Eunuch, do you really know these martial arts?

The sound of the explosion pierced through the seawater.

"Jiang Nian! Report the situation!" Bai Yongxu's voice boomed through the communication channel.

"I am still..." Jiang Nian began, but a surge of blood rushed to his throat, "...still alive."

"Sea Dragon Squad!" General Zhao roared, "Full speed ahead to provide support! Consultant Jiang's escape pod coordinates have been shared!"

"Received! Arriving within three minutes!"

The escape pod was still rising, but its speed was getting slower and slower.

Seawater seeped in through cracks in the bulkhead and had already reached ankle-deep.

Jiang Nian gritted his teeth and turned on the manual drain pump.

The pump made a labored running sound, but the water intake speed was significantly faster.

"The seal has completely failed!" Old Qin stared at the transmitted data. "The air pressure inside the cabin is dropping rapidly!"

Just then, two submersibles broke the surface of the water, their robotic arms extending to firmly grasp the sinking escape pod.

"Advisor Jiang, can you come out by yourself?" came the voice from Hailong No. 1.

Jiang Nian tried pushing the hatch.

It's deformed and stuck.

"The door won't open."

"Then explode!"

Another submarine approached, extending a laser cutter from its side.

The blazing white beam of light pierced the hatch hinges.

The hatch was kicked open.

Jiang Nian struggled to climb out, and the robotic arm of Hailong II immediately caught him and transferred him into the submersible cabin.

"go!"

The two submersibles quickly descended and disappeared beneath the surface of the sea.

The escape pod slowly sank into the deep sea.

……

Base Medical Center, 7 PM.

Jiang Nian lay in the hospital bed, the wound on her left shoulder stitched up and wrapped in a thick bandage. She had a minor bruise in her lung, and breathing was painful.

But these aren't the most troublesome things.

“The labeling activity has picked up again.” Old Qin stood in front of the monitoring station, his brow furrowed. “And the fluctuation pattern has changed.”

"How exactly will the reforms be implemented?" Yang Zhan asked.

"Look here." Old Qin pulled up the waveform graph. "It used to be a regular, periodic fluctuation, but now it's become irregular."

"Is it the effect of the explosion?" Bai Yongxu stared at the screen.

"Possibly," Qin nodded. "A high-intensity impact could have disrupted the internal balance of the marking system."

"But it could also be a side effect of actively releasing signals."

The ward fell silent.

"Can it be suppressed?" Yang Zhan asked.

"The jammer was destroyed in the explosion," Old Qin shook his head. "A new one needs to be made, which will take at least six hours."

"Then these six hours..."

"He has to rely on himself." Old Qin looked at Jiang Nian. "Use your internal energy to guide him and keep the nodes stable."

On the hospital bed, Jiang Nian opened her eyes.

"Let me try."

"Your injury..."

“I won’t die.” Jiang Nian interrupted Dr. Xu, struggling to sit up. “Instructor Yang, help me.”

Yang Zhan stared at him for a few seconds before finally nodding.

"Everyone out," the old instructor waved his hand. "Just leave Elder Qin and Dr. Xu."

Everyone else left the ward.

Yang Zhan sat down by the hospital bed and reached out to put his hand on Jiang Nian's right wrist.

Jiang Nian closed her eyes and adjusted her breathing.

The internal energy flowed slowly towards the liver area like a stream.

It went smoothly at first.

The pulsation of the liver nodes gradually synchronizes with breathing.

But when he tried to guide the spleen nodes, an anomaly occurred.

Jiang Nian let out a muffled groan.

"Stop!" Yang Zhan shouted, "Don't suppress it by force! Go with it!"

Jiang Nian took a deep breath and changed his strategy.

Instead of forcibly guiding it with internal force, the restless nodes are enveloped with gentle true qi.

The tremors at the spleen nodes gradually weakened.

The other nodes also gradually quieted down.

"The synchronization rate has dropped to nine percent." Old Qin breathed a sigh of relief. "It's effective."

But Jiang Nian's forehead was covered in cold sweat.

Those few minutes were more tiring than fighting a tough battle.

"Take a break." Yang Zhan released his grip. "You can't last six hours like this."

"What should we do then?" Dr. Xu asked anxiously. "The new jammer won't be ready until at least dawn."

"Use the old method," Old Qin suddenly said, "the pulse-sealing needle."

Everyone in the ward was stunned.

"Old Qin, are you crazy?" Yang Zhan frowned. "The Meridian Sealing Needle is for saving lives. It's a waste to use it now."

“It’s not a complete closure of the meridians.” Old Qin pulled up a diagram. “I’ve improved the acupuncture technique. I only close some nodes to reduce their activity, but it doesn’t affect basic physiological functions.”

He looked at Jiang Nian: "But there is a risk."

"explain."

"If the nodes are stimulated by external signals during the sealing process, they may be damaged because they cannot respond," Qin Lao confessed. "At best, their function will be permanently reduced; at worst, they will die."

