Chapter 274: Reunion with Zhang Pianpian
“Number 686, Zhang Yu.”
As the number was called, Zhang Yu stood up and walked toward the interview classroom.
Although his academic scores already met Myriad Laws University’s admission requirements and he had signed the enrollment agreement beforehand, the interview process remained unavoidable.
Upon entering the interview classroom, Zhang Yu casually smiled at the three examiners and said, “Greetings, everyone. I am Zhang Yu from Songyang Senior Immortal Dao High School in Songyang City, First Layer.”
The chief examiner looked at him and asked, “Why do you want to attend Myriad Laws University?”
Zhang Yu replied calmly, “Because Myriad Laws University is one of the best universities. To break through to the Golden Core, to reach the Nascent Soul, and to enter a sect, naturally I must choose the best university.”
The three examiners smiled slightly. One of them asked, “How do you manage your study and rest time?”
Zhang Yu answered flatly, “I don’t rest.”
Another examiner asked, “How much of the university curriculum have you completed so far?”
Zhang Yu replied, “As you can see, I am already a Foundation Establishment cultivator. I have completed all the general courses for the Qi Refining Realm.”
“He also self-studied the Civil Engineering Department’s Excavation Palm, Crane Claw, Sports Car Legs, and Elevator Verticality, achieving Level 10 proficiency in all of them.”
As the examiners reviewed Zhang Yu’s resume, their gazes toward him grew increasingly approving.
The chief examiner spoke up: “Student Zhang Yu, to my knowledge, you haven’t undergone sterilization. What are your thoughts on the university’s sterilization policy? Do you believe it’s necessary for university students?”
Zhang Yu replied calmly, “Sterilization is an escape for the weak. For me, mere bodily hormones can be suppressed through sheer willpower. These things aren’t obstacles on my path to the Immortal Dao; rather, they serve as tools for production, capable of fueling my cultivation.”
“The resume includes transaction records from my seed sales on the First Layer. Such high-frequency and high-quality transaction data should sufficiently demonstrate the firmness of my dao heart.”
The three examiners exchanged glances, their eyes gleaming with admiration.
Finally, they stood up in unison and extended their hands toward Zhang Yu. “Student Zhang Yu, welcome to Myriad Laws University.”
As Zhang Yu emerged from the interview room, he immediately spotted Yu Xinghan and Le Mulan, who had already completed their interviews.
Yu Xinghan called out, “Let’s go, Zhang Yu! We need to register and then choose our dorms.”
Just then, a female voice rang out.
“Zhang Yu, long time no see.”
The trio turned simultaneously to see Zhang Pianpian approaching them.
Two years had passed since they last met, yet Zhang Pianpian remained as graceful and radiant as ever, her aura of spirited vigor even more pronounced than before.
Her appearance had changed little, save for her eyes, which had transformed into an amber hue, clearly due to some Bionic Eyes.
Above her head floated the inscription “Myriad Laws University Talisman Department Foundation Establishment Stage Rank 49,” while a halo shimmered behind her head, instantly drawing the attention of everyone nearby and making her the center of attention.
Zhang Yu nearly blurted out “Sis!” but quickly caught himself. Instead, he called out, “Senior Sister, you’re here!”
Zhang Pianpian smiled faintly. “You’ve grown taller.”
“Let’s go. I’ll take you to register first, then treat you to a meal.”
Under Zhang Pianpian’s guidance, the trio proceeded to register, pay tuition, and complete the necessary formalities.
Although they had brought enough tuition money, Zhang Yu and his companions, encouraged by Zhang Pianpian, proactively applied for student loans, incurring their first debt since arriving on the Second Layer.
The first year’s tuition was 0.5 Spirit Coins. Starting from the second year, they would pay monthly interest of 0.005 Spirit Coins until graduation, at which point they would repay the full 0.5 Spirit Coins in a lump sum.
Zhang Pianpian said, “Don’t be afraid. Now that you’re on the Second Layer, how can you progress without fully unleashing your Immortal Dao Potential?”
