Chapter 544: The Spring of Civil Engineering, Company Expansion

“Outrageous! The Demon Sect launches a surprise attack on the cemetery, severing the underground spirit veins! Over a thousand casualties reported! Experts estimate repairs will cost tens of thousands of spirit coins!”

“The Demon Sect hijacks the Spiritual Realm—University City’s defensive arrays turn into instruments of slaughter! The entire city’s formations urgently need replacement!”

“Multiple magnetic channels severely damaged; the once life-giving network has become a death trap! University City issues a red alert, suspending all magnetic transit and promising swift repairs!”

Looking at the flood of news headlines, Tu Lishan sighed. “The Demon Sect is truly vicious. They didn’t just loot everywhere—they wrecked University City’s anti-gravity corridors, magnetic channels, mana circuits, spiritual energy conduits, and even the systems controlling gravity, temperature, and humidity.”

“They even trashed all the defensive arrays.”

“Even the student dorms weren’t spared. These Demon Sect bastards… how come they didn’t blow up the teachers’ dorms too?”

He turned to the students before him. “Everyone, the days ahead will be tough. The task of rebuilding the city rests on our shoulders. We must not let the entire faculty and student body down!”

Tu Lishan thought inwardly, “If only the Demon Sect could invade once a year, the Civil Engineering Department would become the number one department in all of Wanfa University.”

Seeing the gleeful grin that Tu Lishan failed to suppress, Ying Xin and Shi Yunxiang exchanged glances, both silently horrified.

Ying Xin thought, “Damn… we only sabotaged one magnetic channel’s mana circuit, right?”

Shi Yunxiang muttered inwardly, “Then who the hell blew up the entire city’s network?”

After the economic crisis, the unemployment wave had just begun to subside.

Within Wanfa University City, the massive casualties, bankruptcies, and disappearances created a strange labor shortage—people were literally fighting over construction workers.

And thanks to the Demon Sect’s large-scale destruction, countless infrastructure projects were launched. Civil engineering students were suddenly in short supply, working overtime every day in what could only be called a “joyous age of endless shifts.”

Zhang Yu stood at the bustling construction site, watching the workers’ radiant smiles despite their exhaustion. Even he had to admit that, oddly enough, the Demon Sect’s assault had revitalized the city’s economy.

Fu Ji said, “That’s Kunxu for you. Sometimes, it’s all about who can endure. Those who survive calamity always reap the rewards.”

Zhang Yu nodded, resolving to seize this opportunity to make money and prepare for refining his Heaven-Sun Radiance Divine Prototype.

Soon, Zhang Yu began taking on various contracts under his company’s name—many sourced from the Artifact Refinement Department.

While construction inevitably relied on Civil Engineering for labor, much of the management and equipment manufacturing fell under the Artifact Refinement Department’s purview.

The city’s magnetic channels and anti-gravity corridors were co-managed by that department, and Zhang Yu, being one of their own—and with True Lord Magneto’s backing—had access to lucrative small-scale projects with big returns.

But with so many projects springing up, manpower had become scarce.

The more workers you had, the faster the projects could be finished, which meant more contracts—and more profit.

Unfortunately, Zhang Yu’s company didn’t yet have enough employees.

So, as the economy recovered, Zhang Yu launched a new phase of expansion.

His first recruits were his old comrades from the Civil Engineering Department who had once gone bankrupt alongside him.

…

Tu Lishan frowned at Ying Xin. “You’re sure you want to leave?”

“I’m about to raise everyone’s salaries.”

“We’ve got more projects than we can finish—you’ll be working overtime till graduation and loving it!”

“And aren’t you already doing accounting part-time for Zhang Yu? Isn’t that enough?”

When he mentioned a pay raise, Ying Xin hesitated, tempted.

But after a moment’s thought, she said, “I promised Zhang Yu I’d join his company—handle accounting and work the sites.”

Tu Lishan sighed. “Sigh… Zhang Yu’s new company can’t compare to our long-standing firm.”

“Fine, go if you must—but my doors will always be open if you want to come back.”

At this point, every Civil Engineering project was short-handed. To Tu Lishan, every worker meant more profit. His attitude toward students had never been better.

But not long after Ying Xin’s departure, Shi Yunxiang also came to resign.

Hearing he too was joining Zhang Yu’s company, Tu Lishan raised an eyebrow. “How much is that kid paying to poach people?”

And the next day, when Xiao Qingxuan announced he was leaving too, Tu Lishan was truly shocked. “Have you thought this through?”

“Landing a job after graduation isn’t easy—especially with our department’s company. That’s a respected name in the Civil Engineering world.”

“If I were you, I’d stay ten years, build up experience and reputation. Don’t throw it away on some unproven startup.”

But Xiao Qingxuan stood firm. “Teacher, I’ve made up my mind. Please let me go.”

…

After several days of being poached, Tu Lishan was fuming inside.

But remembering Zhang Yu’s ties to True Lord Magneto and Director Gao, he forced himself to let it go.

When he saw Zhang Yu working at the construction site later, Tu Lishan greeted him with a smile.

Watching Zhang Yu hand out Tiger-and-Wolf Tonics to his workers, Tu Lishan frowned. “You make your employees take those every day?”

