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

On the 22nd day of the twelfth lunar month, Guangzhou Railway Station was shrouded in a humid and hot fog.

As Chen Yu stepped off the train carrying his wicker suitcase, a wave of heat, so different from Shanghai, hit him. Although it was December, the temperature in Guangzhou was still above fifteen degrees Celsius, and the air was filled with a mixture of coal smoke, sweat, and a certain sweet floral scent. The platform was bustling with people, speaking Cantonese, Chaoshan dialect, and Hakka dialect, interspersed with occasional broken Mandarin.

"Comrade, need accommodation? Hot water available, clean and hygienic!"

"There's a queue for train tickets to Shenzhen, queue over there!"

"Handsome, have you eaten yet?"

Vendors carrying loads of steaming rice noodle rolls, shrimp dumplings, and wonton noodles weaved through the crowd. Workers in short sleeves hurried by with their luggage, while several farm women wearing straw hats sat in a corner peeling lychees—lychees still available this time of year?

Following the address on the letter of introduction, Chen Yu transferred to a bus to the Guangzhou Shipyard on the banks of the Pearl River. The bus was an imported Czech vehicle, old but fast. The conductor announced the stops in Cantonese, which Chen Yu couldn't understand at all, so he could only count the stops by referring to the map.

Guangzhou's urban landscape is different from that of Shanghai and Beijing. Tall banyan trees line both sides of the streets, their aerial roots hanging down like curtains; arcade buildings stretch endlessly, with shops on the ground floor and residences on the upper floors, where pedestrians can take shelter from the rain; in the distance, you can see the Pearl River, where sailboats, steamboats, and sampans crisscross, creating a bustling scene.

"System, check-in for today." Chen Yu silently repeated to himself on the swaying bus. This was his first check-in since arriving in Guangzhou.

[Ding! Japanese visa successfully obtained]

[Received: 8 jin of Guangdong Province grain coupons, 1 overseas remittance voucher, a small basic Cantonese introductory kit, and 30 yuan in cash (adapted for nationwide use)]

Cantonese basics! Perfect timing! Chen Yu immediately put it to use, his mind flooded with common Cantonese vocabulary, basic grammar, and pronunciation rules. Although he couldn't converse fluently yet, he could at least understand the general meaning.

"Next stop, Cheung Tai Pier, passengers getting off, please prepare..." He could understand the ticket seller's announcement now.

At the gate of the Guangzhou Shipyard, Chen Yu met the person who came to pick him up—a sharp-looking man in his thirties, wearing glasses and a faded Zhongshan suit.

"Are you Comrade Chen Yu? I'm Zhang, the factory office secretary." The man spoke Mandarin with a heavy Cantonese accent. "Chief Engineer Zhang went to a meeting in the provincial capital and asked me to arrange accommodations for you. You must have had a long journey!"

"Secretary Zhang, you're too kind. I'm sorry to have troubled you."

The shipyard's guesthouse is located inside the shipyard premises in a three-story building. The conditions are slightly better than those in Shanghai, with each room having a private bathroom. The Pearl River flows right outside the window, offering views of Haizhu Island and ships under construction on the opposite bank.

"Chen, please rest first. I'll take you to see the comrades in the technical department this afternoon." Secretary Zhang left the key and meal tickets. "The canteen is on the first floor. Breakfast is at 7:00, lunch is at 11:30, and dinner is at 5:30. Oh, by the way, tomorrow is the Little New Year, so the canteen will be serving extra meals."

Little New Year... Chen Yu then remembered that today was the 23rd day of the twelfth lunar month, the Little New Year in the north. In the south, however, it was the 24th day of the twelfth lunar month, and the customs were different.

At lunchtime in the cafeteria, he tasted authentic Cantonese cuisine for the first time: poached chicken, steamed sea bass, lettuce with oyster sauce, and slow-cooked soup. The flavors were light and fresh, unlike the sweetness of Shanghai cuisine or the saltiness of Beijing cuisine.

At the same table were several shipyard technicians who were very enthusiastic when they heard he was a technical consultant from Beijing.

"Mr. Chen, I heard the automation system you developed in Shanghai is really impressive?" a young technician asked. "Our factory is also currently renovating a passenger ship; would you like to go take a look?"

"Okay, I'll go this afternoon."

After lunch, Chen Yu went straight to the shipyard without resting. The Guangzhou Shipyard was slightly smaller than the Jiangnan Shipyard, but its technology and equipment were newer—the walls were painted with slogans such as "Learn from the advanced experience of the Soviet Union," and several brand-new Soviet machine tools could be seen in the workshop.