“Instead of paying the 0.5 Spirit Coins now, you should use it for your studies.”
Looking at Zhang Pianpian’s name on the recommendation form, Zhang Yu couldn’t help but ask, “Sis… Senior Sister, does this count as your performance metric?”
Zhang Pianpian replied, “Since you were going to apply anyway, I might as well help you with the process.”
“Let’s go choose your dorms.”
As Zhang Yu had traveled through Myriad Laws University City earlier, he had already noticed a distinctive characteristic of the place.
The entire University City was concentrated within a three-kilometer-wide, three-kilometer-long, and ten-kilometer-high three-dimensional structure.
This meant the internal space utilization rate was extremely high.
Or, to put it bluntly… the space was incredibly cramped.
Seeing their assigned dorms only confirmed Zhang Yu’s suspicions.
“Low-Grade Dormitory: 20 people per room, 20 square meters per room, two shared toilets and six shower rooms per floor…”
Zhang Yu muttered, “This is ridiculous… even a chicken coop is more spacious than this.”
Yu Xinghan interjected, “Upper Residence Deluxe Suite: 15 square meters, one living room, two bedrooms, and one bathroom.”
Zhang Yu frowned. “15 square meters and they call it a ‘deluxe suite’? And they want one Spirit Coin a month for rent?”
Zhang Yu currently had only 9.94 Spirit Coins, including the five Bai Zhenzhen had given him, barely enough to cover nine months’ rent.
Hearing Zhang Yu’s complaint, the middle-aged woman processing dormitory assignments scoffed, glancing sideways at him. “You’re from the Lower Layer, aren’t you? Land on the Second Layer is worth its weight in gold. How can you compare it to those backwater places below?”
“If you want to rent, hurry up. There are plenty of others waiting.”
Yu Xinghan suggested, “Why don’t we rent together?”
Le Mulan nodded in agreement. “If we split it three ways…”
Zhang Pianpian chimed in, “Let’s split it four ways.”
She smiled slightly. “If the four of us share the rent, we can save a lot of money.”
“But we don’t need something as expensive as the Upper Residence Deluxe Suite… let’s just rent a 5-square-meter Medium Residence.”
Zhang Pianpian pointed to the price and said, “It’s 0.2 Spirit Coins per month. If we split it four ways, that’s only 0.05 Spirit Coins each per month.”
“Compared to my current classmates, Zhang Yu and the others seem more trustworthy. Living together will save me a lot of worry,” Zhang Pianpian thought to herself.
Zhang Yu looked at his elder sister, thinking, “Elder Sister has already climbed to 49th place in the Talisman Department, yet her finances are still so tight?”
Fu Ji chimed in, “On the Second Layer, every inch of space is precious. No matter how talented you are, you still need to save on rent. It’s better to invest more in your studies than to spend extra on a nicer place.”
Zhang Yu sighed softly, looking at the conditions of the Medium Residence. “Four people in 5 square meters? Will we even fit?”
Zhang Pianpian replied, “Even though it’s only 5 square meters, the ceiling is 4 meters high, so we can divide it into two levels.”
“The main thing is that the dormitory has extra spiritual energy supply, which will make it easier to practice meditation and breathing techniques.”
“Besides that, it’s just for storing our things, maybe taking a shower, and charging our devices. How much space do we really need? It’s plenty for the four of us.”
“And even though the space is small, humans can adapt. We can adjust to fit.”
Seeing Yu Xinghan and Le Mulan nod in agreement, Zhang Yu finally nodded as well. The four of them rented a standard Medium Residence together.
Myriad Laws University City, 125th floor, dormitory area.
The entire 125th floor was only four meters high, and the rows of Medium Residence rooms lined up along the corridors like coffins.
Zhang Yu followed the floating arrow and path projected by his Bionic Eye, which served as a navigational guide.
A moment later, as Zhang Yu opened the door, a tiny five-square-meter dormitory came into view.
