Chapter 73: Su Qian’s Resolve!
Outside, Yang Ke’er and Su Qian were also dressed in their military uniforms, waiting for Zhang Xiao Qiang. Yang Ke’er was wielding her rebar Beast Horn Spear drawing circles out of boredom, while Su Qian and Yuan Yi stood barehanded looking at Zhang Xiao Qiang.
Zhang Xiao Qiang saw that the chicken farm was spread out for a 1000m. Running around for 3 or 4 rounds would be just right, as most military men ran for about 3km as their daily warm-ups anyway. Since it was the first time for Yuan Yi and Su Qian, he didn’t want to push them too hard.
Zhang Xiao Qiang was equipped from head to toe, carrying his backpack, with the Jing Wei Sword stuck at the side. Inside, he had filled up his army canteen with water, and he carried his Beast Horn Chrysanthemum Spear as he ran in front. Yang Ke’er was also carrying a light blue haversack as she lifted the Rebar Beast Horn Spear and followed behind. Yuan Yi was next, and Su Qian brought up the rear.
At the 400m mark, Yuan Yi and Su Qian were beginning to slow down. Yuan Yi forcefully tried to maintain her pace, while Su Qian was slowly left behind. Zhang Xiao Qiang did not holler at them nor did he encourage them, instead, he just remained at his pace in front. If they could not keep up, they would be eliminated sooner or later.
Yang Ke’er had a relaxed expression as she followed behind, her body constitution was much better than Zhang Xiao Qiang after all. The weight of the Beast Horn Spear and backpack was negligible to her, therefore, she even had the energy to assess the 2 women behind her from time to time.
Yuan Yi was in better body shape, because she had been exposed to all sorts of conditioning from young, and had not truly suffered in life before. Even when she went overseas, she continued to train hard. After she returned back to China, she began to slack a little. That was why she needed more time to get back into her routine. After she got used to it, she would become better.
Su Qian was different, as her background had been difficult, and she didn’t eat the best of foods and didn’t manage to grow to her fullest potential. Her constitution was slightly weak and had to focus on her responsibilities even after work. She naturally had no time to train. She was beginning to feel the exhaustion but relied on her strong willpower to force herself to continue with it.
Zhang Xiao Qiang completed the first round and soon came running at Su Qian’s heels during his second round, before overtaking her. He continued on without giving her a glance, while Yang Ke’er was following closely behind. She stuck out her tongue and made a face at Su Qian as she continued to run. By the 3rd round, even Yuan Yi had overtaken Su Qian, and she gave Su Qian an encouraging nod as she continued to run.
Su Qian continued to run slowly, her throat feeling like it was being roasted. There was not a drop of moisture in her mouth, and it felt like it was about to smoke. Her chest was rising and falling rapidly, as she breathed in and out raggedly. Her legs felt like 2 heavy anchors, and every step felt like a huge test to her.
Su Qian gritted her teeth as she ran quietly, her mind blank. She didn’t and couldn’t care about anything else. She just kept her eyes fixed in front as she ran slowly, all the while finding a new target to surpass. When she saw Yuan Yi overtaking her as well, her tears started to well up. However, she quickly used her hands to wipe them away, while telling herself: ‘The apocalypse has no place for tears!’ as she continued to run silently and bravely.
Her body was starting to feel sluggish, and her steps were faltering as well. A small voice within her began to sound itself: “Just give up, give up. You’ve already run far enough, it’s your limit here. Just give up, any more and you’ll die.”
Su Qian began to wobble, and her frequency of steps slowed down somewhat. She was beginning to consider giving up. However, her brain would not stop replaying images of the beautiful pair of twins, that had been eaten alive by the monsters. They had been so young still. Only 16 years old, and had not known much about the world, having been spoilt by their parents. They had only opened their mouths to scold Brother Long and Chen Yi and were immediately tossed to the monsters, screaming for a full 10 minutes before their deaths.
The screaming seemed to ring out in her ears, and Su Qian subconsciously increased her pace again, as if to escape from the sound.
Not long after, she felt her body becoming even more unbearable, as though there was a huge mountain pressing down on her. That little voice in her began its bewitching again: “Just give up, it’s already enough. You’re a woman, and you’re pretty, you have the capital! As long as you can hook Zhang Xiao Qiang, what do you have to worry about in the future? Yang Ke’er that lass is not your opponent at all, just a few measures, and she’ll be cast far away!”
