Chen Mang glanced at the Iron Ore units on the Train Panel. There were still 61,000 units left.
These 110,000 units of Iron Ore were quite durable.
Without much hesitation, he immediately spent 4,400 units of Iron Ore to upgrade the "Car Audio" component to level 10, gaining two corresponding Supermodel Effects.
This was a white-tier component, so upgrading it didn't consume too many resources.
Car Audio Level 5 Supermodel Effect: If the Train is equipped with the 'Headlights' and 'Train Auxiliary AI' components, the headlights will automatically change their light and color while playing music, creating a stage light show that syncs with the rhythm of the song through visual effects.
Car Audio Level 10 Supermodel Effect: Can emit ultrasonic noise above 20,000 Hz. If the Energy Stone consumed is of a high enough level, it can produce ultrasonic noise of an even higher frequency.
The first Supermodel Effect is self-explanatory.
Normal humans can hear sound frequencies ranging from about 20 Hz to 20,000 Hz, a natural evolutionary trait. If one could hear sounds at lower frequencies, they might even hear the movement of their internal organs, leading to a life filled with constant noise.
Sounds above 20,000 Hz are already beyond human hearing.
"Hmm."
After pondering for a while, Chen Mang couldn't think of any practical application for this Supermodel Effect, unless there were monsters that could hear extremely high-frequency sounds, and this sound system could be used to attack them with noise.
Well, whatever.
Having it is better than not having it.
Next, he turned his attention to the "Internal Fire Control System" component. This was currently the only component on the Stellar Train with its gun barrels pointed inward. Its production cost was steep, requiring a full 1,000 units of Iron Ore. Among green-tier Vehicle Components, it was already considered expensive.
The upgrade cost was also quite high.
He hadn't been willing to upgrade it before, but now that he had more Iron Ore, he naturally decided to upgrade everything he had previously hesitated on.
To be honest, upgrading this component was somewhat unnecessary.
After all, this component was designed with its gun barrels pointed inward. Humans aren't monsters; whether a Heavy Machine Gun is equipped with Level 1 or Level 10 Heavy Machine Gun Bullets, a single shot would still be fatal.
This component was essentially a combination of several miniature Heavy Machine Guns, with one embedded in the ceiling at the end of each carriage.
Just like the Heavy Machine Gun, upgrading this component didn't increase its power.
It only improved attributes like firing rate and range. The actual lethality of the bullets fired depended on the level of the bullets loaded.
A low-level Heavy Machine Gun couldn't use high-level bullets. To use Level 3 bullets, the Heavy Machine Gun had to be upgraded to Level 3.
So, theoretically, this component was perfectly functional at Level 1.
The reason he upgraded it to Level 10 was purely to see the Supermodel Effects, just in case he missed out on some overpowered ones.
After spending 45,000 units of Iron Ore.
The "Internal Fire Control System," a green-tier component, was upgraded to Level 10, and two brand-new Supermodel Effects emerged.
Internal Fire Control System Level 5 Supermodel Effect: Can fire Blank Cartridges, consuming 1 unit of Iron Ore per 10 Blank Cartridges.
Internal Fire Control System Level 10 Supermodel Effect: Can fire Nerve Bullets, which are non-lethal but cause excruciating pain.
"Eh?"
A trace of confusion flashed in Chen Mang's eyes. It wasn't that these two Supermodel Effects were too strong, but rather...
He had originally thought that the "Internal Fire Control System" was like the "Makeshift Heavy Machine Gun," where upgrades only increased attributes like firing rate and range. He hadn't expected that upgrading the "Internal Fire Control System" would also increase the number of Heavy Machine Guns mounted on the ceiling of each carriage.
Originally, the Stellar Train had 10 carriages and 1 locomotive.
Each carriage and the locomotive had one Heavy Machine Gun mounted on the ceiling. Now, each carriage had 10 Heavy Machine Guns on its ceiling.
"..."
Inside the train, sitting at the control panel, Chen Mang looked up at the 10 Heavy Machine Guns embedded in the ceiling of the locomotive, their dark muzzles directly aimed at the door of the control room. The intimidation factor was off the charts.
A riot?
Now there was no need to worry about riots anymore.
What a joke.
The Stellar Train currently had only 4 externally-facing "Makeshift Heavy Machine Guns" mounted on the carriages, but there were a whopping 110 internally-facing miniature Heavy Machine Guns mounted on the ceilings.
