Chapter 223: Investment Model For Cattle-and-horses-type Talent
After simply helping the five orc kids fall asleep quickly, Yuan Zhu raised his hand to check the time; it was not yet 5 o’clock. Looking out the window, the sky was still bright, just approaching dusk.
He pondered briefly for a moment and decided to head straight to Rain Courtyard to harass his senior student.
His drive for his undertaking was still too strong right now; he couldn’t wait even one night! It was probably influenced by his predecessor’s Working Spirit; even he, who was usually laid-back, now felt an irrepressible urge to properly develop Anti-Law.
Starting from early this morning: roasting pumpkin, refining Worm Pillar, activating Three Phases, activating Anti-Law, abducting orcs… What a fulfilling day? What heaven-defying action power?
“I’m really too inspiring! Too hardworking (B)!”
Snake Snake nodded in agreement: “Indeed! When it comes to diligence and hard work, I’ve really been too lax; I should learn from Boss and deeply reflect on myself.”
“Nonsense, you’re excellent too!”
“My excellence is also influenced by Boss’s every move and led along.”
“Such a sweet mouth!”
…
When Yuan Zhu drove the junk car to the main gate of Rain Courtyard, he was finally stopped by the gate guard. Even after showing his identification, he was only allowed to enter alone; the junk car had no qualification to enter.
He made his way familiarly to the living area and stopped a girl who looked quite inexperienced. After some conversation, he learned that she was a Gemstone System student and did not know the big sister from the School of Dangerous Botany.
The soft girl with delicate features but a slightly underdeveloped figure also looked disappointed, realizing this was not a blushing-heart-pounding encounter flirtation. But she still endured her disappointment and agreed to help go upstairs to find someone.
Yuan Zhu waited downstairs for about 15 minutes before his senior student, dressed appropriately with simple light makeup, leisurely came down and waved to signal.
As she approached, she complained: “Why come contact me at this time? Couldn’t pick a more normal hour? It’s about to get dark soon.”
Yuan Zhu was surprised: “For you university students, isn’t nightfall just the start of the day?”
Senior Student Chen rolled her eyes at him: “What kind of talk is that? Running City’s nights are not beautiful at all, and there aren’t many entertainment spots. Recently, time-space fluctuations have been frequent. One guy from our school went out at night to party and ended up partying himself out of existence. Even Prophecy couldn’t locate and recover him.”
Yuan Zhu was extremely curious and quickly followed up: “What happened? Can you tell me? I encountered a brief time-space fluctuation once before too.”
He recalled the first night after arriving in Du Ling Star, when he encountered the Night Watch Division Armored General while walking home at night.
By that logic, him being pulled into Happy Home also counted as a type of time-space fluctuation, right?
Yuan Zhu suddenly sighed; on the first day of crossing to Du Ling Star, he was hit with nonstop bad luck. First an Evil God Sacrifice, then grabbed for Security Bureau investigation, followed by a time-space disorder on the night walk… troubles nonstop. The second day wasn’t much better either; he was kidnapped by Happy Home that same day.
Only after that did he wonderfully transfer luck! No new troubles since, and those high-frequency time-space disorders also vanished without a trace.
Snake Snake suddenly spoke: “Boss, do you think every time you log into Happy Home, it might also count as time-space disorder? So it’s not that you’ve transferred luck and avoided similar troubles, but that the time-space disorder chances and dangers that should’ve been yours were all taken by Happy Home?”
Yuan Zhu: “I think my nonstop bad luck on the first day was Du Ling Star’s rejection reaction to an ‘outsider traverser.’ But after I joined Mao Mao King, proactively integrating into Du Ling’s system and actively localizing (Shadow + Holy Light), the targeting from the ‘world’ gradually weakened.”
Snake Snake: “Boss is wise! So scientific, so reasonable, so convincing to Snake!”
While Yuan Zhu analyzed his own experiences here, his senior student gossiped about her classmate on the side: “That guy wouldn’t stay in the laboratory doing tests at night; instead, he ran to the downtown area to drink and watch motorcycle races, only to encounter a spatial fluctuation and get pulled to an unknown place. He couldn’t hold out until time-space stabilization and ended up with no burial place. I heard City Hall has proposed a plan to reinstate curfew.”
Curfew?
In his memory, this term last appeared over a dozen years ago. When he was a kid, Running City seemed to have some major incident, implementing a curfew policy for a while, but it quickly returned to normal.
Yuan Zhu: “Are Running City’s nights that dangerous? I see neighboring Taixi is so safe, prosperous, and lively… We’re so close, how is the difference so huge?”
Senior student shook her head: “Taixi’s nights aren’t safe either; what you see is just the surface. Running City’s nights are indeed very unsafe, and it bears traces of human guidance. Plus, surrounded by mountains, wild beasts and dangerous species are active frequently; the barrier between reality and Spirit Layer is also weakening… It’s a time of turmoil.”
Yuan Zhu keenly noticed her tone was off: “Sister Chen, do you know the inside story?”
“Not clear on the inside story, but based on various signs, one can infer that this land of Running City has been targeted by someone, and it’s being deliberately interfered with and guided according to plan. Haven’t you noticed our ‘spatial fluctuations’ are very odd? The range of anomalous time-space phenomena is compressed within Running City, with no signs of spreading outward.”
