269: Chapter 269 One reaps what one sows!

Lin Xiao stood on the roof of Car 07, looking at the shimmering blue pool before him, momentarily at a loss for words.

Originally, he had only wanted a simple pool.

Just then, Captain Lu Gongda emerged from the Coconut Grove with his Engineering Team.

Quite a few of them were still clutching hoses, looking as if they had just finished filling the pool.

They were covered in Cultivation Soil and sawdust, sleeves rolled up to their elbows, with sweat stains dried by the night breeze on their faces.

"Train Conductor!"

Seeing Lin Xiao, Captain Lu Gongda quickly put down the wrench in his hand and hurried over to greet him.

"Big Brother Lu."

Lin Xiao paced along the edge of the pool, his boots clicking softly against the damp wooden planks.

His gaze swept over the beach chairs and sunshades, his voice tinged with undisguised surprise and admiration. "Is this what you call a 'simple pool'? This is far too luxurious!"

"Hehehe..." Captain Lu Gongda's face suddenly flushed red.

He rubbed his rough hands together, taking a while before he could speak clearly: "This... this isn't all my doing. We have a Designer in the team who used to work at the Provincial Design Institute; he came up with all the plans!"

As he spoke, Captain Lu Gongda stepped aside and pointed to the team members standing behind him. "Everyone discussed it for a long time, fearing the Train Conductor wouldn't be satisfied. We went back and forth on several versions of the blueprints before finally settling on this one!"

Lin Xiao looked earnestly at this dark-skinned man who spoke with a stutter.

He had exceeded the task assigned to him, and in the face of praise, he didn't immediately claim credit but instead deferred it to his teammates.

It seemed the biggest surprise tonight wasn't the pool.

"Not satisfied?" Lin Xiao withdrew his gaze and shook his head, a faint smile appearing on his lips. "You've given me a massive surprise!"

He turned around and looked at the vast rooftop area.

Previously, this had been just an empty open-air space.

Passengers would occasionally come up to catch a breeze, look at the scenery around the Astral Express, and relax their tense minds.

Now, with the pool and Coconut Grove intertwined, a literal oasis had been created atop the steel Astral Express.

In such a tense survival environment, this scenery was more soothing than any grand words.

While Lin Xiao was lost in thought, Captain Lu Gongda led him on a walk around the pool.

He introduced things as they walked:

"Look, Train Conductor, the four corners of the pool are equipped with Water Purification Devices sponsored by Boss Octopus. They can automatically circulate and filter, solving the problem of water pollution."

"Currently, one pool can accommodate over four hundred people. According to the plan, one will be built on the roofs of Cars 06, 07, and 08, which should barely cover all the passengers on the Astral Express."

He pointed toward the front of the Astral Express again: "The pool over on Car 06 is already built, but it's not full yet. The output from a few hoses is limited, so we'll need to wait a few hours."

"No need to wait. The water issue is actually quite simple."

As Lin Xiao's voice fell, poseidons trident was already in his hand.

The subtle resonance he had established with this legendary weapon went far beyond just killing enemies.

The hot air brushed against the halberd's body, drawing out a low hum, as if a sleeping deep sea was being awakened.

Soon, a large amount of water vapor condensed in the air, compressing into nearly transparent threads that began to converge at the tip of the trident.

Not only that, but in the public restrooms of Cars 6, 7, and 8, the faucets began to gush simultaneously.

The water did not fall to the floor but was pulled by some invisible force, turning into several transparent water dragons that wound their way through doors, corridors, and spiral staircases, flowing into the pool along with the transparent threads.

The water level, which had been far from full, actually began to rise slowly at a rate visible to the naked eye.

The Engineering Team members on the roof watched in a daze, but then they quickly felt relieved.

If it was Lin Xiao, then it was only normal.

The water swirled in the pool, and the surface soon leveled with the railings.

Lin Xiao withdrew the trident, and the last trace of blue light on the halberd receded like a tide.

He turned to Captain Lu Gongda, his tone returning to normal: "You've done a great job. When the passengers come up to the roof tomorrow, they'll discover this surprise."

"It was all the plan you set, Train Conductor; we just followed it step by step," Captain Lu Gongda said, waving his hands repeatedly.

Lin Xiao didn't say anything more and directly initiated a trade invitation.

In the bottom right corner of everyone's vision, the same number popped up simultaneously:

[stardust +50,000]

The rooftop fell silent, followed by bursts of suppressed gasps.

Everyone stared wide-eyed at the notification box, confirming they hadn't misread the decimal point.

One impatient young man even shouted out uncontrollably: "Ones, tens, hundreds, thousands, ten thousands... it's really fifty thousand stardust!"

Fifty thousand stardust.

To Lin Xiao, who possessed tens of millions in assets, it was practically nothing.

But for these ordinary passengers who weren't good at fighting and could only rely on their craftsmanship to make a living, it was a huge sum capable of changing their survival situation.

They could exchange it for a decent set of Level 3 equipment, a few life-saving skill books, or ensure they wouldn't have to worry about food for a long time to come.

"Train Conductor... this, this is too much. Did you accidentally add an extra zero?"

Captain Lu Gongda looked up at Lin Xiao, his expression full of shock and uncertainty.

"Is fifty thousand a lot? It's not a lot at all!"

Lin Xiao looked at the complex expressions of gratitude and disbelief on their faces and said solemnly.

This Engineering Team of about a dozen people had spent a day and a night completing the design and construction of the pool.

While others were braving the Rift Space and frantically farming equipment and supplies, they were on the roof tightening screws, connecting hoses, and laying floorboards.

The work they did was just as much a solid contribution.

Having members under his command who worked so hard, they deserved a reward worthy of their labor.

"I'll still have to trouble you with the rooftop pool for Car 08. Besides, shouldn't the wages for helping Xiao He build the Planting Grids yesterday be counted too?"

Lin Xiao chuckled, then changed the subject, "Furthermore, this is just a down payment. With this attempt, I plan to renovate the entire roof of the Astral Express into a multi-functional area. If you have any good ideas, feel free to private message me anytime!"

Captain Lu Gongda fell silent for a moment, then tightened his grip on the hammer in his hand.

"Understood." His voice was a bit deeper than usual, and his stutter was actually less noticeable. "Train... Train Conductor, don't worry!"

This form of address made Lin Xiao startle slightly, then he smiled.

"Everyone, go back and rest early. As for the unfinished pool, there's still time to finish it tomorrow!"

Having received the order, Captain Lu Gongda no longer demurred. He immediately led everyone to pack up their tools, bid farewell to each other, and return to their respective cars via the spiral staircase.

Lin Xiao stood by the pool, watching their figures disappear into the car door, the smile on his face slowly fading.

The broad leaves of the coconut trees swayed gently above his head, the shimmering light of the pool reflecting on his face, flickering between light and shadow.

After a moment, he turned and returned to his territory.