69novels Chapter 434 2 Daughter's Birth
Chapter 434 2 Daughter's Birth
Chapter 434 The Birth of the Second Daughter
June in Anchorage is an idyllic poem stretched out infinitely.
The relentless sunlight of the midnight sun shines on this vast land, making the snow on the Chugach Mountains look like pink cream and giving the waters of Cook Bay a crystal-clear blue.
For Lin Yu-an, this past month has been the most "ordinary" yet happiest period of his life since his rebirth.
There are no thrilling deep-sea battles, no lavish banquets in the arena of fame and fortune, and no life-or-death struggles in the wilderness.
His world was shrunk infinitely to the cozy family cabin at the Arctic Biological Research Center.
He has only one identity—husband and father.
In early July, on a sunny afternoon, accompanied by a loud cry, Emily gave birth to a healthy baby girl at one of Anchorage's best private hospitals.
When Lin Yu'an received the wrinkled little life wrapped in soft swaddling clothes from the nurse, he felt as if he were holding up the whole world.
This little guy has the same black eyes as him, but his skin is as fair as Emily's.
She didn't cry or fuss; she just quietly opened her eyes, which were full of curiosity about the world, and her little mouth was slightly open as she gave a cute yawn.
In that instant, Lin Yu'an felt his heart, hardened by the trials of the icy plains and the deep sea, completely melt into a pool of spring water.
He carried his daughter to Emily's bedside. Emily's face showed postpartum exhaustion, but her eyes were filled with maternal radiance.
"Let's give her a name," Emily said softly.
Lin Yu'an looked down at his daughter in his arms and pondered for a moment.
He thought of the pristine, icy seas of Greenland. "Let's call her Eve. I hope she can be as vibrant as the summers of this land."
Emily smiled gently: "Eve Lynn, a very nice name."
The birth of little Eve was like a gentle pebble thrown into this complex family, creating ripples of perfect harmony.
Arya and McCormick instantly become very careful around the baby. They would spend an entire afternoon lying by the cradle, gently touching Eve's soft cheeks with their fingers.
He kept muttering, "Oh my god, she's too small, I don't dare touch her."
The two one-and-a-half-year-olds, Ethan and Olivia, were also full of curiosity about their new little sister.
They would stand on tiptoe, vying to peek into the cradle, trying to give their toys to their little sister, even though Eve's only interests now were sleeping and drinking milk.
Lin Yu-an has become a full-time stay-at-home dad.
He displayed an even more astonishing patience and meticulousness than building a shelter in the wilderness, changing diapers, feeding, and burping —
Every movement was performed with exceptional skill.
Late at night, when Eve cried incessantly, he would hold her and pace around the room, humming off-key lullabies until the little one calmed down again in his warm embrace.
During the past month, Scout called several times to inform Lin Yu-an of the numerous lucrative endorsement contracts that were pouring in, but Lin Yu-an rejected them all without hesitation, citing "maternity leave."
A billion-dollar business empire or the glory of being a top predator seem so insignificant in the face of a daughter's soft, sweet cry.
He finally understood the feeling of being completely "anchored" by his family.
This is a sweet shackle that makes him willingly conceal all his sharpness, becoming nothing more than a father who protects the cradle.
This idyllic tranquility was shattered one morning by a heavy letter from the hospital.
Arya took the envelope with the hospital logo on it out of the mailbox, a knowing, mocking expression on her face.
"My dears, come and see!" She walked into the living room, waving the envelope like she was displaying trophies. "Princess Eve's 'worldly bill' has arrived!"
Emily, who was breastfeeding Eve, looked up, a hint of curiosity in her eyes. McCormick also peeked out from behind her laptop.
Arya skillfully tore open the envelope, unfolded the long bill, and read it aloud in an exaggerated, epic tone: "Total cost: $48550.00 — Hmm, not bad, a bit cheaper than when I had twins in Montana."
Below is a dense and dazzling list of charges:
Standard delivery room usage fee (22 hours): 15700
Epidural anesthesia administration fee: 5200
—Epidural anesthesia administration fee: 5200;
Fee of attending obstetrician: 8000
Postpartum recovery ward (2 nights): 6500
Newborn care fee: 4100
Laboratory testing fee: 1850
She pointed to the items on the menu, as if commenting on an absurd one: "Oh, this is my favorite, the initial guidance fee for mother and baby skin contact, $45."
He winked at Emily: "Honey, the feeling of holding your daughter for the first time is worth $45. Got it?"
Emily smiled helplessly: "I didn't expect that would require payment."
