Chapter 23: Talk

The clock struck one in the morning. Zhang Yu, having completed his security shift, squeezed onto the subway and then a bus, finally returning to his rented room in the suburbs.

As for why the public transportation was still so packed at one in the morning, it was naturally because this hour marked the late-night rush hour in Songyang City. Plenty of people were coming and going from their jobs.

Back home, he took a quick shower. Looking at the balance in his account, Zhang Yu wondered if he could finally afford an air conditioner.

After all, a savings of 8300 made him feel unusually flush this month.

But then he remembered that in just two weeks it would be the next month, and he'd have to repay 15000 in loans, and a frown creased his brow.

He recalled Bai Zhenzhen's words.

He murmured to himself, "The school's contract, huh?"

If signing a contract could provide him with a substantial sum of money each month, then he wouldn't have to worry about the loans.

However, Zhang Yu also knew that overthinking was useless. Whether it was his performance before the Celestial Martial Arts Diagram or the school's contract, the foundation of everything ultimately lay in his own talent and strength.

With that thought, he retrieved the nerve-enhancing agent he'd bought at the stationery store near the school gate earlier that day and swallowed it down.

Then, he sat cross-legged on the bed and began to circulate the Heavenly Cycle Qi Gathering Method, feeling wisps of spiritual energy flowing into his body from the heavens and earth.

Although he'd switched the specialization of the Feather Script to the Celestial Martial Heart Tempering Sutra for today's test of the Celestial Martial Arts Diagram, he'd have to wait 24 hours before switching back to the Heavenly Cycle Qi Gathering Method to continue improving it rapidly.

But since he couldn't cultivate the Celestial Martial Heart Tempering Sutra until his Dao Heart reached Level 3, and he needed to prepare for the Law Competition by improving his magical power, it didn't matter.

Although the Heavenly Cycle Qi Gathering Method couldn't be improved quickly today, the fact that it had already reached Level 4 meant it could still effectively help him increase his magical power.

And so, the rest of the night passed in Zhang Yu's silent breathing and circulation.

……

The next morning.

As soon as Zhang Yu entered the classroom, he noticed something different from usual.

Normally, the vast majority of students at Songyang High School were focused on their own studies and cultivation and wouldn't pay much attention to other ordinary students in the class.

Even two classmates might not exchange a single word for months.

It was as if no one ever noticed Zhang Yu when he entered the classroom each day.

Only someone like Zhao Tianxing would imagine that his classmates were watching him when he entered the classroom each day.

But today was different. Zhang Yu could clearly feel that as soon as he entered the classroom, students were secretly glancing at him.

As soon as Zhang Yu sat down, Zhou Tianyi patted him on the shoulder and said, "The news that you're being taken as a disciple by a Golden Core True Person has spread throughout the class."

"It seems like the people who went to the art exhibition with Qian Shen spread it in the group chat."

As everyone knew, schools were among the places where gossip spread the fastest in the world.

And as a key high school with intense cultivation pressure, many celibate youths, and everyone owning a phone, Songyang High School had an even faster rate of gossip transmission.

Not only were there text messages, but even the photo of Zhang Yu wearing a security guard uniform from yesterday had already spread in the group chat.

Zhang Yu smiled upon hearing this.

"My story has begun to spread in the class? This is worthy of Songyang Speed. Then let it spread!"

In these days of being forced to cultivate bitterly, feeling the attention and discussion of others behind his back regarding his excellent performance was a rare pleasure for Zhang Yu.

But then he frowned, thinking of a problem.

Yesterday, Li Xuelian had secretly called him into a small meeting room to tell him that he'd been rejected.

This meant that many people present didn't know that he had actually been rejected by the Golden Core True Person and still thought, as Li Xuelian had said on the field, that he was going to be taken as a disciple by the Golden Core True Person.

"It would seem pretty silly if I ran up to the podium to clarify things now."

"Forget it, let them spread whatever they want. They should forget about it after a while."

Zhang Yu closed his eyes and continued to circulate the Heavenly Cycle Qi Gathering Method, breathing in spiritual energy.

The students' discussions were just a temporary amusement.

As he had planned before, his main goal now was still to do everything in his power to improve his magical power and prepare to participate in the city's Law Competition.

However, Zhang Yu was called out by his homeroom teacher, Su Haifeng, before he could even take a few breaths.

……

Zhang Yu remembered the last time he had been called in for a talk by Su Haifeng. It was on the third day after Zhang Yu came to this world.

At that time, he still didn't have a deep enough understanding of Songyang High School and its teachers.

He had even initially mistaken Su Haifeng for a good teacher who cared about poor students.

But now, standing behind Su Haifeng outside the classroom, Zhang Yu could feel the terrifying pressure of this model class homeroom teacher and grade director.

Wherever Su Haifeng passed, the classroom instantly fell silent, and many students trembled.

Qian Shen didn't dare to move and focused on breathing.

Zhao Tianxing, who had just stood up to go to the bathroom, quickly sat back down and picked up a book to read.

Even Bai Zhenzhen sat up straight like a primary school student, staring intently at the textbook in front of her.

Everyone's nerves were on edge at this moment, hoping that Su Haifeng's gaze wouldn't fall on them.

