15: woman

By the time the Xinhuo Train arrived at the Gaopo Canyon, it was already dark.

Lu Yang entered from the other side of the canyon and found the Amethyst’s explosion site still in its original state.

The Xinhuo Train had already constructed a new vehicle: the Train Magnet.

As Lu Yang approached, the Train Magnet on the Xinhuo Train automatically activated its passive effect.

Sure enough, it retrieved the ownerless purple blueprint from the Amethyst: the [Mutant Creature Research Lab].

[Mutant Creature Research Lab]

[Quality: Purple]

[Construction Cost: 1000 units of Level 1 Iron Mine, 1000 units of Level 1 copper.]

[Construction Effect: Can spend additional resources to produce Mutated Creature Enslavement Collars.]

— — — —

[Mutated Creature Enslavement Collar (Level 1)]

[Construction Cost: 100 units of Level 1 Iron Mine, 100 units of Level 1 copper, 10 units of Level 1 Mutated Creature Crystal Nucleus.]

[Usage Effect: When worn around the neck of a Level 1 mutated creature, there is a certain chance to enslave the mutated creature. The weaker the mutated creature and the stronger the enslaver’s spirit, the higher the success rate of enslavement.]

Besides this blueprint, the Train Magnet also retrieved a dark, rough, coal-like egg the size of a ball from the Amethyst.

Seeing this egg, Lu Yang finally understood why the Iron Centipede had relentlessly pursued the Amethyst.

[Iron Centipede Egg]

[Vitality: Normal]

[Hatching Status: About to hatch (Hatching Countdown: 23h45m49s).]

Damn it, you stole its egg.

And you even wanted to kill it to use as fodder for its enslaved offspring.

It’s no wonder the Iron Centipede chased you down to kill you!

But now, it all benefited Lu Yang.

After killing the Iron Centipede, Lu Yang had just obtained 1 unit of Level 2 Mutated Crystal Nucleus.

He could just barely construct an Enslavement Collar.

However, the cost of constructing the Mutant Creature Research Lab was not cheap.

Plus, the Iron Centipede Egg wouldn’t hatch until tomorrow.

After some research, Lu Yang carefully placed the Iron Centipede Egg in an iron insulated box.

Then, he controlled the Mechanical Heart, preparing to devour the Amethyst’s wreckage and recycle resources.

But he suddenly noticed several yellow light spots appearing on the enemy-seeking radar.

Their location was displayed around the wreckage of the Amethyst’s second carriage.

“Are there still survivors on the Amethyst? Are Train Captain Chen Feilong and his brother not dead yet?”

“If that’s truly the case, I’ll just have to reluctantly send them on their way.”

A cold glint flashed in Lu Yang’s eyes.

Not to mention his miserable life before he was enslaved and abandoned by Train Captain Chen Feilong.

Just his attempt to divert the Iron Centipede’s trouble towards him was enough for Lu Yang to not spare him.

If the Iron Centipede hadn’t been attracted by the Iron Centipede Egg,

with the Xinhuo Train’s strength as a Level 1 train at that time, being targeted by the Iron Centipede,

even if they could escape, they would still suffer heavy losses.

Therefore, Train Captain Chen Feilong must die!

“Yang Kui, the radar shows there are five survivors in the Amethyst’s carriage. Take the Train Police over to check.”

“If it’s the Train Captain Chen Feilong brothers and their thugs, kill them without mercy; there’s no need to bring them back.”

“If it’s anyone else, bring them back to the train first.”

“We’ll decide after questioning them!”

“Be careful!”

“Yes, Master Yang, I guarantee the mission will be completed.”

Yang Kui was a reliable person, and Lu Yang felt more at ease with him handling things.

Ten minutes later, looking at the five women standing before him, disheveled and trembling like quails,

Lu Yang couldn’t help but sigh inwardly.

These five women were truly lucky!

The Amethyst had been blown to smithereens by the steam power boiler, yet they were still alive and unharmed.

Unlike the Train Captain Chen Feilong and Chen Feihu brothers.

According to Yang Kui’s report from his recent investigation—

In the first carriage, the bodies of the Train Captain Chen Feilong and Chen Feihu brothers were twisted like pretzels.

Tsk tsk, they died a truly tragic death.

“Yang Kui, take them to the new fourth carriage I built and question them separately.”

For the separate questioning process, Lu Yang utilized the Train Intelligent Auxiliary AI.

He placed each of the five individuals in a small cubicle and, through the Train Intelligent Auxiliary AI, posed the same questions.

