Forced to become a top influencer, I rely on my tu cao to ruin the cultivation world.

The smoke of battle still lingered in the square at Nantianmen, but the atmosphere had already undergone a dramatic change.

Just minutes ago, this place was a tense battlefield, with the Nine Heavens Mystic Maiden's Golden Guards facing off against Jia Zang's bulldozing army. But now, with the heavenly soldiers' collective strike and the Peach Garden's local deity signing that "organic fertilizer purchase order," this place has transformed into a huge, bustling... construction site.

"Come on! Hurry up! You there, Giant Spirit, don't just stand there like an idiot, go and carry those H-beams over there!"

"Third Prince Nezha, could you please use your Wind Fire Wheels to perform a high-temperature annealing on that weld point? Working at heights is windy, and the weld is brittle and prone to cracking!"

"Hey, you celestial soldiers over there, stop your strike and come work for me! Daily pay in spirit stones, room and board included, double overtime pay! The first fifty people to join will receive a limited edition 'Qingyun Heavy Industry' safety helmet!"

Jia Zhuang stood on the bulldozer's bucket, holding a broken megaphone, giving orders like a foreman.

He didn't give the Nine Heavens Mystic Maiden any chance to catch her breath. Just as the Earth God was running crying towards the Peach Garden with the "organic fertilizer" contract to report the good news (and ask for help), Jia Zang had already begun his next plan—the infrastructure maniac mode.

Since the Heavenly Court won't let him leave, then he won't leave. Since the South Heavenly Gate is a transportation hub, then this is a prime commercial location. He will establish himself here and build a "commercial fortress" of his own.

"System, invoke all project modules! Activate the 'Lightning Construction' protocol!"

[Ding! Host command received.]

[Current Resources: Millennium-Old Mystic Iron Scraps (already reorganized), Mortal Steel and Cement (System Warehouse), Heavenly Soldiers (currently being recruited).]

Construction begins on Qingyun Heavy Industry's Tianting Branch (temporary base).

At Jia Zang's command, the ten thousand tractors, excavators, and cranes that had been blocking the South Heavenly Gate simultaneously roared deafeningly.

"Rat-a-tat-tat-tat—"

This time, they are no longer just simple means of transportation.

With the system's radical modifications, the tracks of over a dozen giant tractors were locked, and their bodies were vertically extended, instantly transforming them into "mobile 3D printing tower cranes." Their black mechanical arms danced flexibly in the air, and instead of exhaust fumes, they spewed out silvery-white "quick-drying psionic concrete."

The Nine Heavens Mystic Maiden stood to the side, her face so dark it could drip water. She stared at the absurd scene before her, utterly unable to believe her eyes.

This mortal dares to build a house on Heaven's territory?!

"Jia Zang! How dare you!" Xuan Nu finally erupted, pointing her jade ruyi at Jia Zang with a sharp sword aura. "This is the Heavenly Court's sacred ground; how dare you undertake such grand construction!"

"clang!"

A golden light flashed, and the "fully automated bribery robot" beside Jia Zang (now modified into a mobile shield generator) blocked the attack.

"My Lady of Mystery, you can't say that," Jia Zhuang said with a smile, standing motionless on the shovel bucket. "First of all, I'm solving the traffic congestion problem at the South Heavenly Gate. Look, all these building materials are for road construction—it's for the good of Heaven! Secondly, my workers—those heavenly soldiers who just went on strike—are in dire need of work to support their families. I'm doing charity, solving Heaven's employment problem!"

"You..." Xuan Nu was speechless with anger.

She was right; those heavenly soldiers who had originally gone on strike were now rushing to join the construction army.

Why?

Because the price Jia Zang offered was too tempting!

"Brothers! Listen up!" Jia Zhuang shouted to the crowd, "How much does the Heavenly Court give you? Five low-grade spirit stones? That's too stingy! Here, you get one spirit stone for every brick you move! Ten spirit stones for every steel bar you weld! And a full day's work gets you a 'self-heating hot pot' and an 'ice-cold cola' as your year-end bonus!"

Upon hearing this, the heavenly soldiers, who had been hesitant, went completely mad.

"Fine! I'll do it!"

"Squad leader, don't pull me! I want to go move bricks! It's much better than standing guard!"

"Boss Jia! I have a welding certificate! Let me do it!"

Then, a bizarre scene unfolded.

The elite troops of Heaven—the Golden Guards—laid down their long spears used for defending their homeland and picked up trowels and welding torches. War gods of the caliber of the Giant Spirit God were huffing and puffing as they carried bags of cement uphill. Nezha's Wind-Fire Wheels, no longer used to hunt demons, were requisitioned by Jia Zang and transformed into "human-shaped high-temperature spray guns," specifically used for annealing steel structures.

The entire South Heavenly Gate has been transformed into a massive construction site filled with modern industrial atmosphere.

"Boom!"

With the system's support, the construction speed is astonishingly fast.

Those dozen or so tractors, transformed into "3D printing tower cranes," had their robotic arms moving up and down, pouring a floor slab every second.

In just one hour, a modern ten-story building, constructed entirely of silver-white metal and reinforced glass, rose from the ground in the very center of Nantianmen Square.

At the top of the building, a huge neon sign flashes – “Qingyun Heavy Industry · Tianting Branch”.

The building's design is extremely avant-garde, full of cyberpunk style. The first floor is the exhibition hall of "Monster Organic Fertilizer", the second floor is the "Heavenly Soldier Re-employment Service Center", the third floor is the "Immortal Realm Takeout Transfer Station", and the top floor is Jia Zang's temporary command post.

"This...this is sorcery!" The Nine Heavens Mystic Maiden looked at the sudden steel behemoth before her and felt her worldview collapsing.

