Vehicle Upgrade ②

"I'll say it again, Dr. Qiao."

Chen Yu looked up at her, "The women in my Vehicle must obey me unconditionally. Are you unclear about what 'unconditionally' means?"

Qiao Xi's lips trembled.

It was her first time encountering such a situation, being forced by a boy so much younger than herself... It wasn't that she hadn't thought such a situation might arise.

She just hadn't expected it to come so quickly, so swiftly.

She wasn't ready... She took a few deep breaths: "At least... at least turn off the light."

Her voice was so low it was almost inaudible.

Chen Yu didn't move.

"Just like this."

Three words shattered her extravagant hope.

Qiao Xi closed her eyes, then opened them again.

Then she squatted down.

That's right, not kneeling, but squatting.

This was her last shred of pride.

But this action was already humiliating enough.

Qiao Xi buried her face very low, her long hair sliding from her shoulders, covering most of her face.

Chen Yu looked down at her.

He said nothing.

He just raised his hand and gently stroked the top of her head.

Qiao Xi trembled violently.

Then, she finally gave up resisting, her shoulders slumped, and her whole body went limp.

Only suppressed breathing and the soft sound of continuous airflow from the heater vent remained in the compartment.

Outside the window, the wind and snow continued.

But Chen Yu's quality of life was not affected by the apocalypse in the slightest.

In fact, to a certain extent, with the apocalypse, he was even more content.

[Current Vehicle: Minivan (Small)]

[Available Materials: Wood x1610, Iron Block x810, Parts x1460, Fabric x365, Glass x10, Electronic Components x115, Low-grade Energy Core x86]

[Lacking: Filter Material, Graffiti Spray Paint, Special Chemical Materials, etc.]

[Vehicle Upgrade——]

[1. Space Expansion]

[2. Structural Reinforcement]

[3. Environmental Control]

[4. Energy Power]

[5. Special Facilities]

"What should I upgrade..."

Chen Yu lay by the bed, looking at the panel in the air, deep in thought.

Dr. Qiao held Chen Yu's leg, murmuring, "Mmm... what do you... mmm... want to upgrade? Mmm mmm..."

Chen Yu was silent for a moment: "I'm looking..."

For Dr. Qiao, she was once a car owner herself, so she naturally knew the car owner's authority.

But those endless upgrade options, seemingly wonderful... yet there were only a few that weren't grayed out.

So there was nothing to deliberate over at all.

If it lacked warmth, add heating facilities; if there was no space, increase storage space; if there was no power, add a little power.

This was everything a car owner was in her eyes.

But in Chen Yu's eyes at this moment, the dazzling array of upgrade options indeed required careful consideration.

"Upgrade the entire Vehicle?"

"No..."

"What if Lin Yue is teleported here all alone? That would be bad."

The first thing Chen Yu ruled out was a full Vehicle upgrade.

The second thing he ruled out was heating, etc., because the first stage of the living area had already appeared, and the second stage would be next on the road, so the disaster would likely change.

"Structural Reinforcement..."

"Also unnecessary."

"The current disaster doesn't involve monsters or anomalies attacking from the outside at all."

"If it really comes to that, it'll be enough to upgrade it temporarily."

"Hmm... mmm..."

Chen Yu rubbed his chin: "The villa mission dragged on for three days; other teams might not need to spend so much time on their missions. My Vehicle's location is already behind, after all, the first batch has already reached the living area..."

That's right, missions are random, and time is random.

If someone is unlucky and gets stuck on a mission for too long... even if they leave the mission,

And return to Road to Survival,

They might not survive.

Not everyone's Vehicle is in the double-digit positives.

This is the cruelest survival.

"Upgrade the power, and speed up a bit."

[High-Efficiency Power Core I]

Requirements: Low-grade Energy Core x30, Parts x400, Iron Block x150, Electronic Components x10

Effect: Replaces the original engine core module, increasing maximum horsepower and torque by approximately 40%; optimizes fuel efficiency, reducing energy consumption at the same speed by 15%; slightly increases top speed and acceleration response

Time Required: 200 seconds

Status: Materials Sufficient

[Transmission and Axle Comprehensive Reinforcement I]

Requirements: Parts x500, Iron Block x180, Low-grade Energy Core x18

Effect: Reinforces the driveshaft, differential, and axle structure; increases power transmission efficiency by approximately 25%; adds tire adhesion correction function; slightly improves high-speed cruising stability

Time Required: 180 seconds

Status: Materials Sufficient

...There are many options for power upgrades, but most only directly target horsepower.

