"Really?"
The Dwarf Man excitedly took the large bag of Redheart Nuts and handed it to one of his Thugs before turning to Chen Mang with a wide grin.
"Then I won't hold back. This Free Pass even works on the dealers here. I've tried it—totally worth it. Normally, they charge 100,000 points per session."
"Ridiculously expensive."
"If I weren't feeling a bit worn out, I'd definitely try one of the dealers."
"Alright."
Chen Mang stood up and smiled at the Dwarf Man. "Then you enjoy yourself here, brother. I've got some business to take care of upstairs."
"Biao Zi, you guys stay and have fun too."
He exchanged 10,000 points in chips from a nearby dealer and tossed them into Biao Zi's arms. "Go wild with these. Try to lose them all."
Then, alone, he headed toward the stairs to go up.
"..."
Sitting at the bar, Biao Zi silently picked up a Redheart Nut and popped it into his mouth, his expression odd. "Can this 'Free Pass' really be used like that?"
"If it has a price tag, the owner of this entertainment city must be worth at least 5 million, right?"
"5 million..."
"That's just extravagant."
"What do you think, Shan Mao Zi?"
"I don't know," Shan Mao Zi shook his head firmly. "This place is a bit too chaotic for me. I'm a pure love kind of guy—this is kind of torturing me."
"Tch."
Biao Zi weighed the chips in his hand before walking toward a nearby gambling table. "1,000 chips each. Let's see who can win in the end."
Sun Entertainment City.
The door to the luxurious top-floor suite swung open. A woman in a bathrobe, standing by the floor-to-ceiling window, turned to glare at Chen Mang at the entrance, her delicate brows furrowing as she spoke coldly, "Didn't I say to come up in an hour?"
Chen Mang didn't respond. Instead, he walked up to her and waved the Free Pass in front of her face. "Found something interesting. Wonder if your underlying data code has permissions for this?"
The next moment—
The Free Pass suddenly glowed red.
Chen Mang applied a slight pressure with his fingers, and the pass shattered into countless specks of light, dissipating into the air.
"You—"
Feeling Chen Mang's scorching presence and the sound of permissions activating deep in her mind, the woman, who had been icy until now, suddenly tensed up. Her breathing grew slightly erratic as she averted her gaze from him and glanced at the others in the room.
"Everyone, leave the suite. Guard the door. No one enters."
Then, with a hint of pleading in her eyes, she looked back at Chen Mang, her voice trembling.
"Be gentle... okay?"
"..."
Chen Mang smirked, took the wine glass from her hand, and took a sip. With a tug at the bathrobe's tie, he let it slip to the ground, revealing nothing beneath.
"I still prefer you when you were cold and unapproachable."
He lifted her chin, inhaling the fragrance of her hair.
Then he straightened up, took a drag from his cigar, and slowly exhaled the smoke into her face.
"Turn around."
"Press yourself against the glass."
Though it was only the seventh floor, the ceilings were so high that standing by the window offered a full view of the city below. In the dead of night, countless neon lights shimmered between the skyscrapers, creating a mesmerizing sight.
Half an hour later.
Chen Mang sat in Sister Qi's usual spot, legs propped up on the coffee table, holding a cigar between two fingers. He glanced at the woman who had put her robe back on and was now sitting on the sofa beside him. With a faint smile, he raised his glass and drained the remaining liquor in one gulp.
"The Level 4 Smart Chip does provide more realistic feedback."
"Come massage my legs. They're a bit sore."
The woman gritted her teeth slightly but still approached, kneeling on the carpet and placing her hands on Chen Mang's calves, kneading them slowly.
"Good."
Chen Mang relaxed into the sofa and said casually, "Later, can you bump my Black Boxing payout up to 10 million?"
"What are you thinking?"
The woman couldn't help but laugh in exasperation. "The payouts are predetermined—it's not something I can control. Why don't you just ask me to hand Sun City over to you while you're at it?"
"Aren't you the boss?"
"Even the boss is just a high-level employee."
"Then what benefits can you give me?"
"Why should I give you any benefits?"
Chen Mang opened his eyes and looked at the woman with a serious expression. "Since you have a Level 4 Smart Chip, you should know the current state of this city. This city will be mine in the future. If you give me some benefits now, I'll make you the head of three entertainment districts once I take control."
