Chapter 38: The Long Winter Days

Chapter 38: The Long Winter Days

That very day, Guan Yuanfeng devised a detailed training plan based on Zhou Yun's weight and some basic tests.

The plan covered warm-up and flexibility training, aerobic endurance, strength training, tactical skills, and stretching. Each segment had specific times and sets.

"As long as you follow it meticulously, this will definitely enhance your overall fitness, endurance, strength, and tactical skills," Guan Yuanfeng said encouragingly, looking at Zhou Yun.

Zhou Yun took the handwritten training plan and first noticed the strong, forceful handwriting. He was somewhat surprised that Guan Yuanfeng had such nice handwriting, evident that it had been practiced.

However, after reading through the training plan, cold sweat started to break out.

The daily warm-up involved ten minutes of exercise or dynamic stretching to get the muscles and joints warm and flexible, raising the heart rate. This was followed by thirty minutes of aerobic exercise, including a five-kilometer run on the treadmill, with alternating fast and slow walking.

The strength training lasted an hour, involving pull-ups, squats, push-ups, and plank holds. Each exercise consisted of three sets of fifteen repetitions, with equipment training to begin after half a month.

The tactical skills training also lasted an hour, starting with basic obstacle courses, shooting practice, and tactical movements. After a month of physical training, close combat techniques would be taught.

Was this the training plan of a special forces team member? Zhou Yun looked at Guan Yuanfeng with almost pleading eyes. Guan patted him on the shoulder. "You can do it, I promise."

Zhou Yun groaned, "You’ve got to be kidding me."

The gym on the 28th floor had also been reorganized. They brought the camping generator down to the 28th floor, connected the electricity for the gym, and redesigned the layout.

The original cardio equipment like treadmills, ellipticals, and rowing machines, along with the free weights, dumbbells, barbells, and weight racks in the fixed equipment area, and the yoga mats, foam rollers, and massagers in the stretching and relaxation area, were all placed on one side, leaving the other half of the long and narrow space to be used as an indoor shooting range.

Guan Yuanfeng set up two shooting lanes at 10 and 15 meters, with two adjustable and movable targets. He said with some regret, "We don't have lateral moving targets or complex hidden targets, nor do we have bullet-absorbing walls or ceilings. Fortunately, we're using blank rounds, so it's basic but functional."

The panoramic glass windows facing the mountains and the reservoir usually offered beautiful scenery, but at the moment, they were filled with swirling snowflakes in the wind.

The towering, snow-capped peaks loomed through the swirling snow, appearing and disappearing like ghosts in the mist. The surface of the Qingyun Reservoir was covered with thick snow, forming a vast icy lake.

The snow had been falling for three days and showed no signs of stopping.

Despite the beauty of the scene, Guan Yuanfeng knew that this meant Danlin City would be trapped by the snowstorm for a long time. Even if the snow stopped, if the low temperatures persisted, even the survivors who had been barely surviving would find it hard to endure such low temperatures and would not be able to find enough food.

In this vast and desolate icy world, it felt as if the two of them were the only ones left, living until the end of time.

He turned to look at Zhou Yun, who was doing his strength training by the floor-to-ceiling window. After completing his five-kilometer run, Zhou Yun had stripped down to a short-sleeved cotton sports top and athletic shorts, drenched in sweat. His face was pale and exhausted, and he was going through the motions on the rowing machine with a look of despair.

But to Guan Yuanfeng, Zhou Yun's arm muscles were well-defined. With each rhythmic forward and backward movement on the rowing machine, the resistance band was pulled steadily and forcefully. Each stretch caused his arm muscles to tighten, and sweat slid down his forehead, across his handsome features. His figure was truly eye-catching.

Even to Guan Yuanfeng, who had trained countless soldiers, Zhou Yun's physical condition and appearance were quite outstanding and attention-grabbing. In a different world, someone like Zhou Yun would have been a standout, drawing attention wherever he went.

With a touch of appreciation and approval, Guan went over to remind him, "Pay attention to your breathing."

Zhou Yun looked at him with a helpless expression, his forehead and eyelashes already damp with sweat, his eyes even carrying a hint of pleading.

