Ice Age Apocalypse: I've Stockpiled Billions of Resources

The cheers inside the carriage gradually subsided. The ecstasy brought about by the leap in life level was like the receding tide, slowly settling down and being replaced by a more rational sense of fear and reflection.

The off-road vehicle sped across the wilderness, the shock absorption system filtering out the bumps in the ground into slight swaying.

Karina leaned back in the leather seat, still holding the empty vial of medicine.

Under the soft light from the car roof, she stared at the remaining trace of golden liquid clinging to the car's walls, and her brows suddenly furrowed slightly.

The atmosphere was just right, and coupled with my blind worship of Lin Luo, I impulsively jumped in.

"Lin...husband," Karina swallowed, her voice trembling slightly, "weren't we...a little too bold?"

Natasha, who was stretching her strong arms, turned around when she heard this: "Huh? Weren't you the one who was shouting the loudest just now? Are you scared now?"

“It’s not fear, it’s common sense.” Karina’s face was a little pale as she looked at Lin Luo. “After all, this is a gene therapy drug that is injected directly into the vein. There have been no clinical trials, no observation of rejection reactions, and not even an allergy test. We just inject it directly like this… What if, I mean what if, there is gene collapse or irreversible mutation? We won’t be able to get it out then.”

The atmosphere inside the carriage froze for a second.

Lin Luo remained leaning back in his chair, toying with an unopened cigar in his hand.

"There's no such thing as 'what if'."

Lin Luo raised his hand and pointed to the mechanical spider lying quietly on his shoulder, then pointed to the center console that was in autonomous driving mode. "I trust Qingxue."

Five simple words, yet they resonate deeply.

The ripples on the center console screen paused slightly.

For Qingxue, an artificial intelligence with advanced intelligence, "trust" is a very complex data model full of variables.

The database at the Mars base contains too many records of the suspicion, defensiveness, and even mutual destruction between Martians and AI.

Although she possesses an emotional module, in her computational logic, humans are inherently suspicious.

What she just gave was merely a data-driven "promise" that the drug was effective.

Logically, humans would demand that she provide ingredient lists, experimental data, and perhaps even conduct live experiments on a mutated mouse, spending a month or two before cautiously attempting it.

But Lin Luo did not.

Not only did he not hesitate at all, but he also led his team to complete the injection without any safety measures.

This is no longer just saying "I believe you," it's a practical action that entrusts one's life and fortune.

[The vital signs of the commander and team members were stable, telomere repair rate was 100%, and cell activity increased by 300%.]

Qingxue's originally flat electronic voice now had a subtle, almost imperceptible gentleness and...emotion.

[Thank you for your trust, Commander Linluo. Qingxue's core logic library has raised "Absolute Loyalty to Linluo Squad" to the highest, unmodifiable level.]

Lin Luo smiled and patted the armrest: "You see, this is one of the rules for surviving in this damned world. Once you've chosen your teammates, you entrust your back to them. Whether they're human or AI."

He looked at Karina: "Since Qingxue said it's a finished product, then it must be a finished product. If she doesn't even have this much judgment, she doesn't deserve to be called the top AI on Mars. And..."

Lin Luo paused, his eyes sharpening: "If she really wanted to harm us, she would have locked the car doors and drained the oxygen. We'd be four dried-up corpses by now. Why would she bother tricking us into getting injections?"

Karina paused for a moment, then slapped her forehead with a wry smile: "That's right, I was being narrow-minded. If an AI of this level doesn't bother to lie, then I don't need to use my human cunning to speculate."

At this moment, not only Karina, but also Chen Shuang and Natasha looked at the shimmering mechanical spider with a newfound acceptance in their eyes.

If Qingxue was just a useful tool before, now, after this round of unwavering "sharing life and death," she has truly become a member of this team.

Lin Luo knew very well that this move was the right one.

Subduing a highly intelligent AI through code constraints is always a poor strategy; only the emotional bond based on "trust" can be the most unbreakable firewall.

"Alright, since we can't die, we have to keep living."

Natasha stretched, the feeling of explosive power making her extremely excited, wishing she could jump out of the car right now and tear the two mutated beasts apart to add to the excitement.

She leaned against the back of Lin Luo's chair and asked excitedly, "Honey, we're ridiculously strong now, and our lifespans are maxed out. Where do we go next? Are we going to that core area to wipe out that monster's lair? Or are we going to seize a big settlement and become the city lord?"

In this wasteland where strength reigns supreme, ambition naturally swells with power.

Chen Shuang and Karina also turned their gazes to Lin Luo. Indeed, with such a near-superhuman physique and lifespan, his future plans seemed to be much grander.

Lin Luo glanced at her as if she were an idiot: "Take over the nest? You're overthinking it."

Natasha choked: "Huh? Then we..."

"Of course, I'll go home."

Lin Luo adjusted his posture to make himself more comfortable, his gaze passing through the bulletproof glass as he looked at the red sand swirling outside, his voice becoming somewhat distant.

"Natasha, don't get carried away. This potion is meant to make us live a little longer, not to make us immortal."

He raised his hand, looking at his long, slender fingers. "On this Mars, the idea of ​​true 'immortality' is a pipe dream. Forget 120 years, even 1200 years is nothing; a stray bullet, an extreme cold storm, or an inconspicuous mutated venomous insect can take your life at any moment."

"To live a long life and maintain peak performance for a longer period of time is already a gift from God, a tremendous blessing."

Lin Luo's voice lowered, carrying a hint of world-weariness, "Think about what we've seen along the way? Too many disasters. If we want to survive, we must be cautious."

The carriage fell completely silent.

The restlessness brought on by the surge of power was completely extinguished by Lin Luo's cold water. The fervor in Natasha's eyes faded, replaced by a deep sense of relief.

Yes, it's a miracle that we've survived to this day and can still live with such dignity.

“We are already very lucky,” Lin Luo concluded softly. “So, don’t always think about courting death. With such a long lifespan, what we should do is not squander it, but rather enjoy this ‘time’ more carefully.”

He snapped his fingers. "Qingxue, Qiege, let's lighten things up. Let's go home, take a hot bath, and get a good night's sleep. That's what's important."

Okay, we're playing "Going Home" for you.

"Let's go home," Natasha muttered, slumping back into her chair, a grin spreading across her face. "Whatever you say, honey, let's go home!"