"This is the American Dream, baby," McCormick added calmly. "Here, even breathing and love can theoretically be priced."
Arya flipped to the last page of the bill and concluded, "Okay, after all that charitable discounts on our top-tier insurance, the final amount we need to pay is—$4580."
Just then, Lin Yu'an came out carrying Ethan, whose diaper had just been changed.
"What are you all talking about? It's so lively!"
"Let's talk about how much your little princess is worth." Arya handed him the bill, a hint of amusement on her face. "Here you go, hero, it's your turn to pay."
Lin Yu'an took the envelope and pulled out not just one bill, but three or four bills from different departments—one for hospital admission, one for the anesthesiologist's separate bill, and one for the pediatrician's examination fee.
"Oh, they're still the same old thing, always splitting one thing into several parts to charge for it," Arya, having been there herself, complained.
Lin Yu'an ignored the complicated details and simply picked up the most important hospital bill, focusing her gaze on the payment information section at the bottom.
He took out his phone, unlocked the screen, and opened his browser. Following the URL provided on the bill, he entered the Anchorage Hospital's online payment portal address, and then, as prompted, entered the long string of account numbers.
After the page redirected, he didn't even check the amount. He directly entered "$4580" in the payment field, then selected credit card payment and entered the security code.
"Done." He turned off his phone screen; the whole process was smooth and took no more than thirty seconds.
"There's something I need to discuss with you," Lin Yu'an said calmly, but her eyes were unusually serious.
The three women exchanged glances, each seeing a hint of understanding in the other's eyes. They knew that the man who belonged to the wilderness and the sea was about to set sail again.
Lin Yu-an did not hide anything and told them everything about the Giant Rock River Farm, the tragic family history of Hunter Rockefeller, and the final mandate worth five billion US dollars hidden behind the land purchase contract.
When McCormick heard that all four of Mr. Hunter’s children had died unexpectedly, especially his youngest daughter Evelyn’s mysterious disappearance from the “Nine-Bun Skylight” in Guangxi, China, he couldn’t help but gasp.
"Oh my god—this is terrible."
Emily and Arya, on the other hand, remained calm, their gaze fixed on the place name—"Nine Skylights".
“I’ve heard of that place.” Arya frowned. “Darling, as we said before, it’s known as the Mount Everest of cave diving. The underwater environment is extremely complex, and the mortality rate is alarmingly high.”
Lin Yu'an nodded and added, "In order to find his daughter's body, Mr. Hunter organized several rescue operations, all of which ended in failure. The last one even resulted in the deaths of two top cave diving experts."
"Are you really still going?" Arya's green eyes were filled with worry and confusion. "That's not an adventure, that's suicide! Even though this commission might be worth five billion, nothing is more important than my life!"
Lin Yu'an stood up and walked to the window. "Ailiya, do you still remember why I bought the Giant Rock River Farm? I wanted to find a permanent home for us and the children."
"The reason Mr. Hunter chose me among so many buyers was because he saw in me the same ideal of being a guardian of the land as he did."
He turned around, his gaze sweeping over his three wives in turn. "What I accepted was not just a piece of land, but a weighty entrustment."
"Mr. Hunter entrusted me with the kingdom he had guarded his entire life, and his only obsession was to bring his daughter home. As the new guardian of this land, I cannot turn a blind eye to this obsession."
"This isn't just about the five billion dollar bounty; it's about a promise, about a king's respect for his predecessor."
Emily listened quietly; she understood Lin Yu'an's sense of responsibility best.
She spoke slowly, her voice gentle yet firm: "We know we can't stop you. But you must promise us that you'll bring the best team in the world and be fully prepared. We absolutely cannot lose you."
"I promise." Lin Yu'an walked back to the fireplace, knelt down, and embraced his three wives. "This time, I won't be fighting alone."
McCormick suddenly looked up from the warm embrace, his eyes sharp, and asked, "Who are you planning to take? It's not the person I'm thinking of, is it?"
"Uh...yes, it's Raven." He uttered the name calmly.
The air froze again.
McCorz was about to retort when Emily stopped him with a look.
Seeing their complex expressions, Lin Yu'an patiently explained, "Nine Skylights is an extremely vast underground river network. The core of this operation is not land survival, but underwater exploration."
"I need a world-class diving expert whom I can completely trust as my partner. Raven is the best choice."
"She not only has top-notch skills, but more importantly, we have a tacit understanding to fight side by side in extreme sea conditions."
In the underwater environment where death can be a constant threat, this kind of unspoken understanding is more important than any equipment.
