Courtyard Check-in: Starting with a Small World of Cultivation

November 5, 1962, 6:00 AM, Shanghai Old North Railway Station.

As Chen Yu stepped off the train carrying his wicker suitcase, the damp river breeze, carrying the smells of coal smoke and engine oil, hit him. The platform was bustling with people; cadres in Zhongshan suits, peddlers carrying loads on shoulder poles, and patrol members wearing red armbands mingled together, while a female announcer broadcast train information in Mandarin with a Wu accent.

"System, check-in for today," Chen Yu silently announced to himself. This was his first check-in since arriving in Shanghai, something to look forward to.

[Ding! Japanese visa successfully obtained]

[Received: 10 jin of Shanghai grain coupons, 2 industrial vouchers, Basic Mechanical Drawing Skill Enhancement (Intermediate), 50 yuan in cash (adapted for nationwide use)]

Mechanical drawing skills improved! Chen Yu felt that his knowledge of three-view drawings, sectional drawings, and assembly drawings had become more systematic and in-depth, even including simple gear transmission and linkage mechanism design—which would be very useful in his studies at the Shanghai Machinery Factory.

He followed the flow of people out of the station. In the square in front of the station, a dozen dark green trams were passing by with a clanging sound, and workers in dark blue overalls rode bicycles in a stream. The breakfast stalls on the roadside were steaming, and the aroma of xiaolongbao, shengjian and zifantuan mingled together.

Unlike the traditional courtyard houses and hutongs of Beijing, Shanghai gives the first impression of being crowded and bustling. Four- or five-story shikumen buildings stand side by side, with clotheslines extending from windows like bamboo groves, draped with colorful garments. The streets are narrow but clean and tidy, with slogans such as "Learn from Daqing in industry, learn from Dazhai in agriculture" painted on the walls.

Following the address on the letter of introduction, Chen Yu took two trams and walked for twenty minutes before finally finding the guesthouse of the Shanghai Machinery Factory in Hongkou District. It was a three-story red brick building with a white wooden sign with black lettering hanging at the entrance. An old gatekeeper wearing glasses was sitting in the reception room reading a newspaper.

"Comrade, I am Chen Yu, here to learn from the Beijing Steel Rolling Mill." Chen Yu handed over his letter of introduction and identification.

After carefully checking, the old gatekeeper adjusted his glasses: "Room 207, here's the key. The training course starts tomorrow morning at 8:00 AM in the factory's conference room. Settle in today. The canteen is on the first floor; breakfast is at 7:00 AM, lunch at 11:30 AM, and dinner at 5:30 PM."

Room 207 was small, about twelve square meters, with a wooden bed, a desk, a chair, and a washbasin stand—simple but clean. Outside the window was the courtyard of the neighboring Shikumen house, where bed sheets were drying and several children were playing.

Chen Yu put down his luggage and immediately checked the room. After scanning it with his spiritual sense to confirm that there were no eavesdropping devices or anything unusual, he entered the small world.

The scene beside the spiritual spring surprised him—the Qiankun Cauldron floated in the air, its mouth emitting a soft blue light. Last night on the train, he had stored the Xuanzhen Sword, three spirit-patterned pocket watches, and some other important items inside the cauldron, discovering that the space inside could preserve the spiritual essence of the items and even slowly nurture the magical artifacts.

"This Qiankun Cauldron is indeed a treasure." Chen Yu reached out and touched the cauldron. A piece of information flooded into his mind: Qiankun Cauldron, a mid-grade magic weapon, contains a ten-zhang space inside. It can be used for storing items, refining pills, and nourishing weapons. If activated by a Golden Core cultivator, it can also temporarily trap enemies.

He probed his consciousness into the space inside the cauldron. In the ten-zhang square space, the items were arranged in categories: on the left were magical artifacts such as the Xuanzhen Sword and the Peach Wood Sword; in the middle were talismans, pills, and medicinal herbs; and on the right were gold and silver valuables, important documents, and three inherited classics.

