"Good soup, huh?"

Mr. Li sat weakly in the chair, trembling as he lit a cigarette and put it in his mouth. After a pause, he turned to look at the young man next to him, his expression complex: "Do you know why I was successful before Doomsday?"

"Because you worked hard."

"No, because the times were getting better."

Mr. Li shook his head: "When the times are improving, your effort feels like running on a speeding train. You think you're working very hard, but really, what's pushing you forward fast is the speeding train. Many people attribute the benefits of the times to their own effort."

"Actually..."

"Effort is only a very small factor in determining success. The bigger factor depends on whether the train beneath you is speeding or retreating."

"Before Doomsday, it was like this, and after Doomsday, it's still like this."

"I can now try to make a name for myself through these underhanded means because I'm on the Constant Star Train. If it were any other train, where would I find space to study the 'Zombie Spawn Cage'? I'd still be mining now."

"So I understand better than you."

"If you don't seize the opportunity in the early stages of a train that's just started speeding, you'll never have a chance later."

"At this time, you have to go all out, think what others dare not think, do what others dare not do."

"The early stage is often a good time for chaotic growth."

"Do you understand?"

The young man nodded seriously: "I understand, Mr. Li, you are the train beneath me."

"..."

Mr. Li was silent for a while before speaking somewhat helplessly: "Well, alright."

"Bring the paper and pen over, I'll talk and you write, record the data."

...

This night.

All residents on the Constant Star Train were so excited that they couldn't sleep. The explosive growth of the train was accompanied by a rapid increase in residents' happiness index, which was hard to adapt to.

And in the "Zombie Basin".

In a certain corner.

An 8-Level Mechanical Train slowly came to a stop, and the train room door opened. A middle-aged man stepped out, somewhat puzzled as he gazed at the three cigars stuck into the ground.

Almost intact.

Only the top showed signs of being burnt.

Unlike cigarettes, cigars will go out automatically if not puffed once lit.

"This is..."

The middle-aged man was a bit puzzled as he pulled the three cigars out of the ground, his expression odd: "Using cigars as incense? What a waste, so extravagant..."

Then he stuffed a cigar into his mouth, lit it with a lighter, and only then did he exhale with satisfaction.

"No matter who the incense is for."

"I appreciate the sentiment on their behalf."

...

Daylight was breaking.

A new day came.

Chen Mang blinked his blurry eyes open while in the chair, freshened up, then took the millet porridge and pickled vegetables handed over by Fang and had a sip before sitting in the chair and checking the Train Log.

"Where's this millet porridge from?"

"Found some millet last time we gathered supplies in the city. Old Pig had the chef cook it last night, it stewed all night, should be pretty fragrant."

"The pickled vegetables are leftovers from the train from before."

"Mm."

Chen Mang nodded, sipping the millet porridge along the rim of the bowl, and picked up a piece of pickled vegetable to eat: "I don't like hot food. Next time, let the millet porridge cool to medium before serving it, you can eat the remaining half pot."

"Alright, Master Mang."

Inside the train compartment.

After eating and drinking enough, Chen Mang looked out at the desolate land, lit a cigarette, and casually propped his feet on the window ledge. The number of monsters in "Crisis Valley" was noticeably lesser, maybe because he was on the edge; he hadn't encountered a high-level monster, only some minor ones around Level 6 or 7.

Hadn't even come across a Level 10 monster.

The day had just begun.

It's the cold winter; the bone-chilling wind skimmed over the train roof, seeping in through the open window, making him feel quite comfortable wrapped in a blanket. He just liked this contrast between hot and cold, like shrinking into a quilt in the winter with the window open or covering with a thick blanket while the air conditioner is on in the summer.

After zoning out for a while.

He continued to inspect the Train Panel.

Yesterday, he spent tens of millions of units of iron ore, raising the train's overall strength to an extreme in aspects of attack, defense, and living. There are now two "Resident Carriages".

There won't be more than two in the future, certainly enough for short-term use.

Even if more survivors come, it's fine.

But...

The mining site is just so big. No matter how many survivors there are, production efficiency can't be improved.

When he only had 100 survivors, having 100 more doubled the production efficiency. But when he had 5000 survivors, adding 5000 more didn't increase efficiency much, at best allowing two shift rotations.

But the mine can't withstand such digging.

At this moment—

The "Train Radio" inside the train room suddenly started flashing red.

"Oh?"

Preparing to upgrade other components, Chen Mang stopped his motion, a hint of expectation in his eyes. He wondered what good news his Traveling Frog would bring him this time. He suddenly realized the Traveling Frog's value wasn't just in bringing back loot but also providing emotional value.

At least now, he eagerly anticipated what the two Traveling Frogs he raised would bring back each day.

"Traveling Frog" Train: "Master Mang, I discovered an unmined Level 4 iron ore all by itself!"

"Constant Star" Train: "Uh... send me the coordinates, anything else?"

"Traveling Frog" Train: "Nothing else."

"Constant Star" Train: "If there's an unmined Level 4 iron ore where you are, it should be extremely hidden, and there must be other mineral sites nearby."

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