Chapter 511: Ascending to the Artifact Refinement Department
Although Ying Xin had heard about this from her Ancestor, witnessing Zhang Yu’s ranking change from Civil Engineering to Artifact Refinement still left her in awe.
“A daytime ascension!” Ying Xin’s heart trembled. “Senior Brother has ascended from the Civil Engineering construction site to the Artifact Refinement Department!”
On the other side, Gongshu Jin burst into laughter, his entire body shaking with excitement. “Wonderful! My friend, this is amazing!”
Noticing the stares, Gongshu Jin quickly clenched his trembling hands and stammered, “I… I’m just happy for Senior Brother!”
Forcing down his twitching smile, Gongshu Jin shouted, “I’m happy Senior Brother transferred to Artifact Refinement!”
Yu Xinghan, watching the scene, curled his lip and muttered, “Fucking hell… Anyone would think you were the one who transferred.”
“He thought to himself, “So now that Zhang Yu’s gone, you think you can finally be top of the class? Everyone sees through your little scheme.””
Shi Yunxiang snapped photos, debating whether to post them on social media.
“Earlier, Zhang Yu’s crushing defeat of Xiang Shan had drawn the ire of countless Monsterfolk. If they found out I was his friend, they’d brand me a traitor.”
“But things are different now. Before, it was the Human Race’s Zhang Yu beating up the Monsterfolk Xiang Shan. Now it’s the artifact refinement master beating up the Civil Engineering dog… Who can argue with that?”
Though Shi Yunxiang hadn’t attended Celestial Monsters University, he was well-versed in its culture and the Monsterfolk’s worldview: each race equated to a specific major, and each major equated to a specific race. It was a world where different races were assigned to different fields of study.
To the Monsterfolk, Zhang Yu’s change of major was akin to a lower-class race ascending to the upper class. Not only was defeating Xiang Shan of the Civil Engineering Department justified, but any further humiliation of Xiang Shan would be considered perfectly reasonable.
Ying Xin turned to Gongshu Jin and said, “You shouldn’t call him ‘Senior Brother’ anymore, since we’re in different departments. ‘Senior’ will do.”
Gongshu Jin immediately caught on, nodding repeatedly. “Right, right, you’re right. I need to change my address. I should change my address.”
Meanwhile, the surrounding workers and security guards watched this rare scene with envy and jealousy.
“Ah, having ‘Artifact Refinement Department’ hanging over your head just feels different.”
“Look at the Artifact Refinement Department’s 48th-ranked student — their name is even written in a larger font!”
“It’s not just the font size. Look at ‘Artifact Refinement’ versus ‘Civil Engineering.’ One has ‘refinement’ and ‘artifact,’ while the other has ‘civil’ and ‘engineering.’ Just from the names, you can tell artifact refinement is more cultured than civil engineering.”
Hearing the workers’ murmurs nearby, Ji Yuanshu hurried over, staring at Zhang Yu’s retreating figure for a long moment without speaking.
His eyes fixed intently on the top of Zhang Yu’s head, as if trying to discern whether it displayed the Artifact Refinement Department or the Civil Engineering Department.
But the distance was too great; his Extreme Tiger Brand Bionic couldn’t even make out the details.
“I can’t see it.”
“Damn it, I still can’t see it!”
That day, Ji Yuanshu didn’t work overtime. He sought out Fu Xinyao, who provided free emotional release services, and vented all his frustration, jealousy, resentment, and bitterness.
“Zhang Yu! What right do you have to transfer to the Artifact Refinement Department?!”
“After three years on Civil Engineering construction sites, what do you even know about artifact refinement?”
“It’s all rigged! This Myriad Laws University is so corrupt I can’t even see straight!”
Ping Han listened to Ji Yuanshu’s rant, his mind and body reeling from the shocking news.
“Zhang Yu… transferred to the Artifact Refinement Department? How could he possibly get into Artifact Refinement?!”
Fu Xinyao, upon hearing the news, frowned. “Damn it, I’ve wasted my time on these Civil Engineering students. I need to find a way to connect with the Artifact Refinement Department now.”
“The Artifact Refinement Department… sigh, this is going to be troublesome.”
Meanwhile, on the other side, Zhang Yu left the construction site and discovered that transferring to the Artifact Refinement Department had indeed opened up a vast new world.
As his professional ranking hovered above his head, passersby would glance at him with a hint of respect, silently stepping aside to avoid blocking his path.
His Bionic Eye constantly received friend requests, forcing Zhang Yu to disable friend requests altogether.
Even the advertisements displayed in his Bionic Eye had changed.
The various Extreme Tiger Brand and local advertisements had vanished, replaced by high-end brands like Myriad Paths Artisan Group and Vajra Profound Creation.
The chaotic street advertisements had also transformed. Neon signs had been replaced by grand, high-end billboards and dazzling light displays, clearly targeting the wealthy students of the Artifact Refinement Department.
Even the terrain itself had changed.
“There was a shortcut here before?”
“This is… an Anti-Gravity Passage exclusive to the Artifact Refinement Department?”
“So there’s a magical artifact shop only visible to those in the Artifact Refinement Department?”
“Huh? Was there a street here before?”
“Wait… why does it feel like everything’s gotten more expensive?”
After walking a few blocks as a member of the Artifact Refinement Department, Zhang Yu suddenly realized how differently the Myriad Laws University City appeared to students from the Civil Engineering and Artifact Refinement Departments.
“To students in the Artifact Refinement Department, the University City seems larger, more luxurious, more convenient, and also… much more expensive!”
