Chapter 154: Zhen Opens a Factory, Zhang Yu Becomes a Worker
Song Xu was a top student at White Dragon High School.
He was also the “boss” Mo Tianyi spoke of, the founder of the Paupers Alliance.
At the same time, his family was a branch of the Song family, one of the sixteen great clans of Songyang City.
But Song Xu did not feel there was any contradiction between these two identities. After all, who said that someone with Song family blood could not be poor?
For instance, many members of the Song family were eliminated each generation and forced to work to pay off their debts. Their descendants naturally and gradually became poor after a few generations.
Song Xu’s great-grandfather was supposedly still able to kneel before the main Song family, but by his generation, he didn’t even have Song Hailong as a friend.
And in the eyes of most outsiders, they were not even aware that Song Xu’s ancestors were from the great Song family, assuming they merely shared the same surname.
But thankfully, his family line ultimately knew to leverage the power of their bloodline ties. Every generation squeezed their parents for every coin they had, investing in themselves to bravely scale the peaks of the Immortal Dao.
It was just as a famous saying from a certain Song family predecessor went: instead of complaining about the environment, complain about your family.
Song Xu’s grandfather had urged his elders on in this way, leveraging their money all the way until he was admitted to a university, became a company employee, and supported his entire family on his own, becoming a role model in Song Xu’s eyes.
Song Xu’s father fell a little short. Although he also squeezed his parents for a great deal of money, he did not invest it in himself, but rather in gambling, completely draining the power of their family ties in one go.
Upon learning that the pension his grandfather had left behind was completely depleted, that the family home had been sold off by his father, and that all their assets had been gambled away…
Song Xu felt as if he were on a giant water slide, but his father, sliding down ahead of him, had left a disgusting mess in his wake, and all Song Xu could do was watch in despair as he slid down right into it.
The only fortunate thing was that, just as his father was about to mortgage Song Xu off to leverage their ties one more time, Song Xu mortgaged his father to the main Song family first, earning his first pot of gold.
Next, Song Xu sold off the final inheritance his grandfather had left.
“Grandpa, there’s no time to wait for your grave and your body to appreciate in value.”
“I need you to give off your last bit of warmth for me right now.”
“Please, bless your grandson from the heavens; bless me to advance bravely on the path of the Immortal Dao and get into a good university.”
Excavator Palm, level three activate! Grandpa! Come out of the ground for me!
After selling his grandfather’s grave and body, Song Xu obtained his second pot of gold.
Unfortunately, this was the very last grave and body his family had left.
No matter how carefully Song Xu calculated, he knew the money he had would not last until his high school graduation.
Fortunately, he then encountered an opportunity that would change his life.
He encountered a being known as an evil god.
In the Spirit Realm, before the Dao-Querying Hall.
The disguised Song Xu had come here this time because of Zhang Yu.
If this Zhang Yu really has an evil god behind him, then as long as I hunt it, I can increase my potential again…
Then getting into the Ten Greats in the future will be a sure thing.
As the thought flashed through Song Xu’s mind, he heard Mo Tianyi speak again, “Boss, what is our purpose in seeking out Zhang Yu this time?”
Song Xu explained coolly, “According to my investigation, the rapid growth of these two over the past six months is due to a certain reason.”
“If I can understand this reason, I will have more confidence in getting into the Ten Greats next year.”
Hearing this, Mo Tianyi secretly nodded. Since it concerned whether his boss could get into the Ten Greats, he would naturally provide his full support, even if it meant working unpaid overtime in this Dao-Querying Hall, even if he was discovered by the company for leaking client information, he would see it through to the end.
Song Xu, for his part, continued to watch the video feed Mo Tianyi was sending him.
The security guards and a large group of workers were engaged in a fierce brawl. Yu Xinghan, caught in the middle of it, was as insignificant as a single drop of water in the ocean.
Fists, clubs, knives, and spears rushed toward him from all directions, and his martial arts skill could only guarantee that he barely avoided being overwhelmed.
But in this environment of battling heaven and earth, of ceaseless, intense struggle, the Heavenly Martial Heart-Tempering Art began to circulate with increasing smoothness.
At the same time, a broadcast sound came from the factory’s main gate.
A woman’s voice was heard shouting, “Attack with all your might! The factory will compensate for any deaths or injuries! All medical expenses are fully covered!”
Hearing these words, Yu Xinghan felt a wave of exhilaration in his heart, and the heart art in his mind began to operate at full power. He unleashed the techniques of the Heavenly Martial Heart-Tempering Art on the spot, one after another, pushing back several workers in a row.
No need to consider holding back.
No need to consider compensation.
Even less need to consider medical bills… I only need to fight to my heart’s content!
At this moment, Yu Xinghan felt his spirit surge and his will to fight soar to the heavens; power continuously rushed out from his entire body, and he became more and more in his element on this battlefield.
Mo Tianyi explained, “The illusionary landscape makes them temporarily forget everything in the real world and throw themselves completely into the current situation; the more their own thoughts align with their heart art, the stronger the heart art’s effect becomes.”
“Take Yu Xinghan, for example; cultivating the Heavenly Martial Heart-Tempering Art on the battlefield to enhance his Dao heart is many times more effective than cultivating in the real world…”
Song Xu nodded casually and said, “What about the other two?”
Mo Tianyi said apologetically, “The master of this illusionary landscape is Yu Xinghan, so I can’t freely adjust the point of view.”