Based on each person’s answers, he determined whether they were lying to each other.

Half an hour later, Lu Yang had a basic understanding of the five women’s situations.

They were all mistresses of the Train Captain Chen Feilong and Chen Feihu brothers, none over 30 years old, and all possessed excellent looks and figures.

Zhang Hong, Liu Fei, and Chen Yuanyuan from cubicles 1, 2, and 3 had been with the Train Captain Chen Feilong brothers for a longer time.

The twin sisters, Yun Chuchu and Yun Qiqi, from cubicles 4 and 5, had just been bought this morning.

According to Zhang Hong’s description, the Train Captain Chen Feilong and Chen Feihu brothers valued these twin sisters highly.

It was said that they were once daughters of a wealthy family and were still virgins.

Lu Yang was noncommittal about this.

He remembered that before he transmigrated, some indescribable small advertisements often highlighted terms like “mature woman,” “older sister,” or “married woman.”

But once someone called to request service,

the person who arrived might be older than his mother.

Most people might accept the service with tears in their eyes.

A few strong-willed ones would curse the other party for false advertising.

Some even went as far as reporting it to the authorities.

Although Lu Yang was interested in women, he had endured so many years before transmigrating that he naturally wasn’t in a hurry now.

Even if he wanted to satisfy his physiological needs, he had to ensure safety first.

Otherwise, if he contracted some dirty illness, in the post-apocalyptic environment, there would be nowhere to treat it.

After determining that the women posed no significant threat through the Train Intelligent Auxiliary AI, Lu Yang summoned them back to the Train Captain’s carriage.

“In the apocalypse, women are also a precious resource. Now, I’m giving you two choices.”

“One: Become ordinary passengers on the Xinhuo Train, and labor daily by mining like other passengers.”

“Two: Become crew members on the Xinhuo Train, providing services to other passengers.”

“Of course, you can also choose neither.”

“In that case, I can throw you off the train without a ripple in my heart.”

“The Xinhuo Train doesn’t keep useless people!”

Zhang Hong was the oldest among them and probably the most assertive.

She brushed a strand of hair behind her ear, subtly straightened her posture, revealing a large expanse of fair skin.

Then, she asked coyly, “Respected Train Captain, what kind of services do the crew members provide~”

“Is it provided to everyone, or exclusively to you, the honorable Train Captain?”

She deliberately elongated the end of her words, emphasizing “you, the honorable Train Captain,” with clear suggestive meaning.

However, Lu Yang merely gave her a poker-faced glance.

“You will serve others the same way you served Train Captain Chen Feilong before.”

“Any other person could be your service target, but that does not include me.”

Upon hearing this, Zhang Hong was somewhat alright, but Liu Fei and Chen Yuanyuan’s pretty faces turned pale.

Who knew how many people were on this Xinhuo Train?

If everyone… could they even survive until tomorrow?

Fortunately, Lu Yang quickly changed the subject: “Of course, don’t worry, for now, I only intend to treat you as special rewards.”

“Only the person who mines the most each day will have the right to choose one of you crew members for exclusive service.”

“At other times, you will be like the train attendants before the disaster: every so often, you will make a round through the passenger carriages, collect trash, and remind everyone to maintain personal hygiene. If anyone causes trouble, the Train Police will handle it.”

“Oh, I see…” Zhang Hong began to seriously consider.

If it was only serving one person a day, it wasn’t unacceptable.

Previously, on the Amethyst, in order to win over the thugs’ loyalty,

the Train Captain Chen Feilong brothers had often rewarded them with the women.

Sometimes, they even had to accompany several people in one night.

They had a rather high level of acceptance for such things.

Those who couldn’t accept it generally didn’t survive.

So, very quickly, the three of them chose option two.

After Zhang Hong, Liu Fei, and Chen Yuanyuan gave their answers,

Lu Yang turned his gaze to the twin sisters, Yun Chuchu and Yun Qiqi.

“What about you two? One or two?”

“My patience is very limited; I don’t have much time to waste with you.”

Under Lu Yang’s icy gaze, Yun Chuchu’s usually cool and pretty face flushed instantly.

She stammered timidly, “I… Qiqi and I choose one.”

Lu Yang looked at Yun Qiqi.

Seeing her nod.

“Good, then it’s decided.”

“Yang Kui, take those three to the newly built crew members’ carriage. These two will go to the passenger carriage.”

“Treat them all equally.”

“Their wristbands and clothes have already been placed in their individual seats.”

“Now, it’s time to get to work.”