Song Xu was an academic ace at Bailong High School.

He was also the “boss” according to Mo Tianyi, and the founder of the Poor Geniuses Alliance.

Additionally, his family belonged to the Song family, one of the sixteen prominent clans in Songyang City.

However, Song Xu didn’t see any contradiction in this. After all, who said someone with Song family blood couldn’t be poor?

For instance, in every generation of the Song family, many individuals were eliminated and had to work to pay off debts, and their descendants naturally became poor after a few generations.

Song Xu’s great-grandfather was reportedly still able to kneel before members of the main Song family, but by Song Xu’s generation, they no longer even had close ties with Song Hailong.

To most outsiders, they weren’t even aware that Song Xu’s ancestors were from the prestigious Song family; they simply thought he shared the same surname.

Fortunately, his family ultimately understood the power of lineage bonds. Each generation relentlessly exploited their parents for funds, invested in themselves, and bravely ascended the peaks of immortal cultivation.

As a certain Song family elder famously said, “Rather than complain about your environment, complain about your family.”

Song Xu’s grandfather exemplified this by pushing his elders, acquiring wealth, getting into university, becoming a company employee, and supporting his entire family single-handedly, thus becoming a role model in Song Xu’s eyes.

Song Xu’s father, however, fell short. Although he also heavily exploited his parents for money, he didn’t invest in himself; instead, he gambled it away, completely draining the power of their family ties in one go.

After learning that his grandfather’s pension had been entirely depleted, the family home sold by his father, and all their assets lost to gambling…

Song Xu felt as if he was on a massive slide, but his father, who had gone down before him, had left a disgusting mess, and Song Xu could only watch in despair as he slid down.

The only fortunate thing was that when his father was about to mortgage Song Xu himself, trying to leverage their family ties once more, Song Xu preemptively mortgaged his father to the main Song family, earning his first fortune.

Next, Song Xu sold off the last of his grandfather’s legacy.

“Grandpa, there’s no time to wait for your grave and body to appreciate in value.”

“I need you to provide your final bit of warmth now.”

“Please bless your grandson from heaven, bless me to advance valiantly on the path of immortality and get into a good university.”

“Digging Palm, Level 3 activation! Grandpa! Come out of the ground for me!”

After selling his grandfather’s grave and body, Song Xu acquired his second fortune.

Unfortunately, this was the last remaining plot of land and body his family possessed.

No matter how carefully Song Xu budgeted, he knew the money wouldn’t last until he graduated from high school.

Fortunately, he then encountered an opportunity that would change his life.

He met a being known as an Evil God.

In the spirit realm, before the Hall of Inquiry.

Song Xu, whose identity was concealed, had come here this time for Zhang Yu’s matter.

“If there truly is an Evil God behind this Zhang Yu, then by hunting it, I can increase my potential again…”

“Then, getting into one of the Top Ten universities in the future will be a sure thing.”

As these thoughts flashed through Song Xu’s mind, he heard Mo Tianyi ask, “Boss, what’s the purpose of finding Zhang Yu this time?”

Song Xu calmly explained, “According to my investigation, the rapid growth of these two over the past six months is due to a certain reason.”

“If I can understand this reason, I’ll be even more confident about getting into one of the Top Ten next year.”

Hearing this, Mo Tianyi secretly nodded. Since it concerned whether his boss could get into one of the Top Ten, he would naturally give his full support. Even if it meant working unpaid overtime in the Hall of Inquiry, or if his company discovered he had leaked client information, he would see it through to the end.

Song Xu continued watching the images transmitted by Mo Tianyi.

The security guards and a large number of workers engaged in a fierce battle. Yu Xinghan was in the thick of it, appearing as tiny as a drop of water in the ocean.

Fists, sticks, swords, and spears assailed him from all directions. His martial arts prowess barely allowed him to stay afloat.

However, the Heavenly Martial Heart Refining Technique, in this relentless environment of fighting against everything, operated even more smoothly.

At the same time, an announcement came from the factory gate.

A female voice shouted, “Give it your all! Whether you kill or injure someone, the factory will compensate you! All medical expenses are covered!”

Hearing these words, Yu Xinghan felt a surge of exhilaration. The cultivation technique in his mind operated at full power, and he instantly unleashed the moves of the Heavenly Martial Heart Refining Technique, repelling several workers in succession.

“No need to hold back.”

“No need to consider compensation.”

“And no need to worry about medical expenses… just fight to your heart’s content!”

At this moment, Yu Xinghan felt his mind stir and his fighting spirit soar. Power surged from his entire body, and he felt increasingly at ease on this battlefield.

Mo Tianyi explained, “The illusion makes them temporarily forget everything in the real world, allowing them to fully immerse themselves in the current situation. The more their thoughts align with the cultivation technique, the stronger its effect will be.”

“For example, Yu Xinghan practicing the Heavenly Martial Heart Refining Technique on the battlefield to enhance his Dao heart yields much better results than practicing it in reality…”

Song Xu nodded casually and asked, “What about the other two?”

Mo Tianyi apologized, “Yu Xinghan is the master of this illusion, so I can’t adjust the perspective freely.”

“However, if we keep watching, Zhang Yu and Bai Zhenzhen will definitely appear.”

