Chapter 143
Tang Yu’an never expected the system to sell “online courses”, and as a lucky wheel prize, no less!
“What’s wrong?” Zhou Qi asked, noticing Tang Yu’an’s conflicted expression, caught somewhere between laughter and tears.
Tang Yu’an shared the new product he unlocked: “12-Year Compulsory Education Full Curriculum.”
Zhou Qi’s eyes lit up as he eagerly clicked to view the details.
The curriculum was divided into three stages: elementary school, junior high, and senior high, just as Zhou Qi remembered. Elementary school covered six grades, while junior and senior high each had three grades.
The first-grade course could be redeemed for 10 points, but unlocking other grades required progressively higher amounts: 100 points per grade for elementary school, 200 for junior high, and 300 for senior high.
Zhou Qi immediately redeemed the first-grade course.
[You have redeemed the “12-Year Compulsory Education Full Curriculum: Grade 1” for 10 points. The learning module is now available on your dashboard.]
Tang Yu’an also redeemed the course, and they both opened the newly added “Learning” module on their system dashboards.
The interface had two sections: [Study Courses] and [Create Courses].
Tang Yu’an paused in surprise.
Curious, he clicked on [Create Courses] and discovered that, beyond studying courses, he could compile his own courses. These could then be listed in the Interdimensional Marketplace for sale.
In other words, not only could he sell courses to other merchants, but he could also purchase courses from them!
Tang Yu’an hadn’t expected education to become a tradable commodity. At that moment, the phrase “knowledge is power” took on a whole new, very literal meaning.
Returning to the homepage, he opened the [Study Courses] section, where a new panel appeared:
[Purchased Courses]
1. 12-Year Compulsory Education: Full Edition (Grade 1) — Click to start learning.
[Assignments]
[Study Materials]
[Print Options]
The simplicity of the layout made the “Assignments” section stand out ominously, sending a chill down Tang Yu’an’s spine.
He didn’t dislike studying, per se, but as an active young boy, he found it hard to sit still.
“If only I could just attend classes without doing homework…”
He clicked on the first-grade course.
[Select a teaching mode:]
1. Peer Teacher
2. Young Teacher
3. Senior Teacher
Tang Yu’an blinked in surprise and grew intrigued.
Selecting the Peer Teacher mode, he was greeted by a video of a child about his age. Judging by the appearance and voice, it was hard to tell if the child was a boy or a girl.
Tang Yu’an decided to assume the teacher was a boy.
“Hello, Merchant! I’m Teacher Tongtong. Today, we’ll start with Grade 1 content.”
Teacher Tongtong’s cheerful expression, chubby cheeks, and pleasant voice made him immediately likable.
“This is the upcoming schedule. You can preview it in the study materials.”
Tang Yu’an opened the study materials and found the course schedule.
Subjects included Chinese, Math, Music, Art, Physical Education, Labor, Science, and Morality and Law—not much different from the curriculum Tang Yu’an remembered from his own childhood.
Rubbing his chin, Tang Yu’an wondered if Tongtong would teach all the subjects himself.
Exploring further, Tang Yu’an found he wasn’t required to follow the schedule strictly. He could freely choose specific subjects for focused learning. However, the system recommended adhering to the schedule for optimal progress.
He decided to start with Science.
A video lesson began immediately. He could view the textbook online or print it out. Printing required no paper preparation but cost 10 points per textbook for a full-color version.
The video also featured a 3D option, which Tang Yu’an clicked out of curiosity.
The video transformed into a holographic projection, with a tiny animated figure floating in front of him, delivering the lesson.
It was magical—and adjustable! He could resize the hologram, and when he set it to life-size, it felt like being in a real classroom. The effect was even more pronounced in the Young Teacher and Senior Teacher modes.
While Tang Yu’an was exploring, Zhou Qi unlocked the junior and senior high school courses in one go.
Spending 1,500 points, he accessed all nine grades and redeemed the first course of each for just 10 points each.
“An’an, we’ll start school tomorrow!” Zhou Qi’s voice carried an unusual hint of excitement.
Tang Yu’an opened his mouth, then closed it again. There was no escaping school—even in the apocalyptic world.
However, the engaging holographic lessons cheered him up. They seemed fun and practical, with knowledge that could prove useful in this harsh world.
Tang Yu’an’s grin widened. “Let’s unlock the first and second-grade courses for our employees too! We can assign them tasks to learn!”
Why study alone when everyone could share the joy?
If Tang Yu’an had to go to school, so would everyone else. With these courses, he wouldn’t have to worry about illiterate employees. At the very least, they’d have to pass basic Chinese and Math!
