69novels Chapter 436 Han Ting, Asian Deep-Diving Record Holder
Chapter 436 Han Ting, Asian Deep-Diving Record Holder
Chapter 436 Han Ting, Asian Deep-Diving Record Holder
Two days later, in a private room of an unassuming teahouse in Nanning.
Lin Yu-an and Rui-wen met the legendary figure, Han Ting, who was respectfully called "Old Cat" by people in the industry.
He looked thinner than in the photos, with dark skin from long hours of outdoor activities, and calm, deep eyes.
He lacked the arrogance of a legendary explorer, instead possessing the refinement of a scholar and the focus of a craftsman.
Accompanying him were Director Chen from the Foreign Affairs Office and an official from the Diving Sports Management Center of the State General Administration of Sport.
"Mr. Lin, Ms. Montgomery," Director Chen introduced briefly, "and this is Mr. Han Ting."
"As instructed by higher authorities, Professor Han will serve as the chief technical advisor for the Chinese side of this scientific expedition, providing you with support throughout the entire process and conducting the final risk assessment of your action plan."
"Teacher Han, I've heard so much about you." Lin Yu'an extended his hand, his eyes filled with sincere respect.
He knew the story of the man in front of him; he was not only a pioneer and the pinnacle of cave diving in China, but also a highly respected explorer worldwide.
More importantly, in Lin Yu-an's past life memories, this legend will forever stop his exploration in October 2023 at the underwater Jiudun Skylight, which he loves most.
Today was the first time Lin Yu'an had met him. This was also the second time since his rebirth that he had had the opportunity to try and change the fate of a hero.
"Hello." Han Ting grasped Lin Yu'an's hand. His palm was rough and strong, with thick calluses on the base of his thumb from years of dealing with ropes and equipment.
He didn't engage in much small talk and went straight to the point.
"I've studied your plan for two whole days." Han Ting turned his gaze to Ruiwen, his eyes showing approval.
"Ms. Montgomery, to be honest, this is the most detailed and rigorous cave diving operation plan I have ever seen."
"Whether it's equipment redundancy, gas planning, or emergency response plans, they all meet top international standards. I have faith in your abilities."
Raven nodded politely: "Thank you for your approval."
However, Han Ting changed the subject, his gaze falling back on Lin Yu'an. This time, his eyes became cautious and full of doubt.
"However, Mr. Lin—please forgive my frankness, but I have some doubts about your part."
The atmosphere inside the private room instantly became tense.
"I've never heard of you in the international technical diving community, especially in the very small circle of deep-sea cave exploration."
Han Ting's tone was tactful, but his meaning was clear: "I have checked all the records of GUE and TD1, and I have not found any certification or record of you completing a 200-meter deep dive."
"Nine-ton Skylight is not the Blue Hole in the Bahamas; its complexity and danger are exponential. We cannot gamble with our lives."
This is the most direct professional challenge: a diver without certification, no matter how good their physical condition, is not qualified to challenge Nineton.
Lin Yu'an did not feel any discomfort from being questioned; he knew that this was a matter of responsibility to himself and the entire team.
"Teacher Han, your concerns are entirely reasonable," Lin Yu'an replied calmly. "I really didn't go around the world to break records."
"Because of my unique physical condition, standard training procedures are not entirely suitable for me."
He looked into Han Ting's eyes and gave a reason that would make all divers envious.
"My body has an innate and extremely high tolerance to the anesthetic effect of inert gases under high pressure."
"Simply put, I almost never experience nitrogen anesthesia, and even the reaction to helium tremors is minimal."
"What?"
For the first time, Han Ting's usually placid face revealed a genuine expression of shock.
Will it cause ammonia intoxication?
For a deep-sea diver, the impact of this statement is no less than hearing an astronaut say that he is naturally immune to cosmic radiation.
Nitrogen anesthetic is a "deep-sea demon" that all deep-sea divers must face.
It can give you a euphoric feeling similar to being drunk in deep water, impair your judgment, and lead to fatal mistakes.
Even if more expensive helium is used, at depths exceeding 150 meters, the muscle tremors and dizziness caused by high-pressure neurological syndrome remain insurmountable barriers.
And this young man in front of me actually claims that he is naturally immune?
This is simply—a chosen one of the deep! A physique born for the abyss, perhaps only one in a billion.
Han Ting's mind raced through the names of legendary, exceptionally talented divers throughout history, but he had never heard of anyone who was completely immune to inert gas anesthesia.
"Is this true?" he asked instinctively.
