Chapter Seventy-Nine: Encountering an Old Friend Once More

“No,” Jiang Yu replied calmly, shaking her head without arrogance or humility under everyone’s gaze.

As expected, just as Zhao Xiaoqian had guessed, she was very much opposed to Kong Xi bringing Jiang Yu to this banquet. If she had to find a reason, it would be that she had only met this person on the way back to Yuncheng, and not even for a whole day. Who could tell if his intentions were truly good?

“Only someone as naive as Kong Xi would bring someone she just met at noon to an event like this,” Zhao Xiaoqian shook her head.

The crowd’s expressions were mixed with disdain and mockery. Tan Li elegantly lifted his wine glass and smiled gently, “To get into a top-tier company, good grades alone aren’t enough. You need a certain background and corresponding connections.”

“Those companies—forget domestically—even overseas they wield great influence. Everyone wants to work there. Hundreds or even thousands compete for a single position. That’s when the advantage of connections and background becomes immediately apparent.”

Everyone fell silent. Tan Li was not wrong; not everyone was born into wealth, blessed with comfort and ease.

Big companies are the dream of countless people. Whether in terms of salary or prospects, they far surpass ninety percent of other jobs.

Zhou Die, her gaze somewhat heated, looked at Tan Li and whispered, “Tan, about the manager position in Sifang Group…”

Tan Li raised his chin, took a sip of red wine, and said indifferently, “It’s already settled. When graduation comes, I’ll just swing by the HR department of Sihai Group during the ceremony.”

The atmosphere in the private room instantly grew lively. Many from ordinary backgrounds spoke with a hint of obsequiousness, flattering Zhou Die and Tan Li. Some of the girls, in particular, subtly hinted to Tan Li that they were willing to accept whatever conditions he set.

Everyone understood what those conditions entailed.

With graduation approaching, a few chose to continue their studies, but most set their sights on various recruiting companies. Rather than further education, they preferred to step into society early, believing that in four or five years’ time, those still studying would be job hunting while they would already be established as elites.

Tan Li and a few other privileged sons were the center of attention; a single word from them could solve these people’s employment problems.

Kong Xi tugged at Jiang Yu’s sleeve, as if hesitant to speak.

“What is it?” Jiang Yu asked with a smile.

Kong Xi hesitated, worried that her words might hurt Jiang Yu’s pride, but finally bit her lip and said, “Brother Jiang, my grandfather talked with me today. He said, to repay you, he’s willing to offer you a position in his company, starting at thirty thousand a month.”

“Please... please don’t be upset.”

She added, not forgetting to reassure him.

Jiang Yu couldn’t help but laugh. So that was what Old Kong had been discussing with her earlier at the station.

As soon as she said this, everyone fell silent. Zhao Xiaoqian was taken aback and lowered her voice, “Kong Xi, what are you doing? Your family’s company has been struggling in the market lately, barely staying afloat. Thirty thousand a month—are you out of your mind?”

The crowd started to murmur, their expressions varied as they looked at Jiang Yu.

So, it seemed he was just a pretty boy getting in through connections.

Yet envy still lingered; a thirty-thousand monthly salary, plus bonuses, meant an annual income of over four hundred thousand. After a few years, he could buy a house in Yuncheng.

Zhou Die and Yang Duoduo stared at Kong Xi in disbelief.

Tan Li sneered from the side, “Kong Xi, you’d better think carefully. If you pay thirty thousand a month for a useless person, it’ll be a loss for your family.”

Kong Xi herself was unsure; she hadn’t expected her grandfather to be so generous, offering Jiang Yu a thirty-thousand salary right off the bat.

At this moment, Zhao Xiaoqian’s hostility toward Jiang Yu was palpable, “Jiang Yu, I don’t know what kind of charm you’ve worked on Kong Xi, but I’ll remind you—even if you accept, without real ability, you won’t last long in that position.”

Her words were full of warning.

Jiang Yu shook his head calmly. “Who said I was going to accept?”

For a moment, everyone stared in disbelief. No one had expected Jiang Yu to turn down Kong Xi’s offer.

They quickly rationalized that perhaps, with so many people present, he found it embarrassing to accept. Maybe after the meal, he would reach out privately.

Tan Li was surprised, and curiously asked, “Do you know what you’re refusing?”

