing are living creatures like sparrows. This isn't a residential area anymore!"
"This is practically a damn villa district!"
"Even before the apocalypse, I never lived in a place this nice, and now they get to live here after the world ended?"
"Compared to this, the hard bunks in our carriage suddenly feel a bit uncomfortable."
It wasn't jealousy.
He genuinely wanted the residents to live well—better living conditions meant harder work in the mines, and a stronger train as a result.
But still—
This was way too damn luxurious!
If only the Train Radio allowed photos and videos, and if slaves from other trains could actually see the broadcasts—this scene alone would've sent hordes of them fleeing their own trains to join the Stellar.
Of course, that was just talk.
In the high-tier zones, slave revolts and escapes were practically nonexistent.
First, most slaves in high-tier trains were brought over from lower-tier zones. They'd long since adapted, grown accustomed to their roles.
Second—
This was the high-tier zone.
Even if they revolted and killed the Train Conductor, they couldn't inherit the train. They'd just be stuck waiting to die. Did they think they could just whip out a Train Token and start their own faction?
A Level 1 train trying to establish itself in a Blue Zone crawling with Level 12 monsters? Even Chen Mang, with his Level 0 authority, would be scratching his head in frustration.
And escaping?
Step outside the train, and you were just walking protein—monster chow for a quick snack.
Winter had arrived.
Perfect for hibernation.
"Relax," Lao Zhu said, unfazed. "The Stellar Train is always progressing. Every aspect will improve—not just the train's strength."
"That includes resident comfort, work motivation, upward mobility, currency stability, cultural preservation…"
"Haven't you noticed?"
"Lord Mang has always operated under the worst-case scenario."
"What scenario?"
"The sole continuation of human civilization." Lao Zhu paused before continuing, "If the apocalypse keeps escalating and everyone's doomed to die here, the Stellar Train will become humanity's last legacy—ensuring our civilization survives."
"You mean…" Biao Zi mused, "Lord Mang will lift the birth restrictions?"
Right now, aside from the livestock in Carriage No. 15, no one on the Stellar Train could get pregnant. It wasn't a lack of obstetricians—it was just that bringing a child into the apocalypse was downright cruel.
Imagine a baby's first words being, Mom, look—a zombie!
"He definitely will."
Lao Zhu nodded firmly. "A race survives through reproduction. The reason humans get excited at the sight of flesh is purely because of our genetic programming—the brain's dopamine reward system."
"Otherwise, it's just two slabs of meat. What's the big deal?"
"Especially children born on the Stellar. They'll become the backbone of the train's future."
"But not yet."
"Raising them takes too long. I'd estimate at least five more years."
"Sounds like forever."
Biao Zi lowered his head, counting on his fingers.
"It's been a long time, especially after the apocalypse. Who knows if we'll even live to see those days. Alright, let's get back to work."
"Wow!!!"
"Lord Mang is amazing, Lord Mang is amazing!!!"
As the residents filed back into the resident car in an orderly manner and entered the "Space Gate" residential area, they were immediately stunned by the sight before them. Their faces lit up with excitement as they dashed toward the refrigerator dormitories!
This was no ordinary residential area.
It was practically a villa district.
Indeed.
Without collective distribution, they'd never have lived in such accommodations in their lifetime. Even before the apocalypse, they couldn't have afforded homes like these.
The female residents were particularly thrilled because the dormitories were finally separated by gender.
Back then, there were no separate male and female dorms—everyone lived together.
Each dormitory corner was equipped with three Level 1 "Purified Water Filters" serving as toilets. The purified freshwater was directly channeled to the bathhouse for residents' use.
Previously, over 200 residents crammed into a single refrigerator, all sleeping on the floor.
But now—
Only 30 residents shared a refrigerator, making it much more spacious. No more sleeping on the floor—everyone had their own bed.
"This is amazing."
A man lay on the soft bed, his eyes filled with excitement as he gazed at the ceiling and murmured, "It's been so long since I slept on a bed. It's so soft, it almost feels unfamiliar."
He used to be on the Azure Dragon Train and had only recently merged into the Stellar.
Just in time for the train reforms.
Living conditions had improved drastically—Azure Dragon's standards couldn't compare to this.
Most importantly, the older brother he'd befriended on the Stellar was in the same dormitory, sleeping right next to him. This brother was an old-timer with Resident No. 789, having followed the Stellar since the early days.
"Brother," the man turned to the middle-aged man sitting on the bed and said excitedly, "When I came in earlier, I saw two oxygen generators deep in the residential area. Train Conductor Zhu said as long as the dormitory doors aren't closed, the oxygen from those two machines is enough for everyone in this space."