Meanwhile, a major battle in the illusion temporarily concluded.

Yu Xinghan quickly returned to the factory to rest and saw the boss personally coming to comfort them.

Bai Zhenzhen shook Yu Xinghan’s hand and said, “Excellent work. You’ll get a raise next month.”

“Come, accompany me on a factory inspection.”

“There are still many workers in the factory who aren’t convinced; you can help me teach them a good lesson later.”

Watching this scene, Song Xu asked curiously, “Is this Bai Zhenzhen the boss? What cultivation technique does she practice?”

Mo Tianyi replied, “She registered the Frigid Soul Ice Heart Technique, a cultivation method very suitable for investors.”

“It can strip away distracting thoughts, stabilize the mind, and maintain coolness and composure at all times, allowing one to calculate gains and losses from a detached, ruthless perspective.”

“Many stock traders practice this technique to aid their investments.”

“It seems the intention here is for her, as the boss, to maintain an ‘ice heart’ amidst various internal and external pressures, thereby enhancing her understanding of the Frigid Soul Ice Heart Technique and strengthening her Dao heart…”

Song Xu nodded slightly, but he also knew that when the Frigid Soul Ice Heart Technique was originally created, it wasn’t for investment or stocks.

“It was a cultivation technique purely for combat, especially for assassination.”

“The essence of it is to always ensure one’s mind remains as clear as ice, undisturbed by catastrophe, ignoring all external disturbances, and focusing entirely on the battle at hand, calculating gains and losses from an objective, detached perspective.”

“However, compared to combat and assassination, the various deceptions and pressures, internal and external, encountered while managing a factory, along with the emotional stimuli from changing situations, and calculating gains and losses within all that… that is far more complex than battle.”

“If one can maintain an ‘ice heart’ in such a complex environment and still calmly calculate gains and losses, then their understanding of the Frigid Soul Ice Heart Technique will undoubtedly deepen, and its effect on refining the Dao heart will be exceptional.”

Song Xu knew that the deeper a cultivator’s understanding of a technique and the more aligned their thoughts were with it, the greater the technique’s efficacy and the faster their Dao heart would improve.

“Heh, this cultivation scenario is quite fitting.”

Meanwhile, Bai Zhenzhen in the factory had already begun touring the premises with Yu Xinghan, suppressing any disobedient employees.

On the factory production line.

Zhang Yu, pale and weak, was listlessly performing his duties on the production line.

Due to years of working on the assembly line, he was not only frail but also suffered from a lung disease, feeling a piercing pain with every breath.

Under the operation of the Crippled Ox Self-Sacrifice Technique, the physical pain was slightly suppressed, but it wasn’t enough…

“Why?”

“Why am I… why am I working here?”

“I remember now, for wages, to earn money for treatment…”

After this glimmer of hope, a faint light seemed to appear in Zhang Yu’s eyes, and the Crippled Ox Self-Sacrifice Technique operated with increasing fervor, gradually suppressing his pain.

But just then, a female voice announced, “The company’s performance is poor; it’s a time when everyone needs to survive or perish with the company. Starting this month, salaries will be reduced by 20%…”

Zhang Yu turned his head to see the cold-faced boss, Bai Zhenzhen, speaking.

With the announcement of the salary cut, Zhang Yu felt the hope that had just surged in his heart slowly extinguish, and the suppressed pain from his illness returned with renewed intensity.

“Think… think if there’s any other way?”

“At least let me rest for a few days to recover, take a few days off…”

As Zhang Yu was thinking this, an employee nearby said to Bai Zhenzhen, “Boss, Chinese New Year is coming soon. I haven’t been home to see my parents in years. Could I please take a few days off…”

Bai Zhenzhen’s face was as cold as ice, her eyes devoid of any emotion. In her perfectly calm mind, there was only the calculation of various profits, data, and returns.

She patted the employee’s shoulder and said, “Your parents want to see you for Chinese New Year? No problem. Call them and have them come here; they can work overtime with you at the factory during the holiday.”

Another employee said, “Boss, a relative of mine passed away…”

Bai Zhenzhen replied indifferently, “Even if someone in your family died, let them rot for now. Arrange your work first, then deal with personal matters.”

Zhang Yu’s heart sank, and he wondered if he could get an advance on his salary.

Another employee beside him asked, “Boss, our salaries have been delayed for several months. Can we get paid this month?”

Bai Zhenzhen smiled, but her eyes were chillingly cold as she said, “The factory has indeed encountered some difficulties recently, making it hard to pay salaries on time.”

“However, as the boss, I understand that it’s not easy for you to work.”

“So, I specifically used your ID cards to borrow some money. You’ll definitely get paid on time this month; just remember to repay the loans promptly.”

Zhang Yu’s heart sank again. The thing called hope within him seemed to continuously fade, causing the pain throughout his body, which had been suppressed by the cultivation technique, to intensify.

Meanwhile, Bai Zhenzhen’s thoughts flowed even more smoothly. Stripped of all emotion, she calmly calculated every gain and loss, squeezing out every ounce of profit she could obtain, feeling the Frigid Soul Ice Heart Technique operate with increasing fluency.