Eunuch, do you really know these martial arts?

At Nangang No. 7 Pier, the sea breeze carries a salty, fishy smell.

The Explorer rests quietly in its berth, its hull painted in the blue and white colors commonly seen in marine research institutions. With weather antennas and multi-band communication arrays mounted on its mast, it looks like a standard oceanographic research vessel.

Jiang Nian approached the gangway, where a middle-aged man in blue overalls with dark skin was squatting on the deck inspecting the cables.

"Who are you looking for?" the man asked without looking up.

"Old Zhang asked me to come and collect water samples from the South China Sea," Jiang Nian said.

The man paused, looked up, and sharply scanned Jiang Nian's entire body before standing up and dusting off his hands: "Come with me."

He led Jiang Nian up the gangway, past various marine sampling equipment piled on the deck, to an inconspicuous hatch at the stern. The man knocked on the door, three short knocks followed by two long ones.

The hatch slid open, revealing a downward metal staircase.

"Go down, the captain is waiting for you."

After speaking, the man turned and went back to the deck to continue working.

Jiang Nian walked down the stairs, and the cabin door behind him closed silently.

At the end of the stairs was a small transition chamber; once the airlock door opened, the space suddenly opened up.

This is not the interior of a research vessel at all, but a standard command cabin of a military submarine.

The curved control console is covered with various displays and joysticks, and several operators in dark blue training uniforms are busy at their respective posts.

There was a faint smell of ozone and metallic coolant in the air.

A middle-aged man wearing a submarine officer's uniform with two stars on his epaulets came forward to greet them.

"Consultant Jiang, this is Zhang Hai."

He stretched out his hand, his palm rough and strong. "We meet again."

Jiang Nian shook hands with him: "Captain Zhang, thank you for your help this time."

"It's my duty."

Zhang Hai gestured to the side, "Time is tight, let's prepare as we go."

He led Jiang Nian through the command cabin to an equipment room on the side.

Several deep-sea pressure suits were hanging on the wall, and their styles were more advanced than those Jiang Nian had seen on the Poseidon last time.

"This is the latest generation of dragon scale-type deep-sea suit, with an extreme working depth of 1,500 meters and a built-in life support system that can support you for four hours."

Zhang Hai patted one of the matte black outfits and introduced it, "We made minor adjustments based on your body measurements."

A young equipment officer next to him began to help Jiang Nian put on his gear.

The inner layer of the deep-sea suit is made of soft temperature-controlled material, while the outer layer is a protective layer woven from composite ceramics and special alloys. The joints are designed with biomimicry, making it more flexible than expected.

“You already know the mission process,” Zhang Hai said seriously, looking at Jiang Nian’s attire, “but I must emphasize a few key points.”

Jiang Nian nodded: "Go ahead."

"First, the time window."

Zhang Hai pointed to the digital clock on the wall, "At 2:00 PM today, a deep cold current will arrive in the target sea area from the southeast, lasting for about 25 minutes. This cold current will interfere with the enemy's sonar detection, providing us with the best cover."

"You must complete the signal transmission and evacuation within this timeframe."

"Second, depth control."

He pulled up a hydrological map. "The planned operating depth is 920 meters, but the terrain of that underwater canyon is complex, and the actual depth may fluctuate between 880 and 960 meters. You have to adjust based on real-time data to ensure that the signal transmitting device is at the optimal operating depth."

“Third, and most importantly,” Zhang Hai looked directly into Jiang Nian’s eyes, “once we detect any abnormal active sonar scans, or if you sense anything is wrong, immediately press the emergency jammer and then ascend at full speed.”

"Don't hesitate, even if the mission is only half completed."

"clear."

Jiang Nian checked the control panel on his wrist of the deep-sea suit, which displayed various data such as pressure, temperature, and oxygen levels.

"Communication test".

Zhang Hai nodded to the operator.

The operator made a few moves on the console, and a clear voice came through the headset built into Jiang Nian's helmet: "Test channel one, please reply upon receipt."

“Received, clear,” Jiang Nian replied through his throat communicator.

"Very good." Zhang Hai checked the time. "It's 12:50 now. The submarine will submerge at 1:00 PM sharp and is expected to arrive at the outer perimeter of the designated area at 1:40 PM. You need to exit the submarine at 2:00 PM sharp. Any questions?"

"When will the beacon group be deployed?" Jiang Nian asked.

"2:03 PM, three minutes later than you."

Zhang Hai brought up another interface: "They will infiltrate from the other side of the canyon, using the signal you created as cover. You will not make direct contact."

After putting on his gear, Jiang Nian stretched his limbs.

