"Including the white zones, there are quite a few trains they support, through the transportation of slaves, resources, and accessory blueprints."
"You came from the Iron Ridge Wasteland."
"In your area, there are several promising trains that have received their funding."
"I must make it clear to you again."
"They have no ill intentions. Don't entertain the thought that we are out to harm you. In this apocalypse, our common enemy is the monsters. No one would plot to send a train to hell just because it's developing faster. That's a foolish notion."
"If they harbored such thoughts, they wouldn't have been able to attract so many people to join them."
"This is our first meeting."
"A private meeting between just you and me. How about we meet in the 'Combat Training Virtual Space'? I believe this will ease your concerns. I'll open a private arena room, code '28301', password six 8s."
"If you're willing, we can chat in the arena."
"I'm sure you've already upgraded this accessory to level 5."
"..."
Chen Mang looked at the long string of words in the Train Radio private chat box, frowned in thought for a while, then strode towards the nearby Combat Training Virtual Space.
An organization?
After the apocalypse descended, the world was divided into several zones. High-level trains absolutely cannot enter low-level zones. In such a situation, how could an organization be established? He didn't mind contacting the other party, as they clearly seemed to know more information.
After the Combat Training Virtual Space was upgraded to level 5, one could participate in ranked matches and fight against members of other trains of the same level.
Five minutes later.
Chen Mang stood alone on an arena in the Combat Training Virtual Space, while before him stood a rather young man, not very tall, about 1.7 meters.
"First, let me introduce myself. My name is Qi Tian."
The young man smiled and sat on the ground, gesturing for Chen Mang to sit as well before speaking: "Try to relax a bit. When I was first approached by this organization, I was just as wary as you."
"But you must believe this."
"In the apocalypse, even a train conductor who has committed countless atrocities has his merits. He can kill more monsters."
"Chen Mang."
Chen Mang replied, then also sat cross-legged on the ground, though his brows were slightly furrowed. He didn't show any wariness or nervousness. With his strength, he wasn't intimidated by this person at all.
But from the very start of the private chat, including just now during the meeting, the other party had repeatedly emphasized that he should relax.
This was a common manipulative tactic used by those in positions of power.
A few repeated reminders to relax could make even someone who initially felt fine start to feel nervous, and it also subtly shifted the balance of control. Most people wouldn't sense the hidden offense in these words, but this was a tactic he had often used when managing companies before the apocalypse. He could keenly detect it.
"Alright."
The young man nodded seriously: "Then let's begin our first formal contact. Their organization is called 'The Balance.' Before we start our conversation, let me ask you a few questions. A white accessory blueprint must be of no use to you now, right?"
"It's useful."
"Even if it's useful, it must not be very significant anymore, right?"
"It's very useful."
"..."
The smile on the young man's face slowly froze as he looked at Chen Mang's serious expression, feeling momentarily speechless. After a pause, he continued: "Then let's put it another way. If you were to throw away 1,000 units of iron ore now, you wouldn't feel too bad, right?"
"I would."
Chen Mang frowned slightly: "How many good days have you had to start acting so high and mighty like this?"
"Do you know it takes 100 slaves a full day of mining in a level 1 iron ore mine to gather 1,000 units of iron ore?"
"Alright."
The young man's lips twitched slightly. He took a deep breath and spoke again: "Then let's put it another way. For example, if you had an extra white accessory blueprint, or if you had too many slaves and couldn't support them anymore, would you be willing to give them away?"
"No."
Chen Mang looked at the young man with a strange expression: "How about you give all your slaves to me? If I have extras, can't I trade them? Give them away? Is your organization's purpose to accumulate merit in this world, so that when everyone dies in the apocalypse, you can take your merit points and discuss reincarnation with Buddha?"
"..."
The young man sat cross-legged on the ground with an expressionless face, looking down at his toes in silence for a long time before continuing regardless.
"The organization is called The Balance."
"The organization's mission is to give away things we don't need to people in lower zones, so more trains can develop."
"For example, trains in the yellow zone give away things they don't need to us, and we, in turn, give away things we don't need to trains in the white zone."
"This is the organization's purpose."
"We're not chasing some bullshit merit points."
"In this organizational chain, everyone can gain more than they give. Even the lowest-level trains, after benefiting and growing, need to continue supplying resources to trains in the white zone."
"Although the organization can't go to lower zones, we have ways to contact trains in those zones, such as having trains in the white zone wait at the zone border for the trains coming to deliver supplies."
"Although there are survivors in every zone, and train tokens drop in every zone, so far, about 80% of trains have grown from the white zone. In green and higher-level zones, level 1 trains have no room to grow."
"It's precisely because of this system that, even after more than a year since the apocalypse began, there's still a steady stream of trains growing."
"One day, we will clear out all the monsters and rebuild our home on this already devastated planet."
Chen Mang didn't speak, just looked at the young man before him. Rebuild their home?
That's definitely not happening.
If we don't achieve interstellar travel within five years, we're doomed. Based on the information he saw in the Doomsday Abyss, this planet will be completely finished in five years. Logically, observation windows like the Doomsday Abyss shouldn't exist only in the Iron Ridge Wasteland. Did this organization not know about this?
Or did they hide it and not tell others?
"Hmm, the purpose sounds good. And then?"
"The organization hopes you can join. As a gift, we'll give you a generous present, like 50,000 units of iron ore."
"That little?"
"Little?" The young man was slightly stunned: "You just said you wouldn't even throw away 1,000 units of iron ore."
"That's a different matter."
The young man paused in silence for a while before continuing: "The 50,000 units of iron ore are from a train in the yellow zone. If it were any more, he wouldn't be willing to part with it. And all you need to do is give 5,000 units of iron ore to a designated train in the white zone."
