Chapter 14 : Sleepless Pursuits

The stationery store at the school gate always carried everything students needed.

The one outside Songyang High School was no exception.

Aside from the usual stationery, the massive display case behind the counter resembled a pharmacy, stocked with everything from sedatives and stimulants to focus-enhancing supplements—essentially, all the performance-boosting drugs high school students might require.

Zhang Yu leaned on the counter and asked, "Boss, do you have neural boosters?"

The store owner, scrolling through his phone, didn't even look up. "Do you want the expensive kind or the cheap one?"

Zhang Yu grinned. "I'm a student. Can you give me the expensive one at a cheaper price?"

At this, the boss finally looked up and gave him a sidelong glance.

Unfazed, Zhang Yu continued, "I'm in Class 1 of Grade 10, ranked tenth in the entire year—a well-known figure on campus. If your supplements work for me, my classmates will definitely come flocking to buy them."

The boss smirked and pulled out a box from the cabinet, placing it in front of Zhang Yu. "Purple Cloud Corporation's neural booster—guarantees you only need 20 minutes of sleep per day. 500 yuan a box. For you, I'll do 480."

Zhang Yu picked up the box and inspected it. "No freebies?"

The boss frowned slightly but then grabbed a few painkillers and tossed them over. "Here, these are on the house."

Zhang Yu chuckled, pocketing the painkillers. "Thanks, boss! But... can I not take the neural booster after all?"

The boss's face immediately darkened.

Zhang Yu quickly waved his phone over the payment QR code. "Just kidding! I'm scanning now."

He grabbed the neural booster off the counter, his heart aching a little.

This small box would only last him a week, but it had cost him 480 yuan—his account balance had just dropped to 1,700.

Still, Zhang Yu believed it was worth it.

Since he had already decided to enter the Legalist Tournament, he was going all in. For the next week, he wouldn't sleep at all and would dedicate himself fully to cultivating the Zhou Tian Qi Absorption Technique.

"Heh... My goal isn't just to stay in the top ten."

---

Meanwhile, Zhao Tianxing had followed Zhang Yu into the stationery store. Watching him buy the supplement, a thought crossed Zhao's mind: Is that really a neural booster?

He trailed Zhang Yu as he left the store, walking along the street. But just as he reached a street corner, he found Zhang Yu already waiting for him.

"Uh... Hey, Zhang Yu." Zhao Tianxing smiled awkwardly. "What a coincidence! You take this route too?"

Zhang Yu stared at him. "Why are you following me?"

Zhao Tianxing scratched his head and feigned innocence. "Following you? Nah, this is just my usual route home."

Zhang Yu sighed. "Take a good look at yourself."

"You're over two meters tall and weigh over 300 pounds. I saw you coming out of the cafeteria. You've been trailing me since then. So, what do you want?"

Of course, Zhao Tianxing couldn't admit that PE teacher Wang Hai had asked him to get close to Zhang Yu and find out where he was getting his supplies.

So, he scratched his head again and hesitated before saying, "Zhang Yu, I think you're really impressive. I want to learn from you."

Looking at the massive eighteen-year-old acting all shy, Zhang Yu couldn't help but think, Dude... your social skills are stuck at elementary school level, huh?

After a moment of thought, he said, "Sure. Just buy me some fried chicken, and you can tag along all you want."

A shiver ran through Zhang Yu's body, and the countdown timer in his mind urged him onward. He couldn't waste any more time.

With a sigh, he started walking forward and motioned for Zhao Tianxing to follow. "Let's talk while we walk."

Zhao Tianxing hesitated. "Fried chicken? That's a major no-no for body conditioning! Coach Wang told us not to eat that. How about chicken breast instead?"

"Relax, you don't have to eat it. Just buy it for me." Zhang Yu wiped the corner of his mouth, already craving the taste.

Ever since arriving in this world, he'd been eating three meals a day at the school cafeteria, stuck with their frugal 'healthy meal plan.' He hadn't had fried chicken in ages.

His relentless training had built up pressure in his mind, leaving him no time to relax and no money to splurge. Just the thought of soon sinking his teeth into crispy fried chicken lightened his mood.

After hopping on and off the subway, they arrived at a fried chicken joint. Zhao Tianxing looked around curiously. "We came all this way—this place must be really good, right?"

"Nah, it was just on the way."

But the moment Zhang Yu stepped inside, the damned countdown timer rang in his head again.

He turned to Zhao Tianxing and said, "Buy me a fried chicken meal. I'll wait here."

As he sat down and immediately began meditating, Zhao Tianxing scratched his head, utterly confused.

A while later, watching Zhang Yu blissfully devour a drumstick on the way out, Zhao Tianxing found him even more puzzling.

"This guy is disciplined enough to meditate while waiting in line... but he still insists on eating fried chicken? Weird."

Following Zhang Yu further, Zhao Tianxing was even more surprised when he didn't head to a cram school or a pharmacy. Instead, he stopped at a public square, looking for temporary work.

"You're here to work?" Zhao Tianxing asked.

Zhang Yu stretched and found a clean spot to sit. "A meal of fried chicken doesn't come with conversation. I'm gonna meditate while I wait for a gig. Do as you please."

As Zhang Yu began his breathing exercises, Zhao Tianxing was stunned.

"Here? Meditation?" He glanced at the nearby sewage drain, listened to the blaring music from a barbershop across the street, and took note of the sketchy job seekers around them. "Here?!"

But Zhang Yu was already fully immersed in his training, ignoring everything else.

Zhao Tianxing squatted beside him, observing for a while. When he confirmed Zhang Yu was genuinely meditating, his curiosity only deepened.

"Is there some special benefit to doing it here? Or is he just killing time while waiting for work?"

After a while, seeing that Zhang Yu showed no signs of stopping, Zhao Tianxing debated leaving—until his phone buzzed.

It was Wang Hai, checking in.

Replying that he was still with Zhang Yu, Zhao Tianxing hesitated before eventually sitting down beside him and attempting to meditate as well.

Half an hour later, Zhao Tianxing opened his eyes—Zhang Yu was still at it.

An hour later, Zhao Tianxing stood up, stretched, and looked over. Zhang Yu hadn't moved an inch.

Two hours later, Zhao Tianxing had long abandoned meditation and was instead practicing his martial forms. But every time he glanced at Zhang Yu, he found him utterly motionless—no fidgeting, no blinking, no irregular breathing.

Zhao Tianxing marveled, "Incredible focus. No wonder he can maintain a zero-distraction rate for days."

Just then, a van pulled into the square, recruiting security personnel. As Zhang Yu listened to the job description, he refocused his attention.

But when he heard the employer required young men with good physiques and clean-cut appearances, he strode forward confidently. "How about me?"

The recruiter's eyes lit up—but instead of Zhang Yu, he approached Zhao Tianxing. "You're perfect!"

(End of chapter...)

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