"We can conduct a simulated pressurization test in the decompression chamber before launching to prove it," Raven added from the side, her tone full of absolute trust in Lin Yu'an.
Director Chen, who had been silent all along, finally spoke. His expression was serious, and his tone left no room for argument.
"Mr. Lin, this is not a matter of trust, it is a matter of procedure and responsibility."
"Since there's a way to conduct a ground simulation test, you must do one before you officially launch it into the water."
"We need an assessment report from an authoritative institution regarding your physiological condition under high pressure."
"This report will serve as the final basis for our approval of this operation. Human lives are at stake, and we cannot afford to be careless in the slightest."
Lin Yu'an immediately nodded: "Of course, we will fully cooperate."
Han Ting pondered for a moment and said, "There are very few places in China that can conduct 200-meter-level saturation pressure tests."
"The closest and most authoritative facility here is the South China Sea Rescue Bureau's Saturation Diving Center in Guangzhou. Their equipment is world-class and can simulate an underwater environment at a depth of 500 meters."
"Okay." Director Chen made a quick decision. "I will immediately coordinate with the Foreign Affairs Office of GD Province and the South China Sea Rescue Bureau."
"You can drive to Guangzhou this afternoon. Professor Han, it would be kind of you to come along as the technical supervisor for the test."
[Day 2, Guangzhou, South China Sea Rescue Bureau Saturation Diving Training Base]
The area is heavily guarded and exudes the solemnity of heavy industry. The massive white pressure chambers resemble crouching behemoths, connected by a complex network of pipelines and control centers.
Accompanied by the base director, Lin Yu'an, Ruiwen, and Han Ting arrived at a small medical pressurization chamber used for daily training.
The cabin is small, with only enough room for three or four people, and has a heavy, round observation window on the side.
Several researchers in white coats were already on high alert in the control room, ready to monitor Lin Yu'an's various physiological indicators in real time from outside the cabin.
The lead researcher said through the walkie-talkie, "Mr. Lin, we will simulate a rapid descent to a depth of 180 meters. You will remain under target pressure for 10 minutes."
"During this period, we will observe your condition through the camera and require you to complete a series of fine motor skills and cognitive ability tests."
"If you feel any discomfort, please make a call to terminate the test immediately. We will gradually depressurize and stop the test." "Understood." Lin Yu'an walked alone into the slightly cramped pressurization chamber and sat down in the only seat.
The hatch slammed shut with a loud bang and locked itself in place.
Inside the control room, Han Ting and Ruiwen stood in front of a huge monitoring screen. On the screen, Lin Yu'an's heart rate, blood oxygen, brainwave data, and other information were clearly displayed.
"Start pressurizing!"
As the command was given, a hissing sound came from inside the cabin. The needle on the pressure gauge began to spin rapidly.
"Simulated depth 100-150 meters! Entering a high-incidence area of Hypertensive Neurological Syndrome (HPNS)!"
Han Ting said to Director Chen with utmost seriousness, "Director Chen, this is crucial. From here on, the high pressure will directly affect the central nervous system; we call this 'helium tremor.'"
"It feels like countless needles are pricking your nerves, and your hands will tremble involuntarily."
"At my best, I can only control the trembling to within a few millimeters by relying on willpower to complete the operation. This is currently a physiological limit that is difficult for humans to overcome."
"Please complete the first test: Use the ten matches from that box to build a pyramid within thirty seconds."
Upon hearing about the test, Han Ting's brows furrowed immediately. He turned to the researcher beside him and whispered, "Isn't this test a bit too demanding?"
"Let alone thirty seconds, just being able to steadily pick up matches one by one at this depth is already a world-class performance."
The lead researcher shook his head: "Professor Han, this was originally a failed test. Its design purpose was to quantify the impact of HPNS."
"Our record is held by a top saturation diver from the French Navy, who spent one minute here and only managed to set up three poles. We want to see where Mr. Lin's limits are."
Everyone in the control room held their breath, eager to see how this young man would embarrass himself in the face of this impossible task.
Han Ting stared intently at Lin Yu'an's hand.
However, the scene on the screen completely overturned their understanding.
Lin Yu'an's gloved hand was as steady as a piece of granite.
He picked up the tiny matchstick, his fingertips moving without the slightest hesitation or tremor, as if he had no idea what "helium tremor" was.
First, in the center of the answer board, four matchsticks were carefully arranged end to end to form a flat square base.
"The base is very stable, it's not difficult," a young researcher said in a low voice.
