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

At six o'clock in the morning, the Huangpu River was shrouded in mist.

Standing at Pier No. 3 of the Jiangnan Shipyard, Chen Yu was stunned by the sight before him. The 200-meter-long, 10,000-ton cargo ship "Dongfeng" lay like a steel behemoth on the riverbank, its hull painted dark gray, its smokestacks towering high, and workers bustling about on the deck like ants. The air was filled with the smells of rust, paint, and river water, along with the pungent fumes of welding and the hissing of acetylene cutting.

"This is the first 10,000-ton ship designed and built by our country." Chief Engineer Zhou, who led the team, said with pride. "It was launched last year, and now we are going to install a semi-automatic loading and unloading system to improve cargo transportation efficiency."

Chen Yu gazed up at the giant ship, his spiritual eye technique activating instinctively. In his vision, the ship's structure displayed a complex network of stress distribution, key weld points flashed red lights indicating potential hazards, and the cargo hold area where the automated system was about to be installed was a blank space waiting to be filled.

"Xiao Chen, this is Section Chief Sun from the shipyard's technical department," Chief Engineer Zhou introduced. "For the next month, you will be under Section Chief Sun's command."

Section Chief Sun, in his early fifties, with dark skin and calloused hands, clearly came from a veteran boatman's background. He gripped Chen Yu's hand firmly: "Welcome, comrades from the Shanghai Machinery Plant! Our renovation project is time-sensitive and demanding; we're counting on experts like you who understand automation!"

"Section Chief Sun, you're too kind. We will definitely do our best," Chen Yu said, neither humble nor arrogant.

"Let's go, let's get on the boat and take a look at the scene."

The group boarded the "Dongfeng". The ship's interior space was enormous, with the main cargo hold measuring 80 meters long, 20 meters wide, and 10 meters high, enough to hold thousands of tons of cargo. Currently, loading and unloading rely entirely on manpower and cranes, which is inefficient and dangerous.

"Here's the modification plan," Section Chief Sun said, spreading out the blueprints. "We'll install rail-mounted gantry cranes on both sides of the cargo hold, along with conveyor belts and automatic pallets, to achieve semi-automated loading and unloading. The challenge lies in the control system—the ship's environment is humid and vibrates a lot, placing extremely high demands on the electrical equipment."

Chen Yu carefully examined the blueprints. The design was advanced, but it had several problems: first, the track was prone to deformation under the vibration of the ship, affecting accuracy; second, a humid environment would cause frequent sensor malfunctions; and third, the power supply was unstable, which might affect the system's operation.

"Section Chief Sun, I suggest adding buffer devices at key locations," Chen Yu said, pointing to the track installation points on the blueprints. "Using rubber shock-absorbing pads in conjunction with springs can absorb 80% of the ship's vibrations. In addition, the sensors need to be waterproofed and sealed, preferably with stainless steel housings."

Section Chief Sun's eyes lit up: "Young man, you're good! You spotted the problem at a glance! We have rubber shock absorbers in our warehouse, but the springs... they need to be of special specifications, and the shipyard doesn't have them."

"Custom orders are possible," Chen Yu said. "I know a spring factory in Shanghai that can make them."

"That's great! I'll leave this to you!" Section Chief Sun made the decision.

In the morning, Chen Yu followed the shipyard technicians to familiarize himself with the site. He noticed a detail: there were many female workers in the shipyard, some welding, some grinding, and some operating cranes. They were all skilled and just as good as the male workers.

Lunch was at the shipyard canteen, served in large pots, with generous portions to satisfy everyone. Chen Yu and Wang Zhiqiang sat at one table, along with several young technicians from the shipyard.

"Is Engineer Chen from Beijing? I heard your steel rolling mill is doing quite well in waste utilization?" a shipyard technician wearing glasses asked.

"It's alright, we figured it out together," Chen Yu said modestly. "By the way, does our shipyard have any technical difficulties? Perhaps we can exchange ideas."

"There are so many problems!" another young technician complained. "Take welding, for example. The ship's steel plates are thick, making them prone to deformation during welding, which affects precision. And then there's painting; the humidity on the river is high, so the paint dries slowly, impacting the project schedule..."

Chen Yu listened attentively, but his mind drifted to the "Constant Temperature Talisman" and "Dehumidification Array" from the *True Explanation of Mystic Weapon Refining*. If these cultivation techniques were used to assist industrial production...

After the meal, he used the excuse of getting familiar with the surroundings to take a stroll around the shipyard. The shipyard was enormous, with more than a dozen workshops, covering a complete range of processes from steel plate cutting to hull assembly, from outfitting to sea trials. The air was filled with the unique smell of steel and machine oil, and the roar of various machines rose and fell.

In the heat treatment workshop, Chen Yu saw a master craftsman quenching a marine shaft in a huge resistance furnace. Under his spiritual vision, he could see changes in the internal crystal structure of the metal, but it wasn't uniform—this was due to uneven heating.

"Master, what is the quenching temperature for this shaft?" Chen Yu asked as he stepped forward.

The experienced technician glanced at him: "New here? 780 degrees, keep warm for two hours. What, is there a problem?"

