Chapter 1: The Interview

Chapter 1: The Interview

"Are we there yet?"

"Don’t be nervous. With your grades, you’ll definitely pass."

"Don’t worry about the surgery fees. Mom has found a new part-time job and will save up to help you. Focus on your interview."

Reading the messages on his phone, Zhang Yu quietly put it away, took a deep breath, and closed his eyes, waiting patiently.

After a long while, a number was called out from the front.

"Interviewee 989, Zhang Yu."

Zhang Yu stood up and walked into the interview room.

He looked at the three interviewers and gave a polite smile, one he had practiced many times. "Good day, everyone. I’m Zhang Yu from Dongyang Junior High School."

The interviewer in the middle looked at him and said calmly, "Why do you want to apply to our school?"

Zhang Yu replied, "Your school has a long history, a deep cultural heritage, and abundant teaching resources. It has produced many outstanding talents for society..."

The interviewer frowned and interrupted, "Don’t give us the usual platitudes."

Zhang Yu responded honestly, "I want to get into a prestigious university, and Songyang High School has the highest university acceptance rate among the schools I can apply to."

The interviewer smiled slightly and looked at the documents in hand. "Hmm, perfect scores in all subjects, top of the school? No wonder you were recommended."

"Your grades are excellent, but to get into Songyang High School, academic performance alone is not enough."

He thought for a moment and casually asked, "How many hours do you sleep each day?"

Zhang Yu replied, "Five hours."

The interviewer was surprised. "Five hours?"

"At our school, students from elementary school onwards usually sleep no more than two hours a day. Most of our top graduates don’t sleep at all."

"Five hours? That means you’re losing three hours of study time each day, which adds up to nearly ten thousand hours over nine years..."

Zhang Yu was taken aback. He had thought he was already working very hard, but now he realized there was a significant gap between his efforts and those of others. He knew that students in Songyang City started elementary school at age nine and entered high school at eighteen, but he hadn’t expected the difference to be so vast.

Zhang Yu quickly said, "I will work harder to catch up with them."

The interviewer on the left asked, "How much of the high school curriculum have you covered?"

Zhang Yu calmed down and confidently replied, "I have completed the first-year high school curriculum on my own."

The interviewer frowned. "Only first-year? Do you know that we assume students have already completed the entire high school curriculum when they start here?"

Zhang Yu was stunned. This was another piece of information he hadn’t known, and what he thought was an advantage turned into a disadvantage.

Just as he was at a loss, the interviewer in the middle asked the next question.

"Our school has a Castration Ritual to enhance learning efficiency and prevent early romantic relationships. All students must complete this ritual before enrollment to focus on their studies."

"Are you familiar with this?"

Finally, he heard something he knew. "My family is already preparing for it. I will complete the Castration Ritual before school starts and maintain the appropriate hormone levels."

The interviewer nodded noncommittally. "Alright, the interview is over. You can leave now."

Zhang Yu left the room, feeling uneasy. He thought his interview time was shorter than that of other students.

After he left, the interviewer in the middle shook his head. "He hasn’t even been sterilized in junior high. His dedication to the path is clearly lacking."

The female interviewer smiled. "He came here without knowing anything. He doesn’t have the required test reports or extracurricular exam scores. It’s just another case of a low-quality candidate from a regular junior high school. If it weren’t for the support policies, they wouldn’t even have the chance to interview with us."

The interviewer in the middle nodded. "Sigh, I thought the poor would be more diligent. Maybe my expectations were too high."

"Let’s put him on the reserve list for now."

With that, he threw Zhang Yu’s resume into a nearby wastebasket, where it joined hundreds of other reserve resumes.

Although Zhang Yu felt his interview hadn’t gone well, he didn’t have time to dwell on it. He began preparing for more interviews at different high schools.

"Zhang Yu, we understand that your family may not be able to afford the tuition here. However, we offer preferential loan services for underprivileged students. All you need to do is pledge some non-essential organs..."

"Rest assured, you’ve come to the right place. We know you’re male, and while our school is predominantly female, we don’t discriminate against males. If you complete the Gender Transformation Surgery, you will not only be admitted but also considered a promising student with a strong dedication to the path, giving you the opportunity to study the Yuan Yin Cultivation Art in the advanced class..."