"The difficult part is what follows," Han Ting said with utmost seriousness.
Lin Yu'an picked up the fifth match, placed one end against a corner of the square, and stretched the other end diagonally into the air.
Then came the sixth, seventh, and eighth matches. He actually wanted to use four separate matches, stacking them simultaneously from the four corners towards the center point, so that they would converge in the air and support each other to form a three-dimensional push!
"This is insane—how is this possible—" someone groaned in the control room.
At this depth, anyone's hand would tremble at the millimeter level, enough to cause this fragile balance to collapse a hundred times in an instant.
But Lin Yu'an's hand seemed to have a built-in micrometer-level stabilizer. He adjusted the angle of each match, his movements slow and precise.
At the top of the fourth slanted match, which is the eighth match in total, a fragile yet perfect four-sided push structure stood quietly.
All ten matches were used up.
The timer stopped at "48 seconds".
A perfect three-dimensional matchstick pyramid stands there quietly.
"No—it's impossible—" the young researcher muttered unconsciously. "He wasn't trembling! That doesn't make sense physiologically! Did he cheat? No—it's impossible for him to cheat—"
The lead researcher beside him looked at the screen and said, "The alpha wave band of the brainwave is extremely stable, and the cortisol level shows no fluctuation—"
"In other words, his body was completely unaware that he was in an extremely high-pressure environment!"
"Final depth 180 meters! Pressure stable! Begin cognitive testing!"
On the screen inside the cabin, a series of complex mathematical calculations and instant memory graphics began to flash rapidly.
Without hesitation, Lin Yu'an wrote down the answers on the answer board.
"—All calculation problems correct! 100% accuracy in visual memory!"
"Monster—" The lead researcher could only utter these two words as he looked at the final report.
"At 19 atmospheres of pressure, his cognitive function and physiological stability were no different from those on Earth! This is a biological miracle!"
Han Ting stared at the still calm man on the screen, his heart churning with turmoil. He knew he had witnessed a miracle today.
"The bottoming-out period has ended. Initiate the decompression procedure," the researcher announced.
What followed was a long wait.
The pressure inside the pressure chamber began to rise at an extremely slow rate.
Lin Yu'an inside the cabin closed his eyes, as if taking a nap. But in the control room outside, the atmosphere was unusually heavy.
Looking at the long decompression schedule on the screen, Director Chen experienced firsthand the terrifying nature of this sport. "Professor Han, does every deep-sea dive take this long?"
"It will only take longer and be more complicated." Han Ting's gaze remained fixed on the data. "Underwater, we also have to contend with the cold, currents, and unknown environment."
"Decompression is like a long negotiation with death after a deep dive. Any mistake could lead to annihilation."
Raven remained silent, simply watching the man's figure in the cabin. In her blue eyes, there was a pride, worry, and infatuation that no outsider could understand.
Four hours, five hours—
As the clock struck afternoon, and the shifts in the control room had all changed, the decompression procedure finally came to an end.
"Decompression complete! The pressure inside the chamber is now equal to the outside pressure!"
With a final soft click from the pressure relief valve, the heavy hatch was finally opened slowly.
Lin Yu'an walked out from inside with steady steps.
After more than five hours of pressurization and decompression, he showed no signs of fatigue or discomfort. He stretched and gave everyone in the control room a relaxed smile.
Han Ting walked up to him, gave him a deep look, and his initial doubts turned into pure admiration and curiosity.
"Okay, I take back my previous doubts. However, I will also be going on this dive."
"I will not interfere with your operations, but I will act as backup and safety officer, providing support at a shallower depth above you."
I can provide support immediately should any unexpected situation arise.
These words meant that he not only acknowledged Lin Yu'an's special status, but also used his own life to double-insure this dangerous operation.
"That would be wonderful," Lin Yu'an said sincerely. "Professor Han, I have always greatly admired your achievements in the field of cave exploration."
"I have a favor to ask: I hope that after this mission is completed, I will have the opportunity to invite you to an exchange diving trip to the cave systems of the United States."
"For example, the Eagle's Nest in Florida, or Hell's Bell in Mexico, and the timing—maybe at the end of 2023, how about that?"
Han Ting was stunned for a moment; he hadn't expected Lin Yu'an to suddenly extend such an invitation.
"2023—that's still a long way off." He smiled. "Let's talk about the future after we get back safely this time."
Lin Yu'an looked at him without saying anything more, but silently made a mental note of the agreement.
He has done his best to plant a seed; whether it can change Han Ting's fate of death in the future is up to fate.