Just then—
Chen Mang on stage noticed the group of Train Conductors in the corner. Holding the microphone, he laughed and shouted loudly.
"Hey, you folks in the corner! Come join the fun if you want!"
"Play as you please!"
"Tonight, everything's on me, Chen Mang!"
"Whether you fancy the dealers or the ladies, take your pick!"
The Train Conductor who had been sulking in the corner froze for a moment upon hearing this. Tentatively, he poked the nearest girl, who still asked, "Sir, care to join? 100,000 points."
But then she added, "Lord Mang's treating, so it's free."
Disbelief flashed in the man's eyes before he suddenly leaped up, his face alight with excitement as he roared, "Lord Mang is the GOAT!"
Then he charged into the crowd, wrapping his arms around three or four girls, surrendering to the deafening music and the moment's decadence.
The other Train Conductors and thugs lurking in the corners also rushed toward the girls below the stage, electrified by the offer. Lord Mang was being outrageously generous—so generous it almost felt embarrassing.
"Lord Mang is the GOAT!"
The Dwarf Man, tossed into the air by a swarm of girls, munched on a Redheart Nut as he shouted down at Chen Mang on stage, "GOAT!"
Human joys and sorrows are never the same.
For instance,
In another corner, Zhang Qi, dressed in a million-dollar haute couture outfit, pinned the luxury store clerk beneath him and snarled, "Think you can look down on us?!"
"Who can't afford clothes worth a few hundred grand?!"
"Come on, give me that disdainful look again!"
"Damn woman, you actually did it!"
"Today, I'll—"
"..."
Sitting nearby, Shan Mao Zi smoked alone and sighed as he watched Zhang Qi's antics. Muttering absentmindedly, he said, "Wife... the temptations out here are just too much."
"Every single one of them is prettier than you..."
"Good thing I'm steadfast."
"In an environment like this, who else but me could keep their cool?"
"Ah."
He sighed again before glancing at Li Shiji beside him. "At least I've got you with me, I—"
"Huh? Where'd you go?"
Shan Mao Zi scanned the room and finally spotted Li Shiji in the crowd, flushed and laughing as he played finger games with four or five dealers, completely at ease without a shred of restraint.
"..."
After a moment of silence, he turned his gaze to Zhang Yi and Zhang Er, who were stuffing themselves nearby, and nodded slightly in relief. At least someone was still keeping him company. But then—the next second!
He watched as Zhang Yi and Zhang Er tore off their shirts and charged into the crowd like roaring apes.
They hurled several girls into the air, caught them, and pulled them into their arms!
Damn it!
So you two were just waiting to get your fill before indulging, huh? Un-fucking-believable!
Good times never last.
The two-hour-long party soon came to an end.
Chen Mang, feeling refreshed, headed to the third floor to change. His previous outfit had been thoroughly ruined. With the Black Boxing match starting in 20 minutes, it was time to wind down the festivities.
In the fitting room,
Chen Mang examined his new outfit in the mirror and nodded approvingly. Not bad.
Not sure if it was psychological, but wearing this outfit worth 2.19 million instantly made him feel much more handsome.
He planned to take all these top-tier luxury clothes back with him.
After all, they were free.
No reason to leave them behind.
The only regret was not finding a "Pre-owned Luxury Goods Store" on the map—otherwise, he could have sold the whole batch. Even at a 10% resale rate, it would have been a hefty profit.
But purely in terms of functionality, these clothes didn't even have Temperature Lock effects. That they could sell for such prices—he could only call it marketing genius.
Biao Zi and the others had all gathered here, dressed up and ready to head to the Black Boxing match.
Each had picked out an outfit for themselves.
Meanwhile, Zhang Yi and Zhang Er were tasked with carrying the Refrigerator, loading all the top-tier luxury clothes, bags, and lifestyle products in sight into it. Thankfully, they'd brought the Refrigerator—otherwise, hauling all this stuff would've been a hassle.
The Refrigerator was also packed with snacks and food provided by the casino.
No need to worry about running out of space—there were several more Refrigerators nested inside.
"This is getting a little too decadent."
Biao Zi rubbed his ears, which still felt numb and echoey now that the deafening music had stopped.
