Eunuch, do you really know these martial arts?

“The mark is in resistance.”

Fine beads of sweat appeared on Jiang Nian's forehead, and his eyeballs trembled rapidly beneath his eyelids.

The psychologist, Dr. Lin, immediately stopped the guided instruction and began rapidly manipulating the control panel with his fingers.

"Abnormal brainwaves! This does not conform to the physiological laws of sleep!"

On the monitoring screen, the curve representing the level of relaxation did not decrease, but instead rose sharply like a roller coaster.

"Consultant Jiang, how are you feeling now?"

Dr. Lin leaned closer to the observation window, and his voice came through the speaker.

Jiang Nian opened her eyes, a faint golden light swirling deep within her pupils. "Extremely clear-headed. The kind of clarity you get after drinking ten cups of espresso."

The medical team gathered around the monitoring station, exchanging information in hushed tones.

Dr. Xu retrieved the real-time physiological data.

"Adrenaline levels are normal, cortisol levels are normal, but neurotransmitter monitoring shows a 300% increase in spontaneous release of dopamine and norepinephrine. This is equivalent to..."

"It's like the body injecting itself with a stimulant."

Dr. Lin continued, his expression grave, "The marking system is preventing you from entering a deep rest state."

"Why?" Jiang Nian sat up and checked the bed, which made a slight mechanical sound.

"It may be a protective mechanism."

Old Qin's voice came from the doorway, holding a freshly printed analysis report in his hand.

“Deep-sea creatures remain highly alert in dangerous environments, and your tagging system may have inherited this characteristic.”

"What about fatigue?" Dr. Lin asked.

“The tagging system may be compensating in other ways.”

Pointing to the metabolic data on the report, Mr. Qin said, "It's using the method of increasing basal metabolism to offset the effects of insufficient sleep."

"But this is like drinking poison to quench thirst."

Dr. Xu shook his head, "A long-term high metabolic state will accelerate cell aging and increase the burden on organs."

Jiang Nian was silent for a few seconds, then suddenly asked, "What if I use my internal energy to forcefully suppress it?"

"Have you tried it?" Old Qin's eyes lit up.

“No,” Jiang Nian said. “We stopped as soon as we noticed something was wrong.”

"Try now."

Old Qin turned to Dr. Lin, "Restart monitoring and record all data."

Jiang Nian lay down again.

This time, he did not follow the guidance, but instead actively circulated his internal energy.

Three minutes later, the labeling system reacted again.

But this time, the reaction pattern was different.

"It's learning?" Dr. Lin stared at the monitoring screen in disbelief.

The curve representing the activity of the marker begins to mimic the fluctuation rhythm of internal force, and the two gradually converge, eventually almost completely overlapping.

"It's synchronized!" Dr. Xu exclaimed softly.

Jiang Nian felt a wonderful sense of harmony.

"How is this possible? It's clearly a characteristic of deep sleep, yet it maintains the activity of the wakefulness wavelength..."

"Half-brain sleep".

Old Qin murmured, "He really did it."

The monitoring lasted for twenty minutes.

When Jiang Nian opened her eyes, she felt refreshed, as if she had slept for a full eight hours.

But his mind was very clear, and he could immediately recall all the details after the examination began.

"how do you feel?"

Old Qin asked impatiently.

"Very good." Jiang Nian stretched his neck. "Not sleepy, not tired, and my mind is clear. But..."

"My sense of time is a bit off. It feels like only a few minutes have passed, but actually it's been twenty minutes."

"Because your time perception center may also have been affected."

Elder Qin quickly took notes, "I need more data. How long can this state be maintained? Are there any side effects? How much internal energy is being consumed?"

Jiang Nian sensed his internal energy: "The internal energy consumption is greater than during normal sleep, but less than when I'm awake. It's roughly equivalent to a state of meditation and breath regulation."

Is it sustainable?

"It feels okay for now."

Jiang Nian thought for a moment, "But maintaining this long-term might require some adaptation."

"That's enough," Old Qin decided.

"At least the immediate sleep problem is solved. Jiang Nian, you should go and rest."

“Dr. Qin,” Dr. Xu couldn’t help but ask, “is this really safe? We don’t yet understand the long-term effects of this condition…”

"Time is running out."

Old Qin glanced at the digital clock on the wall. "There are still thirty-four hours until the signal reaches its critical point. We must keep Jiang Nian in top condition."

He turned to Jiang Nian, his eyes serious: "Remember, if anything unusual happens, stop immediately and notify the medical team."

"clear."

……

Deep within the base, in a special rest room.

