285: Chapter 285 Mom, you go first

Qin Lin looked at the data and did some mental calculations.

Thirty to fifty high-grade crystals wasn't a lot, but it wasn't a small amount either.

If this amount could be found in every crystal stone mineral vein, it would take twenty to thirty such veins to collect one thousand.

It looked like a lot, but as long as he persisted, he would eventually gather enough.

Moreover, the high-grade crystal stone mineral veins would only get larger, and their reserves would continue to increase.

Qin Lin tapped "Auto-Extraction" on the control console, and the System popped up a confirmation interface.

[Start Auto-Extraction: high-grade crystal stone mineral vein]

[Estimated time: 24 hours]

[The The Ark cannot move during extraction; the protective shield will remain at full power]

[Confirm]

[Auto-Extraction started]

The The Ark hovered steadily in mid-air, the light from its rear thrusters changing from bright blue to dark blue, maintaining only basic levitation.

The energy lights beneath the Observation Tower emitted rings of light that spread downward, penetrating the black ridges and the magma layer to reach the deep underground mineral veins.

Su Yuling walked into the Bridge holding a cup of hot chocolate, stood next to Qin Lin, and looked at the magma field outside the window.

The red glow shone through the cracks in the ground, reflecting off the The Ark's silver-white hull like a flowing sunset.

"Dad, it's so dangerous here," she said.

Qin Lin glanced at the external temperature display: the ground temperature was 102 degrees.

Su Yuling took a sip of her hot chocolate, tilted her head, and looked at the expanse of red: "Will this magma erupt?"

Qin Lin checked the System evaluation: [Stable, no risk of eruption]

"No, the System says it's very stable."

Su Yuling felt relieved and held the cup to Qin Lin's lips: "Dad, have a sip too."

Qin Lin leaned down and took a sip; it was warm and sweet.

For the next twenty-four hours, the The Ark hung quietly above the magma valley.

The light from the protective shield was particularly striking in the darkness, like a floating star.

No one felt bored.

Because there was so much to do on the upgraded The Ark, and it even had an additional Small World.

The KTV Booth was occupied by the sisters Zhou Lingling and Zhou Yueyue for half the day; they sang countless songs, from old songs before the apocalypse to new songs they had learned on the RV after the apocalypse.

Zhou Yueyue was even more tone-deaf when singing than Li Ying, but her sister said it sounded great.

Han Qing was in the Medical Room studying the new "fetal monitor," checking every pregnant woman before nodding with satisfaction: "Everyone is healthy."

Lin Wanwan sat on the balcony holding baby clothes, staring blankly at the magma in the distance.

Wang Xiulan sat next to her, knitting her a scarf.

Li Ran was watering flowers in the Flower Garden.

She came to the Flower Garden every day to spend some time weeding, watering, and picking off dead leaves.

She said these flowers were like her children and needed to be cared for with heart.

Su Yuling sometimes followed her there, and sometimes went to find Qin Lin.

Her role today was "delivery person."

Every few hours, she would carry a plate of fruit or a drink from the kitchen to the Bridge, place it on Qin Lin's console, sit nearby for a while, and then return.

A day and a night later, the System notification sound rang out.

[Auto-Extraction complete]

[Harvest: high-grade crystals × 42, rare metals × 8 tons]

[Current high-grade crystals: 150 (5 special)]

[Current rare metals: 152 tons]

Forty-two; it was actually a bit more than the highest estimated amount. It seemed the The Ark's predictions weren't one hundred percent accurate.

Although it was still a long way from one thousand, it was a good start.

The The Ark restarted, and the light from the thrusters changed from dark blue back to bright blue.

Qin Lin set the destination for the next stop and continued flying north.

The outside world remained a picture of the apocalypse.

Darkness, cold, and desolation.

But inside the The Ark, it was warm; there was laughter, singing, the aroma of food, and the sound of children breathing.

Qin Lin leaned back in the command chair, watching the apocalyptic scenery receding on the holographic screen.

Li Ran walked in at some point, holding a thin blanket, and gently covered Su Yuling with it.

She bent down, kissed Su Yuling on the forehead, then kissed Qin Lin on the face, and whispered: "Come to Room 000 tonight, I'll be waiting for you."

...

The The Ark hovered steadily in the night sky without any swaying; walking in the corridors was no different from walking on flat ground.

Room 000 was at the far east end of the first floor.

The room had become larger after the The Ark's upgrade.

The door wasn't closed; it was left ajar, and warm yellow light filtered out from the gap.

Qin Lin pushed the door open and entered.

The lights in the room were dimmed; the bedside lamp was covered with a light pink gauze, making the light as soft as twilight.

There was a faint scent of flowers in the air—not perfume, but fresh roses Li Ran had picked from the Flower Garden during the day, placed in a glass bottle on the nightstand.

Li Ran sat on the edge of the bed, wearing a wine-red camisole nightdress; the hem reached just to her knees, revealing a section of fair calf.

Her hair was loose, with slightly curled ends resting on her shoulders. She wore light makeup that was barely noticeable, but a thin layer of lip glaze on her lips shimmered with a dewy luster under the light.

Su Yuling stood by the window, wearing a creamy white cotton nightdress that reached her ankles, with a small lace trim around the neckline.

Her hair was braided loosely and hung over her chest; she was barefoot, and her toenails were painted a pale pink.

She looked like a girl next door who had just stepped out of a magazine—fresh, sweet, and carrying a hint of casual laziness.

Qin Lin stood at the door, looking at the two of them.

Li Ran looked up and glanced at him, the corners of her mouth curling up slightly, but she quickly lowered her head again, pretending to straighten the bed sheets.

Su Yuling, on the other hand, was quite composed; she walked over, took his hand, and pulled him inside.

"Brother Qin Lin."

She called out to him, her voice neither loud nor soft, just like calling a relative she saw every day.

But it still felt a bit unusual to Qin Lin.

After all, this wasn't the way she had been used to calling him recently.

It seemed Su Yuling had truly become normal.

Qin Lin found a good spot to sit and looked around.

The room's lighting was set very low, with only the bedside lamp on, casting soft light that threw the shadows of the three of them onto the wall, overlapping.

There was a faint fragrance in the air—not perfume, but the flowers from Li Ran's Flower Garden.

Tonight, it must be the scent of lilies and daisies.

The atmosphere was a bit subtle—not awkward, but rather a tacit understanding.

They all knew what was going to happen next, but no one wanted to be the first to spell it out.

Su Yuling broke the silence, leaning over first to rest her head on Qin Lin's shoulder, then reached out a hand toward Li Ran.

They sat like that for a while, neither of them speaking.

After a long time, Su Yuling looked up at Li Ran.

"Mom, you go first."