Chapter 158: "Was that guy mocking me just now?"

"That's one way to put it."

The Train Conductor of the "Love Only One" Train tilted his head in confusion as he looked at Er Dan. "Weddings are always more lively with more people. How many chances do we even have to hold a wedding in this apocalypse? Can't we just give the Slaves a day off and let them come down to relax?"

"True."

The Train Conductor of the "Kill One in Ten Steps" Train nodded in agreement. "Er Dan, Slaves are people too. They might be under the protection of our Trains, but they've also dug up a lot of ore for us. It's good for them to relax together."

Shortly after.

As the thugs behind the two conductors returned to their respective Trains, the Slaves from both Trains were quickly herded down. Their eyes filled with a mix of fear and numbness as they jumped off the Train and gazed at the chaotic scene before them.

"..."

Er Dan remained expressionless and silent, not planning to explain anything. You'll understand once the wedding is over.

"Alright."

Chen Mang smiled and didn't press the issue further. Instead, he pointed to a table that had already been set up nearby. "The wedding won't start for a while. Shall we sit over there first?"

"Of course, the guest follows the host's lead."

Er Dan nodded seriously.

He then followed Chen Mang to the neatly arranged table, still unable to resist glancing around at the ongoing wedding preparations. This might very well be the first wedding held since the apocalypse began.

The atmosphere was quite nice.

"Just a small gift, nothing too fancy."

The Train Conductor of the "Love Only One" Train took out a green-grade Accessory Blueprint from his pocket and placed it on the table, pushing it over somewhat awkwardly. "Uh... brother, you must accept this. It's not for you, but for the child—uh, I mean, the newlyweds."

"And here's mine." The Train Conductor of the "Kill One in Ten Steps" Train hurriedly pulled out a small card and handed it over. "Just a little something."

"Huh?"

Er Dan looked at the two in confusion. What was going on? They hadn't mentioned anything about bringing gifts on the way here. When did they prepare these on their own? He had completely forgotten about it.

But it was too late to go back to the Train to fetch something now—that would be too embarrassing.

Gritting his teeth slightly, he took off the badge from his clothes and pushed it over. "This is my gift, a Special Item. You must accept it, brother. If you don't, then..."

"Lao Zhu."

Chen Mang waved his hand, signaling Lao Zhu to come over and take the items. Then he smiled at the group. "You've all gone to such lengths, making me, Chen Mang, feel a bit embarrassed."

"Here, have some nuts."

"Just some snacks, not worth much, but they taste pretty good."

On the table were some nuts, chilled beer, and cold dishes like marinated meats.

In the apocalypse, this was considered an extremely lavish and luxurious spread.

The marinated dishes were actually instant products that had been brought out from Yan Yao's rental apartment when she was rescued. The packaging contained pickled vegetables, vegetarian tripe, broccoli, chicken cartilage, duck intestines, and other marinated items. Once opened, they were drizzled with the accompanying chili oil and ready to eat.

It was simple and convenient.

Only the four Train Conductors were seated, while the trusted aides and thugs brought by the other two conductors stood in a corner, curiously observing the scene.

After all, this gathering was meant to be relaxed. In the apocalypse, such a relatively warm atmosphere was hard to come by, and everyone cherished it. No one wanted their subordinates standing behind them, as that would make them look too pretentious.

After a few rounds of drinks.

The group began to loosen up.

The Train Conductor of the "Love Only One" Train looked at Chen Mang with admiration and seriousness as he raised his glass. "Brother, before I met you, I never imagined that a Train Conductor of your caliber could be so approachable."

"This toast is for you."

"By the way, brother, there's something I wanted to ask. Has The Balance approached you?"

"..."

Chen Mang picked up a piece of edamame with his chopsticks and put it in his mouth, frowning slightly as a hint of displeasure flashed in his eyes. "Are you three here to recruit for The Balance?"

"Uh..."

Seeing the atmosphere turn awkward, Er Dan quickly intervened to explain. "Definitely not. The Balance approached me too, but I ignored them. They've also been approached by The Balance, but they're still undecided about whether to join. That's why they're asking you, brother, to see what you chose. They want to copy your answer."

