Chapter 59
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Chapter 59: The Strongest First-Year
Bang!
Zhou Chechen slammed his palm hard on the desk, his eyes blazing with palpable killing intent.
He spoke, spitting out each word. “Zhang Pianpian… that woman treats Songyang like it is nothing!”
After being thoroughly intimidated by Zhang Pianpian today, he felt as if he could already see the gloating in the eyes of his junior brothers and classmates. He keenly sensed his prestige had suffered a severely blow.
Zhou Chechen abruptly turned to Chu Chengxuan, the Student Council President, and demanded, “President, are you just going to stand by and watch this woman run wild in Songyang?”
Chu Chengxuan, engrossed in reviewing his textbooks, replied casually, “That’s Zhang Pianpian. Her origins are mysterious, her wealth is unfathomable, and she is crazy. Why provoke her?”
“In just over half a year, she’ll be off to university. The upperclassmen there will naturally deal with her then.”
Seeing Chu Chengxuan still engrossed in his book, Zhou Chechen realized the young man’s mind was consumed by the National College Entrance Examination, university applications, and interviews. He had no interest in clashing with the crazy woman like Zhang Pianpian on his behalf.
However hearing Chu Chengxuan words, a cold light flashed in Zhou Chechen’s eyes. “Six months, huh?”
“Then I will wait six more months before dealing with Zhang Yu and Bai Zhenzhen.”
In Zhou Chechen’s eyes, Zhang Yu and Bai Zhenzhen were nothing more than dried-up bones in a tomb, sheltered by Zhang Pianpian. Once the six months were up, he would unleash his ruthless methods.
However, the person Zhou Chechen truly had his sights set on was Zhang Pianpian.
Fueled by boundless hatred and humiliation, he thought, University lasts ten years. By then, the one-year gap between grades will not matter nearly as much as it does in high school.
Zhang Pianpian… I truly, earnestly hope… you can hold on until I get into university and catch up to you.
***
Outside Songyang High School.
Inside a private room of a teahouse.
Zhang Pianpian glanced around and said, “Everything seems fine. We can speak freely here for now. I need to brief you on a few things.”
“Sister!” Zhang Yu grabbed Zhang Pianpian’s arm excitedly. “You really are my own sister! It is so great to have a sister!”
Just then, a loud thud echoed through the room.
Zhang Pianpian turned to see Bai Zhenzhen kneeling on the floor.
Bai Zhenzhen said solemnly, “I am deeply grateful for your great kindness today. If Sister does not find me unworthy, I wish to take you as my adoptive mother and be at your command from this day forward.”
Zhang Yu protested, “Hold on… She’s my sister.”
Bai Zhenzhen replied, “It is fine, Yu Zi. I am not fussy about such things. From now on, I will call her Adoptive Mother, and you can call me Mom.”
As Bai Zhenzhen and Zhang Yu argued, Zhang Pianpian calmly said, “The bank balance data was fake.”
Huh?!
Seeing their heads snap around, Zhang Pianpian flicked her fingers again, casting another talisman. This time, the bank balance displayed above her head was only 250,000 yuan.
She calmly explained, “The Oppression Talisman I used earlier was a modified version I created myself. It can display a false bank balance.”
Zhang Yu was stunned. Can talismans really be modified like that? Can they really display fake account balances? I have never heard of anything like this in my Dao Arts class! Weren’t we taught that the talismans from the Eight Ministries of Principal Deities must be used exactly as they were passed down?
The revelation that his sister was merely pretending to be wealthy, rather than actually being a billionaire, left Zhang Yu feeling utterly deflated.
Seeing their stunned expressions, Zhang Pianpian continued, “Remember this. To deal with the wealthy, you must understand their defining traits.”
“Wealthy people rely on money, so they understand its power best. They are most easily swayed by money and most easily intimidated by it. This is what we call using ‘ money to control money’.”
“The foundation of these tactics is information. To acquire, modify, or intercept information, you must rely on sophisticated talismans.”
“Talismans are the most powerful technique you will learn in high school. Remember, talismans are the most useful and powerful! Dao Arts and martial arts are nothing compared to them…”
Zhang Yu watched Zhang Pianpian’s earnest proclamation of the talisman’s superiority, as if he could see the words “Talisman Supremacy” floating above her head.
Even though the 2.5 billion inheritance had dwindled to a mere 250,000, Bai Zhenzhen still embraced Zhang Pianpian enthusiastically, her voice sweet as she asked, “Mom, what should we do next?”
Zhang Yu, witnessing Bai Zhenzhen’s saccharine display, felt a chill crawl down his spine, as if he were watching a thousand-year-old zombie awaken.
Zhang Pianpian replied coolly, “The National College Entrance Examination is in six months. After that, I will be attending university in the second layer of Kunxu.”
“This means I can only protect you for the next six months.”
“After that, without my protection, the Student Council of Songyang High School will definitely come after you.”
“And there is one more thing.”
“You need to understand that the only reason I can protect you now is because they think I’m a rich kid, just like them.”
“They assume I have signed you and that you will not even try for the Ten Greats.”
“Once they realize you are aiming for the Ten Greats, they will not care about my protection anymore. The methods they will use will be a hundred times more brutal than what you are facing now.”
