"A level one treasure chest contains two train coins, level two has four, so a level three chest should have six, right?"
Compared to the level 2 chest, the rewards from level 1 were considerably meager, but medicine was precious enough in this world, not to mention there were also train coins.
"Hmm? What's this?"
Suddenly, a message caught Ye Qiyan's attention.
Li Xiaosheng: ["Anyone want metal? I have some available. Will trade for various resources, priority given to weapons."]
Prioritizing weapons over food indicated this person didn't lack survival capabilities. Compared to those who couldn't even fill their own stomachs yet, Ye Qiyan preferred dealing with this kind of person.
Having made up his mind, Ye Qiyan contacted Li Xiaosheng. Soon, a line of text appeared in the private chat.
Li Xiaosheng: "Hello, are you looking to trade for metal?"
"How much do you have?"
A very cautious person, but from this response, it was clear he had substantial amounts of metal.
"Can you produce 150 kilograms of metal?"
The chat room fell silent for a moment.
Li Xiaosheng rubbed his eyes, staring at the message in disbelief. 150 kilograms? That was enough for the train's first upgrade. Why would someone need so much? Had this person already gathered enough wood and mechanical parts? Moreover, what gave this Ye Qiyan the confidence to purchase such a large quantity at once?
After some hesitation, he replied:
"I can provide it, but what will you trade? If it's just the starter dagger, I can only exchange 10 kilograms."
"How about a rifle?"
The train system had a built-in photo function. Ye Qiyan took a picture of an average-quality low-grade rifle and sent it over.
"One gun with 20 bullets for your 150 kilograms of metal."
"A gun?! You actually have a gun?! I'm willing to trade, but isn't this price too steep? This is robbery! Even a gun isn't worth this much!"
Ye Qiyan played with a bullet, unsurprised by the reaction. But currently, he was the only one selling guns. He could set whatever price he wanted.
"Not expensive at all. You know exactly how valuable a gun is right now. Besides, who knows what dangers await at the next station? Wouldn't having a gun significantly improve your chances of survival?"
Li Xiaosheng knew Ye Qiyan was right. He'd obtained over 300 kilograms of metal and a treasure chest at the first stop, thinking himself the luckiest among everyone. But all that paled in comparison to the gun in Ye Qiyan's hands.
"Can you lower the price?"
"150 kilograms. Take it or I'll find someone else."
Ye Qiyan stroked his chin, eyes narrowing. This Li Xiaosheng clearly had substantial metal reserves and had completely revealed his desire for the gun. Under these circumstances, Ye Qiyan wouldn't budge on price.
Looking at the photo on his screen, Li Xiaosheng swallowed hard - he wanted it.
"Could we do 100 kilograms?"
Ye Qiyan twirled a bullet, lips curling upward.
"I think there are others who'd be more eager for a gun right now."
Li Xiaosheng gritted his teeth, hesitating for a long time before reluctantly replying:
"Let me think about it."
"Sure. How about ten seconds? I'm quite busy."
Li Xiaosheng wanted to ask what he could possibly be busy with. Everyone had left the first station, and in the train's confined space, all one could do was organize supplies or chat. He wouldn't know Ye Qiyan was still at the first station, nor could he guess that Ye Qiyan's goal wasn't upgrading the train, but constructing his first carriage.
Taking a deep breath, Li Xiaosheng's expression hardened with resolve.
"I've decided. I'll trade. But I want to know - why do you need so much metal? To upgrade your train? Or do you have blueprints to mass produce these guns?"
"Don't misunderstand - I'm not like those others in chat demanding your blueprints. I just mean if you want future trades, you can come to me. I'm confident I can upgrade my train to level 2 within three stops. Then I could promote your guns - people tend to listen to the strong."
Where did this confidence come from? Ye Qiyan suddenly considered a possibility - perhaps Li Xiaosheng, like himself, possessed some special talent. What exactly, Ye Qiyan couldn't know, nor did he need to ask.
Considering himself strong just for upgrading within three stops? Ye Qiyan silently noted his own train had reached level 2 before even entering the station. He didn't feel particularly strong. The best way to deal with such delusional confidence? Humor it.
"Let's trade."
This was Ye Qiyan's first transaction, and he was curious how it worked. Following instructions, he placed the low-grade rifle and 20 bullets on an empty spot. A virtual glow passed over them, and in an instant, they disappeared, replaced by neatly stacked metal ingots.
"Interesting. Quite convenient."
He wasn't worried about Li Xiaosheng cheating him - all trades were mediated by the train system's impartial arbitration.
Eyeing his new resources with excitement, Ye Qiyan placed the Basic Carriage Blueprint on the processing station. A translucent screen emerged from the blueprint:
[Basic Carriage] (Constructible)
Required Materials: 100kg wood, 150kg metal, 60 mechanical parts
[Construct? - Yes/No]
"Yes."
The moment he selected the option, all required materials vanished from the train. Then Ye Qiyan watched as the materials reassembled midair at the train's rear through some mysterious force, finally coalescing into the shape of a carriage.
The carriage descended smoothly onto the tracks, sliding forward until connecting with the locomotive.
[Construction complete.]
[Can be modified with glass and fiber.]
[Basic Carriage]
[Internal Facilities: None]
[Carriage Functions: None]
[Modified: No]
The carriage had no door - entry was only possible from the locomotive's rear. The interior was spacious, about ten meters long and one-and-a-half adult male heights tall - reasonably roomy and bright.
There were window frames but no glass panes like the locomotive had, presumably requiring modification with glass.
"Now I don't need to cram everything into the locomotive. And what kind of train has just an engine? This feels right."
Ye Qiyan nodded in satisfaction. After discreetly checking his remaining stamina and mental energy, he decided against using sublimation for now.
He moved all resources from the locomotive into the new carriage, then checked the departure countdown: forty minutes - plenty of time to gather more supplies.
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