"Unfortunately, you fall slightly short of our admission standards. However, this year, to support underprivileged students, we have introduced a special talent program. If you are willing to give up your physical body, you can join the Soul Cultivation Specialty and study under the Ten Thousand Souls Banner of the principal..."

"Zhang Yu, you’ve come to the right place. This is the perfect high school for a talented student like you from a humble background.

Let me introduce the benefits here. We add Cognitive Enhancers to the drinking water to ensure students maintain a fifth-level focus at all times.

Every day, the homeroom teacher will provide you with over 900 grams of specialized supplements for beast demons, enhancing your cultivation by tenfold.

The air circulation system is also filled with Neural Stimulants, so you won’t need to sleep. All of this is free.

Of course, to withstand these enhancements, you must undergo modifications at our designated hospital.

Don’t worry. Just implant some small magical devices to boost your metabolism. Here’s the price list..."

One interview after another, each with its own set of questions.

Some were so high that he couldn’t even see a glimmer of hope.

Others were filled with traps, making him feel like he would be swallowed whole.

All of this made Zhang Yu feel suffocated.

He suddenly realized that despite being the top student in his suburban junior high school, he was already worlds apart from the students in the city center.

Even now, he only knew a fraction of the gap between them.

All his years of hard study seemed like a joke.

In the end, he was no different from his unmotivated classmates, unable to get into high school.

When he returned home, Zhang Yu sat silently, like a stone statue.

His phone vibrated repeatedly.

Mother: How did the interview go?

Mother: I’m working overtime tonight. Remember to heat up the food in the fridge.

A moment later, the phone vibrated again.

Mother: Son, don’t worry. No matter whether you choose sterilization or gender transformation, Mom will help you save up for the surgery.

But Zhang Yu didn’t look at the vibrating phone. He just stared blankly at the ceiling, trying to think about the future, but his mind felt empty.

Just then, the phone vibrated violently again.

Zhang Yu ignored it at first, but after a minute, he couldn’t resist picking it up. The caller had already hung up, but he received a message: "Your 5,000 yuan reserve fund is ready. It will be credited to your account in ten seconds..."

"Another micro-loan ad?"

"Hmph."

Zhang Yu suspected that his interview materials had been sold by one of the schools.

But after a moment, he picked up the phone again and opened the message.

...

That night, when his mother returned from her shift, she found Zhang Yu, who had been looking grim, now sitting at his desk, reading a book.

"Mom, don’t worry. I won’t be so easily defeated."

"If I don’t get in this year, I’ll try again next year. I will cultivate immortality."

"Tomorrow, I’ll find a cram school to make up for what I’m missing."

The next morning, Zhang Yu rushed out early and returned home that evening with a bright smile.

"Mom, I found an Immortal Dao cram school. The teachers are from top high schools. With their help, I’m sure I can get into high school."

"Don’t worry about the tuition. They saw that I’ve always had good grades and that my family isn’t well-off, so they’re waiving the tuition. If I can get into Songyang High School next year, I won’t have to pay it back. It’s like advertising for them."

"Don’t worry, they’re a reputable company. They won’t cheat me."

His mother watched as Zhang Yu left for the cram school early every morning and returned late at night, often studying until two or three in the morning. She was proud of his determination, especially when he brought back textbooks for second and third-year high school subjects, planning to complete all the general knowledge courses except for Immortal Dao.

But when she saw the boxes of medication he brought home, she felt a bit uneasy.

Zhang Yu smiled and explained, "Mom, I’ve already lost ten thousand hours compared to the top students. If I don’t work harder, I’ll fall further behind."

"These Neural Stimulants will help me sleep only half an hour a day, improving my study efficiency and keeping me from falling behind the city students."

"Don’t worry, these medications are free."

"The principal of the cram school is particularly fond of me and gave them to me."

Hearing that the principal had given them to him, his mother was even more pleased.

Soon, Zhang Yu brought home even more items.

In addition to various high school textbooks and Neural Stimulants, he also brought hormone-regulating capsules, specialized supplements for beast demons, and bottles of unmarked powders.

