78: Complete crystal detected

[Passenger 001: Su Yuran (Guest Bedroom 001)]

[Status: Pregnant]

[Physiological Indicators: Normal]

[Fetal Status: Healthy]

[Recommendation: Supplement folic acid, avoid strenuous exercise, maintain a happy mood]

Qin Lin looked at these lines, feeling a surge of warmth in his heart.

He was going to be a father.

Although they were in the apocalypse, and although there were still many dangers ahead, the arrival of new life always filled one with hope.

He stood up and walked out of the driver's cabin, just in time to see Su Yuran coming out of her room.

"Awake?"

Qin Lin walked over and naturally put his arm around her waist.

"Mhm, I slept really well," Su Yuran leaned against his shoulder. "What were you doing?"

"Researching new functions," Qin Lin said. "By the way, there's something I need to tell you."

"What is it?"

Qin Lin glanced at the living room.

He pulled Su Yuran into the driver's cabin and closed the door.

"What's with all the secrecy?" Su Yuran asked with a laugh.

Qin Lin looked at her and said seriously:

"Yuran, you're pregnant."

Su Yuran froze.

A few seconds later, her eyes slowly widened, her lips parted slightly, and an expression of disbelief appeared on her face.

"R-really?"

"Really."

Qin Lin called up the System interface to show her.

"The RV's Medical Room upgraded its pregnancy monitoring module. It detected it."

Su Yuran stared at the screen, reading the information word by word.

Then, she suddenly jumped up.

"Ahhh! I'm pregnant! I'm really pregnant!"

She grabbed Qin Lin's arm, shaking it excitedly.

"Qin Lin, did you hear that? I'm going to be a mother! You're going to be a father!"

Her voice was loud, filled with pure joy.

Qin Lin quickly covered her mouth:

"Quiet down, they can hear outside."

But Su Yuran was too happy to control herself.

She hugged Qin Lin, planting several kisses on his face:

"This is wonderful, wonderful! I knew I'd be the first to get pregnant!"

"Sister Wanwan is still behind me!"

Her words were childish, but Qin Lin understood her feelings.

Within the relationship between the three of them, Su Yuran had always harbored a subtle sense of competition.

She wanted to be the first to get pregnant, to prove her special place in Qin Lin's heart.

Now she had done it.

"Congratulations, Yuran."

Qin Lin held her tight and said sincerely.

"Thank you, Brother Lin!"

Su Yuran smiled, her eyes curved like crescent moons.

"I have to tell Sister Wanwan this good news!"

"Wait," Qin Lin held her back. "Don't rush. Early pregnancy requires caution; you shouldn't get too excited. Also..."

He paused: "What about Aunt Qing? Do you think we should tell her?"

Su Yuran thought for a moment: "Tell her, why wouldn't we?"

"Aunt Qing is a doctor. I'll need her for my prenatal check-ups later."

"Mhm, you're right."

Qin Lin nodded.

The two embraced for a while.

Then Su Yuran lifted her head, her eyes sparkling.

"But I still have to be the first to announce the pregnancy news! Come on, let's go out!"

She pulled Qin Lin out of the driver's cabin.

In the living room, the other three looked over.

"Sister Yuran, what's got you so happy?"

Han Yurou asked curiously.

Su Yuran took a deep breath, a brilliant smile blooming on her face.

"I have some good news to tell everyone—I'm pregnant!"

As her words fell, the living room fell silent for a few seconds.

Then Lin Wanwan was the first to react. She walked over quickly and grasped Su Yuran's hands.

"Really? That's wonderful! Congratulations, Yuran!"

Her smile was sincere, but Qin Lin could detect a faint trace of disappointment beneath it.

Wanwan wants a child too, doesn't she?

"Congratulations."

Han Qing also walked over, her tone calm but gentle.

"Early pregnancy requires rest and proper nutrition. I'll give you a preliminary check-up later."

"Thank you, Aunt Qing!" Su Yuran said happily.

Han Yurou also came closer:

"Sister Yuran is going to be a mom! That's amazing!"

The living room filled with laughter and cheerful voices.

Qin Lin watched this scene, warmth filling his heart.

The arrival of new life made this mobile home in the apocalypse truly feel like a "home."

He looked at Han Qing.

Han Qing was instructing Su Yuran on precautions, her tone professional and gentle.

But when her gaze met Qin Lin's, her eyes flickered and she quickly looked away.

Still awkward, huh.

Qin Lin sighed inwardly.

But at least now there was good news, something that could slightly dilute the awkwardness... The RV continued its journey through the ice and snow, like a solitary boat sailing on a white ocean.

Qin Lin sat in the driver's cabin, looking out at the world through the reinforced glass window.

Visibility was less than fifty meters. The vehicle's headlights pierced the wind and snow, illuminating a vast expanse ahead.

The snow had piled up so thickly that the contours of the road were no longer visible.

They could only rely on the RV's terrain scanning System for navigation.

This was a dead, silent world.

Since leaving Su City, they had traveled over two hundred kilometers without seeing a single living person.

Occasionally, the outlines of vehicles buried by snowdrifts could be seen by the roadside.

Further away, the silhouettes of towns and villages flickered faintly within the wind and snow.

No lights, no cooking smoke, no signs of any life activity.

Qin Lin knew those houses were likely all empty now.

Their owners had long since frozen to death on some cold night.

This was the reality of the extreme cold blizzard zone:

Either wait for death at home, or venture out to seek survival, only to die on the road.

"The temperature has dropped again."

Qin Lin looked at the numbers on the dashboard.

"Minus sixty-eight degrees Celsius."

What did this temperature mean?

It meant exposed skin would suffer frostbite within thirty seconds and lose sensation within two minutes.

It meant exhaled moisture would instantly freeze into ice crystals.

It meant no conventional vehicles could start, and no fuel could avoid freezing.

Fortunately, the RV was an exception.

The Lv4 climate control System operated perfectly, maintaining the interior at twenty-three degrees Celsius.

Energy ∞/∞, truly infinite, no need to worry about consumption.

All-terrain mode allowed the RV to advance steadily through the deep snow.

The treads crushed through the snowy ground, leaving deep tracks.

"What's going on? Could there be a crystal stone appearing here?"

Qin Lin's mood was not light.

The last time such abnormal temperatures appeared was back in Su City.

Now it was happening again.

Sure enough, the System had already provided the answer.

[System Prompt: Detected strong energy fluctuations in the area ahead]

[Straight-line Distance: 5 km]

[Energy Type: eternal frozen marrow (Complete Intermediate-grade crystal stone)]

[Suggestion: Proceed to obtain. Can be used for Lv5 upgrade]

Qin Lin's spirits lifted.

A complete eternal frozen marrow!

Upgrading the RV to Lv5 required twenty specified attribute crystal stones.

Although he didn't know exactly which attributes were needed, the RV would provide prompts.

Even if the attributes didn't match, they could be exchanged for survival points.

Traded at the System Store.

"Display detailed information on the target point," Qin Lin commanded.

A topographic map appeared on the screen.

The target point was located in a hilly area, marked with an icon of a hydroelectric power station.

From the map, the power station was built in a canyon along a river, with a reservoir and a dam.