"In one round trip, you'll have a net gain of 45,000 units of iron ore."
"This is a sure profit."
"Moreover, after joining this organization, there won't be any task requirements for you. You won't have a boss. We're all just coming together to keep warm."
Chen Mang nodded: "How long has your organization existed?"
"About six months."
"In which zone is the strongest train in your organization?"
"I don't know."
"According to your organization's structure, the strongest trains are always in the position of suppliers. I'm a bit curious, do they have infinite resources? Can they keep supplying downwards indefinitely?"
The young man fell silent again for a while before speaking: "You're talking too high up. I don't know about that. I didn't expect you to be so resistant. In my opinion, it's all benefit with no harm."
"Isn't it good for everyone to keep warm together in the apocalypse?"
"It is."
Chen Mang stood up and glanced at the young man casually: "But I'm too lazy to run to the white zone to deliver iron ore, and I'm too lazy to go to the yellow zone to collect that pitiful 50,000 units of iron ore. So you can keep warm together. I'll stay cold."
With that, he walked out of the arena.
But at that moment.
A soft voice came from behind.
"I must remind you again. Everyone who accepts the invitation but then refuses will be considered anti-human. In the green zone, perhaps no one dares to provoke you, but when you go to the yellow zone, the organization has established a base there."
"Unless you never go to the yellow zone."
"In the apocalypse, anyone who refuses to keep warm together can be considered anti-human."
"..."
Chen Mang, who was about to leave the arena, stopped in his tracks. Then he turned around, leaning on his cane, and approached the young man. He lifted the young man's chin with his cane and smiled.
"Were you just threatening me?"
"Then help me pass on a message."
"If anyone from your organization dares to provoke me, I'll kill every member of The Balance I see in the future."
"That includes you."
"You little AI-ass-licking twink, don't mess with me. Got it?"
With that, he left without staying any longer. He had no interest in that organization at all. It sounded like a huge hassle. It might help others, but for him, it was purely a waste of time.
"..."
The young man, sitting cross-legged in the arena, watched Chen Mang's retreating figure with a face so dark it seemed to drip with water, his eyes burning with intense rage!
This was the first time someone had dared to insult him with such filthy words!
And his AI was female, not male. He wasn't some damn twink!
He was an A-grade potential train! Even in the future, this A-grade potential would be a great help to him. In the organization, he was also a core seed. No one had ever dared to speak to him like this. Did he think anyone could complete the A-grade difficulty Mechanical Class Change task?
Even if others wanted to sell their asses.
They wouldn't have the ability!
After taking a deep breath, he immediately exited the Combat Training Virtual Space, went to the Train Radio, picked up the intercom, and found the red chat box. In a hoarse voice, he said: "The recruitment failed. He said to tell The Balance to stop provoking him, or he'll kill every one of them he sees."
There was only static on the other end of the intercom.
After a long while, an old man's voice came through.
"Then don't provoke him. Everyone has their own thoughts. Not everyone is willing to join the organization."
"Your brother has been waiting for you at the base in the yellow zone 'Zombie Basin' behind the Kunlun Mountains. My suggestion is that you try not to cause any trouble, understand?"
"You didn't threaten him, did you?"
The young man hesitated before shaking his head: "No."
"Good, that's fine. The Balance has only one rule: once you join, you can't leave. Since you've received favors from others, you must also give favors to those below you. That's how everyone can move forward together. Those who don't want to join don't have to. There's no need to make an enemy out of them."
"I understand."
The young man then hung up the call, sitting in his seat with a face that shifted between dark and pale. The person he had been speaking to was a high-ranking member of The Balance. He didn't know which zone they were in, nor the level of their train. He only knew they were very strong and had always been the one to contact him.
The organization's rules prohibited threats.
He was just angry.
In his heart, The Balance was a sacred organization. Everyone worked together to keep warm. He had always felt that being able to join The Balance was an honor. But the other party's dismissive attitude had made him blurt out a threat, hoping to make them back down.
He hadn't expected the other party to completely ignore his threat!
Damn it, hadn't he made it clear that The Balance had trains in higher-level zones too? What gives a level 5 train in the green zone the right to be so arrogant!
At that moment—
"What's wrong?"
A woman walked over and curled up in his arms, her fingers tracing circles on his chest as she whispered: "Did someone upset you, Tianye?"
"It's nothing."
The young man held the woman in his arms, took a deep breath, and forced himself to calm down: "Just a small matter."
"Then we—"
The woman smiled, her fingers gradually sliding downward.
"No!" The young man's face paled in panic as he grabbed the woman's wrist, his voice trembling: "Didn't we just do it four times last night? Can we take a break? We've already done it seventeen times this week. Can't you see my lips are pale?"
The smile on the woman's lips slowly faded, a hint of sadness flashing in her eyes: "You don't love me anymore, do you? You're no longer interested in my body, are you?"
"Then let's destroy each other."
The cover over the "Immediate Self-Destruct" button on the control panel was immediately opened by the woman from a distance.
"Alright."
The young man forced a smile, quickly closing the cover again before speaking in a hoarse, tearful voice: "I love you, of course I love you."
"Let's do it."
This woman was his AI.
Under the night sky.
The young man lay in his chair, utterly hopeless and filled with despair, watching the blurred shadow of the figure rising and falling on him reflected in the train window. Chen Mang's parting words kept echoing in his mind.
If only...
If only he hadn't gone for that A-grade potential back then.
His brother also had A-grade potential, but his brother's AI didn't have such strong needs. Only once, in the middle of the night while his brother was asleep, it had activated the "Internal Fire Control System" and killed all the female creatures on the train.
Including the female slaves, a sow, and two old hens.
(End of Chapter)