Chapter 240: The Beginning of a Great Change on the First Layer
Zhang Yu and Bai Zhenzhen quickly signed the contract with Wang Yin.
And before they left, Wang Yin spoke up. “Right, since we’re all part of the same company now, there are some things I can properly discuss with you.”
“If you’re interested in attending Netherworld University, I can introduce you to some professors.”
“Everyone in my family graduated from there. If you end up applying to Netherworld, just mention my name if you need anything.”
“You can also tell me if you have any special requests. I’ll talk to their admissions office and see about getting you better terms.”
“If you join Netherworld University, you’ll be my junior brother and sister.”
On the way home, Zhang Yu and Bai Zhenzhen looked at the money in their accounts, secretly thrilled.
Zhang Yu’s account already held over 4.7 million. With the additional 5 million from Mr. Wang today, his balance had reached a staggering 9.7 million.
“With an additional 4 million coming in every month, I’ll definitely be able to afford a Heavenly Spiritual Root and complete my Foundation Establishment before I graduate high school!”
“Yes, even after accounting for the 1.7 million loan and interest I still have to repay, plus the 3.3 million interest-free loan from the Foundation Establishment exam… even with all that, it’s definitely enough.”
A wave of excitement washed over Zhang Yu at the thought, temporarily setting aside his indecision about universities and majors.
“I’ll complete my Foundation Establishment while still in high school. Then I’ll see what kind of offers the universities are willing to make.”
Bai Zhenzhen said, “Mr. Wang is from Netherworld University. If we have him looking out for us, does that give us another viable option?”
Zhang Yu nodded slightly. “Sigh, now I’m even more conflicted.”
Fu Ji looked at the excited pair and reminded them, “It’s rare to get this lucky and meet a rich master so willing to throw money around.”
“You two need to work hard from now on. Just do whatever he tells you to do. If you can please him and build a good relationship, you might even get opportunities for part-time work on the second layer in the future.”
Bai Zhenzhen asked, “Aren’t people like him, who come down from the upper layers, usually demoted?”
Fu Ji replied, “Oasis Corporation is clearly planning something big this time, targeting the entire first-layer market of Kunxu.”
“Judging by his bearing and that semi-automatic talisman technique, this Wang Yin is most likely here to gild his resume.”
“Build a good relationship with him. It’ll make things easier for you when you get to university.”
In the days that followed, aside from tempering his Dao heart and constantly striving to break through to the tenth level, Zhang Yu reviewed his schoolwork and learned some of the free cultivation techniques offered by Songyang High School.
They were free, after all; it would be a waste not to learn them.
He would also occasionally search the Technique-Chaining Diagram for the martial arts required by other sets, like the Scion of Dragons and the Heavenly Martial Battle Heart.
But for now, he only bookmarked them. He would only consider practicing them in the future if he had money left over after buying the Heavenly Spiritual Root.
He was completely focused on saving up for the Heavenly Spiritual Root to complete his Foundation Establishment as soon as possible.
Consequently, despite now possessing a huge sum of money, Zhang Yu was reluctant to spend any of it.
Furthermore, since his magic power and physical strength—everything besides his Dao heart—had already reached the limit for Qi Refinement, his cultivation time had been greatly reduced.
For a while, aside from maintaining the constant circulation of his heart art to temper his Dao heart, Zhang Yu suddenly found himself with no other cultivation pressure.
It’s been so long since I’ve had such relaxing days, cultivating only my Dao heart around the clock.
Faced with this sudden, leisurely life, Zhang Yu felt a bit unaccustomed. He even felt a pang of guilt as he watched Bai Zhenzhen diligently practicing her new martial art and deducing new techniques, and saw his other classmates studying and cultivating so hard.
I shouldn’t be wasting time.
He ended up spending more time tutoring in the dark world of tutoring, planning to earn enough money for the Heavenly Spiritual Root as quickly as possible.
Time flew by without him realizing it.
And just as Zhang Yu was enjoying these leisurely days.
Li Xuelian’s phone suddenly rang. She answered, slightly surprised, “Dad?”
True Person Starfire’s weary voice came through the line. “Help me contact Zhang Yu and Bai Zhenzhen. I want to meet with those two disciples next month.”
Li Xuelian hesitated. “But you had me reject Zhang Yu back then…”
“If I say they are my disciples, they can be. In any case, I’ll find a time to talk with them.”
“Sigh, I was supposed to come this month, but the company assigned me an urgent task. I’ll have to work overtime until next month.”
In the blink of an eye, February arrived.
Zhang Yu’s savings had now reached over 15 million.
Over the past month, although Zhang Yu’s days were leisurely, he heard about many changes within Songyang City.
Some corporate rivalries ceased, while others intensified. More and more companies exchanged shares and announced partnerships with the Oasis Corporation.
