161: The ingenious application of "resonance guidance" and the birth of the "human comfort regulator"

As the "Energy Guidance" practice continued, Excellence's Perception and control of his own mysterious mental energy entered a new, more refined and conscious stage. He was no longer satisfied with merely using this ability as a passive recovery tool or a skill for specific training tasks; a restless desire for exploration began to sprout in his heart. He had a sudden whim: since this "energy" could be used to soothe his tired nerves, could it also be used to slightly "optimize" his surroundings and improve the quality of his daily life? He playfully dubbed this bold idea the "Ergonomic Energy Optimization" plan and immediately threw himself into practice with great enthusiasm.

The first target Excellence chose for "optimization" was the somewhat stiff office chair in his lab that he had sat in for a long time. Excellence always felt that this chair was a bit "half-hearted" regarding lumbar support, leaving an uncomfortable, empty feeling behind his lower back after sitting for a while. He decided to use his new ability to give it an "energy massage" and a "morphological fine-tuning."

On a quiet afternoon, he held his breath and faced the innocent chair as if confronting a formidable enemy. First, he lightly stroked the back of the chair with his palm, as if feeling its "energy meridians," then closed his eyes, concentrated fully, and began to construct an extremely detailed mental image: he imagined a stream of warm, flexible, invisible energy slowly overflowing from his palm, like the most dexterous hands, reaching deep into the chair's internal structure to "persuade" the memory foam and support frame to "reshape" according to his ideal curvature. He imagined that wherever the energy flowed, the curve of the chair's back became more aligned with his spine, providing just the right amount of support.

He held his breath, his small face turning red, his brows furrowed into a knot, and fine beads of sweat even broke out on his forehead, as if he were pushing an invisible mountain. However, several minutes passed, and when he cautiously opened one eye to peek, the chair hadn't budged an inch, maintaining its "stubborn" and rigid posture as if it felt nothing from his "energy massage." Instead, Excellence himself felt dizzy and lightheaded due to the massive consumption from over-concentration; his body instinctively leaned back, and he almost slid off the chair!

Just then, Su Mu pushed the door open, carrying a plate of sliced fruit, and caught the comical sight of Excellence grimacing and scrambling to steady himself by grabbing the chair. She was stunned for a moment before she couldn't help but let out a "pfft" and a laugh. She quickly set down the fruit plate and went over to support him. "Oh, my little ancestor! What are you doing wrestling with a chair? Look at you, all covered in sweat! A chair is an inanimate object; it can't understand your 'energy commands'! Your back feels uncomfortable, right? Simple! Just tell your Class Monitor. I'll go to logistics tomorrow and apply for the most ergonomic lumbar support for you. I guarantee you'll sit comfortably!"

Excellence panted, his small face filled with frustration and confusion, as he muttered, "Why didn't it work? I felt like my 'energy' was trying so hard... Why didn't it react at all?" Su Mu laughed and rubbed his head. "Silly child, your energy right now might be more like 'software' that commands your own internal systems, but it can't command external 'hardware' yet! Take it slow, don't rush."

Despite the initial setback, Excellence was a bit discouraged but not disheartened. Soon, he found a new target—the ceiling light in the lab that was too bright and sometimes a bit dazzling. He decided to try a "gentler" approach: a "light-sensing resonance."

This time, he learned his lesson and stopped trying to use "brute force" to change the lamp's physical structure, opting instead for a more "immersive" strategy. He adjusted his breathing, calmed his mind, then tilted his head slightly to gaze at the lamp. He imagined his conscious energy was no longer a concentrated stream of water but an extremely thin, highly transparent energy film, gently and slowly covering the surface of the lampshade. His mental goal wasn't to change the lamp itself but to hope this "energy film" would gently "filter" out some of the harsh light, making the glow softer and cozier.

He maintained this visualization with full concentration as the minutes ticked by. Perhaps sincerity brings results, or perhaps it was a pure coincidence, but that ceiling light—which happened to have an intelligent light-sensing adjustment function—actually triggered its automatic adjustment program and slowly lowered its brightness! It might have been because Excellence's long, unusually focused stare caused the built-in light sensor to capture subtle changes in the surrounding ambient light (such as Excellence's body blocking some light or his pupils constricting and changing the reflected light). The light instantly became much softer!