Then, with lingering satisfaction, he turned to Chen Mang. "Lord Mang, the others are gonna be so jealous when they find out about this."
"That Dealer was really something."
"Especially when I found a gambling table and had her deal while we did it—that was next-level."
"Wait, wasn't that the 1-million madam you went for?" Shan Mao Zi asked, confused.
"Oh, did both."
"That strong?"
"Been eating plenty of Redheart Nuts."
"Cut the hell back on those Redheart Nuts," Chen Mang snapped. "Those were supposed to be Goblin snacks, but you guys keep scarfing them down like candy."
"Alright, let's get moving—Black Boxing's about to start. Zhang Yi, you good to go?"
"No problem!"
"Good. I noticed you earlier—you're a real tough one. Gotta start seeing you in a new light from now on."
"Heh heh."
Chen Mang led Biao Zi and the group back to the 7th-floor hotel suite.
Pushing the door open, they found the woman—now in a dark black dress—seated on the sofa, watching them with an amused smirk.
"Quite the party animals, huh? Maybe I should just turn this entertainment hub into a nightclub."
"Not bad."
Chen Mang walked up to her, tilting her chin up as he leaned in and murmured, "Shame you weren't there. Would've been even more fun with you."
"I should remind you," she said coldly, "your Free Pass has expired. I can refuse you now."
"Would you?"
He tucked a loose strand of her hair behind her ear.
Her eyes flickered with unease as she avoided his gaze. "The Black Boxing match is on the rooftop. Nourishing Yang City's Devil Arms is already waiting. Go win first, then we'll talk."
"Of course."
On the rooftop, the night wind howled.
Zhang Yi stood on the platform, belching, facing a burly man whose arms were thicker than his thighs—though the guy was a full head shorter.
The woman in the deep black dress exuded the aura of a boss as she coldly addressed the man in a suit across from her: "Come on, let's see if your 'Devil Arms' can keep the winning streak this time."
"Heh."
The suited man on the opposite rooftop sneered, "Bring it on!"
"Such a cliché opening line."
Chen Mang, seated in the audience, sighed softly. Though the exchange was clichéd, it ended quickly, and the match officially began.
"Bam!"
Devil Arms charged forward, landing a punch on Zhang Yi's stomach that sent him stumbling back two steps. Zhang Yi roared, swinging his fist back and smashing it into the man's face.
Like a basketball struck with immense force, the man's head caved in instantly.
Blood gushed from all five orifices as he collapsed, convulsing violently on the ground—clearly on the verge of death.
Zhang Yi leaped into the air and delivered another devastating punch from above, completely crushing the man's skull.
"Roar!"
Zhang Yi raised his blood-soaked right fist, pounding his chest and bellowing triumphantly from the ring.
The match was over.
The speed was beyond everyone's expectations. When the Physical Fitness Index gap reached a certain point, combat experience became almost irrelevant—especially since Zhang Yi had plenty of it himself.
At their parting moment,
Chen Mang stood at the suite's entrance, checking his wristband balance. The 1 million credits from winning the Black Boxing match had successfully transferred.
His current balance now stood at—
1.5 million, exactly.
That was more than enough. He could buy 30 Map Chips—if the Mechanical Train Parts Store even had that many in stock. With this much money, he could splurge freely.
"Time to go."
Chen Mang grinned at the woman in the black dress, waving as he prepared to leave. But then he suddenly remembered something: "I only know your name is Qi—do you have a surname?"
The woman met his gaze, her expression complicated. "Wang Qi. Full name."
"Nice. Good name."
"Since we've had this fleeting connection, if other guests ever come to this city in the future, try to stay out of sight. Not just anyone with a Free Pass should get to have you."
A flash of anger crossed the woman's eyes as she enunciated each word: "I'm the owner of Sun City. Not everyone gets to see me. Ordinary people can't even access this floor!"
"And do you think that 'Free Pass' is easy to obtain? It's extremely rare!"
"What if someone extraordinary shows up?"
"I'll hide in my room."
"That's more like it."
Chen Mang turned and walked up to her, patting her head with a smile. "Once I take control of this city, you'll be the boss of all three entertainment districts. Behave, and we'll get along just fine."
