Exercise and Eat Meat

After being put through the wringer, Zhang Hao was actually pretty satisfied. With Mi Feng keeping him in line, he had no choice but to stop slacking off. That was just how people were: unless they had exceptional self-discipline, they would rather sit than stand, and lie down rather than sit. Zhang Hao had made a fortune, too, so without someone pushing him, who knew how lazy he might have become?

Everyone wanted to improve and make something of themselves, but reality ground down most people's ambitions. Even when it came to exercising, most only did it on a whim. The moment it became painful, they would give up without a second thought.

With the great Mi Feng around, even if Zhang Hao wanted to slack off, it wouldn't happen. It wasn't that Mi Feng wanted to torment him; his body simply wasn't up to standard, so Mi Feng had no choice but to keep pushing him. Mi Feng could move on to the next step only when he met the standard. How long that took depended on how hard Zhang Hao worked.

Exhausted as a dead dog, Zhang Hao trembled all over as he rode the elevator back to the surface.

There was another workout tonight!

Zhang Hao dropped onto the ground. He felt like he might as well die. "Great One, can't I take a breather? I'm exhausted!"

No!

"Ugh!" Zhang Hao sighed and slowly made his way back to his room. All he wanted was to lie on the bed, but even with every muscle aching and his body drained of strength, he could only inch his way to the bathroom.

He gave himself a quick rinse, put on a white bathrobe, and slowly shuffled back to his room, eager to lie down.

Don't go to sleep! Go to the empty room and do some exercises.

Zhang Hao's eyes widened. "Exercises? What kind of exercises?"

Go to the empty room!

Zhang Hao was so angry he couldn't speak. After a long while, he finally said, "Damn it, are you trying to work me to death?"

You won't die! Hurry up!

Utterly helpless, Zhang Hao found an empty room. There were plenty of vacant rooms in the villa, and he picked the closest one. He struggled inside and said, "All right, what exercises am I supposed to do?"

Stand in the middle of the room and relax your control over your body. Don't resist, or you'll be in a lot of pain.

Zhang Hao went to the middle of the room and said, "All right... Huh? What's going on?"

He realized that he was moving. It was frightening, because he wasn't the one controlling the movement. Something else was controlling him.

Don't try to control it! The Nano-machine is controlling your nerves, muscles, and bones to make these movements. Remember them after doing them once, then follow the same routine on your own from now on!

The series of movements was full of bizarre poses that nearly made Zhang Hao see stars. The splits in particular hurt so much that he yelped over and over. Strangely, though, when the routine was over, less than half an hour later, his whole body felt refreshed. It felt incredible.

He had felt awful before; now he felt just as wonderful. Zhang Hao didn't know whether to laugh or cry. Most importantly, all the aches in his muscles, tendons, and bones had vanished. He felt more alert than ever before.

"How is this possible, Great One?"

Zhang Hao was genuinely impressed. The routine was complicated, but he could remember every movement perfectly. He couldn't understand why all the exhaustion, soreness, and other unpleasant effects had disappeared after he finished. It was unbelievable!

You're about as weak as a chicken. You can't even lift a basket or carry a load on your shoulder. If someone even a little stronger than you attacked, you'd barely be able to run away! Remember, your body is your capital. Don't exercise? Then die. It's easy!

Mi Feng's voice was full of mockery and disdain. Zhang Hao's face flushed red, and he muttered, "In this day and age, just staying alive is hard enough. Who the hell has time to worry about all that..."

Go eat!

Zhang Hao jumped. He'd just made a snide remark, and this was the response he got?

"Eat what?"

Meat! Beef! Mutton! Pork! Any kind of meat will do!

His phone rang. Zhang Hao saw that it was Liu Feng, the property manager, and answered, "Manager Liu, what's up?"

Ever since a Nano-machine had invaded Liu Feng, he had been especially attentive to Zhang Hao's affairs.

"General Manager Zhang, there's a van at the entrance. They're here to see you."

Zhang Hao got calls like this all the time. Since this was an upscale villa community, no vehicle could enter without a resident's approval.

"Let them in."

A van pulled in, and three people got out, carrying box after box of cardboard cartons. The man in front asked, "Is this Zhang Hao's house?"

Zhang Hao was used to this sort of thing and nodded. The man said, "Your meat order has arrived. We've also brought two barbecue chefs to cook for you. Is there anything else you need?"

Zhang Hao nodded while talking to Mi Feng. So the meat and the barbecue chefs had both been ordered by Mi Feng. He led them to a small pavilion and said, "You can barbecue here."

The barbecue grills, seasonings, and meat were carried into the pavilion box by box.

The two chefs got set up, lit the fire, seasoned the meat, and got to work.

Zhang Hao sat by the pavilion, watching with curiosity. One of the chefs asked, "How many people should we prepare barbecue for? When will the guests arrive?"

Zhang Hao was surprised. "Guests? What guests?"

The two chefs froze. No guests? Who was all this meat for, then? There were more than two hundred pounds of all kinds of meat. Why cook so much if there were no guests?

"It's just me. I'll eat as much as I can."

Zhang Hao was also privately puzzled. How much could he possibly eat? The Great One wasn't very reliable, ordering this much meat.

As he communicated with Mi Feng, he heard a disdainful snort.

Zhang Hao had no idea what to do with this guy. When he was willing to communicate, he was really easy to talk to. When he wasn't, he could drive a person crazy.

When the aroma of meat filled the air, Zhang Hao's eyes turned green. An indescribable hunger hit him out of nowhere. The craving was so intense that he felt he could chew rocks, let alone meat.

What the hell? The Great One had set him up!

Next, the two barbecue chefs witnessed an astonishing sight. Zhang Hao stuffed huge chunks of barbecued meat into his mouth, chewed them a little, and swallowed them. He ate at an unbelievable speed. If that wasn't wolfing food down, what was?

The two poor barbecue chefs grilled meat while swallowing hard. They were professionals and had eaten countless barbecued meals, but they had never seen anyone eat with such relish. They didn't dare say much, though. One look at the huge villa told them there was a world of difference between their status and his. They didn't dare slack off, so they immediately worked faster.

Zhang Hao had never known he could eat so much. He didn't realize that a large portion of the Nano-machine inside him was in his stomach. Any food that went in was instantly pulverized. Even if he swallowed a huge chunk of meat, the Nano-machine could quickly break it down and send it onward.

Feeling full? Not a chance. The hunger came surging back like a tide.

Ten pounds, twenty pounds, thirty pounds, forty pounds...

The two barbecue chefs had gone numb. This guy wasn't human! Wouldn't he burst from eating so much? Still, neither of them dared to say anything.

Partway through, Zhang Hao went to the bathroom, then came back and kept eating.