Chapter 440: Awarding the Military Certificate

Chapter 440: The Conferral of the Military Certificate

Ji Yuan-shu stared at Zhang Yu’s social media feed with a bitter expression, muttering, "Damn it..."

He could already foresee that he wouldn't even get a chance to transfer teams, let alone earn a single point toward the competition’s aggregate score. He was falling further and further behind Gongshu Jin, Ying Xin, and Yu Xinghan. As the fifth-ranked student in the class, he felt himself being dragged into an abyss of darkness by the crushing weight of seven credit card debts.

Just then, a message pinged on his device.

Ping Han: Is your team still looking for members?

...

Meanwhile, Li Xiao closed his chat with Ji Yuan-shu and arrived at the construction site on the 668th floor.

When he found Zhang Yu, he discovered that Ying Xin was already there, channeling her aura to assist Zhang Yu with the manual labor.

"Little Ying," Zhang Yu said, "I can handle this work on my own."

"No, no," Ying Xin replied, "I love shoveling dirt. I've been doing it since I was a child; if I don't do it for a day, I feel restless."

Li Xiao watched this scene in mild shock, sighing, "Ying Xin got here so early?"

Gongshu Jin’s voice drifted from nearby: "Early? According to the security guards here, this girl started helping Zhang Yu days ago."

Gongshu Jin lamented, "It pays to have relatives in the soul-cultivation arts; at least you get the inside scoop."

"She is likely one of the first students in our class to realize that Zhang Yu would secure that military certificate."

Back on the day the exam concluded, Ying Xin had learned of Zhang Yu’s performance from her great-grandfather.

Ever since, she had been appearing by his side at every opportunity.

Since the news broke, her inbox had been flooded with offers from others willing to pay spirit coins for her substitute slot, many of which were tempting enough to make her heart race.

Li Xiao sighed to himself, "Without Ying Xin’s background, I can't even compete with them in flattery. Her position as a substitute is becoming more secure by the day."

Suddenly, divine power surged in the sky. Under the gaze of Li Xiao, Ying Xin, and the others, golden light coalesced into a staircase, manifesting step by step in mid-air.

Many workers nearby were startled, looking up in curiosity.

Deng Bingding descended slowly with several minor deities, looking at Zhang Yu with a chuckle: "Student Zhang Yu, congratulations."

"I am here to confer your Military Civil Engineering Certificate."

Zhang Yu remained calm and indifferent, while Ying Xin, Gongshu Jin, and Li Xiao stood by, visibly thrilled.

Tu Lishan appeared beside Zhang Yu, seemingly out of nowhere.

Deng Bingding looked at him with surprise: "And you are?"

Tu Lishan smiled faintly: "I am Tu Lishan, Zhang Yu’s instructor for basic civil engineering."

Deng Bingding nodded: "Teacher Tu has cultivated a pillar of strength for Wanfa University."

Tu Lishan chuckled. He had made the trip specifically to stand beside Zhang Yu for a commemorative photo during the conferral.

Deng Bingding spread his palms, and a brilliant, golden certificate manifested as a spiritual projection before Zhang Yu.

"Student Zhang Yu, I wish you great prosperity in the future. May you advance further on the path of immortality and make new contributions to Wanfa and Kunxu."

The certificate dissolved into a stream of light, which Zhang Yu caught with a gentle motion.

The moment he accepted it, his overall ranking surged.

The boost to his aggregate score from the military certificate propelled him from the sixties all the way to twenty-ninth place.

Gongshu Jin sighed inwardly, "If only Zhang Yu weren't just a junior, lacking the credits from senior-level courses, he would have ranked even higher."

"The strength of this friend of mine... can no longer be measured by mere aggregate scores or rankings."

Ying Xin, Gongshu Jin, and Li Xiao crowded around to take a group photo with Zhang Yu and his certificate, promptly posting it to their social media.

Ying Xin: Senior brother earned his military certificate! Wishing him the best.

Gongshu Jin: My best friend got his military certificate; celebrating with him today!

Li Xiao: A junior with a military certificate! The pride of our floor!

At the same time, Tu Lishan received a message from Director Gao.

Director Gao: Has the certificate been conferred?

Tu Lishan: It has, Director.

Tu Lishan: [Photo of the conferral]

Tu Lishan had captured the moment perfectly, including himself and the entire construction site in the frame—a scene of a deity visiting a site to award a certificate to a student busy pouring concrete.

Director Gao: Good shot. [Thumbs up]

Director Gao: It fits the spirit of our Civil Engineering Department.

Director Gao: Post it to the group chat first.

Director Gao: And remember to send it to the school’s news network and social media.

...

In the Civil Engineering faculty group chat.

Tu Lishan: Congratulations to our junior student Zhang Yu for successfully earning his military certificate! [Confetti][Confetti][Confetti]

Tu Lishan: [Photo of the conferral]

Civil Engineering Faculty: [Thumbs up], [Surprised], [Confetti]

Lang Yougong: Is this Director Gao’s protégé?

Another teacher replied: Director Gao is a master of instruction. Both students in the department who have earned military certificates are your disciples.

Someone else added: Director Gao, send a red envelope!

Director Gao: It is the result of everyone’s collective effort.

Director Gao: We must continue to work hard together, promote the spirit of civil engineering, and build an even better department.

Director Lin watched the sycophancy in the group with a cold gaze, thinking, "Hmph, a single military certificate... one would think you’d been promoted to University President."

He messaged Realizer Jiao Lei: Keep poaching Zhang Yu. Tell him any terms are negotiable.