Even without carefully counting, Zhang Yu could feel it just by walking down the street: the Oasis Corporation logo was becoming an increasingly common sight.
On this particular day, at Wang Yin’s invitation, Zhang Yu and Bai Zhenzhen arrived at the protected area within the Red Pagoda.
However, today the entire protected area had been booked by the Oasis Corporation. All invited guests could breathe freely after entering, casually performing breathing exercises to absorb spiritual energy without worrying about being charged.
“What a grand gesture,” Bai Zhenzhen said with a deep, satisfying breath, a joyful smile spreading across her face. “I never thought we’d be able to breathe freely in a protected area one day.”
Zhang Yu replied, “Mr. Wang is naturally generous. Let’s hurry. I heard he’s invited all the powerful families and corporations from Songyang City. It seems he’s planning another big move.”
The two quickly reached the center of the venue, where they saw scions of powerful families and corporate elites everywhere, all dressed in extravagant attire.
The area was laden with all sorts of food, and there were even various expensive alchemical enhancers available for guests to consume at will. The strong smell of Dao heart buffer was palpable even from a distance.
At the very center of the crowd, Wang Yin was surrounded by a large group of people, like the moon amidst the stars, occasionally letting out a burst of laughter.
Bai Zhenzhen muttered, “Damn, look at all those sycophants, all swarming around Mr. Wang.”
“We better get up there quickly before there’s no room left!”
Not long after Zhang Yu and Bai Zhenzhen drew closer, they suddenly spotted a familiar face.
“Ye Lingxiao?!” Zhang Yu was slightly taken aback. He then glanced at the people beside Ye Lingxiao. “They’re all from the Immortal Capital, aren’t they? Did they follow Mr. Wang all the way here?”
Almost at the same moment Zhang Yu saw him, Ye Lingxiao spotted Zhang Yu as well, and his heart clenched.
Their group from the Immortal Capital had come to Songyang for the express purpose of getting close to, assisting, and building a good relationship with Wang Yin.
The moment they saw Zhang Yu and Bai Zhenzhen, a flicker of hostility crossed the faces of Ye Lingxiao and the others from the Immortal Capital.
And when they saw Wang Yin beckon Zhang Yu and Bai Zhenzhen to his side and announce that the two of them would be the new spokespeople for the Oasis Corporation, the hostility on their faces intensified.
Sheng Jie, the champion of the magic power competition, stared at Zhang Yu and Bai Zhenzhen standing on either side of Mr. Wang, his eyes filled with jealousy.
“Damn it, how are those two so good at sucking up?”
Mr. Wang really likes those two, Ye Lingxiao thought to himself.
At that moment, they all understood that Zhang Yu and Bai Zhenzhen were their greatest rivals for Wang Yin’s favor.
But seeing how much Wang Yin appreciated the pair, Ye Lingxiao and the others certainly weren’t going to risk his displeasure. They simply resolved to find ways to please Mr. Wang and close the distance between them.
Amidst the clinking of glasses, both the people from the Immortal Capital and the powerful families of Songyang City took turns flattering Mr. Wang, trying to curry favor with the young master of the Oasis Corporation.
During the party, Wang Yin announced the Oasis Corporation’s upcoming plans: to unite with the local powers in many first-layer cities to vigorously promote the corporation’s synthetic food, new body tempering techniques, and new bloodline technologies.
Wang Yin raised his glass. “May the descendants of your families, for all generations to come, be blessed with immense talent, enter the Ten Greats, be chosen by the sects, and make great contributions to Kunxu.”
The crowd raised their glasses and cheered in response.
Just then, Zhang Yu spotted a familiar face among the servers. “An’an?”
The little panda, An’an, had clearly seen him too. She grinned and wagged her tail.
As the party progressed, with guests drinking and consuming alchemical enhancers, the atmosphere grew increasingly lively.
Just then, Wang Yin, whose gaze was already somewhat hazy after consuming a large amount of enhancers, looked at a limping demon-kin server and shook his head. “How pitiful.”
“Open your mouth.”
“I shall bestow a blessing upon you.”
With that, Mr. Wang spat into the demon-kin’s mouth. The next moment, the demon-kin cried out in shock as his limping leg began to straighten and heal.
The surrounding crowd erupted in compliments.
Wang Yin laughed heartily. “This is our Oasis Corporation’s new technology. The human body is like unpolished gold and jade; with proper development, every inch of it can become a divine treasure.”
He then looked at the other demon-kin servers, who were watching with eager anticipation, and laughed again.
“Come, all of you! I’m in a good mood today, so I’ll bless you all.”
Zhang Yu watched as one demon-kin server after another opened their mouths wide, scrambling to catch Mr. Wang’s saliva. Hearing the mocking laughter of the surrounding guests, he felt a slight pang of discomfort.
Yet, when he saw the looks of pure excitement and gratitude on the faces of the demon-kin after they had swallowed the saliva, he felt that perhaps this was all perfectly normal.
