Chapter 393: Zhang Yu’s Victory
Within the Spirit Realm, as the competition time ran out, the final results of all five matches were settled.
The most unexpected outcome for the assembled teachers was undoubtedly the result between Zhang Yu’s Team and Su Yanyang’s Team.
In fact, ever since Zhang Yu and his team defeated Ma Xuan’s group, they had consistently defied the expectations of many teachers present.
True Person Scorching Thunder watched Zhang Yu, Gongshu Jin, Ying Xin, and Yu Xinghan — all second-year students from his class — secure top 7 positions in the Civil Engineering Department’s internal competition. He thought to himself that his year-end bonus would certainly be substantial.
But just as a smile began to form on his lips, he glanced at Director Lin beside him, who remained expressionless and silent. The smile immediately vanished.
On the other side, Tu Lishan had no such reservations. He laughed heartily and said, “It seems all the money Su Yanyang threw at his fancy smart buildings couldn’t match the practical, hard work of Zhang Yu and Shi Huaiyu.”
Tu Lishan was clearly pleased that his disciple, Shi Huaiyu, had secured seventh place.
After this disciple’s stock market losses, Tu Lishan had initially believed her immortal fortune was lacking and her future potential limited, thinking he wouldn’t recoup much of the resources he’d invested in her. But now, seeing her performance, he realized things had taken a turn for the better.
“Still, I definitely can’t lend Huaiyu any more money for stocks or cryptocurrency,” he thought.
Recalling Shi Huaiyu’s two kidney-busting performances in the competitions, Tu Lishan mused, “I thought after suffering so many setbacks, she might have tempered her impulsive nature. But it seems this flaw won’t be corrected anytime soon.”
Lang Yougong remarked, “I noticed Zhang Yu had another subtle breakthrough in both spirit and body during the final stages. It seems the greater the pressure, the better he performs.”
Tu Lishan nodded in agreement. He had observed that Zhang Yu’s construction style, operational systems, cultivation path, and even his personality all seemed to thrive under pressure, becoming stronger the more he was challenged.
“For us in civil engineering, this kind of resilience is essential,” Tu Lishan thought. “If I want to truly unlock his potential, I need to assign him some genuinely tough projects.”
“For example, unfinished construction projects, forced demolitions, underground historical sites, environmental remediation projects, or those projects that have been ongoing for centuries… Perhaps these could further accelerate his growth.”
“But judging by his current performance, this kid has managed to push the Profound Yellow Mountain-Suppressing Seal to Level 10 or higher in such a short time, and he’s already advanced the Battle Demon Life-Shattering Art and Nine Heavens Cloud Void Force to Level 20. His talent is truly exceptional. Director Gao probably won’t risk sending him to overly dangerous places anytime soon.”
As Tu Lishan pondered, his mind flooded with plans to maximize Zhang Yu’s potential and extract the greatest possible profit from him.
Meanwhile, Director Gao was reviewing the chat logs from Zhang Yu’s contest group, sighing, “This kid is actually paying out of his own pocket for his teammates? He barely has any Spirit Coins himself — is he trying to act like some rich tycoon?”
What surprised Director Gao even more was that three of Zhang Yu’s classmates had also started contributing their own Spirit Coins.
Looking at Zhang Yu, Director Gao suddenly felt a strange yet nostalgic emotion — a feeling he hadn’t experienced in a very long time.
On the other side, True Monarch Magnetic Pole was also reviewing the communication logs from both competition teams.
“Su Yanyang knows how to achieve the best results with minimal cost.”
“Give him a budget of 5 Spirit Coins, and he might deliver results worth 10 Spirit Coins.”
“If he were under my command, I’d probably put him in charge of a group of Soul Cultivators.”
“As for Zhang Yu…” True Monarch Magnetic Pole mused inwardly, “this kid, despite not being wealthy himself, commands the unwavering trust of his teammates.”
“He might have a natural talent for attracting investment and securing funding.”
True Monarch Magnetic Pole understood that compared to talents in martial dao, artifact refinement, alchemy, and the like, the ability to inspire trust — the charisma to persuade others to invest even under immense pressure and risk — was far rarer.
Give such a person 5 Spirit Coins, and they might lose it all, but they could also generate results worth 100 Spirit Coins.
In Kunxu today, every Great Power who has amassed immense wealth by creating currency possesses this unparalleled talent, capable of leveraging vast resources with their own strength.
“Intriguing,” True Monarch Magnetic Pole thought to herself. “But there’s no rush. Let’s continue nurturing him and see how far he can go. After all, it’s Old Gao’s money we’re burning.”
Thinking of this, True Monarch Magnetic Pole grew even more pleased. The fact that Zhang Yu was free… that was what True Monarch Magnetic Pole liked most about him.
Meanwhile, on the other side, Director Lin was replaying Zhang Yu’s special performances in the arena at a hundred times speed, his mind racing. “This isn’t Gao Chongguang’s style. The person guiding Zhang Yu… must be from the Architecture Department, or perhaps the Artifact Refinement Department or the Talisman Department.”
“He’s even throwing money around to win people over? Gao Chongguang must have given him a substantial amount of Spirit Coins.”
A thought struck Director Lin: “I wonder what it would cost to recruit him into my faction?”