The architecture of Heaven has always been characterized by carved beams and painted rafters, flying eaves and brackets, emphasizing conformity to the way of Heaven and simplicity and elegance. But this thing in front of me has straight lines and sharp angles, exuding a cold, domineering, and extremely efficient industrial aesthetic.

It was like a nail, driven deep into the heart of Heaven.

The chat room was buzzing with excitement:

Holy crap! Is this the speed of China? Building ten stories in an hour?!

[That's Heavenly speed! That's Nezha using it like a welding torch!]

[Hilarious! With that build, carrying cement bags is a complete waste of the giant's talent!]

This building is so cool! Its cyberpunk style blows away the Imperial Palace!

Chairman Jia is awesome! This is the power of capital!

"This isn't sorcery, it's technology." Jia Zhuang jumped off the bulldozer, straightened his collar, and strode towards the building's entrance. "Goddess Xuan Nu, would you like to come in and have a seat? Our company offers free tea, and... the latest Heavenly Court Labor Law interpretation manual."

Xuan Nu gritted her teeth, about to lash out, when she saw Venus hurriedly fly down from the clouds.

"Wait! Mystic Maiden, wait!"

Venus landed between the two, panting, holding a jade slip he had just received.

"Venus, you've come at the perfect time!" The Mystic Maiden exclaimed as if she had seen a savior. "Quickly! Order the demolition of this illegal structure! Throw this mortal out!"

Venus wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, shook his head with a wry smile, and said, "Mysterious Maiden, I'm afraid... it can't be dismantled."

"Why?" Xuan Nu's eyes widened.

Venus sighed, pointed to the building, then to the celestial soldiers working diligently around it, and said, "Look, even the celestial soldiers at the South Heavenly Gate are working for him now. If we forcibly demolish it, wouldn't that incite an even bigger popular uprising? Besides..."

He lowered his voice and whispered in Xuan Nu's ear, "Moreover, the Jade Emperor just issued a decree."

"What did the Jade Emperor say?"

"The Jade Emperor said..." Taibai Jinxing swallowed, "Since he was able to repair the South Heavenly Gate so well and solve the problem of the heavenly soldiers' salaries, then... let him keep him for now. After all, the Heavenly Court's finances are indeed tight right now, and it's a good thing that someone is willing to pay for infrastructure."

Upon hearing this, Xuan Nu was struck dumb, frozen in place.

The Jade Emperor... compromised?

No, this is not compromise; this is being "kidnapped" by Jia Zang.

Jia Zhuang stood at the entrance of "Qingyun Heavy Industry," listening to Taibai Jinxing's words, a smug smile curling at the corner of his mouth.

He knew that he had completely crossed the Heavenly Court's bottom line.

This building is not just a base, but also a "special zone". Here, the old rules of the Heavenly Court are invalid, and in their place are the "Qingyun Rules" formulated by Jia Zang.

"Fellow workers! Fellow gods!"

Jia Zang stood on the steps in front of the building and loudly announced to everyone:

"Today, Qingyun Heavy Industry's Heavenly Court Branch officially opens! To celebrate this historic moment, I announce: all Heavenly Soldiers working here will have their wages settled immediately! Also, tonight at the South Heavenly Gate Square, we're hosting the 'First Heavenly Court Night Market Carnival'! All the food and drinks are on me!"

"oh!!!"

The heavenly soldiers who had just received the spirit stones erupted in deafening cheers.

They brandished trowels and steel bars, and some even threw their helmets into the air.

At this moment, they were no longer cannon fodder at the bottom of the Heavenly Court; they were employees of "Qingyun Heavy Industry," laborers who earned their living with their own hands.

Seeing this scene, the Nine Heavens Mystic Maiden felt a deep sense of powerlessness.

She lost.

She lost not only to Jia Zang's trickery, but also to this "modern model" that she could not understand at all.

Jia Zang did not conquer the Heavenly Court by force; he used capital, public opinion, and the hearts of the people.

He was like a malignant tumor, or rather, a vibrant cancer cell, which had been deeply implanted into the ancient and rigid body of Heaven.

"Goddess Xuan Nu, please don't stand there." Jia Zhuang walked over and handed her a gold-embossed business card. "From now on, we'll be neighbors, so please take care of me. By the way, if your Western Camp needs equipment upgrades, or if your soldiers need retraining, feel free to come to me anytime. Regular customers get a 20% discount."

Xuan Nu looked at the business card in her hand, on which was printed a line of small print:

"Qingyun Heavy Industry - Making business easy for the Heavenly Court."

She took a deep breath, crushed the business card to shreds, turned and transformed into a streak of light, leaving in a huff.

But she knew she would come back.

Because Jia Zang is right, they are neighbors now.

And this neighbor is changing the entire ecology of the Heavenly Court at a terrifying speed.

Night falls.

The searchlights on Nantianmen Square lit up, illuminating the steel building as if it were daytime.

The neon lights atop the building flashed blindingly, creating a stark and absurd contrast with the ancient glazed tiles of the Lingxiao Palace in the distance.

Jia Zhuang stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling window on the top floor, looking down at the land he had "occupied" below, holding a cup of freshly brewed instant coffee in his hand.

"Phase one, complete."

He took a small sip of coffee, the bitterness followed by a sweet aftertaste.

"Next, it's time to move on to the second phase."

His gaze drifted to the distant sea of ​​clouds, the core area of ​​the Heavenly Court and the starting point of his next target—the infrastructure-building maniac and class infiltration.

"System, open the map."

[Ding! Map loaded.]

[Current area: Nantianmen (under control).]

[Next stage goal: Heavenly Court Central Business District (CBD)]

[Task issued: Ensure that every deity uses products from Qingyun Heavy Industry.]

Jia Zhuang smiled.

"Alright, let's make this Heavenly Court a bit more lively then."