Chapter 2: Youth Palace, Old Factory Street

"Ding-dong! Hongfeng Road has arrived. Passengers heading to the Youth Palace, please disembark from the back door in order. Watch your step……"

Qin Shi stepped off the platform with his backpack slung over his shoulder; crossing the street, he could see a building complex dominated by red brick and white walls.

Gilded characters at the main entrance were striking, reading "Tai'an City Youth Palace."

Luxury sedans lined both sides of the street like a long queue, making the wide road feel somewhat crowded.

They were clearly parents picking up and dropping off their children.

"Xiao Qin, you're finally here! The martial arts class just finished; hurry and take the children for recess activities!"

Qin Shi had just put on the Youth Palace work uniform—a black T-shirt and casual long pants, wearing a flat cap—when he was pulled into the indoor training venue.

His part-time job, paid three hundred per day settled daily, mainly involved watching over this lively group of kids, playing games and singing songs together.

"Alright, Zhang Ge."

Qin Shi glanced around; the bright, spacious indoor area was divided into several sections,

apart from elementary school students all dressed in white training uniforms, there were also quite a few older junior and senior high school students hitting sandbags and practicing leg techniques.

The rising and falling shouts and striking sounds filled the venue with vibrant energy.

A trace of envy flickered in Qin Shi's eyes.

For now, the most universal method of Life Force Development was still Physical Training.

This was also the reason why various martial arts classes were so popular.

"Even the most basic content isn't cheap, starting at five hundred……"

Qin Shi sighed silently; one class at the Youth Palace martial arts class was enough for him to eat several Nutrition Meals.

He simply couldn't afford it!

He clapped his hands, cleared his mind, and put on an enthusiastic smile full of affinity:

"Children, shall we play the Train game? Big brother will be the locomotive……"

……

……

At half past five in the afternoon, the sun gradually shifted, and the dim afterglow shone in through the skylight.

"Alright, today's class ends here."

At the teacher's command, the kids lined up in a long queue, and Qin Shi led them to the outdoor doorway.

"Thank you, Teacher Xiao Qin!"

"Xuanxuan, say goodbye to Teacher Xiao Qin……"

After the bustling Youth Palace returned to quiet, Qin Shi continued working, collecting the training uniforms soaked with sweat into a bamboo basket for the Cleaning Auntie to wash clean, then sweeping the venue floor once more.

Only then was the part-time job considered finished.

"Xiao Qin, come here."

The Person in Charge of the Youth Palace was a balding uncle who steeped goji berries in a thermos.

"I remember you study at Xin Yi High School, right? How was your physical test?"

Qin Shi answered truthfully:

"Eight points, passing level."

The balding uncle rubbed his thinning hair:

"Not bad for your age. Our Youth Palace will have a New Teacher coming soon to open an Advanced Class for the martial arts class, and we're currently short an Assistant Teacher."

"Xiao Qin, you've been diligent and hardworking these past few days; I've seen it all."

"How about it, can you handle it?"

A New Teacher?

Teaching an Advanced Class?

Qin Shi was slightly stunned.

The Youth Palace's main clientele were basically middle-class families from the Urban Circle.

Parents of this sort most hoped their children would become Dragons, believed in winning at the starting line, and loved taking their children to various Tutoring Classes.

The Youth Palace's martial arts classes were relatively cheap and suitable for young children to build foundations.

Naturally, registration was hot.

But Advanced Classes……

"Do we have the teaching staff for that?"

"Assistant Teacher, I definitely have no problem! Director, to be honest, I was a Physical Education Committee Member at the Zidi School before, often leading classmates in running laps……"

Qin Shi cleared his mind and quickly agreed.

He had always been: as long as the Salary was in place, anything was negotiable.

As long as it wasn't illegal, he could do any job!

"Fine. As an Assistant Teacher, monthly salary is fifteen hundred, and you can eat at the cafeteria."

The balding uncle thought, hiring a temporary worker with decent Qi Life Force these days starts at at least two thousand.

Far less cost-effective than hiring a student.

"Got it!"

Qin Shi calculated: the front desk at Yinma Gym paid twelve hundred a month, the Youth Palace daily settlement could earn a thousand, plus the Assistant Teacher's fifteen hundred.

Two months of summer vacation, he could probably save over seven thousand.

"When school starts, I'll be half a ten-thousand household; after paying the Registration Fee, there'll still be some left."

……

……

Drip!

Student card!

At seven twenty in the evening, Qin Shi left the Youth Palace and boarded Bus 145 right on time, sitting in a window seat in the rear row.

Brilliantly reflected neon lights were like a colorful floating ocean, with skyscrapers standing densely among them.

"The prosperous urban circle..."

Qin Shi sighed silently; reincarnation was truly a technical skill.

