Cultivation is just so scientific! Chapter 4 Start-up

Li Shiming was unwilling to settle for a mediocre existence. Despite possessing memories from his previous life—including the principles of building generators—he found that much of that knowledge was difficult to recall in detail or implement given the constraints of this current world.

In the absence of high-powered servers, his capabilities were severely limited.

However, with the aid of a massive server, the potential paths ahead of him became limitless.

Driven by these reflections, he engaged the uninterruptible power supply (UPS) linked to the IBMz15 enterprise server and initiated the boot sequence.

The array of status indicators on the server's cabinet began to flicker to life. Li Shiming watched with concern as the power levels in the UPS plummeted instantly, dropping toward the critical warning threshold during the startup process alone.

He felt a surge of anxiety; he knew that without a stable power source, even a momentary crash or power loss during startup could cause permanent damage to the server’s delicate internal hardware.

Merging his consciousness with the IBMz15, he instantly gained a comprehensive overview of the system's operational status.

The primary power drains were the automated self-tests of the CPU and memory modules. Through sheer will, he began deactivating the CPUs one by one until only a single processor remained active, while simultaneously throttling the memory down to a mere 64G.

Every storage array was powered down, leaving only the Linux operating system and a fraction of usable disk space active.

These drastic measures successfully lowered the power draw to a level the UPS could sustain safely.

The IBMz15 was vastly more intricate than the power supply. Had he not spent an entire year maintaining this specific machine in his past life, he never would have been able to navigate its systems so instinctively and rapidly through his consciousness.

Experiencing the server from the inside was a radical departure from simply opening a physical cabinet to perform maintenance.

He could perceive the internal architecture and the real-time functioning of every component with absolute clarity.

As his mental focus shifted to the display processor, a familiar sight manifested before him: the graphical Linux interface of the IBMz15.

He tested the interface and confirmed he had full operational control.

His vision functioned as the monitor, while his thoughts served as both mouse and keyboard.

He refrained from accessing the archived data on the server, as doing so would require re-energizing the dormant storage banks.

Opening those files would necessitate powering up more hardware and consuming more electricity—an unnecessary drain he wished to avoid for the time being.

He opened a new document and experimented with inputting text.

He discovered that no manual input method was required; as his thoughts formed, the characters materialized on the screen instantly.

He recalled a classic essay from his school days, "The Back" by Zhu Ziqing.

The moment he intended to transcribe the text, the entire essay appeared in the document.

The passage was not short, yet it appeared in a heartbeat—a speed of data entry that defied imagination.

Next, he tapped into the memories of his current life, intending to record all the scriptures and interpretations he had studied.

"The Selected Scriptures and Meanings" was a massive collection of scholarly works compiled by the Li Family over many generations. It functioned much like the intensive study guides for the college entrance exams in his previous world.

This time, a colossal volume of text flooded the document almost instantaneously. The entirety of the "Selected Scriptures and Meanings" he had memorized—nearly two million characters—was captured in an instant.

He saved the file under the title "The Selected Scriptures and Meanings."

He felt a profound sensation that by "copying" the data this way, those two million characters were now permanently etched into his mind, rendering them impossible to forget.

With a simple thought, Li Shiming could now summon any specific passage from the text.

When he attempted to withdraw his consciousness from the IBMz15, the vivid mental imprint faded, and his memory returned to its natural, less efficient state.

He felt no discouragement. Though he remained dependent on the IBMz15, maintaining a constant connection to the server was equivalent to having the entire text open before his eyes at all times.

Furthermore, this was not like reading a single page; it was as if he were processing all two million characters simultaneously.

While the immediate benefits might seem subtle, he believed that over a long period, the mental conditioning would eventually make the connection unnecessary.

"When I have the chance, I'll upload the other four million characters of the collection into the server!" Li Shiming muttered happily. However, after checking the remaining charge in the UPS, he gave his forehead a frustrated slap.

He had nearly overlooked his primary objective. He briefly activated the storage unit's hard drive array to search for data regarding the Mother Hen Bead.

The moment he had first seen the Mother Hen Bead, the thought of using its lethal toxins against Chief Escort Wang had crossed his mind.

However, he worried that simply crushing the bead into a powder would result in a poison that acted too slowly to be effective.

He recalled reports from his past life about the deadly toxins found in such beads and their applications in medicine.

By scanning the server's database, he identified the lethal agent within the Mother Hen Bead as "Acacia Poison Protein" and located the specific extraction protocols.

To successfully isolate the protein, he would require phosphoric acid, ammonium sulfate, glycerin, and a centrifuge.

He committed the necessary procedures to his active memory and immediately shut down the power-hungry hard drive array.

With the technical data secured, he felt confident. He wasn't a professional chemist, but with these precise instructions, he was certain he could synthesize the substances he needed in this world.

Using a brush, he drafted a list of required materials, then paused to add a few additional items.

Since he would already have glycerin and would need to produce sulfuric acid before making ammonium sulfate, he only needed nitric acid to create nitroglycerin.

His experience being abducted by Chief Escort Wang had taught him how treacherous this world could be.

He required a means of self-defense. Even if he had no desire to provoke others, he needed the power to repel any threats that came his way.

"Young Master, your medicine is here!" the servant Mo Yan shouted from outside the study door.

"I need these items gathered within two hours!" Li Shiming said, thrusting the list into Mo Yan's hands as he stepped out.

Mo Yan scanned the list, his face twisting into a look of pure exhaustion as he saw the requirements.

"Young Master, even if I run until my legs break, two hours isn't enough time. It’s not that I’m lazy, I’m just afraid I’ll fail your instructions!" Mo Yan replied with a fawning, nervous smile.

"Then go find more people to help. Tell them it's my direct order, and there will be a generous reward for those who finish quickly!" Li Shiming said, waving him off impatiently.

"In that case, Young Master, I will have them here in two hours!" Mo Yan promised. The mention of a reward chased away his hesitation, and he hurried off immediately.

The items on the list were not common goods, and some of the minerals were particularly rare.

However, by leveraging the vast influence of the Mansion, most could be sourced directly from the Nanling Mansion's internal stores, even if it required some effort.