Su Qian began to think about Yuan Yi again, who was prettier than her and had a higher education. She had an aura that even surpassed Su Qian’s, yet just because Zhang Xiao Qiang did not like her, she was almost returned to be fed to the zombies. How could she compare with Yuan Yi? What if one day she also got on Zhang Xiao Qiang’s nerves and was thrown to be fed to the zombies as well? Chen Yi was a vicious man, he would definitely throw her to the zombies. Thinking about those monsters again caused her to break out in cold sweat, and she hastily increased her pace.
After that, it didn’t matter how much that small voice continued to tell her, Su Qian ran forwards numbly, she didn’t know how long she had to run for, or how much distance was left She just continued to move her legs, repeating that phrase within her heart: “Even if I die running, I have to face forwards.”
Her body became heavier, and she felt worse. From time to time, her head would be hit by a dizzy spell, and her vision would start to blur. She lost track on the number of times Zhang Xiao Qiang and Yang Ke’er had overtaken her, she just continued to run forwards, as though she had lost control.
The fact that she was able to last so long was a sort of miracle to Su Qian. However, she did not know where the finish line of this miracle was. She felt that the road beneath her feet was the longest she had ever traveled in her life. It was to the point where the end was not in sight
Her mind was in chaos, she would suddenly remember the day that while her friends went out to celebrate getting their results, she was hiding in one corner to cry. Her thoughts then traveled to that 60+ old man sprawled on top of her, while she was gritting her teeth with thoughts of her mother’s surgery fees. She then remembered her dad lying in a pool of his blood, his hands still gripping that blood-smeared letter.
As she remembered her neighbors’ contempt and gossip while she studied quietly at home, hearing them refer to her as a bad example to their own children. She also thought back to her struggles of climbing the ladder to success under the conditions of exclusions by her colleagues.
Her face was streaked wet with tears, that couldn’t stop flowing, her military uniform long since drenched in her perspiration, sticking to her body.
She knew Zhang Xiao Qiang was different from Brother Long and Chen Yi. He did not need any useless people, he did not need weaklings. This was a chance, a chance for her to escape her fate of being an abandoned weakling. She had to grab hold of this opportunity, just like how she had always done. Otherwise, it would mean her death!!
‘Hu’ Zhang Xiao Qiang heaved a long sigh as he came to a stop, having finished the 4th round. After he stopped his running, he immediately began his other forms of training. He thought back to how his otaku self would have screamed for mercy at the 1000m-mark.
Yang Ke’er stood by the side with a relaxed expression, 4 rounds were truly considered a warm up for her. Even that few beads of perspiration on her forehead caused her to look a little more charming.
Zhang Xiao Qiang looked at her and thought back to his instructions the night before: “What did I tell you last night? Your training is 3 times theirs.”
“That is to say, while we run 1 step, you run 3 steps, we run 4 rounds, you have to do 12 rounds!”
“Ya! You’re bullying me, what right do you have? Just because I’m a young girl? I won’t do it! Where are my rights! I want equality!” Yang Ke’er began to act up upon hearing his words, as she stomped and huffed and complained. She put on an expression that said ‘I would not do it.’
“There’re no rights to speak of, who wanted to go challenge the D2 previously? And fell asleep the moment she went up?” With a single sentence, Yang Ke’er’s little temper was immediately doused. She began to sob as she grabbed her spear and resumed her running.
After Yang Ke’er began running for a while, Yuan Yi came to a stop in front of him, her face flushed red. Beads of perspiration continued to flow down her face. Her entire body was drenched in perspiration as well. She looked to Zhang Xiao Qiang, before looking at Yang Ke’er, and gritted her teeth to follow. It seemed that her lifestyle had been pretty healthy while overseas, and her constitution was decent. It even surpassed Zhang Xiao Qiang’s health from previously.
Su Qian continued to run slowly, at this point, having completed 2 rounds. Zhang Xiao Qiang did not push her, nor did he care. To him, what mattered was not giving up. The speed didn’t matter, not giving up meant that there was hope. There was a chance to become stronger in this cruel apocalypse. No one could save you, only by relying on yourself, would life become slightly easier.
Zhang Xiao Qiang hoisted his Beast Horn Spear as he began to squat and hopped about. As he bobbed up and down, he gradually entered his zone, and he forgot the women who were running. Each time he pushed himself to the brink, he would remember the various situations of peril that he was in. He would then push himself to surpass his limits.