The "President" had now returned to the sea surface.
The morning light streamed through the porthole, not glaring, carrying the sea's unique shimmering, rippling quality.
When Li Ruobing woke up, she instinctively wanted to stretch.
"Hiss—"
The moment she moved, a wave of soreness shot straight up her spine to the top of her head.
Especially her inner thighs and waist, it felt as if they had been run over by that heavy-duty hydraulic press.
"That beast…"
She gritted her teeth and cursed, turning her head to glance beside her.
Empty.
A glass of warm water sat on the nightstand, a note pinned under it.
The handwriting was flamboyant and unrestrained, clearly written by that guy Qin Yu:
[Drink water when you wake up, don't run around, I'm on the deck.]
Li Ruobing pursed her lips, but a hint of sweetness welled up in her heart.
Picking up the glass, she drank it all in one go. The warm sensation flowing down her throat made her feel slightly more alive.
She struggled to get up and found a loose robe to slip on.
The usual Li Ruobing in her hot vest and ultra-shorts was temporarily offline.
Today, she was Li·The Injured·Ruobing.
Pushing open the cabin door, the scent of rice porridge wafted from the living room.
Yao Xue, wearing an apron, was ladling porridge. Seeing Li Ruobing emerge supporting herself against the wall, the corner of her mouth lifted in a faint, almost imperceptible smile.
"Awake?"
"Mhm…"
Li Ruobing's face flushed red, her gaze a bit evasive, not daring to meet the eyes of the "official wife."
"Come eat."
Yao Xue placed a bowl of century egg and lean pork porridge on the table. "Added some special ingredients, good for replenishing qi and blood."
"Thank you, Xue-jie."
Just as Li Ruobing sat down, Yao Qian, rubbing her sleepy eyes, walked out from the adjacent room.
Seeing Li Ruobing's slightly awkward sitting posture, the young girl looked curious.
"Ruo Bing-jie, what's wrong with your leg?"
"Were you injured fighting the Leviathan yesterday?"
"Why are you walking with a limp?"
"Ahem, ahem, ahem—!"
Li Ruobing nearly choked to death on a mouthful of porridge.
Her face turned as red as a ripe tomato.
"That… it's… it's a bit of a strain."
"That monster yesterday was too strong, I accidentally twisted it while dodging."
Yao Qian looked heartbroken and moved closer to take a look.
"Is it serious? Let my sister examine you, she's a head of surgery, she's good at bone-setting."
Yao Xue couldn't hold back any longer, her shoulders shaking twice as she turned around to get a spoon.
"Alright, Xiaoqian, stop causing trouble."
"That's muscle fatigue. Don't let your Ruo Bing-jie do any heavy work these next few days, she just needs more rest."
Yao Xue handed the spoon to her sister, giving Li Ruobing a "I understand" look.
Li Ruobing buried her head in her bowl, wishing she could inhale the porridge through her nose.
That damn Qin Yu.
Ruining my lifelong reputation in one night!
...
Meanwhile, on the deck.
The sea wind whistled.
Qin Yu had a cigarette dangling from his mouth, his hands braced on the railing as he gazed at the endless expanse of deep blue before him.
Last night's battle, while satisfying, had indeed exposed quite a few problems.
The "President" was tough, but against that kind of apex predator, its defensive capabilities were still too limited.
"System."
Qin Yu silently called out in his mind.
Instantly, the pale blue Virtual Panel materialized before his eyes.
[Host: Qin Yu]
[Remaining Lottery Draws: 3 (Can synthesize one 'Targeted' draw)]
Given the system's usual behavior, every three regular lottery draws could be synthesized into one targeted draw.
You could choose broad categories like "Weapons," "Daily Life," or "Vehicles."
While it guaranteed no junk, it also meant miracles were unlikely.
It was just a pity system.
Qin Yu blew out a smoke ring, the smoke quickly dissipating in the sea breeze.
He looked at his hand, which only held an "SSS-grade" weapon.
Then he thought about Li Ruobing's passion last night—awkward yet unreserved.
"My luck right now is at its peak."
"Screw the pity system."
"Go big or go home."
Gambler's mentality took hold.
Coupled with the SSS-grade first kill he secured yesterday, Qin Yu felt his luck stat was absolutely maxed out.
"System, no synthesis."
"All in."
"Three draws, open them now!"