This was Su Haifeng, the director of the first year of Songyang High School, a living nightmare in the minds of countless Songyang students, and the author of the research paper "The Application Prospects of Electric Shock in High School Teaching."

This was a man who could make a dog read a few pages of a book just by walking past him.

Zhang Yu followed Su Haifeng all the way to his study area in the office, watching as this devil smiled at him and said, "I heard that True Person Xinghuo wants to take you as a disciple?"

Zhang Yu didn't intend to deceive the school about becoming a disciple of a Golden Core cultivator. After all, lies about discipleship were easily exposed, which would put him in a passive position.

So he told the truth, "No, I felt that True Person Xinghuo's conditions were a bit lacking, so I refused."

Su Haifeng's mouth twitched upon hearing this.

Zhang Yu was already poor to begin with, and he hadn't even given him a gift in the three months since the school year started. Now that he had finally made a name for himself, he was actually putting on airs.

"Is he trying to… increase his value in order to sign a contract?"

Sure enough, these poor ghosts were prone to arrogance.

But in that case, Su Haifeng felt that the contract wouldn't be so easy to sign later.

"Mm." After pondering, he took out a document and said, "The school has learned about your performance at the Central Mansion Art Exhibition."

"Although your grades have declined recently, you've been criticized by the physical education teacher, you aren't taking your medication actively, and debt collectors have even called me, the school still cares about talent and has decided to provide you with some assistance."

Zhang Yu narrowed his eyes upon hearing this.

Worthy of being the universally recognized nightmare of Songyang High School, he was already starting with the old pressure tactic.

Zhang Yu thought of what Bai Zhenzhen had said about the contract and guessed that this was probably a prelude to discussing the contract terms later.

And as he expected, Su Haifeng placed the document in front of him and then said, "The school has prepared a scholarship contract for you. The conditions are much better than the previous poverty assistance program. See if there are any problems."

Zhang Yu picked it up and glanced at it. He found that after signing this contract, the school would give him 10,000 yuan per month, but this money had to be repaid, although the interest rate was much lower than borrowing.

In addition, he was required to work in a company under the school's educational group for ten years, regardless of whether he was admitted to a university.

Songyang High School was a high school under the Wanxing Education Group, and the Wanxing Education Group belonged to the Ten Great Sects, the Wanfa Sect.

That is to say, after signing this contract, Zhang Yu would have to work for the Wanxing Education Group for ten years in the future.

Besides, Songyang High School had the right to decide which university and which major students should apply to during the university application process.

"One thousand yuan a month, and they want me to sign this kind of contract of servitude?"

Even if Zhang Yu hadn't seen other students' contracts, he could tell that this contract was a bit insulting.

Zhang Yu put down the document and frowned, "Teacher, isn't this treatment a little too low? I make 800 yuan an hour as a security guard at Central Mansion."

"Can temporary work last?" Su Haifeng first denied this, then changed the subject and said, "I know that the treatment in this contract is indeed a bit low, but there must be a reason why the school leaders are doing this."

"After all, what exactly did the assessment of the Celestial Martial Arts Diagram at the art exhibition test? What are the selection criteria? What is the specific quality of all the candidates? The school doesn't have first-hand information and can't judge for itself. What's more, you didn't even master the martial art in the end."

"On the contrary, your grades have declined significantly this month."

"The school is ultimately a place that emphasizes grades. The 700-point evaluation system for six subjects is definitely more immortal and reasonable than the Celestial Martial Arts Diagram, and it is also valued more by the school board. The contract process cannot escape this…"

Zhang Yu's frown deepened, only because what Su Haifeng said was not without reason.

In Songyang High School, grades were ultimately the most important thing.

After all, apart from him, the people at the school had no idea of the specific difficulty and power of the Celestial Martial Heart Tempering Sutra, nor did they know that this martial art had a Level 3 Dao Heart requirement.

And Zhang Yu didn't have the right to spread the Celestial Martial Heart Tempering Sutra, and no one would vouch for him to make people believe his statement about the Celestial Martial Heart Tempering Sutra.

Zhang Yu: "There's no way I can accept this contract."

Su Haifeng smiled slightly, thinking, "Is he going to raise the price?"

He said calmly, "Don't worry, I'm your homeroom teacher after all. I can help you get a little more."

Zhang Yu: "Can you make it as high as the conditions you offered Bai Zhenzhen?"

Su Haifeng didn't answer directly, but laughed first, but the meaning of the laughter was self-evident.

Then he said, "I'm not in charge of Bai Zhenzhen's contract, but I can give you a response. Bai Zhenzhen is the first in the grade with 650 points. How many points do you have?"

Zhang Yu: "Does that mean that as long as I get the first place in the grade, anything can be discussed?"

Looking at Zhang Yu's serious face, Su Haifeng smiled and took the contract back, "How much you can score depends on your own ability."

"The contract mainly looks at grades. Although there can be a little fluctuation in the details, generally speaking, it is only divided into four levels: A, B, C, and D."

"The monthly exam is in two weeks. If you are not satisfied with the D-level contract, we can continue to talk after your next monthly exam results come out."