The vessel currently undergoing renovation is the 3,000-ton passenger ship "Nanhai," which is planned to operate the Guangzhou-Haikou route. The technical challenge lies in the high waves and rough seas of the South China Sea, which cause severe vibrations to the ship, and the existing shock absorption system is not effective.

"This is a shock-absorbing bracket designed in the Soviet Union." Li, the technical chief, pointed to the blueprints. "It works fine in calm waters, but once we get to the South China Sea, especially when crossing the Qiongzhou Strait, the vibrations will be transmitted to the cabin, and passengers have complained a lot."

Chen Yu carefully examined the blueprints and the actual object. Activating his Spiritual Eye Technique, he could see the stress distribution of the hull under simulated vibration—mainly concentrated at several connection points.

"Engineer Li, I have an idea." Chen Yu marked several locations on the drawing. "At these stress concentration points, add a buffer layer. The material can be a special rubber, but it needs to be resistant to seawater corrosion."

Specialty rubber? It's not available domestically.

"I have a way." Chen Yu recalled the "soft jade glue" recorded in "The True Explanation of Xuanzhen Refining"—it's made by adding several mineral powders to ordinary rubber and then processing it with a special method, which can greatly improve its performance. Those mineral powders should be available in Guangzhou.

He listed: talc, mica powder, quartz sand... these are all common industrial raw materials.

"These...can they really work?" Engineer Li asked doubtfully.

"Let's give it a try." Chen Yu said confidently, "I'll go to the chemical market tomorrow to buy some, and we'll do a small-scale test first."

At four o'clock in the afternoon, Chief Engineer Zhang returned to the factory after finishing the meeting and immediately summoned Chen Yu.

"Comrade Chen, welcome, welcome!" Chief Engineer Zhang, in his fifties, spoke heartily. "Old Zhao raved about you in his letter, calling you a once-in-a-century technical genius! I'm eager to see what you've got to offer!"

"Chief Engineer Zhang, you flatter me. I will do my best."

"Enough with the pleasantries." Chief Engineer Zhang unfolded a document. "The shock absorption problem of the 'Nanhai' must be resolved within a month, and sea trials are scheduled for February. Also, there's an even more urgent task..."

He lowered his voice: "The two cargo ships ordered by China Resources Company in Hong Kong require the installation of special anti-corrosion systems. They are transporting chemical raw materials, which are highly corrosive to the hulls. This task... involves foreign exchange, so it's very important."

China Resources Company in Hong Kong! Chen Yu's heart skipped a beat. That was the window company of the new China in Hong Kong, allowing them to get in touch with the situation there.

"What about the technical requirements?"

"These are the documents." Chief Engineer Zhang handed over a folder containing English technical specifications—a rarity in 1963. "They're all in English; nobody in our factory can fully understand them. I heard you know English?"

Chen Yu nodded. The language pack provided by the system included English, so reading technical documents wouldn't be a problem.

He quickly browsed through the list and found that China Resources' requirements were indeed unique: it had to be able to resist triple corrosion from acids, alkalis, and salts, and maintain its performance in high-temperature and high-humidity environments. This exceeded the current domestic technological level.

"It's challenging, but we can give it a try." Chen Yu closed the folder. "I need a laboratory and some special materials."

"All factory resources are at your disposal!" Chief Engineer Zhang declared. "Xiao Chen, if you accomplish these two tasks, I'll recommend you for commendation! What's a ministerial-level model worker? I'll strive to get you a national model worker award!"

It was already dusk when I came out of the office building. Sparse lights were on both sides of the Pearl River, and the outline of Haizhu Island on the opposite bank was faintly visible in the twilight.

Back at the guesthouse, Chen Yu first wrote a letter to Qin Huairu to let her know he was safe. Then, he contacted Chen Minghui, the seventh pseudo-person—the head of the Guangzhou office of Mingyu Trading Company.

Half an hour later, the two met at a teahouse near the Long Causeway Wharf. Chen Minghui was disguised as an ordinary businessman, wearing a silk Tang suit and holding a folding fan.

"Master, the situation in Guangzhou is more complicated than expected," Chen Minghui transmitted telepathically. "The Hongmen, the Green Gang, local clan forces, and British spies... they're all deeply entrenched. We've initially established a foothold, mainly trading tea and Chinese medicinal herbs."

"What about the Dragon Seeking Society?"

"There are clues." Chen Minghui's expression was grave. "Our people discovered their activities at the Liwan Antique Market, where they specialize in buying ancient Chinese books, ritual implements, and... things related to metaphysics. They also seem to be looking for clues about the Xuanzhen Taoist."

