Chapter 96
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Chapter 96: What Just Crawled In?
“No need, my running speed isn’t slow,” Bai Zhenzhen said, waving her hand as she began to warm up. Her long legs tensed and relaxed, showing off the toned curves honed by constant training.
“My Roadster Legs are already Level 10.”
Then, to Bai Zhenzhen’s astonishment, a roar of magic power erupted from Zhang Yu’s body. In the next instant, he shot forward dozens of meters, only to zoom back in a gust of wind, stopping right in front of her..
“My movement technique has now reached the first-class delivery rider level.”
What is it like to see your best friend suddenly master Level 10 Roadster Legs, running faster than an electric scooter?
Bai Zhenzhen’s first reaction was pure surprise.
I’ve never seen Yu Zi practice Roadster Legs! Is he secretly delivering takeaways every night?
Her second reaction was akin to seeing a brother buy a new bike. Her immediate thought was that she wanted a ride.
Bai Zhenzhen suddenly leapt onto Zhang Yu’s back, wrapping her arms around his neck and clamping her legs around his waist. “Yu Zi, take me for a spin!” she said.
The next moment, Zhang Yu was shot forward with Bai Zhenzhen on his back. The wind whistled past them as they raced toward the Shadow Study Gang’s compound.
Bai Zhenzhen rested her face against Zhang Yu’s back, watching the streetscape blur past. “A-Yu, you’re running so fast!” she exclaimed excitedly.
“Am I?”
Although Zhang Yu had mastered numerous Level 10 cultivation techniques, he had always been hesitant to display them openly.
Now, getting a rare chance to show off his Level 10 Roadster Legs to A-Zhen, Zhang Yu felt a surge of exhilaration. Amidst the howling wind, he chuckled and said, “I’m not even at full power yet.”
“Really? A-Yu, you’re amazing!” Bai Zhenzhen gushed.
“Heh, watch how much faster I am now!” Zhang Yu said.
“So fast, so fast!” Bai Zhenzhen marvelled. “A-Yu, can you go even faster?”
“Haha, watch me accelerate again!”
With a loud bang, Zhang Yu activated his Elevator Leap and soared over the traffic lights ahead in a single bound.
Bai Zhenzhen adjusted her golden wig as it whipped about in the wind. She watched Zhang Yu run faster and faster with each praise and thought to herself, Damn, riding this bro is such a thrill! No wonder so many people prefer to ‘ride’ someone instead of hailing a taxi.
Leaning against Zhang Yu’s back, Bai Zhenzhen could feel the surging heat from his vital energy. Zhenzhen mused, It’s just this damn internal heater can’t be turned off. It feels like my whole body is being cooked…
In the next moment, a soft splash erupted from under Zhang Yu’s foot, drenching Bai Zhenzhen’s leg.
“Zhang Yu, are you trying to kill me! Why did you step into a filthy puddle?” she shrieked.
Zhang Yu replied helplessly, “This suburban road doesn’t have many streetlights, so I can’t see clearly. Can you use your phone to light the way for me?”
Bai Zhenzhen took out her phone and turned on its light, illuminating the path ahead for Zhang Yu.
On the dark path, the two pressed forward under the phone’s weak glow, leaving the neon city farther and farther behind them.
Zhang Yu suddenly exclaimed, “What’s that hard thing poking my back?”
A rare flush appeared on Bai Zhenzhen’s face. “That’s my Spirit Root!” she retorted irritably. “You were the one who wanted to borrow it to play with! I’ve been testing it constantly, so now it keeps jabbing into my stomach.”
Zhang Yu suddenly remembered something. “Oh, right. Don’t forget to request a Concealment Talisman.”
Watching the shaky image of Bai Zhenzhen on the screen and her face full of tattoos, Zhang Pianpian asked in confusion, “What are you doing?”
“Godmother,” Bai Zhenzhen said, “Zhang Yu is carrying me to the Shadow Study Gang’s compound. I’d like to ask you to draw a Concealment Talisman for me.”
After a moment of silence, Zhang Pianpian replied, “It’s good that you’re tutoring in a gang to earn money and support your studies.”
“But… do you two intend to come to me for Concealment Talismans every single day?”
She then asked, “Doesn’t Zhang Yu have a Talisman Register? Hasn’t he learned the Concealment Talisman yet?”
Zhang Yu took the phone and said while running, “I just started tutoring, so money is still tight. I’ll be able to afford to learn the Concealment Talisman after a while.”
“But I still can’t draw talismans over the network, so A-Zhen will need your help, Sister.”
Zhang Pianpian said calmly, “I think you two should just live together. Why not find a place to rent between the Shadow Study Gang and Songyang High School? It would save you money on rent and make it easier to get to school and work. You could also share the Talisman Register to draw talismans.”
Zhang Yu immediately began calculating the time and cost. His eyes lit up when he realised the plan was very cost-effective and would save them a significant amount of money.
There was only one question. Zhang Yu asked Bai Zhenzhen, “A-Zhen, do you rent your place?”
Bai Zhenzhen nodded. “Of course. If my family bought a house, how would we afford my cultivation?”
Bai Zhenzhen continued, “Godmother is right. If I can teach at the Shadow Study Gang, then we should rent a place together. It’s more cost-effective. Besides, my parents are working out of town, so I’ve been living alone anyway.”
In no time, the two arrived at the Shadow Study Gang’s compound.
Zhang Yu introduced Bai Zhenzhen to Black Crow for her interview, while he went to teach his class.
As he entered the classroom, he saw rows of burly men. They were brawny, with dark, weathered skin and faces etched with hardship.
These were the students enrolled in the Excavator Palm course. The vast majority of them came from construction sites, seeking to improve their job prospects by learning and refining this technique.