With the Finance Department backing him, Director Lin had grown increasingly wealthy and generous over the years. He mused, “I’ll have Scorching Thunder talk to him. At least 2.5 times Ji Yuanshu’s salary would be a bargain. Anything higher would depend on other conditions…”
Simultaneously, as the battle results were finalized, the post-round rankings based on each team’s architectural completion rate were revealed.
First place was taken by Xuan Liangtian’s Team from the Peace Faction, second place by Mo Shangjin’s Team from the War Faction, and third place by a Neutral Faction team.
The remaining fourth and fifth places were both secured by the Peace Faction, sixth place went to the War Faction, and Zhang Yu’s Team finished seventh.
Thus, among the top seven teams, three belonged to the War Faction, three to the Peace Faction, and one to the Neutral Faction.
Currently, the Peace Faction held a clear overall lead, while the Neutral Faction lagged far behind.
The Neutral Faction teachers immediately thought of Su Yanyang. If Su Yanyang could squeeze into seventh place, the Neutral Faction’s overall performance wouldn’t look so dismal.
Director Lin watched the scene, thinking to himself, “We have the overall advantage now, but Mo Shangjin will definitely challenge Xuan Liangtian’s Team in the next round.”
Director Gao simultaneously thought, “Next, the opposing factions will undoubtedly try to exhaust Mo Shangjin and reduce his chances of a successful challenge.”
True Monarch Magnetic Pole sent Director Gao a private message: “Mission accomplished. Let’s go.”
In the next instant, True Monarch Magnetic Pole’s figure vanished without a trace.
Seeing this, Director Gao quickly replied, “Don’t forget the time for the next match.”
Meanwhile, outside the arena:
“Seventh place!”
Seeing their team ranked seventh, Yu Xinghan clenched his fists in excitement, then burst into laughter with Ying Xin beside him.
On the other side, Gongshu Jin exhaled deeply, feeling his Spirit Coins hadn’t been wasted.
He immediately began borrowing money, thinking to himself, “Two Seven Absolutes will be awarded to the team. Zhang Yu is guaranteed one.”
“As for the other… Shi Huaiyu would normally be the frontrunner, but she’s probably broke.”
“If I bid high enough, I might be able to snatch it. And it shouldn’t be too expensive.”
Gongshu Jin realized this was the moment to compete based on Immortal Dao Potential, bloodline ties, and family resources.
Meanwhile, nearby, Che Yufei, Shi Yunxiang, Tian Yang, and the others, though battered and bruised, were filled with joy. Some were taking screenshots, others were posting on social media, and still others were updating their resumes.
Shi Huaiyu turned to Zhang Yu and said, “You installed those final steel bars terribly… I mean, terribly well! They’re impossible to dismantle or recycle.”
“Stop, stop,” Zhang Yu quickly interrupted. “We may have won the competition, but I’ve violated too many of my principles as a Civil Engineer. Unless absolutely necessary, I’ll never do something like this again.”
Shi Huaiyu watched Zhang Yu with grudging admiration. “This guy… he’s just as shameless as Teacher Tu. He must have scavenged a lot of food from construction sites.”
Just then, a heated argument erupted in the distance. Su Yanyang was quarreling with his teammates.
Shi Huaiyu turned her head with a hint of satisfaction, a smirk playing on her lips as she watched Su Yanyang surrounded by his angry teammates. “Ha! Su Yanyang might have to reorganize his team next year.”
A furious shout rang out: “Su Yanyang, what right do you have to fine me?”
“Your command was the problem! I told you we should just charge straight in!”
“The enemy couldn’t stand against us. If we’d swarmed them, we could have won outright!”
“It’s all your fault! Insisting on building these stupid smart structures and setting up that ridiculous great formation…”
Facing his enraged teammates, Su Yanyang said coldly, “My command was flawless. Your problem lies in your attitude toward the competition, especially yours… Your combat duration and construction output were the lowest in the team. According to team rules, you deserve the fine.”
The teammate retorted angrily, “Isn’t that because you made me clean up the Fiend Energy Contamination from the start?”
“Then tell me, does the data record how I cleared the Fiend Energy Contamination?”
“And tell me this: does the data record any mistakes in your Soul Cultivators operations?”
“Answer me!”
At the same time, a Soul Cultivator sent Su Yanyang a message: “Boss, you haven’t paid yet.”
Su Yanyang replied: “You have the nerve to ask for money after such a shoddy job? I’ve already filed for a refund.”
After blocking the Soul Cultivator, Su Yanyang resumed arguing with his teammates, only to quickly receive a debt collection notice from the Soul Cultivator’s agency.
Agency: “Mr. Su Yanyang, if you continue to refuse payment, we will have no choice but to sue you.”
Meanwhile, a response from the Bionic company appeared in Su Yanyang’s Bionic Eye.
Myriad Paths Artisan Group Customer Service: “Dear Mr. Su Yanyang, based on our investigation of the incident, the Bionic did not malfunction. Your internal meridians were invaded, and your compensation claim cannot be approved.”
Just then, the substitute members also approached Su Yanyang, demanding their money back.
In an instant, Su Yanyang felt his anger surge.
“A bunch of useless trash, each one dragging me down.”
With that thought, he lost interest in arguing further. With a loud crash, he shoved past his teammates and stormed off.