https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-544-The-Spring-of-Civil-Engineering-Company-Expansion/13687256/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-546-Beginning-to-Take-Human-Form-Please-Vote-for-Me-/13687258/
Chapter 545: Hiring an Assistant
Late October.
Zhang Yu had once again leased Ye Xingli’s laboratory.
The reason for choosing this place wasn’t just because Ye Xingli offered him a discount—it was also because Zhang Yu was quietly drawn to the Dao Seed lingering on her person.
Right now, he was channeling streaks of true fire, which surged forth and wrapped around the metallic materials before him like living flames.
Tian Ri Huang Shen—the prototype machine—was a military-grade spirit puppet, and its crafting process was infinitely more complex than that of ordinary spirit artifacts. Its skeletal frame, nervous system, control core, martial energy core… each component, pulled apart, was itself a marvel of precision and spiritual craftsmanship.
The refinement of the prototype machine, in the simplest terms, involved refining each individual module, then assembling and fine-tuning them into a whole.
At this moment, Zhang Yu was working on the skeletal structure—the most foundational part.
As a puppet imbued with supreme yang energy, Tian Ri Huang Shen’s bones had to be forged with extreme strength, heat resistance, superior martial energy conductivity, and even the ability to undergo fire-based transformations.
Each bone in the prototype was, in technical sophistication, far more advanced than most spirit artifacts owned by students across the University City.
But for Zhang Yu—already having passed the Taiqing Jing cultivation and mastering a wide range of alchemical techniques—the refinement process quickly went from clumsy to smooth, and then to effortless mastery.
Ye Xingli, watching his movements from the side, couldn’t help but comment:
“You’ve gotten really good at refining bionic skeletons. When did you pick this up?”
Zhang Yu smiled.
“During the economic crisis, I had nothing better to do. I took the time to study every bit of technical material on Tian Ri Huang Shen—reading documents, watching online courses.”
“Turns out, practical application isn’t as hard as it looks.”
“Of course, I suppose it also helps that my prior alchemy cultivation gave me a strong foundation. Those techniques really boosted my skill.”
This was a carefully rehearsed explanation—Zhang Yu had no intention of hiding his abilities. He would soon complete the prototype machine step by step, and the results would speak for themselves.
As for why he’d learned so fast? That was simply due to his innate alchemical talent.
Ye Xingli, observing Zhang Yu’s precise movements, felt a spark of admiration.
“Learning this fast… Zhang Yu’s got an uncanny instinct in alchemy. He picks things up instantly.”
Recalling their first encounter with alchemy, and Zhang Yu’s subsequent rapid progress, she couldn’t help but sigh inwardly:
“Sure, he has Hua Shen Yin Qi to help him, but his raw talent shouldn’t be underestimated.”
“I thought he lacked talent at first… but clearly, Master’s judgment was far better than mine.”
Just as she was lost in thought, Zhang Yu spoke again:
“Senior Sister, thanks again for letting me use the lab these past few weeks.”
Ye Xingli waved her hand dismissively.
“I’ll be spending most of my time on school training, preparing for next year’s Top Ten League. This lab’s perfect for you.”
Zhang Yu glanced at her. Since returning from the Top Ten League, her department ranking had climbed to third in the Alchemy Department. And if he stared a little longer, he could even see the faint shimmer of her rank shifting—third in Alchemy, then briefly flashing to #10 overall.
Zhang Yu felt a pang of envy.
“I heard once you’re in the top ten, the school offers a thousand Lingbi loan. I wonder if Senior Sister applied…”
He then brought up a question he’d been meaning to ask:
“Senior Sister, if I want to enter next year’s Top Ten League, what’s the procedure?”
For Zhang Yu, this was something that needed early planning. Otherwise, he might end up wasting months of effort only to miss the registration window, or fail to meet some hidden eligibility criteria—regrets would be inevitable.
Ye Xingli paused, surprised.
“Zhang Yu… you’re talented, yes, but next year’s Top Ten League will be unprecedentedly fierce. The school will pour all its resources into upperclassmen who’ve already proven themselves—those chasing the Xianmen Technique.”
“Unless you can surpass us all within less than a year… it’s unlikely you’ll make the cut.”
She thought it over. It wasn’t impossible—but it was nearly so.
“If you manage to successfully refine a prototype machine by your fourth year, that’d already be a major achievement.”
“In other years, you might’ve had a shot at the league.”
“But next year… you probably won’t even be considered.”
She almost told him to forget it—to stop dreaming and save everyone time.
But then, a message scrolled across her eye armor: Poor Man Simulator.