The jade slip of the "Mysterious Great Dao Scripture" floated quietly in the center of the space. Chen Yu tried to read it and found that with his current cultivation level, he could only see the content of the Qi Refining stage. But even so, it was several times more profound than the "Tai Xuan True Scripture" - it not only had the complete nine levels of Qi Refining techniques, but also included three basic spells: Wind Control Technique, Lightning Summoning Technique, and Protective Qi.

"Once we're settled, we'll start the repair work," Chen Yu decided.

When he exited the miniature world, only a few minutes had passed in real time. He took out the clothes Qin Huairu had prepared for him from the wicker trunk: two sets of Zhongshan suits for changing, three pairs of socks, a new towel, and a small cloth bag. Inside the bag were sesame cakes she had made herself, wrapped in oil paper, with a note attached:

"Chen Yu, remember to eat on time when you get to Shanghai. The baby was very active today, as if he was saying hello to you. Everything is fine at home, don't worry. — Huai Ru"

Chen Yu felt a surge of warmth as he looked at the note. He carefully put away the sesame cakes before starting to tidy up the room.

I had lunch at the guesthouse canteen: vegetables, tofu, braised pork, and rice. The food was on the sweeter side, typical Shanghai style. At the same table were several technicians from various regions who were also there for training. We chatted briefly and learned that the ministry-organized training course had thirty participants from over a dozen key machinery factories across the country, and would last for three months.

"I heard that the Shanghai Machinery Factory just imported an automated production line from Germany, and that's the focus of our training this time," said a technician with glasses and a Northeastern accent.

"That's right, my factory fought tooth and nail for this spot." Another person with a Hunan accent chimed in, "Comrade Chen Yu, are you from the Beijing Steel Rolling Mill? I've heard about your factory's waste utilization plan; it's very innovative!"

Chen Yu made a few modest remarks, but in his heart he was calculating: German automated production lines... In this day and age, it is indeed a rare opportunity to come into contact with such technology.

In the afternoon, he decided to go to the Bund. Although he had been to Shanghai many times in his previous life, he was very curious about what the Bund looked like in the 1960s.

From Hongkou to the Bund, the tram travels along North Sichuan Road. Tall plane trees line both sides of the street, their leaves turning golden. Amid the clanging of the tram, one can occasionally see middle-aged women in cheongsams carrying shopping baskets, or groups of primary school students wearing red scarves lining up to go to the Children's Palace.

The sight of the Bund left Chen Yu in awe. The Huangpu River surged with turbid waves, cargo ships and tugboats shuttled back and forth on its surface, and the sound of ship horns rose and fell. On the opposite bank, Pudong was still a field of farmland and scattered factories, while on this side, century-old buildings known as the "World Architecture Expo" stood majestically—the clock tower of the Customs House, the dome of the HSBC Bank, the green spire of the Peace Hotel... Although many buildings had changed owners and uses, their grandeur remained.

Chen Yu strolled along the riverbank, his spiritual sense quietly unfolding. To his surprise, he could sense faint fluctuations of spiritual energy in the Bund area—though much thinner than deep in the Western Hills, it was considerably denser than in Beijing.

"Could these old buildings have a special geographical location?" Chen Yu pondered. He walked to the vicinity of the customs building, where the spiritual energy fluctuations became more pronounced. After activating his spiritual eye, he saw faint traces of array patterns at the base of the building, but due to their age, they had almost completely dissipated.

"It seems that cultivators have been active in Shanghai throughout history." Chen Yu secretly noted this discovery. Perhaps he could come back and investigate more thoroughly once his cultivation level improved.

At the Bund Bookstore, Chen Yu bought a map of Shanghai and a book titled "Introduction to the Shanghai Machinery Factory." The introduction detailed the factory's history, equipment, and technical capabilities, and also included a floor plan of the factory area. He tucked the map and introduction into his pocket, but actually placed them inside his Qiankun Cauldron—a new habit of his; he kept important items inside the cauldron for both safety and convenience.