Jiang Nian remained silent for a few seconds.

What happens if there is necrosis?

“It corresponds to organ failure.” Dr. Xu’s voice tightened. “For example, sealing a node in the liver could lead to liver necrosis.”

What are the chances?

"I don't know," Old Qin shook his head. "This is the first time we've tried it."

Silence fell in the ward once again.

The clock on the wall ticked away.

Every second, the synchronization rate is slowly increasing.

"Do it," Jiang Nian finally said.

"Are you sure?" Bai Yongxu's voice came through the communicator.

"Confirmed." Jiang Nian looked at Elder Qin. "Which nodes will be sealed?"

“Liver, spleen, kidney.” Old Qin pulled up the three-dimensional model. “These three nodes have the highest activity. If we seal them off, the synchronization rate can be reduced to at least five percent.”

"What about the heart and lungs?"

“The heart node is too critical and cannot be touched. The lung node is relatively stable, so we can leave it for now.” Old Qin took out a specially made silver needle. “Yang Zhan, you are in charge of inserting the needles, and I will monitor the data.”

The needle penetrated three-tenths of an inch, and Jiang Nian trembled all over.

"What's wrong?" Dr. Xu asked anxiously.

"Cold." Jiang Nian's teeth chattered.

Jiang Nian wrapped herself in a thick thermal blanket, but she still felt cold.

A chill that seeps into your bones.

"What's the synchronization rate now?" Yang Zhan asked.

"Four percent, it's stable." Old Qin breathed a sigh of relief. "The acupuncture was successful. But the effect will only last for eight hours, after which the needles must be removed."

“Eight hours is enough to make a new jammer,” Bai Yongxu said. “Old Qin, hurry up.”

"clear."

……

At 2 a.m., the new jammer was completed.

Old Qin personally escorted him to the ward.

"Try it." He helped Jiang Nian put on the vest-style device.

The indicator light illuminates a light blue color.

"Synchronization rate?"

"Three percent, maintaining stability." Old Qin nodded in satisfaction. "We can remove the needles now." Yang Zhan moved the needles, and the three silver needles were slowly pulled out.

The moment the needle left his body, Jiang Nian felt a surge of heat flowing back to the sealed node.

But this time, the node did not react.

They maintained a gentle pulsation under the suppression of the jammer.

"Success." Dr. Xu looked at the monitoring data. "Organ functions are normal, and there are no signs of damage."

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

“Now,” Bai Yongxu’s voice came again, “tell me what we’ve gained from this operation.”

Command center, 3 a.m.

The large screen displayed split-screen footage of the last images of the transport ship before the explosion, along with data analysis obtained from the ship.

"Although the ship was destroyed, we successfully downloaded some of the navigation logs and communication records." Old Qin pulled up a document. "Look here, this camouflaged ship made seventeen round trips between the South China Sea base and the high seas assembly point in the past month."

"The coordinates of the assembly point?" General Zhao asked.

“Here.” Old Qin marked a point on the nautical chart. “It’s 200 nautical miles from the South China Sea base, and the water is 1,500 meters deep. Our analysis suggests that this is the organization’s transit station. The extracted marrow ore will be transported here first, and then transferred in batches.”

"What about defense?"

"Judging from the transport ship's navigation records, there are at least four patrol vessels and an underwater defense system at the assembly point." Old Qin zoomed in on several blurry sonar images. "The specific models are unknown, but the thermal signatures are very strong, so it should be a large unit."

Jiang Nian sat in her wheelchair, looking at the images.

“We need more intelligence,” Bai Yongxu said. “The target for the next operation is this assembly point.”

"How do we fight?" Yang Zhan asked. "A direct assault?"

“No,” Jiang Nian suddenly spoke, “infiltration.”

Everyone looked at him.

“The organization will definitely increase its vigilance after the transport ship is destroyed,” Jiang Nian said. “But what if they think the transport ship incident was an accident?”

"What do you mean?"

“The explosion happened in the deep sea; there were only debris at the scene.” Jiang Nian pulled up the last records from the escape pod. “If we falsify an accident report, saying that the transport ship self-destructed due to a reactor malfunction…”

"Will the organization believe it?" General Zhao frowned.

“As long as the evidence is convincing enough,” Old Qin’s eyes lit up, “I can simulate the data characteristics of a reactor failure and implant them into the wreckage of the black box.”

"Can the black box be found?"

“Before the explosion, I had the escape pod release the beacon,” Jiang Nian said. “The black box has an independent buoyancy device, so it should have already floated to the surface.”

Bai Yongxu thought for a few seconds.

"We can try. But what if the organization doesn't fall for it?"

“Then we’ll launch a full-scale attack.” Yang Zhan sneered. “We have to take the assembly point. Controlling it will cut off half of the South China Sea base’s supply lines.”