“Brother Chi Hao might not need it, but everyone else will have to participate—even Grandpa Li!”
Although the written language of this world differed slightly from theirs, the differences were mostly minor variations in strokes. For the most part, they could understand it.
After all, writing existed to record and transmit knowledge. As long as it served that purpose, the details didn’t matter.
In their own world, there had been distinctions between simplified and traditional characters. Writing systems had evolved over many years before becoming standardized.
As long as they could read it, that was enough.
As for the scientific knowledge…
“This world has already developed abilities and mutant creatures. It’s clearly not the same as the world before the apocalypse,” Zhou Qi said. “So, whether this scientific knowledge is still applicable needs to be critically assessed.”
Still, that wasn’t an excuse to avoid learning.
Having knowledge, even if some of it might be outdated or flawed, was better than being completely ignorant.
Moreover, the water purifier and salt purification methods they had created demonstrated that basic physical principles remained largely consistent. This knowledge still had great value.
“Yeah, yeah,” Tang Yu’an agreed. “I think I’ll start with junior high courses. I can go back to the elementary science lessons when I have time.”
The two began discussing how to structure their learning schedules.
Spending entire days studying, as they might have in their previous world, was out of the question. Instead, they decided to dedicate a few hours each day to learning.
After some negotiation, Tang Yu’an convinced Zhou Qi to agree on a daily class schedule from 7:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m., ensuring three hours of focused study while leaving the rest of the day flexible for other tasks.
“Great! I’ll assign tasks to the employees!”
Tang Yu’an unlocked the first and second-grade courses for their employees, creating tasks to guide them in redeeming and completing the lessons. With that done, he moved on to their second lucky draw.
Let’s hope for another points multiplier card!
[Congratulations! You’ve won a “Foot-Pedal Sewing Machine.” Please select a delivery location.]
A foot-pedal sewing machine?
Weren’t all sewing machines foot-pedal by default?
Tang Yu’an quickly claimed the prize and retrieved the sewing machine. It turned out to be a classic, old-fashioned design—one he’d seen in tailoring shops before.
“Is that your prize?” Zhou Qi asked.
“Yeah!” Tang Yu’an replied, examining the machine closely. Suddenly, his eyes lit up. “Wait a minute—this kind of sewing machine doesn’t need electricity, does it?”
“That’s right,” Zhou Qi confirmed.
“Then we can use it at Store No. 1 to make clothes!” Tang Yu’an exclaimed.
Currently, the clothes and quilts sold at Store No. 1 were all made by Zhou Qi. With this non-electric sewing machine, they could delegate the work to the residents.
Surely, such a practical skill would entice the residents to learn!
However, it occurred to Tang Yu’an that they might still lack enough hands for the job.
“Brother Qi, let’s go save more people. The flood came so suddenly; there must still be many trapped in the Desolate city,” Tang Yu’an said. “We can relocate them all to Store No. 1.”
The thought of residents trapped under the floodwaters and enduring cold nights was heart-wrenching. Tang Yu’an couldn’t imagine how they’d survive the prolonged disaster period.
By the time the floodwaters receded, the already sparse population might have been halved.
Looking at the scattered glowing dots on the map, Tang Yu’an felt a deep unease. Each of these dots wasn’t just a cold marker—they represented a living, breathing human life.
Zhou Qi considered for a moment and said, “We’ll save people, but only within our capacity.”
The further someone was from Store No. 1’s range, the greater the risk. They couldn’t extend their reach too far.
“But we have points now,” Tang Yu’an said, his expression brightening.
Zhou Qi paused. “What are you planning?”
Tang Yu’an grinned mischievously. “Let’s go to Store No. 1 first!”
With that, he grabbed Zhou Qi, and they used the teleportation array to reach Room 901 of Store No. 1. Thanks to the faint green lights, the room wasn’t completely dark despite the night.
The moonlight was unusually bright that evening.
Having already used their lightweight movement ability twice during the day to rescue people, Tang Yu’an saved the final use for Zhou Qi. He climbed onto Zhou Qi’s back and said, “Brother Qi, let’s head downstairs!”
Zhou Qi carried Tang Yu’an to the courtyard. The newly cleared land from earlier in the day had been cleaned and prepped.
After Tang Yu’an cast a purification spell, the pond water became crystal clear.
Under the bright moonlight, the water’s surface shimmered, revealing seven or eight fish swimming below. The pond’s damaged tiles had been removed by the residents and replaced with a layer of soil, from which lotus leaves now floated, adding a serene charm to the scene.