Zhang Yu had heard that as the number of high school graduates increased each year, competition for jobs on construction sites grew fiercer. The hiring requirements for Excavator Palm-related positions had been raised to the point that an applicant needed to be at least Level 6 just to get an interview.
Through several days of teaching and casual conversations during breaks, Zhang Yu gained a better understanding of his students, who on average stood over two meters tall and weighed over 300 pounds.
Some students had large, round bellies that looked like inflated giant balloons. Zhang Yu knew these were the result of gastrointestinal modification surgery, which allowed them to survive on grass alone.
Others had unusually large, jet-black pupils. This was from the night-vision surgery they underwent to compete for night shift construction jobs.
Most of them, however, had flushed cheeks, labored breathing, an optimistic but simple-minded demeanor, and reduced intelligence. These were the lingering effects of years of using substandard stimulants on the job.
Rumor had it that Purple Cloud Corporation, upon learning of the stimulant’s flaws, initially intended to improve it. However, due to the potion’s overwhelming popularity in the market, the company ultimately decided to keep it unchanged.
Some construction sites even secretly added the stimulant to their workers’ drinking water, claiming it boosted productivity while preventing employees from quitting or demanding unpaid wages. Though the responsible supervisor involved were later fired and sued into bankruptcy, the practice was still hailed by many companies as a classic case study in corporate management.
As Zhang Yu entered the classroom, many students were still arguing loudly.
Some complained about the rising price of synthetic food. The old stuff was unpalatable, but at least it had been cheap.
Others discussed finding work in other cities. Word had spread that the Corporate War in the North had sparked a new construction boom. It was described as a place where countless industries needed rebuilding, jobs were plentiful, overtime was readily approved, and rent was free. It sounded like a utopia where everyone could find work and housing.
A few students spoke with great excitement about the high wages at the Oasis Tower construction site. They mentioned that the tower was set to reach 1,111 stories and will become the new tallest building in Songyang City, which drew the attention of the students around them.
But when Zhang Yu cleared his throat, most of the students fell silent. He paid no mind to the few who continued their foolish chatter.
He did not blame them. They were not stupid. Their intelligence had just been worn down by their work.
“Alright, quiet down. Class is about to start. If you don’t settle down now, I’ll wait until you do, and you won’t get a refund for the missed time.”
Zhang Yu knew that mentioning money was the most effective motivator for these students from the construction sites. After spending on Dao Heart buffer agents, the vast majority of them lived frugally.
As expected, the classroom fell silent the moment he mentioned it, leaving only the sound of his lecture filling the air.
Zhang Yu’s teaching quality was naturally beyond question. He adapted his explanations to be simple and easy to understand, which was especially important considering his students’ intelligence had been worn down by their work. He drew on his deep understanding of the body and its musculature, ensuring the students gained a great deal from every class.
After class, Zhang Yu stepped outside the small building and saw Bai Zhenzhen practicing her cultivation while waiting for him.
When she saw him approach, Bai Zhenzhen smiled and said, “Luckily, the right teachers were in today, so I got my trial lesson done. I can start teaching tomorrow. They’re paying me 2,000 per class.”
Although the pay was much less than what Zhang Yu earned, Bai Zhenzhen was still thrilled. This was a long-term part-time job and the highest-paying one she had ever had.
Zhang Yu was also pleased to hear it. With A-Zhen earning more money, her chances of increasing her physical strength and participating in physical education competition would be even greater.
On the way back, Zhang Yu once again carried Bai Zhenzhen on his back as he ran.
Bai Zhenzhen wrapped one arm around Zhang Yu’s neck and held her phone in the other, leaning against his back while she searched for rental properties online.
She frowned and said, “It’s surprisingly hard to find a place that meets all our requirements.”
Zhang Yu asked curiously, “What exactly are your requirements?”
Bai Zhenzhen listed her requirements. “First, it has to be small and cheap. We won’t be spending much time there anyway, just using it to store our things.”
“Second, it needs to have electricity and internet access. Otherwise, it will be too inconvenient.”
“Ideally, it should be a basement unit. That way, we can exercise without worrying about disturbing the neighbors below…”
“Dammit, these perfect places are snatched up as soon as they appear. They’re practically impossible to find.”
Just then, the sky had quietly brightened. The sun rose gradually from the direction of downtown Songyang City, illuminating the road ahead for Zhang Yu and Bai Zhenzhen.
“I didn’t even notice it was dawn,” Bai Zhenzhen said. “Then again, our tutoring session was scheduled pretty late today.”
Along the roadside in the distant outskirts, mortals gradually began to appear.
Zhang Yu noticed the long queues forming in front of the synthetic food distribution stalls. The sight stirred memories from this body’s past to surface in his mind.
He and Bai Zhenzhen moved like a whirlwind, flashing past the mortals at breakneck speed and stirring a flicker of envy in their eyes.
If I hadn’t gotten into high school, Zhang Yu thought, I’d probably be like these people now, or even like my old middle school classmates, standing in lines for handouts, working low-paying mortal jobs, just drifting through life while waiting to die.
As images of mortals queuing for food flashed through his mind, he suddenly recalled the students from his class today. For a moment, he could not decide who was happier. Was it the people whose path ended after middle school, or the high school graduates he had taught earlier?
Bai Zhenzhen, meanwhile, was still focused on finding a place to live. She was mentally noting the requirements for a house where she and Zhang Yu could live and eat together, attend school, and work part-time jobs.
Just as she was deep in thought, she suddenly felt a hollow sensation in her lower abdomen.
Holy shit! My Spirit Root is gone!
At the same time, Zhang Yu, who was carrying Bai Zhenzhen on his back as they flew, also jolted with shock.
Holy shit! Something just crawled into me from behind!
