Chapter 037 Spiritual encouragement is also helpful


    “No limits on food and drinks, but double the training intensity!”


    At Zhang Su’s command, the two women exchanged glances, their expressions a mix of shock and dismay.


    “Suge, I still dream of being a soft and sweet girl, but you’re pushing me straight onto the path of a muscle-bound Barbie…”


    Zheng Xinyu forced an awkward smile, expressing her discontent in a gentle and indirect manner.


    “Soft and sweet girl?” Zhang Su shook his head and chuckled. “If we ever make it out of this neighborhood, I want you two to dress as shabby as possible and get as filthy as you can. You think being cute and delicate is an option? Keep dreaming.”


    “Why?!”


    “What for?!”


    A livestream host who banked on her looks and a mistress who climbed the social ladder with her body and face—both immediately voiced their strong objections upon hearing Zhang Su’s words.


    Zhang Su pulled out a cigarette, tapped it against the coffee table, lit it, and took a deep drag. Blowing out a stream of smoke, he said, “I don’t have time to explain right now. Just eat up and get to training. You’ll understand soon enough.”


    Ignoring their confused stares, he walked over to the window, pulled back the curtain slightly, and quietly exhaled a puff of smoke.


    A scene straight out of hell unfolded before his eyes. His gaze once again locked onto the spot where he had suspected someone was hiding. With the difference in height—three floors lower than him—his perspective shifted, and this time, he saw it clearly. A leg!


    “How the hell did he end up hiding there? He’s gonna get himself trapped to death. How’s he supposed to get out of this?”


    As Zhang Su was contemplating, a line of text suddenly appeared in his mind.


    【How will you handle the hiding man?


    A. Rescue him


    B. Provide assistance


    C. Watch him die】


    【00:01:29】


    Zhang Su turned his head and, sure enough, neither Zheng Xinyu nor Zhong Xiaoshan were in sight. They had likely gone to the bedroom to change.


    “So, I only trigger challenges when no one is watching? But I’ve been alone plenty of times… there must be more conditions. Interesting…”


    Pushing those thoughts aside, he focused back on the choices. Time was ticking.


    “Saving him is definitely impossible…”


    Zhang Su quickly ruled out option A. Looking at the swarm of at least a hundred or so zombies below, he grimaced. The difficulty of rescuing the guy was sky-high—insanely high.


    “But… if the system is giving me this challenge, that guy must have some kind of value. Even if I can’t save him, I should at least help him.”


    With that decision made, Zhang Su decisively chose B.


    【Select a time limit for completing the challenge:


    A. Three hours


    B. Twelve hours


    C. Forty-eight hours】


    He glanced at his wristwatch. It was nearing noon. If he was going to help, daylight would be the best time to act. Sёar?h the Novёl?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    “There’s not much difference between A and B… Screw it, let’s go with A and take the risk!”


    【How will you assist him?


    A. Lure away the zombies


    B. Drop food, water, and weapons within three meters of the target


    C. Offer words of encouragement】


    “The f*? Offer words of encouragement?”**


    Zhang Su’s lips twitched violently. He had no idea why such a ridiculous option was even on the list, but somehow… it was kind of tempting.


    Still, he wasn’t about to just yell “You can do it!” and call it a day.


    “Dropping supplies within three meters…”


    He estimated the distance. It wasn’t too far, but accuracy would be an issue. Just as he was squinting to aim, an idea flashed in his mind.


    “A! I choose A!”


    【Challenge activated: Within three hours, lure the zombies away from the hiding man.


    Difficulty: A.


    Countdown begins: 02:59:59】


    The countdown started, and at the same time, Zhang Su heard Zheng Xinyu and Zhong Xiaoshan whispering complaints. The mysterious floating text had vanished.


    “Haha, didn’t expect the difficulty to jump straight from C to A. Now, this is getting interesting.”


    A faint excitement bubbled within him. He had already figured out how to attract zombies. What seemed like the hardest option was actually the easiest one for him!


    “Hey, you psycho! You push us into insane training, then sit there looking all broody and poetic?”


    Zheng Xinyu emerged from the bedroom dressed in a fitted athletic outfit, clearly annoyed at seeing Zhang Su staring blankly out the bay window.


    Zhang Su gently lowered the curtain and said seriously, “I’ve noticed the temperature is dropping fast. Even with sunlight, it’s not warm. It feels like winter is coming early.”


    Normally, late September in Qin City was still warm enough for short sleeves, and even in early October, it wouldn’t be that cold.


    But this year was different. It wasn’t even October yet, and the chill in the air felt like early November. There was no weather forecast, but judging by the way it felt, it couldn’t be more than ten degrees Celsius.


    Using a serious topic to divert attention was a highly effective tactic.


    Zheng Xinyu immediately got sidetracked. “Yeah, I’ve had to bundle up under a thick blanket at night. It’s colder than winter with the heating on. And that’s with all the windows shut—if they were open, it’d be even worse.”


    “Uh… speaking of that,” Zhong Xiaoshan hesitated. “Can I… sleep over? I don’t have a thick blanket, and it’s really cold.”


    Zhang Su shook his head. “This little bit of cold isn’t a big deal. I can give you a thick blanket, but you’re still sleeping in your own place.”


    At his words, Zhong Xiaoshan’s expression visibly dimmed. She had thought she had gained some trust, but clearly, she wasn’t there yet…


    With the couch moved away, the living room had more space, making it easy for the three of them to train together.


    But after huffing and puffing through the workout for a while, Zheng Xinyu and Zhong Xiaoshan realized something—Zhang Su hadn’t moved from his spot by the window at all.


    “Suge, what the hell are you doing?”


    Flushed from exertion, Zheng Xinyu plopped onto the floor, tilting her head in curiosity.


    Zhang Su turned and beckoned them over.


    “So mysterious…”


    The two got up and walked to the window.


    “Look over there.”


    He pointed toward the hiding man’s location.


    “Huh? Wait… there’s actually someone there!”


    “You’re right! How did he even end up hiding down there?”


    Earlier, they had assumed Zhang Su was hallucinating from stress and just played along. But now, seeing it with their own eyes, there was no doubt—someone was down there!


    “We don’t know how long he’s been stuck there, but the temperature is dropping fast. Even with food and water, he won’t last much longer.”


    Zhang Su’s voice was heavy.


    Zheng Xinyu’s expression turned somber. “Yeah… at night, it’ll get even colder. Probably single digits. We can’t even save him…”


    “If he were right below us, we could at least throw some supplies down, but at this distance… there’s nothing we can do.”


    Zhong Xiaoshan frowned and shook her head.


    “Really? No way to help him at all?” Zhang Su muttered, as if talking to himself—or maybe he was testing them.


    The two women bit their lips and shook their heads, looking utterly helpless.


    “Neither of you can think of anything? If I were the one trapped there, would you just stand there and watch me die?”


    Zhang Su shot them a sidelong glance. These two still needed some serious training.