Chapter 22: Chapter 22: Chen Beiwang
At first, Yang Shen thought Chen Beiwang would be cooking himself.
Then he figured a rich person wouldn’t go to that trouble; a housekeeper or someone would probably come.
In the end, two black cars pulled up to the door. Four or five people got out and filed inside, carrying all sorts of ingredients and desserts.
Yang Shen realized his thinking had been too limited; he had completely underestimated the rich.
He couldn’t even begin to imagine the joys of being wealthy.
Cold dishes and desserts were laid out on the table while two people who looked like professional chefs got busy in the kitchen. Yang Shen saw "Jianghuai Restaurant" written on the back of their uniforms—the name of a long-established grand hotel he’d heard of but never been to.
When the first dish—a sizzling, smoky steak—was placed in front of Yang Shen, the "waiter" announced calmly:
"M9 High Source steak with black pepper sauce, medium-rare, served with special mashed potatoes. Please enjoy."
’The name of this dish is longer than my essays...’
Chen Beiwang, nibbling on an apple, said casually, "There’s not much today. I’ll have them make a portion for two next time you’re scheduled to come. My stomach’s upset and I don’t have an appetite anyway, so it’s all yours."
Half of his stomach trouble was a hangover.
The other half was from the beating Yang Shen gave him.
Yang Shen didn’t stand on ceremony. Imitating what he’d seen on TV, he cut off a piece and put it in his mouth.
The savory aroma of the meat and fat melted in his mouth. The black pepper sauce contained freshly ground bits that added to the texture, and with every chew, spices exploded between his teeth.
’There are many types of High Source meat, but none of them are cheap. Wouldn’t this steak cost one or two thousand in a restaurant? Having a chef come to your house to cook it... that would only be more expensive.’
Compared to Supplements and injections, eating it directly might not be as efficient as taking "medicine," but this was a true pleasure.
’Xu Bamboo did say I could eat my fill. This must be what he meant.’
Seeing Yang Shen heartily digging into the meat, a hint of amusement appeared in Chen Beiwang’s eyes. "You’re an interesting kid. It’s good that you’re so straightforward. No wonder you and Xu Bamboo are friends."
Yang Shen said calmly, "It’s just a job."
He was reminding Chen Beiwang of the nature of their current arrangement.
’Eating? This counts toward my paid hours!’
Chen Beiwang said, "You must be curious, but let me clarify something first. This isn’t my house; I’ve just been temporarily assigned to stay here. So, your job won’t be long-term. It could be as short as one or two months, and not much longer than that. I’ll probably be leaving."
"From now on, once a week..."
Remembering his pathetic performance just now, Chen Beiwang corrected himself. "Let’s make it twice a week. If I keep letting myself go, I’ll become as weak as someone in the Marrow Refining stage."
Yang Shen thought, ’No, you’ve got it wrong. The Marrow Refining stage isn’t nearly as weak as you are...’
The pressure he felt from Chen Beiwang wasn’t even as strong as what he felt from Zhao Mengmeng.
A classic case of being all theory and no practice.
Yang Shen asked, "What do you do for work?"
Chen Beiwang gave a wry laugh. "Me? You can think of me as a Martial Arts researcher."
Yang Shen asked, "Researchers are this rich?"
’I can get with that program! I can be a researcher, too!’
Although this stuff wasn’t Chen Beiwang’s, and there seemed to be a story behind it, the man was still part of the "upper class." Otherwise, he wouldn’t be so carefree.
Chen Beiwang finished his apple and switched to a bunch of grapes.
"To a high school student, your understanding of society is too one-dimensional for me to explain it properly. Basically, I have a company, research some auxiliary technologies related to Martial Arts, hold a few decent patents, and have a powerful backer. That’s the gist of it."
In Chen Beiwang’s eyes, Yang Shen was a "young genius" from a "poor family." Mastering Fist Intent at his age proved the former.
And working a part-time job during the crucial final year of high school proved the latter.
Was 500 an hour a lot? For a top student determined to ace the college entrance exams, every single needle mark on their butt from supplements cost more than 500.
Plus, he was Xu Bamboo’s friend, so Chen Beiwang was quite willing to chat more. Or rather, he was trying to use "talk-no-jutsu" to get some of his confidence back.
Getting pinned down and beaten by Yang Shen just now was a real loss of face for an adult.
"Ever since college, my focus hasn’t been on practical combat. You’ll understand when you get there. Becoming a great Martial Arts master and participating in ’Exotic Realm exploration’ is ultimately for a very small minority. But there are many ways to live a good life in this society, especially if you have a decent Martial Certificate."
"You must have heard the phrase ’Martial Arts changes destiny.’"
Yang Shen replied, "Of course. There are posters of it at school."
"So the answer is right there in plain sight. Martial Arts is just a ’tool,’ not the ’goal.’ Changing your destiny is the goal, and this is a world that runs on ’money.’"
Chen Beiwang rubbed his fingers together. "Life, desires, Supplements, Source... it all costs money."
Yang Shen just nodded, not saying anything.