What is the temperature control precision?

"±20 degrees, that's about the limit for resistance furnaces," the veteran craftsman sighed. "If we could control it within ±5 degrees, the shaft's lifespan could be extended by 30%!"

Chen Yu's heart skipped a beat. The "Fire Control Technique" in weapon crafting allows for precise control of flame temperature, with an error margin of no more than ±1 degree Celsius! If it could be combined with a modern electric furnace...

He secretly made a mental note of the idea.

In the afternoon, Chen Yu was assigned to the electrical team, responsible for designing a waterproofing solution for the control system. The environment on board is much harsher than on land: salt spray corrosion, humidity, vibration, large temperature fluctuations... all of which can affect the lifespan of electrical equipment.

"Xiao Chen, look at this junction box." Zhang, the engineer from the electrical team, pointed to a rusty metal box. "It was just replaced last month, and it's already rusted like this. The marine environment is too harsh on equipment."

Chen Yu opened the junction box and saw signs of corrosion on the cable connectors inside. He thought for a moment and said, "Mr. Zhang, I have an idea. Could we apply a special anti-rust coating to the inside of the junction box? I heard there's a new type of coating from abroad..."

"It's tough. Foreign paint requires foreign exchange, which we can't afford," Zhang said, shaking his head.

Chen Yu didn't say anything more, but he already had a plan in mind. The *True Explanation of Profound Refinement* records a kind of "anti-corrosion talisman," which, when drawn on the surface of an object, forms a thin film of spiritual energy that isolates it from air and moisture, providing excellent preservation. If a simplified version of the talisman is used, combined with ordinary paint...

After get off work, he did not go back to his dormitory, but went to the Shanghai Machinery Factory Guesthouse to pick up his luggage—he would be staying at the shipyard guesthouse for the next month.

While I was packing my luggage, the front desk handed me a letter. It was from Qin Huairu; it was thick and contained a photograph.

In the photo, Qin Huairu stands in a small courtyard near Beixinqiao, wearing a cotton-padded coat, her belly noticeably protruding. A gentle smile graces her face, her hand lightly resting on her stomach. On the back of the photo is written: "The baby is five months along. Went to the hospital for a checkup today, and the doctor said everything is normal. I just miss you. Huairu."

Chen Yu stared at the photo for a long time before carefully putting it into his pocket.

At seven o'clock in the evening, he arrived at the shipyard's guesthouse. The room was more basic than the one at the Shanghai Machinery Factory, but it had a view of the river. Pushing open the window, he could see the entire Huangpu River at night—cargo ships dotted the river with their lights, factory chimneys on the opposite bank in Pudong were glowing, and the buildings on the Bund in the distance were sparsely lit.

"System, check-in for today," Chen Yu thought to himself. He hoped for a good start to his first day at the shipyard.

[Ding! Japanese visa successfully obtained]

[Received: 5 jin of national grain coupons, 2 industrial vouchers, basic materials science advanced knowledge (small), 15 yuan in cash]

Advanced materials science knowledge! Chen Yu immediately put it into practice. His mind flooded with deeper knowledge of metal heat treatment, alloy proportioning, and material fatigue analysis, perfectly complementing his weapon-forging skills.

He took out "The True Explanation of Mysterious Weapon Refining" and turned to the "Basic Runes" chapter. The book recorded thirty-six basic runes, each with different effects: reinforcement, corrosion prevention, heat conduction, insulation, shock absorption...

"If we miniaturize these runes and engrave them on mechanical parts..." Chen Yu's eyes gleamed with excitement.

He took out a scrap piece of steel plate he had salvaged from a shipyard junkyard, and then a specially made engraving knife—a modified scrap milling cutter with an extremely fine tip. He then channeled his spiritual energy and began to engrave the simplest "reinforcement talisman" on the steel plate.

Chen Yu felt the strain with his first cut. The steel plate was too hard, making it difficult for the carving knife to leave a mark. Moreover, the runes required continuous lines and consistent depth; even a slight deviation would render them ineffective.

He failed five times in a row, and only on the sixth attempt did he manage to carve a complete rune. After infusing it with spiritual energy, the surface of the steel plate emitted a faint white light. A hardness test—struck with a hammer—showed that it was indeed about 30% stronger than before!

"It's a success!" Chen Yu exclaimed with delight. Although the effect wasn't as good as the full version, it was still amazing enough.

Next, he attempted to carve an "anti-corrosion rune." This rune was more complex, with twelve turning points. He concentrated intently, aided by his spiritual vision, as the carving knife moved across the steel plate.

An hour later, the anti-corrosion talisman was completed. Chen Yu immersed the engraved steel plate in salt water, and placed an untreated piece as a comparison.

Two hours later, the untreated steel plate was found to be rusted, while the steel plate with the anti-corrosion symbol engraved on it only had a few rust spots on its surface, showing a significant effect!

"If we could mass-produce it..." Chen Yu stood up excitedly and paced around the room.

But he quickly calmed down. There were two problems: first, inscribing runes required spiritual energy, and his output was limited; second, how to explain this effect? ​​He couldn't very well say it was a "secret family recipe," could he?