She smiled faintly.
“Want to join next year’s Top Ten League? I support you.”
“Usually, the team coaches reach out to potential candidates. If they don’t, you can register yourself by June next year.”
“The standard requirement? At least two military-grade techniques. If you’ve secured the military license for Tian Ri Huang Shen, you can try applying.”
“But next year’s competition will be brutal—selection standards may be even stricter. Don’t be discouraged if you don’t make it…”
Zhang Yu listened intently, nodding and committing every detail to memory. A new sense of urgency gripped him.
“Participating in the Top Ten League… every second counts.”
After discussing the competition, Ye Xingli turned back to him.
“Refining the skeleton is the most tedious part. It’s not just complex—it’s time-consuming. The prototype requires a massive number of bones, and each one needs painstaking work.”
“But the early stages—material selection, impurity purification—are actually quite simple. You should consider hiring an assistant.”
Zhang Yu had already thought about this.
Tian Ri Huang Shen was incredibly intricate, yes—but not every step required genius-level skill. There were plenty of repetitive, low-skill tasks that could be delegated.
Once he’d refined the prototype a few times to confirm his methods were sound, he could hand off the routine prep work to someone else and focus on the high-level, critical stages—dramatically boosting his efficiency.
“The initial refinement takes the most time,” he mused. “If I do it alone, it’ll take me three months to complete the first-level prototype. Then I’ll need multiple rounds of refinement and optimization to upgrade it.”
“But with help, I could cut that down to two months—or even one.”
Thinking of Jin Jun, who’d already been working for months, Zhang Yu realized: to catch up and surpass him, hiring an assistant wasn’t just helpful—it was essential.
He turned to Ye Xingli.
“Do you have someone in mind?”
Ye Xingli replied, “How about Zi Wen Zhen? She’ll be free after finishing my project.”
Zhang Yu remembered the quiet figure who’d been bustling around the lab recently. He nodded.
“What’s her rate?”
He added silently: I just hope she’s capable. I’ll need to interview her—test her skills before I commit.
But then Ye Xingli said, “I offered her 2 Lingbi per month, 14 hours a day, plus 12 free overtime hours every week—she can schedule them however she wants.”
Zhang Yu’s eyes widened.
“Only 2 Lingbi a month?!”
He nearly choked. What kind of superhuman is this? Is she even a student in the Alchemy Department?
Ye Xingli chuckled. “Zi Wen Zhen has real talent when it comes to assistant work.”
Zhang Yu thought: Talent? She’s not just talented—she’s practically a miracle. Who in the Alchemy Department would work for this low a wage, even with extra overtime?
He didn’t hesitate.
“Then it’s settled. I’ll take her!”
Yes, Zhang Yu had a decent amount of funds—but in Kunxu, no one ever truly felt rich. Hiring an assistant required cost-effectiveness.
And Zi Wen Zhen’s pricing was so absurdly efficient, Zhang Yu was willing to overlook even her lack of skill—she was worth every Lingbi.
Ye Xingli added, “She’s cheap, but she has her own conditions. She wants to learn something meaningful from the project.”
…
Zi Wen Zhen stared at the group chat on her eye armor, her eyes flickering with quiet envy.
There, Su Yun Ni—Class Rank #1—was sharing her latest project updates.
Since joining Jin Jun’s lab, she’d been posting regularly.
Su Yun Ni: Jin Jun Senior’s alchemy expertise is incredible. Just a few words and we all gain so much.
Su Yun Ni: The project funding is massive. We get hands-on practice every single day.
Su Yun Ni: We’re almost done with the martial energy core. Soon, I’ll have full familiarity with every part of the Tian Ri Huang Shen prototype.
Zi Wen Zhen longed to be part of such a high-level project—especially one involving a military-grade spirit artifact.
And Jin Jun wasn’t just talented—he was generous with Lingbi, offering sums that left even senior assistants impressed.
But every application she’d sent to Jin Jun had vanished into silence.
Then, a message appeared in her eye armor.
Zhang Yu: Zi Wen Zhen, are you interested in joining my project?
She blinked.
Zhang Yu—yes, he’d claimed he’d complete the prototype this academic year.
But she didn’t believe it.
She took low-paying jobs not out of desperation, but to gain learning opportunities. Whether applying to Ye Xingli or Jin Jun, she’d always hoped to learn from someone truly exceptional.
“Zhang Yu hasn’t even mastered a single military-grade technique from the Alchemy Department. He’s never won a prize. And now he’s jumping straight into refining Tian Ri Huang Shen? This project’s doomed to fail.”
(End of Chapter)
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