“Sounds like plotting some conspiracy? Senior student, aren’t you worried? Not fleeing?”
Senior student: “No matter what conspiracy, Rain Courtyard is bound to be in the know and a leading force. Conspiracy is also opportunity; what do I have to worry about? It’s getting late; what did you suddenly come to me for? Just back from Taixi today? Your tourism time is a bit short.”
“Hey, originally planned to travel a bit, but the guide slacked off halfway, so I had to hastily end the trip. Coming to see senior student today because I’m a bit eager to meet the ‘technology expert’ you connected for me, to communicate in advance.”
Senior student asked curiously: “You’re this efficient; already found a ready ‘farming facility’ and preparing to start frog farming?”
Yuan Zhu: “I’ve already acquired the land and gotten approval documents through connections. But haven’t built the factory yet; need professionals from Frog School to provide farming facility design plans. I heard this involves special designs and layouts to reduce ‘pollution concentration’ in the natural environment? Plus, I want to raise the standard further and build a small ‘laboratory’ for drug development.”
Senior student: “Do you have the technology and reserves for that? A farming facility’s ‘anti-pollution environment’ is easy to set up, but an experimental-grade sealed laboratory has high construction costs and even higher maintenance costs; do you have the strength for it?”
Yuan Zhu: “That’s why I want to meet professionals, to communicate and consult in advance. Including all aspects of frog farming, what preparations are needed. Also, senior student, do you know about underground fighting?”
“Heard of it; quite a few classmates go watch matches, but I’m not interested. Your Holy Light System has low compatibility with underground fighting; participating in such matches damages the purity of ‘Holy Light’.”
Senior student kindly reminded him. If a Holy Light supernatural long-term participates in such matches, whether to hone themselves or make money, it would cause Holy Light faction shift or even corruption.
Such meaningless fighting and killing doesn’t conform to Holy Church doctrine.
Yuan Zhu shook his head: “I have no intention of getting on stage to fight, but a friend of mine got some orcs and wants to cultivate them a bit before sending them to arena matches, so he entrusted me with the training. I inquired through other channels and learned that Frog School supernatural reinforcement is extremely popular in the underground fighting circle, so I also need professionals for consultation.”
Senior student nodded upon hearing: “Indeed, many senior students from Frog School have part-time experience in this, either providing technical support to martial arts halls or fighting companies; or part-timing at pharmaceutical companies to develop and modify test subjects before sending them to arena matches for testing.”
Yuan Zhu was secretly delighted inwardly; he’d found the right person: “Then the Frog School expert you connected for me… also has industry experience in this?”
Senior student thought for a moment before saying: “She’ll learn it quickly.”
“She? The expert you found is a girl?!”
Senior student didn’t answer directly, instead asking: “Do you know how universities like Rain Courtyard recruit for each school and how they’re assigned after graduation?”
Yuan Zhu: “I really don’t know that; I only know university tuition is very high, and after enrollment, you’re qualified to access ‘supernatural systems’. But after graduation… huh? There don’t seem to be many ‘supernatural university graduates’ on the market.”
Senior student said: “Rain Courtyard recruits three types of students. First are heirs from wealthy families; these families contact ‘supernatural groups’ in daily life and know some truths about supernatural systems. After careful thought, they proactively choose suitable professional schools for their heirs. Also, ordinary people who scrimped to save a large tuition fee, eager to rise above, fall into this category; all belong to the paying faction.”
“The second type are supernatural families; parents don’t necessarily have their kids inherit their ‘system.’ Instead, they pay a higher price to choose more promising schools. But more often, they use the academy’s own connections to help heirs promote beyond themselves. This category belongs to the supernatural faction.”
“Finally, there’s a type with neither money nor family background, but born with some ‘talent.’ Thus, the academy proactively recruits such talents, usually screening from orphanages and street kids. They have no support; the academy not only gives them a path to life but also provides a supernatural path. This type may not be outstanding but is indispensable talent.”
“As for post-graduation directions, only the most excellent or the worst batch stay in the present world. Most are diverted to Spirit Layers, to different supernatural enterprises, companies, sects. The paying faction and supernatural faction often have autonomous choice rights and can select post-graduation employment companies or industries. The third type of students have no autonomous choice rights; they’re forcibly assigned by the academy and have a certain profit sharing taken from their future work remuneration. Equivalent to repaying tuition loan…”
Yuan Zhu instantly got his senior student’s meaning: “The girl you connected for me is that kind without autonomous choice rights, raised by Rain Courtyard, with graduation package assignment and still owing money to the academy, a cattle and horses-type talent, right?”
Senior student: “Though not to the point of calling her cattle and horses, the overall meaning is indeed so. The Frog School junior I selected has been working part-time at the academy, rich in practical experience. But lacking background and extra money, she hasn’t directly mastered ‘supernatural powers,’ yet knows all she should learn and has great potential. The academy has a special sponsorship mode: you can bear her ‘tuition’ at the academy and pre-order her future ‘usage rights.’ Equivalent to cultivating your own professional talent. In this regard, the academy provides Law contracts, delivering industry talent to many enterprises.”
Yuan Zhu: “I can also pre(order) university students? Or is this some unwanted reject?”
“Um… the junior is a bit special, but not lacking in talent; I’ll arrange for you two to meet first.”
