31: First space expansion

The last glimmer of light from the headlights swept across the snow before they went out. Chen Wang released the ignition button and opened the kindling system's main interface. The power module had been running stably for twenty-seven minutes, and the energy cycle curve remained firmly in the green safety zone. He gently swiped the screen, found the “Space Expansion” option, but a red prompt was stuck before the progress bar: [Requires B-grade or higher energy core drive, current conditions met].

"Ready," his voice was not loud, but it clearly cut through the lingering smell of coolant in the cabin.

Lin Wei was staring at the waveform graph on the recorder. Hearing this, she immediately closed the device and quickly plugged the data cable into the vehicle terminal. The screen flickered a few times, finally settling on a set of three-dimensional coordinates. "I used the initial frequency of the energy core to deduce the resonance threshold of the folding engine and simulated three rounds of diversion paths, controlling the error within 0.3%." She looked up at the driver's seat, a hint of anticipation in her eyes. "If we connect now, the success rate is at least 80%."

Su Ling had already disassembled the sniper rifle barrel and was carefully wiping each part. She didn't speak, just silently put the tools into the box under the seat, then turned off the interior lighting, radar, and temperature control—all non-essential systems were powered down to free up enough electricity for the expansion.

Chen Wang took a deep breath and pressed the confirmation button.

The prompt [Primary Space Expansion Protocol Activated] appeared on the screen. Immediately after, the rare energy core in the sealed cabin slowly rotated, and a faint blue light seeped through the isolation layer, flowing along the preset lines deep into the chassis.

Lin Wei's fingers flew across the keyboard, monitoring the energy flow in real-time. Suddenly, the energy shunt value on the left side surged, and an alarm sounded softly.

"Left anchor point overloaded!" She immediately switched to the backup channel, manually adjusting the output ratio. Chen Wang reacted in sync, slightly shifting the vehicle's center of gravity to rebalance the internal gravitational field. The gyroscope on the dashboard swayed, then slowly returned to stability.

A low hum came from the floor, and the right side wall of the cabin began to subtly twist, as if being gently pulled by an invisible hand, the metal surface rippling like water. Lin Wei stared intently at the data stream, realizing that the local gravity shift was caused by the folding engine starting up.

"Pause process." She decisively entered the command, and the system immediately froze the energy flow.

A few seconds of silence.

"Restart," Chen Wang said. "This time, I'll adjust the suspension counterweight in advance."

Lin Wei nodded, resetting the anchor point coordinates. Su Ling tightened her grip on her gun, her gaze fixed on the ceiling overhead—the previously flat lining was quietly undergoing subtle changes.

The second activation signal was sent, and the hum became deeper and steadier. The ripples on the wall gradually smoothed out, the floor began to extend outward, and two metal steps silently rose, leading to a newly appeared small compartment at the back. The ceiling also lifted upward by about eighty centimeters, and hidden light strips illuminated one by one, casting a soft and warm glow.

A 'click' came from the sidewall, and a folding bed popped out from the interlayer, automatically locking into reinforced brackets, transforming into a complete small bed, complete with seatbelts and an insulation layer. On the other side, storage compartments unfolded, forming a lockable equipment bay, just enough to neatly store Su Ling's sniper rifle components.

In the rear cabin area, a composite panel slid horizontally, revealing a mini-kitchen: an induction cooker, a water purifier and heater, and a vacuum food storage unit unfolded and locked in sequence. Lin Wei reached out and touched the stove surface, checking if the circuit was stable.

[Living Area Construction Complete, Comfort Rating: Primary Habitable. Survival Points +150]

The system prompt flashed by.

The three stood silently, no one speaking.

Su Ling walked to the new storage compartment, precisely placing each component of the sniper rifle into its corresponding slot, her movements as skilled as assembling precision instruments. Finally, she closed the compartment door and tightened the latch. "From now on, cleaning and maintenance won't require squatting in the wind and snow," she said, her tone calm, yet holding a rare hint of approval.