"I did it! I really did it!" Excellence instantly leaped up from the floor, his small face glowing with excitement. He spun around several times on the spot and then rushed out like a gust of wind to find Evelyn, reporting his "major breakthrough" out of breath: "Sister Evelyn! Sister Evelyn! My 'Light-Sensing Resonance Technique' was a success! Look! The light dimmed! I used an 'energy film' to make it gentle!"

Evelyn was infected by his excitement and followed him back to the lab. She didn't dismiss him immediately; instead, she carefully observed the state of the light fixture and pulled up the logs from the lab's intelligent environment control system. After a careful inspection, she found the truth, feeling both helpless and amused. She led the still-excited Excellence under the light, pointed at the inconspicuous small sensor, and explained in the gentlest tone possible: "Excellence, look here. This light is intelligent; it automatically adjusts based on the surrounding brightness. It might have dimmed just now because you were standing there for a long time, blocking the light from the window, or because the reflection from your eyes was captured. This wasn't the result of your energy acting directly on the lamp, but a... well... a beautiful coincidence."

After hearing Evelyn's scientific and rigorous explanation, the excited glow on Excellence's face visibly and rapidly dimmed. He deflated like a punctured balloon, hanging his head and whispering, "Ah... another coincidence..." Seeing his disappointed look, Evelyn's heart softened. She rubbed his head and comforted him, "However, the fact that you could influence your surroundings so intently that you even indirectly triggered the device's response shows that your concentration is very strong. This is great progress."

The True Field of Application: A "Comfort Agent" for the Soul

Two consecutive attempts at "external modification"—one a total failure and the other proven to be a misunderstanding—left Excellence feeling a bit discouraged. He began to doubt if his "energy optimization" plan was heading in the wrong direction.

The turning point came one evening. Su Mu's neck and shoulders were aching from spending several hours hunched over processing a backlog of administrative reports. She massaged the back of her neck, sighing softly with a frown. Seeing the Class Monitor's discomfort, Excellence immediately hurried over, his small face full of concern.

"Class Monitor, is your neck bothering you?" he asked softly.

"Yes, it's an old problem. This happens when I sit for too long," Su Mu replied with a helpless smile.

"Then... let me try?" The light of eagerness flickered in Excellence's eyes again. "I won't use energy on chairs anymore. I'll try... to 'guide' it for you, like how I 'restore mana' for myself?"

Looking at his serious and slightly pleading eyes, Su Mu didn't have the heart to refuse. Thinking there was no harm anyway, she smiled and agreed, "Alright then, let our little divine doctor give it a try."

So, Su Mu leaned back relaxedly on the sofa and closed her eyes. Excellence brought over a small stool and sat properly behind her to the side. He didn't touch Su Mu directly (Evelyn had strictly instructed him to avoid unnecessary direct energy interaction, especially with others); instead, he held his hands suspended over Su Mu's neck and shoulders. He took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and tried to clear his mind, focusing all his spirit. He no longer thought about changing any physical structure but purely visualized: he imagined the warm, peaceful energy within him turning into an extremely fine, gentle stream of heat, like spring afternoon sunlight or the warm water the Class Monitor poured for him, slowly and gently flowing into Su Mu's aching, stiff muscles. He imagined this energy stream dissolving those "tense little knots," washing away fatigue, and bringing relaxation and comfort.

At first, Su Mu only went along with it to make the child happy, not expecting any real effect. But a few minutes later, she vaguely but definitely felt an indescribable, very slight warmth and sense of release coming from where Excellence's hands were hovering. This sensation wasn't a physical heat but more like a physiological response brought about by psychological soothing and deep relaxation. More importantly, as this feeling spread, the ache in her neck and shoulders really seemed to ease, and her tense nerves relaxed. Of course, Su Mu knew perfectly well that this was most likely the result of a powerful psychological placebo effect, the tranquil atmosphere created by Excellence's focus, and her own active relaxation. However, the feeling of being cared for so intently by the child, in the best way he could think of, made her heart feel warm, making her feel more comfortable than any massage ever could.

"Mmm... that feels much better. It's really not as sore anymore." Su Mu opened her eyes, turned around, and smiled sincerely at Excellence, reaching out to pat his small face. "Our Excellence is truly amazing; this 'Energy Guidance' was used perfectly!"