When Chen Yu returned to the guesthouse in the evening, the receptionist said there was a telegram for him. Chen Yu took it and saw that it was from Qin Huairu, containing only one short line: "Arrived home safely, don't worry. The baby is moving very happily, as if knowing that its father has gone far away. Huairu."

Chen Yu carefully put the telegram away, feeling both warm and bittersweet. Once he learned the communication spell, he could contact the teleporter anytime.

After dinner, he wrote his first letter to Qin Huairu from his room, letting her know he was safe and sound, briefly describing his observations in Shanghai, and concluding with: "...Shanghai has a river called Huangpu, its waters murky but its air clear. If the opportunity arises someday, I will take you and our child to visit it. Missing you, Chen Yu."

After writing the letter, he entered the small world to begin his cultivation. Following the methods of the "Mysterious Great Dao Scripture," the path of spiritual energy circulation became even more complex and subtle. With each complete cycle, he could feel a subtle increase in his cultivation level. Even more remarkably, during the cultivation process, his perception and control over spiritual energy also improved—which was beneficial for him in drawing talismans and setting up formations.

After cultivating for three hours (approximately two and a half hours in the outside world), Chen Yu exited the small world late at night. He lay in bed, unable to sleep, his mind rehearsing his next plan:

First, complete the learning tasks, master the automated production line technology, and strive to gain the recognition of Shanghai Machinery Factory.

Second, find a suitable location to set up a spirit-gathering array to accelerate cultivation and strive to break through to the fourth level of the Qi Refining stage within three months.

Third, investigate any possible spiritual relics in Shanghai and collect relevant information.

Fourth, through the trading companies established by the imposters, they began to build a business network in Shanghai.

Fifth, to understand the situation in Hong Kong in preparation for future trips south...

As he thought about it, he gradually fell asleep.

At 7:30 a.m. the next morning, Chen Yu arrived at the conference room of the Shanghai Machinery Factory on time. There were already more than 20 people in the conference room, ranging in age from their early twenties to their forties. Most of them were wearing dark blue overalls with pens clipped to their chests, typical attire for technicians in the 1960s.

"Comrades, please quiet down." A senior engineer in his fifties with graying hair stepped onto the podium. "I am Zhou Zhenhua, Chief Engineer of Shanghai Machinery Plant. On behalf of the plant's Party Committee, I welcome technical experts from all over the country to our plant for training..."

Chief Engineer Zhou's speech was concise and powerful, introducing the training program's arrangements: the first two weeks would be theoretical classes taught by engineers from the factory and invited university professors; the next eight weeks would be practical training, with students learning in groups; and the final two weeks would be a summary assessment, with outstanding participants receiving a certificate of completion issued by the ministry.

"The core focus of this training is the 'ZG-63 automated bearing production line' that our factory recently imported from East Germany." Chief Engineer Zhou turned on the projector, and complex mechanical drawings appeared on the screen. "This equipment represents the international advanced level, with a high degree of automation, and its production efficiency is more than three times that of traditional processes..."

Chen Yu listened attentively while simultaneously using his Spiritual Eye Technique to observe the blueprints—in his vision, the lines on the blueprints not only revealed the structure but also showed deeper information such as force flow transmission and stress distribution. This was a special ability resulting from the combination of improved mechanical drawing skills and the Spiritual Eye Technique.

The first theoretical class was on the principles of mechanics, taught by an elderly professor from Jiaotong University. Chen Yu listened attentively, occasionally taking notes in his notebook. To his surprise, although he understood most of what the professor said, some of the German mechanical design concepts the professor mentioned gave him new inspiration.

"When Germans design machines, they emphasize 'form follows function.' Every part has a specific purpose, and there is no redundancy..." the professor explained on stage.

Chen Yu, recalling the "simplicity is the ultimate sophistication" principle in weapon crafting, suddenly had an epiphany. Perhaps mechanical design and weapon crafting share commonalities? If the principles of spiritual energy conduction and material strengthening from weapon crafting could be applied to mechanical design...