With these 110 Heavy Machine Guns in place, even if 1,000 Slaves rioted, or even double that number, they could be wiped out effortlessly.
Efficiency at its finest.
What a lunatic!!!
Outside the train.
"Uncle Li, any leads?"
A young man sneakily approached Uncle Li and whispered.
"Yes."
Uncle Li squinted slightly as he looked at a middle-aged man in the distance. He had found a suitable target. During his observation today, he noticed that although this man appeared to be working hard while mining, he was also constantly eyeing the train's external components.
He wasn't sure what the man was scheming.
But this man was clearly a dangerous individual, with some hidden agenda.
Just then—
The middle-aged man suddenly broke away from the group, quickly finished the bread in his hand, and stealthily headed toward the No. 10 Goblin Car, clearly planning to do something shady.
"The opportunity has come!"
Uncle Li's eyes lit up, and he immediately stood up and followed, also heading toward the No. 10 Goblin Car. Finally, he had a chance to make a name for himself!
As long as he could apprehend this middle-aged man the moment he tried to pull something, he would earn Lord Mang's favor, and from then on, promotions, wealth, and glory would be within reach!
"Quick, follow!"
"Got it."
The young man didn't hesitate either, immediately picking up a rock from the ground, stuffing it into his pocket, and striding after Uncle Li.
After a day of mining, the pickaxes had to be handed in and redistributed the next day.
Just a dozen or so seconds after the middle-aged man sneakily entered the No. 10 Goblin Car alone, Uncle Li arrived with his trusted subordinate. Uncle Li excitedly scanned the interior of the carriage, ready to find the middle-aged man who was presumably up to no good.
But after looking around, he didn't see anyone in the carriage.
Upon closer inspection, he found that the middle-aged man had already climbed into his Refrigerator, found a spot near the door, and lay down on the ground, preparing to sleep.
"Eh?"
Uncle Li was momentarily stunned by this scene. What was going on? With that sneaky demeanor, it was obvious he was planning something, but now he was just here to sleep?
In his daze, it felt like his dream of wealth and glory had shattered. He even muttered unconsciously, "Aren't you here to cause trouble?"
"Cause trouble?"
The middle-aged man, lying at the entrance of the Refrigerator, turned his head to look at Uncle Li and the young man, then found a more comfortable position and lay back down, his voice filled with exhaustion.
"If you're planning something, don't drag me into it."
"From the moment I first laid eyes on Lord Mang, the word 'loyalty' has been etched in my mind."
"I would never do anything to harm Lord Mang or the Stellar Train in this lifetime. In life, I belong to Lord Mang; in death, I am his ghost. If you're plotting something, stay away from me. I won't get involved. I just want to mine."
"Huh?"
Uncle Li furrowed his brows. Was this guy talking nonsense? With that sneaky, suspicious demeanor, he was now spouting words of loyalty?
Just then—
"Uh... Uncle Li," the young man standing beside him cautiously poked Uncle Li and weakly pointed to the ceiling of the No. 10 Goblin Slave Car, "Maybe you should look up."
Uncle Li, not knowing what was happening, instinctively looked up and immediately fell into a silent, expressionless stare.
After a long while.
He went to check Carriages 7, 8, and 9, then said nothing and simply jumped off the carriage, walked to the underground river, and gazed at the rushing water with despair in his eyes.
10...
10 of them...
A damn 10 Heavy Machine Guns, mounted upside down on the ceiling of each Slave carriage, covering every corner without any blind spots. In just ten seconds, they could completely clear out a carriage full of Slaves.
Easier than slaughtering chickens.
He clearly remembered that this morning, before the mining started, there was only one Heavy Machine Gun on the ceiling of each carriage. How had it turned into 10 by the time they returned?
Yes.
He understood. With the increase in Slaves, it was necessary to add some internal deterrents to ensure Lord Mang's authority. If it were him, he would have done the same. But Lord Mang, aren't you being a bit too cautious?
Were these 10 internally-facing Heavy Machine Guns per carriage really just for deterrence?
Or were they there so that if you were in a bad mood one day, you could just wipe everyone out in ten seconds and get a new batch of Slaves?
"Uh... Uncle Li," the young man cautiously approached and awkwardly whispered, "So, are we still going ahead with the plan?"
"..."
This time, Uncle Li was silent for even longer. Finally, he couldn't help but curse, "Plan my ass!"
