Chapter 12: I Need to Build Muscle!

Tang Ying walked a bit oddly when she got up, but she didn't let Zhang Cheng help her. She was somewhat fearful of him now. She couldn't understand why he had such boundless energy. Could it be that great stamina was a characteristic of otaku? Tang Ying didn't bother to ask such a question. However, Zhang Cheng seemed out of the ordinary, engaging in various exercises like running, skipping rope, and lifting dumbbells in the gym. Was he just overindulged?

Tang Ying, who had experienced hunger, knew how terrible it was. To reduce unnecessary energy consumption, she tried to minimize her food intake. But Zhang Cheng was doing the opposite. The living room'strash can was filled with three cartons of fresh milk, five ham sausages, two braised pig's feet, two braised eggs, and the packaging of three instant noodles. Not to mention bread, biscuits, and Snickers bars. He was truly eating his fill.

He was also not conservative with water. He would drink from a 5-liter bottle of mineral water, carelessly spilling some of it, which pained Tang Ying to see. After running on the treadmill for ten minutes, lifting dumbbells twenty times each, and skipping rope 200 times, Zhang Cheng sat on the sofa, catching his breath. Tang Ying, sitting beside him, was eating bread with milk. Her appetite wasn't large. Aside from the two days she was starved, she would normally be full with just a piece of bread and a box of milk.

Tang Ying suddenly asked, "Are you training for the Olympics?" She could hear the 'thumping' sounds from her room. Although the gym wassoundproofed, Zhang Cheng hadn't closed the door. He had been exercising in the gym since lunch, and by the time Tang Ying got up, he had been at it for over three hours. He would exercise until he was drenched in sweat, rest, and then drink water, repeating this cycle.

"I need to get stronger. For now, I can only increase my muscle strength. Later, I'll go to the gym to find some protein powder," Zhang Cheng replied. He was well aware of how to build muscles. To develop substantial muscle mass, one needs constant exercise and consumption of a lot of protein powder. Muscle fibers tear and get damaged during exercise, then grow back stronger to handle more stress.

Tang Ying was stunned for a few seconds. She knew Zhang Cheng thought differently from normal people. But it was the apocalypse! A biohazard had erupted, and zombies were rampaging everywhere, biting and eating people. Food and water were already scarce, yet Zhang Cheng was not conserving food and even planning to go out more often.

Zhang Cheng looked at Tang Ying, noting her expressions of anxiety and worry. Was she worried for herself, for her future, or for him? However, this wasn't important at the moment. Zhang Cheng hugged Tang Ying and said, "I know it's dangerous to go out, but we'lleventually run out of food in the nearby stores. We'll have to go elsewhere. If I'm not strong enough, I won't be able to protect you."

Was he getting stronger to protect me? Tang Ying, who had studied psychology, knew that introverted people cherished the peopleand things they valued highly. For instance, some otaku would even fall out with their family over a figurine. It wasn't just a figurine; it was their emotion. Tang Ying suddenly felt a bit warmer. She thought Zhang Cheng considered her important.

In reality, Zhang Cheng was lying. With his ability to avoid zombie bites, he could easily obtain food nearby. He also had a motorcycle, making refueling easy. He could search the entire city for food and bring it back. He was just unwilling to let a man like Chen Tianhu outsmart him. Therefore, he had to become stronger, not just relying onintelligence and cunning, but also on personal combat strength.