# Chapter 829: Train Manager
"Half of this responsibility belongs to both of us." Qi Xia spoke calmly. "I blame myself for trusting you too much, and I blame you for trusting me too much."
"Haha... you little brat." Earth Snake stood up while laughing, his expression extremely complicated. "Qi Xia, Qi Xia... if I'm not careful when talking with you, I always feel like every step I take is a trap you've carefully set."
"No, this time I'm being sincere." Qi Xia said. "Half of it is my responsibility, so I will save you."
"What you call 'saving me' is letting me, a battered 'Earth-level,' first rebel against 'Heavenly Snake' and then rebel against 'Heavenly Dragon,'" Earth Snake said. "But Qi Xia, do you know what my own desire is?"
"Tell me."
"It's to 'flee.'" Earth Snake said. "How are you going to convince someone like me here... to ultimately become your pawn?"
"I know you want to become a 'participant' again." Qi Xia nodded. "But that's unrealistic. Even if I became a 'participant' right now, I'd still be trying to 'flee.' How long will this go on? The upper echelon will always be the upper echelon, and the enslaved will always be the enslaved. How can we ever end all of this?"
"This..."
"We can run, but we can't keep running forever." Qi Xia said. "Let's find a way to leave here together. Only then can we be free forever."
"Do you really have confidence?" Earth Snake said. "I've already suffered too much. I'm holding onto my last shred of consciousness to stay awake... If I couldn't believe in my teacher... do you know what I would become...?"
Before Qi Xia could answer, he suddenly sensed an unusual aura emanating from Earth Snake.
A few seconds later, Chen Junnán's voice came from behind: "This young master is even more useless than before..."
Qi Xia slowly turned around and saw Chen Junnán with a face full of sorrow, looking like he was about to cry.
Then came Qiao Jiajin's voice: "I've truly failed Lord Guan..."
"You two..." Qin Dingdong started to comfort them, but suddenly her eyes reddened. Countless sad things surfaced in her mind like submarines suddenly rising from the depths, densely packed together.
And at that moment, Qi Xia also felt a sharp pain in his brain.
"Qi Xia... if my faith completely collapses... the situation won't be good..." Earth Snake said softly. "I can amplify the sadness in everyone's heart, and the sadness in everyone's heart here is already immense. Just a tiny push could send everyone into a state of collapse."
Upon hearing this, Qi Xia turned around and placed his hand on Earth Snake's shoulder, saying, "You know, the person you trust most has returned. Remember this state—there will be times when I need you."
Earth Snake was silent for a long time, then slowly withdrew his aura.
The three who had fallen into sadness also felt their moods lighten slightly at that moment.
"I am the eternal sorrowful one." Earth Snake said hoarsely. "I hope one day you can liberate me, you little brat. I'm on this pirate ship now."
"No, you've always been on the ship." Qi Xia said. "Are you ready for what we need to do?"
Earth Snake nodded after hearing this: "I've wanted to do this from the very beginning... As long as 'Azure Dragon' doesn't interfere, I will definitely kill 'Heavenly Snake' with my own hands."
"That's the spirit." Qi Xia chuckled lightly.
"I'll cut countless wounds on his body, stuff countless eyeballs inside, and then pierce them out one by one." Earth Snake laughed. "That would be satisfying enough... wouldn't it?"
"As long as you're happy." Qi Xia said.
"Since we've come this far, I need to tell you a fact." Earth Snake changed the subject. "You little brat, 'Heavenly Snake' is more important than you imagine."
"How so?"
"Those mindless 'Immortal Method users' under his command only listen to his orders, and they manage the entire train's operation." Earth Snake said. "Some can conjure food, some can cook, some can produce fruits and cakes, and some can even use belief to repair rooms and clean. As long as those most powerful 'Immortal Method users' are around, the train can keep running stably."
Hearing this, fragments of memories flashed through Qi Xia's mind: "Oh?"
"The teacher learned knowledge from who knows where, implanting thoughts into those mindless 'Immortal Method users,' forming an exceptionally stable assembly line. Every time the 'Zodiacs' go out to work during the day, these 'Immortal Method users' start their tasks. In just a few hours, they not only restore the entire train to its original state but also prepare a large amount of food for their return. Now the teacher is considering building a hot spring and entertainment room, but he's still missing a few key 'Immortal Methods.'"
"This is..." Several images flashed through Qi Xia's mind, as if he was gradually connecting the dots.
"The teacher calls it the 'Rayleigh Effect,'" Earth Snake said. "It's meant to attract and retain talent with an amiable cultural atmosphere. No matter what setbacks or hardships these 'Zodiacs' face outside, as long as they can return to the 'train,' the best service of the 'Land of the End' is always waiting for them. This service even transcends natural boundaries. Even if you destroy an entire room, it will be restored to its original state the next day, not to mention the non-repeating gourmet food offerings every day. Once word of this treatment spreads, many people will gladly become 'Zodiacs' and work for the upper echelon."
Qi Sha said nothing, frowning as he pondered something. The gourmet food Earth Snake mentioned gradually took concrete form in Qi Sha's mind.
Some of that so-called gourmet food tasted like chewing wax when eaten, mixed with the unique rotting smell of the "Land of the End."
Some tasted exceptionally delicious, but after swallowing, there was absolutely no feeling of fullness.
If he had to choose the best thing he'd ever eaten on the train... he might pick a bag of peanuts.
Earth Snake sighed and asked again, "You little brat, my teacher, the most important guide of my life, the old bastard I want to kill... isn't he good at management? He even knows obscure management knowledge."
"Unfortunately." Qi Sha snapped back to reality and said, "The 'Rayleigh Effect' isn't a management term—it's an economic term. So I believe this effect isn't meant to manage subordinates better, but to make subordinates work harder for you. In the end, it's just the leadership's self-indulgent self-gratification."
"Is that so...?" Earth Snake laughed bitterly.
"If you can't provide substantial rewards, blindly pursuing work atmosphere and culture is pointless." Qi Sha said. "Do they really think they're managing a company? Everyone here is a poor wretch who entered with murderous intent, trying to escape with their lives. They're not office workers clocking in and out at nine-to-five for a fixed salary."