He had announced a three-day evaluation period, but in reality, he planned to select his ten enforcers before nightfall.

After all, he only had one newbie mission left.

[Mission: Within three months, have three enforcers and 10 slaves.]

[Reward: Unknown.]

Completing this mission would officially unlock his "Train Panel" and all its features.

Besides, the faster a mission was completed, the better the reward. The only reason his first two rewards had been so incredible was that he'd finished them in record time. Under normal circumstances, he probably would have just received a standard "Common Train Token."

"Lao Zhu."

"Ah?" Lao Zhu, who had been rolling up his pant legs to go scavenging, immediately stopped and hurried over to Chen Mang. "Boss Mang, your orders," he whispered.

"You don't need to go. I need a Vice-Captain, and I'm choosing you." Chen Mang clapped him on the shoulder with a faint smile. "You've been a Vice-Captain before, so you have the experience. I'll go to the cockpit later to officially appoint you and grant you the necessary permissions."

"When I do, you can fill me in on any tips for a new Train Captain. This is my first time, after all," he added. "I'll be counting on your help from now on."

A look of disbelief and excitement flashed in Lao Zhu's eyes. He immediately dropped to his knees, his voice hoarse with emotion as tears welled up. "Boss Mang, don't worry. I won't let you down!"

In truth, the moment he saw Chen Mang produce a Train Token and become a captain, Lao Zhu knew he'd found his new benefactor. His promotion from slave to Vice-Captain was practically guaranteed.

There were no other candidates. He was the only one here who had ever held the position, and he had been the first to pledge his loyalty. It had to be him.

A train couldn't be run by one person alone; it required a team. The captain couldn't possibly handle every trivial matter himself. Still, Lao Zhu knew he had to play his part, to show overwhelming gratitude and shock.

As a subordinate, you never refuse your superior's goodwill. And when shown favor, your response should be loud and clear, never emotionally restrained.

He didn't know how to be a leader.

But he had spent a lifetime as a subordinate. He knew exactly how to be a good one.

Besides, this new leader seemed far better than his last one. He didn't have any bizarre habits, and he possessed a powerful presence—a natural air of command that was completely devoid of the smugness of a petty man who'd stumbled into power.

"Um…" Lao Zhu hesitated for a moment before asking tentatively, "Boss Mang, there are seven or eight women among the slaves. They're all covered in grime and rags right now, so you can't tell what they really look like… Should I have them wash up later and bring them to you for inspection?"

"No need." Chen Mang shook his head. "We're still in a dangerous position without even basic security. I don't have the mind for such things. Was your last captain into that?"

"You could say that," Lao Zhu said, scratching the back of his head with a helpless whisper. "The last Train Captain had quite a strange preference. He was obsessed with feet, especially those with severe athlete's foot. He'd even keep slaves with the worst cases around just for it."

"He'd pick a few girls from the slaves to give him daily foot soaks in boiling water, constantly scrubbing between his toes with towels."

"He said it was the most blissful feeling in the world, a million times better than a wedding night. He never touched the women otherwise, though."

Meanwhile, the slaves finished collecting the resources, stacking them neatly to the side. Chen Mang gestured for them to move the supplies next to the cockpit and had Lao Zhu begin the inventory.

Standing on the wasteland, Chen Mang looked at the group of slaves, who stood waiting with obvious anxiety. The craftable accessories for a Level 1 train included a production line for moldy bread, but not one for pure water mixed with sand.

In other words, the previous train could have given them pure water but deliberately chose to add sand to it.

He quickly grasped the reasoning.

It was an artificial method of creating a class divide.

By giving the enforcers superior supplies, you foster their sense of superiority. By giving the slaves a path to promotion, you give them motivation. The conflict between these two groups would soften the primary conflict between the captain and the slaves, keeping the entire train in a relatively stable state.

He gazed at the horizon.

The zombie horde was no longer visible on the plains, though hundreds of zombie corpses still littered the immediate area. At least the zombies had the decency not to eat their own kind.

He planned to head back to the mine later to dig for more ore. After becoming a Train Captain, he realized that "iron ore" was the key to almost everything. He needed a massive supply.

He had already mentally shortlisted a dozen or so men who were more physically imposing than the others to be his enforcers.

Soon, Lao Zhu came jogging back. "Boss Mang, I've finished the inventory."

"Here's the list, sir."

Chen Mang took the small, scribbled slip of paper from Lao Zhu's hand, wondering where he'd even found it.

7mm Level 1 Heavy Machine Gun Rounds: 400+

9mm Level 1 Pistol Rounds: 200+

Pistols: 12

Heavy Machine Gun: 1

Total Ore: 1,500 units Iron, 120 units Copper, 100 units Wood

Provisions: 600+ slices of Bread, 300 bottles of Mineral Water, 100 Steamed Buns, 80 packs of Pickled Mustard Greens

"Good."

Chen Mang nodded, a flicker of satisfaction in his eyes. The list was clear and direct. More importantly, he had already counted the pistols himself. If Lao Zhu's number had been different, he would be lying in a pool of his own blood right now.

He was keenly aware that these salvaged guns were not made by his train and could be used to harm him. As long as the gun itself was produced by the train, it couldn't hurt the captain, even if the bullets weren't. That was a fundamental rule.

"Boss Mang," Lao Zhu whispered, leaning in, "you can't give these pistols to the enforcers. All train captains only arm their men with weapons made from the train's own production lines. It's the only way to guarantee the captain's absolute safety."

"If an enforcer or slave finds a gun while scavenging and doesn't turn it in… if they're discovered, it's immediate execution."

"I know."

Chen Mang tucked the note into his pocket and turned to face the train.

His train. He still hadn't given it a name.

For now, a Level 1 train didn't have much offensive capability on its own. The primary combat tasks would fall to his armed enforcers. Only after countless upgrades and unlocking higher-grade accessories would the train truly become a mobile fortress with terrifying firepower.

He still had a long road ahead of him.