Although the deep-sea suit is heavy, its weight distribution is reasonable and does not affect basic movements.

"Final check," Zhang Hai gestured.

The equipment officer used testing equipment to scan various parts of the deep-sea suit to confirm that all systems were functioning properly.

"Okay." Zhang Hai patted Jiang Nian on the shoulder. "Go to the rest room and adjust your state. We'll dive in half an hour."

……

At the same time, at the film studio, on the set of "Lifeline".

"Card!"

Director Zhang Yi looked up from behind the monitor, his brows furrowed. "Chen Xiao, come here for a moment."

Chen Xiao jogged over, somewhat nervously: "Director, what's wrong?"

Zhang Yi pointed to the replay footage: "Look here, when Chen Yang was explaining the illness to the patient's family, your eyes were too unfocused. You need to remember that Chen Yang had already experienced setbacks at this point. He's no longer as flamboyant as he was when he first returned to China, but his inherent confidence is still there. Your eyes need to be firm, but not arrogant, understand?"

"Let me think about it some more." Chen Xiao wiped the sweat from his forehead.

Lin Wan walked over and handed Chen Xiao a bottle of water: "Don't be nervous, I was like that when I first joined the crew. Teacher Jiang said that the most important thing in acting is to believe that you are that person."

"Thank you, Sister Wan."

Chen Xiao took the water. "Teacher Jiang, are you really at the gym today? It's been over an hour."

Lin Wan glanced at her phone: "Teacher Jiang is very disciplined; he probably practiced extra. Does he have any scenes this afternoon?"

"There's a scene with me at 2 o'clock."

Chen Xiao flipped through the notice, "In the doctor's office, Lu Chenxi is instructing Chen Yang on how to handle postoperative complications."

“That scene was quite challenging,” Lin Wan recalled. “Lu Chenxi had to convey both expectation and concern for the younger generation while remaining calm, and Chen Yang had to hide his competitive spirit while humbly seeking advice. You had to prepare well.”

“I know.” Chen Xiao took a deep breath. “I’ll go find the assistant director to go over the lines again.”

On the other side of the set, Xiaomin sat in the rest area, seemingly organizing Jiang Nian's belongings, but actually had a miniature earphone plugged into her ear.

A-Jie's voice came through the earphones: "Teacher Jiang isn't in the hotel gym."

Xiaomin's expression remained unchanged as she replied in a low voice, "Keep searching, but don't make a fuss. Teacher Jiang instructed me that he needs some private time to handle some matters."

"Understood." A-Jie paused. "If they're not back by two o'clock..."

“Then let’s proceed with the backup plan,” Xiaomin said. “Just say that Teacher Jiang suddenly had a migraine and needs to rest for half a day. I’ll communicate with Director Zhang.”

"it is good."

Xiaomin put away her phone, looked at the gray sky outside the film set, and a trace of worry flashed in her eyes.

...South China Sea, 300 meters underwater.

The Explorer was long gone, replaced by a streamlined black submarine.

Inside the command center, the lights were dimmed to a dark red.

Data streams scrolled silently across various screens.

"Heading 085, speed 4 knots, depth 320 meters," the navigator reported in a low voice.

"Sonar status?"

Zhang Hai stood in front of the command platform, his hands resting on the edge of the control panel.

"Background noise level six, no abnormal active sonar signals detected. Hydrophone array No. 3 detected a large biomass activity in the southeast direction, 15 nautical miles away, which does not affect our shipping route."

"Continue monitoring."

Zhang Hai turned and walked towards the equipment room.

Jiang Nian was sitting in a chair, resting with his eyes closed. He was already fully dressed in his deep-sea suit, and his helmet was placed to the side. Hearing footsteps, he opened his eyes.

"We will arrive at our designated location in twenty minutes."

Zhang Hai sat down opposite him. "How are you feeling?"

"No problem." Jiang Nian stretched his neck. "Is the equipment inspection complete?"

"Everything is normal." Zhang Hai handed over a tablet, which displayed the operating interface of the signal transmitter. "Face to familiarize yourself with the process again."

Jiang Nian took the tablet and quickly swiped his fingers across the screen.

"The launch time must be exactly fifteen seconds." Zhang Hai pointed to the frequency adjustment bar. "If the time is too short, the effect will be insufficient; if it is too long, it will be easily locked. The device has a built-in timer that will automatically cut off when the time is up."

"Understood." Jiang Nian went through the steps in his mind again.

The submarine shuddered slightly, and the depth gauge readings began to increase rapidly.

"We're starting the descent." Zhang Hai stood up. "Let's go prepare the cabin."

The preparation compartment is located at the bottom of the submarine. It is a spherical space with a diameter of about three meters and a circular hatch in the center.

