Translator: AnubisTL
Chen Mang didn't dwell on it. He simply stood at the entrance of the locomotive, peered into the nearby slave car, and, hearing no commotion, resumed his exploration.
Nearly a hundred slaves.
That was no small number. To put it bluntly, even a hundred pigs charging forward would be a death sentence with just a handgun, let alone a group of slaves who had survived the apocalypse.
Fortunately, he wasn't short on ammunition anymore, having collected a considerable number of handgun rounds from the abandoned carriages earlier.
He then glanced at the birthmark on the back of his hand. Instantly, a semi-transparent panel materialized before his eyes.
---
Newbie Train Conductor Mission 1: Acquire your own train within three months. Completed.
Time Elapsed: Less than one day.
Reward: Soaring Dragon Assault Rifle Production Line Blueprint x1.
---
"..."
Chen Mang's lips stretched into a wide grin as he gazed at the reward displayed on the panel before him. An assault rifle—a fully automatic weapon with far superior firepower, range, suppressive capabilities, and accuracy compared to a handgun.
Moreover, according to the "Train Rules", weapons produced on a train's own production line could not harm the Train Conductor or Deputy Train Conductor. This would allow him to confidently arm his thugs without fear of being turned on.
However, this rule only applied to production lines built by the Train Conductor himself. Production lines scavenged from other trains did not have this safeguard.
Of course, The Train Conductors could disregard this rule entirely. There was nothing preventing them from using weapons produced on this line against their Deputy Train Conductors.
And Chen Mang already had someone in mind for the position.
Blueprint Name: Soaring Dragon Assault Rifle Production Line
Blueprint Grade: Green
In addition to the "Train Panel," "Train Crew," and "Vehicle Components" buttons on the train control console, there was also a "Train Rules" button.
Pressing this button brought up a screen inside the train compartment displaying the basic rules of the train, designed to guide survivors in becoming Train Conductors.
Among these rules was an explanation of Vehicle Component Rarity:
Vehicle Component Rarity, from lowest to highest, was as follows:
White, Green, Yellow, Blue, Purple, Red, Gold, Pink, Rainbow.
White represented the lowest rarity.
For example, a Tier 1 Train could craft 14 accessories, six of which were White-Grade Accessories. These six accessories were considered relatively common.
The higher the rarity, the rarer the accessory.
The remaining seven accessories were all Green-Grade Accessories. To upgrade the train to Tier 2, all seven of these Green-Grade Accessories had to be crafted, as they were essential components for the train.
These seven accessories were:
Pure Water Filter: Green-Grade Accessory. Requires 100 units of Iron Ore to craft.
Windfire Wheel: Green-Grade Accessory. Requires 500 units of Iron Ore to craft.
Steel Car Armor: Green-Grade Accessory. Requires 1,000 units of Iron Ore to craft.
Circuit System: Green-Grade Accessory. Requires 10 units of Copper Ore to craft.
Generator: Green-Grade Accessory. Requires 100 units of Copper Ore to craft.
Pickaxe Production Line: Green-Grade Accessory. Requires 100 units of Wood to craft.
Axe Production Line: Green-Grade Accessory. Requires 100 units of Iron Ore to craft.
Ore is categorized into tiers, ranging from Tier 1 to Tier 3. Different tiers of ore are required to craft and upgrade Train Components of corresponding Tiers. All ore units mentioned here are Tier 1.
These seven components are essential for upgrading the train.
As for the remaining six White Accessories, crafting them is optional.
Single Bed: White-grade accessory, requires 1 unit of wood to craft.
Refrigerator: White-grade accessory, requires 100 units of wood to craft.
Cola Production Line: White-grade accessory, requires 100 bottles of mineral water to craft.
Moldy Bread Slice Production Line: White-grade accessory, requires 100 slices of moldy bread to craft.
Telescope: White-grade accessory, requires 10 units of iron ore to craft.
Steamed Bun Production Line: White-grade accessory, requires 100 steamed buns to craft.
"Hmm."
Chen Mang meticulously studied the various documents within the train compartment, ultimately concluding that the train could essentially function as a self-sustaining ecosystem, providing complete self-sufficiency.
It was like a mobile shelter.
Moreover, if he upgraded the train to a sufficiently high tier and upgraded all its components accordingly, he would possess an extraordinarily futuristic, dragon-like train brimming with violent beauty.
As for the absurdity of needing 100 slices of bread to build a Moldy Bread Slice Production Line, he quickly dismissed it. After all, the sight of the mining operation itself was already sufficiently surreal.
Next, he needed to inventory his resources and prioritize which components to craft first.
He started by fully loading his handgun, then removed four magazines from other firearms, filling them all with bullets. After that, he left the locomotive cabin and headed toward Slave Car Seven.
Inside the slave car, there was no sign of rebellion, only a strange harmony. Each slave orderly deposited the iron ore from their pockets onto the floor, creating a small mountain.
Chen Mang had barely arrived when Old Pig, clutching his pickaxe, hurried to greet him. "Brother Mang, we've counted it all. There are 356 pieces of iron ore—356 units in total."
"Hmm."
Chen Mang nodded, his gaze sweeping over the slaves before he calmly stated, "A train can't run without thugs. The next three days will be your trial period. The ten best performers will be promoted to thug status, gaining the right to wield weapons and enjoy the best rations—unlimited food every day."
"Everyone, move to the abandoned carriages and collect any mineral resources scattered inside."
"Let me make one thing clear: I saved your lives. I don't need your gratitude, but I do need you to understand that if I had the power to save you, killing you wouldn't be much of a challenge either."
"Now, get out!"
The moment the words left his lips, a spark ignited in the eyes of the slaves. They instantly shook off their listless state and surged out of the carriage with renewed vigor, scrambling to gather resources without a second thought for the thick, sticky pools of blood that coated the floors of the abandoned carriages.
"..."
On the wasteland, Chen Mang watched impassively as the slaves swarmed through the derelict carriages like locusts, stripping them bare. According to the "Train Crew" designation system, there were four basic roles: Train Conductor, Deputy Train Conductor, Train Guard, and Survivor.
Custom roles could be added, but these four were foundational.
Train Guards were the thugs, while Survivors were merely slaves under a more palatable name.
(End of Chapter)
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