I met my whole family through Baidu Tieba.

Shen Kang suddenly opened his eyes, but the bright morning sunlight made him immediately close them again.

It was at this moment that he noticed that while lying in bed, his right hand was holding a phone and placed to his ear.

The voice that "came from beyond the heavens" came from the earphones. The voice was very familiar; it was Yin Mingyang.

The dream had naturally shattered, and all that remained was his bedroom on the shores of Shenlan Water.

"...I curse your ancestor, Yin Mingyang!"

Shen Kang cursed, utterly helpless.

One moment he was the world's king, standing on the black sea, able to make global data change direction with a mere flick of his finger. The code in the sea was his fish, the keys in the sky were lined up for him to choose from, and Wall Street's exchange rates and SWIFT messages were all at his command. That sense of power was terrifyingly real, so real that even after waking up, a lingering illusion of wielding authority remained in his fingertips.

The next second, my best friend called.

It wasn't about signing some agreement that would affect the world order, nor was it about some mysterious organization calling to confirm his security level, and it certainly wasn't about some chip taking the initiative to speak.

They told him to go to an internet cafe.

It's a breakfast package, for crying out loud.

What kind of mess is this?

Yin Mingyang on the other end of the phone cursed back, "Li's mother!..."

After a heated exchange, Yin Mingyang got tired of it and said, "...Let's hurry up, it'll be past eight o'clock soon, and that would be a waste!"

Shen Kang let out a long yawn. "Ah... never mind, I didn't sleep well last night. I'll sleep a little longer, I'll definitely do it next time."

Just as he was about to hang up, Yin Mingyang's voice suddenly became urgent: "What's so great about sleeping? It's a holiday, you can sleep whenever you want, getting an early breakfast is the important thing! It's my treat!"

"Um?"

Shen Kang's eyes flickered, and his finger, which was about to press the button to hang up the phone, paused for a moment.

After a moment's thought, Shen Kang said lazily, "The problem is I'm really sleepy right now, I have no energy." As he spoke, he gave a fake yawn, drawing out the sound.

"...I'll buy you coffee." Yin Mingyang's somber voice came from the other end of the line.

Just by listening, Shen Kang could almost see the pain on his face as if he were being cut open.

"Starbucks, I cough if I drink anything else."

"Old Shen, don't push your luck!"

"I'm going to sleep now. I was just dreaming that I was the ruler of the world, it was so awesome, but your phone call ruined it. I'll take a nap, maybe I can continue that dream..."

"Starbucks it is! Come alone, don't bring He Qiuzhu, this is a man's date."

"understood."

Twenty minutes later

E-Network Complete

Yin Mingyang squatted at the door, watching Shen Kang slowly ride his old bicycle over.

"Old Shen, you're so slow."

Yin Mingyang stood up and complained.

Shen Kang rode to the entrance of the internet cafe, dismounted from his old bicycle, and corrected Yin Mingyang's form of address: "From now on, please call me Lord of the World."

Yin Mingyang complained, "I even dreamt that I became Pangu. Besides, what kind of world ruler would skip sleep and come over just because someone offered to treat them to a five-yuan breakfast?"

He glanced at Shen Kang's bicycle again. "Still riding a 28-inch bike. Where's your BMW?"

"Low-carbon travel".

As Shen Kang pushed his bike between the two electric scooters, he corrected Yin Mingyang's statement again: "It's not just a five-yuan breakfast, but also a Starbucks."

Yin Mingyang remained silent.

After parking the car, Yin Mingyang still wanted to play dumb and go straight into the internet cafe.

Shen Kang hadn't forgotten a thing. He immediately dragged the forgetful Yin Mingyang to the Starbucks on the next street, ordered a latte, and watched Yin Mingyang painfully pay for it.

Even after the two of them arrived at the internet cafe, sat down, and turned on their computers, Yin Mingyang was still sighing deeply.

Shen Kang chuckled, ignoring his words and waiting to see what he wanted to say—this guy had offered to invite him to go online and buy him Starbucks, so he must have something to ask of him.

As it turned out, Yin Mingyang didn't say anything. After turning on the computer, he went straight to HaoFang and even dragged Shen Kang along to play a few rounds of DOTA.

Shen Kang didn't care; he'd just play along.