This explanation is reasonable and irrefutable.
In the end, Emily nodded first. She looked at Lin Yu'an with reluctance in her eyes, but more so with understanding and trust.
"We understand," she said softly. "Let her go. As she herself said, a harbor strong enough can hold many ships. We trust your judgment, and we believe—she can bring you back safely."
Although Arya was still pouting, she didn't object anymore.
This family meeting reached a consensus in a complex yet tacit atmosphere.
After the meeting, Lin Yu'an dialed the number from New York.
The call was answered almost instantly.
"Good evening, sir." Arthur's voice, as calm and professional as ever, came from the other end of the phone.
"Arthur, it's me." Lin Yu'an got straight to the point. "Regarding Mr. Hunter Rockefeller's final commission, I've decided to begin its execution, and I'll personally go and salvage it."
Arthur paused for two seconds on the other end of the phone, seemingly processing the weight of this information, before his tone became extremely solemn: "Understood, sir. Are you sure you want to formally activate the 'Property Supervision and Enforcement Services Contract'? Once activated, the entire legal process will be irreversible."
"I'm sure," Lin Yu'an said firmly. "Start it. I will personally go to China to carry out this search mission."
I need you to prepare all the relevant legal documents and authorizations as quickly as possible.
"Of course, sir. Please rest assured." Arthur's voice carried a hint of relieved excitement.
"Our legal team will handle all your concerns and ensure the complete legality of this international operation. All documents will be sent to you via encrypted email within 48 hours."
"very good."
"Sir, if I may be so bold as to say—" Arthur paused, as if making a final confirmation.
"Now that you have made your decision, I feel obligated to reaffirm with you the true value behind this mandate, to ensure that you are fully aware of the immense power you are activating."
"Speaking."
"Based on today's closing data for U.S. stocks, Coca-Cola's total market capitalization is approximately $275 billion, and the 1% stake in Mr. Hunter's trust has a public market value of $5.5 billion."
Arthur continued, throwing out an even more enticing figure: "Furthermore, according to Coca-Cola's latest annual dividend plan, this portion of the equity can generate more than $160 million in after-tax cash dividends each year."
"Sir, this means that if you can complete this task, you will not only recover all the money you spent to buy the ranch, but you will also immediately own a financial empire that can bring you a stable cash flow of more than $1.6 million every year."
Arthur took a deep breath and concluded in an almost exclamatory tone: "Mr. Hunter is truly willing to exchange an empire flowing with gold for his daughter's return home."
Lin Yu'an listened quietly, her face expressionless.
He knew that Arthur's words were a reminder of the enormous rewards of this mission, and also an implication that he could use the expected profits to assemble the most expensive and top-tier expedition team on the planet.
But Lin Yu'an's heart was unusually calm.
"I understand, Arthur." His voice was as steady as ever. "Money is just a tool. My goal is to bring Evelyn home. That's it."
After hanging up the phone, Lin Yu'an did not immediately dial the next number.
"Captain? You finally remembered your first mate?" Raven's voice, tinged with a hint of drowsiness, came from the other end of the phone; it was clearly still late at night in Miami.
"Pack your bags, First Mate," Lin Yu'an's voice was brief and forceful. "We have a new mission."
"What mission? To the Mediterranean or Tahiti?" Raven immediately perked up.
"Neither." Lin Yu'an looked at the rising sun outside the window and said, word by word, "This time, our route is not on the sea."
"The place we're going to is Guangxi, China."
"The target is the deepest and most dangerous underground river on Earth—Nine Heavenly Window."
There was a full ten seconds of silence on the other end of the phone.
Lin Yu'an could even hear Ruiwen gasping for breath and her heart pounding violently on the other end.
For a top cave diver, the name "Nine-Beat Skylight" itself represents a deadly allure.
"Are you crazy?" Raven's voice trembled uncontrollably, but within that trembling was even more excitement. "Do you know that's a diver's graveyard?"
"I know," Lin Yu'an replied calmly. "That's why I need the best partner."
"—How long do I need to prepare?" Raven didn't ask any more questions.
"You have one week to procure the top-of-the-line closed-circuit breathing apparatus, underwater propulsion system, and helium-nitrogen-oxygen gas mixture —"
Everything you need, with no upper limit. We'll meet in Hong Kong a week later.
"Roger that, Captain!"
After hanging up the phone, Lin Yu'an knew that from this moment on, her comfortable family life had come to an end.
He will once again embark on an unknown journey filled with danger and challenges.
But this time, he wasn't doing it for survival, but for a promise—to bring a lost soul home.
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