"Like this."
After pondering for a while, Chen Mang instructed, "Take these two women down and give them a simple wash with water. Don't use too much. Then, tomorrow morning, inform all the Slaves that whoever mines the most tomorrow can choose one of these two women to spend the night with."
"The second-place miner can choose the other one."
"There are several other women among our Slaves, right? Tomorrow, carefully tally their mining output. If their efficiency is far below the others, don't make them mine anymore. Just assign them to the logistics team."
"Understood!"
Lao Zhu nodded seriously, pulling out a small notebook from his pocket and jotting down Chen Mang's orders. Only then were the two women taken away by a few thugs.
Chen Mang didn't chat much with the new "Thug Leader." After a brief exchange and learning the man's name, he dismissed Lao Zhu and Biao Zi.
His first impression of Biao Zi was that the man was full of vigor, with a burly build that looked tough.
After the two left, Chen Mang lay down on the bed inside the Train compartment and sighed softly. He really wanted a cigarette before bed.
He needed some spiritual sustenance.
But...
He hadn't found a single cigarette in Master Kun's Train cabin. The guy didn't smoke. Once the Train reached Level 2, he would have to make a trip to the City Ruins to see if he could find some cigarettes.
As for women to satisfy his physical needs, he would think about that after he found some cigarettes. After all, without a post-coital cigarette, he couldn't muster any interest. Sex without that crucial element was simply no fun.
Drowsily, he gradually drifted into sleep.
This was his fourth day in this world, and tonight he slept more soundly than the previous three nights.
He had many dreams.
There were scenes of him triumphantly maneuvering the Train, roaring across the wasteland.
There were also scenes of the Train encountering a Corpse Tide, with everyone meeting their end in the jaws of Zombies.
There were dreams of betrayal by his subordinates, leaving him all alone.
And even dreams of him piloting the Train high into the sky, thousands of miles above the ground.
"Rustle, rustle, rustle..."
In his half-asleep state, Chen Mang was awakened by a series of noises. Opening his eyes, he saw raindrops hitting the glass of the Train compartment, making a gentle pitter-patter.
It's raining.
With this thought in mind, he turned over and lay back on the soft bed, returning to his dreams. Somehow, rainy weather always made him feel like it was perfect for sleeping.
But then...
He suddenly heard some out-of-place sounds, like the growls of animals?
The next moment—
Chen Mang was instantly wide awake, leaping out of bed and standing at the Train's control panel, looking around. In the dark, rainy night, he could vaguely see a pack of wolf-like creatures surrounding the Train, growling lowly. Though they hadn't attacked yet, the Train was already encircled.
"Damn it!"
His expression changed, and he immediately sat down at the control panel, merging his consciousness with the Train. As the Train's engine roared to life, the force of acceleration pressed him back into his seat. The Train began to move forward in the dark, rainy night, while the Level 5 "Car Blades" extended from the sides of the Train and started spinning at high speed.
The whooshing sound of the Car Blades mixed with the low growls of the wolf-like creatures, instantly turning the peaceful rainy night into one filled with deadly tension.
Soon!
The Train gradually picked up speed, and the wolf-like creatures didn't dare to block its path with their bodies, scattering to the sides. However...
"Slice!"
The high-speed Car Blades on either side sliced through any wolves that got too close, cutting them in half.
Once the Train reached top speed, Chen Mang didn't flee far. This was where his Mine was located, and he had to protect it. He couldn't run too far. Besides, he noticed that there were only about twenty or thirty of these wolves, far from the terrifying numbers of a Corpse Tide. They weren't an insurmountable threat.
In terms of speed, these wolves were no match for the Train.
Though they were agile, after several collisions under Chen Mang's control, the last wolf eventually met its end in the rainy night.
With the crisis averted,
Chen Mang slowly brought the Train to a stop and stepped out into the rainy night, walking over to the corpse of one of the wolves. He looked down at it expressionlessly. Meanwhile, Lao Zhu, Biao Zi, and a group of thugs armed with weapons rushed out from the No. 3 living compartment and gathered around Chen Mang, keeping watch.
"Lord Mang!"
"..."
Chen Mang remained silent, just staring down at the wolf corpse at his feet. He had seen this type of monster in the "Newbie Guide." It was a "Zombie Wolf," typically a Level 1 creature that usually roamed the wastelands, feeding on carrion.
Such as Zombie corpses, human remains, and the carcasses of other monsters.
They weren't particularly aggressive. Though they lived in packs, they weren't as overwhelming as a Corpse Tide, and their numbers rarely exceeded a hundred. Even if he hadn't woken up, these wolves wouldn't have been able to breach the Train's defenses or tear through its metal exterior.
But...
This incident served as a reminder that the Train urgently needed "Radar" or other Vehicle Components. For now, though, they would have to arrange for night watches. This time, there was no danger, but what if it had been a Corpse Tide next time?
If the Train were completely surrounded by a Corpse Tide, it might not even be able to start up.
Moreover, the spinning of the Car Blades relied on the "Energy Stone" in the Train's cabin for power. Though the consumption wasn't excessive, the blades couldn't spin indefinitely. Over time, they would inevitably be overwhelmed by the Corpse Tide and meet their doom.
"Biao Zi."
Standing in the dark, rainy night, Chen Mang turned slightly and spoke softly to Biao Zi, "Arrange for some people to keep watch at night. If this happens again, we might both end up dead here."
"Yes, this won't happen again."
Biao Zi replied in a low, hoarse voice, filled with shame. He had actually arranged for a night watch, but the other thugs hadn't listened to him. He had no choice but to assign his own man, Hei Wa, to keep watch. But who would have thought that the bastard had fallen asleep?
He couldn't reveal this. If he did, Hei Wa's life might be at risk. So, he had to take the blame himself.
Though Lord Mang hadn't given explicit orders, arranging for a night watch was something he, as the Thug Leader, should have handled on his own.
At that moment—
Lao Zhu stepped forward, crouched in the rain, and picked up a piece of shattered wolf meat. He sniffed it, and his brows suddenly furrowed with unease. "Mang Ge, something seems off."
"Normally, these 'Zombie Wolves' are among the easier monsters to deal with in the wasteland. They usually don't venture too deep into the wilderness, mostly roaming around the City Ruins, scavenging for carrion."
"Only the severely injured, sick, or elderly Zombie Wolves are driven deep into the wasteland by the pack."
"But these Zombie Wolves are all healthy, strong adults. They shouldn't be in this location."
"Unless..."
"There's a more terrifying monster in the nearest City Ruins, forcing them to migrate."
"If that's the case, the survivors in that city are in danger. By now, many of them might already be fleeing, but the rainy wasteland can only be a grav
e for them."
"These survivors usually hide deep in the City Ruins, making them hard to find. But by now, other Trains might already be on their way to pick them up."