Zhang Yu had many explanations for these items, sometimes saying he bought them cheaply from his part-time job, other times that they were gifts from classmates, or rewards from the cram school...

His mother was happy to see his diligence and his good relationships and excellent performance at the cram school.

She transferred 1,000 yuan to Zhang Yu, asking him to thank his classmates and teachers.

However, she gradually noticed that Zhang Yu’s mood was becoming unstable. Sometimes he left home in high spirits but returned in silence, going straight to bed without a word.

Sometimes, while they were happily enjoying a meal, a phone call would leave Zhang Yu frowning, unable to eat another bite.

His mother knew that the pressure of cultivating was immense, causing Zhang Yu to be constantly on edge.

All she could do was buy more of his favorite foods and save more for his tuition, hoping to alleviate his stress.

Gradually, she noticed that Zhang Yu was particularly attached to his phone. Not only did he keep it with him at all times, but he also forbade anyone from touching it, always stepping into the bathroom to take calls behind closed doors.

One time, when she saw the phone was dead and took it to charge, Zhang Yu even scolded her angrily.

Understanding the immense pressure he was under, she never dared to touch his phone again, fearing it might affect his cultivation.

One day, Zhang Yu asked her for extra tuition money, saying a top university graduate was giving a lecture at his tutoring class, and he needed to pay for it.

Then came the fees for high school admissions, the Spirit Root Assessment Fee at the hospital, and the cost to buy a civilian-grade Flying Sword with his classmates.

The expenses ranged from a few thousand to several thousand, and finally, he asked her to transfer twenty thousand yuan, saying it was for renting a Celestial Spirit Root.

But the good news finally came when Zhang Yu successfully got accepted into Songyang High School.

His mother was overjoyed, proud of his efforts and talent. She readily agreed to pay for his tuition, miscellaneous fees, and even the Enhancement Serum.

However, after school started, Zhang Yu began asking for more and more money, and the family's finances soon became strained.

One afternoon, as she listened to the voice on the other end of the phone, her heart sank.

"Hello? Is this Zhang Yu's mother?"

"Do you know that your son's loan is already 30 days overdue..."

That night, Zhang Yu confessed everything to his mother.

All the expenses he had mentioned—free classes, scholarships, and gifts—were actually borrowed from various platforms.

"Mom, I'm sorry."

"But I really want to cultivate."

"Even if I owe a lifetime of debt, I want to cultivate..."

Hearing this, his mother sold everything of value in the house and borrowed more money to pay off his debts.

She thought this would allow her son to focus on his cultivation.

But soon, she discovered new loan defaults.

Repaying... borrowing... repaying... borrowing...

Finally, she couldn't bear it any longer and tried to persuade Zhang Yu to spend less.

"Mom, I can't stop taking the medicine. If I stop, my Dao heart will regress, and all my efforts will be in vain..."

"I have to rent the Celestial Spirit Root. Without it, my Qi won't improve..."

"The Vip Access Card for the tutoring class needs to be recharged, or I won't understand the techniques taught in school..."

Advanced Immortal Dao technology allowed ordinary people without Spirit Roots to walk the path of cultivation, but it came at a cost—regular, expensive training and maintenance to keep progressing.

Three months into the school year, as the debts piled up and the rent and utilities became unaffordable, it all felt like an endless nightmare. His mother finally couldn't take it anymore.

One day after school, Zhang Yu came home to find his mother gone.

Reading her farewell note, he sat in a daze for a long time before finally picking up his phone and stepping out.

...

On the rooftop of the rental apartment.

A sharp pain jolted through his mind, gradually rousing him from the darkness.

He opened his eyes and saw a bustling, polluted street not far ahead.

On both sides, neon signs flickered, and above them, dark buildings crowded together, as if trying to block out the sky.

Beneath him was a dilapidated apartment, its weathered red brick walls projecting financial ads, showing flying immortals recommending a 30-day interest-free Immortal Cultivation Loan to new users.

"Wasn't I just playing a game?"

"Where am I?"

As he pondered, he noticed the rooftop was covered with candles.

Rows of candles, their crimson flames flickering, surrounded him and an old, tattered doll.

The doll, with its yellowed, faded fabric and crooked stitching, seemed about to fall apart.

