Eunuch, do you really know these martial arts?

Smoke rings rose slowly into the air of the lounge.

Director Zhang Yi's eyes, hidden behind the smoke, were sharper than those of a fifty-six-year-old.

“Director,” Jiang Nian calmly returned the gaze, “I am just an actor.”

"actor?"

Zhang Yi stubbed out his cigarette in the disposable paper cup, making a soft "hissing" sound.

"Can an actor punch a concrete floor and create spiderwebs? Can an actor stop a door in mid-air when it's about to crash into them?"

He stood up, walked to Jiang Nian, bent down, and said in a very low voice, "Jiang Nian, I've been acting for over thirty years and have seen real kung fu."

"In the 1980s, when we were filming at Shaolin Temple, I saw a martial monk break a blue brick with one finger."

"Back in the 90s, when we were filming martial arts movies, I saw an old martial arts director break three tiles with his bare hands."

"But the noise you made on the rooftop that day, and what you did just now..."

He shook his head. "That's not kung fu."

Jiang Nian remained silent.

The door to the dressing room was closed, but the sounds of the film crew packing up their equipment could be heard outside.

There was a stagehand shouting something in the distance, but the voice was indistinct.

"You don't have to tell me."

Zhang Yi straightened up and walked to the window. "But I'm the director, and I have to be responsible for the crew."

“Something happened at the warehouse yesterday, right? I saw Li Su and the others rush in.”

Jiang Nian's eyes narrowed.

"Director, there are some things that are safer not to know."

"Safety?"

Zhang Yi turned around and smiled wryly, "Jiang Nian, do you think I'm stupid? I felt something was off from the first day you joined the crew."

He sat down on the folding chair opposite Jiang Nian, his hands crossed on his knees.

"Your two assistants, Su Qing and Chen Meng. Su Qing is too professional, so professional that she doesn't seem like a personal assistant. As for the way Chen Meng walks, I used to work in the military's cultural troupe, and that's a proper soldier's gait."

"And those prop team members who were suddenly replaced. The assistant director said they resigned, but when I checked, they hadn't even gone through the resignation procedures. It's like they vanished into thin air."

"The security guards outside today all had eyes like hawks, and their hands were always on the line to quickly draw their guns! Don't deny it, I've acted in police dramas, I know."

Zhang Yi stared at Jiang Nian: "Now tell me, who exactly have you messed with?"

"Organized crime? Foreign forces? Or..."

Jiang Nian took a deep breath.

"Director, if I told you that the more you know, the more dangerous it is, would you believe me?"

"I believe."

Zhang Yi nodded, "That's why I haven't asked. But not today."

He pointed out the window: "Lin Wan saw that scene just now, Chen Xiao saw it, and at least seven or eight staff members saw it."

"How do you explain the door stopping itself ten centimeters away from you? Special effects? Magic?"

"I would say it was an accident, a problem with the door hinge," Jiang Nian said.

Do they believe it?

Zhang Yi shook his head. "Jiang Nian, the film crew is a small society. The slightest thing can spread throughout the entire place in half a day."

"Now rumors are starting to circulate that there's something strange about you."

Jiang Nian frowned.

This is indeed a problem.

He may not care about his own safety, but he cannot let the normal work of the film crew be affected.

"Director, what do you want me to do?"

“Two choices.” Zhang Yi held up two fingers. “First, tell me the truth now, at least part of it, so I can have some idea.”

"Second, you leave the crew after you finish filming today. I'll use a stunt double and editing to handle the rest of the scenes."

Jiang Nian shook her head: "I can't leave."

"why?"

"Because I left, those people might target the film crew."

Jiang Nian spoke frankly, "They are looking for me, but if I'm not here, they might use you to force me to show up."

Zhang Yi's face paled: "Kidnapping?"

"Worse."

Silence fell over the lounge.

After a full minute, Zhang Yi finally spoke.

"So you insisted on filming to protect us?"

“Part of it is,” Jiang Nian said. “The other part is that I need this identity.”

“The more normal the actors are, the less likely they are to make a move in public.”

"who are they?"

Jiang Nian remained silent for a few seconds.

"An organization."

He finally said, "It's a very dangerous organization. They want something from me."

"what?"

"I'm not entirely sure myself," Jiang Nian said with a wry smile.

Zhang Yi stared at him, as if trying to determine whether what he said was true or false.

"Do you have connections?" the director suddenly asked.

Jiang Nian did not give a direct answer: "I am cooperating with the relevant departments in handling this matter."

"understood."

Zhang Yi let out a heavy sigh, lit another cigarette, and said, "Then I can't say. Fine, I won't ask for details."

