The commotion with the golden Buddha lasted until noon before they were all gone. Huang Ji didn't give the golden Buddha too much thought.
As a national treasure, at present it wasn't something that he could come in contact with.
He didn't act rashly with the money either, waiting until the night and helping his grandfather fall asleep first before arriving at the hiding place of the money at the other side of the reservoir.
Using a shovel from the house that was used for farming, he started silently digging away.
In the dead of night, nobody could approach him without being discovered; the reason was because of sound.
Any sound he picked up would allow him to know the creator of the sound, the distance, the material that had created it, and even the frequency and pitch of the sound would be clear as day to him.
Hearing was the same as seeing; the instant he perceived it, everything from the shape to the color would appear in his mind as though he'd seen it with his own eyes
"I got it out...it's a safe." Huang Ji had dug out the safe, he knew that the three million was right inside.
Although the safe was protected by an electronic cipher lock, Huang Ji simply looked at it with a faint smile. A padlock would have caused him a bit of trouble, but a password lock? It might as well have been non-existent...
In front of Huang Ji, things like passwords provided absolutely zero security, the correct answer was right in the data. It was the same logic behind how, from Chinese and idioms, he could learn the entire history of its development and its origin.
"Any artificially created problem with a defined answer will also have that answer clearly recorded in the data." muttered Huang Ji.
It was a shame that his brain had been under too much stress before, muddying his mind and only slowly getting better after he'd dropped out of school; otherwise, with his ability, there would have been no need to give up on the High School Entrance Exam.
Don't mention the High School Entrance Exam, in his eyes, for any test with a set of model answers, the test sheet would be accompanied by the answers... Data perception was the strongest ability for taking tests.
If it weren't for the fact that he didn't really understand data and code, simply looking at storage devices like USB drives and hard drives would have allowed him to learn of the stored contents.
"I know too little still, I need to study. I wish I could go to school..." Even though he could 'learn from the world' through observation and derive all kinds of knowledge from the data, it was not a very efficient method and required a massive amount of deduction.
One example was how trees grew. Huang Ji had to observe them for a long period of time while slowly combing through the data before finally understanding how a tree absorbed energy and grew.
In a more general sense, pertaining to the question of how trees grew, nature had its own answer while humans had an answer of their own.
Nature's answer was so vast and complex that it was like there wasn't even an answer. In comparison, humanity's answer was a lot more convenient, such as learning about photosynthesis first. Like this, learning would be a lot more efficient.
All he had to learn was the knowledge about 'photosynthesis' that had already been established by humans, even just a tiny bit, and he would instantly unlock all sorts of information related to photosynthesis.
By learning about photosynthesis first and then observing the tree, what he sensed would be vastly different.
The entire process of photosynthesis undergone by the tree would be enacted in his mind in an indescribable manner, giving him a deep understanding of the process.
His understanding would be much deeper, giving him greater insight into the true essence compared to a person who'd only learned about photosynthesis from books.
With so much knowledge already present within human society, why rely on himself to slowly figure everything out?
By learning this preexisting knowledge and then observing and conducting experiments, not only would he gain a deeper understanding, he would also be able to perceive more useful details.
With this, he could derive untapped knowledge from the data; and with a bit of deduction, he could in-turn elevate his own understanding, obtaining knowledge that couldn't be found in books.
Learning, observing, summarizing, increasing his knowledge pool, elevating his knowledge, and then observing again...creating an endless feedback loop of learning!
This was as natural to him as breathing and sleeping.
"With data perception, my learning speed is like a rocket! I can learn almost anything instantly while being able to draw numerous inferences from the data. Moreover, I can rapidly put this knowledge to practical use"
" I just have to combine my ability which allows me to self-study with the knowledge of other people! At this rate, just by myself I'll be able to develop technological skill that surpasses humanity's current level! Yes, this is the way! If I surpass the technological level of the aliens, humanity will be saved."
Huang Ji soon decided his goal. He was going to do everything within his power to enhance his knowledge. Knowledge is power.
With enough knowledge and a high enough level of technology, he could solve Earth's current predicament.
"Oh right, I can't forget about my body either. I've got to find a way to strengthen my body." His physical fitness was related to how much unknown data he could block out.
The perception of data was done automatically, if he couldn't block it out, he would be subject to the constant barrage of data that would always be applying stress to his mind.
He had a young and healthy body and was already able to block out a lot of information in his everyday life.
This allowed his intelligence to return to normal, but there was still a lot of unknown data he couldn't block out. The stars, for one, were always bombarding him with their data.
This was an extremely uncomfortable experience. It was equivalent to having his five senses undergo constant stimulation.
"Also, Grandpa's body has always been in bad shape...he can't hold on for much longer." Huang Ji looked on with worry at his snoring grandfather in the house.
Nobody knew his grandfather's illness better than him. His condition was deteriorating, and every passing year would only make it worse. If he continued on like this, his grandfather would only have five years left to live... He had to find a way to cure his grandfather.