Talking to a Transmigrator Clears the Mind

No sooner had the phone call ended than the first batch of grilled meat and vegetables arrived, steaming hot.

Qing He Miao swallowed and wasted no time.

He reached out and took a whole ear of corn, grilled until fragrant and charred and brushed with sauce. After blowing on it to cool it down, he dug in.

He had to eat plenty of this while he could and enjoy his fill.

In another two years, the internet would be more developed, and information would flow more freely.

The barbecue joints Beyond the Pass would learn from the south's advanced practices.

Then they would cut grilled corn into little chunks and sell them on skewers, or simply strip the kernels off and grill those.

Finding a place where he could hold a whole ear and gnaw on it like this would be difficult then!

"Slow down. You're eating like you've never had anything good before."

Deng Youcai watched him with amusement and picked up a few meat skewers sizzling with oil, placing them on the plate in front of Qing He Miao.

"Have some meat. I mean, our branch pays your tuition, and my grandma gives you spending money every year. Your family probably gives you some too, right? What's with the way you're acting?"

"Ah, the high school cafeteria. You know how it is."

Qing He Miao put down the half-eaten corn and pretended to sigh helplessly.

In fact, he was pretty damn rich right now!

Though he didn't have much in modern savings, he could pay on the spot with gold bars.

It was just that the gold's origins were unclear, making it inconvenient to cash in large amounts. Even selling it off little by little wasn't something he could do near home.

As for the modest proceeds collected from the disaster victims, they could be called "the people's lifeblood."

It was his first time being a leader, and he had no experience, so he hadn't slipped any of it into his own pocket.

He kept the accounts separate, and all of that portion was "taken from the people and used for the people."

It went toward setting up more projects and continuing to provide relief for the displaced people who came afterward.

As for the spending money Grandma Guan and his family gave him, Qing He Miao had mostly exchanged it for salt, cotton, seasonings, and the like, which he put into smuggling.

The profits from the smuggling became the money he used for his personal expenses.

For ease of carrying, he took it all in gold.

As a result, Qing He Miao's standard of living in the main world naturally remained that of an ordinary high school student in a county town.

It matched his family's current social standing.

He rarely got to eat better food, and large purchases were almost nonexistent.

The food at his high school's cafeteria in particular was genuinely awful.

Its taste could only be described as a long story.

If Qing He Miao hadn't been a day student who didn't have to eat at school,

he might well have felt like tearing the cafeteria down to rid the people of a scourge.

As punishment for making food grown through so much hard work taste that bad,

Qing He Miao had for a time secretly used Red Hot Chili Pepper's ability every noon to "suck" a considerable amount of electricity from the school cafeteria.

Until he soon discovered that not only had the cafeteria failed to improve the food,

it had shortened meal service hours and raised the prices of some dishes!

It tasted that awful, and they still dared to raise the prices?!

The reason, supposedly, was that "electricity consumption by the cooking equipment exceeded expectations," so they had no choice but to cut costs.

Damn it, the person in charge of the cafeteria and the principal were usually absent from school, off enjoying themselves somewhere for all he knew.

Otherwise, Qing He Miao would have thrown sacks over their heads!

With no other choice, he had to stop.

There was no point. The additional "costs" would ultimately be passed on to the students, who had the least say, and the parents behind them.

Those people would never take a loss.

"High school cafeteria food really is a bit hard to stomach."

Hearing Qing He Miao's words, Deng Youcai nodded at once in complete understanding.

He had been through that stage himself.

The three continued drinking and eating skewers, the atmosphere lively.

More and more bare skewers and empty plates piled up on the table, and several bottles of beer had already been drained.

After a few rounds, Deng Youfu picked up a bottle and refilled Qing He Miao's glass. His expression grew more serious than before.

He pushed up his glasses with his unoiled little finger and spoke.

"Little Qing, actually, besides catching up, there's something else I wanted to tell you this time. You can give me your thoughts on it too."

"Go ahead, Brother Fu."

Seeing this, Qing He Miao put down the skewer in his hand and raised his freshly filled glass, signaling Deng Youfu to continue.

This really was something he hadn't expected.

In his memory, the main storyline had yet to officially begin.

There shouldn't be any events brewing Beyond the Pass.

Could there be a lead on that demon blade left over from the last war in the "Rust Arc"?

"I'll say it. This guy's being all girly about it."

