Volume 1: The Dragon in the Abyss
Chapter 3: Two Languages
III. Duel in the Dense Forest
[Part 1: Dawn Departure - Dual Narrative Begins]
5:30 a.m. Darkness still lingered.
In the Nujiang patrol team's courtyard, two vastly different teams made final preparations.
Chen Yang's gear was primitively simple: a canvas backpack containing wrenches, insulated gloves, radio, first-aid kit, and two water bottles. He wore his faded orange work suit and heavily worn but sturdy climbing boots. His only "high-tech" equipment was a GPS-enabled safety rope at his waist—mandated by Provincial HQ.
He stood at the gate, gazing skyward. Stars were fading, the eastern horizon tinting pale. He inhaled deeply—the air carried dewdrop sweetness and distant pine bitterness. Wind rose from the canyon depths, bearing river moisture and earthy musk.
"Southwest wind, Force 3, 78% humidity. Fog likely this morning." Chen Yang murmured like reciting ancient incantations.
Ten meters away, Lin Xiao's team presented an entirely different picture.
Three portable workstations spread on the ground, each connected to laptops. Screens flickered with dense data: real-time weather maps, 3D line models, drone formation status, battery curves... Assistant Xiao Li performed final system calibration while technician Xiao Wang checked backup equipment.
Lin Xiao stood before the command station, AR glasses continuously flashing parameters. She wore a charcoal tactical vest bristling with tools—tablet, spare batteries, signal boosters, emergency controllers. She resembled a military commander more than an electrical engineer.
"Sky Eye Units 1, 2, and 3, systems check complete," Xiao Li reported.
"Copy." Lin Xiao tapped her tablet. Three silver-white drones simultaneously lifted from portable hangars, hovering mid-air, rotors humming in deep, synchronized tones like a mechanical swarm's assembly call.
Old Zhang stood between the teams, assignment sheet in hand, expression complex.
"Towers #22 through #26—five towers total, approximately 12 kilometers. Focus on insulator strings, dampers, spacers, and conductor splices." He cleared his throat. "Chen Yang, take the north route along the ridgeline. Engineer Lin, your drones can fly directly through the canyon."
He paused, adding: "Rules—whoever finishes first with the most accurate report wins. But one rule: safety first. If either party faces danger, mutual support is mandatory. Clear?"
"Clear." Two voices answered simultaneously.
Chen Yang turned, walking toward the deep forest. His gait was light and steady, quickly disappearing into mist-shrouded trees.
Lin Xiao inhaled deeply, swiping a command on her tablet: "Sky Eye formation, deploy."
Three drones instantly accelerated toward the canyon, trailing silver trajectories through dawn light.
Old Zhang sighed, returning to base. He knew today would determine much—not just a technical contest, but a collision of two eras, two philosophies.
[Part 2: Chen Yang's Thread - Primal Senses at Their Peak]
Morning mist wandered through the forest like countless silent phantoms breathing.
Chen Yang entered the "shadow slope" dense forest—a primeval woodland never logged. Trees towered densely, branches and leaves blocking the sky. Sunlight only penetrated through gaps, casting fragmented patterns on the ground. Air so humid it felt squeezable, every breath carrying moss and decaying leaf scents.
Ordinary people would lose direction within ten minutes here.
But not Chen Yang.
He looked up, finding through canopy gaps that silver line—the ultra-high voltage transmission corridor. It threaded between trees like a metallic python connecting distant civilization and wilderness. Towers appeared and vanished through dense foliage like silent sentinels.
He began climbing.
This wasn't ordinary climbing. No man-made paths existed around towers—shrubs proliferated, vines entangled, every step requiring hands to part branches. His pants quickly soaked with dew, boots caked in mud. Yet his movements remained fluid, like a leopard traversing the forest.
The Tactile World.
Chen Yang's hand caressed tower steel. Metal texture transmitted through gloves—cold, hard, but surface-textured. He closed his eyes, fingers slowly moving like a blind person reading braille.
