https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-10-Fierce-Competition-and-Level-3-Body-Strengthening/13686392/
Chapter 9: Work
That afternoon, after school.
The cafeteria.
Zhang Yu sat together with Zhou Tianyi and Bai Zhenzhen, quietly eating dinner.
Bai Zhenzhen remained as cold and silent as ever, calmly devouring her massive plate of food—chicken, duck, fish, meat, all piled high.
Zhou Tianyi glanced at Zhang Yu and said, “Your financial situation’s been kind of rough lately, huh?”
“So obvious?” Zhang Yu blinked, a flicker of panic crossing his mind. Did the collection calls already reach my classmates? Is my debt of 700,000 going to be exposed at school?
Zhou Tianyi looked from Bai Zhenzhen’s extravagant meal—filled with every kind of protein imaginable—to Zhang Yu’s meager five-yuan “pauper’s set.” He rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “Based on my three months of observation in the cafeteria, what someone eats here can accurately reflect their financial status—and even their cultivation level.”
“For instance,” he continued, “a person who eats ten catties in one meal won’t sit at the same table as someone who eats only three. They’re from completely different tiers—top and bottom of the campus hierarchy.”
“So that’s why you’re staring at my meal,” Zhang Yu sighed inwardly, relieved. Phew. Thought my poor-boy identity was about to get exposed.
He turned to Bai Zhenzhen, eyeing her plate piled high with half a dozen chicken legs. “Hey, Zhenzhen, those chicken legs look really special. Can I try one?”
Bai Zhenzhen didn’t even look up. “Get lost.”
Zhou Tianyi chuckled and scooped a duck leg from his own bowl, offering it to Zhang Yu. “Zhenzhen’s been training hard today—obviously starving. Try mine.”
“Brother!” Zhang Yu gave him a thumbs-up and immediately grabbed the leg, tearing into it with gusto.
Zhou Tianyi watched him eat like a starving wolf and smiled. “If you’re short on cash, I can lend you some.”
Zhang Yu waved it off. “Nah, I’ll handle it myself.”
Despite being deep in debt, he wasn’t about to ask classmates for help. Not only was that impossible for a 700,000 debt, but he needed a sustainable way to earn—something that could keep him paying off interest month after month.
“Just need to keep up with the monthly interest,” he thought. “Can’t let the collectors escalate their tactics.”
He knew the longer he stayed overdue, the worse it would get—online humiliation, then real-world harassment, each step more aggressive than the last.
Rent, electricity, water, food…
Just thinking about it made his head ache.
After Zhou Tianyi left, Bai Zhenzhen suddenly spoke.
“Based on my three months of observation of both you and Zhou Tianyi, he treats you unusually well.”
Zhang Yu raised an eyebrow. “Really?”
Bai Zhenzhen smirked. “A man smiling and handing a chicken leg to another man? I’ve only seen two scenarios where that happens in my eighteen years of life.”
“One is father and son.”
“The other…” She let out a slow, sly chuckle. “Hehehe…”
Zhang Yu arched a brow. “Zhenzhen, you’ve been watching way too much.”
She turned her cold gaze toward him. “Yu, don’t worry. In this school, you’re the one with the real power.”
With that, she pushed her full tray toward him. “Eh, I’m full. Here, take these leftovers. After all, you’re my good son.”
“Get lost,” Zhang Yu shot back, snatching the tray.
He glanced down—everything was neatly arranged, untouched. A half-eaten plate of food, untouched.
Just as he looked up to thank her, he saw only her retreating back disappearing through the cafeteria door.
Outside, Bai Zhenzhen’s expression dulled once more.
Yu… there’s actually a third situation where that happens, she thought silently.
Her eyes drifted to the steps by the cafeteria entrance, where a cafeteria worker was pouring leftover food into a bowl for a stray cat.
…
Leaving school, Zhang Yu began mapping out ways to earn money.
“Rent: 1,500 yuan. Utilities: about 200 per month. Loan payment: 15,000 monthly…”
Damn.
Just thinking about it made his head pound.
“I need at least 20,000 a month. Regular jobs won’t cut it.”
As he thought it, the Feather Scroll unfurled before him.
Zhang Yu
Dao Heart Level 1
Mana: 7.7
Physical Strength: 0.84 Level
Skills:
- Jian Ti Thirty-Six Forms – Level 2 (17/20)
- Martial Arts – Unarmed Combat – Level 1
- High School Basic Sword Technique – Level 0
Dao Arts:
- Basic Qi Circulation Method – Level 1
- Basic Mind-Cultivation Method – Level 1
Seeing the “High School Basic Sword Technique – Level 0” entry, Zhang Yu remembered today’s martial arts class.
Martial arts class was all about learning combat techniques—80% of the grade came from real combat performance.
Freshmen were required to master one unarmed combat style and one weapon-based combat style.
This sword technique was what he’d just learned today. But since he hadn’t truly mastered it yet, it still showed as Level 0.
Yet when he tested it, he found he could still drag and activate it.
He figured that if he specialized in it, with his potential, he could level it up fast—maybe even fast enough to turn it into a real asset.
As these thoughts raced through his mind, Zhang Yu stared at his screen, wondering what kind of job he could take.