“Looks like I’ll have to ask someone from Civil Engineering to help me with my shopping from now on.”
At the same time, Zhang Yu received apologies from several construction foremen at the worksite.
Zhang Yu didn’t care much about this. After all, the suppression at the worksite had come from the Finance Department’s orders, something the foremen couldn’t change.
And even though Zhang Yu had joined the Artifact Refinement Department, he couldn’t overturn the Finance Department’s decision. The 669th floor construction project remained beyond his reach.
“But the Artifact Refinement Department also has plenty of factory and building projects. I’ll need to network with my teacher more and find a way to get some work for my company.”
As Zhang Yu pondered this, a flood of congratulations poured in like snowflakes.
Mo Shangjin: “Congrats! I’ll come to you for magical artifact repairs from now on.”
Su Yanyang: “Senior, I’m really going to miss you!”
Che Yufei: “President Zhang, I’m sticking with you to the end. Hit me up anytime you need help.”
The class group chat exploded with messages, a flurry of congratulations and shocked emojis.
Watching the endless stream of notifications in the Civil Engineering class group, Zhang Yu thought, “I’m not in Civil Engineering anymore. Will they kick me out soon? Should I leave the group myself?”
He shared this thought with his class teacher, True Person Scorching Thunder, who replied, “No need to rush to leave.”
True Person Scorching Thunder: “The school rules don’t require you to leave the group just because you switched departments.”
True Person Scorching Thunder: “Civil Engineering will always be your home. Stay in the group and you can always come back to visit whenever you want.”
Next, Zhang Yu checked the Songyang Hometown Group. Sure enough, the constantly updating chat was also buzzing with news about him.
Mo Tianyi: “President Zhang has successfully transferred to the Artifact Refinement Department!”
Mo Tianyi: “He’s the first Myriad Laws artifact refinement student from Songyang City — a true pioneer!”
Lan Ling: “Brother Mo, is President Zhang still hiring? I also applied to the Civil Engineering Department at Myriad Laws University.”
Mo Tianyi: “What do you mean also?”
Mo Tianyi: “From now on, when discussing President Zhang in this group, remember to stop referring to him as a Civil Engineering student.”
Mo Tianyi: “It’s best not to discuss his past work in Civil Engineering.”
Zhang Yu watched the scene unfold, shaking his head slightly. “Xiao Mo is still too impulsive, but his heart is in the right place.”
“Even though I don’t mind it myself, a background in Civil Engineering is still seen as a stain by many.”
Fu Ji said, “If Civil Engineering is like a shit-yellow color, then the Artifact Refinement Department is pure gold. Shit-yellow might not be so bad on its own, but when compared to gold, it looks like a pile of shit.”
“Once you join the Artifact Refinement Department, people will definitely look at you through tinted glasses.”
“But it’s not a big deal. In a couple of years, when you’ve made a name for yourself with your artifact refinement skills, everyone will get used to your new identity.”
“The only real concern is how it might affect your chances of joining a Sect.”
Zhang Yu’s heart stirred. “It could actually affect that?”
Fu Ji replied, “Of course. If you want to change it… that would be troublesome. At the very least, you’d need a Great Power above the Spirit Transformation stage to erase your Civil Engineering background from your records, sever the karmic ties, and conceal your true origins.”
Meanwhile, more students in the Songyang Hometown Group were asking about Zhang Yu and his company, many considering part-time opportunities.
Zhang Yu’s current status in the Artifact Refinement Department had clearly elevated the company’s perceived potential and growth prospects.
Deep within the Spirit Realm, Zhao Tianxing watched the group chat refresh incessantly. Seeing Upper College and Lower College students alike envying his job as a Junior College Student made the mosaic at the corner of his mouth tilt even further.
Looking up, he saw that in the low-resolution space, only the group photo of Zhao Tianxing, Zhang Yu, and the others on the award podium emitted a faint glow, displaying relatively clear details.
Though his income had increased recently, Zhao Tianxing had been saving money and hadn’t moved.
When Zhao Tianxing’s classmate and boss transferred to the Artifact Refinement Department, his roommates immediately flooded the blurry space with messages, exclamation marks flashing across the screen.
Soul Cultivators: “!!!!!”
Meanwhile, after completing the transfer procedures, Zhang Yu was added to the Artifact Refinement Department’s group chat by True Person Refining Fire, his new class teacher.
As he joined the group, students sent brief welcome messages before the chat quickly shifted to other topics.
Zi Yunzhen: “I scored 56,733 in the Golden Core simulation, surpassing 72% of students.”
Another student replied: “Wow, your simulation score has improved again?”
Zi Yunzhen: “I’ve made some progress. You should all try it too — see what score you’d get if you formed your Golden Core now.”
Su Yunni: “I scored 79,251 in the Golden Core simulation, surpassing 85% of students.”
Zi Yunzhen: “Wow, that must be the highest score in our class!”
Su Yunni: “It’s still not considered excellent.”
Su Yunni: “Keep working hard! My goal is to achieve at least 250,000 simulation points before forming my Golden Core.”
As Zhang Yu scrolled through the group chat messages, he realized they were discussing Golden Core simulation scores.
“Sigh, the Songyang Hometown Group is talking about part-time jobs, the Civil Engineering group chat is discussing construction projects, and look at the Artifact Refinement Department? Third-year students are discussing Golden Core simulation scores, thinking about the future quality of their Golden Cores.”
“This is the difference.”
Lost in thought, Zhang Yu clicked on the shared link out of curiosity, wanting to see what score he’d get if he formed his Golden Core right now.