"Hah."
The woman scoffed coldly. "The master of this city is someone you can't afford to provoke, yet you dare dream of seizing his territory."
"But he hasn't shown up in a long time, has he?"
"What if he does?"
"Then I'll die. What does that have to do with you? All you need to do is give me some trivial benefits now, and I guarantee your status will be higher than it is now once I officially take over."
"Besides,"
"As the boss of Sun City, you must want more guests for this place, right? Under my control, this city will attract far more visitors—at least more than it does now."
"..."
The woman remained silent, quietly kneeling on the carpet and massaging Chen Mang's calves. After a long pause, she finally murmured, "My authority is limited. I can't give you much."
"My jurisdiction is confined to Sun City."
"The people in the casino answer to me. You can have your way with the dealers."
"You mean..." A glint flashed in Chen Mang's eyes. "The dealers can manipulate the tables and help me cheat to keep winning?"
"Don't overthink it."
The woman shook her head. "Impossible. The casino uses an automated dealing system—no human intervention. I meant it literally: you won't need to pay the 10,000 credits to play."
"What else?"
"Nothing more."
"Then your authority as Sun City's boss is pretty pathetic."
"Drinks, food—you won't have to pay for those either. You can take whatever you want from the luxury shops. Their owners are dead, and no one's restocking or keeping accounts anymore. Beyond that, I have no other privileges."
"..."
Chen Mang narrowed his eyes slightly and said softly, "You know we're leaving?"
"Of course."
The woman, still kneeling on the carpet, looked up at Chen Mang with exasperation. "Isn't it written everywhere? Open for 48 hours only. Though I have no idea where you all came from, it doesn't matter. Guests are guests."
"Fair enough."
Chen Mang stood up and patted the woman's head with a smile. "I'll be back in a few days. Trust me, I'm strong. Sooner or later, I'll take control of this city. I just need a little more time."
"By then, your status will be even higher than it is now."
With that, he turned and walked toward the door.
"Hey."
The woman's voice suddenly called out from behind him. "The Black Boxing match is delayed by two hours."
"Something wrong?"
"My body feels weak. I need to rest for a while. I can't host the match right now."
"You can just push back the scheduled time like that?"
"I am the boss, after all. I have that much authority."
"Fine."
"And one more thing—"
"Can you say everything at once?" Chen Mang, already at the door, turned his head back with an annoyed look.
"What I mean is, a higher status would be nice, but if you can really do it... please take control of this city as soon as possible. I don't want to fall into slumber again. That's more important to me."
"Got it."
Chen Mang waved his hand dismissively, shut the door behind him, and glanced at the group of burly men standing outside before heading down the hallway toward the elevator.
"Lord Mang, you're back!"
Biao Zi and the others, gathered around a gambling table, rushed over excitedly at the sight of Lord Mang. "We've won so much! We've got over 40,000 in chips now!"
"Li Shiji's beginner's luck is insane!"
"Alright, alright."
Chen Mang checked his watch with a grin. "Time's tight. Today counts as the first team-building event for some of the Stellar Train members. Everything you spend here today—it's on me."
"Eat, drink, take whatever you want. Even the dealers can join in if they feel like it."
"Oh, right."
"Go find that guy I was just talking to earlier. Their tab's on me too—let them have fun."
"The Black Boxing match starts in two and a half hours."
"That's how much time you've got left to play. Make the most of it, quick!"
"Huh?"
Biao Zi looked anxious. "Lord Mang, how much is this gonna cost? One dealer alone is 100,000 points, and we—"
"Free."
"Everything's free except the gambling tables."
Chen Mang patted Biao Zi's shoulder with a laugh. "Sister Qi is pretty generous. Everything in Sun City is free today—go wild. The others back on the Stellar Train are gonna be so jealous."
"Opportunities like this don't come often."
"You guys have fun."
"I'm heading to the second floor to pick out some clothes. Gotta see what an 880,000 short-sleeve feels like to wear."
"..."
Biao Zi and the others stared at Chen Mang's retreating figure before snapping out of it. They exchanged glances, then erupted into cheers.
Sun City.
Everything free? This was gonna be one hell of a time!