Here, a shallow dent—last winter's hailstorm damage.
There, a subtle protrusion—bolt cap slightly loosened by thermal expansion/contraction, oxidized rust forming on metal surface.
His fingers continued upward, reaching a welding point. Here metal texture suddenly roughened—the weld seam. He scraped lightly with his nail, listening to metal friction sounds.
"Screech—"
Normal. Weld solid, no cracks.
The Auditory World.
Chen Yang removed one glove, pressing his ear against the conductor.
Eyes closed, the entire world suddenly became incredibly clear.
First, the electrical current's sound—an extremely low hum, 50 hertz frequency, like Earth's heartbeat. This sound was nearly inaudible in normal environments, but in this silent forest, it became tangibly real.
Then the wind sounds.
Wind across conductor wire produced tiny vibrations, emitting low "whooshing" moans. This sound's pitch varied subtly under different tension states. Chen Yang listened, mentally calculating: tension normal, conductor sag within design parameters.
Then birdsong.
A thrush called nearby. Clear sound, no echo—indicating surrounding trees were dense, sound waves absorbed. In open areas, birdsong would echo. This detail told him drone visual sensors would suffer severe interference here.
The Olfactory World.
Chen Yang inhaled deeply.
Moss, decaying leaves, pine resin, earth... the forest's basic scents. But within these, he detected an anomaly—
Ozone.
Extremely faint, but present. The characteristic scent of corona discharge. He followed the scent's direction, arriving at an insulator string. Sure enough, one insulator's surface showed obvious contamination—black carbonization marks, flashover traces.
He pulled out his notebook, recording in pencil: "Tower #23, Phase C, 7th insulator disc, suspected minor flashover, cleaning recommended."
All this, without any instruments.
[Part 3: Lin Xiao's Thread - The Omniscient Data Stream Perspective]
Meanwhile, in the temporary command center on the canyon's other side.
Lin Xiao sat before three side-by-side monitors, fingers flying across her tablet. On her AR glasses, data cascaded like waterfalls.
Left screen: Sky Eye Unit 1's real-time video feed.
The drone flew along the line at 30 kilometers per hour, HD camera capturing every detail. Footage stable and smooth, like cinematic aerial shots. Towers, conductors, insulators... everything crystal clear.
Center screen: thermal imaging.
Different temperature zones marked in different colors—blue for normal, yellow slightly elevated, red for abnormal heating. Currently, the entire line displayed uniform pale blue in thermal view, no anomalous hotspots.
Right screen: 3D point cloud model.
Real-time generation by laser scanner. Every tower, every conductor precisely reconstructed in virtual space. AI automatically compared current scan data against design blueprints, auto-flagging any variance exceeding 5 millimeters.
"Engineer Lin, Sky Eye Unit 2 detecting anomaly," Xiao Li interrupted her thoughts.
Lin Xiao quickly switched perspectives. Sky Eye 2 hovered near Tower #24, thermal imaging showing one terminal clamp 8 degrees Celsius hotter than surroundings.
"Zoom in."
Image magnified. A strain clamp securing conductor—a critical component. Thermal imaging revealed abnormal heating at its contact surface—typically indicating poor contact, possibly loose bolts or oxidized contact surface.
"Flag it, severity: moderate hazard." Lin Xiao recorded rapidly. "Send Sky Eye 3 for laser scan, confirm bolt torque meets standards."
The drone immediately executed. Laser beam swept across the clamp surface, system auto-calculating bolt protrusion length—an indirect torque measurement method.
"Torque: 105 N·m. Standard: 110±5. Conclusion: slightly low, re-tightening recommended."
Lin Xiao nodded satisfied, recording on her tablet: "Tower #24, Phase B strain clamp, thermal imaging shows 8℃ temperature rise, laser measurement indicates slightly low torque, tightening recommended."
