Chapter 21: Teaching at the University
As Shi Nianqing’s house took shape more and more rapidly, the number of viewers in the livestream soared.
[Congratulations to the host for reaching 600,000 popularity points.]
Hearing the notification in her mind, Shi Nianqing couldn’t help but marvel. She had expected that such a mundane task as building a house would cause most viewers to lose interest, yet surprisingly, people in this interstellar era actually enjoyed watching someone construct a home. What a fascinating hobby.
Shi Nianqing worked efficiently. Thanks to the bodily enhancements common in this era, her physical strength was far greater than in her previous life. She could easily lift objects weighing hundreds of pounds. Coupled with the construction skills granted by her system, it was almost like divine assistance — the task was effortless.
Meanwhile, a student from the first interstellar university received a video from a friend. After watching Shi Nianqing’s entire process, his eyes widened in disbelief.
“Where did you find this video? Is there a full version?”
“This ancient construction method—who is this master?”
“Can you give me their contact info? We’re currently researching retro architecture; this is crucial.”
“Does this master have any availability? We’re willing to pay handsomely for guidance.”
“Why aren’t you responding? Tell me where this master is now!”
“Speak up!”
“Why are you silent? Where are you? I’ll come find you.”
“I’ve sent the video to my professor. He said he can offer a five-million credit reward to have her as a mentor.”
“Is that offer not enough?!”
“Do you know this professor? The offer might still be negotiable.”
“How about eight million? Ten million wouldn’t be impossible!”
A flurry of messages flew like cannonballs, reflecting the fervent mood of the architecture student. Behind him, his professor was also bombarding him with messages. Just as he prepared to leave and meet his friend, the door opened to reveal the professor arriving ahead of schedule.
The two exchanged glances. Fortunately, the professor spoke first: “Where did you see that video? Can we contact the person directly?”
The student briefly explained the situation, and soon they arrived outside the dorm of the person who posted the video. They burst into the room, where Shi Nianqing was still livestreaming.
She was working on the house’s front door. Using the traditional mortise-and-tenon technique, she pieced the door together, cutting and shaping it with tools, and attaching the rear supports. Soon, a door with a semicircular top and rectangular bottom was complete.
Before she could react, the student and professor stood directly before her display.
They watched Shi Nianqing with rapt fascination, their eyes bloodshot with a manic intensity.
“This is simply exquisite. Without any modern joining tools, she’s created a door so effortlessly—truly a masterpiece.”
“Who exactly is this lady? To craft such a refined house…”
“What are you two doing here? Why suddenly show up? Didn’t I tell you to just watch my video? Is Shi Nianqing really that incredible?”
Picking up her neural interface, she was startled to see a flood of incoming messages. Reading the architecture student’s messages, she clicked her tongue.
“Is Shi Nianqing really that amazing?”
The student asked, “Who is she?”
After a brief introduction of Shi Nianqing’s identity, both mentor and student stared wide-eyed in disbelief.
“A celebrity?! A scandal-ridden star from the entertainment industry? Yet she can create such ingenious designs—what a misstep in career choice.”
“She’s a prodigy of architecture. Becoming a celebrity is such a waste,” the professor lamented.
Confirming Shi Nianqing’s identity, the professor immediately accessed her profile on his neural interface and followed her without hesitation.
He also entered the livestream and sent several large-value gifts, instantly showering her with twenty carnival tokens worth three thousand credits each.
“Once this show finishes, I must have a serious talk with this master. Why be a celebrity when a future in architecture would be far better?”
With that, he turned and left.
Later, Shi Nianqing’s video appeared in that professor’s lecture, segmented into countless clips for students to study.
Unaware of these events unfolding beyond, Shi Nianqing focused on her work.
As the day darkened and the sun slowly dipped below the horizon, she roasted a few taro roots alongside seafood gathered that morning, enjoying a simple dinner.
Lying on her bed with eyes closed, she rested. The little tiger lay beside her, alert to the surroundings.
It was another peaceful night. When she awoke, the sun had not yet risen, and the sky was still a muted gray. The sounds of crashing waves and roaring sea winds filled the air. The temperature was refreshingly cool, with not a hint of heat.
Shi Nianqing collected some shells, conches, and seaweed from the shore, returning to the shelter for a light breakfast. Thus began the fourth day of wilderness survival.
Gazing at the nearly finished house, a satisfied smile crossed her lips.
“Just a bit of finishing touches left, and once sealed, this house will be complete.”
The little tiger obediently finished its breakfast, trailing closely behind her with evident trust.
It even lay quietly beside Shi Nianqing, watching her work.
She spent the entire morning sealing the house’s roof using several sturdy beams, creating a structure so solid that even a level-ten typhoon wouldn’t cause it the slightest damage.
Once the house was mostly built, she installed the doors and windows.
Shi Nianqing was utterly delighted.
[Congratulations, host. Construction level has advanced to Level 2. Please continue your excellent work.]
The system’s sudden voice in her mind brought new insights with the skill upgrade.
Looking at the freshly built house, she immediately conceived numerous ideas for modifications.
The livestream audience watched the entire process without any annoyance. On the contrary, as more professionals joined, they came to appreciate just how impressive Shi Nianqing truly was.
“Oh my heavens, a house just appeared so beautifully!”
“My mom asked why I’m kneeling before my neural interface—it’s because Master Shi deserves it.”
“I’m skeptical. Can a wooden house really be so sturdy?”
“A professional here to answer: this is an ancient Earth technique called mortise-and-tenon joinery—extremely robust. Theoretically, even a level-17 typhoon would only make it stronger.”
“No way! Is that true?”
“Shi Nianqing rocks!”
[Gift: Carnival ×100]
[Gift: Carnival ×50]
[Gift: Carnival ×20]
[Gift: Rocket ×100]
Suddenly, numerous gifts appeared on screen, many from users tagged as architecture majors.
These were all top figures from the architecture field, tuning in to learn from Shi Nianqing’s livestream.
[Congratulations, host. Popularity has reached 650,000.]
[Congratulations, host. Side quest ‘Build Shelter’ completed. Reward: 50 points. Current point balance: 64 (debt 202).]
Hearing about her rising popularity, Shi Nianqing felt indifferent.
She didn’t understand what people in the interstellar era truly liked, but she was content with her current state.
After tidying up and resting, Shi Nianqing took the three little tigers into the jungle to look for food.
Unexpectedly, shortly after entering, she suddenly heard a fierce roar filled with anger.
“Roar~”