Yin Mingyang wasn't in good form today and couldn't carry Shen Kang. He played a few rounds, lost a few, and got frustrated, so he simply stopped playing and went to browse the web.

Seeing this, Shen Kang went about his own business, starting to search online for information related to kernel and microarchitecture.

Not long after they finished their investigation, Yin Mingyang's low voice came from the side, sounding a bit furtive.

"Old Shen, look at this."

Shen Kang turned his head and saw a webpage on Yin Mingyang's computer screen with some photos that looked like DVD covers.

Those cover photos were all nude art photos.

Each cover photo is accompanied by a Japanese title.

Good guy.

Shen Kang looked around.

They were currently in a corner of an internet cafe. It was early in the morning, and there weren't many people around.

He was wondering why Old Yin had specifically chosen this spot to sit; it turned out he had planned it all along.

"Old Shen, what do you say?"

As Yin Mingyang spoke, he stretched out his finger and pointed to one of the cover photos on the screen.

Above, there is a woman riding on a man, inside what looks like a shipping container. The left side of the container wall isn't made of sheet metal, but a mirror.

Looking out through the mirror, you see a main street with people coming and going.

The title below the cover includes several Japanese characters, some of which are in Chinese—Magic Mirror No. 1.

"Are there really mirrors in this world that allow you to see out from the inside, but not from the outside?"

Yin Mingyang asked.

"Probably," Shen Kang said casually.

"That's amazing..."

Yin Mingyang muttered some nonsense in a low voice.

Shen Kang didn't respond, wanting to see what he was up to—it certainly wasn't just about sharing this website with him.

They had shared many of these websites back in high school; Lao Yin wouldn't go to such lengths to invite them to use the internet and Starbucks.

Meanwhile, Yin Mingyang, after rambling on, seemed to suddenly remember something and said, "...Old Shen, tell me, how do these male actors last so long? Is there some secret to it?"

Good guy.

Shen Kang remained calm and said, "I don't know."

Yin Mingyang persisted: "You should know, Lao Shen. You're not bad-looking either, and you've had some really good luck lately, opening a shop and running a website. You're also good at flirting, so girls still find you very attractive. Haven't you seen it? You have a girlfriend, and there are still girls throwing themselves at you, right?"

"No matter how I look at it, you're definitely not a virgin anymore, and you're definitely experienced. Don't you have any secrets when it comes to that kind of thing?"

Shen Kang retorted righteously, "Don't talk nonsense, I'll sue you for defamation. I'm still a virgin in my life."

Yin Mingyang shook his head. "I don't believe it." Then he urged, "Tell me, tell me..."

Shen Kang was in a real bind.

What kind of mess is this?

He, a reborn individual, had just taken over the global financial system in his dream last night, and now he wakes up to find himself bowing down to a five-dollar wallet for breakfast and a Starbucks. Even worse, in a corner of the internet cafe, his best friend is furtively pointing at an adult DVD cover, asking him, "Why does the male actor take so long?"

He, the de facto controller of SWIFT, the kingpin of Wall Street's shadowy world, the dream holder of the Pentagon's key, is now being asked about that secret in an internet cafe in 2009.

Is this something I should be doing?

Then Shen Kang spoke up: "Actually, there's no secret. Just maintain a regular schedule, exercise more, and do more squats."

Yin Mingyang was not satisfied. "Is it that simple?"

Shen Kang countered, "Can you do it?"

"Sure," Yin Mingyang said instinctively.

Shen Kang asked in confusion, "Logically speaking, at your age, with a regular schedule, plenty of exercise, and lots of squats, you should be fine."

Seeing that he had misunderstood, Yin Mingyang explained, "I meant that I can do it, but that doesn't mean I've already done it."

Shen Kang understood. "I see. Then you can just do it that way from now on."

Yin Mingyang nodded.

Suddenly, my neck stiffened.

Then, he slowly raised his head and looked at Shen Kang.

Shen Kang smiled.

Yin Mingyang's expression was a little stiff.

After a moment, he said, "Old Shen, I'm actually not bad. It's just that, you know, what man doesn't want to reach new heights?"

Shen Kang nodded considerately, "Yes, I understand."