The eerie scene triggered fragmented memories in his mind.

"This isn't China... Did I get transported to another world?"

He found it hard to accept the idea of being in another world.

But the real memories of Immortal Dao technology in his head kept assaulting his consciousness, merging him with his new body and reminding him that he was now in a different world.

This was Kunxu, a towering superstructure shaped like a pyramid, with 36 levels above ground and 18 below.

Starting from the First Tier, which was vast like a continent, each level was a new world.

As for what lay beyond Kunxu, Zhang Yu had no idea.

He only knew that within Kunxu, the world was ruled by the great Immortal Dao sects.

The sects were at the top, almost monopolizing food, energy, transportation, education, research, healthcare, finance, and the internet. The government and military were like security guards compared to the sects' enforcement teams.

But ordinary people did not benefit much from the Immortal Dao technology, spending their days struggling to make ends meet.

Zhang Yu, a high school student who had just been accepted into Songyang High School, lived on the First Tier of Kunxu and had recently become obsessed with a strange ritual.

"I'm now Zhang Yu in another world."

Just then, a sharp pain in his palm brought him back to reality.

He looked down and saw a transparent symbol in his hand, slowly turning black.

"What is this?"

As the night wind blew, the crimson candle flames flickered.

The old doll, with its hollow eyes made of black buttons, stared straight at him.

He tried to recall what had happened, but the more he thought, the more his head ached and spun.

The atmosphere grew increasingly eerie, and Zhang Yu, clutching his dizzy head, felt the world spinning around him.

When he came to, he found himself leaving the rooftop in a daze, step by step, back to his front door.

Glancing at the overdue rent notice, he stepped inside. The room contained only a bed and a table.

"Is this my home?"

Feeling the sticky sweat on his skin and the stifling heat, Zhang Yu looked for the air conditioner remote but remembered there was no air conditioner in the room.

He wanted to take a shower but found the water had been cut off.

Zhang Yu sat down on the bed, feeling helpless.

"What a dump."

"So what if there are immortals? Life here is worse than in a world without them."

His gaze fell on the wall behind the table, covered in certificates from elementary school to junior high. The original Zhang Yu had been a top student every year.

Looking at the certificates, memories of receiving awards flooded his mind: "The original Zhang Yu was a diligent, hardworking student with excellent grades from a young age."

"The Songyang High School he attends now is a prestigious high school in the city."

"I'm a genius."

Recalling the knowledge in his mind, Zhang Yu's eyes brightened: "Getting into a top university means Foundation Building. Joining a great sect means Golden Core Formation. Climbing the ranks in Kunxu, leaving this slum, and enjoying more Immortal Dao benefits could extend my life by centuries."

Thinking about it, Zhang Yu began to see being in this world as a good thing.

Just then, his phone rang.

"Hello?"

"Mr. Zhang Yu, your loan on our platform is 3 days overdue..."

After hanging up, Zhang Yu scrolled through his messages, finding countless overdue notices from various lending platforms.

Memories of the original Zhang Yu's life also flooded his mind.

"He started borrowing for tutoring before high school. To keep up with his classmates at Songyang High School, he began borrowing more to take medicine and attend classes, forcing himself to reach his potential. But the more he borrowed, the more his potential was drained."

"He was a fake cultivation genius, relying on platform loans to maintain his facade."

"Even his mother couldn't stand it and left."

Calculating the total overdue loans, Zhang Yu broke out in a cold sweat.

He found he owed over 700,000 yuan to various platforms, and his account had only 50 yuan left.

"700,000... Damn!"

Zhang Yu slammed his fist on the bed, furious. "In this world... even for a top high school student, this is a massive debt."

"No wonder he was obsessed with those weird rituals... He's a hopeless loan addict."

"He had his fun, and now I have to pay his debts?"

Suddenly, the lights in the room went out.

After trying the switch several times and checking the neighbors, Zhang Yu realized he had been cut off.

"This dump..."

"If I wake up back home tomorrow, that would be great..."

With a mix of thoughts swirling in his mind, Zhang Yu eventually fell into a deep sleep on the bed.

On his palm, the transparent symbol had turned black by a tenth.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end