Chapter Twenty: System Complete

Looking at the brain development serum he had successfully created, Zhou Xuan could barely restrain himself from shouting in excitement. He had finally succeeded—it had been anything but easy. Now, with this serum, once he took it, his brain’s capacity would increase by at least five percent.

To think that even the greatest human scientist, Einstein, had only developed ten percent of his brain. With this serum, Zhou Xuan could reach at least thirteen percent. And as time went on, he might even reach eighteen percent. Such a level of development was unprecedented in this age—he was truly on the path to pioneering black technology.

Without hesitation, Zhou Xuan continued to prepare the final portion of ingredients, determined to succeed. An hour and a half later, he succeeded again. He fetched an exquisite little box, carefully placed one serum inside, and saved it for later use.

Relaxing, Zhou Xuan sat in his chair and rested for half an hour. Then he took the brain development serum and placed it in his mouth; it melted instantly, spreading throughout his body in moments.

Lying on the bed, eyes closed, Zhou Xuan quietly savored the miraculous process. Gradually, he felt himself drifting off, perhaps fainting or falling asleep. He seemed to dream, standing as an observer: witnessing the Big Bang, the rise of countless planets, the flourishing of life, and the aging of worlds collapsing into black holes.

It felt as though trillions of years had passed before Zhou Xuan awoke from his slumber. In an instant, a myriad of images filled his vision, and countless sounds echoed in his mind—all so distinct and clear.

He sensed that all his perceptions were heightened—his eyes sharper, able to see farther and with greater clarity; his ears keener, hearing more distant and subtle sounds. Most astonishing was his enhanced thinking and analytical ability—problems he once found impossible now yielded answers as soon as he considered them. New ideas constantly sprang forth, his mind stretching into realms previously unimagined.

After dinner, Zhou Xuan packed his things and prepared to return to the county. It was now time to develop the internet café management system. With his current abilities, Zhou Xuan estimated he could finish it in a single day.

With his expanded mental capacity, Zhou Xuan’s abilities improved dramatically. The experience of his previous life fused seamlessly in his mind, gradually radiating out, forming new understandings.

When he returned home, he discovered Wei Lian had already left. Beside the computer, a work log detailed the hours Wei Lian had worked over the past few days and what he had accomplished. Zhou Xuan felt entirely satisfied with him. He had only instructed Wei Lian to maintain the website daily, with no fixed schedule—just to finish the tasks before going home. Yet, for the past two days, Wei Lian had worked eight hours each day, leaving at five in the afternoon. In the mornings, he combed through the website for errors and omissions; in the afternoons, he promoted the navigation portal on major forums.

Looking at the lone, simple computer, Zhou Xuan realized it was no longer sufficient. It was running the hao123 navigation site, he needed it for developing the management software, and Wei Lian also needed a machine for maintenance. Even so, they were still two computers short, and Zhou Xuan wanted to buy one for his parents as well, so they could become familiar with computers and learn business management skills online.

Moreover, as the café management system spread, he would need to build a team, and someone would have to manage the monthly payroll. Zhou Xuan measured the size of his room and decided to buy five more computers. This time, he was determined to bargain hard—he had already bought eight computers from his classmate Li Yunxi, a substantial order for the time. In this era, aside from internet cafés and government offices, few private individuals purchased so many computers. Even with the latest configurations, he should be able to get each machine for just over 7,000 yuan.

Having made up his mind, Zhou Xuan immediately called Wu Qing in the provincial capital and asked him to send another five computers. After bargaining, the price was set at 7,200 yuan per unit, over a thousand less than the previous three machines.

With that settled, Zhou Xuan began developing the café management system on the website server. For someone who had spent a lifetime as a programmer, this was second nature. The first version didn’t need to be perfect—just the basic functions would suffice. He would add new features only after competitors emerged, ensuring he always stayed ahead and dominated the café management system market.

The next day, Zhou Xuan threw himself into developing the system, leaving Wei Lian to manage at the internet café for a few days. At this time, many computer rooms in the county already had internet access, and as usage fees dropped, more and more machines were coming online. Zhou Xuan estimated that within two months, proper internet cafés would open in the county. When that happened, the golden era for cafés—which would last several years—would truly begin.

In just one day, Zhou Xuan completed the first version of the “Xuan Yu Internet Café Management System”—an impressive speed by any measure.

“So fast?” Zhou Xuan had Wei Lian try out the system, and was met with a look of astonishment. Wei Lian was well aware of when Zhou Xuan had started the project; he expected that even a simple system would take several days, but Zhou Xuan had finished it in a single day.

Zhou Xuan was, in Wei Lian’s eyes, a genius—he had already created the innovative hao123 navigation site. In just ten days, the site had reached 110,000 visits, an astonishing figure given the limited number of internet users at the time—a miracle worthy of celebration.

Even so, Wei Lian hadn’t believed Zhou Xuan could finish a system in a single day, even if it only handled basic management functions. Software development went through so many stages—requirements, design, coding, testing, deployment—that even simple features weren’t easily done well.

But as Wei Lian harbored doubts about whether Zhou Xuan’s work was just a shoddy system, he opened the café management software and started operating it. As he did, his face reflected nothing but pure shock.

“Haha! Brother Wei, what do you think? Not bad, right?” Zhou Xuan was delighted by Wei Lian’s astonished expression.

Wei Lian asked in amazement, “Boss, how did you do it? This is incredible.”

There was no denying Zhou Xuan’s programming prowess—in Wei Lian’s view, not even the teachers who’d started programming early at their school could match him.

“Haha, well, who do you think I am?” Zhou Xuan laughed. “Test it out today and see if there are any bugs. If you find any, write them down and I’ll fix them tomorrow.”