[{"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-74":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},2263800,4418,"Chapter 74","cultivation-i-studied-abroad-in-the-modern-world-chapter-74",74,"\u003Cp>Zheng Fa wanted a game similar to the scroll Zhang Shijie used to test the Seventh Young Master.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It needed to display a large number of talisman diagrams on the screen for Zheng Fa to select from, and finally judge his accuracy rate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zheng Fa clearly understood his greatest advantage was his knowledge of this world’s topology—in more concrete terms, the notebook compiled by the old white man.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was the source of Zhang Shijie’s absolute faith in his talisman talent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Something so valued by Zhang Shijie would make it easy for him to maintain a genius persona at the Immortal Product Assembly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What he needed now was to turn the knowledge in that notebook into instinct.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing his request, the old white man frowned and thought for a moment: “I’m an old relic—I don’t understand computers much, but this doesn’t sound too hard.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zheng Fa nodded; in his view, this thing was roughly the level of a simple web game.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Those damn diagrams again…” The old man stared at him for a long while. “I won’t ask why you want this, but the game is easy to do—or hard, depending on how you look at it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How hard?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Money,” the old man said bluntly to Zheng Fa. “I can ask my former colleagues if any computer science students have time to help you, but it won’t be free.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How much?” Zheng Fa’s heart sank—he truly had no idea about this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How much can you offer?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The old man knew his family’s situation and didn’t beat around the bush.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zheng Fa calculated in his mind—he had savings.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His parents’ compensation plus their lifetime savings totaled around a million, and the community had helped him set up a large-term deposit yielding roughly fifty thousand yuan in annual interest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had no intention of touching the principal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet with various subsidies added, Zheng Fa’s annual disposable income remained stable above fifty thousand yuan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He lived frugally, rarely went out or socialized, spent less than thirty yuan per week eating at the cafeteria, and on weekends occasionally bought roasted chicken to supplement nutrition—his monthly food expenses were barely over a thousand yuan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Including other miscellaneous costs, his annual spending was tightly controlled within twenty to thirty thousand yuan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In five years in this world, apart from the original million or so in savings, he’d actually gained over a hundred thousand more.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Eighty thousand?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He hesitated, keeping some emergency funds, and named a cautious figure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...” The old man stared at him for a long time before speaking: “I think you have a misunderstanding about college students.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...Not enough?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“From what I’ve observed, college students all share one common trait,” the old man said slowly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Poverty!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Alright, I’ll ask around. Don’t be a fool and accept whatever they say—remember to haggle!” Seeing Zheng Fa truly didn’t understand the market, the old man added a warning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The old man acted quickly and soon sent Zheng Fa a business card via social software.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I asked around—this student suits you best.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Is he the most skilled?” Zheng Fa asked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“He’s the poorest! Do you think your crappy thing needs skill? Who’d do it for you if not for the money? When I told the teacher, he laughed at me, saying even making this thing insults their computer science students.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This guy recently started dating a girlfriend and is short on cash.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Understood—love and dignity sometimes force you to choose one.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The person the old man introduced had a profile picture of a white cartoon puppy, its leash fading out at the top right corner; the username was Han Xiaobai.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zheng Fa sent a friend request, and the other side accepted it quickly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Boss?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hello, do you understand the exact requirements?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then, how much would it cost to make this game?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zheng Fa saw the top of the chat box first display “Typing...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then the line vanished.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then it reappeared, repeating for three minutes before the reply finally came:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Fifty thousand!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zheng Fa remembered the old man’s advice and quickly typed a slashed price.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Five thousand!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The other side fell into longer silence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Boss, that’s way too low.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Five thousand.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I can’t do it—I’m still a student. Give me more.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m in senior high. Cut the price.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The other side typed a long paragraph to plead his case:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You don’t know how much I really need this. I just started dating a girlfriend who spends like crazy. In computer science, there are way more guys than girls—finding a girlfriend is hard. I’ve spent all my living allowance on her! Recently she wants a new phone costing several thousand, and I’m too embarrassed to ask my parents, so I took this job.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’re in high school and can afford to spend so much on a game—you probably don’t understand my struggle. Lately, I can’t even afford the cafeteria...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...I really envy you having parents,” Zheng Fa typed, lips pressed tight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“????” The other side first typed a string of question marks, then said: “Fuck! Five thousand it is!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That night, Zheng Fa saw the other side sent a few more messages:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“To be honest, the game isn’t hard—just use a free template. The only trouble is inputting all those diagrams—it’s pure grunt work. Five thousand is barely enough.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But this game has no future. If you’re really in the situation you described, I’d advise you not to do it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zheng Fa replied: “Still short on cash for dating?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Still short. I thought you were some clueless rich idiot and wanted to rip you off,” the other side admitted frankly. “But given your situation, I can’t let you waste your money.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Thank you.” Zheng Fa paused: “I’m making this for other purposes.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Good. I just wanted to warn you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then how much is the phone? Just use that price.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Boss, you’re generous! I’ll make it fast and perfect!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Zheng Fa, what did you do again?” Wang Chen asked, watching Zheng Fa suddenly slump.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Playing a game,” Zheng Fa said, eyes closed, the dense talisman diagrams from last night still lingering in his mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Playing a game!” Wang Chen perked up instantly, slapping Zheng Fa’s shoulder. “You’ve finally come to your senses on this genius-isolation path? What game? Let’s duo!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“A small game. You’ve never played it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What small game could be this fun?” Wang Chen grew genuinely curious, seeing Zheng Fa too lazy to open his eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s...” Zheng Fa thought how to describe it: “Imagine you’re given one human face, and you have to find among tens of thousands of faces his parents, his grandparents, his aunts and uncles—even his ancestors back eighteen generations...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What’s fun about that?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You don’t get it—I’m cultivating my talent.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What talent?” Wang Chen frowned. “Talent for eyeball-based paternity tests?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this, his gaze toward Zheng Fa turned suddenly sympathetic: “I know being with Tang Lingwumin makes you feel inferior and under pressure, but you need to trust people—can’t you wait before jumping to worst-case scenarios?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the Xuanwei Realm, Zhang Shijie’s courtyard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The rules for this Immortal Product Assembly have changed—no longer grading by rank, but by placement,” Zhang Shijie told Zheng Fa and the Seventh Young Master. “That means it’s not enough to have good talisman talent—you must be better than others.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing this, the Seventh Young Master’s expression changed.\u003C\u002Fp>",1225,"2026-06-19T19:16:02.864Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","c460462a9541b856e284604ae03f555f7766d0bc3f4655a053ee11530f95bfee","cultivation-i-studied-abroad-in-the-modern-world-chapter-75","cultivation-i-studied-abroad-in-the-modern-world-chapter-73",487,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fcultivation-i-studied-abroad-in-the-modern-world-cover.jpg"]