For a moment, Guan felt a pang of sympathy, but he quickly regained his stern demeanor. "One more set," he said, his voice firm but not unkind. Afraid his voice sounded too harsh, he added, "You can take a short break first."

Relieved, Zhou Yun got up to grab his water bottle.

"You've made progress today. Just hold on a little longer," Guan Yuanfeng encouraged.

This was the kind of training new special forces recruits went through, and it would be brutal for most people. However, Zhou Yun was a psychic, and completing this training load wasn't particularly difficult for him.

He had observed earlier that Zhou Yun was very diligent when it came to household chores like digging and gardening, but he wasn’t very focused during physical exercises. Basically, he would just put on an audiobook or music and leisurely ride the exercise bike for ten kilometers, or simply brisk walk for five kilometers.

This approach didn’t effectively tap into the innate physical potential of a psychic. He was so smart, with strong combat awareness and tactical skills. With proper training, he could perform even better.

Zhou Yun gritted his teeth to get through these daily training sessions, wondering why, in his past life, Guan Yuanfeng hadn’t considered training him at all, simply placing him in a safe base, yet now he was so eager to train him.

He looked at Guan Yuanfeng, who was testing a gun behind the glass, shooting at the target. His gaze was calm and sharp; his actions of drawing, cocking, and lifting the gun were smooth and precise, like flowing water.

Zhou Yun remembered when he inserted the IV for him, noticing the thick calluses on his hands, especially on his palms and knuckles, likely from countless hours of practice.

Guan Yuanfeng turned to look at him and smiled slightly, “Rested enough?”

Zhou Yun said, “You’ve trained for many years. Truly impressive.”

Guan Yuanfeng said, “If you practice well, you’ll be like this too. Rest up, then continue with the next set.”

Zhou Yun sighed. “I’d still rather be a couch potato.”

Seeing Zhou Yun’s rational and gentle demeanor starting to crack, Guan Yuanfeng couldn’t help but want to laugh as his gaze shifted to the sweat-soaked chest, “Your improvement in just three days of training is quite noticeable. Don’t be discouraged.”

Zhou Yun changed the subject, “Can you attach lightning to that arrow?”

Guan Yuanfeng, clearly interested, “I’ve tried it, and it seems quite good.”

He brought the bow over, his long legs slightly apart, his posture straight, his tall figure like a standing mountain, exuding a composed and steady aura.

As his arms slowly extended, the bowstring was gradually drawn to its full extent, his muscles bulging as the bowstring tightened, as if harboring an impending burst of power, his eyes narrowing slightly, his gaze sharp, a purple light flickering on the arrow.

Zhou Yun involuntarily held his breath, watching as the bowstring released, and the arrow wrapped in purple lightning shot out with the wind, like a star streaking across the night sky, swift as lightning, leaving a lingering purple afterimage in his vision.

In an instant, the arrow exploded on the target, with a deafening sound. The straw target instantly turned charred black, a plume of smoke rising into the air.

Zhou Yun blurted out, “So powerful!”

Guan Yuanfeng smiled, “Outside, it’s even more effective against zombies, more controllable, precise, and it conserves psychic energy compared to using lightning bolts. Lightning covers a wide area, using up a lot of energy and hitting zombies randomly. If there are only a few zombies, it’s inefficient.”

Guan Yuanfeng turned to Zhou Yun, reminding him of the day’s remaining tasks, “Continue—you’re wearing too little; if you don’t keep going, you’ll catch a cold when it gets colder.”

Resigned, Zhou Yun got on the rowing machine to finish the rest of today’s training tasks.

After the morning training, they started slaughtering a pig at noon.

This pig was specially chosen by Zhou Yun, a local black pig, with a long body, large snout, strong limbs, long tail, and coarse hair. Its size wasn’t particularly large, and its belly didn’t sag like a typical fat pig’s, but its muscles were firm and delicious. It had been fed for months with plenty of corn, radishes, potatoes, and pig feed, and now it was time to eat the meat.

The hot water in the energy-saving stove was already boiling, gurgling with white steam. A long bench to tie up the pig and a basin to collect blood were prepared. Zhou Yun took a lasso to catch the pig, but Guan Yuanfeng took the lasso, “Let me do it. Why don’t you just freeze it?”

