The train compartment, inside car number 3.
Chen Mang carried the goblin to the side of the medical box since this goblin was quite seriously injured, making walking difficult for it.
The "Simple Medical Box" was a white attachment he crafted when the train was upgraded to Level 2, containing only basic items like bandages, anti-inflammatory spray, and stitching kits. Clearly, these things might not be very helpful for the goblin’s current injuries.
The goblin glanced at the crude medical tools inside the box and whispered, "These things are useless. I can be resurrected after I die. In fact, you could just kill me, and I would fully recover from these injuries upon resurrection."
"How long do you need to stay in that dark space after you die?"
"I don’t know, just for a while." The goblin shook its head.
"Will you return to the Tieling Wasteland again?"
"No, I should be randomly teleported to another area."
Chen Mang nodded, seemingly declining the goblin’s suggestion. He leaned on his cane, took out some bandages, and wrapped the goblin from head to toe like a mummy, then said, "I will give you a full treatment tonight. Can you call over your fellow goblins now?"
He temporarily bandaged it, as he didn’t have enough iron ore right now. Once the slaves had dug up enough minerals today, he would upgrade the "Simple Medical Box" to Level 10. The unlocked supermodel effects should help with treating external injuries.
The goblin answered briskly, then closed his eyes slowly. After a few moments, he opened them again: "Done. They are on their way here."
"That simple?" A trace of surprise flashed in Chen Mang’s eyes: "You goblins can communicate remotely via brainwaves?"
The goblin scratched his head, thinking for a moment before carefully phrasing his words: "I’m an Elite Monster among them. I can control and command them within this area, just like a Corpse King during the Corpse Tide. Only... I experienced some deviations, retaining the memories from before my death and keeping the wisdom of the great Goblin Race."
Chen Mang nodded, pointing to a few slices of bread on the "Moldy Bread Slice Production Line" beside him, saying softly, "There are a few slices of bread there. Eat whenever you get hungry."
The goblin had been aware of those delicious-smelling bread slices for a while, trying hard to avert his eyes. However, finally unable to resist, he stared fixedly at the bread slices with salivating mouth nearly drooling.
"Thank you, great human prophet, for your gift!"
"Biaozi, do you think... Master Mang won’t have a taste for this, right?"
Outside the Constant Star Train.
Old Pig looked inside the train with worry, as the slaves had already resumed carrying their pickaxes to the nearby mines after the battle ended. They were in charge of guarding the captured Level 2 goblin monsters.
"That can’t be, right?"
Biaozi, who had been studying the new "Cluster Thinking" tool, shuddered instantly at hearing this, a hint of confusion flashing in his eyes: "Given the current strength of the Constant Star Train, it’s not difficult to raid or buy a few pretty female slaves out on the wasteland, right?"
"Master Mang doesn’t need to have any thoughts about this goblin, let alone a male goblin."
Old Pig shook his head, his expression complex: "I was once a Deputy Train Captain. I’ve seen a lot of Train Captains, and in this oppressive Doomsday setting, where there’s extreme pessimism about the future, Train Captains often develop some extremely perverse hobbies after they assume the role."
"Such hobbies typically are the most effective means of relieving the psychological pressure building over the days."
"But haven’t you noticed, Master Mang seems to have almost no hobbies?"
"Having no hobbies means the psychological pressure doesn’t get released, and not releasing psychological pressure often results in blowing up into a more perverse psychological hobby."
Biaozi’s expression also grew serious instantly. After pondering for a long while, he tentatively said: "Does Master Mang’s liking for smoking count as a hobby?"
Old Pig turned to Biaozi with a blank expression: "You should know, the hobbies of other Train Captains are more perverse one than the other. I can’t even tell you; it’s just a shock to one’s values..."
"I once saw a Train Captain, the only person in my life I had a mind to kill."
"His hobby was a fondness for human pigs."
"Unfortunately, I didn’t have the capability at the time; otherwise, I would definitely have killed him."
"Pig Train Captain, are you so righteous?"
Old Pig remained silent for a long while, then shook his head without saying more. His mother had been reduced to a human pig after a car accident, and he couldn’t accept anyone having this fetish. It was an insult and a mockery to him.
Life and Doomsday had worn down too much in him.
This was his only bottom line.
But what left even himself despondent was that this only bottom line was almost thoroughly eroded by Doomsday. Otherwise, he might not have survived till now. Back then, he might have charged forward knowingly to die, yet he didn’t. Even he doubted his own limit.
Seeing Old Pig’s lack of interest in further conversation, Biaozi touched his nose and chose not to comment. He wanted to explain that Pig Train Captain might have misunderstood Train Captains. He too had been a Train Captain, and had no peculiar hobbies during his term.
He just conscientiously managed the train until its demise, beginning his journey of escape.
From beginning to end, there was never time or energy to deliberate on hobbies.
Staying alive was the biggest issue.
His hobby might just be staying alive, which he seemed to uphold quite well, judging by how he survived through many train wrecks.
Biaozi extracted a piece of bread from his back and quickly stuffed it into his mouth, secretly chewing as relish, hmm, the taste was indeed good.
This was slave food. The food for thugs was supposed to be better, like mantou.
Somehow, the bread slices Master Mang had were tastier than mantou, making him sneak some slices from time to time. Even when he was a Train Captain, he didn’t enjoy such privileges.
These days, following the right person makes life easier. Why slog away as a Train Captain otherwise?
Chen Mang emerged from the train leaning on his cane, and Old Pig and Biaozi straightened up immediately, faces serious as they chorused: "Master Mang."
Chen Mang stood there looking at both of them for a moment before softly speaking: "These goblins will be working with us in the future, responsible for mining. Simply bandage the injured goblins; they won’t resist."
"In your free time, research this ’Cluster Thinking’ function more. It has two modes: maintaining it long-term, equivalent to instant communication, or activating it briefly to control which information is transmitted. During battle breaks, there’s no need to keep ’Cluster Thinking’ always on."
"Joining Cluster Thinking for a long time will damage the brain. Exit promptly after a battle."