Taian Metropolitan Area and the Old City District were only dozens of kilometers apart on a map, yet a huge chasm separated them.

"The gold medal coach at the gym is too expensive, no cost performance; to improve Qi Life Force, I might have to start elsewhere."

Qin Shi pondered, and text information jumped out in his vision again—

【Today's cumulative walking steps 17240】

【Growth Degree +2】

"Where exactly did growth happen?"

Staring at the floating box, Qin Shi scratched his head, wanting very much to voice a soul question.

But in the eyes of others, this action was undoubtedly like chatting with the air.

It was extremely easy to be regarded as a suspected schizophrenic lunatic and sent to Qingshan Mental Hospital in the North Suburb.

As the bus passed one stop after another, the prosperous scenery was left behind, and large abandoned factory areas came into view.

Like two completely different new and old worlds.

Not long after, the bus arrived at the last stop.

The night outside the window was thick as ink, and the streetlights were dim.

The back door opened, then closed.

Qin Shi slung his backpack and landed steadily.

He looked up at the Stone Gate Archway weathered by the years.

"Home."

Qin Shi adjusted his backpack and walked toward the dilapidated old street that formed a stark contrast with the brightly lit prosperous urban circle.

A saying was popular throughout the Taian Metropolitan Area.

It was called "Dongqing West Expensive South Rich North Chaotic."

Dangyang East Suburbs was once the main industrial base of the locality; at its peak there were five or six hundred large and small factories, with up to seven or eight hundred thousand employees.

Famous ones like Lei Yun Electronics Factory and Military Factory were previously located here.

Back then, Old Factory Street was extremely lively at the end of work.

Baoniao Bicycles came swarming like ten thousand troops and horses, all riding over the smooth blue stone slab road.

Spectacular!

Young men in dark blue and military green factory uniforms were all spirited.

They deliberately rang their bicycle bells to attract the attention of street vendors and beautiful girls.

But after the New Star development following the Great Development and industrial relocation, Dong Jiao quickly declined.

In just ten years it became a dilapidated old street crowded with old factories and laid-off workers.

"Xiao Shi, you're back."

"Your sister just came back from buying groceries, killed two fish, and bought a lot of shrimp; today you're in for a treat!"

"Working hard and studying frugally, truly a good child..."

The neighbors were quite enthusiastic, greeting him.

Big Fellow had been rooted in this Old Factory Street for many years; seeing each other with heads up and down, relations were friendly, and for any difficulty, help was never stingy.

"Thank you, Li Shu!"

"Uncle Zhang, you're spirited again!"

"Song Daye, enjoying the cool here? Listening to Tai Gong Jiang Bai Chuan's Battle Fury Golden Vajra versus Kao Yun Chao, right..."

Qin Shi responded politely, answering each one.

His home was near Snack Street, with people coming and going and a strong atmosphere of daily life.

"Hard to imagine that in the Great Universe Era there are still shantytowns."

Entering Bao Gong Street, electric poles carried tangled long wires, streetlights with small ads flickered on and off, illuminating rows of low houses stacked together.

Not much different from the urban village Qin Shi lived in his previous life.

This shantytown had been slated for demolition and renovation for many years.

But just like Hengzhou New Star shouting slogans every year that it must strive for the top and work hard to become one of the top ten administrative regions in Dongxia's economic development.

Basically much thunder but little rain.

"Second Brother, how do you always manage to step on mealtime to come home."

Qin Shi had just stepped into the small bungalow made of oil felt and asbestos tiles when a dim yellow electric light was pulled on by a cord, casting not very clear light.

A slightly low small table was set with two meat and vegetable dishes and one soup, and a girl with a ponytail was arranging bowls and chopsticks.

In the narrow kitchen on the right, a tall back was wielding the ladle and flipping the wok, with great movement, and as the high fire boiled, fragrance overflowed.

The former was the youngest, Qin Lan;

the latter was the eldest sister, Qin Xiao.

Qin Shi put down his backpack and pretended to be dissatisfied:

"I've said it how many times, just call me 'Brother', don't add the 'Second' character!"

Little sister Qin Lan smiled playfully:

"Okay, Second Brother!"

Qin Shi sighed heavily, his face full of regret:

"I was originally thinking of earning money from a part-time job to get you a new Tianzhou Computer……"

"Hey, Brother! You must be tired from your part-time job, let me massage your shoulders!"

Qin Lan instantly softened, her youthful, beautiful face full of fawning and flattery, like a Hebi wagging its tail.

"Missing each other when apart, making a scene when together, you two are truly a pair of troublemakers. The dishes are all served, hurry up and wash your hands to eat!"

A tall back turned around, darker skin tone, sturdy arms, neat short hair.