They don't fit the functional needs of apocalypse survival.

Chen Yu flipped through for a long time and finally found an upgrade that perfectly suited the current situation:

[All-Terrain Adaptive Suspension System I]

Requirements: Iron Block x200, Parts x380, Low-grade Energy Core x20, Electronic Components x8

Effect: Upgrades all-wheel independent suspension, increases body posture adjustment capability; significantly enhances road grip and body stability; reduces bumps, improves ride comfort

Time Required: 220 seconds

Status: Materials Sufficient

Note: Moderate speed increase, but significantly enhances passability in complex road conditions

Yes, the road conditions for the next station are unknown.

Suspension is the most cost-effective investment.

After confirming this choice, Chen Yu waved his hand.

After the command was given... a metallic interlocking sound came from deep within the Vehicle body beneath him.

Before long,

Chen Yu glanced at the doorframe of his compartment; the creaking sound from the Vehicle's previous twisting had completely disappeared.

The entire small space was more stable, and even the water surface in the cup on the table vibrated less.

This feeling was like going from a green-skinned train to a high-speed rail... Of course, the current stability still couldn't compare to high-speed rail, but it was already very good.

"Mmm?"

Dr. Qiao not only helped with the treatment but also noticed the change.

But she couldn't pinpoint exactly what had changed.

"Strange..."

She murmured.

"Continue, Dr. Qiao,"

Chen Yu casually reminded her, while also feeling that the bed beneath him was a bit small, not convenient enough.

Actually, what he wanted more was a huge RV.

If there was such an option for a subsequent upgrade, he would definitely not hesitate.

"In the expansion options..."

Again, a dazzling array of expansions:

[Top-Mounted Expansion Compartment I (Vertical Utilization)]

Requirements: Wood x600, Iron Block x350, Parts x400, Electronic Components x25, Low-grade Energy Core x12

Effect: Installs a fixed expansion compartment approximately 1m high on the roof, accessible via an internal ladder, adding an upper independent space of about 4㎡ to the compartment, usable for storage or temporary rest.

Time Required: 300 seconds

Status: Materials Sufficient

"One meter high... what's that enough for..."

Chen Yu's mouth twitched. He was taller than that when standing up, it was like being in prison.

PASS!

[Rear Suspension Extension Compartment I (Basic Extension)]

PASS!

[Rear Modular Mount Base I]

PASS!

[Side Extension Cover I (Width Extension)]

PASS!

Until he saw an expensive one——

[Integral Rear Axle Extension Frame I]

Requirements: Wood x1000, Iron Block x500, Parts x600, Low-grade Energy Core x5

Effect: Reinforces and extends the rear structure of the Vehicle body, extending the entire rear compartment backward by 1.2m, directly expanding the compartment area to about 5.5㎡, and integrating reinforced structures.

Time Required: 360 seconds

Status: Materials Sufficient

Warning: Significant modification to the Vehicle body structure. After completion, the total length of the Vehicle will increase, and steering maneuverability will require re-adaptation.

As everyone knows, expensive things have only one drawback: they are expensive.

Remaining materials: [Wood x610, Iron Block x110, Parts x480, Fabric x365, Glass x10, Electronic Components x107, Low-grade Energy Core x61]

The materials in Chen Yu's backpack were, unusually, almost depleted.

Fortunately, Chen Yu was confident that a massive material explosion would occur in the living area.

"Mmm mmm mmm..."

Dr. Qiao's eyes suddenly widened, and her hand slipped, almost causing her to fall.

The floor... was stretching?

"Creak—hum!"

With the vibration, amidst a low rumble, the carriage seemed to be changing?

The bed board "clicked" as it extended and joined, and in just a few seconds, the narrow berth had transformed into a spacious double bed!

The vibration stopped... Dr. Qiao knelt in place, somewhat shocked: "The compartment... got bigger?"

"The compartment isn't important."

"More importantly, the bed got bigger."

Chen Yu shrugged, slowly got up, and walked towards her.

Dr. Qiao unconsciously shrank back, her spine pressing against the metal door.

She looked up at him, her throat tight.

At this moment, Chen Yu was nothing like a simple university student.

Instead, he resembled an evil supervillain, his oppressive aura enveloping her... "Dr. Qiao, simple treatment no longer works on me. Now, it must be deep treatment."