Lin Wei had already turned on the kitchen power and connected the water purifier. The water made a slight gurgling sound as it passed through the filter, and the heating indicator light came on. She took out two instant coffee packets, put them into cups, and after the water boiled, she brewed them. The first wisp of steam rose, filling the air with a long-lost aroma.

She handed one cup to Chen Wang: "Congratulations, what you're driving now isn't a car, it's a school district RV."

Chen Wang didn't smile or reply. He walked to the driver's seat, his left hand gently caressing the copper pocket watch; its case was cold. Then he bent down, opened the mechanical arm storage slot, and whispered, "You don't always have to be out in the open anymore." He pressed the retract button, and the engineering mechanical arm slowly retracted into the newly added repair cabin, the cabin door automatically closing.

Lin Wei stood by the kitchen, holding her cup, a smile unconsciously forming on her lips as she watched his back.

The three sat around the newly added small table. The tabletop was made of high-strength composite board, with an anti-slip design on the edges. The bottom of the cups made a crisp clinking sound as they touched the table, and the surface of the hot drinks trembled slightly. There were no alarms, no radar alerts, and no piercing buzz of black tide warnings.

This was their first time to peacefully enjoy a hot coffee in a completely quiet environment.

Lin Wei sipped her coffee, her eyes still on the system interface. She found that the actual energy consumption of the living area was 12% lower than estimated, indicating that the new structure's insulation effect was better than expected. She casually pulled up the energy distribution map, preparing to make a fine-tune.

Su Ling put down her empty cup and walked to the storage compartment. She pulled open a side drawer, checked the ammunition reserves, and then took out a set of spare cold-weather gear, folding it neatly before putting it in. Her movements were still swift, but the pace was noticeably slower, as if she was finally allowing herself to relax for a moment.

Chen Wang sat in his original position, his fingers lightly tapping the edge of the steering wheel. He surveyed the entire cabin—the driving area still maintained its combat readiness, but with an added foldable seat; the living area, though simple, already had the basic functions for long-term residency. The kindling system showed that the vehicle was operating normally, and the navigation had updated the surrounding map, marking an unexplored mall three kilometers away.

He raised his wrist and checked the time. Forty-one minutes had passed since the last rest period ended.

"This place... is livable now," Lin Wei suddenly said with a smile, her voice carrying the ease after fatigue. "Next, should we consider adding a shower? Or at least a sink?"

"Not enough materials," Chen Wang replied. "The kitchen's water supply won't last long with just the water purifier, and the aging of the seals will also accelerate."

"I know of an abandoned auto parts city nearby," Su Ling interjected. "Old Zhou mentioned there might still be stock in the underground warehouse."

Chen Wang nodded: "We'll leave tomorrow."

Just as Lin Wei was about to respond, she suddenly noticed an abnormal reading pop up on the terminal—the temperature in the rear right corner of the living area was 0.7 degrees Celsius higher than other areas. She quickly pulled up the thermal distribution map and found that the spot was precisely at the connection of the load-bearing beam in the newly added compartment.

"Something's not right." She got up and walked over, reaching out to touch the metal wall. The surface temperature was normal, but her palm could feel an extremely subtle vibration, like some low-frequency pulse quietly transmitting.

She immediately accessed the detection program. The screen refreshed three times, and a warning popped up: [Local structural stress exceeds standard, recommended to recalibrate space anchor points]

"Wait," she pressed the keyboard. "During the expansion just now, did we miss the third anchor point on the right side?"

Chen Wang immediately pulled up the folding log. The log showed that all anchor points were activated, but the feedback signal from the third point was delayed by 0.4 seconds.

"The delay was too short, the system judged it as normal fluctuation," he said. "But now it seems it might be a misalignment."

Lin Wei quickly input commands, attempting to restart the local folding protocol. But just as she pressed the confirmation button, a very faint 'click' came from the rear right wall, like a precursor to metal fatigue fracture.

The three stopped their movements simultaneously.

Su Ling's hand was already on the gun grip.

Lin Wei did not retreat; instead, she moved closer to the wall, pressing her ear against the metal surface.

A rhythmic vibration came from within, precisely spaced, with a stable frequency, unlike structural loosening, but rather... some kind of signal.