“Even though I’ve only just started on the cultivation path… I am a registered student at Songyang High School.”
After a moment, he pulled out his phone and called his old tutoring center.
The same center that had helped him pass the entrance exam and get into Songyang.
“Tutoring centers usually pay well,” he thought. “And since I’m a real student here, I should have an edge.”
But the teacher on the other end said they were full. “Try another center.”
He tried five more. Each time, the same question:
“Hello, I’d like to work as a part-time tutor. I’m a first-year student at Songyang High School.”
“Could you tell me where you graduated from for elementary and junior high?”
“I am a student at Songyang High School!”
“I’m sorry, but parents are very particular about academic pedigree. Even among top high school tutors, many have already graduated. They don’t trust a first-year student who hasn’t even finished high school.”
After hearing his old schools, the response was silence.
After repeating this five or six times, Zhang Yu finally understood.
“Damn it!”
Why do they care so much about first and second education levels?
Has tutoring competition gotten this intense?
He felt like his elementary and junior high records were two ugly, permanent labels burned onto his face—making it nearly impossible to land even a part-time tutoring job.
Reluctantly, he abandoned the idea and turned to his backup plan.
“Guess I’ll have to try temporary work.”
He’d already learned a bit about this kind of job during the past three months—though not the kind regular people do. This was work for those who had already stepped onto the cultivation path.
High school students made up a large portion of this group. Not every student came from a wealthy family. Many needed to earn money to help their families or buy things they wanted.
But because they were still in school, couldn’t afford to quit, and lacked a diploma, most could only take on temporary jobs.
Zhang Yu had done some research. Now, he messaged a job broker.
“You’re late,” the man replied. “All the jobs today have already been taken.”
“Want to wait here? New jobs come up fast—grab them the second they appear.”
…
Half an hour later, Zhang Yu arrived at a small square.
From a distance, he saw scattered people—sitting, lying down, resting. Old and young, men and women. Some were sleeping on the ground. Others wore school uniforms, meditating with eyes closed.
Following the address, he found a human resources office tucked in the corner—a small shop that looked just like a real estate agency, its dirty window covered in hand-written, crumpled job postings.
He glanced at the faded sign, pushed open the door, and immediately hit a wall of thick cigarette smoke. He wrinkled his nose.
Behind a messy desk, a middle-aged man in a worn shirt looked up, cigarette dangling from his lips.
“You’re the high schooler who called earlier?”
Zhang Yu nodded.
The man introduced himself as Lao Wang—this place’s broker. He handed Zhang Yu a few forms. “Fill these out. I’ll register you.”
Zhang Yu glanced at the form. Besides personal details, it asked for martial arts and cultivation techniques, their levels, and academic records.
After filling it out, he handed it back.
“How long does it usually take to get a job? What’s the pay?”
Lao Wang scratched his messy hair. “Minimum 500 yuan per hour. But when you actually get work? That’s luck. Some weeks, no jobs at all.”
Zhang Yu’s eyes lit up. Five hundred yuan an hour? If I work just two or three hours a day… I could cover my loan and living costs!
But then Lao Wang added, “But it’s hard to find work.”
Zhang Yu leaned forward. “But I’m in the top ten of my grade at a key high school. Isn’t that enough?”
Lao Wang smirked and pointed outside. “See those people? Aside from students like you, everyone else is high school graduates.”
Zhang Yu blinked. “Wait… graduates? They’re still cultivating—why are they doing temporary work?”
Lao Wang shrugged. “Didn’t get into college. Not everyone can.”
“Without college, you’re stuck at the Qi Condensation stage forever. Can’t even reach Kunxu Level Two. Just stuck in Level One, year after year.”
Zhang Yu frowned. “But they could get a proper job in Level One. Why take temporary gigs?”
“Because they don’t sleep,” Lao Wang explained. “After their daytime jobs, if the company doesn’t require overtime, they come here to pick up extra work.”
“To pay off debts. To afford cultivation materials.”
Zhang Yu’s mind reeled. He’d never known this before.
He’d always imagined high school graduates—especially those who didn’t go to college—would just walk into city-center skyscrapers, sit in air-conditioned offices, sipping tea, getting a decent salary.
Turns out, it was the opposite: 24 hours of study before graduation, then 24 hours of work after. The harder you work, the deeper you sink.
Lao Wang glanced at the form. “Oh, Songyang High School? We’re alumni! I went there too—though I dropped out in my third year.”
Zhang Yu’s eyes widened. “Dropped out?”
Lao Wang shrugged. “Couldn’t pass the college entrance exam. Didn’t want to waste money. I only paid off my student loan last year.”
He looked at Zhang Yu. “Since we’re old classmates, I’ll give you some advice.”
“Don’t push yourself too hard. If you realize you won’t make it, leave early. Otherwise… you’ll end up like some people—deep in debt, life ruined.”
After submitting the form, Lao Wang told him to wait outside. He’d be notified immediately if a job came up.
Zhang Yu hesitated. “I’ll be competing with high school graduates. Will I even get a chance?”
Lao Wang smiled. “Don’t worry. Some jobs are specifically for current high school students.”
(End of Chapter
(End of Chapter)
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