[Ding! Command confirmed.]
[Consuming three regular lottery draw opportunities...]
[Lottery wheel activating...]
In his mind, that massive golden wheel began spinning rapidly.
Light and shadow intertwined.
Qin Yu's heartbeat quickened slightly.
Even though he was well-off now, the thrill of the draw was still irresistible.
"Stop!"
[Ding!]
[Congratulations, Host, for obtaining A-grade weapon: Fully Automatic Hextech Defense Matrix (Quadruple-mounted Close-in Weapon System)!]
[Ding!]
[Congratulations, Host, for obtaining S-grade daily life supplies: Ecological Cycle Cultivation Pod (includes ten types of high-yield crop seeds)!]
[Ding!]
[Congratulations, Host, for obtaining special item: Liquid Metal Repair Swarm (single-use consumable)!]
Qin Yu's eyes lit up sharply.
"Holy crap!"
"I actually fucking gambled right!"
Not a single dud!
All were urgently needed, solid items!
Especially that [Liquid Metal Repair Swarm].
Last night's collision with the Leviathan, while it didn't sink the ship, had actually caused cracks in the portside armor plates and damaged some internal piping.
Qin Yu had been worrying about how to fix it.
This was like a pillow delivered just as you're nodding off.
"Fix the ship first."
Qin Yu flipped his palm.
A silvery-white metal sphere appeared in his hand.
It seemed alive, its surface subtly undulating.
"Go."
Qin Yu casually tossed the sphere onto the deck.
"Hum—"
The moment the silver sphere hit the deck, it instantly disintegrated.
Transforming into countless silver insects almost invisible to the naked eye.
Like ants smelling blood, they frantically swarmed toward every corner of the hull.
Especially the dented armor plate on the portside.
In just a few seconds.
The cracks were filled with silvery liquid metal.
The originally twisted steel plate, under the consumption and reorganization by these tiny insects, actually visibly smoothed out at a rapid pace.
It even looked shinier than before!
This was the system's black tech.
Completely unreasonable.
"Next up, expansion."
Qin Yu opened the warehouse panel.
He had scavenged a massive amount of alloys before.
These past few days, he'd been busy traveling and fighting, with no time for upgrades.
Now that they were stopped for rest, it was the perfect time to level up the base again.
The current area of the "President" was two thousand square meters.
It sounded large, but with the Engine Room, armory, living quarters, there wasn't much deck space left.
"System, consume all stored construction materials."
"Expand the 'President'!"
"Target area: three thousand square meters!"
[Ding! Sufficient materials detected.]
[Expansion procedure initiated.]
"Rumble—"
A low, deep roar suddenly echoed across the previously calm sea.
The "President" was growing.
Yes, growing.
The decks on both sides of the hull seemed to come alive, automatically extending outward.
Countless alloy plates materialized in the void, fitting together seamlessly.
The ship widened and lengthened.
The once slightly cramped deck instantly became vast and open.
Three thousand square meters.
What did that mean?
Nearly half the size of a standard football field.
Floating on the sea, it was like a moving steel island.
Qin Yu stood on the command platform, watching the rapidly expanding territory beneath his feet, a surge of pride welling up in his heart.
"Install those two new gadgets as well."
Qin Yu tapped his fingers repeatedly.
[Fully Automatic Hextech Defense Matrix] transformed into four silver turrets with a sci-fi aesthetic, positioned at the four corners of the hull.
Six dark, hollow barrels rotated, emanating a cold, murderous aura.
Although this thing wasn't as powerful as the "Kiss of Death,"
it excelled in rapid fire and required no manual operation.
If any foolish mutated fish schools or ships attempting a sneak attack approached,
these four turrets could instantly weave a metallic web of fire, tearing the intruders to shreds.
Finally,
there was the [Ecological Cycle Cultivation Pod].
Qin Yu placed it behind the living quarters, next to the original S-grade Psionic fertile soil.
It was a fully transparent glass room.
Inside, there was a thermostat system, an automatic irrigation system, and even simulated sunlight.
In this post-apocalyptic world filled with rust and the scent of blood,
this sudden splash of green was more precious than gold.
...
Half an hour later.
The expansion was complete.
The entire "President" was completely renewed.
All the scratches and dents left from previous battles had vanished without a trace.
In their place was brand-new armor, gleaming with a faint, cold light.
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