Tang Yu’an had given lotus seeds to Old Li, asking him to plant them in the pond. In just one afternoon, the leaves had already sprouted, likely thanks to the combined efforts of Granny Guo and Tie Mu Hua.
Zhou Qi, still carrying Tang Yu’an, leapt onto the wall surrounding the courtyard.
Tang Yu’an opened his map, identifying the nearest light marker. It was located in a building near Tie Jin’s house, approximately 700–800 meters away in a straight line. However, due to the terrain and debris, the actual route would be much longer.
Zhou Qi seemed to guess Tang Yu’an’s intentions.
“Not worried about spending points anymore?” he asked.
“Come on, what are points compared to saving lives?” Tang Yu’an waved dismissively.
After confirming the location, he opened the hard construction interface and began purchasing fence walls. Using the 3D map, he started drawing lines outward from their current wall, extending the fence to form a safe path.
To conserve points, Tang Yu’an would pause whenever he encountered debris blocking the path. He fenced in the debris with sections of the fence and then used the system’s item transfer function to move the debris to a temporarily designated clearing for storage.
Once the debris was cleared, he would continue extending the fence toward the target building. For immovable structures, he had no choice but to detour around them.
After an hour of methodical work, he successfully extended the fence to the entrance of the target building.
When the final section of the fence was secured, a lifeline—a winding, 1-meter-wide path stretching over a kilometer—appeared before Tang Yu’an and Zhou Qi. It was a fragile-looking path bordered by the flimsy fence, but it opened a safe route through the floodwaters.
The two boys stood before the passage, watching as the 5-6 meter high walls of water on either side were held back by the protective barrier. Their hearts swelled with a mix of excitement and pride.
“How many points did it cost?” Zhou Qi asked.
“Around 21,000.”
Each meter of the fence cost 10 points, and creating a path over a kilometer long required more than 2,000 meters of fencing.
“No big deal. We’ll earn more points later,” Tang Yu’an said. “Let’s go save those people!”
Originally, Tang Yu’an had wanted to encircle the entire building, but since the system classified the building as owned land, he couldn’t simply annex it.
Thus, they still needed to venture into the structure to rescue its occupants.
Before they left, Tang Yu’an added the residents of the building to the overnight list for Store No. 1. Thanks to the shop’s rules, anyone on the list couldn’t damage the property, which included the fence.
This meant that unless someone not on the overnight list came along to destroy the fence, the lifeline would remain intact—a highly unlikely scenario at this hour.
Zhou Qi carried Tang Yu’an and moved swiftly along the passage.
Before long, they arrived at the target building’s entrance.
The moonlight spilled across the scene, but it wasn’t enough to illuminate the hidden, 1-meter-wide passageway through the flood. Besides, the passage was invisible thanks to the protective barrier.
The people hiding in the building had no idea what was happening outside.
“You wait here,” Zhou Qi said, setting Tang Yu’an down.
He held up the Shadow Umbrella and leaped over the 5-6 meter high wall of water, landing on the remains of the building—a structure that had originally been over 20 stories tall but had collapsed, leaving only four or five floors intact.
This remaining portion wasn’t safe either. The ground floor had sunk, and with the water level nearly reaching 6 meters, even the third floor was submerged.
Zhou Qi grabbed onto an exposed steel beam and skillfully climbed into the fourth-floor room.
Inside, the space was cluttered with debris and fish bones, evidence that someone had been living there.
From the state of the building, it was clear that continued flooding would inevitably lead to its collapse.
Using the Shadow Umbrella, Zhou Qi moved silently through the room. Moonlight streaming in from outside was enough to illuminate his surroundings, so he didn’t need a flashlight.
On the fifth floor, in the first room he entered, Zhou Qi finally spotted a figure curled up in a corner.
It was a young woman, probably in her early twenties. Her hair was messy, and her face dirty, but thankfully, there wasn’t any unpleasant odor.
She was wrapped in a torn quilt, shivering in the cold night.
Zhou Qi pondered how to get her back to Store No. 1 without alarming her. After all, they had spent over 20,000 points creating the lifeline—they couldn’t return empty-handed.
As he moved closer, however, he realized there was no need to worry.
Something seemed off about her. Even after he put away the Shadow Umbrella, she didn’t react.
It wasn’t until Zhou Qi gently shook her shoulder that the woman groaned and opened her eyes.
Seeing an unfamiliar man in her room, she instinctively reached for a dagger by her side.
Zhou Qi easily disarmed her and, noticing the unnatural flush on her face, said, “You’ve got a fever.”