Although it's called a rest area, it's actually more like a reinforced observation cabin.

The walls are made of special glass, and the outside is connected to a monitoring station where medical and security personnel work in three shifts and are on standby at all times.

Jiang Nian sat cross-legged on the makeshift bed.

He did not lie down, but instead chose to sit in meditation.

The internal energy circulated slowly, and the marking system adjusted accordingly.

That half-asleep, half-awake state returned.

My sense of time is starting to blur.

He could hear his own heartbeat, feel the sound of blood flowing in his veins, and sense the occasional footsteps passing by in the corridor outside the lounge.

But my consciousness also drifted far away, as if floating in the clouds, looking down on everything.

I do not know how long it has been.

A slight vibration came from the communicator in my ear, a preset three-hour reminder.

Jiang Nian slowly opened her eyes.

There was no grogginess like when you just wake up; your thoughts were like a mirror that had been wiped clean, so clear that they reflected every detail.

He got out of bed and moved around.

The pain at the wound site has almost disappeared, and the edges of the scab on my right hand have begun to lift, revealing the tender new skin underneath.

"The recovery speed has increased again," he murmured.

The door to the lounge slid open, and Su Qing was waiting outside, holding a clean combat uniform in her hand.

"Teacher Jiang, Elder Qin's side is ready."

"Walk."

The laboratory was brightly lit.

Mr. Qin and Dr. Fang stood in front of the central control panel, on which sat a silver metal box, about the size of a laptop bag.

"This is a portable anti-phase jammer."

Old Qin opened the box, which had two layers inside.

The upper layer is a device similar to a tactical vest, and the lower layer consists of several modular energy units.

"Weighing 4.7 kilograms in total, it does not affect basic activities when worn. It has six built-in transmitting units that cover a two-meter radius around you and can interfere with 85% of signals on the same frequency."

Dr. Fang picked up a transmitting unit to demonstrate: "The core is the resonant crystal array designed by Professor Qin, which can analyze abnormal frequencies in the environment in real time and generate corresponding anti-phase waves."

"What about energy?" Jiang Nian asked.

"Here," Old Qin pointed to the slot on the side of the vest. "A replaceable high-density battery, capable of working continuously for six hours at full power. We've prepared twelve spare batteries for you, enough to get you through the worst-case scenario."

Jiang Nian took the vest; it felt lighter than he had expected.

"How to test?"

"It's a three-step process," Old Qin explained, quoting the testing procedure. "First, basic function testing to ensure all transmitting units are working properly. Second, interference effect testing, using our simulated tissue signal source for countermeasures. Third, human adaptability testing, monitoring the impact of the interference field on your body."

"Start now?"

"Start now."

The first step went smoothly.

All six transmitting units passed the self-test, and the energy readings were stable.

The second step takes place in the adjacent shielded room.

In the center of the room is a ring-shaped device that emits a low hum when activated.

"This is a reproduction based on the tissue signals we captured."

Pointing to the monitoring screen, Mr. Qin said, "The frequency, intensity, and modulation method are all as close to the real situation as possible. Now, activate the jammer."

Jiang Nian pressed the start button on his chest.

A slight vibration came from the vest, and the six transmitting units lit up with pale blue indicator lights at the same time.

On the monitoring screen, the red waveform representing tissue signals began to distort and break.

"Interference rate of 83%, close to the theoretical value," Dr. Fang recorded the data. "Duration?"

"Stable," the operator reported. "The signal strength attenuation curve is in line with expectations."

Three minutes later, Mr. Qin called a halt.

"The interference effect has met the requirements. Now we will proceed to the third and most important step—testing the impact of the interference field on you."

Jiang Nian was connected to a more sophisticated monitoring device.

“Once the interference field is activated, it will form an energy bubble that envelops you,” Qin Lao explained. “This bubble will block signals of specific frequencies from the outside, but it will also affect the marking system in your body.”

"let's start."

The jammer was activated again.

This time, Jiang Nian immediately sensed the difference.

It's like suddenly stepping from a bustling market into a soundproof room; the world instantly becomes quiet.

It's not auditory quiet, it's perceptual quiet.

The subtle background sense that had always resonated with the labeling system has disappeared.

“The labeling activity is decreasing.” Dr. Xu stared at the medical monitoring screen. “It has decreased by forty percent so far, and it is still decreasing slowly.”

"Are you feeling unwell?" Old Qin asked.

Jiang Nian carefully felt it: "There is no discomfort, on the contrary, I feel more relaxed."

"Because the interference field cuts off the labeling system's connection with the outside world."