Le Mulan couldn’t help but exclaim, “It’s so small!”
This was the smallest room she had ever lived in.
Zhang Pianpian said, “The doorway is too narrow for more than one person at a time. Take turns going in to put your luggage down first, then I’ll take you all out to eat.”
“After dinner, you’ll probably have your first class meeting tonight, right?”
“Oh, and remember to shrink your body when you enter the dormitory. It’s a must-have money-saving skill in University City.”
As Zhang Yu carried his luggage into the dormitory, he deliberately contracted his muscles and joints, transforming into a lean figure around 1.7 meters tall.
While shrinking his body made moving around the room easier, the dormitory still felt cramped to him. Maintaining this compressed form gave him a constant, stifling sensation, as if he were perpetually hunched over and curled up.
Zhang Yu thought, “No wonder the people in University City seem shorter than average. They must be used to shrinking their bodies, a stark contrast to the towering figures of the Immortal Cultivators on the First Layer.”
After unpacking their luggage, the trio followed Zhang Pianpian to a pharmacy on the 128th floor.
Though they called it “eating,” it was actually just taking medicine.
Yu Xinghan stared at the pills in his hand and couldn’t help but say, “I’d rather just rehydrate some of the synthetic food I brought.”
Watching Yu Xinghan and Zhang Yu rehydrate their synthetic food, Zhang Pianpian remarked coolly, “Your synthetic food will run out eventually. You should get used to the Second Layer’s meals sooner rather than later.”
“They may not taste great, but the medicinal pills are packed with all the necessary nutrients, and the meals take almost no time to consume.”
“The only two problems with taking medicine are that it’s hard to feel full and that cultivators have such strong digestive systems. If you don’t eat for too long, it can damage your stomach and intestines.”
As she spoke, Zhang Pianpian pulled out a piece of cement. “That’s why people here usually mix their medicine with cement.”
Even Zhang Yu, who had seen his fair share of strange things on the First Layer of Kunxu, was shocked to see Zhang Pianpian swallow a small chunk of cement.
“Eat cement? …Is there really nothing else to eat?”
Zhang Pianpian smiled. “Cement is cheap and plentiful. In Myriad Laws University City, it’s everywhere. You can just break off a piece to temporarily fill your stomach. It gives you a sense of fullness and also suppresses digestive fluids, preventing damage to your stomach and intestines.”
“You see, the Second Layer’s food market wasn’t just crushed by pharmaceutical companies. It was crushed by a combination of pharmaceutical and civil engineering companies.”
“Especially after the Civil Engineering Company introduced edible cement. With cement mixed with medicine, you can feel full and get all the nutrients you need. The food industry collapsed completely.”
Zhang Yu found it hard to believe. “Damn, even Civil Engineering majors can rise to prominence in the food industry now?”
Zhang Pianpian added, “Also, remember not to dig up cement under surveillance. You’ll get fined if caught.”
“Oh, right… You’re both Civil Engineering majors, aren’t you? When you go to construction sites later, you’ll get free meals. You can just fill your stomachs with the site’s cement.”
Yu Xinghan couldn’t help but ask, “Can we grow our own food?”
Zhang Pianpian shot him a sidelong glance. “You want to join the Dark Seed Territory? I don’t mind if you join a gang or two at university, but the Dark Seed Territory… that’s too dangerous.”
“You might not understand, but in University City, privately growing any plants is a serious violation of school rules and the law, a crime punishable by expulsion.”
“Crop cultivation is something only universities and companies are allowed to do.”
After finishing dinner, Zhang Yu bid farewell to Le Mulan and Zhang Pianpian, then joined Yu Xinghan for the first class meeting of the Civil Engineering Department’s Foundation Establishment Class.
Arriving at the 130th-floor teaching area, the moment they entered the agreed-upon classroom, they felt several pairs of eyes sweep over them.
“You two, display your exam scores and foundational data. We’re ranking the class to see where you’ll place.”