Yin Mingyang tried to explain a few more points, but found that he was only making things worse, so he simply stopped talking and changed the subject, bringing the conversation back to what he cared about most: "...Old Shen, besides maintaining a regular schedule and doing more squats, are there any other methods?"

With things having come to this point, what else could he do? He simply gave up and went all out.

Shen Kang thought for a moment and said, "That was the fundamental solution, which is the way. There's also the symptom-treating solution, which is the technique."

"Are treatments that address the root cause slow to take effect, while treatments that address the symptoms take effect quickly?"

"You can understand it that way. Whether it works quickly or well is hard to say, it varies from person to person, but it will help to some extent."

Upon hearing this, Yin Mingyang perked up, clearly more enthusiastic than before, and quickly urged, "Tell me, tell me!"

Shen Kang then said, "Recite the text."

"When you're about to go in, start reciting 'The Memorial on Dispatching the Troops'. If you've already memorized 'The Memorial on Dispatching the Troops' and she still wants more, then you should also memorize 'Preface to the Pavilion of Prince Teng'. Generally speaking, memorizing two of them should be enough."

"A similar method is to find a room with a TV, turn on the news channel, and study advanced ideas while working. When you can't hold on any longer, just think about 'representing the fundamental interests of the broadest masses of the people.'"

"Think about it, you're carrying not just Huang Jing on your shoulders, but the entire society, all ordinary people. How can you still be so eager for quick success and instant benefits?"

"..."

Yin Mingyang opened his mouth, but was immediately silenced.

After several seconds, he managed to squeeze out, "...Old Shen, are you talking to me about work, or are you giving me a Party lecture?"

"Yes, all of them."

Shen Kang took a sip of his latte and said calmly, "One central principle and two basic points, which you've already learned. The central principle is consistent training, and the basic points are memorizing texts and studying the underlying ideas. As long as the approach is correct, time is not a problem."

Yin Mingyang's face twitched. "You're really good at talking nonsense. One central theme and two basic points? Do you think I'm an active applicant for Party membership?"

Shen Kang looked at him and said, "Just tell me if it works or not."

"How the hell should I know? I've never tried it."

"Then go and try it."

Shen Kang leaned back in his chair. "Next time before you start working, memorize 'The Memorial to the Throne on the Eve of the Northern Expedition' for three minutes, then study some advanced ideas. If that doesn't work, come back to me, and I'll increase the intensity."

Yin Mingyang's expression was complicated: "It can still go up in intensity?"

"Yes," Shen Kang said. "There are many ways to treat the symptoms. If all else fails, you can sing 'The Internationale' in your mind. Start with 'Arise!' and continue to 'The Internationale shall be realized!' If you can sing it twice, you'll basically achieve your goal."

Yin Mingyang fell completely silent.

He stared at Shen Kang for a long time before finally squeezing out, "Old Shen, I've discovered that you're fucking toxic."

Then she rubbed her face and said, "Forget it, let's not talk about this anymore. The more I listen, the more I feel like you're leading me astray."

"It was you who insisted on asking."

"I regret it now," Yin Mingyang sighed. "I shouldn't have brought this up. I wanted to ask for some serious advice, but you gave me a 'Memorial on Dispatching the Troops' and some advanced ideas. If Huang Jing finds out, she'll bury us both."

Shen Kang laughed: "Then don't let her know."

Yin Mingyang nodded in deep agreement: "That's right. I'd rather die than tell."

The two remained silent for a while.

Yin Mingyang, still unwilling to give up, asked again, "But seriously, Lao Shen, is there any scientific basis for your method of 'memorizing texts'?"

Shen Kang turned to look at him: "Think about it yourself, what's the reason you're so fast?"

"That was awesome!"

"Yes. It's so enjoyable that your attention is entirely focused on the enjoyment. Reciting texts diverts some of your attention from that enjoyment. Studying advanced ideas gives you something higher and farther-reaching in your mind. When your attention is scattered, you naturally slow down."

At this point, Shen Kang gave an example: "Old Yin, let me ask you, have you ever watched any domestic productions?"

Yin Mingyang nodded. "I've seen it."

"Look at those shows in China, aren't there many with TVs on in the background?"

Yin Mingyang thought for a moment, then said thoughtfully, "It seems that's really true."

