Cutting-Edge Technology R&D Center

Chapter 1: The Learning System

Ganzhou City, Xijiang Province. On a summer night, the sweltering heat had finally given way to a gentle breeze... bringing a refreshing coolness. It was already 8:00 p. m. , and the night sky was high above. Yet, in Gan City No. 1 High School, one classroom building still had its lights on... Inside the building, more than a dozen classrooms were brightly lit. From the outside, it was clear that every student was present; without exception, each desk was piled high with books. Some were intently reading, while others were writing furiously—and this was the scene in every classroom. This is Ganzhou City First High School... To gain admission here, one must either have extremely strong connections or fall into another category: students whose academic performance ranks among the top in all of Ganzhou City, having earned their spot through their grades. In one of the classrooms, toward the back, a student glanced at the time on his wristwatch and slowly began to pack up. The young man had delicate, handsome features—he could even be called handsome—and was wearing a well-fitted school uniform. Prompted by this student’s actions, someone else not far away also began packing up, apparently preparing to leave. “Wang Hao, are you leaving again?” Noticing Wang Hao packing up, a girl from one of the front rows stood up, her brow slightly furrowed as she looked at him. This girl had her hair tied in a ponytail; her features were exceptionally beautiful… Wearing her school uniform, she looked incredibly innocent… Yet the slight frown on her face at that moment gave her a unique charm. “Class President… Well, evening study hall is over, so I’m heading out.” Wang Hao glanced at Ma Ling with a hint of resignation. She was the class president—a person with an extremely strong sense of responsibility—and one of the few people who gave him a real headache. Without waiting for Ma Ling to speak again, Wang Hao gathered his things and walked out of the classroom carrying only a notebook. She wasn’t just highly responsible—she was also a real chatterbox. If she caught him, he’d be in for a long lecture. The thing was, she really was looking out for his own good—he couldn’t even argue with that. “Hmph. The college entrance exams are just a month away. I’ll see what kind of scores you get if you don’t study hard,” Ma Ling snorted softly as she watched Wang Hao walk out of the classroom. Spotting another student trying to leave, she immediately glared at him. “Class President, I just… need to use the restroom. I’ll be right back,” the student under her gaze said with an awkward smile. After Wang Hao left, he walked out of the school into the cool night breeze and headed toward his place. It wasn’t far from the school—just a five-minute walk across one street. It was a two-bedroom apartment his parents had rented for him. Originally, he’d planned to live in the dorms to avoid causing them trouble, but he realized that living in the dorms would actually be quite inconvenient. Later, when he entered high school, he chose to live alone in this rental apartment. Since his parents saw that he was indeed quite capable of living on his own, they naturally gave their permission. He ended up living there for four years, from his third year of junior high through his third year of high school. Wang Hao took out his keys and stepped into his apartment, located in an older residential building. The layout consisted of two bedrooms and a living room. There wasn’t much in the way of decor; a television, a sofa, and a dining table—all looking somewhat worn. “Mom and Dad…” Wang Hao stood beside the television in front of a photograph, a hint of sadness in his eyes as he murmured to himself. The photo showed a kind-hearted middle-aged man and a down-to-earth middle-aged woman, both with dark complexions, with a young boy standing between them. The background of the photo was a playground… with many amusement rides visible in the background. “Your son is very lucky. My adoptive parents have been so good to me. And since I’m about to take the college entrance exam, I’m still your proud son. I’ll definitely get into Tsinghua or Peking University… That’s your wish, and it’s my vow.” A tear welled up in Wang Hao’s eye, but he didn’t wipe it away. These were his biological parents; his grandfather had passed away early, and his grandmother was frail and often ill. His parents had been working away from home for years to earn the money needed to save his grandmother’s life, and these circumstances had made him very mature from a young age—he had taken on the responsibility of caring for his grandmother’s daily needs... Wang Hao had spent little time with his parents when he was young. As a child, he looked forward most to summer and winter breaks, because during those times, he could visit his parents where they worked, or they would come home for the Lunar New Year. Although life was hard, he was very happy... But everything came to an end with that catastrophic torrential rain in Ganzhou City, which triggered a flash flood... a flood as powerful as the wrath of heaven. To this day, he cannot forget... that year, that night, the sight of his parents... and even his grandmother—who had been unable to move—rising from her bed in a final burst of strength to shield him with her life. Even more unforgettable is that glimmer of light that kept him alive while buried in the floodwaters for two days and two nights, and the look of disbelief on his face when he was rescued by those admirable soldiers. As they were being rescued, the soldiers—who had risked their lives to save them—looked at the backs of Wang Hao’s parents and grandmother, with the child shielded in the middle. They all fell silent, saluting in quiet reverence… as tears streamed uncontrollably from their eyes. Only then did Wang Hao wipe the tears from the corners of his eyes. The ordeal had made him far more mature than other children… The flash flood had forced him to grow up, making him somewhat aloof… somewhat reserved. After watching in silence for a while… he turned and walked into his bedroom. Inside the bedroom, the computer screen flickered, and the webcam—pointed directly at the bedroom door—also flickered. Strangely, as Wang Hao entered, several lines of text suddenly appeared on the computer screen... “Hao Ge… Welcome back…” Wang Hao, however, wasn’t the least bit surprised. This was a program he had developed—a program that still existed only in people’s imaginations—the embryonic form of artificial intelligence... However, it currently lacked the capabilities one would expect from artificial intelligence... it was still in its early stages... capable only of exchanging text-based conversations with Wang Hao. After surviving the flash flood, he realized he was different… Whenever he learned anything, he had a data-based metric to measure it, and whenever a question arose in his mind, a voice would often pop up to explain it. He hadn’t told anyone about this—not even his adoptive parents, who were so kind to him… He knew it was precisely because of this that he had survived the flash flood, managing to hold on until help arrived despite being trapped in the floodwaters with no way out. “Learning System,” Wang Hao murmured to himself. Instantly, data appeared in his eyes... These were the things he had acquired after the catastrophe... what were referred to as his “skills.” Computer Level 7: 20,666. 20/166,666. 40—Mastery of computer-related knowledge, which enhances his ability to learn in this field. Literature Level 6: 7,666. 10/166,666. 40—Mastery of literature-related knowledge, which enhances related learning abilities. Physics Level 6: 7,666. 10/166,666. 40—Possesses knowledge of physics and can enhance his ability to learn related subjects. Language Level 6: 2700. 20/16666. 40—has mastered language-related knowledge and is improving his ability to learn other languages. “Hmm, my computer skills aren’t improving anymore.” Wang Hao wasn’t surprised by what he saw before his eyes; this was the result of his near-death experience during the flash flood. Whenever he learned anything, it would form a new skill; if it didn’t, it would be incorporated into a previous skill—just like with literature, which had actually emerged when he was studying Chinese. Moreover, his progress in each subject was no longer measured by how much he had mastered… but rather by the amount of time spent studying—even if it was just rote memorization. As long as he reached the required study time, he would, as if achieving an epiphany, synthesize and integrate the material he had previously memorized. Behind each skill was a time value, measured in hours, with the decimal places representing minutes. Once the time limit was reached, he would naturally advance to the next level. Take computer science, for example—his greatest interest. After class, he devoted all his energy to it, reaching Level 7 in four years… 16,666 hours and 40 minutes—which would amount to two years of nonstop, round-the-clock work. So, to reach Level 7 in computer science, he spent a full four years… immersing himself in the study of computer-related knowledge.