Transcending Boundaries: Journey to the Infinite

Untitled Part 16

Playing Chess

At the Bao'an Road Public Library.

Yang Chu stood in front of rows of bookshelves, just as he had yesterday, searching for the books he wanted to read.

Some of the books were ones he hadn't had time to delve into yesterday. His range of book choices had expanded from topics like sleep and self-awareness to the various circulatory systems inside the human body and some books related to the brain.

After picking out seven or eight books, Yang Chu carried them to a quiet corner of the reading room and began to concentrate.

After browsing through yesterday's readings, Yang Chu noticed that his reading speed was now remarkably fast. Aside from the mental effort needed to maintain his internal systems, he could stay fully immersed in reading for a significant amount of time.

He had somewhat figured out why.

Ordinary people can also enter a highly focused reading state like his—so engrossed that they forget to eat, sleep, or even be aware of themselves.

This "self" in "self-awareness," according to Yang Chu, refers to a kind of subconscious instinct.

When someone is fully absorbed in a task, their intense concentration can cause their conscious mind to overlook subconscious feedback such as muscle soreness from prolonged sitting, mental fatigue, the need to relieve oneself, or hunger.

Naturally, Yang Chu found it easier than most people to reach such a state of intense focus, even though he needed to allocate a small part of his mental energy to maintain the functioning of his internal circulatory, respiratory, and other systems.

Moreover, Yang Chu discovered another thing: although he had consumed a lot of food, less than 50% of that energy seemed to go towards maintaining bodily functions, healing injuries, and enhancing physical fitness after last night's intense training.

More than half of the energy was consumed by his brain.

For a normal person, the brain only accounts for 2% of body weight but consumes about 20% of the body's energy.

Yang Chu's brain, however, consumed far more than that.

Based on the calories he consumed, in just a day or two, he had eaten enough food to sustain a typical adult male for 7 to 10 days. The amount of energy converted from that food and consumed by his brain was indeed terrifying.

Yang Chu speculated that this was why his brain was becoming increasingly adept at coordinating the continuous functioning of all the internal systems.

He also found that a short sleep in water, akin to a "womb-like" state, helped him clear the impurities generated by brain activity, allowing him to stay awake for long periods, likely due to his brain's high energy consumption.

Standing in front of the library bookshelves, he also realized that he could remember almost everything he had read yesterday, even if it was just a quick glance.

It seemed that, without the subconscious instincts that manage the body's energy distribution, his brain—constantly working in multi-thread mode—was absorbing more and more energy and nutrients, significantly enhancing his memory, computational ability, comprehension, and logical thinking.

From last night's brief workout that improved his physical fitness to now sensing changes in his brain, Yang Chu was growing more interested in exploring the mysteries of the human body.

As he flipped through the pages of the books in front of him, he lost track of time. Suddenly, a familiar voice broke his concentration: "You really focus when you read."

Yang Chu looked up and saw Xu Xi, who wore a somewhat plain and old-fashioned outfit by the current standards of Hong Kong Island residents. He smiled and replied, "There are many answers in books that I don't know yet."

"You seem much better today than yesterday," Xu Xi said, standing by, her shy smile hinting at a bit of surprise.

"I slept well yesterday." Yang Chu closed the book in his hand and lightly patted it. "I've temporarily solved my sleep problem, but I'm still looking for a better solution."

"Well, congratulations."

Xu Xi smiled and noticed the books Yang Chu was holding. She pointed to one of them and said, "I've read that one too. It really helps people understand themselves better."

"Is that so? I didn't notice that. I just thought it offered some useful insights on the brain, the body, and self-regulation."

The book in Yang Chu's hand was titled The Body Keeps the Score, a book about healing psychological trauma. Most of its content was not useful to Yang Chu, but some parts that explored the brain, mental processes, and neurology were of some reading value.

"Xu Xi, we're going for lunch. Would you like to join us?"

At the entrance of the library, a middle-aged man with gold-rimmed glasses called out to Xu Xi. He was part of a group of men and women who were about to leave the library.

Yang Chu recognized these people as staff members of the Bao'an Road Public Library. He then noticed that the clock on the wall of the reading room indicated it was already noon.

The library closes for two hours at noon and reopens at 2 p.m. The staff usually go out for lunch during this time.

"No, thank you, Director. You all go ahead!" Xu Xi did not accept the middle-aged director's invitation and simply smiled and waved them off.

After the group left, Yang Chu chuckled, "Not joining your colleagues for lunch? Even your boss was inviting you."

"No," Xu Xi smiled and shook her head. "They eat at expensive places; I'm fine with a packed lunch."

"Then let's have lunch together," Yang Chu stood up from his seat. "I ate your lunch yesterday; today it's my treat."

"A lunchbox?" Xu Xi tilted her head slightly, a hint of amusement in her eyes.

"Yes, a lunchbox," Yang Chu nodded.

"I'll make a call then."

This time, Xu Xi did not refuse. She smiled and went over to the office area to call in the order.

Soon, a delivery guy brought the lunchboxes they had ordered—three in total, with barbecued pork and roast duck leg, a typical Hong Kong-style fast food.

After paying, they ate in the same spot as yesterday. Xu Xi had one, while Yang Chu had two.

After eating, Xu Xi cleaned up the meal boxes and brought out a set of Chinese chess from her workstation. "We don't have much to do now. How about a game of chess?"

"Sure."

Yang Chu didn't refuse. Since the library wasn't open yet, he didn't feel it was worth asking Xu Xi to make an exception for him.

They set up the pieces.

Yang Chu started with a cannon move; Xu Xi followed with a horse move. They went back and forth, quickly unfolding the game.

Xu Xi's moves were more varied than Yang Chu had expected. Her strategy seemed defensive, but her layout was far-sighted, often catching him off guard with a sudden checkmate in seemingly ordinary moves.

Yang Chu wasn't particularly skilled at chess. He hadn't spent much brainpower calculating his moves, and soon he found himself at a disadvantage.

"Oh, you shouldn't have made that move! Jump the horse, or else your chariot will be captured."

Just as Yang Chu's situation was getting precarious, a voice suddenly chimed in from beside him.