Translator: AnubisTL
"Stellaris... that's a good name."
Inside the locomotive cabin, Chen Mang silently repeated the name to himself, his expression satisfied. Stellaris—it sounded grand, fitting for a train that might one day even fly beyond the cosmos. When that day came, Stellaris would reign supreme even in the vast expanse of space.
Truth be told, he had initially wanted to name it "Fuck Everything," but after some thought, he decided it was a bit too inappropriate.
Just then—
A knock sounded at the locomotive cabin door. Chen Mang casually pressed a button on the Control Console, and the door swiftly opened to reveal Old Pig.
"Brother Mang."
Old Pig approached cautiously, as if hesitant to speak. He began carefully, "I have some suggestions, but I'm not sure if I should say them."
"Speak."
Chen Mang leaned forward in his chair, his expression serious as he listened. After all, Old Pig had once been a deputy train conductor, and his suggestions were often valuable.
"It's like this." After receiving Chen Mang's permission, Old Pig carefully chose his words. "First, I must admit something: I've worked for many train conductors, but Brother Mang, you're the most magnanimous one I've ever met."
"I believe we can go far, perhaps even build an absolutely safe train in the apocalypse."
"For an organization to develop and thrive, its first necessity is cohesion. This isn't just about the Train Conductor and deputy train conductor, but all the passengers on the train. When everyone's heart and effort is aligned toward a single goal, the organization will move forward swiftly, like a well-hitched carriage."
"If Brother Mang were to shoulder all the effort alone, it would be exhausting."
"In the apocalypse..."
"Trust is a luxury. Many Train Conductors fear betrayal from their deputies, thugs, or even slave uprisings. They respond by imposing harsh rules, with violators executed on the spot—a regime maintained through iron-fisted control."
"But—"
"I've always believed this is unnecessary. Achieving unwavering loyalty, especially in the apocalypse, is incredibly difficult."
"Take you, Brother Mang. Could you ever trust me, or your thugs, completely?"
"It's nearly impossible."
"Your trust in them stems entirely from the fact that their weapons are crafted by the train itself, ensuring they can't harm you."
"This is something everyone knows," Old Pig said. "You don't care about the thugs' casualties. Knowing this, how can they ever give their all for the train? How can they dare to step forward in a hopeless battle? When everyone on the train is essentially fighting for their own survival, incidents like betrayal and mutiny are practically inevitable."
"I understand your point," Chen Mang said, his brow furrowing slightly. "Just tell me your proposal."
"Of course," Old Pig quickly added. As a competent subordinate, he knew better than to present problems without solutions. Leaders detested those who only pointed out issues; anyone could do that. What mattered was offering viable solutions.
"Making everyone loyal to Brother Mang is difficult to achieve and even harder to demonstrate."
"But making everyone loyal to the train is easy. If everyone feels like they're a part of the train, whether they're fighting or mining, they won't feel exploited. Instead, they'll feel like they're fighting for their own future."
"Greater sense of belonging, greater motivation."
"Step one: Eliminate the class divide."
"Many trains deliberately mix sand into the fresh water they give to slaves, creating a class divide and giving the thugs a sense of superiority. They also withhold food from the slaves when they're not mining, to reduce the likelihood of slave uprisings."
"I used to believe in this approach too, but now..."
"After being a slave myself for a time, I realized slaves aren't as scheming as people think. Most slave revolts occur because Train Conductors kill indiscriminately and refuse to feed them. We, however, provide them with pure water and ensure they have enough to eat every day."
"We need to differentiate ourselves from other trains."
"Let the slaves have the same rations as the thugs on other trains, and let the thugs have the same rations as the Train Conductors on other trains."
"This way, they'll feel superior to the slaves on other trains, fostering a sense of loyalty to our train."
"Step two: Change the terminology."
"The terms 'thug' and 'slave' are nearly universal across all trains."
"But these labels are inherently insulting and create a stark divide between the train and its slaves. We protect their safety and feed them daily—a kindness in the apocalypse. Why use such demeaning terms?"
"To put it more plainly, even during peacetime, jobs that provide food and lodging are hard to find."
"Especially in the apocalypse."
"We're clearly doing good deeds, so why should we bear the burden of infamy?"
"Let's change 'slaves' to 'passengers' and 'thugs' to 'protectors'."
"By altering these titles, they'll identify more closely with the train itself. If we also establish clear promotion pathways, both current and future 'passengers' will have a tangible goal to strive for."
"We should add another carriage to provide them with ample space. Constructing a standard cargo carriage requires only 100 units of iron ore."
"Third step: Value Recognition."
"Brother Mang, you may have noticed that after our recent victory, those ten thugs were actually quite excited. They already feel a sense of belonging to the train, though they barely show it. They know you don't care about them."
"But if you guide that sentiment, combined with my regular propaganda efforts..."
"Very soon, we can instill a strong sense of belonging to the train in everyone."
Old Pig spoke rapidly, his lips turning slightly pale from the effort, his entire body trembling with excitement as he gestured wildly. "Brother Mang, just imagine when everyone's hearts are united—"
"The slaves' mining efficiency would skyrocket."
"The thugs would fight even more fiercely in dangerous battles."
"And eventually, we wouldn't even need to capture slaves. Once our reputation spreads, survivors will flock to us by the droves."
"Of course..."
"All of this hinges on having sufficient food resources. In the apocalypse, food is still scarce, so these are just ideas for now. But if you think this is feasible, Brother Mang, we can take some initial steps."
"If every slave and thug develops a deep sense of belonging to the train, the chances of betrayal and uprisings will plummet."
Chen Mang narrowed his eyes, scrutinizing Old Pig. He had to admit, the balding man had more ideas than he looked. Though rough, this plan seemed feasible only for someone like him.
Old Pig was right on one point: why call them slaves? Were they not workers during peacetime?
Most importantly!
This plan would be difficult to implement on other trains. A crucial element was securing enough food, but here... that was the easiest part to achieve.
Moldy Bread Slice Production Line ]: White-Grade Accessory, requires 100 Moldy Bread Slices to craft.
At Tier 1, this accessory can only produce moldy bread slices.
But what if it were Tier 10?
Wouldn't it produce fragrant, stuffed bread? A survivor of the apocalypse eating this every day would hardly have any motivation to rebel or escape.
Food wouldn't be a problem for him. If that's the case... then this plan is completely feasible!
A moment later.
Chen Mang glanced at the ten thugs patrolling outside the train and chuckled softly. "Old Pig, I'm entrusting this matter to you. I think it's viable. Don't worry about the food issue; I'll handle that."
"But there's no need to rush. Full implementation will have to wait until we've developed further."
"By the way, the train has a name now."
"Stellaris."
Before that, he needed to use the Vehicle Blade blueprint first.
In the apocalypse, organizational cohesion could only be considered a side dish.
The main course was still the train's strength. A "train" without sufficient attack and defense capabilities, no matter how strong its cohesion, was utterly useless. He needed to first see what changes the Tier 3 Vehicle Blade brought.
(End of the Chapter)
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