He took two puffs and suddenly said, "But I need you to promise me one thing."

"You say."

"You can't hurt my people."

Zhang Yi's eyes hardened. "The stagehands, lighting crew, makeup artists, actors—they're all ordinary people here to work. Your troubles shouldn't drag them down with you."

"I promise."

Jiang Nian solemnly said, "As long as I'm here, they are safe."

"Can you guarantee that?"

"I can."

Zhang Yi stared at him for a long time before finally nodding.

"Okay, I believe you once."

"Jiang Nian, no matter who you are, in my eyes you're a good actor. Don't die, I want to work with you again."

Jiang Nian sat alone in the lounge, listening to the gradually returning noise outside.

After a while, Su Qing pushed open the door and came in, her face tense.

"Teacher Jiang, Director Zhang, he..."

“I understand,” Jiang Nian said. “He guessed quite a bit.”

"What should I do?"

"As originally planned."

Jiang Nian adjusted his wheelchair. "After filming this afternoon, we'll go back to the base."

The afternoon shoot went exceptionally smoothly.

Perhaps because director Zhang Yi and the lead actors were all preoccupied with their own thoughts, they were able to portray the oppressive and tense atmosphere of the script.

As the car drove out of the film studio, the sky darkened.

"It is going to rain."

Li Su looked out the window.

Yang Zhan sat in the passenger seat with his eyes closed: "Is the base ready?"

"Ready."

Chen Meng reported from the car behind, "Commander Zhao is personally leading the team to meet us. The flight route has been approved, and if the weather permits, we will take off in two hours."

"Where is that thing in the South China Sea?"

"The latest satellite images show that it has slowed down."

Chen Meng pulled up the data on the tablet: "Currently, we are at the edge of the East China Sea, at a depth of about 400 meters, and our speed has dropped to 10 knots. At this speed, it will take another eight to ten hours to reach the Pingjiao Triangle area."

"What is it waiting for?" Yang Zhan opened his eyes.

"I don't know," Chen Meng shook his head. "But the technical department analyzed that it might be waiting for nightfall or for the tides to change." Jiang Nian suddenly spoke up: "No, it's waiting for me."

Everyone looked at him.

"The organization's goal has always been clear: capture me alive or obtain my complete genetic data. Taking action in the city is too risky, but at the base..."

He paused.

"Although the base is heavily defended, it is also the only place where they can concentrate their forces to launch a strong attack."

"You mean, they deliberately slowed down?"

Yang Zhan frowned.

“Yes.” Jiang Nian nodded. “Shen Qianshan’s operation was a probe, and the warehouse reconnaissance was for data collection. They should have enough information by now. Next, it’s time for the final assault.”

The car quieted down, with only the deep rumble of the engine.

After a while, Yang Zhan said, "Does Lao Bai know about this judgment?"

"I've already sent it to him."

Chen Meng showed the encrypted communication records, saying, "Prepare for the worst-case scenario."

As the car entered the backup airport, it started to rain.

The helicopter has started.

"Consultant Jiang, please."

The officer in the raincoat shouted.

Jiang Nian was pushed onto the helicopter, with Yang Zhan following closely behind.

Li Su and Wang Chuang boarded another plane, while Zhao Qing and Zhou Yan remained on the ground to provide cover and clear the area.

The hatch closed, and the world fell silent instantly.

"The flight takes two hours and forty minutes," the pilot said, turning around. "No stops in between, direct flight to the base."

"Will the weather affect it?" Su Qing asked.

"It's a bit bumpy, but no problem." The driver gave an OK sign. "Hold on tight."

Su Qing handed over a monitoring bracelet: "Teacher Jiang, Elder Qin asked you to wear this. Real-time data will be transmitted back to the base."

The bracelet is very light; you can barely feel its weight when wearing it on your wrist.

But the moment he put it on, Jiang Nian clearly felt that the activity level of the marker decreased slightly.

"The suppressor has been upgraded?"

"Old Qin said it's a guide."

Su Qing pulled up the explanation, "It's not about forcibly suppressing it, but about using a specific frequency to guide the flow of marked energy and prevent it from spreading disorderly."

"is that useful?"

"Data shows that the regularity of the marking activities has increased by 40 percent."

Su Qing looked at the tablet and said, "Old Qin said this is a good sign, indicating that the system is adapting to external regulation."

Jiang Nian nodded and closed her eyes again.

This time, he tried to actively guide that energy.

He discovered that if he gave a general direction, the labeling network would adjust the details on its own.

For example, if he wants energy to flow to the wound on his right hand, he doesn't need to precisely control every channel; he only needs to think of the location, and the network will automatically allocate energy and choose the optimal path.

