Give Me Your Phone

In the year 3066 of the immortal cultivation punk calendar, within the metropolitan area of the megacorporation Ten Directions Bright, in the city housing its No. 21 branch-

Mingyang City, at the No. 17 subordinate flying sword assembly line factory.

At that moment, an eight-year-old child stood with his head lowered in the factory director's office.

He waited, trembling, for the mature beauty reclining in the office chair before him to assess him and pass judgment.

To be honest, Lü Yuan wasn't afraid of being subjected to the casting couch.

As far as he knew, people at the factory management level had basically all been sterilized to improve their work efficiency.

Let alone the factory director.

He was so afraid because the director before him was deciding his future.

Based on his performance during his "five years of assembly line labor," she would decide whether to give him a place in elementary school!

Elementary school...

At the thought of it, Lü Yuan, who had come to this world where one could cultivate immortality eight years ago-

And had spent all his time on the assembly line except when he had been unable to care for himself, felt a rush of excitement.

Entering elementary school meant being granted a Fetal Breathing Stage cultivation permit.

Although he couldn't hope for something like a Spirit Root, which only the Celestial Dragons above could possess, his Spirit Aperture would be opened, meaning Lü Yuan could officially set foot on the path of immortal cultivation.

It wasn't that working on the assembly line was bad, but starting cultivation in elementary school would open up far greater horizons for him...

Once I get into elementary school and set foot on the path of immortal cultivation, no matter how poor my potential is, as long as I break through Embryonic Breathing and make it to graduation, I'll earn the right to work overtime on the assembly line every day.

If I'm a little luckier, break through Qi Refinement and get into middle school, it's not impossible that I could go to a higher-paying factory.

And high school—no, vocational high school-

Lü Yuan's throat bobbed. If I can get into vocational high school, I'll be living a life fit for immortals. I don't have the grand ambition of getting into vocational college and becoming a company dog at a branch, but I do have the ambition to become a company dog's dog, and it's a big one!

When that time comes, maybe I'll finally be able to gain a firm foothold in this man-eating world.

The factory director, scanning the information on her computer, had no idea what Lü Yuan was thinking. Of course, she didn't care, either.

She merely skimmed through it, and after making sure there were no problems, she smiled and spoke softly:

"Third-class worker Lü Yuan!"

"Present, Director!" The eight-year-old immediately stood at attention.

"Tell me, why are you standing here today?" The director took out her left eye, wiped it and put it back, then folded her arms.

"I'm here to obey your orders, Director!"

"Third-class worker Lü Yuan! I've never heard such a textbook answer. Your potential for immortal cultivation must exceed Embryonic Breathing!"

The director nodded in satisfaction and finally began to speak about what concerned Lü Yuan most.

"Based on your outstanding performance during your 'five years of compulsory assembly line labor,' ranking first among your peers without making a single mistake or working overtime without permission..."

"You will be given a chance to change your life."

As Lü Yuan's breathing grew heavier, the director slowly leaned her face closer to his.

She opened a door and asked Lü Yuan what he wanted.

"Third-class worker Lü Yuan, do you want to enter elementary school?"

"Or, to put it more plainly, do you want to cultivate immortality?"

Lü Yuan's breathing stopped for an instant, but he quickly recovered.

"I've been bound for years by the rule forbidding me from working overtime, and the factory's second-class workers have mocked me again and again. How could I not want to cultivate immortality?"

The director gently patted Lü Yuan's head. "Cultivating immortality so you can work overtime—what a good child. Let me pass some potential for immortal cultivation on to you."

Lü Yuan was somewhat moved. "Director, how could I accept that?!"

The director held out her hand. "Lü Yuan, give me your phone."

A minute later, Lü Yuan stared at the ten thousand Spirit Stone Vouchers that had appeared on his phone and asked in shock:

"Director, where did these ten years' wages come from-"

He couldn't help being shocked. After all, even if he hadn't earned a place in elementary school through compulsory labor, he could actually have bought one.

The price was fifteen thousand Spirit Stone Vouchers.

That was the price of opening one Spirit Aperture, and opening a Spirit Aperture was all it took to enter elementary school.

In response to Lü Yuan's question, the director simply smiled. "Good child, these are your reserve Spirit Stones from Heavenly Light Flying Sword Assembly Liability Co., Ltd. You can withdraw them whenever you need them in an emergency. As for my advice, you should use them to open your second Spirit Aperture after entering elementary school and improve your potential for immortal cultivation."

Lü Yuan finally "understood," then hesitated. "Isn't this an elementary school Spirit Stone loan, Director? I'm afraid..."

The director waved a hand. "Heavenly Light Flying Sword Assembly Liability Co., Ltd. is a subsidiary of the megacorporation's Mingyang City branch. It's a major platform. Loans for elementary school students are interest-free for one month, and you only have to repay them after graduation."

"If you hadn't been recommended by our factory, you couldn't get a loan even if you wanted one."

"I'm only comfortable giving you this opportunity because I've seen your performance over the years and know you're a responsible child who won't fail to repay the loan."

Lü Yuan's expression instantly became "grateful," and he almost burst into tears on the spot.

