[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-cultivation-i-studied-abroad-in-the-modern-world":3,"chapter-cultivation-i-studied-abroad-in-the-modern-world-cultivation-i-studied-abroad-in-the-modern-world-chapter-180":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Cultivation: I Studied Abroad in the Modern World",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2263906,4418,"Chapter 180: Incentive","cultivation-i-studied-abroad-in-the-modern-world-chapter-180",180,"\u003Cp>The Natural Sciences Reading Room of the library.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zheng Fa put away his workbook and pulled out several borrowed library books.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The first-year physics curriculum at Beijing University is actually quite light—beyond a few general courses, only three major courses are required—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“General Physics,” “Advanced Mathematics,” “Linear Algebra.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For Zheng Fa, only “General Physics” required some effort, but not much—it was designed as an introductory course, with a gentle difficulty level.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The homework difficulty was also not too great for Zheng Fa.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, Beijing University never lacked students who pushed themselves to the extreme.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For example, his roommate Dai Yuan, whom Zheng Fa met upon enrollment, was a competition veteran who had apparently already read through “General Physics”—recently, he seemed to be diving straight into the four great theories.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zheng Fa wasn’t in such a hurry.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mainly because he didn’t aim to become a physicist; entering the physics department was ultimately about finding a path to understand spirit talismans, even spiritual energy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In short, he wanted to find a stone from another mountain in physics.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Right now, for instance, he was reading a book called “The Evolution of Physics.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a popular science book on the history of physics, written decades ago.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For physics students, this book was perhaps too simplistic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Zheng Fa read it carefully—the book’s co-author was Einstein, and writing it, he inevitably brought his own thought patterns, which Zheng Fa valued highly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Halfway through, Zheng Fa closed the book and fell into deep thought:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Three Sub-Talisman Theory had truly hit a dead end.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The biggest problem was that the roles of the other two sub-talismans were unclear, reduced to mere speculation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the development of physics, when such situations arose, they were usually resolved through experiments—testing and verifying or falsifying the hypotheses.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Experiments…” Zheng Fa couldn’t help thinking of Teacher Tian’s lab, and his head began to ache.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He only later learned that the cost ranged from several million to tens of millions—and that was still on the low end.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Scientific research was utterly bottomless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If Zheng Fa were to conduct physical experiments himself…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The cost would be unpredictable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tang Lingwumin had always acted like a wealthy woman.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Zheng Fa didn’t want to rely on her money unless absolutely necessary.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mainly because—Tang Lingwumin didn’t have that much.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She could spare a few or even tens of millions without alarming her family.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But hundreds or thousands of millions—would inevitably alert Aunt Ye and Tang Lingwumin’s father.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Perhaps between him and Tang Lingwumin, such distinctions didn’t need to be so clear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whether from the bond of friendship or from the fact that he had given her a chance at cultivation, Tang Lingwumin probably wouldn’t care about the money.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aunt Ye, or Tang Lingwumin’s father, likely wouldn’t think the same.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zheng Fa believed in equal exchange.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He needed to give something, and receive something in return.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The details required careful thought.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At a table diagonally across, Yang Ju, the senior he’d met while queuing earlier, scratched his head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though only a morning had passed, he somehow felt he was another year farther from graduation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And even more tragic—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When he scratched, he noticed his hair had thinned again!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thinking of this, Yang Ju was overcome with sorrow and couldn’t continue writing his thesis.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His gaze wandered around the room, inevitably landing on Zheng Fa.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had a strong impression of Zheng Fa—not just because he’d seen him in the library a few times.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But because once, passing the gym, he’d seen this junior meditating!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Logically, physics students only showed such symptoms by doctoral level.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This junior was an early-onset case…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After seeing him more often in the library, he realized that though this junior was a bit odd, he seemed mostly normal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Looking at Zheng Fa, he felt a deep sense of melancholy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He always felt he and this junior were somewhat alike—though this junior had more hair, longer legs, and smoother skin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But once, he too had been like this junior—obsessed with study, ignoring everything else.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet now, he felt he had been wrong:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When your scientific talent doesn’t reach the level of geniuses, excessive obsession with study isn’t a particularly good choice:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Like now—he had no girlfriend, no job, and no certainty of graduation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing Zheng Fa, he recalled these memories, and his passion for research dropped by a third.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Maybe he should just give up and extend his graduation?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the library entrance, Tang Lingwumin walked in quietly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She went to Zheng Fa’s table; he looked up, gathered his books and workbook, and the two walked out of the library side by side.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As if afraid of disturbing others, they didn’t begin speaking until they had left the reading room.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yang Ju, who had been leaning on the railing to clear his mind, couldn’t help glancing at them—mainly at Tang Lingwumin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He’d noticed her when she entered the library, from the second floor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He hadn’t expected she was here to find this junior…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their voices reached his ears.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You were frowning just now—what were you thinking about?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He heard the beautiful girl ask the junior.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Nothing…” the junior replied softly: “I was just thinking I need to find a way to make money.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yang Ju felt a pang of sympathy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He remembered this junior was only a first-year?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Already bearing the weight of life?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No wonder he studied so hard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I have money. Whatever you need, I’ve got it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The girl’s words made him feel like he’d heard an unsolved mystery.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He even sensed a hint of grievance in her voice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Grievance?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He looked up and saw the girl staring at the junior, her face wounded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I know, I know,” he saw the junior soothing her: “I know you have money, but this much—you’d have to explain to your parents…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No need. A million—I’ll just ask my mom. It shouldn’t be a problem.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yang Ju stood frozen, staring as Zheng Fa led Tang Lingwumin away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His expression was complex.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He took a deep breath, slowly walked back into the reading room, and resolved to fight his thesis to the death.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment, he deeply understood how different he was from Zheng Fa.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And—this junior had such a beautiful rich girlfriend and still worked so hard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I, on the other hand, have nothing but research.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What right do I have to be lazy?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zheng Fa didn’t know he had unconsciously inspired Yang Ju; he was troubled by Tang Lingwumin’s lingering unhappiness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The two arrived together at the nursing home.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Teacher Tian smiled at Tang Lingwumin: “What’s wrong? Why are you pouting so high?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She looked much better, even squatting on the open ground, observing something.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zheng Fa asked: “Teacher Tian, what are you doing?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I thought, even if I can’t set up a lab, I can still cultivate the land—without a lab, research isn’t impossible,” Teacher Tian smiled. “The soil’s been prepared, base fertilizer added—I can still plant a winter wheat crop this season.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zheng Fa froze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He suddenly realized his mistake—he’d been fixated on building a perfect lab, but basic physics experiments could resolve many of his doubts!\u003C\u002Fp>",1192,"2026-06-19T19:16:02.864Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","0de653217966128c53cc6975db52e336b41a37431e55030a2904304f30f7a947","cultivation-i-studied-abroad-in-the-modern-world-chapter-181","cultivation-i-studied-abroad-in-the-modern-world-chapter-179",487,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fcultivation-i-studied-abroad-in-the-modern-world-cover.jpg"]