Chapter 152 Experiment Preparation

Life at the research institute was outwardly calm, but beneath the surface, turbulent undercurrents were brewing.

Ruan Ning and Shen Yan participated in various tests and "potential activation" courses as required. Shen Yan, using his "assistant" status, gradually figured out the blind spots in the monitoring of some areas of the center and the gaps between personnel shifts.

One afternoon, Shen Yan found an opportunity to briefly access the internal network again. This time, he found an encrypted draft of meeting minutes.

"Look at this." Late at night, Shen Yan showed Ruan Ning the decoded content.

The minutes stated: "The 'Deep Consciousness Contact Experiment' is tentatively scheduled to take place in seven days in a special laboratory on the third basement level of Zone B. The principal investigators are Wang Jinsong and Feng Yuanzhou, who will participate remotely. The subject is Ruan Ning. Supporting personnel include two fourth-tier mental ability users. The objective of the experiment is to utilize high-intensity mental resonance to attempt to establish a deep connection with 'Carrier No. 07' and read potential information fragments."

"Seven days later, on the third basement level of Zone B," Ruan Ning noted. "Two fourth-tier mental support characters... It seems they are being very cautious."

Shen Yan said, "Sector B is the core area, and the security is even tighter. The three underground levels require special access cards. We need to act before that."

"What about the experimental risk assessment?" Ruan Ning asked.

Shen Yan flipped through the document: "It mentions potential risks: mental overload, memory impairment, and loss of consciousness in the experimental subjects. The success rate is estimated to be less than 30%. They don't care whether you live or die."

Ruan Ning's eyes grew even colder: "We need to get this summary out so that Qin Li knows the specific time, place, and risks."

Shen Yan said, "The network exit monitoring is too strict, so the complete document cannot be taken out. I can try to intercept key fragments and send them to one of Qin Li's secret communication terminals using encrypted data packets, but he has to receive them at a specified time. And it can only be sent once; sending it more than once will be detected."

"You arrange it. What do you need?"

"Tomorrow night at 10 PM, there will be a five-minute routine maintenance on the main power supply at the center, which will cause brief fluctuations in monitoring and some network connections. It will be safest to send a signal then. I need an interface that is not under monitoring and is located near the outer wall."

Ruan Ning thought for a moment and said, "Leave it to me. Come to my room at 9:50 tomorrow night."

The next day, everything was normal during the day. At 9:50 p.m., Shen Yan came to Ruan Ning's room. Ruan Ning gestured for him to look out the window.

Outside the window were metal railings, but Ruan Ning used extremely cold water vapor to condense thin ice at the joints of the railings, and then suddenly heated them up. Due to thermal expansion and contraction, a weld point on one of the railings became slightly loose.

With a deft touch, she silently removed the fence, revealing a narrow gap. Beyond the gap were the ventilation ducts of the research institute's outer wall.

“From here, we can attach the signal booster to the pipes on the exterior wall to temporarily enhance the signal,” Ruan Ning said in a low voice.

Shen Yan's eyes lit up, and he immediately took out a device the size of a matchbox, suspended it with a thin thread, carefully passed it out through the gap, and accurately attached it to the inside of the pipe on the outer wall.

At 9:58, the corridor lights suddenly dimmed as the power supply switched off.

"Now!" Shen Yan quickly operated his device, packaged and encrypted the key minutes he had captured, and pressed the send button.

The progress bar on the screen read rapidly. Both of them held their breath.

At 10:02, the progress bar reached the bottom, displaying "Sent successfully." Shen Yan immediately disconnected the device and retracted the signal booster.

Almost simultaneously, power was restored and the lights came on.

Just as the two finished replacing the fence, they heard hurried footsteps coming from the corridor and stopping outside the door.

"Ms. Ruan? Mr. Shen? There was a circuit fluctuation just now. Are you alright?" It was the voice of the researcher on duty.

"It's nothing," Ruan Ning replied calmly.

"That's good. Get some rest." The footsteps faded into the distance.

The two breathed a sigh of relief.

“Qin Li will be prepared after receiving it,” Shen Yan said. “But we still need to find a way to get more conclusive evidence. Just having the minutes is not enough. It would be best to take pictures of the experimental site or get the original data.”

Ruan Ning: "There are still six days before the experiment. In the next few days, we need to figure out the specific structure and security situation of the three underground floors in Area B."

In the following days, the two became even more cautious.

Shen Yan used various excuses to move around the perimeter of Zone B, memorizing passageways, access control points, and patrol patterns. Ruan Ning, on the other hand, deliberately used her mental power to sense the direction of Zone B during the test, vaguely "sense" a strong, shielded energy field underground.

On the fourth day, things took a turn for the better.

Wang Jingsong approached Ruan Ning with a broad smile: "Ms. Ruan, to ensure the experiment proceeds smoothly, we need to conduct a comprehensive pre-examination of your physiological indicators and mental state tomorrow. The location is the preparation room on the second basement floor of Zone B. Assistant Shen can accompany you to take notes."

The opportunity has arrived. Although it's only the second basement level, it brings us closer to our goal.

The next day, Ruan Ning and Shen Yan followed Wang Jinsong into Zone B for the first time. After passing through layers of access control, they took a private elevator to the second basement level.

Various instruments flashed in the preparation room. The pre-screening process was cumbersome, involving blood draws, brainwave scans, energy field adaptability tests...

Shen Yan acted as a diligent assistant, secretly noting down the location of the elevator, the layout of the corridor, and the location of the stairwell leading to the third basement level.

After the preliminary check, Wang Jinsong said to Ruan Ning, "You're in good shape. There will be a final confirmation the day before the experiment. Please maintain your good condition."

Upon returning to the accommodation area, Shen Yan immediately drew a simple topographical map: "There are separate elevators and staircases from the second to the third basement level, both guarded. The electronic locks in the stairwells require dual verification, including an access card and iris scanning."

Ruan Ning: "It's very difficult."

“It’s not entirely without a chance,” Shen Yan said. “I’ve observed that the guards change shifts every day between 12 and 1 p.m., with a gap of about three minutes during the handover. Also, their access cards are hanging on their waists.”

Ruan Ning understood what he meant: "You want to make your move during the shift change?"

“They’ll definitely be busiest the day before the experiment, and there might be an opportunity,” Shen said. “We need to get an access card, even if it can only be used once. Then, before the experiment starts, we need to sneak into the third basement level and install miniature cameras or data interceptors.”

"Too risky. If we're discovered, all our efforts will be wasted."

“But this is the best opportunity to obtain direct evidence,” Shen Yan insisted. “Qin Li is outside, and he needs us to provide inside support and concrete evidence before we can take action.”

After thinking for a long time, Ruan Ning finally nodded: "Okay. The day before the experiment, we'll play it by ear. You'll be in charge of the technical aspects, and I'll handle any unexpected situations."

After making the decision, the two began preparations in secret. Shen Yan modified several miniature monitoring devices. Ruan Ning, on the other hand, adjusted her state to ensure she could unleash her combat power at any time.

The preliminary checks were conducted as usual the morning before the experiment. Afterwards, Wang Jinsong specifically instructed her: "Ms. Ruan, please get a good rest tonight. The experiment will start promptly at nine o'clock tomorrow morning. Please make sure you are in top condition."