Shen Kang slammed his hand on the table. "Isn't that the end of it? They turned on the TV partly to cover up the noise since they were in a hotel, and partly to distract themselves. The answer was right in front of you all along, but you just lacked the eyes to see the truth."

After listening, Yin Mingyang's eyes slowly lit up: "...It does seem to make some sense."

Shen Kang said, "It's more than just somewhat reasonable. It's a sophisticated combination of biological instinct and ideology."

Yin Mingyang slapped his thigh and said, "Great! I'll try it when I get back!" Then he started the game with great enthusiasm, clearly in a much better mood than before.

Shen Kang watched from the side, deeply moved: He remembered that in his previous life, when Lao Yin was a freshman in college, he was still Xiao Chunan. In this life, only halfway through his freshman year, Lao Yin had already shed the identity of Xiao Chunan…

After reflecting for a while, Shen Kang continued to search online for information about kernels and microarchitecture, continuing his efforts for that project.

Instead of checking the relevant information, he opened his NetEase email account and uploaded all the information to the cloud drive in his NetEase email account.

These days, the ferry cloud hasn't appeared yet.

However, there are already some products with the concept of "cloud storage", and the cloud storage in NetEase Mail is one of them.

Moreover, unlike many cloud storage services in later generations where non-members are subject to speed limits, even with gigabit broadband, the speed can only crawl slowly at 100K/S, cloud storage products in this era are still unlimited for individual consumers.

In theory, the faster your broadband speed, the faster your download speed will be, without you having to spend a penny more.

The only drawback is that the cloud storage space is relatively small.

For example, the cloud storage service provided by NetEase Mail is only 280MB.

And can you believe this cloud storage doesn't even have a "membership" system?

If you want to upgrade your storage capacity by becoming a member, there's nowhere to do it. If you want to upgrade your storage capacity, you can use "active points" to upgrade it. 500 points can upgrade your storage capacity by 64M, and 1800 points can upgrade your storage capacity by 280M.

Although it's a bit small, Shen Kang doesn't put any movies or TV shows in it; he just puts in some documents and files, so 280MB is more than enough.

Shen Kang paused for a moment when creating this folder specifically for storing data.

What should I name this folder?

Suddenly, Shen Kang remembered what had just happened—Yin Mingyang pointed to a cover on that website and asked him about the "secret".

There were a few Chinese characters in the title of that cover.

Magic Mirror No. 1.

crackling

Shen Kang moved his fingers quickly, changing the name of the newly created folder to "Magic Mirror No. 1," and nodded in satisfaction.

Just like that magic mirror that "can only see the outside from the inside, but the outside cannot see the inside," the final effect of Ghost/Melting's sniper rifle after it is made is also "I can see you, but you cannot see me."

That's a perfect fit, a very perfect fit.

Even the sense of stimulation is very accurate.

At this moment, Yin Mingyang was playing a game, currently on the loading screen.

Bored, he looked around and saw a folder on Shen Kang's screen called "Magic Mirror No. 1".

"..."

Yin Mingyang was quite worried about his good brother's intelligence. "Old Shen, this cloud storage on NetEase can only store 280MB. It might not even be enough to fit a movie."

Shen Kang casually replied, "I'll just show a short movie."

"That works too."

The game started, and Yin Mingyang went back to playing it, no longer looking at the screen.

Shen Kang was even more satisfied.

See, it's not only apt, but also highly concealed!

If such a laboratory is actually established in the future, codenamed "Magic Mirror No. 1", and someone actually finds out about this project, they will see the name and go back to investigate.

What came out were all indescribable series of films.

In the future, when Shen Kang talks on the phone and says things like "Magic Mirror One is doing this and that," the other person will think he's asking about the film. When Shen Kang holds a meeting with the lab members and says, "Magic Mirror One needs to accelerate its development in the next phase," no matter how serious the members' expressions are, outsiders will want to laugh.

That's better.

Before something truly crucial succeeds, the worst thing you can do is have a name that exudes an overbearing arrogance. If you call it "Project Sky Shield" or "Project Dragon Abyss," you might feel good about it, but when others hear it, they'll think, "Wow, 'Sky Shield'? They'll immediately know you're up to something big."

But if you call yourself "Magic Mirror Number One," people outside might think you're selling pirated DVDs.

What's this called?

This is what they call, "The greatest hermit lives in the shadows."