After all, to them, a drop of Mr. Wang’s saliva is a priceless medicine they could never afford.
Just then, Zhang Yu saw An’an holding a cup and squeezing into the crowd, clearly hoping to receive a drop or two of Mr. Wang’s saliva.
She brought a cup to catch it… is it for Xiong Wenwu?
He watched as she caught some saliva, a look of satisfaction on her face as she sniffed the fragrance rising from the cup, then retreated as if guarding a priceless treasure. For a moment, Zhang Yu’s heart was a turmoil of emotions, and he suddenly found himself at a loss for words.
On the way home that night, Zhang Yu asked Bai Zhenzhen, “Zhen, Oasis Corporation is going to unite with all the local powers. Won’t that make corporate monopolies worse, the powerful families even more terrifying, and give the poor even fewer opportunities to get ahead?”
Bai Zhenzhen replied nonchalantly, “Probably. Why are you suddenly thinking about this?”
Fu Ji reminded him, “This is the way of the world. It’s not something small-timers like us can control. You shouldn’t think too much about it.”
Several days later, at the Oasis Corporation’s press conference.
With the full support of the powerful families, the press conference was being broadcast live everywhere—in countless elementary, middle, and high schools, in corporate cafeterias, on public transportation.
At the conference, the host spoke about the special nature of the high school Foundation Establishment exam, the power of the Qualification Certificate, and the accomplishments of Zhang Yu and Bai Zhenzhen.
“…as long as you consistently consume Oasis Corporation’s green food, everyone will have the chance to be like Zhang Yu and Bai Zhenzhen—to transform from an ordinary student into a top academic, even earn a Foundation Establishment Qualification Certificate, and soar into the ranks of the Ten Greats!”
As the host finished, he handed the microphone to Zhang Yu, inviting him to say a few words.
Zhang Yu looked out at the many ordinary high school students in the audience, thought back to the lines he had memorized, and a flicker of hesitation rose in his heart.
Bai Zhenzhen nudged him.
Fu Ji urged, “What are you spacing out for? Say your lines.”
Zhang Yu swallowed and said, “I… was originally just an ordinary student. It was the Oasis Corporation’s green food that changed me.”
“Eat green food, improve your aptitude, and strengthen your body. Every one of you will have the chance to be like me… like me… and earn a Foundation Establishment Qualification Certificate.”
That evening, Mr. Wang once again invited Zhang Yu and Bai Zhenzhen to a party.
Mr. Wang slowly emerged from a massive pool of blood, smiling at Zhang Yu and Bai Zhenzhen.
“Zhang Yu, Zhenzhen, our great heroes. You’ve come at just the right time.”
“This is a Blood God Pool I constructed using the Immortal Dao techniques of the Netherworld Palace. You two should get in and have a soak. It can improve your constitution, increase your lifespan, enhance your wisdom, and it will be a great help for your future Foundation Establishment.”
Zhang Yu hesitated for a moment before asking, “This blood pool is…”
Mr. Wang laughed heartily. “Don’t worry, it’s all heart blood I purchased at a high price from various peak Qi Refinement experts. It’s absolutely clean, pure essence.”
As he spoke, he stepped out of the pool and cordially pulled Zhang Yu and Bai Zhenzhen in.
Mr. Wang said warmly, “Come, it’s the perfect opportunity for me to teach you the Qi-Blood Scripture here in the pool.”
“This is a foundational technique at Netherworld University that uses the essence within blood to temper the body. If you learn it now, you’ll have an advantage when you start.”
“Don’t worry about the copyright; I have the right to teach it. Consider this technique a gift from me.”
Ye Lingxiao and Sheng Jie stood guard outside the blood pool, their faces green with envy as they watched, wishing it were them receiving his instruction.
Aided by the Oasis Corporation’s promotion, the story of Zhang Yu and Bai Zhenzhen—their humble origins, their meteoric rise in a single year, passing the exam to earn a Foundation Establishment Qualification Certificate and their pick of any of the Ten Greats—quickly spread far and wide, making them idols for countless students and parents.
Meanwhile, the Oasis Corporation’s synthetic food continued its conquest, seizing an ever-larger share of the market.
Li Xuelian’s gaze swept over a link on her phone. Seeing Zhang Yu and Bai Zhenzhen in the video, she wondered, Is this the Oasis Corporation… or is the Netherworld Palace planning something?
Just then, her phone vibrated. It was True Person Starfire’s voice.
“Daughter, apologize to Zhang Yu and the others for me. I’ve been assigned another urgent mission over here…”
Amidst a crackling, explosive sound, Li Xuelian thought she heard the word “god.”
True Person Starfire continued, “Help me reschedule for next month.”
“As soon as I’m done with this overtime, I will definitely make a trip to meet them.”