Before Li Ruoxuan could keep teasing, Xiao Yu—already red-faced—quickly tugged her up by the arm.
"I need to use the restroom. Ruoxuan, come with me."
Caught mid-smirk, Li Ruoxuan stumbled as she was dragged away. "Okay, okay! Sheesh, you're acting like you wanna kill someone."
As they walked off, she turned back toward Chen Mo and whispered mischievously, "That answer you're looking for? You'll have to explore it yourself. Otherwise, someone might actually kill me. You owe me one, hero."
Chen Mo chuckled awkwardly, scratching his cheek. This definitely wasn't how he expected his quiet library morning to go. Still, thanks to Ruoxuan's antics, he now understood a bit more about Xiao Yu—and it made him smile.
Shaking off the distraction, he buried himself back into his pharmacology book. Right now, his best move was sticking to his supercharged study grind.
A few minutes later, Xiao Yu returned alone. Her cheeks were still faintly pink as she sat back down beside him.
"If you don't mind… let's just forget what she said," she muttered, eyes fixed on her book.
"She's pretty bold," Chen Mo replied with a grin. "But it's a shame she didn't tell me the last bit of that 'important info.'"
Xiao Yu's blush deepened all the way to her ears, and she quickly ducked behind her book.
Chen Mo laughed softly and turned back to his reading.
By noon, he'd already devoured ten full books on herbal illustrations and pharmacological analysis. Adding that to the six science texts from last night, he was now at sixteen books total.
Shu Lao had said that reading one hundred science or engineering books would earn him access to a new technology.
Sixteen down. Eighty-four to go.
He was just getting started.
And now, he also had all the materials needed to try human potential development.
After lunch, Chen Mo walked Xiao Yu back to her dorm before heading off-campus alone. There was something he had to do—something he couldn't risk doing inside the school.
The Low-Level Human Potential Development Technology wasn't just theoretical. It came with a full guide: detailed prescriptions, method of preparation, and instructions for use.
But it also came with a big disclaimer: Don't try this where people can see you unless you want a one-way trip to a lab or military base.
Which meant: no dorms, no campus labs.
He needed privacy.
The rental market near Binhai University wasn't kind. After some searching, Chen Mo finally found a small unit—one bedroom, one bathroom, furnished, with a decent tub.
Perfect for medicinal baths. Not perfect for his bank account.
After paying two months' rent plus a deposit, his savings balance looked… painful.
Then came the next hit: medicinal herbs.
He made a trip to the local Chinese medicine market and bought 32 different herbs, totaling over ten kilograms, all based on the prescription from the Science Library. Everything had to be ground into powder with exact measurements.
Total cost? Over 1,500 yuan.
Painful.
Back at the rental, Chen Mo spent over an hour boiling part of the medicine into a thick liquid, mixing the rest into hot water in the tub. The entire place smelled like a witch's cauldron by the time he was done.
He stared at the black, bubbling soup with wide eyes.
Steam curled upward like ghostly tendrils. The color was terrifying.
If it weren't from the Science Library, he would've assumed he was brewing poison.
"Well… bottom's up."
Stripping down, Chen Mo took a breath and stepped in.
HISSSSS—
He instantly sucked in air, eyes wide, muscles locking.
The water was scorching. It felt like bathing in lava-flavored miso soup.
But he gritted his teeth and lowered himself in. According to the formula, the heat helped open his pores, allowing the active compounds to seep into his bloodstream and activate his dormant potential.
It was also supposed to hurt like hell.
Chen Mo could confirm.
Eventually, the intense heat wore him out. His limbs went limp, his body relaxing into the brew.
And then, his vision faded.
When he opened his eyes again, the giant white gate of the Science and Technology Library stood before him.
Without hesitation, he walked through.
"Shu Lao!" he called out. "Did it work? I feel like I just boiled myself in used motor oil!"
The old man laughed. "Did you think developing human potential would feel like a hot spring? That was medicine, not bubble bath."
Chen Mo winced. "It felt like I was marinated alive."
Shu Lao nodded approvingly. "The heat helped activate the compounds and boosted your body's absorption rate. It also enhanced blood circulation, allowing the effects to spread more evenly."
"That… actually makes sense."
Shu Lao stroked his beard. "You'll start noticing changes soon. Physical enhancement is only part of it. You'll also need equipment to help adapt and train those improvements properly."
Chen Mo nodded. "Got it."
After a short chat, he exited the library.
Chen Mo's eyes snapped open back in the tub. The soup had gone cold. His head still throbbed slightly, but he felt… different.
He rinsed off and got dressed. Then walked to the mirror.
And paused.
"Whoa…"
His reflection had changed.
He looked taller. More defined. Not like a bodybuilder, but lean and athletic. His muscles weren't bulky, but the lines were smooth, well-toned, and somehow more balanced.
When he flexed, the hidden muscles burst forth with clean definition.
He didn't feel tired—he felt energized.
"So this is what it's like to have a cheat code…"
Grinning at his reflection, Chen Mo adjusted his collar, gave himself a finger gun, and said to the mirror:
"You, sir, are getting dangerously handsome."
After cleaning the mess in the bathroom, he headed out again and picked up a gym membership near the school. He'd need to train to adapt to his newfound strength, just like the manual instructed.
But first: the library.
That evening, he returned to the study area with a few books on computer science and programming. He scanned the area until he spotted her.
Xiao Yu was already there, deeply focused, her hair tied up in a bun.
He walked over and quietly sat beside her.
She turned and blinked in surprise. "You look… different."
Chen Mo leaned slightly closer and whispered, "Do I look more handsome?"
Xiao Yu bit back a smile. "Narcissist."
But she didn't deny it.
That was good enough for Chen Mo.
He opened his book, eyes scanning the code examples and theoretical structures. He could feel the hyper-efficiency of his new brain at work—everything was easier to digest, faster to process.
He was broke now. The rent and herbs had wiped him out.
If he wanted to fund future experiments, he needed a way to make money—fast.
And in this world, the fastest-growing goldmine was the internet.
But first… he had to master the tech.