"How many people are needed?"

"The entire Hailong Squad, plus Jiang Nian," Yang Zhan said. "We also need two attack submarines to provide support from the perimeter."

"time?"

"At least three days to prepare," Qin said. "It takes time to forge data, and the equipment also needs to be tested."

"Alright." Bai Yongxu made the decision. "We'll move out in three days. Now, everyone go and rest."

……

The next morning, at the medical center.

Jiang Nian is doing rehabilitation training.

The wound on my left shoulder is healing quickly, and I can already move it slightly.

However, problems with the tagging system remain.

"The synchronization rate is maintained at around five percent, which is very stable." Old Qin looked at the monitoring data, "but the energy flow pattern of the deep nodes has changed."

He paused for a moment: "This might be related to you actively releasing signals. The marking system is adapting to your control."

The training room door was pushed open, and Yang Zhan walked in.

"how do you feel?"

"Not bad." Jiang Nian put down the dumbbells. "I can play."

"Being able to fight isn't enough." Yang Zhan tossed him a pair of short blades. "You need to be able to win."

For the next two hours, Yang Zhan conducted high-intensity combat training with Jiang Nian.

It's not about practicing moves, it's about practicing reactions.

“The fighters in this organization don’t make any unnecessary moves,” Yang Zhan said as he attacked. “Every move they make is aimed at a vital point. What you need to do is not to counter their moves, but to anticipate them.”

How do we predict this?

"Watch the shoulder." Yang Zhan threw a straight punch. "Before the punch comes out, the shoulder moves first. Watch the eyes; the point where the gaze lands is the target."

Jiang Nian dodged to the side and thrust back with his short blade.

“You’re too slow.” Yang Zhange opened his knife. “Your reaction speed has decreased by at least fifteen percent since you were injured.”

"How long does it take to recover?"

"It's up to you." Yang Zhan finished his move. "Practice for two extra hours every day, and you should be back to your peak in three days."

"it is good."

After training, Jiang Nian returned to his hospital room.

Su Qing was already waiting there, holding a document in her hand.

"Teacher Jiang, Mr. Qin asked you to take a look at this."

The document is a preliminary analysis report of the transport ship's black box.

Jiang Nian quickly browsed through the information.

Most of the data was normal flight data, but there was an anomaly in the last few minutes.

"Reactor coolant leak, temperature rises sharply." Jiang Nian frowned. "Was this faked by Elder Qin?"

“No.” Su Qing shook her head. “These are real data. Old Qin said that the transport ship’s reactor did have a problem, but it was manually covered up.”

"The organization may know this, which is why it sent it out as bait."

Jiang Nian put down the document and fell into deep thought.

If the transport ships were simply abandoned pawns, then what was the organization's true purpose?
Test?

still is……

"Teacher Jiang?" Su Qing called softly when she saw him in a daze.

"It's nothing." Jiang Nian shook his head. "What else did Old Qin say?"

He said that an encrypted communication was also extracted from the black box, and they are working on cracking it, with results expected tonight.

"it is good."

8 PM, command center.

Qin's team successfully cracked the encrypted communication.

The content is short, but chilling.

"Goods delivered, key response confirmed. Phase two can begin."

"The shipment was sent at 3 p.m. yesterday," said Mr. Qin, "which is two hours after the transport ship departed."

Bai Yongxu murmured, "They used a transport ship to test Jiang Nian's reaction?"

“It’s not just testing.” Yang Zhan’s face was grim. “They’re checking the condition of the key, which is probably not a good thing.”

Jiang Nian stared at the sentence on the screen.

“They can’t wait.”

"Why?" General Zhao asked, "Because the transport ship was destroyed?"

“No,” Jiang Nian shook his head, “because the time has come.”

He pulled up historical data on the labeling activity: "Look here, since I came back from Greenland, my labeling activity has been slowly increasing. The tissue may be waiting for it to reach a certain critical point."

After a long silence, Bai Yongxu finally spoke: "So we don't have much time left."

“Yes.” Jiang Nian nodded. “We must destroy the assembly points and cut off their supply lines before they begin the second phase.”

……

The base's underwater dock.

The Sea Dragon Squad is ready to go.

Six state-of-the-art underwater vehicles lay still in the water, their streamlined black hulls gleaming coldly under the lights.

Jiang Nian put on his full set of equipment.

The new type of jammer incorporates Qin Lao's improved Five Elements Cycle Auxiliary System, which can provide energy buffering when he guides nodes.

In addition to the standard weaponry, a specially made high-frequency vibrating blade was added, specifically designed to counter the organization's reinforced armor.

"Advisor Jiang, this is Hailong No. 1, the deputy commander of this operation." A familiar voice came from the communication channel. "The route has been planned, and the estimated sailing time is two hours."

"receive."

The submersible glided into the water.

The formation, arranged in a diamond shape, silently sailed into the deep sea. (End of Chapter)