Director Lin thought to himself, "Even if I can't have him, I’ll make you uncomfortable. Let’s see if I can sow some discord."

But soon, Realizer Jiao Lei replied: It’s no use, Director. Zhang Yu has already signed a contract.

Realizer Jiao Lei: I checked; the company has ties to the Artifact Refining Department. Magnetic Pole True Monarch is one of the shareholders.

Director Lin cursed internally: "Good for you, Gao Chongguang. You talk a big game, but you’re just selling out departmental talent to make money for the Artifact Refiners?"

Realizer Jiao Lei: Director, should I continue?

Director Lin: Stop for now.

...

On the construction site, the light of the certificate faded from the eyes of others, remaining visible only in Zhang Yu’s retinal display.

Reading through the fine print, Zhang Yu fell into deep thought.

He then opened his feed, which was refreshing rapidly.

Yu Xinghan: Is the conferral finished?

Yu Xinghan: I am furious, I am stuck working overtime and cannot make it.

Yu Xinghan: You must bring your military certificate tonight and take a photo with me.

...

Che Yufei: Senior, Shi Yunxiang and I discussed it, and we still want to pay you the team member fee, okay?

Zhang Yu: No need to call me senior.

Che Yufei: Your grades are so much better than mine; you are my senior.

Watching Zhang Yu delay his reply, Che Yufei suddenly felt anxious and restless.

Thinking of the several people who had offered to buy his spot in the competition, he felt both tempted and troubled.

"Should I choose the ranking or the money?"

...

Shi Yunxiang: I am about to replace my heart-type Dharma remains; do you want the Lion Heart?

Shi Huaiyu: Junior Zhang Yu! Did you buy Qiongjiang coins with hundredfold leverage?

Shi Huaiyu: Holy crap, Su Yanyang says he is going to pay me back for my kidney!?

Zhao Tianxing: Zhang Yu, may I use the image from your social media feed?

Feng Tingting: Junior! You are in the news! [Congratulations to Zhang Yu, a junior in the Civil Engineering Department, for obtaining his military certificate]

Ye Xingli: [3 Spirit Coin red envelope] Congratulations.

Ye Xingli thought to herself: "Master said he cherishes old ties... a red envelope should count as a form of old ties, right?"

Zhang Yu silently accepted the 3 Spirit Coin red envelope from Ye Xingli, sighing inwardly: "Why is the human touch at Wanfa University so strong? Is this really still Kunxu?"

Just then, his gaze sharpened as he noticed that both Ma Xuan and Su Yanyang had added him as friends.

Ma Xuan: Junior Zhang, are there still spots on the competition team? I am willing to pay to buy one; the price is negotiable.

Su Yanyang: Brother, I was wrong.

Su Yanyang: Can I buy a competition spot? I can offer 20 Spirit Coins.

Su Yanyang: Don't worry, I made money trading coins; I will definitely not default.

Seeing Su Yanyang's offer, Zhang Yu could not help but feel a flicker of temptation.

But then he thought of his classmates on the team and felt he could not bring himself to say such things to them, so he could only shake his head helplessly.

Then Zhang Yu noticed someone calling for him in the Songyang hometown group.

Zhang Yu tapped over to take a look and found that it had started with Lian Tianji promoting Qiongjiang coins to everyone, with many people flattering him.

But later, Zhao Tianxing began to speak.

Zhao Tianxing: I participated in the military certificate exam not long ago and successfully helped my boss secure his military certificate.

Lan Ling: A vocational student taking the military certificate exam? [Facepalm laugh]

Zhao Tianxing: [Military Certificate Public List]

Zhao Tianxing: Zhang Yu obtained the military certificate; I was just there to help him out and do the grunt work.

Mo Tianyi: Old Zhao, your control over that Level 20 Dharma treasure was quite good.

Lan Ling: Level 20 Dharma treasure?

Mo Tianyi: Both Old Zhao and I were there to control Level 20 Dharma treasures.

Mo Tianyi: Even the soul cultivators working with us at the time were veteran graduates of Wanfa University.

Qian Shen: What is Zhang Yu's ranking now?

Qian Shen: The ranking design at Wanfa is flawed...

...

Zhao Tianxing watched the admiration, curiosity, and various inquiries from the many fellow townsmen in the group.

Especially with students from the 36 and 72 schools coming to consult him, a vocational soul cultivation student, he felt a surge of triumph.

He then raised his head, looking at the spiritual space before him that was no longer dark, and felt a wave of relief.

With the added qualification of having participated in the military certificate exam, his income had grown again these days, and he had moved from the dark space to live in this spiritual space.

Looking at the mosaic-filled walls around him and his own mosaic-filled body, Zhao Tianxing smiled slightly, feeling that life was getting better and better.

At the same time, a square-shaped mosaic roommate sent a private message: "Old Zhao, can you introduce me to work for your fellow townsman? I can give you a commission."

"I am about to enter the mental melting phase; I promise not to be lazy."

The roommate on the other side also messaged: "Little Zhao, you have vast connections and know the students with military certificates at Wanfa; can you introduce me to some work too? I am at the end of my lifespan, I promise to work hard."

Another roommate messaged: "I will give you half the commission to get me into Wanfa; I just want to see what the Top Ten are like."

Looking at the stream of private messages, Zhao Tianxing subconsciously wanted to scratch his head, only to realize he could not perform such delicate movements here.

He felt a bit troubled, hesitating over whether to refuse, but ultimately replied to each one earnestly: "I can ask for you, but I cannot guarantee success."

(End of chapter)