Efficient. Precise. Zero risk.
This was technology's power.
[Part 4: The Algorithm's Blind Spot - Unexpected Arrival]
9 a.m. Morning mist gradually dispersing.
Chen Yang had completed inspections of Towers #22 and #23, advancing toward #24. Sweat soaked his work suit, but his eyes remained focused.
Lin Xiao's drone formation had also completed scanning Towers #22, #23, and #24, preparing to proceed to #25.
"Engineer Lin, Sky Eye 1 experiencing signal interference," Xiao Wang suddenly reported.
Lin Xiao frowned, switching to Sky Eye 1's perspective. Image began showing snowflake-like noise, alternating between clear and blurry.
"Check image transmission module."
"Transmission normal. Environmental factors—forest ahead too dense, canopy obstruction severe, GPS signal unstable."
Lin Xiao bit her lip. This was an unanticipated situation. In lab testing, drones flew stably in any environment. But theory and reality always diverged.
"Switch to terrain-following mode, reduce altitude."
The drone descended to just 5 meters above canopy. Image stabilized slightly, but problems persisted—deep in the forest, lighting was extremely dim, HD camera footage appeared murky gray, many details completely obscured.
"Activate supplementary lighting."
Bright lights shot toward forest, but effect remained poor. High air humidity scattered light through fog, creating a white hazy glow.
Worse, thermal imaging also failed.
Trees' infrared radiation interfered with sensors, screen showing chaotic color blotches. Metallic towers and surrounding trees became nearly indistinguishable in thermal view.
Tiny sweat beads appeared on Lin Xiao's forehead. She realized she'd encountered a scenario never appearing in laboratories—
Nature's complexity far exceeded algorithmic imagination.
"Engineer Lin, should we have drones exit forest zone, fly around exterior?" Xiao Li suggested.
Lin Xiao fell silent several seconds, finally shaking her head: "No. If we detour around difficulties, we can never prove technology's reliability. Continue advancing. I'll take manual control."
She grabbed the controller, disabling autopilot mode.
[Part 5: The Subtle Moment of Human-Machine Comparison]
Tower #25, deepest forest section.
Chen Yang arrived at 10 a.m. His clothes torn in several places by thorns, arms showing fine scratches, but his eyes remained bright.
He looked up at this tower.
Environment here worse than any previous location. Tower almost completely surrounded by trees, conductors threading through canopy like silver prisoners in a green jail. Air humidity extremely high, metal surfaces covered in fine water droplets.
Chen Yang began climbing.
His movements more careful than usual—slippery tower steel increased difficulty. But muscle memory made every action precisely accurate. Reaching conductor level, he began routine inspection.
Suddenly, he stopped.
Nostrils flaring slightly, he detected an odor—not ozone, but something like burning, very faint, but definitely present.
Following the scent's direction, his gaze fell on a spacer.
Spacers maintain distance between multi-bundle conductors. It appeared completely normal—surface smooth, no damage. But Chen Yang crouched, bringing his face close, examining carefully.
At the spacer-conductor connection, an extremely fine crack—width under 0.5 millimeters, invisible unless light struck at just the right angle.
He reached out, gently shaking the spacer.
"Creak—"
A barely audible abnormal sound.
Chen Yang's pupils contracted sharply. This crack was a metal fatigue indicator. Without timely treatment, in the next strong wind, the spacer would snap completely. A broken spacer would cause conductors to collide, triggering short circuit—consequences catastrophic.
He immediately grabbed his radio: "Old Zhang, Tower #25 critical hazard found. Phase A spacer root shows fatigue crack, immediate replacement recommended."
"Copy! I'll notify materials department to prepare replacement parts immediately." Old Zhang's voice carried tension.
Simultaneously, Lin Xiao's Sky Eye 2 finally struggled to Tower #25 overhead.
She stared at the screen. HD camera transmitted footage. She zoomed, zoomed again, meticulously checking every component.
