Journey to the West: Life Simulation of Sun Wukong

"Sun, do you know any way to make quick money?"

"How much are we talking?"

"Within a day."

"There are plenty of ways."

"Like what?"

"Rob a bank."

"..."

Wang Chao's face twisted in distress, and he laughed, "Sun, can you stop joking? Robbing a bank is illegal, man. I can't do that. If my parents found out, they'd kill me."

"Well, look at you, all cheerful now," Sun Shisheng stretched lazily, "To earn money legally, you need some special means."

"Legally..." Wang Chao added.

"With your current physique, I bet plenty of rich women would pay to sleep with you," Sun Shisheng chuckled, "Plus, your personality has become much more sunny."

Learning breathing techniques to enhance physical strength and stamina had given Wang Chao a newfound confidence and optimism.

At least it made Wang Chao realize that he had assets that were not inferior to others.

"Stop joking, Sun," Wang Chao said.

Despair flickered in Wang Chao's eyes as he had come to believe that the breathing technique was real and that Sun Shisheng before him was a real master.

Even though he was only ten years old...

"Let's get serious. You've noticed, haven't you? The improvement in physical abilities requires more nutrition, and you're slowing down because you can't keep up," Sun Shisheng lifted a finger, his eyes gleaming, "Your family is poor and can't afford too much food, can they?"

"That's why I want to make money."

With that, Wang Chao looked towards Sun Shisheng, "Speaking of which, Sun, your family is only a bit better off than mine. How do you manage your nutrition?"

"I'm different from you. Of course, I use another kind of supplement," Sun Shisheng said with a grin.

"What?"

Wang Chao's eyes bulged.

What kind of supplement could be used by a child from a poor family?

And is so effective at that?

Even if it exists, he couldn't afford it, could he?

"Spiritual Energy."

"What?!"

Wang Chao blurted out in English, then asked, "Sun, haven't you been reading too many cultivation novels?"

Sun Shisheng was speechless: "Aren't you the one who's overthinking? How could my family afford to read cultivation novels? We don't even have a computer, let alone a phone."

Wang Chao touched his head and sheepishly said, "Right."

But still—

Even though both he and Sun Shisheng came from poor families, what puzzled him was why Sun Shisheng was so clean and uninjured, unlike someone who had suffered.

And he was popular with the girls, too.

But having been taught the breathing technique and breaking away from his former timid, reticent self, he was already very content.

Still, he yearned to reach higher realms.

Maybe, just maybe, he could learn to fly and burrow through the earth in the future!

"So, the Spiritual Energy you mentioned, Sun, is it real?" asked Wang Chao.

"Yes," Sun Shisheng nodded, "But ordinary people can't do it, because Spiritual Energy doesn't exist in the real world on Earth."

"Doesn't exist on Earth? Are you saying it exists on other planets or places like heaven?" Wang Chao asked.

"Something like that," Sun Wukong nodded calmly, "The Spiritual Energy I use is drawn from other dimensional worlds. This universe is vast beyond our imagination."

"Wang Chao, do you want to be my protector and explore this universe with me?"

Wang Chao's breathing quickened.

Even though he thought Sun Shisheng's claims were a bit childish and unrealistic, he couldn't help but say, "I'm willing!"

Because he wanted to see what the future held.

Of course, most importantly, he felt changed because of Sun Shisheng and wanted to repay that kindness by being a protector, clearing all obstacles.

"By the way, what exactly is a protector god?" Wang Chao asked with an awkward smile.

"Similar to the General Muzha who follows The Bodhisattva Guanyin, or the Guardian General Wang Ling from heaven," Sun Shisheng explained.

"A security guard, huh," Wang Chao frowned.

"In the eyes of ancient people, being selected as a security guard was an affirmation of one's combat power," Sun Shisheng explained, "Even now, a security guard needs to have certain combat power, at the very least, they can't be short."

"Security guard, security guard, securing peace for a whole family, isn't that a glorious thing?"

"Even the door gods put up during the New Year festivities are a kind of security guard, aren't they?"

"Besides, with your abilities, instead of going to college, you might as well be a security guard."

"Being my security guard, you could be making ten thousand a day in the future, no dream."

Cao Jingjing, sitting near the door in the classroom, looked at Wang Chao and Sun Shisheng with a weird expression. She felt there was something off about these two.

Were they into each other?

Or engaging in superstitious feudal practices? ThegenuinearticleresidesonM|V|L&EMPYR.

Sun Shisheng could naturally sense Cao Jingjing's thoughts and flashed her a smile, causing her to hurriedly lower her head in embarrassment.

"Sun, do you like Jingjing?" Wang Chao also caught Sun Shisheng's gaze and asked curiously.

"I've thought too much, I'm only ten years old," Sun Shisheng said. "I just sensed that she was thinking about something that a girl of this age might easily misconstrue."

"Sun, aren't you saying you can't read minds?" Wang Chao exclaimed.

