Seeing his listless appearance, Cheng Lin couldn’t help but curve her lips slightly. She took the opportunity to speak, her gaze falling on Jiang Feng and Jiang Xuan, her tone sincere: “Brother Feng, Sister Xuan, given the current situation, I’d like to ask a favor. Could you help Zhou Shao and me create a training plan? I’m afraid that if we ever need to escape in the future, my stamina won’t keep up and I’ll slow everyone down. Zhou Shao, do you want to join me?”
Her eyes immediately turned toward Zhou Yu, carrying a hint of insistence that left little room for refusal.
Zhou Yu’s eyes lit up as if he had grabbed a lifeline, nodding rapidly like a pestle pounding rice, his previous frustration vanishing: “Together, together! We have to do it together! Sister-in-law, just call me Xiao Yu! Brother Feng, Sister Xuan, thank you so much in advance!”
Jiang Feng and Jiang Xuan exchanged a glance and both nodded in agreement: “No problem.”
Without delay, they stood up and rummaged through their backpacks for paper and pens, carefully asking about Cheng Lin and Zhou Yu’s physical conditions.
Cheng Lin, who seldom exercised, would get winded after just a few steps. Zhou Yu was the epitome of pampered, weak to the point of being unable to lift even a chicken. Taking these factors into account, and considering possible sudden situations in the apocalypse, the two of them spent a full three hours devising training plans detailed to the extreme.
The plans included everything—from daily morning run distances to strength training exercises and sets, even down to recovery guidelines. They even provided specific dietary recommendations.
Looking at the densely written plan, both Cheng Lin and Zhou Yu couldn’t help but gasp, their faces showing a hint of distress.
Starting that afternoon, Cheng Lin and Zhou Yu’s grueling training journey officially began.
Their physical abilities were roughly equal—neither clearly stronger than the other.
During the morning runs, they had barely covered a kilometer on the treadmill before gasping for air, their legs weak, almost collapsing to the ground. When doing push-ups, Cheng Lin could barely manage three before her back gave out, while Zhou Yu flatly collapsed onto the floor, unable to get up for a long while.
Jiang Feng and Jiang Xuan acted as strict instructors, staying close at all times to correct their form, showing no leniency.
Sweat dripped down their temples, soaking their clothes, and their muscles ached as if they had been dismantled and reassembled. Cheng Lin gritted her teeth, repeatedly forcing herself to stand, silently grateful that the fitness pill she had taken earlier was slowly taking effect; otherwise, she might not have survived the first day of training.
Zhou Yu complained incessantly, shouting, “I can’t do it, I can’t!” yet under Jiang Xuan’s stern gaze, he reluctantly kept going, a miserable expression on his face.
Outside, the acidic rain continued its drizzle, corroding the world beyond, while inside the gym, the heavy breathing of the two trainees mingled with Jiang Feng’s calm instructions.
Time passed, minute by minute, in this sweat-soaked training.
When Jiang Xuan called them for dinner in the living room, the exhausted Cheng Lin and Zhou Yu collapsed almost simultaneously, unwilling to move an inch.
Mo Yang waddled over on his short legs, rubbing his head against Cheng Lin’s cheek as if to comfort her.
Cheng Lin lifted her hand and gently stroked Mo Yang’s soft fur, the touch instantly soothing her.
The acidic rain had been falling continuously for two days and nights.
It was the third day since the apocalypse began.
Cheng Lin was awakened by her biological clock. The raindrops pelting against the window sounded so dense that it made her uneasy. Habitually, she reached for her phone on the pillow. The screen lit up, but the signal bars were empty, and the Wi-Fi icon had lost all its glow.
“Disconnected?” Cheng Lin’s voice broke the silence of the bedroom. Mo Yang stirred in her arms, his wet eyes looking up, letting out a low whimper. She picked him up and dragged her slippers toward the living room.
In the living room, Jiang Feng stood by the window, holding an old radio, his fingers constantly adjusting the dial. The static crackled in the empty room, occasionally interspersed with faint, garbled broadcasts, never forming a complete sentence. The signal was intermittent, like a candle flickering in the wind, easily extinguished with the slightest distraction.
Zhou Yu slumped on the sofa, his hair a chaotic mess, his face haggard. He stared at the radio and sighed: “It’s over. We’re completely blind now. We have no idea what’s happening outside.”
Jiang Xuan walked over carrying freshly heated milk, handing a cup to Cheng Lin, her brows slightly furrowed: “Being stuck in the villa cuts us off from information. If there’s any important notice or news about safe zones outside, we’d be in trouble if we miss it.”
Jiang Feng turned off the radio and looked at the three of them with a serious gaze: “I want to go to the city and check the situation.”
The living room fell silent for a moment.
Cheng Lin tightened her grip on the milk cup and instinctively glanced out the window. The acidic rain continued to fall, forming small pits wherever it struck the ground. The city held too many unknowns.
“It’s too dangerous,” Cheng Lin said frankly. “You saw the videos online yesterday. The city not only has acidic rain, but also those biting monsters. If you go alone and encounter danger…”
“Precisely because it could be dangerous, we must go,” Jiang Feng said firmly. “We need to know whether the authorities have implemented disaster measures, if there’s any organized rescue, and the true situation with those monsters. Staying here doing nothing is equivalent to waiting for death.”
Jiang Xuan nodded in agreement: “Miss Cheng, don’t worry. We’ll be careful. And with the two of us together, we can watch out for each other.”
Seeing the determination in their eyes, Cheng Lin knew persuasion was useless. She paused for a few seconds, then walked into the storage room, pulling out two gleaming kitchen knives and a heavy golf club, handing them over: “Knives for defense, the club has enough force. Also this.”
She brought out two sets of thickened raincoats and boots. The raincoats were full-body with hoods, and the boots were tall with thick soles, resistant to corrosion: “Acid rain is highly corrosive. Wearing these provides an extra layer of protection.”
Jiang Feng and Jiang Xuan accepted the items, a hint of warmth flashing in their eyes. “Thank you.”
Cheng Lin waved her hand, walked to the door, and watched them put on the rain gear. After checking their equipment once more, she opened the door and got into the off-road vehicle parked in the yard.
The engine started, and the vehicle slowly drove out of the villa gate, soon disappearing into the curtain of rain.
Cheng Lin stood by the window, watching the car vanish completely. She turned to Zhou Yu, who stared at her with a face full of despair, as if saying, I’m so weak, I’m useless.
“Stop dazing off,” Cheng Lin patted his shoulder and pointed toward the second floor. “Come on, let’s go to the gym. Today’s training isn’t finished yet.”
Zhou Yu groaned, collapsing further into the sofa: “Sister-in-law, spare me! Yesterday’s workout left me sore all over—I can barely lift my arms.”
“If you slack off now, you won’t even have the strength to run when danger comes,” Cheng Lin said mercilessly, dragging him up. “Let’s go.”
Indeed, Cheng Lin and Zhou Yu were evenly matched in physical ability, neither clearly superior to the other.