"Also...
Er Dan nodded thoughtfully, even though he didnât quite understand why Chen Mang was willing to spend so many Murphy Stones on a refrigerator. Upgrading a refrigerator to Level 10 indeed requires 8 Murphy Stones, but how would you sell that...
Itâs equivalent to sticking a four-sight Titan on an underground water tec-9.
The price is certainly high.
But itâs definitely not as high as selling the Murphy Stones individually; selling in the green zone isnât cost-effective, as they canât afford a high price.
As for trading it for two boxes of cigarettes, that purely relied on his friendship with Chen Mang.
To be honest, he sometimes admired himself for it.
Initially, he had some disagreements with Chen Mang; that maze tormented him for a full half an hour. In such situations, most people would seek revenge. However, he maintained a decent relationship with Chen Mang.
This ability isnât something everyone has.
Having multiple enemies like Chen Mang would make sleeping at night uneasy.
But having multiple friends like Chen Mang makes sleeping more peaceful.
Itâs always better to have more friends than enemies.
...
"Alright."
Chen Mang skipped over the topic: "Letâs not talk about that. Tell me, how did you come up with this idea?"
"Itâs a long story."
Er Dan breathed in deeply, looked around, and said helplessly, "Can we talk in your car? Itâs awfully cold out here."
"Youâre not cold."
"But I really am. Look, my clear snot is dripping; if I catch a cold, itâll be a waste of resources."
He certainly wouldnât invite Chen Mang to his train. It would be too offensive; in this Doomsday environment, inviting another Train Captain to your train is as rude as sleeping with their spouse in front of them. Without some casualties, youâd feel bad.
But visiting Chen Mangâs train isnât a problem.
He wasnât scared.
Not far away, a group of people was busy dismantling that zombie in the snow.
...
In the male senior talent carriage No. 6.
"Phew..."
Sitting in the seat, Er Dan took a cup of hot water that Fang handed over, glanced up at the ten heavy machine guns pointing inward from the ceiling of the compartment, and twitched his mouth slightly, taking a deep breath.
Just like when he was in the maze.
The carriage with the maze at that time also had ten heavy machine guns pointed inward.
It was that kind of feeling.
Er Dan sipped the hot water, organized his thoughts, and continued: "Initially, I got the information that in the âIce and Snow Worldâ green zone, there was a mountain that collapsed a bit because of a blizzard or avalanche or something."
"A huge arm was exposed."
"The mountain is several thousand meters high, and no train in this area can reach it. Since my train can fly, I thought about checking it out. There might be an Adventure Map or something else."
"When I arrived and saw that enormous arm, I was truly stunned."
"The most important thing isâ"
"The Target Detection Radar told me that this zombie was actually alive!"
"Now, think about it, such a big boss still sealed here, still alive and non-resistant; killing this boss at this point would be a huge profit, right?"
"But an arm isnât a fatal spot, so I used a drill to tunnel through the mountain, aiming to find the zombieâs head."
"Not sure if it was my doing that caused the zombie to suddenly break free, and then..."
"It ended up like this."
Er Dan let out a long sigh and said helplessly, "I almost died in this area, but you canât say I gained nothing. I saved over 300 people, including dozens of children, increasing more than thirty Heritage Value points and gaining over 200 slaves, which is quite something."
"Children?"
Chen Mangâs eyebrows furrowed slightly.
"Yeah."
Er Dan nodded: "All around ten years old. This is the first time Iâve seen children in the Doomsday; they are very mature, not a hint of the usual childish mischief. This environment forces people to grow up fast; they all seem quite precocious."
"They were on a train that got destroyed."
"These kids were likely brought out of a school by that Train Captain; they seem to know each other."
"What do you plan to do with these children?"
"..."
Er Dan suddenly fell silent. After a long pause, he replied with a complex expression: "When they joined the train, my Heritage Value was already credited. Iâm planning to let them try mining; even if they mine slowly, Iâll take care of them."
"Many trains sell or abandon the children the moment they receive Heritage Value."
"The Heritage Value can only increase once."
"These children have already increased my Heritage Value, and going to other trains wonât increase it further. Those who buy them are usually..."
"After Doomsday came."
"Under immense mental pressure, many people do things they wouldnât have done in peacetime, to release their psychological stress. I understand this, especially since Train Captains are under even more pressure."
"I also indulge with women, with several of them."
"But still, I think some heinous acts cannot be excused by Doomsday."
"People should retain some humanity, even if itâs just a sliver, but they should have it."
"They wouldnât have a good end if they were sold."
...
"..."
Chen Mang furrowed his brows in thought for a moment, then said, "Let me take the children. Iâll care for them. Itâs too much of a burden for you to suddenly have so many extra mouths to feed."
"You... youâll take them?"
Er Dan was slightly stunned: "They have almost no labor value. Theyâre a hot potato!"