NOVEL SIMPLE CHAPTER 32
CHAPTER 32: Forging New Strength
Day 19 of the Apocalypse Calendar, Thursday, Rest Day.
Even on rest days, Lu Ming refused to slack off. Strength was something earned day by day, effort by effort. Taking it easy was a luxury he couldn’t afford.
After his morning workout, he opened his attribute panel to check his progress.
Name: Lu Ming
Age: 25 years old
Strength: 28.6 (29.5) ↑
Physique: 29.1 (30) ↑
Agility: 28.5 (29.4) ↑
[Skills]
- Fitness Lv4 (250/400)
His attributes were increasing steadily. He was becoming stronger with each passing day, a fact that would’ve filled any ordinary person with pride.
But strength had its price.
Lu Ming’s appetite had grown alarmingly. His current food intake was nearly five times what it had been before the apocalypse. The three years’ worth of food and water he had so carefully stockpiled now seemed woefully inadequate.
“I prepared three years’ worth of supplies,” he muttered, furrowing his brow. “But at this rate, it’ll barely last a year. Sourcing more food will become an issue soon.”
That was a problem for another time, though. Right now, he had another concern: his training equipment was starting to fall behind.
Earlier today, while trying to push for heavier weights, Lu Ming had snapped the first barbell. He had backups, but the realization struck him hard—his strength would eventually outgrow the pre-apocalypse equipment. What then? How would he train? And if he couldn’t train, how would he continue gaining attributes?
His thoughts raced as he drifted toward the second-floor window, peering through the observation slit. It was around ten in the morning, and outside, the survivors from the night before had already woken up. They were working diligently, clearing the streets of debris and corpses, moving the zombies away one by one.
Lu Ming’s eyes caught Wang Xiong, who was inspecting the skull of a giant zombie, as though searching for something important. Unable to resist his curiosity, Lu Ming opened the window and called out.
“Hey!”
The shout drew the attention of all the survivors on the street. They looked up and greeted him warmly.
“Good morning, Brother Lu!”
“Brother Lu!”
Lu Ming gave a brief nod, then directed his voice toward Wang Xiong. “So, when are you leaving?”
Wang Xiong chuckled, shaking his head. “We’re not. We’ve decided to stay.”
Lu Ming frowned. He didn’t dwell on their decision, but it seemed strange to him. As he was about to close the window, something caught his eye—Zhang Lixin, the soldier. Lu Ming remembered something Wang Xiong had mentioned before and leaned out the window.
“Hey, sir soldier.”
Zhang Lixin wiped his brow and approached, looking up at him. “What’s up, Brother Lu?”
“Don’t call me that,” Lu Ming replied, feeling awkward at the formality. “Just call me Lu Ming.”
Zhang Lixin smiled. “Okay, Brother Lu.”
Lu Ming sighed. Guess that’s not changing.
“Anyway, I remember Wang Xiong mentioning you found a lathe, something that can do simple machining tasks?” Lu Ming asked, hoping to steer the conversation toward his immediate concern.
Zhang Lixin nodded. “Yeah, we’ve got one.”
Lu Ming grinned sheepishly. “Well, my bow and arrow broke. Think you could make me a new one?”
Zhang Lixin hesitated. After witnessing Lu Ming’s display of power the previous night, he wasn’t so sure about crafting something that could withstand Lu Ming’s strength. But he couldn’t exactly refuse either.
“I’ll give it a try,” Zhang Lixin finally replied.
“Great!” Lu Ming said, satisfied. “Also, about making a slingshot—shouldn’t be much harder, right?”
Zhang Lixin paused again. “I… I’ll do my best.”
Lu Ming nodded as if it was all settled, then added one more request. “And about fitness equipment. The original barbell I have isn’t strong enough anymore. Can you help me out with that too?”
Zhang Lixin’s body stiffened. “Uh… What kind of weight are we talking?”
“Let’s say around ten tons?” Lu Ming replied, scratching his head.
Zhang Lixin could hardly believe what he was hearing. An iron bar that could support five tons on either end? That was a task bordering on impossible. Before Zhang Lixin could fully voice his doubts, Lu Ming quickly cut in.
“Of course, I’m not asking for a favor without offering something in return. How about some canned food? A whole box, if you want.”
Zhang Lixin shook his head fervently. “No, no! There’s no need for that.”
The thought of taking anything from Lu Ming felt wrong. With Lu Ming’s strength, their survival was almost guaranteed. Helping him meant helping themselves, after all.
Lu Ming could see the conviction in Zhang Lixin’s eyes, and after a moment of reflection, he offered a warm smile. “Thanks. I really appreciate it.”
Watching Zhang Lixin head back to the others, Lu Ming glanced down at the street. The survivors were working hard, cleaning up the aftermath of the battle. He sighed, feeling a little more at ease.
“They’re good people,” he muttered to himself. “Very good people.”
...
Zhang Lixin, meanwhile, was lost in thought. He couldn’t shake off the morning’s strange conversation. By lunchtime, he still hadn’t figured out how he was going to craft a ten-ton barbell. After finishing a meal of chips and bread, he decided to seek help.
He found Dr. Meng Jie in another house, where she was busy examining the remains of the hunter zombie. Relaying the morning’s events to her, Zhang Lixin sought her advice.
“So, you need materials with extremely high strength to meet Mr. Lu's requirements?” she asked, raising an eyebrow.
Zhang Lixin nodded. “That’s right. But I don’t know what kind of materials would work for something like this.”
Dr. Meng Jie chuckled softly. “And you thought a biologist could solve this problem?”
Zhang Lixin scratched his head, feeling a little foolish. “I was desperate, Sister Meng. I agreed before I thought it through.”
Dr. Meng Jie considered his predicament for a moment, then her eyes lit up with an idea. “Well, it doesn’t mean there’s no solution.”
Zhang Lixin’s expression brightened. “What do you mean? What’s the solution?”
Dr. Meng Jie pointed to the dissected remains of the hunter zombie spread out on the table.
“They are.”
End of Chapter 32