Zhou Yun blurted out, “If you freeze it, the blood won’t drain properly, affecting the taste.” It was a rare occasion to slaughter a pig; of course, they wanted fresh meat and fresh pig’s blood for soup, which was top-notch in taste.

Guan Yuanfeng, amused, quickly secured the pig with the rope. Zhou Yun couldn’t even see clearly what he did, only seeing him press down on the pig with his knee, wrapping the rope a few times, and the pig was already securely tied to the bench, a beautiful display of grappling techniques.

The black pig thrashed and kicked, but couldn’t break free from the tight ropes. Comet circled around, growling at the pig with its tail wagging excitedly.

Guan Yuanfeng took a sharp knife from the basin and swiftly slit the pig’s neck to drain its blood.

Once the pig stopped moving, they untied it and submerged it in the hot water to scald and remove the hair. They cut open the pig to remove the internal organs and began dividing the meat into sections. The head, pork belly, leg meat, pig trotters, and ribs were carefully cut and laid outside, where they quickly froze.

The freshly slaughtered pig's best parts are the just-cut liver, kidneys, and blood sausage, which, when stir-fried with pickled vegetables, pickled peppers, and ginger, become tender and spicy, with a first-class taste. The pork stomach and chicken are used to make a broth for a pork stomach and chicken hot pot with white fruit, which is the most wonderful nourishing medicinal soup. Fresh pig blood is added to the soup, tender enough to melt in the mouth, rich and delicious. Then, steamed mutated gastrodia elata (a medicinal herb) with pig brain completes the meal, and tonight's dishes are all set.

The pig head meat, pig ears, and pig tongue are all braised. The fat is cut off to render lard, while the rest of the meat and pig trotters are cut into large pieces and placed in a stainless steel basin with the lid on, directly on the rooftop. In the freezing ice and snow, it's the best natural refrigerator.

The entire large intestine of the pig is cleaned, and the hind legs are stewed in a pressure cooker as a reward for Comet.

Although the two of them are efficient and capable, by the time the pig is slaughtered and cleaned, it's already dark. Outside, it's still a heavy snowstorm, and the early dark sky signals the arrival of evening. The two of them went downstairs, carrying the pig innards and pig head, to start preparing dinner.

While stir-frying the pork liver and kidneys, Zhou Yun asked Guan Yuanfeng what cooking methods he preferred: "Tomorrow, should we make braised pork, steamed pork, red-braised pork, or fried crispy pork?"

Guan Yuanfeng smiled: "Anything is fine. With such a big pig, let's try everything."

Zhou Yun said: "Tomorrow, we'll first braise the pig head meat, ears, tongue, and tail, then steam a plate of steamed braised pork. The pork ribs can be eaten slowly later. We still have some sausages from before, so there's no need to bother making more. The pork is best eaten fresh, so let's finish it by the New Year."

Guan Yuanfeng found Zhou Yun busily preparing for the New Year celebrations adorable. Even in the apocalypse, Zhou Yun was still concerned about the New Year. He laughed: "Actually, even if the three of us eat our fill, this pig won't last many days."

Zhou Yun was nonchalant: "We still have rabbits. It's cold, perfect for rabbit hot pot, and we can make some spicy rabbit heads. Come spring, we'll plant some rice by the lake, which will be enough for us to eat. We can also plant some corn. I have excellent seeds for glutinous corn and sweet corn. Which one do you prefer?"

Guan Yuanfeng couldn't help but laugh at Zhou Yun's plan to plant the entire neighborhood. "Plant them all, and the corn can also feed the pigs, convenient."

Zhou Yun nodded: "Exactly. We'll plant watermelons, winter gourds, and pumpkins by the lake, enough to keep us well-fed."

The stir-fried pork liver and kidneys came out a beautiful pink color, and after thickening, it was scooped out onto the table. The pork stomach and chicken from the pressure cooker were taken out, the pork stomach and chicken cut and put back into the soup. With a ginseng root added to the broth, Guan Yuanfeng couldn't help but laugh: "Such a big tonic, I'll need to run an extra five kilometers tomorrow."

