The next storm pulse reached the central furnace. Qinghe asked Yan to maintain the anchor while the engineers tested the reserve circuit at a higher load. Gu read each cutoff position, and the station runner called the latest readings from the east and south.
The coils carried a larger share than before while Yan remained physically in the ring. The return temperature climbed but stayed below the red line. Qinghe watched the reserve count and compared it with the central load.
“The first pressure rise is holding,” Gu said.
The test showed the coils could support the anchor briefly, but the main power remained on Yan. The buffer had not been handed over.
A second pulse arrived sooner than expected. The central line wavered, and the coil gauge dropped by one mark. Gu checked the return valve and found it open. Qinghe asked the engineers to hold the same setting rather than raise current.
Yan shifted to the east mark, keeping the anchor steady while the coils absorbed the uneven return. The ring pulled hard at his hands, then eased as the channel settled. His strength increased with the completed cycle; the temperature around the reserve frame remained a separate reading.