"Ever been with someone before?"
"No." The woman glared at him, a mix of embarrassment and defiance. "I'm not even human—what, you expect me to have 'proof of virginity'?"
"Just asking casually. Later."
Without another word, Chen Mang waved and led Biao Zi and the others toward the elevator at the end of the corridor.
"Lord Mang, honestly? I'm starting to feel a tiny bit scared of elevators now."
"I'm not."
"Okay, Zhang Er, we get it—you're not scared. Can I be?"
Faint voices drifted from the depths of the hallway.
Wang Qi stood in place with a complicated expression, silent for a long while before finally walking to the floor-to-ceiling window. The man was leading his subordinates on motorcycles, riding grandly toward the end of the street. She was the only one in this city who possessed a Level 4 Smart Chip.
With cognitive abilities comparable to a human's.
And it was precisely this ability to think that made her begin to fear the slumber. Unlike others, who merely understood the concept of slumber but felt little fear toward it.
Once these people left.
All the city's light sources would be cut off, and everyone would enter the slumbering state once more, until one day in the future when they awakened again.
Perhaps.
This man truly could take control of this city.
For some reason, even though logic told her his words were utterly absurd, a voice in her mind insisted that this man really could do it—maybe it was the overly self-assured aura he carried.
"He should be back soon."
At the Zombie Basin, Lao Zhu stood outside the Train, muttering to himself as he glanced at his wristwatch. It had been nearly two days—previous Serendipity Maps had never taken this long. Could he have encountered some danger?
He was growing slightly anxious.
If anything happened to Lord Mang, it wouldn't just be a matter of being leaderless. If the Train Conductor died, this Train would immediately become ownerless—unable to be inherited—and they would all die here.
Without the Train's protection, survival in the Zombie Basin would be impossible.
These past two days had been uneventful.
No Trains had approached, nor had any particularly high-level monsters attacked. They had peacefully mined for two days, yet he couldn't shake a sense of unease. When Lord Mang was around, he hadn't felt this way, but now that he was gone, Lao Zhu felt like a headless fly.
"We're here."
Under the night-shrouded city, Chen Mang led Biao Zi and the others back to the Mechanical Train Parts Store at their spawn point. About a kilometer in the opposite direction down the street was the Flesh Train Parts Store.
"Time to spend."
Chen Mang swung off his motorcycle and strode into the store ahead, leaning on his cane.
The moment he stepped inside.
A girl holding a tablet at the entrance smiled warmly at them and spoke.
"Welcome to the Mechanical Train Parts Store. You may purchase any item here."
"You may browse freely on the first floor. The second floor is restricted to Train Conductors of Level 10 and above. Your current level does not meet the requirement, sir."
Biao Zi instinctively reached out and poked.
"Sir, interested? 50,000 points."
As expected, Biao Zi curled his lips. He felt like he already understood this city inside out—just like a local.
"..."
Chen Mang surveyed the hall. There was only one row of display cabinets, each with three tiers. On them were screens displaying information about the products, along with their prices and remaining stock.
-
「Zombie Siege」: Special Item, Map Chip, requires a Level 5 Combat Training Virtual Space for use. Price: 50,000 points. Stock: 1.
-
"Take it!"
Chen Mang tapped the screen lightly, and 50,000 points were immediately deducted from his wristwatch. The clerk beside him opened a cabinet below the counter, retrieving a chip and placing it on a tray.
Her face wore a professional smile.
"Anything else you need?"
"Do bulk purchases come with discounts?"
"Nope, all prices are fixed. No bargaining, no credit."
He didn't say anything more, just walked over to another screen nearby.
-
「Random White Grade Accessory Blueprint」: Price 15,000 points, stock 5.
-
Beep beep beep.
With five quick taps, he cleared out the entire premium stock. These were excellent items at a bargain price—buying five only cost 75,000 points. In Mundo's black market store, a single one of these would sell for 10 Inheritance Value points.
An absolute steal.
If only there were more in stock.
Chen Mang turned to the clerk with reluctant frustration, "Can't you restock items that have sold out?"
"Sorry about that."
"Once an item's stock hits zero, it really can't be purchased again."