The spacer appeared clearly in frame. Surface smooth, no deformation, thermal imaging showing normal temperature, laser scan indicating dimensions within standards.
AI system concluded: "Tower #25, Phase A spacer, status: Normal."
Lin Xiao exhaled in relief, writing in her log: "Tower #25 inspection complete, no anomalies detected."
She didn't know that just beneath the drone's lens, that 0.5-millimeter crack lay quietly in shadow—
Perfectly overlooked.
[Part 6: Truth Revealed - Subtle Complementarity]
2 p.m. Both parties returned to base.
Chen Yang appeared weathered—torn clothes, covered in mud—but his hand gripped that notebook tightly, densely recording seventeen hazards.
Lin Xiao slightly fatigued but still efficient. Her tablet stored over five thousand HD photos, three hours of thermal video, plus complete 3D point cloud models.
Old Zhang had both report.
Chen Yang opened his notebook: "Tower #22, no anomalies. Tower #23, Phase C 7th insulator minor flashover. Tower #24, Phase B strain clamp suspected loosening. Tower #25—"
He paused, tone grave: "Phase A spacer root shows metal fatigue crack. Must replace immediately, otherwise may trigger major accident."
Lin Xiao frowned. She pulled up her records: "Wait, my drone scans showed Tower #25 spacer completely normal."
"That's because your lens couldn't see it," Chen Yang said calmly. "That crack's in shadow, only 0.5 millimeters wide, visible only under specific light angles. I smelled the odor first, then discovered it by touch."
Lin Xiao fell silent.
She pulled up Sky Eye 2's photos, magnifying maximum. Indeed, at the spacer root, there was shadow. She tried AI image enhancement, but still couldn't discern details at that location.
"You're certain?" Her voice slightly hoarse.
"Certain." Chen Yang said. "If you don't believe me, we can go again right now."
Old Zhang stood: "Unnecessary. I trust Chen Yang's judgment. But Engineer Lin, your report mentioned Tower #24 Phase B strain clamp temperature rise—did Chen Yang detect it?"
Chen Yang paused: "I did feel something off about that clamp, but lacked conclusive evidence. Your thermal imaging found temperature rise?"
Lin Xiao nodded, displaying thermal image: "Eight degrees Celsius above ambient, torque measurement also slightly below standard. This is our advantage—detecting anomalies invisible to human eyes."
Their gazes met.
In that moment, a subtle atmosphere permeated the air.
Not opposition, not surrender, but... re-evaluation.
Old Zhang coughed: "Seems you both found issues the other missed. Chen Yang found cracks barely visible to naked eye, Engineer Lin found temperature anomalies. Combining your reports gives the most complete inspection results."
He tapped the table: "So this contest—call it a draw. But here's what I want to say: you two, stop looking down on each other. Technology has technological advantages, experience has experiential value. Instead of competing for wins and losses, think about how to collaborate."
Lin Xiao looked down at her tablet, silent for a long time.
Finally, she raised her head, looking at Chen Yang: "You're right. I stayed in labs too long, forgot nature is ten thousand times more complex than code. But I still insist on one point—your experience shouldn't vanish when you retire. If..."
She paused: "If I can find a method to digitize your 'feeling,' teach AI your judgment patterns, will you cooperate?"
Chen Yang thought, then nodded: "Fine. But one condition—you must also learn to climb towers. Only when you truly stand at that height, feel that wind, will you understand why some things can never be algorithmically replaced."
Lin Xiao froze, then a smile curved her lips: "Deal."
Outside, sunset descended, golden afterglow spilling across the valley.
Two languages began their first true dialogue.
Next Chapter Preview:
Chapter 4: "Capturing the Wind" - Lin Xiao begins using sensors to record Chen Yang's every movement. Meanwhile, Chen Yang takes Lin Xiao on her first tower climb. Through the collision of technology and physicality, they gradually understand each other's worlds...