"I see." Chen Mang shook his head. "I didn't join. The principles of The Balance are actually quite good. According to their chain, everyone can get what they need, and they can support weaker Trains, helping human civilization to carry on."

"But first, I don't want to be bound by anyone."

"Second, the resources they offer don't mean much to me and would just waste my time."

"Third, I don't like the person The Balance sent to negotiate with me."

"That's true." Er Dan nodded in agreement. "I've thought about it carefully. That chain would leave the top supporters in a constant state of loss, with no one able to give back to them. It just doesn't seem very realistic..."

The Train Conductors gathered together, chatting idly about their experiences along the way. They talked about the hardships they faced before becoming Train Conductors, the interesting encounters they had during their Fortuitous Encounters, and the tragic moments when the apocalypse first descended.

They talked about many things.

But not a single person asked, "Chen Mang, where did you get so many Murphy Stones?"

They knew very well what questions to ask and what not to ask.

When you reach their level, you understand that those are life-saving secrets, things you wouldn't even tell your wife. How could they possibly share them with the others?

Meanwhile, in the bustling wedding venue.

A few thugs from the "Love Only One" Train squatted in a corner, their expressions complex as they stared at the wedding scene.

"Isn't the difference a bit too big for two 6th-level Trains?"

One thug squatted on the ground, looking enviously at the two patrolling mechs in the distance. "Hey, why doesn't our Train have mechs yet? Can 6th-level Trains even build mechs?"

"I'm not sure." The thug next to him shook his head and whispered, "Probably requires a lot of resources. Look at the Doomsday Cannons—we only have five on our Train, but they have ten here. And the paint on their Doomsday Cannons looks much more robust. Their cannons are definitely higher level than ours."

"And those missiles, rocket launchers—it's terrifying."

"No wonder the Slaves on this Train are so happy. If I could stay on such a heavily armed Train during the apocalypse, I'd be happy too. Who wouldn't be happy if they could survive?"

Just then—

Biao Zi walked over with two of his team members, smiling as he handed out a few cigarettes before greeting them. "Have you eaten yet?"

"Uh..."

The thug who had been squatting on the ground quickly stood up, somewhat awkwardly replying, "We're just waiting for the meal to start..."

Although they were both thugs, and both from 6th-level Trains, for some reason, he felt inferior to the other side. When the gap in Train strength was too large, even people in the same position would feel a bit reserved.

"That's a nice knife."

Biao Zi looked at the dagger in the man's arms and chuckled. "Looks like it would work well for cutting meat or vegetables."

"Alright, I'm going to continue my patrol. If you need anything, just come find me. I'll do my best to help."

"..."

The man looked up at Biao Zi's retreating figure, then down at the dagger in his arms. After a while, he turned to his companion and muttered, "Was that guy mocking me just now?"

"Seems like it..."

Meanwhile, inside the Stellar Train's carriage.

In the classroom, a female teacher glanced at the clock on the wall before smiling at the group of children sitting in front of her. "That's all for today. Everyone, get ready to attend the wedding of Shan Mao Zi and Mei Jia."

"Today, we finished the story of how the Train Conductor successfully upgraded the Train to Level 2, ensuring everyone's safety."

"Tomorrow, we'll start the story of how the Train Conductor, with a Level 2 Train, instantly killed a Level 3 monster boss—the Man-Eating Spider!"

As soon as she finished speaking.

The classroom erupted in chatter.

A girl couldn't help but raise her hand and ask, "Teacher Qiu, didn't you say today that after the apocalypse, the world became strictly hierarchical, and Level 2 attacks can never break Level 3 defenses? How did the Train Conductor do it?"

"Well..."

The teacher on the podium paused for a moment before teasingly saying, "I'll tell you tomorrow!"

"Alright, alright, everyone, get ready. The children chosen to be flower girls, wait for me in the dormitory. I'll take you in later."

All the children, though still eager to know what happened next, obediently got up and left the classroom, heading to their dormitories to change into their new clothes for the wedding.