As a young man, he was fully aware of the importance of money, but he hadn’t yet reached the point where he was completely money-grubbing.
Chen Beiwang’s words only represented his personal point of view; Yang Shen wasn’t foolish enough to accept them wholesale.
But he felt Chen Beiwang was an interesting person. Besides being a walking ATM, his talkative and easygoing nature could be a great source of information for a high school student.
For example, about college life, the state of society, or even some Martial Arts technology.
If he hadn’t already used today’s "Life Chart Inspection" on "Lei Lv" this morning, he would have been very curious about Chen Beiwang.
Even though it was supposedly a single portion, Yang Shen ate until he was stuffed. Skipping lunch had been a wise decision.
Chen Beiwang didn’t rush him. He ate a little bit himself, then went to sit on the sofa and clip his nails.
After he finished eating, Yang Shen glanced at his watch. Three hours had passed since he arrived.
’But that also meant he’d earned 1,500, which was more than he used to make in half a month of hard work at the bubble tea shop!’
As for dragging things out any longer, that wouldn’t be right. He understood the difference between eating his fill once and being able to eat his fill every day.
Yang Shen took the initiative. "So, shall we call it a day? It’s been three hours, and I doubt you have the stamina for another round."
Chen Beiwang gave an awkward laugh. He still had stamina—he was in the Innate Realm, after all—he was just lazy.
’And he didn’t want to get beat up again.’
"Alright, I’ll transfer the tutoring fee to you later. I’ll reimburse your travel expenses, just tell me the amount."
Yang Shen said, "Two."
Chen Beiwang’s eyes widened. ’A two-yuan fare still exists in this world?’
"Did you take a kiddy ride to get here?"
"The bus..."
"Er... you should just take a taxi back..."
Yang Shen nodded. ’A taxi back would be at least 50...’
Before he left, Yang Shen glanced at Chen Beiwang, who was intently clipping his nails. He felt he ought to demonstrate some "professional tutor" qualities. ’Should I assign some "homework"?’
So he said, "I suggest you exercise on your own time as well. Just relying on High Source foods to pile up your Qi and Blood Value isn’t enough to consolidate it into your Martial Arts Realm. I suggest you practice a few more sets of the `Sixth Set of Initial Realm Body Refining Fist` in the evenings."
Chen Beiwang said, "I learned the `Fourth Set` back in the day. But I really can’t today, I have plans tonight."
Yang Shen frowned. "Are you going drinking? Alcohol isn’t a great choice, you know."
Chen Beiwang shook his head. "No more drinking, no more drinking. I’ll stick to juice and be a good boy tonight. Besides, I’m going on a date. Why else do you think I’m clipping my nails? One must pay attention to hygiene when meeting a fair lady~"
Yang Shen frowned in confusion for a long time...
"But you’re clipping your toenails..."
Chen Beiwang gave him a smile that a minor wouldn’t understand, and made a crisp click with his tongue.
"You’ll get it when you’re older."
Yang Shen: ???
————
He took a taxi back to his neighborhood. It was already nine o’clock. The moment Yang Shen got out of the car, his phone rang.
It was a notification for a deposit of 1,600 Yanhua currency.
They had already added each other as contacts. Chen Beiwang sent a message: "Take a taxi for your round trips from now on. There have been cases of ’Martial Arts Psychosis’ in Jianghuai lately, so be careful."
He quickly sent another: "If you run into one, don’t try to fight them head-on. They fight like they have nothing to lose."
Yang Shen frowned slightly... He had been so busy with his Cultivation recently, and with his dual identities as a "high school student" and a "suburban kid," he wasn’t very aware of what was happening in the wider world.
’Has it really gotten to that point...?’
Yang Shen looked at the deposit notification, and after a moment, he transferred 1,000 to his aunt, keeping 600 for himself for the time being.
His personal spending money was now around 800, which was more than enough. The family’s expenses were the main thing.
With one or two "tutoring" sessions every week from now on, the extra expenses brought on by Lei Lv and Lei Yi were temporarily covered. The pressure had eased considerably.
It was a pity this "tutoring" job was destined to be short-lived. Chen Beiwang wouldn’t be in Jinshui District for long.
The same probably went for his motivation to "pick up Martial Arts again."
As for tonight...
Yang Shen looked at the old, dilapidated building where he lived. Dimness and decay covered every inch of space.
Although it was a six-story residential building, for some reason, it looked less imposing than Chen Beiwang’s villa.
Oppressive, cramped...
What it lacked wasn’t a structure of steel and concrete, but the quality of life that was elevated by money...
Chen Beiwang... the cost of one of his meals probably far exceeded the food budget for his family of six for an entire month.
Money was something you couldn’t bring with you at birth or take with you in death, but it could make the struggle to live agonizing, and death itself demeaning.
Yang Shen’s gaze fell upon the Celestial Platform, the place where he did his daily Cultivation. His eyes gradually filled with resolve.
What belongs to others, however much, still belongs to others.
What is one’s own, however little, is all one has.
Tonight... Strengthening Qi and Blood Value.
Tomorrow...
He would officially begin Bone Training!
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