"It's just the cultivation of the spirit," Sun Shisheng smiled. "Besides, it's not like I want to see. Mainly, it's because almost all the students in this class, except for you, have numerous distracting thoughts. It's hard not to see them."

"My thoughts are simple?" Wang Chao's face darkened. Wasn't that just another way of saying he was stupid?

But since it was Sun who said it, he forgave this slight.

Then, his interest shifted to spiritual cultivation: "Sun, what is spiritual cultivation?"

Sun Shisheng said, "It is something mysterious that grows with time. It is probably the future of cultivation in this world, ultimately focused on the spirit."

Wang Chao didn't quite understand, but that didn't stop him from taking note and then saying, "Is it like going from 'seeing the mountain as a mountain, seeing water as water' to 'seeing the mountain not as a mountain, seeing water not as water', and then to 'seeing the mountain still as a mountain, seeing water still as water'?"

"That analogy is quite fitting," Sun Shisheng nodded.

"That's a bit philosophical," Wang Chao, still at a low level of understanding, felt it was a bit far-fetched.

"The future will ultimately be philosophical."

Sun Shisheng smiled and said, "Think about it. In ancient times, when humans lived primitively, struggling for survival; then with development came the Slave Society, followed by various feudal dynasties, one cycle after another, until outsiders broke through our doors; and now, we progress according to scientific development..."

"What is the most obvious difference?"

Wang Chao thought for a moment and said, "It should be the difference in production efficiency, right?"

Sun Shisheng nodded: "Correct. Now think, what if one day humans mastered the conversion of material and energy, applied it on a large scale, had endless energy and abundant materials, and everyone could live without worrying about food and shelter, even capable of creating various mythical creatures, in which direction would they develop?"

This hypothesis...

Was huge!

And fantastical!

As long as capital still exists, exploitation will never cease.

Yet, Wang Chao couldn't help but daydream, wondering which direction the world would take if that truly happened...

When people are no longer troubled by the necessities of life, then it's about the enjoyment of the spirit...

Perhaps, they would develop in the direction of the arts.

Or maybe, exploring the more distant cosmos.

Perhaps, those who first make breakthroughs will shape a Truman-style world.

There were many ideas, but in general, they tended towards the philosophical, because this aligns with the normal logic of human thought.

As for gaining power over the world, lying drunk on the knees of beautiful women...

Truth be told, that was what Wang Chao currently aspired to. But if one day he actually had control over everything, he certainly wouldn't indulge in such base tastes.

Maybe, what's left in the end is indeed philosophy.

Put another way, that is—

The pursuit of the Way!

"I understand now, Sun," Wang Chao felt a sense of spiritual elevation, and then a second later he broke it with, "So, do you have a legal way to make money quickly?"

There it was.

Back to the original question.

"Alright, come with me to the office today to ask for leave. I'll take you to make some money," Sun Shisheng slowly said.

"Really?"

"I, Sun, never speak falsehoods," Sun Shisheng said.

Sun Shisheng took Wang Chao to the office and asked for leave.

Because of Sun Shisheng's relationship, the homeroom teacher in the office also agreed, quickly giving the green light.

"Sun's reputation really carries weight. Even the head of discipline agreed without us needing a reason," Wang Chao couldn't help but admire. "If it were me, even though my grades have improved recently, the teachers would never let me leave. More likely, they'd call my parents."

The two left the school gate and headed south of the city.

There, amidst an assortment of game arcades, bars, and taekwondo dojos, it was a place teeming with all sorts of characters.

"Sun, what are we doing here?" Wang Chao was a bit scared, as the people here were not to be trifled with, mostly hooligans with strength in numbers.

Once, when he happened to be here, a hooligan named Liang in a jacket, along with another hooligan called Light, came to extort money from him, and then...

He fought them off with some rough and ready boxing and ran away.

After all, he had only improved his physical fitness and had not learned martial arts techniques; naturally, he only knew rough and ready boxing.

In a fight, once the opponents outnumbered and armed themselves with chairs, steel rods, fruit knives, and so on, Wang Chao felt scared and had to flee. He wasn't foolhardy yet.

"The first step to making money is to take it from the hooligans," Sun Shisheng said.

He led Wang Chao up to a few pool tables.

There, a crowd had gathered to play poker.

"Sun, that bald guy is Liang, and the one with red hair, dressed like Bashinian, is Light," Wang Chao whispered to him.

He clenched his fists, wanting to reclaim his dignity—yet the other side had superior numbers.

"Want to learn a few moves?" Sun Shisheng asked.

"What?"

"The techniques of fighting with fists and feet."

"Of course, I'd love to—in my dreams!" Wang Chao nodded vigorously. His physical strength was fine by now, and he could perform various actions; a street fighter could bring down a master, but once there were too many opponents armed with various weapons, he was afraid and out of options.

"Then watch closely."

With those words, Sun Shisheng stepped forward, slapped the red-haired Light who had just won some money to the side, pulled out his chair, and sat down, asking, "How do you play this card game?"