Chapter 509: When Did You Guys Start? (Thanks to 'Jiang si')

Chapter 509: When Did You Two Start? (Thanks to 'Jiang sipid' for the grandmaster donation)

Observing the shifting expressions on Jiu Tianliu’s face, Zhang Yu thought to himself, "Getting anxious, are we?"

Jiu Tianliu, however, was truly bewildered. He could not fathom how Zhang Yu had the audacity to bring up the Sect in this conversation.

Entering the Sect... was that something you could even dream of? Was it something you were worthy of desiring?

But a moment later, realization dawned on him: "This guy... he’s probably just using the Sect as a banner to inflate his asking price."

With this thought, Jiu Tianliu sneered inwardly. He continued to lead Zhang Yu forward, saying in a low, hollow voice, "The prodigies who enter the Sect are all true chosen ones; their admission was ordained long before they were even born."

Zhang Yu was startled. "Before they were born?"

He had always thought that the wealthy, who surpassed countless others the moment they drew their first breath, were already formidable enough. Yet here was Jiu Tianliu telling him that some people’s entry into the Sect was decided before they even existed.

Jiu Tianliu said indifferently, "Some are born carrying the fortune of heaven and earth; their path to the Sect is decided by their parents' generation. A single hair on their heads is more noble than your entire being."

"Others have endured two lifetimes of bitter cultivation, their foundations a thousand or ten thousand times deeper than yours, entering the Sect through skills that transcend the mundane."

"And there are others... born by absorbing the spiritual essence of heaven and earth, their seats in the master’s hall already reserved long ago."

Jiu Tianliu turned his head, looking at Zhang Yu as if he were a child who had spoken out of turn. "If we were back in the ancient times two hundred years ago, your current level might have been enough to enter the Sect. But with the immortal arts of that era, could you have reached this level at your age?"

"In this day and age, whether or not you can enter the Sect is a matter decided before birth. What right do you have to fight for it?"

At this point, Jiu Tianliu changed his tone, offering a consolation: "However, not entering the Sect isn't necessarily a bad thing. There is a certain carefree freedom to be found in the lower ranks..."

Zhang Yu thought to himself, "If it’s so carefree down here, why don’t you go down to the first level?"

Jiu Tianliu, unaware of Zhang Yu’s inner monologue, continued, "Besides, with the help of the Finance Department, the heights you will reach in the future will far exceed your imagination."

"Once you join, we will gather fortune for you—at least a hundred trending topics a year, with millions of daily impressions. We will make your name known throughout the entire Ten Thousand Laws, and to every university student, turning you into a top-tier influencer in your field, your fortune soaring to the heavens."

"With the connections of the Finance Department, countless merchants will seek to collaborate with you, allowing you to secure massive advertising deals and monetize your fortune, ensuring you have no financial obstacles on your path to the Nascent Soul stage."

"We can even provide traffic support. Even if you are suppressed or throttled by the Nectar God-Lord, we can use the Eight Departments of Orthodox Gods to investigate your status or even lift the restrictions..."

Zhang Yu asked, "Is it really impossible to enter the Sect?"

Jiu Tianliu laughed in exasperation. He pointed at Zhang Yu and said, "Stop using the Sect to drive up the price. The conditions we’ve offered you today are the best you’ll get; the Artifact Refinement Department can’t match it, and the Civil Engineering Department certainly can’t."

"If anyone tells you they can get you into the Sect, there is only one possibility: they are lying to you."

"Because apart from a con artist, no one can satisfy your request."

But no matter what Jiu Tianliu said, Zhang Yu knew he could never join the Finance Department.

After all, the Finance Department’s way of playing with finance, fortune, traffic, high leverage, and insider trading—this whole strategy—was fundamentally incompatible with him. It would never allow him to leverage his true strengths.

On the contrary, the Artifact Refinement Department not only allowed him to better utilize his advantages and achieve superior results, but the Magnetic Pole God-Lord had also shown him great favor through mentorship. His current experimental project regarding the God-Slaying Dharma Remains was still in the hands of the Magnetic Pole God-Lord.

Whether from a rational perspective, a long-term view, or personal sentiment, the Finance Department held no appeal for Zhang Yu compared to the Artifact Refinement Department.

All things considered, joining the Artifact Refinement Department would also grant him a higher success rate for entering the Sect in the future.

Watching Zhang Yu, who seemed impervious to both soft and hard tactics, Jiu Tianliu’s expression darkened, fearing that the task his senior brother had entrusted to him was about to fail in his hands.

He said coldly, "Zhang Yu, I advise you to carefully reconsider your answer today."

"Your loans, your fortune trends, the projects in your company... they are all tied to the Finance Department."

"As far as I know, there isn't much money left in your company’s accounts, is there?"

Zhang Yu understood that Jiu Tianliu was now explicitly threatening him.

Perhaps after this refusal, his loans would be frozen, or his fortune might even be plundered. Perhaps his company’s operations would encounter trouble.

But Zhang Yu still shook his head. "I’m sorry, but I really have no interest in the Finance Department."

Watching Zhang Yu’s departing back, Jiu Tianliu’s eyes held a mix of disbelief and the irritation of being rejected.

Since joining the Finance Department, Jiu Tianliu had been the center of attention wherever he went. Countless people surrounded him, flattering him, just to get a sliver of the Finance Department’s resources.

It had always been him representing the Finance Department to reject others; when had anyone ever rejected their investment?