Old Qin's eyes lit up. "It can now only operate on its own energy and is no longer subject to the potential influence of tissue signals."

The monitoring lasted for ten minutes.

The labeling activity eventually stabilized at around 55 percent of the baseline value and stopped decreasing.

"A balance has been achieved."

Dr. Fang said, "The interference field did not completely suppress the marking system, but instead established a new stable state."

“This means,” Qin Lao looked at Jiang Nian, “that you can wear this device for a long time.”

"It won't eliminate your abilities, but it will shield you from external control and interference."

Jiang Nian stroked the suppression bracelet on her wrist: "Do we still need this?"

“Yes, we need to,” said Old Qin. “Suppressors regulate internal balance, while jammers defend against external attacks. They have different functions, so it’s best to use them together.”

"understood."

After the test, Jiang Nian was taken to the command center.

Bai Yongxu and Chief Zhao were discussing something in front of the big screen when they saw Jiang Nian come in, and they both turned around at the same time.

"Old Qin has already sent over the test results," Bai Yongxu said bluntly. "The jammer's effect meets the requirements, but there's one problem."

"what is the problem?"

"Energy characteristics." Chief Zhao pulled up the satellite image. "The jammer will produce weak energy radiation when it is working."

“Inside the base, this can be masked by other equipment. But if you leave the base, the organization’s detection systems may detect this unusual signal.”

Jiang Nian frowned: "Wouldn't that be self-exposing?"

"Not necessarily." Old Qin's voice came through the communicator.

“We have calculated that the jammer’s radiation intensity is very low, and it can only be accurately identified at very close range. The organization’s signal source is in the deep sea, at least 200 kilometers away from us.”

"So as long as you don't get close to the organization's detection units, you're safe."

Bai Yongxu added, "But once it gets close, the jammer itself becomes a beacon."

"What if it's an encounter?"

Yang Zhan walked in from the doorway. He had just finished inspecting the security deployment. "Close contact is unavoidable."

"So we prepared a second plan." Old Qin switched the screen to show a device the size of a watch, "Instantaneous jamming missile."

"The working principle is similar, but it is for single use only."

"After being thrown, it generates a strong interference field that lasts for thirty seconds and has a radius of twenty meters. Within these thirty seconds, you have enough time to break contact or launch an attack."

"We've made twenty so far," said Mr. Qin. "Materials are limited, and time is tight."

"That's enough." Yang Zhan nodded. "In close combat, thirty seconds can decide life and death several times over."

Bai Yongxu walked up to Jiang Nian: "Now tell me about your condition. Elder Qin reported that you have mastered some kind of semi-sleep ability?"

"Sort of." Jiang Nian briefly explained the marking system's resistance to sleep and the special state after the internal energy was synchronized.

"How long can it last?"

"I don't know."

Jiang Nian confessed, "This was my first time trying it today, and it lasted for three hours. I feel like I could continue, but the long-term effects are unknown."

"At least the immediate problem of getting rest has been solved."

Commander Zhao said, "You need to maintain peak condition for the next thirty hours. Yang Zhan, adjust the training schedule to focus on recovery and adaptation, and avoid overexertion."

"clear."

"And this too." Bai Yongxu picked up a black tablet from the table and handed it to Jiang Nian. "The latest developments at the organization's base."

A satellite video is playing on the screen.

The opening at the top of the hemispherical structure was now fully open, revealing the deep passageway inside.

The video is played at a faster speed, and you can see small underwater units entering and exiting one after another.

"They are evacuating non-essential personnel."

Commander Zhao pointed to the screen and said, "In the past six hours, at least eight transport vehicles have left, in different directions. But the heat source signal in the core area has actually strengthened."

“It means they’re clearing the area,” Yang Zhan said coldly.

“Yes.” Bai Yongxu switched the screen to display a thermal image. “Look here, the temperature in the central area of ​​the base has risen by fifteen degrees in the past three hours.”

"The technical department analyzed that it might be preheating some kind of large equipment."

"Where is that deep-sea vehicle?"

"Still circling around the edge of the East China Sea."

Chief Zhao pulled up the real-time tracking map, "The speed is maintained at five to seven knots, and the depth fluctuates between three hundred and five hundred meters."

Jiang Nian stared at the light spot that was slowly moving on the screen.

“It’s calling me,” Jiang Nian suddenly said.

The command center fell silent.

"You can sense it?" Bai Yongxu asked.

“Yes.” Jiang Nian pressed his hand to his chest. “Although it’s very weak, it does exist. That frequency resonates with my marking system in some deep way.”

Old Qin's voice cut in: "That makes sense!" (End of Chapter)