56: Doctor Han Qing, officially reporting for duty, I'm starving!

"The price is that I must constantly search for crystal stones to upgrade the vehicle and obtain more resources."

Qin Lin didn't mention the task; now wasn't the time.

At least, not until they had adapted and integrated into the team.

"What crystal stones?"

"There are many kinds, basically just some crystals that glow."

The Medical Room fell silent for a moment.

Han Qing's expression didn't change much.

She simply looked at Su Yuran and Lin Wanwan.

Then she looked at her daughter, and finally, her gaze returned to Qin Lin.

"I understand."

"Dr. Han, I saved you because this vehicle needs a doctor."

"Fine, I agree. I'm willing to stay and be your doctor."

Qin Lin smiled; he had long seen that Han Qing had made up her mind.

Asking such questions was merely out of consideration for her own and her daughter's safety.

With a daughter in tow, she always had to consider the consequences.

He signaled Su Yuran and Lin Wanwan to push Han Qing back into the Medical Room.

"Wait," Han Qing suddenly said.

Qin Lin turned back.

"My foot injury needs further debridement," Han Qing said. "Although the infection is under control and part of it has been cleared, if it's not cleaned thoroughly, it will relapse sooner or later. Are there surgical instruments on the vehicle?"

Qin Lin pulled up the System panel to check the equipment list for the Medical Room.

"There's a basic surgical instrument kit, a suture kit, sterilization equipment, and local anesthetics," he read. "But no general anesthesia and no X-ray machine."

"That's enough," Han Qing said. "Local anesthesia, I'll do it myself."

"You're doing the surgery yourself?" Su Yuran was surprised.

"I am a surgeon; I know my own injury."

Han Qing was very calm.

"The wound is on the ankle, a position I can manage. I just need someone to hand me instruments and provide post-operative care."

Qin Lin locked eyes with her.

This thirty-seven-year-old female doctor had survived the apocalypse alone with her daughter.

After being seriously injured, feverish, and near death, the first thing she did upon waking up wasn't bargaining.

Instead, she probed for danger and requested immediate surgery.

Strong, rational, and principled.

She truly deserved her comprehensive score of 91 points.

"Alright," Qin Lin said. "What do you need prepared?"

The shadowless lamp in the Medical Room was turned to its brightest setting.

Han Qing sat by the operating table, her injured left foot secured on a support.

Lin Wanwan was responsible for handing over instruments, while Han Yurou and Su Yuran acted as assistants.

Qin Lin waited outside the glass door.

Han Qing cleaned, excised, and rinsed without flinching, her movements as skilled as if she had done them thousands of times.

Sweat seeped from her forehead, but her hands were steady.

"Forceps."

"Gauze."

"Saline rinse."

With concise instructions, Lin Wanwan executed them accurately.

Su Yuran and Han Yurou assisted nearby with hemostasis and wiping.

Twenty minutes later, the wound cleaning was complete.

Han Qing checked it once to confirm no necrotic tissue remained, then began suturing.

After the last stitch was done, she cut the thread.

Han Qing looked at the neat sutures on her foot and let out a long sigh of relief.

"It's done," she said. "Next, change the dressing daily and take oral antibiotics for another three days. Stitches come out in two weeks, and no weight-bearing for a month."

Lin Wanwan and Han Yurou helped bandage her wound and assisted her back onto the hospital bed.

The door to the Medical Room slid open, and Qin Lin walked in.

Han Qing looked at Qin Lin. "Surgery complete, it went very smoothly. Thank you for your equipment and assistance."

"We are the ones who should say thank you."

Qin Lin said seriously.

"You've proven your value—not with words, but with actions."

Han Qing closed her eyes as exhaustion washed over her like a tide.

The surgery had consumed too much of her physical strength.

Han Qing's voice was very soft but clear.

"As the team's doctor, I will do my best to ensure everyone's health and handle all medical issues. In exchange, Yu Rou and I want a safe place to live, enough food, and... respect."

"I guarantee it."

Qin Lin said solemnly.

Han Qing finally showed a hint of a genuine smile.

It was faint, but real.

"Then, Dr. Han Qing, reporting for duty," she said. "Now, can you give me something to eat? I'm starving."

Su Yuran chuckled:

"The porridge has been kept warm; I'll go get it."

Lin Wanwan went to prepare the utensils, while Han Yurou stayed by the bed to accompany her mother.

Qin Lin was also a bit dumbfounded; the contrast in this Dr. Han's demeanor was quite large.

Just a moment ago she was so formal, and in the blink of an eye, she had changed her posture.

He stepped out of the Medical Room and gently closed the door.

He walked to the living room and pulled up the System panel.

[Hidden Task x2: Still pending review]

Qin Lin stared at that last line of text.

He still didn't click it open.

There are some things one simply doesn't dare to do.

There were now five people on the vehicle.

A small prototype of a society was painstakingly taking shape in the apocalypse.

And ahead, there was an even longer road, more disasters, and truths yet to be revealed.

Qin Lin looked out the vehicle window.

Actually, he couldn't see much, only the route map projected onto the windshield by the autopilot System.

A green line meandered south, passing through snow-covered cities and wilderness.

The next goal: find crystal stones and upgrade the RV.

The one after that: find Yuran and Wanwan's families.

And then... perhaps he should explore the source of the disaster.

He felt the white crystal stone in his pocket.

The one he brought with him during Rebirth could not be absorbed, and its origin was unknown.

What exactly was this stone?

In his contemplation, Su Yuran came out of the kitchen carrying porridge, smiled at him, and walked into Guest Bedroom room 003.

Qin Lin smiled back.

At least tonight, everyone was alive, everyone had hot porridge to drink, and everyone had a warm bed.

In the apocalypse, this was already luxurious enough.

In room 003, Han Yurou had already fallen asleep.

The exhaustion of several consecutive days had finally overwhelmed her.

She sank into a dreamland on the bed next to her mother, the corners of her mouth curled in a peaceful arc.

Han Qing leaned against the headboard, taking small sips of the warm vegetable porridge.

The pain in her foot began to set in as the anesthesia wore off, but it was bearable.

More importantly, she knew the wound had been cleaned, and the infection would no longer threaten her life.

She was alive, and Yu Rou was alive too.

And they had even found an... incredible sanctuary.

That young man named Qin Lin, the RV upgrades and crystal stones he mentioned, all exceeded common sense.

But the apocalypse itself already exceeded common sense; a bit more of the supernatural seemed reasonable.

Moreover, at least she was useful now, able to use her professional knowledge to protect her daughter and trade for survival.

As for the rest... Han Qing looked out the window.

Outside was an invisible blizzard.

She would take it one step at a time.

She finished the last sip of porridge, placed the bowl on the nightstand, and lay down.

A warm, soft bed, clean blankets, and a safe, enclosed space.

This was the first time she had truly relaxed since the outbreak of the apocalypse.

Her consciousness gradually blurred.

In the final moment before falling asleep, Han Qing's thought was:

Tomorrow, I should formally get to know this RV and everyone on board.