"How much energy do you think those two oxygen generators consume daily?"
"Lord Mang treats us so well—won't he end up at a loss?"
"What if the train's resources run out? Wouldn't we all die along with it?"
"How should I know?!"
The middle-aged man shot him a disdainful glance. "I've never been a train conductor. How would I know how much energy those oxygen generators use? I'm just thinking about one thing—do you think today counts as a good day?"
"Of course it does."
"Shouldn't we celebrate then?"
"Naturally. How do you want to celebrate, brother?"
"Go buy a pack of cigarettes. Let's smoke together."
"..."
The man looked helplessly at the middle-aged man. "Brother, I'm only at Resident Tier 3 right now. I won't start earning Stellar Coupons until I reach Tier 1. I'm broke."
"But brother, this dormitory seems pretty comfortable. Do you really have to save up to buy your own refrigerator?"
"Of course. A man needs his own private space."
"Honestly... this place seems even better than Carriage No. 6 for high-level male talents."
The young man stood at the entrance of Residential Zone 1, craning his neck to look inside. "What do you think, Uncle Li? They even have a rock garden with water flowing down it!"
"..."
Uncle Li cast a disdainful glance at Residential Zone 1. The environment was nice, but what was the point? Living in Carriage 6 was a symbol of status! A mark of talent!
After a casual look, he strode toward his own Carriage 15, the livestock carriage. His experiment was in its final stages, and he had only come to the Resident Store to fetch bandages. Otherwise, he wouldn't have left his carriage at such a critical moment.
"Hey, Uncle Li, wait for me!"
Seeing Uncle Li leave, the young man didn't linger either and hurried after him.
Inside Carriage 15, the livestock carriage.
The young man felt a chill run down his spine as he watched Uncle Li, who had a dozen cigarettes clamped between his teeth and was holding a Train Blade Fragment. Hesitantly, he said, "Maybe... we should think this over again?"
"Maybe Lord Mang doesn't really need your 'Zombie Spawning Cage,' you know?"
"Phew—"
Uncle Li took a deep breath, then turned his head resolutely toward the young man. "I have no choice. The train's population keeps growing, and the Stellar is thriving more than ever."
"I can't spend my whole life being called a pig farmer."
"I have to make something of myself!"
"I must rise to the upper ranks of the Stellar, no matter the cost!"
Then he clenched the dozen cigarettes in his mouth—these were train-made cigarettes with pain-relieving effects.
Next, he pulled down his pants.
A swift slash of the blade.
His body trembled violently from the excruciating pain, but he still tossed the severed part to the young man. Beads of cold sweat rapidly formed on his forehead as he urged, "Quick... sew it onto that Zombie. See if it works."
"Hurry!"
Three minutes later.
"Uncle Li, it's working."
"Take it off, bring it back to me. Hand me the bandages and needle—wait, you idiot, rinse it with water first! Spray some disinfectant!"
Ten minutes later.
With the part restored to its original owner, Uncle Li, still shaking, grabbed another dozen cigarettes. Without lighting them, he stuffed them straight into his mouth and chewed rapidly to dull the pain.
His expression was twisted in agony.
But there was a light in his eyes. His voice, hoarse from the intense pain, trembled with excitement.
"My theory was right after all."
"Zombies can reproduce—but only if you give them a proper replacement, and it has to be a seamless fit. The train's bandages and needles can achieve perfect suturing."
"But..."
"Even though the Zombies have male and female distinctions, that male Zombie only showed a physiological reaction when facing a specific female Zombie—after being equipped with a functional replacement and eating some Redheart Nuts."
"And that female Zombie wasn't even attractive."
"I suspect that while these Zombies appear to be of the same species, they might actually be divided into many sub-groups. I need more Zombies as samples."
"Just give me enough Zombie samples!"
"I can definitely create a 'Zombie Spawning Cage.' I can feel it—I'm so close. There's just something missing..."
"..."
The young man looked at Uncle Li with a complicated expression. "Uncle Li, no wonder you succeeded before the apocalypse. I think people like you deserve to make all the money."
"I'm content with being a small-town youth."
"Whew..."
After a long while, when the pain had subsided somewhat, Uncle Li finally sat down on the chair. He moved around a bit to confirm the wound was fully stitched before wiping the sweat from his forehead and murmuring softly.
"The path to success is always thorny."
"No one achieves success easily. Every hardship is a test for us."
"Uncle Li."
"Hmm?"
The young man raised his thumb in admiration.
"Good broth."
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