When she reached for her weapon, the quilt slipped off, revealing her bloodied arm.
A chunk of flesh had been bitten out of her arm by some unknown creature, and the wound was infected and festering.
It was clear her fever was caused by the infected wound.
Glancing around at the unsanitary environment and hearing the sounds of water and unknown creatures outside, Zhou Qi decided it was best to treat her back at Store No. 1.
“What… what are you doing?” the woman asked weakly as Zhou Qi wrapped her in the tattered quilt and hoisted her onto his shoulder.
Without answering, Zhou Qi carried her out of the precarious building, only to face a new problem—he couldn’t see the lifeline anymore.
[Eastern Sweet Tang]: Brother Qi, are you out yet?
Tang Yu’an’s message popped up on the system board. With the 6-meter-high wall of water blocking his view, Tang Yu’an couldn’t see the building clearly. He had to rely on the map to roughly guess Zhou Qi’s movements.
Zhou Qi quickly replied, and moments later, he heard the sound of a stone striking the building’s wall.
Thunk!
Another sound followed.
Zhou Qi focused and soon spotted where the stone was coming from. To his view, it was just a shimmering surface of water.
When a third stone was thrown, Zhou Qi decisively jumped toward the spot with the woman on his shoulder.
Thankfully, he passed through the protective barrier, and the lifeline reappeared in his view.
“Brother Qi!”
Tang Yu’an’s voice rang out, clear and relieved.
“An’an,” Zhou Qi landed lightly on the ground.
“How did it go? Did you save her?” Tang Yu’an asked, eyeing the tattered quilt slung over Zhou Qi’s shoulder.
“Yes, but she’s feverish and infected. She needs treatment as soon as possible,” Zhou Qi replied.
“Then hurry and take her back!” Tang Yu’an said. “I’ll head back on my own.”
Seeing Zhou Qi frown, he added, “Don’t worry! I’ll stay inside the passage, where it’s perfectly safe. No need to worry.”
“You have to keep your word,” Zhou Qi said seriously.
“Of course, of course.”
After Tang Yu’an promised repeatedly, Zhou Qi carried the woman and quickly headed back to Store No. 1.
Once the area was quiet again, Tang Yu’an checked the map to see if he could claim the building in front of him, but it still didn’t work.
It seemed that even with the residents gone, the system still didn’t classify the building as unclaimed land.
Sighing in resignation, Tang Yu’an began trudging back along the muddy path. The towering walls of water on either side made him feel like he was walking through an aquarium.
Come to think of it, could this method be used to complete the “Want to Get Rich? Build Roads First” task?
However, remembering that the 700–800 meter straight-line path had already cost him 20,000 points, Tang Yu’an shook his head and abandoned the idea.
It was far too expensive!
Better to focus on rescuing the disaster victims in the Desolate city and bringing them to Store No. 1 first.
After walking for a while, Tang Yu’an stopped. He pulled a chair from his inventory and set it down in the passage, sitting as he opened the map again.
First, he checked Old Xie’s location.
Shaking his head, he realized that even starting from the swimming pool area, the straight-line distance to Old Xie was over 10 kilometers.
At 15 kilometers, it would cost 30,000 points—just for a straight line!
“Not worth it,” Tang Yu’an muttered, shaking his head again as he turned his attention back to the map around Store No. 1.
About 200–300 meters away, he spotted two glowing dots. One of them was familiar—it belonged to a customer he had served when the Desolate City Grocery Store first opened.
It was Lie Huo, a fire-type ability user who had been caught and brought back by Wang Cai after attempting to escape.
Eyeballing the distance, Tang Yu’an first sealed off the passage where he was by constructing a fence, dividing the lifeline into two sections. Then he dismantled part of the fence on the other side, allowing the remaining passage to be reclaimed by the floodwaters.
By the time Zhou Qi returned, Tang Yu’an had already used the dismantled fence sections to create a brand-new winding lifeline leading to Lie Huo’s location.
Of course, the dismantled fences weren’t enough, so Tang Yu’an spent another 1,000+ points to complete the path.
Seeing Zhou Qi return, Tang Yu’an packed away the chair and grinned. “Brother Qi, let’s keep rescuing people!”
Under the moonlight, the brightness in Tang Yu’an’s eyes sparkled like stars, stirring something unspoken in Zhou Qi’s heart.
Without saying a word, Zhou Qi stepped forward and bent his back in front of Tang Yu’an.
Tang Yu’an leaped onto his back, cheering, “Let’s go!”
