43: Our goal is to survive.

"Let's leave here first," he said. "The snow-fall has stopped, but the surrounding snowdrifts might be unstable. It'll be trouble if an avalanche happens."

He wanted to get out of bed, but as soon as he moved, intense pain radiated from the wounds all over his body.

"Don't move!" Su Yuran pressed him back down.

"Didn't you say there's autopilot now?"

Qin Lin froze for a moment, then smiled.

"Right."

He pulled up the autopilot interface and did a simple setup:

Destination—Exit the snowfield and return to the main road.

The System automatically planned the route:

Reverse, returning along the tire tracks from when they arrived.

"Press this," Qin Lin pointed at the "Start" button on the screen.

Su Yuran reached out and pressed it somewhat nervously.

The engine started.

The steering wheel turned automatically.

The vehicle began to slowly reverse.

Miraculously, despite the thick snow and loose snowdrifts outside, the path the RV took in reverse was extremely stable.

The System had clearly calculated the optimal route, avoiding soft areas and driving along relatively firm snow surfaces.

The wheels occasionally slipped, but they quickly adjusted automatically to regain traction.

Five minutes later, the RV exited the snowdrift area and returned to the relatively flat snowfield.

Ten minutes later, they were back on the main road—if it could still be called a road.

Snow covered everything, but at least there were no obstacles.

The autopilot mode switched to "Track Following," driving steadily back along the tire tracks they had left earlier.

Su Yuran watched the steering wheel turn on its own and the various data points on the dashboard skip automatically, her eyes filled with wonder.

"Amazing..."

Lin Wanwan also leaned over to look.

Qin Lin leaned against the headboard, watching the external footage through the display screen in the room.

The vehicle was driving very steadily, with the speed controlled at around twenty kilometers per hour; safety first.

He could finally relax a bit.

His body still ached—the stinging of frostbite, the soreness of muscles, and the weakness following a fever.

But the "Recovery" halo was already taking effect.

He could feel the pain slowly subsiding and his strength returning bit by bit.

This was the benefit of the upgrade.

"Qin Lin," Su Yuran suddenly turned her head.

"Where are we going?"

Qin Lin thought for a moment. "Let's leave this area first and find a safe place to rest and recover. My injuries need time to heal. And..."

He looked out the window at the darkening sky.

"It's almost dark; it's not suitable for traveling."

The vehicle continued driving for half an hour before stopping behind a leeward slope.

The terrain here was high, offering a wide field of vision.

Behind it was a rocky slope that could block the wind and snow.

It was an ideal temporary campsite.

The engine was turned off, and the autopilot mode was deactivated.

Inside the vehicle, warm lights flickered on.

Su Yuran and Lin Wanwan helped Qin Lin out of bed and into the living room.

Sitting on the spacious sofa, they looked at everything around them.

The large screen, the bar, the open kitchen, the new Medical Room door, the hallway leading to three bedrooms... both of them felt a sense of unreality.

Three days ago, they were still trapped in the snow, Qin Lin was unconscious, and their future was uncertain.

Three days later, they were living in a mobile luxury home once again.

"It's like a dream," Lin Wanwan said softly.

"It's not a dream."

Su Yuran held her hand.

"Qin Lin traded his life for this."

Both girls looked at Qin Lin at the same time.

Qin Lin leaned against the sofa with his eyes closed; his face was still somewhat pale, but his breathing was steady.

His hands rested on his knees; the frostbite on his fingers had already scabbed over, healing quickly under the "Recovery" halo.

Su Yuran went to the kitchen to prepare dinner.

Now that the kitchen was larger and fully equipped, she could make something more substantial.

Lin Wanwan went to the Medical Room and, following the instructions on the medicine cabinet, found more professional frostbite cream and anti-inflammatory drugs, then came back to change Qin Lin's dressings.

The ointment was cool and felt very comfortable when applied to the wounds.

Lin Wanwan's movements were very gentle, for fear of hurting him.

"Senior."

