Chen Hao's hand was still pressed against the sealed box when the silver light flashed and disappeared. He didn't move or speak, but slowly withdrew his hand.

The ore in the box lay quietly, like an ordinary stone.

"The new equipment will be ready for the next dive," Nana's voice came through the headset. "The diving suit is assembled and ready for your inspection."

"So fast?" Chen Hao looked up at the direction of the laboratory. "I thought it would take at least half a month to fix."

"The material properties are stable, and the structural design is a one-piece molding," Nana said. "The X-7 alloy reduces the overall weight, and the range of motion of the joints also meets the standards. It's just... it might be a little difficult for you to put on."

"So what if I'm fat? I call it a stress-resistant physique." Chen Hao muttered as he walked towards the platform. "Because I'm the only one in the team who dared to do the first jump."

Susan was already waiting outside the equipment bay, holding a detection board. Carl was installing the last set of sensors into the back interface of his diving suit.

“The chest armor has been adjusted with airbags, go in and try it out.” Susan handed over the helmet. “Just make sure you don’t get stuck.”

Chen Hao snorted and began changing. The inner layer was a temperature-controlled bodysuit, which was a bit tight after he put it on. He took a breath and squeezed himself into the main frame.

"Lock closing," Nana prompted. "Current progress 72%... Stuck."

"Stuck?" Chen Hao shifted his position. "Where am I stuck? I've clearly lost weight!"

“It’s because your waistline is too large.” Susan looked down at the data. “It’s three centimeters short of the required size for a complete seal.”

"Adjust the frame density," Nana said remotely. "Reduce the weight of the shoulder support module to compensate for the lack of space in the waist area."

A slight metallic humming sounded, and the wetsuit made a soft click.

“Try again,” she said.

Chen Hao took a deep breath and forcefully pulled in his stomach. The latch slid and finally closed completely.

"Done!" he exclaimed, raising his hand. "Look at this agile fat man!"

"System self-check begins." Nana started the program, "Life support, communication, power, pressure regulation... all activated."

The indicator lights lit up one by one, and the helmet visor displayed clear text and images.

“Oxygen circulation is normal, backup power is ready.” Susan looked at the screen. “External cameras and sensors are also online.”

“Then let’s go into the water.” Chen Hao walked to the edge of the platform. “We can’t just let this futuristic warrior outfit be used for photoshoots.”

“Remember the testing procedure,” Carl said. “First, go to 4,000 meters for basic testing, then hover at 5,200 meters for three minutes, maintaining communication throughout.”

"Received." Chen Hao slung the oxygen tank over his shoulder. "If I sink, remember to erect a monument for me and write 'Here lies a fearless academic slacker.'"

After he finished speaking, he fell backward and jumped into the sea.

Seawater instantly surrounded my body, and the pressure began to rise. The readings inside the helmet changed rapidly, but remained generally stable.

"Dive going smoothly," Nana monitored from the command terminal. "Current depth 800 meters, all systems operating normally."

"It feels much more comfortable than last time." Chen Hao stretched his arms. "Before, I always felt like a can of food, but now it feels like I'm wearing a high-class raincoat."

“1,500 meters,” Susan reported. “The temperature has dropped significantly, but the internal temperature control system has been activated.”

“Two thousand three hundred meters,” Carl added. “The water flow speed is normal, and no abnormal disturbances have been detected.”

Chen Hao continued to descend. The light grew dimmer, leaving only a halo of light from the searchlights outside.

"Three thousand eight hundred meters," Nana reminded, "We are about to enter a high-voltage zone. Pay attention to attitude control."

As soon as he finished speaking, the data on the helmet showed a one-second delay. The power feedback from his right leg suddenly stopped.

"Right leg servo malfunction." The system popped up a warning.

Chen Hao's body tilted and he fell half a meter down.

"Reboot the backup circuit." Nana quickly typed the command. "Signal buffering algorithm mismatch, pushing out patch."

Chen Hao pressed the left wrist control button to switch the energy mode. The leg motors restarted, and he used the momentum to straighten his body.

“I’m back to normal,” he said. “Just a second ago, I almost thought I was going to fall face-first again.”

“The patch has been loaded,” Nana said. “There will be no more similar issues. Oxygen circulation efficiency has increased by 12 percent, exceeding expectations.”

"Looks like this outfit is really effective," Chen Hao chuckled. "Much more reliable than my exam attire."

The depth continues to increase.

Four thousand five hundred meters.

5,100 meters.

“The target depth is about to be reached,” Susan said. “Prepare to conduct a static hovering test.”

"Understood." Chen Hao adjusted the nozzle angle to slow the descent.

5,200 meters.

He steadied himself, feet together, hands at his sides. The system automatically activated balance mode.