Chen Yu frowned. The Dragon Seeking Society's reach is really far-reaching.

"In addition, we have made contact with Abbot Huijue," Chen Minghui continued to report. "The abbot of Guangxiao Temple is indeed Abbot Huiming's junior brother. He asked us to tell you that you can go to the temple to see him at any time."

"Okay, I'll go tomorrow." Chen Yu thought for a moment, "There's one more thing, help me purchase these materials."

He handed over a list of raw materials needed to refine "jade glue" and anti-corrosion coating, as well as some electronic components needed for improvements to the communication device.

"No problem, we'll have everything ready by noon tomorrow."

"Please also check the background of China Resources Company in Hong Kong, especially the person in charge of the shipbuilding project."

"clear."

As Chen Yu left the teahouse, a light rain began to fall in Guangzhou. He walked along the embankment road, umbrella in hand, the river breeze carrying the moisture of the rain against his face. The roadside food stalls were already set up, grilling oysters and scallops over charcoal grills, their aromas enticing.

He suddenly remembered that today was the Little New Year in northern China. According to Beijing custom, it was time to eat "Zao Tang" (a type of sweet pastry) and offer sacrifices to the Kitchen God. Would Qin Huairu, who was home alone, prepare these things according to custom?

A strong sense of longing welled up inside him. He turned into a shop that was still open and bought some Guangzhou specialties: chicken biscuits, wife cakes, and a box of exquisite Cantonese pastries, intending to send them back to Beijing.

Back at the guesthouse, he entered the small world to check on the progress of the communication artifact. The blueprints for the large array plate were complete, but it required twelve complete spirit stones—he currently only had fragments.

"Perhaps something else can be used as a substitute..." Chen Yu pondered. Spirit stones are essentially minerals that store spiritual energy; if a high-energy-density alternative could be found...

He considered nuclear materials, but immediately dismissed the idea. In this era, nuclear materials were a top national secret and could not be touched.

"Or... use an array to gather spiritual energy from the environment?" He flipped through the array diagrams derived from the Zhou Tian Star Chart. There was an "Energy Gathering Array" that could convert gathered spiritual energy into a stable energy output, but its efficiency was too low, only thirty percent.

"Thirty percent is enough." Chen Yu began to calculate. If a sufficiently large spirit-gathering array were set up, the gathered spiritual energy, after transformation, might be able to power the communication array plate.

He took out paper and pen and worked through the night to design the plan. At two o'clock in the morning, the preliminary plan was completed: to set up a large spirit-gathering array at a fixed location (such as a mountaintop or a riverside), and to transmit the converted energy to the array plate through a special circuit. This is similar to power plants and power grids in later generations, except that the energy source is spiritual energy.

"An on-site investigation is needed..." Chen Yu noted down this thought.

The next day was the 24th day of the twelfth lunar month, the Little New Year in the south. As expected, the shipyard canteen provided extra food and even gave out oranges—an essential "good luck and prosperity" treat for Cantonese people during the Lunar New Year.

In the morning, Chen Minghui delivered all the materials. Chen Yu began experimenting with "soft jade glue" in the shipyard laboratory. Following the methods in the True Explanation of Refining Weapons, he mixed rubber, mineral powder, and several plant juices, and then nurtured it with spiritual energy.

This is a delicate process; temperature, time, and the amount of spiritual energy injected must all be precisely controlled. Chen Yu was completely focused, using his spiritual eye technique to observe the changes inside the material.

Three hours later, the first batch of samples was ready. The pale yellow, gelatinous substance was soft yet elastic to the touch. Chen Yu took out a piece for testing: tensile strength, abrasion resistance, corrosion resistance... the data far exceeded those of ordinary rubber!

"It's a success!" Engineer Li looked at the test report in disbelief. "Engineer Chen, can your formula... be submitted to the national authorities? If this were widely adopted, it could solve so many industrial problems!"

"We can report it, but some process details need to be kept confidential." Chen Yu was prepared. "I will write a simplified technical report. The core processes... cannot be disclosed for the time being."

"I understand, I understand!" Engineer Li exclaimed excitedly. "A simplified version is enough! Engineer Chen, you've done a great job!"

In the afternoon, Chen Yu went to Guangxiao Temple. This temple has a longer history than Longhua Temple, having been built during the Three Kingdoms period, and is the foremost temple in Lingnan. Ancient trees tower within the temple grounds, the main hall is magnificent, and pilgrims come in an endless stream.

Led by the guest monk, Chen Yu arrived at the abbot's monastery. The monk Huijue was about the same age as Huiming, but much thinner, with eyes as clear as a child's.