Zhou Yun gave him a sideways glance, and Guan Yuanfeng burst into laughter, his chest shaking, tears almost coming to his eyes. It was the first time Zhou Yun had seen him laugh so heartily and was quite surprised. He handed the whole pot of soup to Guan Yuanfeng to use as the hot pot base.

He then cut the fat to render lard, cleaning a large pot and putting all the cut fat inside to make lard. It would last a long time in winter, and the lard would enhance the flavor of the vegetables from the greenhouse.

The golden, clear lard slowly rendered out, and the aroma filled the air, very homely.

Guan Yuanfeng set the bowls and chopsticks, serving rice, as he watched Zhou Yun bring over the washed vegetables. Even though it was a snowy winter outside, Zhou Yun's greenhouse still had some leafy greens, bok choy, spinach, Chinese chives, and pumpkin shoots. This allowed them to have fresh vegetables even in winter.

In the white smoke, it was another bountiful meal and a fulfilling day.

With the New Year pig slaughtered, the New Year had arrived.

On New Year's Eve, Zhou Yun even found red paper, gold foil, and ink to carefully write the characters "Fu" and couplets, which he pasted on the door.

His brush calligraphy was free and flowing, like floating clouds and flowing water, elegant and natural. Guan Yuanfeng helped him paste the couplets and also stood at the door to appreciate them. His eyes lingered on the horizontal scroll "May peace be with us every year," thinking that in this apocalyptic time, peace was indeed the most important thing.

Zhou Yun also lit a string of firecrackers on the rooftop, the familiar smell of gunpowder adding to the New Year atmosphere. The red paper from the firecrackers fell on the snow, bright and striking. The first New Year of the apocalypse had arrived.

The snow continued for half a month, covering everything in ice and snow.

But Guan Yuanfeng and Zhou Yun spent each day very fulfilled. Under Guan Yuanfeng's high-intensity training supervision, Zhou Yun became more and more at ease with the tasks, proving that ordinary people, when possessing psychic powers, do indeed significantly improve in physical fitness. Zhou Yun was an intelligent student, able to infer many things from one fact.

After half a month of teaching, Zhou Yun had become quite skilled in close combat and shooting, even able to exchange blows with Guan Yuanfeng.

In addition to physical training, Zhou Yun spent a lot of time in his medicinal herb garden, tending to the cacti, trumpet vines, and jasmine Zhou Yun had planted. Guan Yuanfeng knew he was doing research and, aware that Zhou Yun preferred quiet and disliked going out, did not disturb him. He only took Comet downstairs.

Sometimes, at Yuexi Number 3, he took care of the rabbits and bees that had been moved down for separate cages, and the flowers and plants that Zhou Yun had planted.

Zhou Yun had already set up shelves, plastic film, and straw to protect these plants from being damaged by wind and snow.

But the outside temperature was extremely low. Guan Yuanfeng noticed that many of the plants in the neighborhood had frozen to death. However, the cacti, trumpet vines, and jasmine Zhou Yun had planted were still green and thriving.

Especially the cactus grown on the mutated fish intestines had become as large as a plate and seemed like it could grow even bigger.

Guan Yuanfeng walked through the neighborhood and saw that all the zombies had been cleared out. Now, everything was covered in white snow, with temperatures dropping to minus thirty degrees Celsius. Even with his cold-weather down jacket and gloves, his face was still scratched by the wind. In his memory, Danlin City had never had such cold winters. As a child, he had heard his parents talk about their distant northern hometown and how cold winters were there, and how the family got through them.

He wasn’t someone who could sit still for long. With little to do in the winter, he took Comet with him to sweep through the entire villa area and each unit of the neighborhood again, collecting useful supplies, especially rice and noodles.

After gathering everything, he and Comet went down the mountain to the supermarkets and markets at the foot of the hill, gathering even more useful supplies. The heavy snow had blocked the roads, so they mostly traveled on foot. When they encountered places that were particularly difficult to cross, he commanded Comet to spit fire and melt the ice and snow to clear the path.