"With this setup, who would dare to cause trouble?!"
"Even the most reckless troublemaker would tremble at the sight of those 10 Heavy Machine Guns. There are only 4 Heavy Machine Guns facing outward on the train, but inside, there's a damn hundred-plus. Who would dare to riot?!"
"Yeah..." The young man nodded in agreement, "I think so too. So, do you have another plan, Uncle Li?"
"Another plan? There's no plan!"
Uncle Li, feeling embarrassed and angry, turned to the young man, "Why do you keep asking me for plans? What do you take me for?"
"An external brain."
"You—"
Uncle Li took a deep breath, then turned back to look at the river water crashing against the rocks. After calming himself, he spoke word by word.
"Don't rush me. Give me some time, and I'll definitely come up with a new plan."
"The plan of making a name for ourselves by dealing with troublemakers is no longer viable. Let me think of something else."
"Uh... Uncle Li, actually, I have an idea."
"Go on."
"I think the Stellar Train is short on management personnel now, especially with so many Slaves. Why don't you just go to Lord Mang and tell him you're talented and have management experience?"
"..."
Uncle Li turned his head expressionlessly to stare at the young man, "What do you think?"
"If the world were that simple, everyone would succeed."
"Wait for my new plan."
Inside Carriage No. 5, the Thug Car.
While eating dinner, Biao Zi chatted with Lao Zhu and casually observed the Slaves outside. But then, he seemed to notice something out of the corner of his eye and froze.
Seeing Biao Zi's reaction, Lao Zhu also followed his gaze. Upon spotting the 9 additional Heavy Machine Guns mounted on the ceiling of the Thug Car, his mouth twitched slightly before he lowered his head to continue chewing on his steamed bun.
Delicious.
I love it.
I hope I can still eat it tomorrow.
"Thank goodness..."
Biao Zi suddenly let out a sigh of relief and whispered to Lao Zhu, glancing at Ji Chuchu, who was eating at the end of the Thug Car, "Lord Mang touched her last time, so it shouldn't be a big deal."
"True."
Lao Zhu nodded in agreement. At least this indicated that Lord Mang had a normal sexual orientation, even if he was a bit picky.
Otherwise, if Lord Mang didn't engage with women or have any particular preferences, it would be easy to worry that he might have some psychological issues.
And for someone with psychological issues...
It wouldn't be surprising if, one day, he decided to just slaughter everyone on the train in a bad mood.
Time to sleep.
Inside the Stellar Train, Chen Mang looked at the remaining 12,000 units of Iron Ore on the Train Panel. This amount wasn't quite enough, so he decided to sleep first and upgrade the remaining components tomorrow after the mining was done.
Then, he could probably upgrade the Train to Level 3.
That night.
He slept soundly and had many dreams.
However...
The thugs and Slaves on the Stellar Train slept somewhat restlessly that night, partly because of the additional 9 Heavy Machine Guns above their heads, and partly because they couldn't quite figure out what Lord Mang was thinking.
It was a bit unnerving.
Especially for Lao Zhu and Biao Zi, who barely slept at all.
Soon—
The next evening arrived.
"Huh?"
Chen Mang looked at the 134,000 units of Iron Ore on the Train Panel, a hint of surprise in his eyes. Today, the Slaves had mined a whopping 120,000 units of Iron Ore, 10,000 units more than yesterday.
It had only been a day.
Had the new Slaves' mining efficiency increased so much?
No way...
He looked strangely at the 3D diagram of the train on the control panel screen, with its hundred-plus internally-facing Heavy Machine Guns. Could it be the influence of these things?
Seems like the Iron Ore spent upgrading the "Internal Fire Control System" wasn't wasted.
Could this be considered a hidden Supermodel Effect?
Then he turned his attention to the remaining components, such as the "Fabrication Table."
The "Fabrication Table" had been upgraded to Level 2 last time, allowing him to produce Level 2 Energy Stones, with each one costing 5,000 units of Iron Ore.
He hadn't continued upgrading it then.
After all, Level 2 Energy Stones were more than enough for his current needs. Higher-level Energy Stones weren't necessary.
But he could upgrade it to Level 10 to see the Supermodel Effects. He had enough Iron Ore now.
After spending 6,000 units of Iron Ore.
The "Fabrication Table" component was also upgraded to Level 5.
Fabrication Table Level 5 Supermodel Effect: None.
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