Chapter 9: Seeking Collaboration

Yang Rui smiled, the heavy burden finally lifting from his heart. He knew that the most difficult hurdle—getting this stubborn scientist to set aside her prejudices and face the problem head-on—had been cleared. He nodded readily. "No problem! The blueprints and composition reports will be yours immediately. Furthermore, the success of the pilot study proves our approach is correct. Now, we need to design a complete 'New Conduit Network' scheme covering the entire estate, based on the three-dimensional imaging results of the magnetotelluric and infrasonic data. This will require overall optimization, combining the structural layout of the old house, the surrounding environment, and the precise energy field distribution map you provided."

He walked over to the small "Triangular Copper Flow Well," feeling the faint, lingering chill on the stone slab. The compass in his hand pointed steadily north, only showing an extremely subtle, rhythmic deflection as he neared the mouth of the well, as if sensing the faint "copper flow" being successfully guided beneath.

"The 'baleful energy' of Jishan Hall will eventually be channeled toward a place of benevolence," Yang Rui said, looking deep into the old house. "And our 'collaboration' might just be beginning."

A feng shui renovation project, intertwined with science and ancient wisdom and filled with both challenges and opportunities, had officially begun at the Chen family estate. Beneath Yang Rui’s plain clothes lay the wisdom to perceive the mysteries of the environment; behind Su Jin’s lab coat was the persistence to explore the unknown. What kind of chapter would their collision and convergence write within this century-old house?

The backyard of Jishan Hall had essentially become a temporary research base. The mobile magnetotelluric detector Su Jin had brought in moved slowly across the grounds like a giant silver beetle, transmitting and receiving electromagnetic signals from deep underground. Sensors from the three-dimensional infrasonic array were distributed like mushrooms throughout the courtyard, capturing the subtle tremors emanating from the earth. The high-performance computer hummed, with raw data cascading down the screen like a waterfall, while complex algorithms converted it into intuitive three-dimensional images.

Su Jin had practically moved into the makeshift monitoring tent, the blue light of the screen reflecting in her glasses. She had entered a state of pure research, forgetting to eat or sleep as she analyzed the massive volume of data. Her attitude toward Yang Rui had undergone a subtle shift; though she remained sharp-tongued, words like "charlatan" and "feudal superstition" had vanished, replaced by discussions of professional terminology and relentless questioning.

"Yang Rui, the preliminary drainage effect of your 'Triangular Copper Flow Well' has been confirmed by the data," Su Jin said, pointing to a clear energy attenuation path on the screen. "But the efficiency is too low! The magnetic field intensity in the core energy zone has dropped by less than 5%, and the infrasonic attenuation is even less. Furthermore, the drainage path is unstable, and the energy loss within the soil medium is too high! At this rate, to completely pacify the 'baleful surge,' we would need to bury copper rods under the entire house. The scale of the work and the cost would be unimaginable!" Her tone carried the characteristic fastidiousness and urgency of a researcher.

Yang Rui stared at the screen, where the high-energy zones—marked in red and resembling surging subterranean rivers—were concentrated primarily beneath the foundations of the old walls and in strata seven to eight meters deep. He traced the thin blue drainage path extending from the energy core to the copper flow well, his brow furrowed. "I understand. The problem is that our current 'drainage pipe' is too narrow and the resistance is too high. We need to find the 'main energy artery'."

He pulled out the blueprints of the old house and the surrounding topographic map, spreading them out beside Su Jin’s computer. He drew a line along the direction of the detected energy core: "Look! The readings show that the most active energy channel extends roughly along a northwest-southeast axis at a depth of five to eight meters. Combined with the topographic map, the northwest end of this line points to an abandoned ancient well deep in the wild bamboo forest behind the estate! The southeast end points to the Qingxi River, which flows through the city two kilometers away!"

Su Jin leaned in for a closer look, comparing it with the detection data. "You mean... the previous feng shui master’s use of the old lotus pond as a 'drainage outlet' wasn't the best choice? The true 'earth vein,' or the main energy channel, is actually deeper and points toward the ancient well and the Qingxi River?"

"It’s very likely!" A flash of brilliance lit Yang Rui’s eyes. "The original layout was only guiding and buffering the shallow surface layers; it never reached the true energy main line. That predecessor may have had limited ability, or perhaps was restricted by the technology and knowledge of the time, and could only manage shallow-level diversion. That is why his array was so fragile—it collapsed entirely with the slightest damage! Now, we have an accurate map of the earth veins," he pointed to Su Jin’s screen, "and we have a preliminary understanding of the mechanism of these 'talismans.' Combined with modern materials, we have the opportunity to do something that predecessor could not: open up and utilize this deep 'main earth vein channel,' directly channeling the energy into the Qingxi River, which is a massive natural 'flood diversion zone'!"

"Deep-buried pipes? Directional blasting?" Su Jin’s mind instinctively jumped to engineering methods, but she immediately shook her head. "No! It’s too deep, and being so close to the old house’s foundation, the engineering risk is enormous! Besides, how can we guarantee that the pipes will precisely guide a complex field like magnetic and infrasonic waves?"

"It doesn't need to be that violent," Yang Rui said with confidence. "Do you remember the talisman patterns and composite materials inside the iron box? They can produce a guiding effect on a small scale. We can design 'reinforced guide piles'! We’ll use high-strength, corrosion-resistant alloy pipes—like titanium or special stainless steel—as the outer shell, filled with an optimized mixture of magnetic powder, copper wire, graphite, quartz sand, and other 'imitation talisman materials.' We can then etch more precise, enlarged versions of the 'guide talismans' onto the inner and outer walls of the pipes! We’ll drive these piles deep into the ground at precise intervals along the detected main energy artery, like sinking deep wells! They will act as a series of sophisticated 'relay amplifiers' and 'directors,' constructing a low-loss 'energy highway' deep underground that leads directly to the Qingxi River!"

Su Jin was stunned by this bold concept. She quickly built a model in her mind: the alloy pipe acting as a rigid conduit and shielding layer; the combination of special internal materials providing field modulation; the etched talismans potentially influencing the propagation mode of electromagnetic waves through their geometry... This actually... seemed feasible! And it was far more permanent and thorough than her whole-house shielding plan!

"Material ratios, talisman design, the depth and spacing of the piles... these will all require extremely precise calculations and experiments!" The fire of scientific inquiry ignited in Su Jin’s eyes, though her tone remained challenging. "Are you confident you can optimize a material formula and talisman topology more efficient than the iron box?"

"I can't do it alone," Yang Rui admitted frankly, looking intently at Su Jin. "But with your knowledge of materials science, your computational modeling capabilities, and these cutting-edge instruments... it’s possible! We can start by simulating a small-scale energy field in the lab, testing the guiding efficiency of different material combinations and talismans against specific frequencies of magnetic and infrasonic waves to find the optimal solution! Then, we can conduct small-scale field tests!"