After casually tossing the note aside.

Chen Mang didn't look back and walked away from the Gate of Space with large strides, without any hesitation.

It's really pushing it, wanting a reward. As a "Train Assistance AI," doing some work is just your duty. That "Target Detection Radar" component hasn't stopped working since it was created, and it never asked for any reward. Just because you're an AI, you shouldn't get special treatment!

He, Chen Mang, in two lifetimes, had never spoken such shameful words.

This time would be no different.

...

"..."

Only Ai was left standing at the Gate of Space with a look of resentment in his eyes. He watched as the note slowly fluttered through the air before finally settling on the ground. After a brief pause, he stepped forward to pick it up again.

"Ai, your wisdom is like an endless treasure that captivates my heart. You are like a dazzling star lighting up the night sky of my life. You are my storm; the days we walk together are not forgotten..."

Just over two hundred words in total.

Is it shameful?

Ai earnestly pondered, thinking that it was merely some sincerely emotional compliments. Why would the Train Captain react so strongly? Could it be due to the differences between human and AI thought processes?

He needed to find some time to seriously think about this issue.

...

Soon—

The Fixed Star emerged from the Goblin Tomb. After 48 consecutive hours of mining, it brought back over 6 million tons of iron ore. Truly, there was nothing left to mine inside. It was akin to when parents used to give an allowance of 100 units per month when you were little.

As a child, it felt wonderful; you couldn't spend it all, and you looked forward to the beginning of each month for the allowance to refresh.

However, as an adult, a 100-unit allowance wasn't much use.

He hadn't distributed the "Neon City Free Entry Ticket" yet; he took a moment to check out Neon City, and the renovation wasn't completed. The workload was considerable, and it was expected to take at least another 10 days or so.

So many shops needed to be relocated and redecorated. It wasn't an easy task.

He also discovered that even inside the Goblin Tomb, one could still enter Neon City by crushing an admission ticket.

The Fixed Star Train quietly docked on the wasteland of "Crisis Valley," like a long mechanical dragon with no beginning or end in sight.

It was currently early morning.

The residents were resting, and this time they truly were resting. After a month of continuous mining at the end of the Train Tunnel, they were supposed to rest, but due to unexpected circumstances, they only rested for one night before returning to mine non-stop for another 48 hours in the Goblin Tomb.

Now they truly needed rest.

Even an iron man couldn't endure being used like this.

"..."

Chen Mang stood alone, a cigarette between his fingers, by the floor-to-ceiling window on the second floor of the train compartment, gazing into the distance. Fang stood quietly beside him, holding an ashtray.

Fang had mostly stayed in the train compartment these past few days, leaving the compartment feeling quite empty. With only one person, it seemed to lack atmosphere, but with an extra person, it felt livelier.

He was quietly contemplating.

The "Neon City" plan was very important to him. It could be said to be the most crucial strategic plan for the Fixed Star Train these days. He was considering whether to set a solid benchmark for the "Fixed Star Coupon."

That is... iron ore.

If the Fixed Star Coupon and iron ore could be exchanged mutually, the Train Captain could trade iron ore for Fixed Star Coupons and vice versa. As long as trust is established, the Fixed Star Coupon would become an extremely stable currency.

If he were a businessman, there would be no issue with this idea. He could use this method to make the entire Neon City prosper.

But—

He wasn't. He was a Train Captain surviving in a post-apocalyptic world.

Even though he was doing well now, he would still have to tread carefully in the higher zones.

The iron ore he acquired couldn't just be stored indefinitely; it had to be spent. While it's feasible to leave 10 million units of iron ore in Neon City for turnover, that would be barely enough. But if too many people simultaneously use Fixed Star Coupons to exchange for iron ore—

Then he would have two outcomes.

One would be the inability to provide so much iron ore, causing trust to collapse entirely, and no one would come to Neon City to trade thereafter.

The other would be to scrape together enough iron ore, causing the development of the Fixed Star Train to almost halt instantly, significantly damaging its prospects.

Two paths.

He was still contemplating the specific choice, as there was a period before the plan would be officially implemented, enough time for him to think slowly, no need to rush.

"..."

Standing quietly with an ashtray by his side, Fang occasionally glanced at Master Mang's legs, feeling her heart lightly skipping. For some reason, she found Master Mang's serious thinking demeanor... very handsome.

Fang's heart skipped a beat at this moment.

But she didn't dare to let it skip too much.

After all, even Sister Yan Yao, a woman of her caliber, hadn't moved Master Mang's heart.

Master Mang was purely a career-driven man.

Career-driven men often prioritize their careers first, and such people are often hard-pressed to emotionally commit to a woman.

If it were before Doomsday, that wouldn't be so absolute.

But in the post-apocalyptic world, expecting a career-driven man to embrace you and profess love for eternity is as outlandish as competing for favor with Empress Ma.

"Fang."

"Fang?"

It was at this moment that Fang suddenly snapped back to her senses and looked up at Master Mang, hastily whispering when she saw his slightly furrowed eyebrows, "Master Mang, what is it?"

"Bring a bottle of water."

"Yes!"

After taking a sip of the mineral water, Chen Mang returned to the control panel, sat down, glanced at the screen with a newfound sense of purpose, sent a private message to Er Dan, and then pushed the control lever.

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