“Interesting,” he murmured.

Two hours and forty minutes later, the helicopter began its descent.

Through the rain, faint lights could be seen among the mountains below.

We've arrived at the base.

The landing was smooth, and the helicopter flew directly into a huge indoor hangar.

When the hatch opened, Bai Yongxu and Chief Zhao were already waiting downstairs.

"Welcome back."

Bai Yongxu stepped forward, his gaze sweeping over Jiang Nian. "How are your injuries?"

"much better."

Jiang Nian was pushed off the gangway by Su Qing. "Where's that thing in the South China Sea?"

"Still hovering on the edge of the East China Sea." Commander Zhao pulled up the real-time location on his tablet. "The speed has dropped again, now it's only five knots. Like taking a walk."

"It's waiting for a signal," Jiang Nian said.

"What signal?"

"My signal."

Jiang Nian felt the active markers in his body. "If I'm not mistaken, the organization is waiting for me to return to the base, to get into a position they deem appropriate, and then that thing will come at full speed."

"Can the frequency be analyzed?" Bai Yongxu asked Old Qin, who had rushed over.

“It has been detected.” Old Qin held up a newly printed waveform diagram. “It is homologous to a certain fundamental frequency marked in Jiang Nian’s body.”

He pulled up a comparison chart: "Look, Jiang Nian's marker fluctuations are like a symphony. And this signal is a continuous roar at a single frequency."

"If this signal continues to strengthen, it may forcibly awaken certain deep functions marked in Jiang Nian's body."

"for example?"

“For example, the instinct to return to their birthplace,” Old Qin said slowly. “Some deep-sea creatures, no matter how far they swim, can instinctively return to their birthplace. If the organization’s genetic technology originated from a creature with this ability…”

He didn't finish his sentence, but everyone understood.

“So that thing is not just a means of transportation,” Yang Zhan said coldly, “it is also a navigation beacon.”

Jiang Nian felt a chill down his back.

"What if the signal gets strong enough that I lose control and walk towards it on my own?"

"Theoretically possible."

Mr. Qin frankly admitted, "Therefore, we must find a way to shield or interfere with the signal before it amplifies to a critical point."

"At the current rate of signal enhancement, the critical point will be approximately 36 hours from now."

"Thirty-six hours..."

Bai Yongxu murmured, "If that thing travels at full speed, it will arrive near the base at just the right time."

"It's not a coincidence." Chief Zhao clenched his fist. "They're playing the timing game."

"How are the base's defenses prepared?" Yang Zhan asked.

"Full power operation," Commander Zhao said. "All air defense systems are online, underwater listening arrays are fully operational, and special operations teams are on standby 24 hours a day."

He paused, then said, "But Lao Bai, if that thing is really a big one, as Jiang Nian speculated, our conventional defenses might not be enough."

Bai Yongxu remained silent for a few seconds.

"Old Qin, what's the progress of your anti-phase interference field research?"

"The laboratory prototype has been completed."

Old Qin quickly replied, "But the power is insufficient, and the coverage area is too small. To cover the entire base, at least three more large launch towers would be needed, but there isn't enough time."

"What about miniaturization?" Jiang Nian suddenly asked.

"what?"

"What if it only covers me, not the entire base?"

Jiang Nian said, "I will make the interference field portable so that I can carry it with me."

Old Qin's eyes lit up: "Theoretically, it's feasible! But Jiang Nian, that means you'll have to stay in the interference field all the time, which may have unknown effects on your body."

"It's better than being controlled," Jiang Nian said calmly.

"Okay, I'll revise the plan right away!"

Old Qin turned to leave, but after taking a couple of steps, he turned back and said, "Jiang Nian, go to the medical center for a full check-up. I need the latest physiological data."

The medical center is located on the third basement level.

When Jiang Nian was wheeled into the examination room, a whole medical team was already waiting inside.

"Consultant Jiang, please lie down."

The attending physician was a middle-aged woman in her forties, surnamed Xu. She had a serious expression but moved very gently.

The full checkup took two hours.

Blood draw, scanning, neural electrical signal testing, and gene sampling.

The last item is deep brainwave monitoring, which requires Jiang Nian to enter a semi-sleep state.

"Relax and follow my guidance."

Jiang Nian closed her eyes.

At first, everything went smoothly, and he could feel his consciousness slowly sinking.

But just as I was about to enter a state of deep relaxation, those markers in my body suddenly became active!
"Jiang Nian?" The psychologist noticed something was wrong. "Your brainwaves are fluctuating wildly. What happened?"

“The mark is on the resistance.” Jiang Nian gritted his teeth. (End of Chapter)