Two diving support staff were already waiting there. As soon as they entered, they began the final exit check.

"Pressure balancing system is normal."

"The hatch is well sealed."

"Emergency recovery cable has been connected."

Zhang Hai helped Jiang Nian put on the helmet and tightened the neck seal. The display screen inside the mask lit up, showing various vital signs data and external environmental readings.

“Remember,” Zhang Hai’s voice came through the built-in communicator, “After you go out, follow the guide cable down to a depth of 900 meters. The device will automatically alert you when you reach that depth. After the launch is complete, pull the recovery cable three times, and we will pull you back.”

Jiang Nian gave an OK sign.

The lights inside the cabin turned a flashing green. The pressure valve slowly closed, and seawater began to be pumped into the preparation chamber.

A chilling sensation emanated from the deep-sea suit, and the pressure gradually increased.

When the number jumped to 850 meters, the descent speed began to slow down.

"Arrived at the designated depth: 920 meters," the navigator's voice announced.

"Prepare to exit the cabin," Zhang Hai ordered.

The circular hatch at the bottom of the preparation compartment slid open, revealing the dark seawater outside. Jiang Nian grabbed the handrail at the hatch, took a deep breath, and plunged into the deep sea.

The cold and pressure instantly enveloped my entire body. The deep-sea suit emitted a faint hum, and its internal regulation system worked at full capacity to maintain a suitable temperature and pressure.

There was absolute silence all around, except for the sound of breathing and the faint sound of the deep-sea suit's circulatory system.

Occasionally, strange deep-sea creatures would be startled by the beam of the headlamp and quickly swim away.

Jiang Nian steadied himself and took out a signal transmitter from the equipment bag at his waist.

The black shell gleamed coldly in the seawater.

He started the device and performed depth calibration following the steps he had been trained on.

A green confirmation icon appeared on the face mask display.

Next is frequency adjustment.

The device has three preset frequencies, each corresponding to different harmonic characteristics.

"Frequency tuning complete, ready to launch," he reported into the communicator.

"Received," Zhang Hai's voice came through. "Beacon team in position. Countdown begins in thirty seconds."

Jiang Nian fixed the device in front of him and held the control handle with both hands.

A red countdown appeared inside the mask: 30, 29, 28...

In the deep sea, time seemed to slow down. Every second felt stretched out. He could feel his heartbeat, steady and strong.

When the countdown reached 10 seconds, he initiated the launch preheating. The device emitted a low hum, and its outer casing became slightly warm.

Jiang Nian stared intently at the timer on the mask: 1 second, 2 seconds, 3 seconds...

Suddenly, he sensed a change in the flow of the water around him.

It wasn't a natural change in ocean currents, but rather a regular disturbance, as if some large object was moving nearby.

"Consultant Jiang, abnormal water flow detected!" Zhang Hai's voice became urgent. "A large object is approaching from your ten o'clock position, about two hundred meters away!"

"The object is moving very fast! It's approaching you!" the sonar operator said nervously. "The outline is indistinct, but it's very large!"

The beam of the headlamp swept across the darkness at the ten o'clock position, vaguely illuminating a blurry outline. The thing was long, at least twenty meters, and was approaching at an alarming speed.

"It could be a deep-sea predator."

Zhang Hai paused, "Or it could be the other side's patrol unit."

At the very last second, Jiang Nian abruptly pressed the stop button. The device's glow instantly went out, and the harmonic signal transmission ceased.

Almost simultaneously, he pulled the recovery cable three times.

"Recycle!" Zhang Hai ordered.

The retrieval cable tightened abruptly, the powerful pull lifting Jiang Nian upwards. The very next second after his body left his original position, the enormous black shadow swept past where he had just been, the turbulent current it created nearly sweeping him away.

The beam of the headlamp illuminated a part of the thing.

It has a streamlined metal shell covered with a dark camouflage coating and a complex propulsion structure at the rear.

It is not a living organism.

It is some kind of underwater vehicle.

"Quickly! Speed ​​up the recovery!"

Zhang Hai's voice carried an unprecedented sense of urgency.

The retrieval cable operated at maximum power, rapidly pulling Jiang Nian towards the submarine. He could sense the underwater vehicle adjusting its course below, seemingly preparing to charge again.

"It's locked onto us!" the sonar operator shouted. "It's accelerating upwards!"

"Activate the chaff! Ascend at full speed!" Zhang Hai roared.

Outside the submarine, several chaff launchers were fired, bursting into large clusters of bubbles and acoustic decoys in the water.

The underwater vehicle hesitated for a moment, then reduced its speed slightly. (End of Chapter)