He came up with a solution: simplify the runes into geometric patterns and combine them with a special chemical treatment process to disguise them as a "new surface treatment technology." This would allow for mass production while also providing a plausible explanation for the effects.

The next morning, Chen Yu went to find Section Chief Sun.

"Section Chief Sun, I have an idea regarding the corrosion prevention of electrical equipment." He took out two steel plates he had carved the night before. "This is a new surface treatment process I'm testing. Please take a look."

Section Chief Sun took the steel plate, compared it, and exclaimed in surprise, "The difference in effect... is so huge? What kind of process was used?"

"A special chemical treatment combined with microstructure etching," Chen Yu explained, half-jokingly, "can change the surface properties of metals and enhance their corrosion resistance. I'd like to try it on our junction boxes."

What conditions are required?

"A small chemical treatment tank, and some reagents. I can make a list."

"Good! I approve!" Section Chief Sun said swiftly. "Xiao Chen, if you can really solve this anti-corruption problem, I'll recommend you for commendation from the ministry!"

That afternoon, the materials Chen Yu requested arrived. He set up a makeshift testing platform in a small, unused workshop at the shipyard. The real core process was completed late at night—carving tiny runes onto the surface of the parts with a carving knife.

To cover his tracks, he added several real preservatives to the chemical treatment solution, so that even if someone analyzed the composition, they would think it was the effect of chemical treatment.

Three days later, the first batch of treated junction boxes were installed on the "Dongfeng". Chen Yu checked and recorded the data every day. A week later, the untreated junction boxes had begun to rust, while the treated ones remained as clean as new.

The news quickly spread throughout the shipyard. Many workshop foremen came to Chen Yu, hoping he could help them with their critical parts.

"Xiao Chen, your skills are amazing!" The experienced worker in the heat treatment workshop gave him a thumbs up. "Could you teach us?"

"This is a special process that requires specialized equipment," Chen Yu declined. "However, I can help you process some key parts."

He set a rule: only critical parts affecting safety and efficiency would be processed, with a daily limit. This would both control the workload and ensure quality.

In the second week, Chen Yu began to try more complex applications. For the quenching problem of marine main shafts, he designed a simple "constant temperature rune array" - using special coatings to draw runes on the inner wall of the resistance furnace, and with the help of a temperature controller, the furnace temperature fluctuation can be controlled within ±3 degrees.

During the first test, all the experienced workers in the heat treatment workshop gathered around.

"Xiao Chen, can you really control it to ±3 degrees?" The old master didn't believe it.

"You'll know once you try it."

The resistance furnace started up, and the temperature rose slowly. When it reached 780 degrees Celsius, Chen Yu activated the symbol array. The temperature inside the furnace stabilized, and the instrument pointers barely moved.

"Amazing! Absolutely amazing!" the master craftsmen exclaimed in amazement.

After quenching, the spindle was tested and found to have 40% improved hardness uniformity, and its lifespan is expected to double!

This matter alarmed the shipyard's chief engineer. Section Chief Sun, along with the chief engineer, found Chen Yu: "Young Chen, where did you learn all these skills?"

Chen Yu had already prepared his explanation: "Part of it comes from experience at the Beijing factory, and part of it comes from my own thinking. I usually like to read foreign technical materials, and I try to put some of my ideas into practice."

"A genius! This is a genius!" The chief engineer excitedly shook Chen Yu's hand. "Comrade Chen, would you be interested in transferring to our shipyard? Housing, benefits, everything is negotiable!"

"Thank you for your kindness, Chief Engineer, but I still need to complete my studies at the Shanghai Machinery Plant, and..." Chen Yu paused, "My wife is in Beijing."

The chief engineer shook his head regretfully: "What a pity... but it's alright, the cooperation can continue long-term. Xiao Chen, on behalf of the shipyard, I formally appoint you as a technical consultant, with a monthly stipend of fifty yuan. What do you think?"

Fifty yuan! That was the salary of a senior engineer in those days.

Chen Yu did not immediately agree: "Chief Engineer, I need to consult my original unit."

"Of course, of course! I'll wait for your news!"

That evening, Chen Yu wrote a letter to Section Chief Li of the Beijing Steel Rolling Mill, explaining the situation and asking for his opinion. At the same time, he also wrote a letter to Qin Huairu, recounting his observations at the shipyard and subtly mentioning the technological breakthrough.

At the end of the letter, he wrote: "...Shanghai is nice, but the moon shines brightest in my hometown. I will return home as soon as my studies are complete. Thinking of you and our child. Yu."

In the stillness of the night, Chen Yu stood at the shipyard dock, gazing northwards. A river breeze blew, carrying a damp scent.

One month of his three-month study period has passed, and he has opened up new opportunities in Shanghai. But what he misses most is still his family back in his courtyard house.

His spiritual consciousness sank into the Qiankun Cauldron, the Xuanzhen Sword floated silently, and the Zhou Tian Star Disc slowly rotated. The knowledge from "The True Explanation of Xuanzhen Weapon Refining" was gradually transforming into real-world productivity.

This is his path, and this is his way.

On the river, a cargo ship sounded its horn and sailed into the distance.

And his journey continues.