“So…”
As she spoke, Zhang Pianpian stared directly into Bai Zhenzhen’s eyes, as if trying to pierce through her every thought.
“What is your plan?”
“Will you wait to die? Prepare to flee Songyang City? Or risk being smashed to pieces to compete for the Ten Greats?”
Bai Zhenzhen met Zhang Pianpian’s gaze without flinching, her expression turning serious. “I want to get into one of the Top Ten Universities.”
Zhang Pianpian then turned to Zhang Yu.
Zhang Yu said, “Sister, stop beating around the bush. A-Zhen and I both have wills of steel, and we are determined to get into one of the Top Ten Universities.”
“Just tell us what we need to do.”
Zhang Pianpian nodded slightly and continued, “Your strength is far too weak.”
Seeing their defiant expressions, Zhang Pianpian said calmly, “If you want to get into the Ten Greats as one of The Poor, your current strength is far from sufficient, and you have no hope of breaking through the barriers set up by the wealthy.”
“First, become the strongest first-year students in Songyang City.”
“Once you two have swept the top two spots in every remaining first-year competition and become the strongest first-year students in Songyang, I will tell you what to do next.”
Zhang Yu and Bai Zhenzhen were both shaken by her words.
Every remaining first-year competition?
Did that mean they had to surpass all first-year students in Dao Heart, Physical Strength, Martial Arts, and Dao Arts, including those from the three famous school?
Especially the Dao Arts Competition. That event was practically designed to crush The Poor.
Fortunately, the Dao Arts Competition was at the very end of the first year. The next competition was the Martial Arts Competition, where they both had a slight advantage.
Afterwards, Zhang Pianpian had Bai Zhenzhen sign an internship contract with the Songyang City Patrol Team. Once her identity as a Patrol Team member was officially confirmed, she sent them on their way.
Bai Zhenzhen, however, lingered behind, nervously rubbing her hands together with an embarrassed expression.
“Um… about that…”
Zhang Pianpian asked with a look of confusion, “What is it?”
With her index finger curled, Bai Zhenzhen gestured through the air toward Zhang Yu, who was fiddling with the Talisman Register. She smiled sweetly and asked, “That Talisman Register… do interns get one?”
Zhang Pianpian shook her head. “The Patrol Department isn’t extravagant enough to also equip interns with Talisman Registers.”
“By the way, don’t tell anyone about my relationship with Zhang Yu.”
“Also, I’ve already arranged for Mom and Dad to go to a safe village, so you don’t have to worry about them.”
Hearing this, Zhang Yu paused for a moment before nodding.
Finally, Zhang Pianpian urged Bai Zhenzhen and Zhang Yu to hurry back and make the most of their time studying and cultivating. Watching their retreating figures from a distance, she made a phone call.
A woman’s voice came from the other end. “Hello? Pianbao? What’s up?”
Zhang Pianpian said, “Lend me some money.”
The woman asked curiously, “Weren’t you saving up to buy a Heavenly Spirit Root? You’re asking to borrow money. Does that mean you’ve finally gathered enough?”
Zhang Pianpian explained, “Something came up today. I spent some money to communicate with the divine, and now I can’t pay this month’s loan interest.”
The woman’s curiosity grew. “Oh? What happened that required you to communicate with the divine?”
Zhang Pianpian replied calmly, “I helped that guy out. At first, I just thought he had a strong spirit and could live a life beyond the ordinary, but I never expected to take things this far.”
“But…”
Zhang Pianpian’s gaze swept over Zhang Yu’s head.
Songyang City Patrol Team Outsourced Employee | Ascetic Cultivator | Sports Specialist | Extremely Impoverished Resident of Songyang City | Debt Slave | Card Slave | ???
When Zhang Pianpian focused her attention on the ???, the only feedback she received was Unknown Potential, Undefinable.
Zhang Pianpian then turned her gaze to Bai Zhenzhen.
Songyang City Patrol Team Intern (Expand Details)
Songyang City Patrol Team Intern | Sword Fanatic | Fist Fanatic | Palm Fanatic | Blade Fanatic | Spear Fanatic | Medicine Fanatic | Score Overlord | Debt Slave | Card Slave | Dao Arts Uselessness Theory Advocate | Songyang Hater | She’s Very Poor…
As Zhang Pianpian’s fingertip swiped again and again, she formed two consecutive talismans. A new phrase then appeared above Bai Zhenzhen’s head, right before her existing title.
【Unknown New Type Spirit Root: Hidden Evolutionary Type, No Relevant Data Available.】
With each swipe of Zhang Pianpian’s fingertip, flashes of light danced across the Talisman Register floating beside her hand.
As the talismansic effect completeed, both the ??? Above Zhang Yu’s head and the Unknown New Type Spirit Root above Bai Zhenzhen’s head vanished completely, thoroughly concealed from view.
Meanwhile, Zhang Pianpian continued speaking on the phone. “They’re even more impressive than I anticipated.”
“Perhaps… they might be able to keep up with me.”
On the other end of the line, the woman exclaimed in surprise, “Oh? I’ve never heard you speak so highly of anyone before. I’m even more eager to meet them now.”