"Benefactor Chen has arrived." Huijue was brewing tea using a small, exquisite gongfu tea set. "Sit down and try some Chaozhou Dancong tea."

The tea had a delicate aroma and a sweet aftertaste. Chen Yu took a sip and praised, "Excellent tea."

"The tea is excellent, and so is the heart of the person," Huijue smiled. "My senior brother wrote to tell me about you. The successor of Senior Xuanzhenzi... after three hundred years, we've finally found him."

"Master also knows Senior Xuanzhen?"

"I know more than that." Huijue looked out the window. "In the scripture pavilion of Guangxiao Temple, there is a commentary on the Tao Te Ching handwritten by the senior Xuanzhenzi. When he moved south, he stayed here for three months, discussed Taoism with the abbot at the time, and left behind many calligraphic works."

"That Imperial Seal of the State..."

Huijue's expression turned solemn: "As expected, you asked about this matter. I can only say that Senior Xuanzhenzi did indeed bring out a powerful artifact from the palace, but no one knows what it is or whether it is still in his cave in Hong Kong. However..." He paused, "The Dragon Seeking Society is also looking for this item, and they have been to Hong Kong several times already."

"Do they know the location of the cave?"

"I probably don't know the exact location, but I know the general area," Huijue said. "The Kowloon Walled City area is in a state of chaos right now, a melting pot of all sorts of people. If you're going there, please be careful."

Chen Yu nodded: "Thank you for the reminder, Master. Also... I want to set up an array in the temple, and I need to find a place where spiritual energy gathers. Could you give me some guidance, Master?"

Huijue gave him a deep look: "There is an ancient well in the back mountain, where Bodhidharma washed his alms bowl. It is rich in spiritual energy. If you wish to use it, please follow me."

The ancient well is located deep in the bamboo forest behind the temple. The wellhead is made of bluestone, and the water is crystal clear. Chen Yu activated his spiritual eye technique and saw that the spiritual energy around the wellhead was indeed denser than that around the Dragon Flower Pagoda.

"What a great place!" he thought to himself with delight. "Master, I'd like to set up a formation here; it might take a few days..."

"Please make yourself at home, benefactor." Huijue clasped his hands together. "This well is usually quiet and rarely visited. I will instruct my disciples not to disturb it for the next few days."

It was already late when Chen Yu left Guangxiao Temple. He stopped by the Liwan Antique Market to look for traces of the Dragon Seeking Society's activities.

The market was lined with stalls selling porcelain, jade, copper coins, ancient books... a mix of genuine and fake items. Chen Yu scanned the market with his spiritual eye; most were ordinary antiques, but a few pieces emitted faint fluctuations of spiritual energy—these were the real old objects.

He stopped in front of a stall selling used books. The stall owner, an old man wearing a melon-shaped hat, was examining a thread-bound book with a magnifying glass.

"Boss, how much is this copy of the Classic of Mountains and Seas?" Chen Yu picked up a book casually.

"Fifty yuan, from the Ming Dynasty." The old man didn't even look up.

Chen Yu flipped through the book; it was a Qing Dynasty copy, worthless. But he noticed an inconspicuous booklet in the corner of the stall, its cover bearing the title "Tales of Lingnan," and it emanated a faint spiritual aura.

"What about this one?"

"That one..." The old man glanced at it, "Five dollars, take it. It's a handwritten copy from the Republican era, not worth much."

Chen Yu paid for it. Back at the guesthouse, he opened it and found it contained many strange and unusual stories from the Lingnan region. One passage in particular caught his attention:

"...There is a mountain on the Kowloon Peninsula shaped like a reclining dragon, from which strange lights sometimes appear. During the Guangxu era, a Taoist priest entered the mountain to cultivate, calling himself Xuanzhen. He was skilled in alchemy and setting up formations, but his whereabouts became unknown afterward..."

This is a record of Xuanzhen Daoist in Hong Kong! Although brief, it confirms that his cave dwelling was indeed in Kowloon.

Chen Yu carefully put the book away and then began designing the layout of the spirit-gathering array. With the spiritual energy from the ancient well of Guangxiao Temple, combined with the calculations from the Zhou Tian Xing Dou Pan (a celestial compass), he was confident that he could set up a highly efficient energy collection system.

As night deepened, the faint sound of firecrackers drifted in from outside the window—Guangzhou residents were beginning preparations for the Lunar New Year.

Chen Yu stood by the window, gazing north. He would be spending this Spring Festival in a foreign land.

But for the sake of family and the future, it's all worth it.

The river breeze stirs the curtains, bringing with it the scent of distant lands.

The story of Guangzhou has just begun.