He could clearly feel that his physical condition had improved tremendously. Both he and Comet had boundless energy that needed to be released. Without a way to channel it, they could only walk outdoors, hunt zombies, and search for supplies every day.

Whenever they walked on the snowy ground, the mist from their breaths in the cold air turned into streams of white fog, intertwining with the falling snowflakes. The sound of their footsteps echoed in the silent streets, giving a sense that apart from the zombies, there were no other living people in the world.

Guan Yuanfeng unleashed a bolt of lightning without a second thought, killing the zombies that were rushing towards them in a pack, drawn by the smell of fresh blood, and dug out the crystal core. His psychic powers required a large number of crystal cores to upgrade, and the winter presented a significant challenge for continuous hunting.

Especially since these zombies weren’t affected by the cold and were evolving. Guan Yuanfeng had begun encountering more difficult-to-eliminate zombies that ran faster and were stronger. In one particularly dangerous encounter, he and Comet even faced an entire zombie horde that seemed to have a leader.

The chain lightning couldn’t drive back the entire zombie horde. Fortunately, he had brought zombie repellant spray, which he spread just in time when they were nearly surrounded, causing the zombie horde to flee. At that moment, he used his lightning skill on a steel arrow, shooting it through the zombie that seemed to be the leader, electrocuting it.

He had originally intended not to say anything, fearing that Zhou Yun would worry, but as soon as he returned, Zhou Yun immediately frowned. “You used zombie repellant spray? Did you encounter danger?”

Guan Yuanfeng had no choice but to admit, “We encountered a zombie horde.”

Zhou Yun nodded. “That was the right decision. You can’t let them surround you. When facing a zombie horde, you need to use the terrain to your advantage and find higher ground quickly.”

Guan Yuanfeng was somewhat surprised. “How do you seem like you’ve encountered a zombie horde before?”

Zhou Yun replied smoothly, “I’ve played games before. Haven’t you?”

Guan Yuanfeng: “……”

Zhou Yun smiled slyly at him. “What did you get today?”

Guan Yuanfeng took out a massive crystal core, with a faint green light swirling inside. Zhou Yun was startled—a royal-grade wood-type crystal core! He said, “From the leader of the zombie horde?”

Guan Yuanfeng said, “Yes. The lightning arrow was very effective. A regular arrow might not have killed it. Aiming for the head risks shattering the crystal core, but with the lightning attached, the arrow exploded upon hitting the target, very precise and effective. The crystal core was preserved perfectly.”

Zhou Yun smiled. “Is this core for me? Why didn’t you absorb it yourself?”

Guan Yuanfeng said, “I can still absorb other attributes. This wood-type crystal core is of high quality, so I’m saving it for you. It might be useful for your research and planting.”

Zhou Yun looked at Guan Yuanfeng deeply, then accepted the crystal core. “Thank you.”

To Guan Yuanfeng’s surprise, even though he had encountered a zombie horde, Zhou Yun didn’t stop him from going out. Instead, he gave him more zombie repellant spray and used the mutated fish skin and eagle feathers to reinforce their protective clothing.

The fish skin was indeed tough to handle. Zhou Yun wasn’t strong enough, so Guan Yuanfeng had to help cut the fish skin into suitable pieces and sew them into the protective clothing.

Guan Yuanfeng couldn’t help but ask Zhou Yun, “Aren’t you going to stop me?”

Zhou Yun was puzzled. “Stop you from what?”

Guan Yuanfeng felt like he had asked a silly question. “With this heavy snow and so many zombies outside, and with plenty of food and drink at home, I thought you’d want me to stay upstairs.”

Zhou Yun smiled. “Who can keep a wild bird caged? If Captain Guan could stay idle, he wouldn’t be Captain Guan.”

Guan Yuanfeng: “……” He felt like Zhou Yun’s words had a deeper meaning, perhaps even a hint of sourness, but he couldn’t quite figure out why.

Zhou Yun then said, “The food and drink at home are sufficient, so why do you insist on making me train every day?”

Guan Yuanfeng: “……”

Zhou Yun looked at him and couldn’t help but smile. “The snow won’t fall forever, and the world doesn’t only have the two of us.”

Though… I almost wish it were just the two of us.