Jiang Yu’s lips curled in a faint smile, “In your eyes, I’m turning down an opportunity. But in mine, these so-called favors are nothing.”

Arrogant—that was everyone’s first impression of Jiang Yu.

Even Tan Li frowned. This young man, not that old, but with such audacity.

Kong Xi, flustered by Jiang Yu’s refusal, didn’t know what to say for a moment. She asked anxiously, “Brother Jiang, don’t you want a stable income?”

Jiang Yu looked up, sighing, “Yes, I do need a stable source of income. But the job you mentioned really isn’t suitable for me.”

He hadn’t even asked what the job was, and yet he said it wasn’t right for him?

Zhao Xiaoqian’s gaze grew colder, and whatever remaining goodwill she had for Jiang Yu vanished.

In her mind, Jiang Yu was using retreat as a tactic, trying to leverage more benefits from Kong Xi. She decided she would have to warn that naive girl.

Tan Li laughed, “After rejecting Kong Xi’s kindness, you’ll find yourself running into walls everywhere at the graduation recruitment fair. Forget thirty thousand a month—even five or six thousand will seem hopeless to you.”

“Jiang Yu, right? You’ll regret what you said today.”

Tan Li echoed the group’s sentiments.

Zhou Die shook her head as well. She wondered where Kong Xi found such friends—did he not understand the value of blending in?

…

At the restaurant entrance, Kong Xi apologized, “Brother Jiang, I’m sorry. I didn’t expect things to turn out like this.”

Jiang Yu waved it off, unconcerned. “It’s nothing. I was never part of your circle anyway. Being excluded is only natural. I’ll head back now.”

The dinner ended on a sour note; everyone harbored some hostility toward Jiang Yu.

Helplessly, Kong Xi sent Jiang Yu home early.

She said, “Brother Jiang, if you ever change your mind, just call me. When it comes to stable income, caring about pride is childish. Don’t mind what others say. Networking can be seen as a form of personal strength. Accepting a job through connections isn’t shameful.”

Jiang Yu smiled, “If I change my mind, I’ll let you know.”

They exchanged phone numbers, then Jiang Yu turned and disappeared into the crowd.

After walking some distance, Jiang Yu mused, “Tonight Kong Xi reminded me: if I want to regain my peak cultivation before Earth’s resources run dry, I’ll need vast amounts of rare materials and elixirs. Relying on my own abilities alone is impossible.”

“Only by getting countless wealthy people—even the entire world—to help me search can I speed up the process.”

Jiang Yu had harbored this idea for a long time.

He called Li Hao, asking him to collect some common materials.

“Teacher, is there anything else?” Li Hao was still unsure what Jiang Yu’s intentions were.

Jiang Yu said calmly, “Notify all the wealthy people in Yuncheng: tonight at midnight, come to the Xia family villa to see me.”

Gathering all the world’s rare treasures—a project as grand as building the Great Wall.

“In the whole world, perhaps only I understand how hard this will be.”

Jiang Yu shook his head, flagged down a taxi, and headed for the villa on the hillside of Wild Duck Lake.

At the mountaintop villa, a slender figure was waiting in the cold wind. She wore a fitted long dress, her tall silhouette and lively eyes searching the surroundings.

Having heard just now from Xia Hou Sheng that Jiang Yu had returned to Yuncheng and would soon arrive at the villa, Xia Ning was excited, like she was about to meet her idol, her breathtaking face full of anticipation.

In the garden, Xia Hou Sheng smiled wryly, “Since Master Jiang left, this child hasn’t eaten or slept properly—she spends all day staring at a string of beads in a daze.”

Beside him, Old Shen frowned, “That string of beads isn’t simple. I can sense an array operating on those jade beads. It’s mysterious—I suspect it’s a talismanic artifact.”

An artifact?

Xia Hou Sheng’s heart skipped a beat. He had heard stories of such artifacts before, but how could Xia Ning possess something so precious?

Back in ’97 in Hong Kong, a talisman called ‘Fortune Abounds’ was auctioned for billions of Hong Kong dollars, ultimately bought by a wealthy man surnamed Li.

As for wearable artifacts, he had never even heard of them.

While they spoke, a taxi slowly arrived and stopped at the villa.

The car door opened and a thin figure stepped out.

“Xia Ning, long time no see.”