Qin Lin suddenly spoke.

"Hmm?" Lin Wanwan looked up.

"Thank you," Qin Lin looked at her.

"And Yuran. Without you two taking care of me, I might not have pulled through."

Lin Wanwan's face turned red, and she shook her head.

"You saved us. What we did was insignificant."

"No," Qin Lin said. "In the Apocalypse, being able to take care of each other and trust each other is more important than anything."

He paused and said seriously:

"You aren't burdens; you're companions. You're the people who can make this vehicle truly a 'home'."

Lin Wanwan's eyes grew warm.

She nodded vigorously. "Mhm."

Dinner was ready.

Su Yuran made vegetable soup using the fresh vegetables that had just "refreshed" in the ecological box.

The System was very considerate, directly providing the first batch of mature lettuce and bok choy.

Along with canned meat and rice, it was simple but nutritionally balanced.

The three of them sat around the bar in the living room to eat.

Outside the window, the night was deep, and the wind and snow continued.

But inside the vehicle, it was warm and bright, the aroma of food filled the air, and companions were right beside them.

At this moment, they temporarily forgot the ice and snow outside, forgot this disaster that they didn't know when would end.

They were just three people in a mobile home, eating a hot meal.

That was enough.

After dinner, Qin Lin checked the System interface.

Upgrade requirement: 5 Intermediate crystal stones.

A long road ahead.

"Get a good rest tonight," Qin Lin said.

"Starting tomorrow, we'll plan the next step."

He looked at the two girls. "Our goal is to survive."

Su Yuran and Lin Wanwan glanced at each other and nodded simultaneously.

"We're with you," Su Yuran said.

"Wherever you go, we follow," Lin Wanwan added.

Qin Lin smiled... The next morning, Qin Lin was awakened by sunlight.

Not real sunlight.

Outside the window was still a leaden gray sky and swirling snow.

It was the "Natural Light Simulation System" added to the bedroom after the RV upgrade.

At six in the morning, the light strips on the ceiling would gradually brighten.

Transitioning from a warm yellow to a white light simulating sunrise.

Accompanied by the soft sound of birds chirping.

Though electronically synthesized, in the Apocalypse, this was already a luxurious enjoyment.

Qin Lin opened his eyes, feeling the changes in his body.

The sensation of pain had significantly lessened.

The scabs on his frostbitten fingers began to itch—a sign of healing.

The muscle soreness had also mostly subsided; though still weak, he could at least move normally.

The "Recovery" halo was indeed powerful.

He sat up and found a glass of water and a note on the small table by the bed.

The note was in Su Yuran's handwriting:

"Breakfast is staying warm in the kitchen. Senior and I are over by the ecological box. Call us when you're awake. —Yuran"

The handwriting was neat, with a small smiley face drawn next to it.

Qin Lin smiled and took a sip from the water glass.

The water temperature was just right, neither too hot nor too cold.

He got out of bed and put on slippers.

After the upgrade, each bedroom was equipped with slippers; the attention to detail was spot on.

Walking out of Room 001, he entered the living room.

Under the morning light mode, the living room appeared exceptionally cozy.

The sofa was soft, the bar was tidy, and the large screen in standby mode displayed the time and the outside temperature: -41°C.

A bit warmer than yesterday?

Qin Lin noticed this change.

He walked to the kitchen and opened the warming cabinet; inside was a bowl of porridge and two fried eggs.

The porridge was cooked thick, with minced meat and chopped vegetables added.

The fried eggs were cooked perfectly, with slightly crispy edges and runny yolks.

Qin Lin took his breakfast to the bar and ate slowly.

It tasted great.

Su Yuran's cooking skills were improving rapidly.

Halfway through eating, he remembered the "Self-Generating Network Function" unlocked during yesterday's upgrade.

Although it couldn't provide real-time communication with the outside world, it could receive stored information from before the disaster and special frequency broadcasts.

Maybe... he could find out what was happening outside?

Qin Lin put down his spoon and walked to the large screen.