This successful experience (even if mostly psychological) reignited Excellence's confidence! He immediately followed suit. When Evelyn rubbed her temples due to long hours of data analysis, he also volunteered to perform a "Mind-Calming Focus Wave" guidance for her. To her surprise, Evelyn also cooperated and let him try. Similarly, the sense of tranquility brought by his concentration did indeed provide a moment of relief for her tense thoughts.

The Birth of the "Human Comfort Regulator" and the Truth Behind "Plant Growth Promotion"

Now, Excellence had finally found the "correct application scenario" for his ability! He excitedly announced to Su Mu and Evelyn that he had found a new goal in life—to become the "Homeland's Chief Human Comfort Regulator"! He even began to "customize" different "energy packages" for the two of them:

For Su Mu, who often needed to sit for long periods to handle affairs, he developed the "Vitality Recovery Stream," mainly aimed at relieving shoulder and neck fatigue and boosting mental vitality (visualized as a vibrant green energy stream).

For Evelyn, who required high-focus mental work, he developed the "Mind-Calming Focus Wave," mainly aimed at soothing nervous tension and helping to clear thoughts (visualized as a peaceful blue energy stream).

Although the actual physiological effects of this "guidance" were negligible and couldn't be measured by instruments—its effects coming primarily from psychological suggestion, deep relaxation, and emotional care—both Su Mu and Evelyn cherished and cooperatively accepted his "kindness." Whenever Excellence solemnly prepared to "channel his power" for them, they would put down their work and seriously cooperate. Afterward, they would sincerely praise him, saying his "technique has improved" or "it felt especially comfortable this time." This gave Excellence a huge sense of achievement and satisfaction, making him even more motivated.

His passion for "optimization" even spread to the few potted plants he carefully tended. He firmly believed his "energy" was full of vitality and spent time every day "channeling power" into the plants, imagining life-giving energy being injected into the leaves to promote their growth. After a while, the plants indeed grew lush and vibrant. Excellence was convinced of this, further confirming the "broad applicability" of his ability. But what he didn't know was that Su Mu, fearing he might be heavy-handed with watering and fertilizing, had secretly taken over the maintenance. She managed them scientifically according to the plants' actual needs, which was why they were growing so well.

These little energy experiments, which might seem like "fooling around" to others, had limited effects on a material level but invisibly and greatly exercised Excellence's ability for fine control and endurance of his own mental power. He needed to more accurately control the intensity and range of his thoughts and maintain a state of focus for longer periods, which was excellent practice for mastering his abilities.

More importantly, this process significantly deepened the already extraordinary and profound emotional bond between him, Su Mu, and Evelyn. This interaction was no longer a one-way street of caring and being cared for but a two-way exchange full of warmth and fun. Excellence expressed his care in his unique way, while Su Mu and Evelyn responded to his heart with tolerance and encouragement. This subtle, beyond-words care and interaction formed the warmest and most precious part of their daily lives.

When Excellence performed these "services," the Emotion-Visualization Device by his bedside would always sense his peaceful, focused, and loving state of mind. The projected halo was no longer jumping or flickering but stable and warm, showing a soft orange-pink color. Sometimes, peaceful patterns resembling dandelion seeds gently falling would even appear, looking exceptionally beautiful and serene.

Once, Excellence looked at Su Mu and Evelyn and made a very serious and solemn promise: "Class Monitor, Sister Evelyn, just you wait! When my abilities become stronger in the future, I'm going to make an 'Automatic Comfort Energy Field' for each of you! It'll be like an air conditioner, but with energy! When you stay inside it, you'll never feel tired or get sick!"

Hearing this, Su Mu's heart warmed, and her eyes grew a bit misty. She laughed and reached out to rub Excellence's hair vigorously, her voice full of affection and anticipation. "Alright! Then Sister Evelyn and I will be waiting to enjoy that! Our Excellence will surely be the world's greatest 'Master of Comfort' in the future!"

Evelyn also gave a slight smile, looking at Excellence's childish yet incredibly serious face, her heart filled with a myriad of emotions. Scientific rigor told her that a so-called "Automatic Comfort Energy Field" might be difficult to achieve in the foreseeable future. But at this moment, what welled up in her heart wasn't a rational judgment but a deep sense of being moved. This child was using his purest and most direct way to work hard at repaying the warmth given to him by those around him. This innocent heart, this heartfelt care and love, was far more precious than any superpower and was the warmest, most enduring light illuminating their path forward.