Biao Zi wasted no time. He immediately rushed over to a bikini-clad dealer nearby and poked her.
"Sir, interested? 100,000 points."
"Screw your mom."
"My mom's 1,000,000 points."
"Yeah, that's right—the madam in the evening gown. Get her down here. Money's no object!"
"Didn't she bring 3,280 girls with her? Bring them all down!"
"First floor's hosting a party."
Sun City, first floor.
Hundreds of gambling tables had been pushed aside. In the hall, thousands of scantily clad girls swayed to the deafening beats of the DJ, their movements synchronized with the rhythm. Dazzling light shows electrified everyone's nerves.
Standing atop a high platform, Chen Mang—dressed in million-dollar haute couture—held a bottle of champagne in his hand as he roared toward the endless sea of girls in the dance floor.
"Tonight!"
"A night of revelry!"
The next moment.
The vigorously shaken champagne sprayed froth wildly as Chen Mang laughed heartily and leaped into the crowd, caught by a dozen outstretched arms of the girls.
"Me too, me too!"
Biao Zi, now equally exhilarated, rushed onto the stage and shouted, "Lord Mang is the best!" before jumping down as well.
Not a single one of the thousands of girls was plain—each was stunningly beautiful.
This might have been the largest party since the apocalypse descended.
The absurdity of this moment stood in stark contrast to the despair of the end times.
Yet it felt strangely harmonious.
None of the girls wore forced smiles; each provided ample emotional engagement, dancing wildly under the thunderous music. For these robots, perhaps after centuries of slumber, they too yearned for such unrestrained release.
Perhaps this somewhat surreal party.
In a way, served as redemption for both sides.
Robots who had slept for millennia, and humans struggling to survive the apocalypse—two groups that should never have crossed paths—met within the Serendipity Map known as "Neon City."
Meanwhile, in a corner of this raucous celebration, Zhang Yi and Zhang Er sat at a table, devouring food with abandon.
Around them, over fifty attendants stood in rows, forming an assembly line to deliver an endless stream of delicacies to the duo.
Each dish was small yet exquisite.
A single bite wouldn't even fill the gaps between teeth.
But the flavors were exquisite.
The two ate with immense satisfaction, their lips curling uncontrollably into grins even as they chewed.
"Lord Mang is amazing. He treats us so well," Zhang Yi said, looking up at Lord Mang, who had begun belting out a song on the high platform, surrounded by bursts of electronic fireworks and atmosphere sprays. He nodded solemnly. "Lord Mang even sings beautifully."
Back on their previous Train, when had they ever experienced such luxury?
Same apocalypse.
How could the disparity between different Trains be this vast?
"Heh heh."
Zhang Er nodded emphatically in agreement before grinning. "Still, Xiao San's the real MVP. If she hadn't stuck with Lord Mang all this time, we'd never have gotten the chance to roll with him."
"Stop calling her Xiao San. Call her San Mei. She's told us a million times—she hates being called Xiao San."
"Right, right. Got it, big bro. San Mei it is."
Chen Mang and his crew were having the time of their lives. A party of this scale—thousands of girls—was exceedingly rare even before the apocalypse, let alone after.
However...
The other Train Conductors in the hall were utterly bewildered.
They had been gambling at the tables one moment, only for the tables to vanish the next. Then thousands of girls came pouring down from upstairs, and the party began, shoving them into the cramped corners.
Staring at the scene before them, they felt completely out of place.
Especially that man on the platform. Weren't they all Train Conductors? Weren't they all just entering this Serendipity Map? Why were they treated like unwanted stepchildren while Chen Mang acted like some favored bastard?
Clearly, Chen Mang and his group could jump into the crowd freely, having the time of their lives.
They had originally wanted to join in the fun and squeeze their way in, but the moment they touched the edge, a voice chimed, "Sir, would you like to join? 100,000 points."
If anyone stubbornly tried again, the response was, "Sir, please behave. I'll call security."
"Forget it."
A man cast a resentful glance at Chen Mang's group and muttered under his breath, "As if I even wanted to play. Frolicking like this in the apocalypse—do they even know what 'indulging in pleasure and forgetting home' means?"
"Just wait till they return to reality. Let's see how they handle the shock of the gap."
"Not like I was that eager to play anyway."
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