178: Chapter 178 Shelter

Su Yuran's voice came from behind him.

Qin Lin turned around and saw her standing at the doorway.

“Mm.” He nodded.

“The System said that the safe areas are the interiors of the buildings, not the entire region.”

Su Yuran walked to the window and looked outside.

“Are there... people in those houses?”

Qin Lin pulled up the System interface and enlarged the map showing the marked safe buildings for her to see.

“All these green ones are safe buildings, and there are people inside all of them.”

Su Yuran looked at the dense cluster of green dots on the screen and fell silent for a few seconds.

“So many people... are they all hiding inside?”

“Yeah, they can't come out, and they don't dare to. At these temperatures outside, being exposed for just a few minutes could lead to death from dehydration.”

Su Yuran sighed.

“They've just been... hiding inside this whole time?”

Qin Lin nodded.

“Presumably, unless they have special protective gear.”

He thought of the protective suits available for exchange in the System Store, which could withstand extreme heat for a short period.

He wondered if those survivors had the means to get them.

The RV continued forward, navigating through the abandoned streets.

The buildings on both sides grew taller; some were residential apartments, while others were shops.

Qin Lin noticed silhouettes behind many of the windows.

Some people stood by their windows, looking curiously at this massive RV.

But not a single person opened a window.

Not a single person came out.

They just hid behind the glass like birds in a cage.

Han Yurou had also come to the window at some point, watching those silhouettes.

“Brother Lin, why don't they come out?”

“They can't. It's too hot outside.”

Han Yurou was silent for a few seconds.

“Then how do they live?”

“By staying inside.”

“The System says these buildings have a constant temperature function that maintains a suitable climate. They can live normally inside, but they just can't leave.”

As Han Yurou listened, her eyes grew a bit red.

“Then they... they're so pitiful.”

Qin Lin didn't say anything.

Pitiful?

Maybe.

But compared to those who had already died outside, they were at least still alive.

The RV continued onward, passing through street after street.

On every street, there were silhouettes behind windows on both sides.

Behind some windows, several people stood huddled together, looking out.

Behind others, there was only one person, standing there in solitude.

Qin Lin couldn't see the expressions in their eyes clearly.

Su Yuran leaned against Qin Lin's shoulder and whispered:

“Qin Lin, we're really lucky.”

Qin Lin nodded.

“Yeah.”

The RV finally stopped at the entrance of an upscale residential community.

[Target Building: Building 5, Floor 5]

[Distance: 50 meters]

[Recommendation: Proceed after donning protective gear]

Qin Lin looked at the community outside the window.

The community wasn't large, consisting of only a few high-rise buildings. Between the buildings were dried-up fountains and withered green belts.

The gate's railings were broken and lay discarded to the side.

Debris was scattered across the ground, looking as if it hadn't been cleared in a long time.

Building 5 was directly ahead, a twenty-story residential high-rise.

Qin Lin pulled up the System to check the details inside Building 5.

[Building 5: Medium-sized Safe Building]

[Capacity: Approx. 30 people]

[Current Actual Population: 12 people]

[Personnel Distribution:]

[Floor 1: 2 people]

[Floor 3: 3 people]

[Floor 5: 5 people (including target passenger)]

[Floor 7: 2 people]

[Specific Location of Target Passenger: Floor 5, Room 501]

[Number of people in Room 501: 2 people]

Qin Lin sighed and memorized the target room number.

It seemed he would have to go see for himself.

He opened the System Store and purchased a Special High-Temperature Protective Suit.

[Special High-Temperature Protective Suit]

[Function: Resists temperatures below 120°C for 2 hours]

[Equipped with: Built-in communication System, vital signs monitoring]

[Price: 200 survival points/piece]

[Stock: 10 pieces]

Qin Lin didn't hesitate to buy three pieces.

He spent 600 survival points.

In the past, receiving 100 survival points for every person he guided meant he never lost out.

But this time, spending 600 points on three protective suits meant he was already at a loss.

He would just have to earn it back from them later.

He didn't do business that lost money.

Su Yuran saw his outfit and walked over.

“Are you going down alone?”

Qin Lin nodded.

“Yeah, it's enough if I go alone. Too many people would be a disadvantage instead.”

The reason Qin Lin didn't let them go was that he had only bought three protective suits.

The other two were for the newcomers to wear.

Su Yuran was a bit worried.

“Is it safe?”

Qin Lin smiled.

“Don't worry, I have the protective suit. And the System checked—there are only two people inside, no threat.”

Su Yuran nodded.

“Then be careful.”

Qin Lin put on the protective visor and opened the vehicle door.

The suit was fully enclosed, featuring a transparent visor and a built-in communication System.

Once it was on, he was completely isolated from the outside world.

Qin Lin checked the communication line, which was linked to the interior of the RV.

“Can you hear me?”

“I can.”

Su Yuran's voice came through the earpiece.

“I can too.”

Han Qing's voice also came through.

“Good.”

The RV door opened, and a heatwave instantly surged in.

Even wearing the protective suit, he could feel that searing heat, but things quickly returned to normal.

Qin Lin stepped out quickly, and the door closed behind him.

It was even hotter outside than he had imagined.

The ground beneath his feet was scalding; he could feel the heat being blocked out as he stepped on it.

The air was shimmering and distorted; with every breath, he could feel the air inside the visor heating up.

But the protective suit was indeed effective.

Qin Lin glanced at the thermometer on his wrist.

It showed an outside temperature of 64°C, while the temperature inside the suit was 26°C.

He walked quickly toward Building 5.

The hallway door was slightly ajar and opened with a push.

Once inside, the temperature dropped instantly.

Though still very hot, it was much better than outside.

Qin Lin checked the thermometer.

[Hallway Temperature: 48°C]

Still very high.

But at least it was bearable.

He walked up the stairs.

Floor 1, Floor 2, Floor 3, Floor 4...

With every floor he climbed, the temperature dropped a bit more.

By the time he reached the 4th floor, the thermometer showed 42°C.

He continued upward.

Floor 5.

Qin Lin stood at the door of Room 501 and took a deep breath.

It was a security door and looked quite sturdy.

There was a peephole in the door; the people inside should be able to see out.

He raised his hand and knocked.

Thud, thud, thud.

There was no response from inside.

He knocked a few more times.

Thud, thud, thud.

Still no response.

“Is no one there?”

He continued knocking, this time with a bit more force.

Thud, thud, thud! Thud, thud, thud!

Finally, a wary voice came from inside:

“Who is it?”

It was a young female voice, filled with tension and caution.

Qin Lin spoke:

“A survivor passing through. I wanted to talk to you.”

Silence fell inside.

After a long time, another female voice whispered:

“Sister, don't open the door... what if it's a bad person...”

The first voice lowered its tone:

“I know... but our supplies have been gone for three days...”

Qin Lin's hearing was excellent, and he vaguely caught their conversation.

Supplies gone for three days?

He understood now.

These two girls hadn't eaten for three days, which was why they were hesitating after hearing the knocking.

They were both afraid of running into bad people and desperate for help.

He spoke again, trying to make his voice sound as gentle as possible.