Apocalypse: I Can See Health Bars
Chapter 17: Food! One Must Eat One’s Fill

Chapter 17: Chapter 17: Food! One Must Eat One’s Fill

Since breaking through the security door was too difficult, Lin Fan decided to fall back on the time-honored tradition of burglars—climbing through the window.

It was an old building with low ceilings, less than three meters high.

Looking down from the window, it seemed the one below was only about a meter away, just past the balcony wall.

If he tied a rope to the bracket of the outdoor AC unit, two meters would be plenty.

Lin Fan went over to 602. It had the same layout, so climbing down from the window was, in theory, feasible.

Besides, his physical strength was far greater than before...

He grabbed the top of the doorframe to test his strength. With a flex of his arms, he easily pulled himself up.

It seemed both his arm and grip strength were more than enough for him to rappel down.

The only problem was, he hadn’t found any suitable ropes in that pile of boxes. The delivery guy’s apartment had a few straps for electric bikes, but they were too short and couldn’t bear enough weight.

’Who keeps a bunch of five-meter nylon ropes lying around the house? What for, hanging yourself?’

There were some electrical wires in his store, but that stuff was useless. One good tug and the rubber insulation would strip right off.

He did have some nylon rope, but he only used it for things like tying dog cages, so it was all in short, unusable sections...

"Dogs... Ah!"

The thought of dog cages made Lin Fan suddenly remember—there might actually be some rope in a corner he’d forgotten about!

He hurried from the sixth floor all the way back down to the first, went into his store’s utility room, and started rummaging around.

Finally, in a corner of the shelving, he found it: a box of dog leashes he’d stocked when he first opened the store. He hadn’t sold a single one.

They were high-quality nylon leashes, each nearly two meters long, and there were ten of them in the box!

When you run a store, that’s just how it is with some products. Customers might not buy them, but you still have to stock them.

The dog owners in the complex were all old folks who would use the same leash for ten years. The dog might pass on, but the leash would remain.

Besides, even eighty-year-olds were shopping on cheap e-commerce sites these days. A leash that cost over twenty yuan in Lin Fan’s store was no match for the online deals of 4.9 yuan with free shipping. As a result, he hadn’t sold a single one in six months.

"Hey, kid... time to eat."

Suddenly, the sound of footsteps descended from upstairs, and Su Qing’s voice echoed in the hallway.

"What are you looking for? I was about to call you to eat when I heard you THUMP-THUMP-THUMP-THUMPING down the stairs."

Lin Fan turned around to see Su Qing, her hair tied up, wearing a large gray apron. She was staring curiously at the box in his hands.

"Uh... It’s nothing. I found it."

He glanced at the [66/100] floating above Su Qing’s head. ’Looks like she was happy cooking,’ he thought. ’Her Life Value is still recovering steadily.’

"I’m actually starving. Let’s eat first. After we’re done, you can help me with something."

’Since we’ve formed a survival alliance,’ Lin Fan thought, ’I’ve got to make the most of my one and only laborer.’

...

"It smells amazing..."

Though they were just simple, home-cooked dishes, the rich aroma hit him the moment he walked in.

"Wow, you’re an amazing cook!"

Lin Fan exclaimed, leaning over the edge of the table to take in the fragrant scent of the food.

’This is way better than my own cooking,’ he thought. ’She managed to whip up three dishes and a soup in no time.’

’If I’d known she was this good, I would’ve had her make the noodles this morning.’

Su Qing could tell Lin Fan’s praise was sincere, and it made her genuinely happy.

She picked up a bowl, filled it to the brim with rice for Lin Fan, and said with a beaming smile,

"I used to learn how to cook from our chef whenever I was stressed. Before I knew it, I’d learned a ton of dishes..."

"We’re short on ingredients right now. If we had the right stuff, I’d make you a few proper dishes to help you build up your strength..."

"A chef?" The word caught Lin Fan’s attention. He asked casually, "Your family has a chef?"

The food was genuinely delicious. Although there were only three dishes, the portions were huge—normally enough for the two of them to eat for three meals.

She was confident in her cooking, but everyone has different tastes. Seeing how much Lin Fan was enjoying the food, Su Qing felt relieved.

She served herself only a small bowl of rice, evidently still full from breakfast.

"A chef... My family used to own a restaurant. A small one..."

Su Qing hesitated for a moment before explaining.

"Oh, I see. That’s pretty cool. No wonder you’re such a great cook."

Lin Fan didn’t think much of it, simply continuing to wolf down the food on the table.

’Ever since the apocalypse began and I awakened my Superpower,’ he thought, ’my appetite has gotten way bigger.’

Even Su Qing found it a bit odd. ’He looks so fit,’ she wondered, ’how can he eat so much?’

The food that should have lasted them at least three meals was almost gone...

...

Stuffed and satisfied, Lin Fan moved a stool over to the windowsill and sat down. It had been a long time since he’d eaten such a good meal, and he’d unconsciously overstuffed himself.

After all, as a wise sage once said: A meal is not a meal unless you are full!

And the true secret to being full is getting a second helping.

And the secret to getting a second helping, of course, is having a beautiful woman fill your bowl for you...

While fiddling with the radio and trying to tune the signal, Lin Fan watched Su Qing, still in her apron, as she cleared the table.

’That big apron completely hides the dress she’s wearing,’ he mused. ’From this angle, it almost looks like she’s wearing nothing underneath...’

...

"Hey, kid, what was it you needed my help with?"

Su Qing called out to Lin Fan as she tidied up the kitchen.

Su Qing’s reminder brought Lin Fan back to the task at hand.

He hadn’t slept well the previous night, and now, with a full stomach, he was starting to feel drowsy.

He went to the bathroom and splashed some water on his face to wake himself up, then emptied the box of dog leashes onto the coffee table.

Seeing this, Su Qing came over and examined the leashes.

"Hey, kid, what are all these leashes for?"

Lin Fan realized he hadn’t told her his plan yet. He explained that he intended to climb down from the sixth-floor window, and the color drained from Su Qing’s face.

"What? No way! What if something happens to you? Can these leashes even hold your weight?"

It was clear Su Qing was truly panicked. ’If something happens to Lin Fan,’ she worried, ’what will I do all by myself?’

"If something happens to me, all this food becomes yours. Wouldn’t you be happy about that?"

Lin Fan teased.

"You bastard!"

Su Qing could tell he was just teasing, but her mind was still reeling from his absurd plan. "Is it really worth risking your life just to clear out the zombies in the building? They can’t get out if we keep the security doors shut..."

’Of course, I’m not just doing it to clear out zombies,’ Lin Fan thought. ’The key is that killing zombies gives me loot and increases my health bar. The chance to kill them in a contained environment is much better than facing them out on the streets...’

But he didn’t feel the need to tell Su Qing any of that.

"Try to look on the bright side... Trust me, these leashes are plenty strong. They could hold back a Tibetan Mastiff."

Lin Fan held out a leash for Su Qing to see. They were all the same: thick nylon ropes, over ten millimeters in diameter.

"We just have to pick out all the stitching..."

As he spoke, he picked up a utility knife and began to carefully slice through the stitches on the handle and clasp, taking care not to damage the rope itself.