Zhang Yu replied, “It keeps their energy high.”

Tu Lishan thought, “He’s really changed since becoming a boss. If they keep taking that, even the strongest body will collapse.”

But seeing how willingly Shi Yunxiang and the others gulped it down, he couldn’t help but give Zhang Yu a thumbs-up. “Impressive.”

He messaged Zhang Yu privately: You sure know how to handle your employees.

Of course, Zhang Yu didn’t mention that, with his and Le Mulan’s Deep-Cold Mana veins, plus Xiao Qingxuan’s ancient medical arts, they could safely neutralize the tonics’ side effects.

Zhang Yu replied: Just a little trick.

Tu Lishan: Hardly little. Getting them to take that willingly must’ve taken real effort.

Tu Lishan: We should exchange management tips sometime.

He was genuinely curious—how had Zhang Yu trained his staff to work themselves half to death so obediently?

As they shared a wry smile, Shi Huaiyu suddenly approached. “Master, I’m planning to join Zhang Yu’s company.”

If Xiao Qingxuan’s departure had merely surprised Tu Lishan, Shi Huaiyu’s declaration enraged him.

She was one of the department’s most promising students—already proficient in the Civil Engineering Seven Absolutes, likely to earn her Military License soon, and cultivate the Heavenly Kunlun Mountain-Moving Might. A top investment of his.

To think this prized disciple was going to let Zhang Yu exploit her—it made Tu Lishan’s chest ache with anger. His golden Law Husk flared faintly, mana surging.

He turned to her and asked sternly, “You too?”

When she nodded, he quickly switched to private transmission: Foolish girl!

Tu Lishan: A stable Civil Engineering firm like ours, and you’re leaving for his tiny startup?

Tu Lishan: Don’t think that just because you fought alongside him, you’re special. He’ll use that to underpay you and squeeze every drop of work out of you!

Shi Huaiyu wanted to explain, but all that came out was a single sentence.

Shi Huaiyu: Zhang Yu isn’t like that.

Tu Lishan: Not like that? Don’t kid yourself!

Tu Lishan: Take it from me—all bosses are the same! I know exactly what they’re thinking!

Tu Lishan: Always scheming how to exploit you, lower your pay, and make you work harder for less!

Tu Lishan: Listen to me—stay here, work hard, and you’ll become a full employee after graduation, move into management!

Shi Huaiyu: Teacher, I already promised Zhang Yu.

Tu Lishan: I raised you all these years to get you out of the dirt someday, not die on a construction site!

Shi Huaiyu: Teacher, Zhang Yu really is different.

Shi Huaiyu: I believe I can earn more following him.

Shi Huaiyu: I’m going to his company, no matter what.

Shi Huaiyu: And since our contract is temporary, you can’t stop me.

As she ran toward Zhang Yu, Tu Lishan gritted his teeth and messaged furiously: If you go, don’t expect any more overtime when you come back!

Shi Huaiyu: Don’t worry, Teacher. Zhang Yu promised me full-time overtime—twenty-four hours a day!

Seeing her gulp down a Tiger-and-Wolf Tonic without hesitation, Tu Lishan’s heart twisted in pain.

Tu Lishan: Did he lie to you, saying he’d get you into the Artifact Refinement Department?

Tu Lishan: Don’t trust him! Bosses always lie. He can’t get you in there.

Shi Huaiyu: He never said that.

Shi Huaiyu: I just want to work under him.

Shi Huaiyu: Anyway, I can’t chat during work. Boss Zhang doesn’t like that.

Watching her focused diligence, Tu Lishan sent Zhang Yu one last message: Huaiyu’s one of our top students. Go easy on her. Don’t overdo the tonics.

Zhang Yu: Don’t worry, Teacher Tu. I’ll handle her carefully.

Tu Lishan seethed inwardly. “First True Lord Magneto, now Zhang Yu. Do they teach poaching in the Artifact Refinement curriculum?”

Besides Ying Xin, Shi Yunxiang, Xiao Qingxuan, and Shi Huaiyu, Zhang Yu also recruited more Soul Cultivators.

Wanting cheap but skilled labor, he tapped into his Songyang hometown group chat, recruiting a bunch of bankrupt but capable workers.

With this new wave of expansion, his company’s efficiency skyrocketed, letting him take on even more projects. His monthly income from construction alone soon reached thirty spirit coins.

More importantly, the company’s operations began running smoothly enough that Zhang Yu barely had to intervene.

With Fu Ji volunteering to oversee finances and manage employees, Zhang Yu only needed to visit construction sites a few times a month—to use his Heavenly Kunlun Mountain-Moving Might for the heavy lifting.

The company’s profits had effectively become his passive income.

Adding his forty spirit coins in laboratory stipends, Zhang Yu’s total monthly income now approached seventy spirit coins—all while enjoying ample free time.

And with reimbursements from True Lord Magneto’s and Director Gao’s companies soon to resume, plus his sister’s upcoming repayments, Zhang Yu’s profits were set to rise even further.

With such solid footing, Zhang Yu could finally focus on refining the Heaven-Sun Radiance Divine Prototype.