They were far from the mischievousness of normal children.

The children here.

Almost every one of them had witnessed the tragic deaths of their loved ones. Among all the ways to grow up, this was the most uncomfortable, but also the fastest.

"Teacher Qiu."

One child stayed behind, took a deep breath, and said with reddened eyes, "Didn't you say today that all of us would have three paths in the future—administrative, combat, and specialized?"

"Can I be in combat?"

"I want to kill more monsters to avenge my dad."

"It's too early to talk about that now." Teacher Qiu looked at the child, who was already as tall as her at just eleven or twelve years old. She gently patted his head and smiled. "You're still young. You need to graduate before you can move into the right position."

"And it's not just combatants who can kill monsters to avenge your Father."

"Everyone on the Train contributes. For example, the uncles who mine ore—every piece of ore they dig turns into bullets that are fired at monsters. That's also a form of revenge."

"But I haven't contributed anything to the Train yet. I feel a bit useless."

"..."

The woman was silent for a moment before softly saying, "Go to the wedding first. Spend time with them. The Train is training you now so that you can give back to the Train and the Train Conductor in the future. Right now, you don't have the ability to contribute to the Train Conductor. Study hard, and that's how you'll be able to give back."

"Go on."

The woman watched the boy's retreating figure before turning to tidy up the teaching materials on her desk—over seventy pages.

They had been handwritten and compiled by Train Conductor Zhu, detailing the crises the Train had faced since its inception and the choices Lord Mang had made in dire situations to bring the Train back from the brink.

The handwriting was neat.

She was directly connected to Train Conductor Zhu and enjoyed first-class resident treatment.

Before the apocalypse, she had a husband and her own child. But after the apocalypse, they were gone—both her husband and child had died. For a long time, she had been in a daze, unsure how she had even survived.

After a moment.

She shook her head, gathered the teaching materials in her arms, and headed to the dormitory. She lived in the girls' dormitory, and her treatment was much better than before.

As a soft love song began to play outside the Train.

All the Train Residents had gathered around the tables, sitting on the ground. The tables were filled with nuts, bread, cola, steamed buns, and a large plate of stir-fried vermicelli with minced meat.

The vermicelli was leftover from the last time they had stew, and the minced meat was scraped out from the buns' meat sauce, stir-fried with the vermicelli in a Big Pot, adding a touch of home-cooked flavor.

"Distinguished guests."

Lao Zhu, dressed in a white suit, looked unusually formal today. Holding a microphone, his voice echoed through the Train's External Loudspeaker as he stood on the stage and smiled at the crowd.

"Today marks a turning point in human civilization, one that will surely be recorded in history."

"This is not just a wedding."

"It is also the boundary between civilization and barbarism."

"Now, let us welcome the newlyweds!"

A wave of applause erupted like a tidal wave, and some bold Train Residents even began to cheer loudly.

At the foot of the stage, a red carpet stretched across the plain, lined with imitation flowers made from the Mechanical Heart. The iron flowers looked more layered, and around the stage stood four sturdy trusses.

The tops of the trusses were also covered with imitation flowers. These trusses were high frames brought back from the mechanical ruins of the "Ice and Snow World," reassembled here.

If this wedding had been held in peacetime, it would undoubtedly have been considered简陋. Even the host's speech was too brief and unprofessional. But against the backdrop of the apocalypse, this wedding was undoubtedly the highest规格.

The applause continued like a tidal wave.

Everyone's eyes were fixed on the end of the red carpet, where the Stellar Train's Carriage 11 stood.

Under Xiao Ai's control, the music grew louder.

Finally—

Mei Jia, dressed in a white wedding gown with a veil, her eyes slightly red, walked out of Carriage 11, arm in arm with Shan Mao Zi, who was wearing a suit. They stepped onto the red carpet and slowly made their way toward the stage under everyone's gaze.

Behind them.

Four children in formal attire quietly followed the bride, holding the train of her gown.

Further back.

Four flower girls carried baskets of flowers, constantly tossing them into the air.

"Wow!!"

The cheers from the Train Residents grew even louder.