Deng Youcai let out a beery burp and cut in, looking somewhat displeased.

"After this kid went off to some lousy university, his heart started wandering. He's planning to go abroad to keep studying after graduation! So he wanted to come see you again before he leaves."

"That is what I have in mind. Times are changing too quickly now, with something new every day."

Seeing Qing He Miao look at him, Deng Youfu nodded, picked up the thread, and laid out his thoughts clearly.

"A lot of Outcast methods we once thought were mysterious and useful have been replaced by more convenient alternatives and become obsolete. It's no longer like the old days, when fighting and killing were enough.

"The world is becoming more and more international, and many new ideas, technologies, and models come from outside. So I want to go out and see the world, broaden my horizons."

Go abroad?

So that was it.

Qing He Miao understood. He remembered that Deng Youfu had indeed spent time overseas in the original story.

As a result, when he later took part in the Luotian Grand Ceremony, he had an awkward London gentleman air about him.

Apparently, this was the stage after university when he went abroad to study further or travel.

"That's a good thing!"

He wiped his mouth and voiced his firm agreement.

"Read ten thousand books and travel ten thousand miles. While you're young, you ought to get out and see the world!"

Hearing Qing He Miao's answer, Deng Youfu visibly relaxed and looked pleased.

At university, he had encountered a broader world and had also learned about conditions abroad through certain channels.

That had made him increasingly aware that his ideas were right.

So he was very determined.

But this was, after all, the first time in his life he would be traveling far from home, leaving familiar land, family, and friends behind. Deep down, he couldn't help feeling a little apprehensive and uncertain.

Hearing someone affirm his decision was a considerable source of support to him.

Chapter 61: Talking to a Transmigrator Clears the Mind

"I don't agree with it, anyway!"

Deng Youcai took a big swig of beer, slammed his glass down on the table, and complained.

"Generation after generation of our ancestors were born and raised in this Black Soil. When we die, we'll be buried in it too! What can you learn from spending two or three years out there? You won't even be able to find a place to get a proper barbecue when you crave one! It's all just pointless fussing!"

The brothers had grown up together and were practically as inseparable as Jiao and Meng.

Deng Youfu's decision to go abroad was the first clear disagreement the brothers had ever had over a choice in life.

He wasn't going, anyway.

So his instinct was to oppose it, and he didn't want his brother going either.

"Actually, getting out and seeing the world would be pretty good."

Qing He Miao picked up a bare bamboo skewer and deftly twirled it between his fingers. His words were orderly, and his train of thought seemed clear.

"Since we Outcasts never managed, through all those long years in ancient times, to develop a complete, systematic field of study using our own methods, and instead ordinary people came up with the system we have today, we'll have even less chance in the future. For the long era ahead, this way of thinking will be the mainstream way of understanding the world.

"Many things that once required supernatural arts can now be achieved with modern technology, and that technology is often more widely accessible. This trend will only become more pronounced in the future. It's the tide of the times, and no one can stop it. So it's wise to take the initiative to understand, learn, and adapt to it."

The transmigrator's eyes looked toward the future as he continued analyzing the prospects for the two men through the smoke of the times.

In this respect, some developed countries abroad were indeed ahead.

From basic research to technological applications, they were generally about five to ten years ahead of China, and even further ahead in some fields.

If Youfu went now, he would have a chance to encounter the most cutting-edge things and experience that kind of social model.

In another two or three years, China would quickly catch up in many areas, thanks to its late-mover advantage and the size of its market.

If he came back then, he would have skipped the period of development and returned just in time to continue enjoying the benefits.

He could be said not to have suffered a bit.

At the same time, Qing He Miao also mentioned the Outcast circles abroad to the Deng brothers.

They were bound to have traditions and methods entirely different from theirs.

If he had the chance, he could see them for himself and see whether he could use their strengths to make up for his own weaknesses. There might even be unexpected benefits.

"Of course, safety first."

Of course, he definitely didn't forget to caution him.

"The Outcast World abroad must have its own rules and ways of doing things. I expect they're rather different from ours. Brother Youfu, when you get there, don't go looking for trouble and get yourself killed just to see what they can do."

Whether those words sounded like the sort of bullshit brothers spouted over drinks while discussing affairs of state,

or like an analysis from someone who really knew his stuff,

unlike Qing He Miao's parents,

the Deng brothers gave weight to what Qing He Miao said, so they took it all to heart.