"Zhang Yu..."

Jiu Tianliu shook his head and muttered, "Fool."

Not long after Zhang Yu left the Finance Department, a series of notifications appeared in his ocular implant.

They were all messages about his company’s projects hitting snags, with partners demanding a temporary halt to cooperation.

Zhang Yu thought, "So it begins?"

He knew that many construction companies in the Civil Engineering Department relied on loans from the Finance Department or took on projects from their real estate subsidiaries.

A small fluctuation in capital from the Finance Department, a change in workflow, or a delay in engineering payments could cause massive losses for these construction firms.

Zhang Yu understood that having these companies suspend cooperation with him was a simple matter of a single word from the Finance Department, something even Director Gao would find hard to prevent.

At the same time, a message arrived from Ying Xin.

Ying Xin: Boss, there’s no money left in the company account. We haven't been able to pay the employees' wages for the past two days.

Ying Xin: Also, they asked me to inquire why the projects have suddenly stopped.

...

Elsewhere, shortly after Zhang Yu’s departure, the Civil Engineering Department’s banquet also ended on a sour note.

At this moment, inside the office of the Magnetic Pole God-Lord.

Director Gao’s projection descended. Looking at the Magnetic Pole God-Lord, he said, "You were right in your warning; the Finance Department has indeed set its sights on Zhang Yu."

"It’s a pity. Although I accelerated my plans, they still managed to intervene."

"The importance they place on this matter exceeds my original expectations."

The Magnetic Pole God-Lord was well aware of why the Finance Department was so invested. After all, it was she who had been constantly leaking the experimental progress of the God-Slaying Dharma Remains through the Heavenly Chapter God-Lord, repeatedly demonstrating Zhang Yu’s importance and provoking the Finance Department.

The Magnetic Pole God-Lord asked, "Are you not worried that after visiting the Finance Department, Zhang Yu will just join them?"

In Director Gao’s mind, the scene of Zhang Yu rejecting the Chain Pivot God-Lord flashed by. He sighed, "He has more guts than I did when I was young, and he’s smarter, too."

"I trust he won't be easily intimidated by the Finance Department."

"But even if he stays in the Civil Engineering Department, I cannot protect him."

In Director Gao’s ocular implant, the same messages about the suspension of Zhang Yu’s company projects appeared.

Director Gao knew this was only the beginning. Without protection, Zhang Yu would face increasingly fierce strikes from the Finance Department.

In the history of Ten Thousand Laws University, there had been talented students who rose to prominence only to be played to their deaths by the Finance Department.

Thinking of this, Director Gao looked at the Magnetic Pole God-Lord and said, "Magnetic Pole, take Zhang Yu in. Only you can shield him."

The Magnetic Pole God-Lord sighed and said, "But he is, after all, a disciple you have painstakingly cultivated. How could I..."

But Director Gao suddenly interrupted, "Zhang Yu has wanted to join the Artifact Refinement Department for a long time, hasn't he?"

Magnetic Pole God-Lord: "Why do you say that?"

Director Gao said, "I discovered he has been studying the craft of artifact refinement."

The Magnetic Pole God-Lord said indifferently, "It’s not unusual for someone in the Civil Engineering Department to study some artifact refinement techniques. In the future, they’ll always be useful for controlling magical treasures and maintaining Dharma Remains..."

Director Gao cut her off: "When did you two start?"

Magnetic Pole God-Lord: "What are you talking about?"

Director Gao: "Was it that time... when I asked you to mentor Zhang Yu during the civil engineering competition, that you took a fancy to him?"

"Or perhaps the time I asked you to help him craft his magical artifact?"

"Or maybe it was when we spoke of him after he secured his military credentials?"

True Lord Magnetic Pole replied: "Old Gao, do not overthink this. Zhang Yu’s talent is indeed commendable, but it does not outweigh the friendship between us. If you wish for him to remain in the Civil Engineering Department, I can assist you."

Director Gao offered a weary smile: "Force him to stay in Civil Engineering now? To watch him be perpetually suppressed by the Finance Department? Wouldn't he resent me for the rest of his life?"

True Lord Magnetic Pole looked at Director Gao intently and asked: "Chongguang, are you angry?"

"Angry?" Director Gao said indifferently: "As a man of the Civil Engineering Department, what right do I have to be angry?"

"Besides, you gave me more than enough face this time; how could I be angry with you? You are the head of the Artifact Refining Department, after all—how could I dare to be angry with you?"

True Lord Magnetic Pole sighed: "Alas, Chongguang, things are not as you imagine."

At that moment, Zhang Yu’s avatar shimmered in the air, signaling his arrival at the door and his request for entry.

Director Gao: "He has come to see you."

True Lord Magnetic Pole said: "It was I who summoned him."

As he spoke, the office door swung open, and Zhang Yu stepped inside.

Yet, under the deliberate intervention of True Lord Magnetic Pole, Zhang Yu remained oblivious to Director Gao’s presence, while Gao could see both Zhang Yu and the True Lord with perfect clarity.

The True Lord beckoned Zhang Yu forward and asked: "How was the Finance Department?"

Zhang Yu began to recount his experiences from his visit to the Finance Department, detailing every encounter for the True Lord.

Just then, True Lord Magnetic Pole ruffled Zhang Yu’s hair and said: "You refused the invitation from the Finance Department?"

(End of chapter)