“But as long as we keep watching, Zhang Yu and Bai Zhenzhen are bound to appear.”
Meanwhile, in the illusionary landscape, a major battle came to a temporary end.
Yu Xinghan seized the time to return to the factory to rest, only to see the boss personally come before them to offer some words of encouragement.
Bai Zhenzhen shook Yu Xinghan’s hand and said, “You did very well; you’ll get a raise next month.”
“Come, accompany me on an inspection of the factory.”
“There are still many workers in the factory who are outwardly obedient but inwardly defiant; in a little while, you will help me teach them a harsh lesson.”
Watching this scene, Song Xu asked curiously, “This Bai Zhenzhen is the boss? What heart art does she cultivate?”
Mo Tianyi answered, “She is registered as practicing the Cold Soul Ice Heart Art, a heart art that is very suitable for investors to cultivate.”
“It can strip away distracting thoughts, stabilize the spirit, and maintain a state of calm and composure at all times, allowing one to calculate gains and losses from a detached and coolly aloof perspective.”
“Many stock market traders cultivate this heart art to aid their investments.”
“It seems the goal here is for her, as the boss, to maintain an icy heart while facing all sorts of internal and external pressures, in order to deepen her understanding of the Cold Soul Ice Heart Art and strengthen her Dao heart…”
Song Xu nodded slightly as he listened, but he knew that when this Cold Soul Ice Heart Art was first created, it was not for any kind of investing or stocks.
This is a heart art purely for combat, especially for assassination.
The principle is to ensure that before and after striking, one’s heart remains as pure as ice, unshaken even if the heavens were to fall, ignoring all the various disturbances of the outside world, and focusing one’s entire mind on the battle at hand to calculate gains and losses from the perspective of a bystander.
However, compared to combat and assassination, the various mists of confusion, the scams, the pressures from above and below, inside and out, and the emotional stimuli from changing situations encountered while running a factory, as well as calculating gains and losses amidst it all… that is all far more complex than battle.
If one can maintain an icy heart in such a complex environment and still calmly calculate gains and losses, then their understanding of the Cold Soul Ice Heart Art will inevitably be more profound, and the effect of tempering their Dao heart will be outstanding.
Song Xu knew that the more profound a cultivator’s understanding of a heart art and the more their thoughts aligned with it, the more effectively they could unleash its power, and the faster their Dao heart would improve.
“Heh, this cultivation scenario is rather fitting.”
Meanwhile, Bai Zhenzhen in the factory was already making her rounds with Yu Xinghan, suppressing all defiant employees.
On the factory’s assembly line.
Zhang Yu’s face was pale and his body was weak as he listlessly performed his work on the line.
Due to years of laboring on the assembly line, he was not only physically frail but had also developed a lung disease; every breath he took felt like a piercing pain.
Under the circulation of the Crippled Ox Body-Sacrifice Heart Art, the physical pain was slightly masked, but it was still not enough…
“Why?”
I… why am I working here?
I remember now, for the wages, to earn money to treat my illness…
After thinking of this glimmer of hope, a bit of light seemed to return to Zhang Yu’s eyes, and the circulation of the Crippled Ox Body-Sacrifice Heart Art became more fervent, gradually suppressing the pain in his body.
But just at that moment, a woman’s voice was heard.
“The company’s performance is poor, and this is a time when everyone needs to stand with the company through its trials; starting this month, salaries will be reduced by 20%…”
Zhang Yu turned his head to look; the one speaking was none other than the aloof boss, Bai Zhenzhen.
And with the announcement of this pay cut, Zhang Yu felt the hope that had just surged in his heart gradually die out, and the pain from his suppressed injuries flared up once again.
Think… think if there’s any other way?
At least let me rest for a few days to recover, take a few days off…
Just as Zhang Yu was thinking this, a worker next to him said to Bai Zhenzhen, “Boss, the New Year is almost here; I haven’t been home to see my parents in several years. Could I ask for a few days off…?”
Bai Zhenzhen’s face was like frost, and her eyes seemed devoid of any emotion; within her calm mind, there were only calculations of various profits, data, and revenues.
She patted the shoulder of the employee requesting leave and said, “Your parents want to see you for the New Year? No problem, just call your parents and ask them to come over; it’s a perfect time for everyone to work overtime together at the factory during the holiday.”
Another employee said, “Boss, a relative in my family passed away…”
Bai Zhenzhen said coolly, “Even if someone in your family has died, let the body stink for a while; arrange your work properly, then deal with your personal matters.”
Zhang Yu’s heart darkened, and he wondered if he could get an advance on his wages.
Another worker beside him spoke up, “Boss, our wages have been delayed for several months; can we be paid this month?”
Bai Zhenzhen smiled, but her eyes were ice-cold as she said, “The factory has indeed encountered some trouble recently; it will be a bit difficult to pay wages on time.”
“However, as the boss, I also understand that it’s not easy for you all to work.”
“So I have specifically used your identification cards to borrow some money; wages will definitely be paid on time this month, you just need to remember to make the loan repayments on schedule.”
Zhang Yu’s heart sank once more; the thing in his heart called hope seemed to be continuously marching toward annihilation, causing the pain throughout his body, which had been suppressed by the heart art, to intensify more and more.
As for Bai Zhenzhen, her thoughts flowed ever more smoothly; in this state, stripped of all emotion, she calmly calculated all gains and losses, squeezing out every bit of profit she could obtain, and felt the Cold Soul Ice Heart Art circulating with increasing fluency.