Unexpected way to recycle computing power

As soon as Lin Yuan returned to his dorm, he checked his phone and saw the message from that girl.

"Hello, I'm Xia Ye."

"Transfer received."

So her name was Xia Ye.

Lin Yuan confirmed the transfer, and she really sent him 1000 yuan.

This immediately changed Lin Yuan's impression of her. Originally, he thought she was just someone who had fallen into depravity and was using her looks to make a living, but now it seemed that she was indeed as she had just said: she had gone to work in that kind of place due to a temporary lapse in judgment.

Lin Yuan could understand this. Thinking back to when he had just graduated, if he had had the opportunity to make a living by his looks, he might not have embarked on the path of graduate school as he had now.

Lin Yuan remembered that Xia Ye had just said she was working three jobs, and combined with how she had chased him all the way to return the money, even scraping her knee, an image of a resilient Mulan-like heroine immediately popped into Lin Yuan's mind.

Thus, unconsciously, Lin Yuan subtly began to fantasize about inviting her to play the leading role in his life's grand drama.

Pure as an orchid, unyielding as a pine. It was hard not to like such a girl.

Lin Yuan naturally went to browse her WeChat Moments. As he looked, he even forgot to open his laptop, let alone write code.

Many scenes appeared in Lin Yuan's mind:

"Under the falling sycamore leaves in late autumn, Xia Ye, in a long dress, holding a child in each hand, one named Lin Xiaoxia, the other Lin Xia Ye..."

"On the early spring grass, they were rolling around..."

"The glorious beauty beneath her delicate collarbone..."

Lin Yuan's nose still seemed to retain the scent of her hair that she had left on the back seat of his electric scooter.

Lin Yuan finally realized: he had been striving for his future for too long; perhaps it was time to stop and rest for a while.

Algorithms and such didn't seem to be that urgent. Becoming an IT big shot wasn't something that needed to happen immediately. Perhaps it would be better to ensure his life's grand drama played out well while this flower bud was still unfurled.

For traditional men like Lin Yuan, the excitement from beautiful women was temporary, but the excitement from a virtuous wife and loving mother was long-lasting.

At this moment, Lin Yuan was like an animal in its breeding season that had found a suitable mate, driven by his own DNA to fulfill the important task of human reproduction.

Just then, Xia Ye sent another message.

"I get off work at ten. Are you free to go for a walk together?"

"Am I being too abrupt? How about dinner tomorrow? I haven't had a chance to thank you properly."

Lin Yuan felt his hands trembling. He had completely forgotten that Xia Ye had been wearing a maid outfit and white stockings at the maid cafe just a few days ago. He had already imagined himself as her only audience.

'How much courage and how many internal obstacles must a stubborn and unyielding girl overcome to ask a guy out at ten at night?' Lin Yuan didn't want to disappoint her. No need for tomorrow; tonight it was. He wished it could be now, immediately, right away.

Suddenly, a large icon flashed in the air before Lin Yuan's eyes—SOS!

No matter where he looked, this icon was reflected in his eyes like a shadow.

He knew, of course, that this must be a system prompt, and only the system could display various AR information floating in front of Lin Yuan's eyes out of thin air.

But why would the system prompt SOS?

Soon, the system provided the answer.

"Abnormal overload detected!"

"Hormonal nerve impulses abnormal!"

"Suggested execution of computing power recovery strategy!"

The first two lines of text didn't cause any ripple in Lin Yuan, but the last line—computing power recovery—immediately made Lin Yuan pay full attention.

Ever since he had the system, he had been constantly bothered by insufficient computing power. Now, the system was actively reminding him that he could execute a computing power recovery strategy.

No matter how much Lin Yuan's mind was clouded by desire, he wouldn't let go of such a rare opportunity.

"Recover, quickly recover for me!"

"Please select the recovery percentage."

'There's a percentage?' Without much thought, Lin Yuan said, "Recover all."

"Starting to decompose primal life essence."

"Recovery percentage: 100%."

Soon, a clear sensation gradually came from his lower body...

The scene that appeared before Lin Yuan's eyes was of DNA double helices constantly breaking apart, then turning into countless twinkling stars like fireflies.

Before long, Lin Yuan felt much clearer. It was like waking up from a good night's sleep and standing in the gentle morning breeze of early spring.

"Recovered primal life essence: 6ML, accumulated computing power increased: 100P."

'That's it?' Lin Yuan was delighted to have gained 100P of computing power for free, and his whole body felt as if his meridians had been opened, completely clear.

"Continue to recover!" Lin Yuan urged the system, not to stop.

"Current primal life essence remaining: 0ML."

"Warning: Frequent recovery may very likely lead to prostate problems!"

What? Lin Yuan was stunned.

Too frequent recovery of primal life essence would lead to prostate problems?

But isn't the prostate a man's... that thing?

So?

What is this primal life essence?

"F*ck?!"

Lin Yuan exclaimed, then looked down at his body. Sure enough, the flame had subsided.

"System, it really is you. You never let me get something for nothing."

"But what are you doing with this?"

Lin Yuan glanced at Xia Ye's WeChat Moments, which was still open on his phone. Xia Ye in the photo was still smiling brightly, but he no longer had many fantasies about her; he had already sobered up from his earlier agitation.

He recalled that the system's initial warning was: SOS!

Was it because his fantasies about Xia Ye had been too deep, leading to the system's warning?

It made sense. Lin Yuan had originally planned to go back to his dorm and immediately revise his code, because he had discovered an algorithm bug at Nine Minutes Sweet Milk Tea Shop. But looking at Xia Ye's Moments made him forget about it. He wished he could go meet Xia Ye for their date right away.

But now that he had calmed down, Lin Yuan realized: there are all sorts of people in society. Being able to lower oneself to work at a maid cafe doesn't seem like something a girl from a good family would do. Changing his opinion of her immediately just because of his encounter with Xia Ye today seemed a bit too hasty.

Lin Yuan remembered a saying: Women affect the speed of drawing a sword.

Was the system warning him because it was afraid he would get entangled with a bad girl?

"System, is that why you did this?"

Lin Yuan remembered that, based on the system's current behavior, it seemed unable to access his thoughts. So he had no choice but to softly voice his question.

However, the system gave no response. Lin Yuan was already used to the system's deadpan nature.

'Since I can increase computing power this way, why didn't the system tell me earlier?'

Lin Yuan thought back. Ever since he had the system, he had converted all the frustration from being beaten down by society into motivation for learning, even giving up on... that thing.

In other words, it was very likely that his earlier wild thoughts about Xia Ye, almost triggering him to revert to old habits, had triggered this hidden setting of the system to consume primal life essence to increase computing power?

But this method of computing power recovery made Lin Yuan feel... really, really bizarre.

However, using the most essential part of human beings as fuel to supplement computing power did make some sense.

Calmed down, Lin Yuan, out of careful consideration, sent Xia Ye a message:

"It's too late. I still have to be busy tonight."

"Let's have dinner together tomorrow."

The author is not being facetious.

All cells in the human body appear new, but in reality, they are "old cells" produced after further division. Only that thing is truly new.

Otherwise, why do people age?