"Start timing," Nana said. "Three minutes of static testing, then collect the final data."

Just thirty seconds later, the alarm suddenly went off.

“Strong current detected.” Nana’s voice quickened. “An underwater current has erupted, with a speed of 6.5 meters per second, and it is moving towards your location.”

Before Chen Hao could react, a tremendous force slammed into him. He was swept away from his original position and tumbled downwards.

Gravel and mud hit the helmet with a crackling sound.

"Deploy the stabilizer!" Nana activated the emergency procedure.

Two metal wings popped out from the shoulders of the diving suit, and miniature thrusters on the back fired alternately in an attempt to combat the turbulence.

"Take control of the direction manually." Chen Hao gripped the wrist lever, searching for a breakthrough.

Ahead lay a scene of utter chaos, with only the searchlight flickering in the murky water. He assessed the current and decided to drift to the side with the main current.

"Using their strength against them?" Nana immediately understood his intention. "High risk, but feasible."

Chen Hao fine-tuned the nozzle angle, creating an angle between the propulsion force and the undercurrent. His body began to slowly rise.

A rock the size of a fist flew towards me and struck my left shoulder. The shell made a dull thud, but it didn't break.

“The X-7 meets the impact resistance standard.” Susan stared at the data. “Structural integrity remains at 98 percent.”

Another strong current hit, pushing Chen Hao to the side again. He gritted his teeth, steadied his wrist, and forcefully turned the direction back.

"Two seconds left to escape the turbulence zone." Nana calculated the path. "Hang in there."

Finally, the water flow weakened. Visibility gradually improved.

Chen Hao took a breath, steadied himself, and confirmed that he had returned to the planned flight path.

"Out of the turbulence," he reported. "He's safe, and his clothes haven't fallen apart."

"The entire process took four minutes and seventeen seconds." Nana pulled up the record. "Thirteen high-risk alerts were triggered, all of which were automatically resolved by the system. There were no failures due to human intervention."

"So that means you succeeded?" Chen Hao laughed. "I told you I could do it."

"The data meets the standards." Susan nodded. "The equipment has passed the test in actual combat."

"Prepare for recovery." Karl activated the mothership's slings. "We'll pull you up."

Chen Hao looked up and saw a point of light in the distance. It was the locating light of the exploration vessel.

He rose slowly, the seawater pressure gradually decreasing. His breathing inside the helmet was steady, and the system status was all green.

Back on the platform, he unfastened the clasp and took off his wetsuit. His hands were trembling slightly, but he maintained a smile.

"How is it?" Susan handed over a cup of hot water.

"It's better than I expected," he said. "But could you add a non-slip tread to the soles next time? I almost slipped and fell just now."

“Okay,” Nana said. “The next version will optimize the coefficient of friction for the feet.”

"You're planning to make another version?" Chen Hao's eyes widened. "This version almost killed me."

"The test objective has been achieved," Nana said calmly. "Now we can plan the next exploration mission."

"Wait a minute." Chen Hao took a sip of hot water. "Who said I was going to go down again?"

“You were the first to test it,” Susan said, looking at him. “And you personally inspected the equipment.”

"But that doesn't mean I have to be a guinea pig every day," he muttered. "I'm not a professional athlete."

“You are overweight, have a high heart rate, and a slow reaction time,” Nana listed the data. “But in terms of risk-taking willingness, you are the most suitable candidate.”

"Thanks," Chen Hao rolled his eyes. "So all my flaws have turned into strengths?"

“At least you didn’t wet your pants in the undercurrents.” Carl disassembled the equipment. “The last person who wore the prototype suit was so scared that he lost control of his bladder.”

"Who?" Chen Hao asked.

“I’m not telling you,” Carl chuckled. “Anyway, it wasn’t me.”

Chen Hao was too lazy to argue and leaned against the railing, gazing at the sea. It was already dark, the wind was light, and the water was calm.

“Data processing will take six hours,” Nana said. “After that, a complete report can be generated.”

"Then you go ahead and do your thing." Chen Hao stretched. "I'm going to get something to eat first. The water test was too exhausting, I'm starving."

He turned and walked toward the living quarters, his steps a little unsteady.

Just as they reached the door, Nana suddenly said, "We discovered something during the recycling process."

He stopped.

“There was an abnormal set of readings from the external sensors,” she said. “In the murky current area, the temperature of the wetsuit shell briefly rose by 0.3 degrees Celsius for 0.8 seconds.”

"Fever?" Chen Hao turned around. "Because of friction?"

“It doesn’t seem like it.” Nana shook her head. “The energy source is unknown. And…”

She paused for a moment.

"The heat is concentrated on the left shoulder, the place where it was hit by the rock."