Wearing a denim jacket on the outside, inside was a white undershirt stained with a few smudges of machine oil.

Quite full of masculine vigor!

"Got it, Big Sister."

Qin Shi and Qin Lan immediately became well-behaved, speaking in unison.

Facing delicacies such as braised fish, stir-fried shrimp with scallions, and winter melon pork rib soup, the two siblings wielded their chopsticks like flying, eating heartily.

They usually suffered from the synthetic fast food of the school cafeteria, and finally getting to improve their meals, each looked like a starving ghost reborn.

"You two are so old, yet still fighting over food."

Big Sister Qin Xiao's eyes were full of satisfaction; the fatigue and hardship accumulated from high-intensity work were all swept away.

"Brother, you rest, I'll wash the dishes!"

Qin Lan was still thinking about that Tianzhou Computer, and very consciously took on the task.

"You're sensible."

Qin Shi took out his mobile phone, searching for coupons in the various wool-gathering groups he had joined, piecing together discounts to complete a bunch of reduction tasks, and finally sent the price-cutting link to Zhou Ning.

【Help cut a price! Urgent!】

"You spoil Xiao Lan too much; she's only in her second year of high school, what does she need such a good computer for."

Big Sister Qin Xiao shook her head:

"Keep it for yourself."

Qin Shi smiled:

"I don't have any mechanical talent; after the college entrance exam, I'll definitely take the Martial Arts Subject track. The youngest is different; I get a headache just looking at 'Mechanical Soul Communication Theory', 'Compilation Principles', and 'Structural Science', but she can learn them with great relish.

Cultivate her well, who knows, maybe our Qin Family Line can produce a female engineer!"

Qin Xiao's expression softened:

"I heard from Zhou Shu at the billiard hall that he's preparing to buy Zhou Ning a few sessions of Life Force Development physical classes to make a push for the Ranking Examination.

Youngest, do you have any ideas?"

Qin Shi scratched his head:

"The Martial Arts Class, physical classes, are no different from those health products advertised on TV every day; the actual effect doesn't reach one-thousandth of the promotion.

Big Sister, let's not join the fun."

Qin Xiao still had a gentle expression, speaking softly:

"Youngest, you're just afraid of spending money, right? It's fine, I just took on a big long-distance order, delivering materials to Yincheng.

Here, this is an advance deposit from Old Chen, take it! You can also sign up for a Martial Arts Class or something; your grades aren't bad, you'll definitely get into a good university."

Under the rice table, Qin Shi's palm was stuffed with thick paper money bundled into two stacks.

He subconsciously wanted to push it back, but Big Sister, who moved goods and worked all day, had great strength, and he couldn't budge it at all.

"We're all family, don't pull and tug and make it awkward. As for Xiao Lan, I've also saved a sum for her.

You two study hard, don't worry, Big Sister can support you."

Qin Shi opened and closed his mouth, but couldn't squeeze out a sound; after a long while, he managed to say:

"I understand, Big Sister."

Qin Xiao looked at her younger brother; her usual fiery and fierce temper was completely restrained:

"Youngest, you've always had your own ideas. This money is yours; how to use it is up to you."

Qin Shi lowered his head and nodded silently.

In his hand were two stacks of brand-new banknotes, exuding the scent of ink.

Looking closely, the front showed a red flag waving, with soaring dragons and auspicious clouds above, and ears of wheat encircling below.

So many hundred-yuan denomination Xia Summer New Currency notes, fifty per stack, a full ten thousand yuan.

Qin Shi knew that driving a big truck for deliveries had high income, but he also understood the job was grueling.

Every time Big Sister went on a long trip, she'd be gone for several months, eating and sleeping in the open, eating, drinking, and relieving herself all in the truck, and along the way she had to guard against bandits and road robbers stealing oil and thieves.

The risk is extremely high!

"Most gyms in the Urban Circle or Life Force Development training classes are hanging a sheep's head to sell dog meat; not only are the fees expensive, but the effects aren't necessarily good either."

Qin Shi revealed his thoughts:

"I plan to go to Zi Fu No. 9 Middle School to try my luck; Zhou Shu introduced a Liang Laoshi to me. He said this teacher once participated in the Star Cup, and his Life Force Development level is not low.

Later, he offended someone and was exiled to Old Factory Street to be a Physical Education Teacher."

Qin Xiao made an affirmative sound, indicating agreement.

In her eyes, Qin Shi had always been obedient and sensible, capable of coming up with solutions, smarter than herself, and more reliable than the youngest.

"I'm going on a long trip tomorrow; as a student, your task is to study hard, and don't always think about how to make money.

Big Sister can support you two, and will also make our family's life better and better."

Qin Shi still didn't raise his head, only replied with one word:

"Mm."

Chapter End