"I can never repay your kindness, Director..."

"But, Director, why are you recommending that I open a second Spirit Aperture instead of taking drugs?"

The director shook her head slightly. "Good child, don't let those pharmaceutical factories out there fool you. If you can take drugs, can't everyone else?"

"Competitiveness!"

"Compared to those classmates who'll only have one Spirit Aperture when school starts, what competitiveness will you have?"

"Potential!"

"Anyone can take drugs. Once you enter elementary school, how will you stand out among all those classmates taking drugs to cultivate immortality, obtain more loans and continue improving your potential for immortal cultivation?"

"Of course, you'll have to be a better investment than those who only know how to take drugs."

"A second Spirit Aperture can help you with that-"

"That's exactly why, over the years, the students recommended by factories like ours have had a vastly higher chance of getting into middle school than those who scraped together the money to open their first Spirit Aperture."

So that's how it is...

Having understood the director's thoughtful intentions, Lü Yuan dropped to his knees, moved. "I, Yuan, have spent half my life working, regretting only that I never found a worthy master. If you do not disdain me, Director, I would gladly acknowledge you as my own mother."

The director nodded slightly. "I accept your gratitude, but there's no need to acknowledge me as your mother. It's my duty. How could the company and the factory ever let you down?"

With that, she said nothing more, but showed no intention of letting Lü Yuan leave, either. Only after they had both been silent for a long while

did she speak again, sounding somewhat troubled:

"Lü Yuan, opening a second Spirit Aperture isn't a big deal, but at your age, people will inevitably look down on you if you go looking on your own. And if you were to get cheated..."

Lü Yuan understood at once. He knew all too well that the director wanted kickbacks from both sides.

She would take a cut from the elementary school Spirit Stone loan, and another from the people opening his second Spirit Aperture.

So, without hesitation, he transferred all his money to the director apart from what he needed for food, a total of fifteen thousand Spirit Stone Vouchers.

"Director, I don't have any connections. I'm afraid I won't be able to manage these Spirit Stone Vouchers myself, so please keep them for me and help me find a legitimate channel."

The director hadn't expected Lü Yuan to be so sensible, sparing her the need to say more, and gave him an approving look.

"What a good child."

"All right, go back. I'll notify you when I've found someone. You don't need to come to work at the factory for now, either. Just wait for your admission notice."

"Oh, and your wages will be paid as usual until you enter school. That's a benefit specifically for recommended students like you."

Lü Yuan nodded, not particularly surprised. Clearly, he had known about that all along.

Or rather, he had known the whole procedure. His little performance just now had only been to satisfy the director.

"I can never repay the company's kindness..."

After that sigh, Lü Yuan left the director's office and then the factory, under the jealous gazes of his peers on the assembly line.

He set off for home.

This was an immortal cultivation punk world, filled with towering buildings, where megacorporations sat enthroned in the heavens thanks to the existence of immortals, and neon colors were everywhere.

Well-dressed branch employees rode flying swords across the sky from time to time, their eyes full of hope for the future.

Workers with vacant eyes occasionally passed him by, desperately poor because they weren't allowed to work overtime and able to do no more than feed and clothe themselves.

The whole world was enveloped in brilliance, drawing people into a dreamlike stupor and gradually assimilating them in their numbness.

Chaos and order coexisted, cruel yet with a hint of a future: that was the backdrop here.

Immortal cultivation, immortal cultivation...

How far did he have to cultivate to truly change his fate?

After returning to the children's home, he struggled free, his head aching, from the crowd of children tugging at him and asking questions, and went back to his small, dark room.

Lying on his bed, Lü Yuan asked himself that question.

Embryonic Breathing: though it granted him the right to work overtime, what did that mean from his point of view?

Qi Refinement might be better, but what could changing factories change?

Foundation Establishment meant graduating from high school or vocational high school and officially gaining the qualifications to be a company dog's dog.

That meant he could work at a branch or be assigned to a factory as its director.

The director of their factory, for instance, was only at the first level of Foundation Establishment.

But was that enough? Was the change in fate he wanted merely gaining the qualifications to be a company dog's dog?

He supposed not.

Then what about the Purple Mansion?

Only by breaking through the Purple Mansion could one receive a university or vocational college diploma and officially join a megacorporation as a full employee. Even if one performed poorly, one could still become a branch manager.

Perhaps only at that point would he have truly changed his fate-

As for the Golden Core, Lü Yuan didn't dare hope for it. He had heard that the most basic condition for establishing a megacorporation was having an immortal who had attained the Golden Core holding down the fort.

But...

Sure enough, although he said he didn't dare hope for it, deep down he still wanted to see that vista.

Lü Yuan smiled faintly at himself and closed his eyes. Before falling asleep, he told himself:

Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, maybe not next week, maybe not next month...

But one day, he would attain the Fruit Position and achieve the Golden Core!

Before he knew it, Lü Yuan had sunk into a deep sleep, but just then, he frowned, as if he were having a dream.

In the dream-

Beneath a vast, cloudless sky and a blazing sun, he walked, gaunt and emaciated, through a wasteland scoured clean even of grass, staggering with every step.

As if he would fall at any moment.