Chen Mang glanced at Lao Zhu, said nothing more, and simply patted him on the shoulder before returning to the cockpit.

The iron ore had already been moved to the warehouse in Carriage #2.

The total came to 1,101 units.

For eighty-one slaves to produce that much in a single day was truly the result of overmining.

"Rich again."

Inside the cockpit, Chen Mang looked at the resource count on his "Train Panel" and couldn't help but smile. Women? If he could have sold those two for enough iron ore, he would have done so in a heartbeat.

Once you've had your fill of women, they all start to feel the same.

Of the seven essential accessories for the train's upgrade, he only had two left to build: "Carriage Steel Armor" and the "Axe Head Production Line."

Crafting them would require at least 1,100 units of iron ore.

He had just enough—exactly what's needed.

The "Axe Head Production Line" produced axes for harvesting wood. It was the same size as the pickaxe line, and he placed it in the warehouse of Carriage #2.

As for the "Carriage Steel Armor," it cost 1,000 units of iron ore per carriage.

He naturally chose to armor the engine first.

As the piles of ore in Carriage #2 dissolved into dust and merged with the train, Chen Mang stepped out of the cockpit and looked at the thick layer of armor now covering the engine. He nodded, satisfied.

He tentatively knocked on it with his knuckles and heard a deep, muffled thud.

[Accessory Name]: Carriage Steel Armor

[Accessory Grade]: Green

[Accessory Level]: 1

[Accessory Effect]: Provides complete immunity to all damage from Level 1 bullets and Level 1 creatures. Offers some defensive effect against Level 2 bullets and creatures.

[Upgrade Requirement]: 5,000 units of Iron Ore.

It was worth the 1,000 units of iron ore.

It didn't just look secure—the stats on the panel were solid.

Chen Mang stood a few meters away, raised the "Dragon Assault Rifle" in his hands, aimed at the engine's new armor, and emptied a magazine into it.

RAT-TAT-TAT!

After the volley, Chen Mang walked closer to inspect it. There wasn't even a dent in the armor, only a few paint chips. It was, indeed, completely immune.

His "Dragon Assault Rifle Production Line" was Level 1, so the rifles and bullets it produced were also Level 1.

He even put half a magazine into the cockpit's glass window.

Still not a single mark.

Although he couldn't see the armor over the glass, it clearly shared the armor's durability. If he could upgrade the steel armor on every carriage to Level 2, or even Level 3, he could sit still in the middle of a zombie horde, and they wouldn't be able to scratch him.

"Excellent!"

Chen Mang nodded, satisfied. The 1,000 units of ore were well spent. The only problem was how fast they were consumed. His eighty-one slaves had toiled away for an entire day, and he'd burned through their earnings in an instant.

He was left with just one unit of iron ore.

Making money was like squeezing toothpaste, but spending it was like a waterfall.

He was suddenly grateful that Boss Kun had captured him as a slave right after he'd transmigrated. If he hadn't started with these eighty-one slaves, life would have been hell. He would have had to go mine himself.

Boss Kun was a good man.

When he had the chance, he'd build a shrine for Boss Kun and burn some incense for him.

And with that—

He had finally crafted all seven essential vehicle accessories for the Level 1 train upgrade. He was just one step away from reaching Level 2.

[Upgrade Requirement]: Requires 4 carriages, all 7 essential vehicle accessories crafted, and 5,000 units of Level 1 Iron Ore.

He currently had three carriages.

He'd just have to build one more slave carriage, save up 5,000 units of iron ore, and he'd have enough to upgrade to a Level 2 train.

If nothing went wrong, it would take about five days.

Everything was heading in the right direction.

But this was a good reminder—once the train hit Level 2, he had to prioritize upgrading the "Dragon Assault Rifle Production Line" to Level 2. That way, his assault rifles would be able to pierce the Level 1 armor of other trains.

He had to focus on both offense and defense.

Tonight was destined to be a memorable one.

The slave carriage reeked.

The two men who had won the prize for the day didn't want to bring the women back into the stinking carriage, so they got down to business right there on the ground. The other slaves crowded around, cheering and hollering. The scene was surprisingly lively.

Someone even took the opportunity to grope around in the chaos.

Biao and the other enforcers stood nearby, watching the scene. After a long moment, Biao couldn't help but smile, infected by the atmosphere. "It's so lively. We never saw anything like this back on Boss Kun's train."

"That..."

Hei Wa, standing beside him, whispered with a hint of regret, "I'm suddenly kind of sorry I was chosen as an enforcer. I've got plenty of strength, too. If I were a slave, I'd be the one reporting for duty tonight."

Biao shot Hei Wa a look of utter disdain. "Get a grip. We're enforcers. We're a rank above the slaves."

"If Boss Mang feeds the slaves this well, what do you think he'll give us?"

Hei Wa scratched his head, embarrassed. "It's not about the reward. It's just... the atmosphere is so lively. It's been a long time since I've seen anything like this, not since the apocalypse started. I wanted to join in the fun."

Biao froze, then stared blankly at the scene. It was true. He hadn't seen anything this lively since the world ended.

In the high-stress environment of the apocalypse, everyone's nerves were constantly on edge. Most train captains had some kind of disturbing habit. When a person is in a dangerous environment for a long time and then suddenly thrust into a position of power, without the restraints of law or morality, they inevitably resort to extreme behaviors to relieve the pressure.

It was a law of nature.

But Boss Mang... he didn't seem to have any strange habits. He was completely mentally stable, not prone to mood swings, and he didn't even play around with women. Wait a minute... that actually sounded like Boss Mang had an even bigger problem!

In the blink of an eye, the fifth day arrived.

The sky was just beginning to lighten.

Chen Mang was already up, washed, and standing in the cockpit. He clasped his hands together, closed his eyes, and muttered, "Please, powers that be, just one more peaceful day. Even if it's the last one."

The past four days had passed safely. All the slaves had maintained a minimum output of twelve units of ore per day.

It was an absolute overload of mining.

If today went just as smoothly, his train would naturally be upgraded to Level 2. That would be a massive improvement.

If nothing else, having the "Train Radio" and the "Crafting Station" to produce Energy Stones would allow him to explore the wasteland at full speed, searching for higher-level mines and other opportunities.

He had been on edge these past few days. Boss Kun's train had been surrounded by a zombie horde after only a few hours of mining. It was a stark reminder of how quickly things could change in the wasteland.

He was already grateful for four smooth days of mining.

Of course—

If he could get one more, he'd be even more grateful.