During the break, a young technician wearing glasses approached him: "Comrade Chen Yu, your notes are really detailed. I'm Wang Zhiqiang from Shenyang Machine Tool Factory, shall we sit together?"

"Okay," Chen Yu smiled. This Wang Zhiqiang looked to be in his late twenties, with refined manners; he seemed like an easy person to get along with.

The two started chatting. Wang Zhiqiang was a graduate of Harbin Institute of Technology and had worked as a technician at Shenyang Machine Tool Factory for five years, where he had a deep understanding of mechanical design. Chen Yu consciously steered the conversation toward automation, precision machining, and other related fields, discovering that Wang Zhiqiang had a broad knowledge base and an open mind, unlike many people of this era who were conservative.

"Chen Yu, when do you think our country will be able to build a fully independent automated production line?" Wang Zhiqiang suddenly asked.

Chen Yu thought for a moment: "If the right technology route is chosen and the talent pool can keep up, it should be possible within ten years."

"Ten years? That fast?" Wang Zhiqiang exclaimed in surprise.

"It all depends on human effort," Chen Yu said. "Engineer Wang, are you familiar with the latest technological developments abroad?"

"I know a little bit," Wang Zhiqiang said in a low voice. "I have an uncle who works at the Institute of Science and Technology Information, and sometimes he can see some internal documents. The level of automation in Europe, America, and Japan is at least twenty years ahead of ours..."

The two hit it off immediately and agreed to continue their conversation after class.

After the afternoon classes ended, Chen Yu returned to the guesthouse. As soon as he entered his room, Pseudo-Man No. 1's telepathic message arrived: "Master, the preliminary investigation in Shanghai has yielded results. The Shanghai office of 'Mingyu Trading Company' has been established, renting a small storefront on Nanjing East Road. Here is the address."

A message popped into my mind: details about the Shanghai office and information about the person in charge—Pseudo-Man No. 6, alias Chen Mingyuan, whose apparent identity was the manager of the Beijing headquarters.

"Furthermore, as per your instructions, we have begun investigating potential clues related to spiritual practice in Shanghai. We discovered faint remnants of spiritual energy at Jing'an Temple, Jade Buddha Temple, and City God Temple, but none of them were strong. Only one place..."

"where?"

"Dragon Flower Pagoda." The voice of Pseudo-Man Number One sounded somewhat strange. "Although the spiritual energy fluctuations there are weak, they are very pure, and... when our people approached, the spirit-patterned pocket watch in their pockets reacted slightly."

Chen Yu's heart skipped a beat. The spirit-patterned pocket watch was a token passed down by Xuanzhen Daoist, and its reaction to the Dragon Flower Pagoda indicated that the place might be related to Xuanzhen Daoist or his lineage!

"Conduct a thorough investigation of Longhua Pagoda, but do not alert the target. Investigate its historical background, architectural structure, and especially the underground portion."

"yes!"

After ending the call, Chen Yu walked to the window and looked southwest. Longhua Pagoda, located in Longhua Town in southwest Shanghai, was first built during the Three Kingdoms period and is the oldest Buddhist pagoda in the Shanghai area. How could Xuanzhen Daoist, a cultivator from the Southern Song Dynasty, be associated with a Buddhist pagoda?

Perhaps I should go there myself.

But before that, he needs to do more preparation.

As night falls and the city lights come on, Shanghai's nights are much brighter than Beijing's. Although there aren't many neon lights, the streetlights are dense, and there are still quite a few pedestrians on the streets.

Chen Yu unfolded a map of Shanghai, marked the location of Longhua Pagoda, and also marked several other places with strong spiritual energy fluctuations. He planned to explore each of these places.

Amidst these markers, the outline of a city gradually becomes clear—this is Shanghai in 1962, retaining traces of the old era while brimming with new life.

And here he will begin a new journey.

The sound of trams jingling could be heard outside the window, and the faint whistles of ships on the Huangpu River could be heard in the distance.

A new chapter has begun.