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The SERE assessment corresponds to the four elements of Survival, Evasion, Resistance, and Escape, which can be summarized as having both passive and active components.

Since every new recruit undergoes both psychological and physical torment before the "interrogation,"

and in this scientifically-driven era, scientifically-based training has long been considered foundational,

the Green Team's SERE program is backed by a wealth of data and supported by various human life sciences research. This allows them to push the trainees to their physical limits without the risk of training accidents.

As a result, after being subjected to intense torture, the trainees' bodies and energy are drained to such an extent that they lack the strength to initiate active resistance.

So, when faced with the Green Team's version of SERE, the trainees generally only have the option of choosing the passive route.

Relying on whatever willpower remains, they hold on to the final mental defense and endure until the entire SERE assessment is over.

But Long Zhan is different!

With a physical recovery capacity far beyond that of an ordinary person, although he experiences significant depletion during the various torments, it is not enough to strip him of his ability to fight back.

He does not end up like Brian and Clay, who lose all strength to resist.

Thanks to his recovery capabilities, surpassing even what is recorded in the Green Team's database, Long Zhan has the foundation to pursue a different route.

His exceptionally strong and tall frame also helps conceal his extraordinary abilities, preventing him from being seen as a freak.

Having decided to pursue an active counterattack, he doesn't plan to merely endure the agonizing torments and pass the final assessment by sheer will.

Instead, he intends to escape the underground room through various survival methods and clear the test.

Thus, the first thing Long Zhan must do is to gather as much information about his environment as possible and collect any usable resources.

After his first failed counterattack, Long Zhan, though regretful, was not discouraged.

He still needed to figure out questions such as why Green Team's support came so quickly, the exact location of the underground room within the base, what kind of defenses exist outside the underground room, and more.

Long Zhan had been blindfolded when brought here, so he was unaware of many details.

He knew that only through repeated resistance and triggering the underground room's alarm system time and time again would he be able to gather enough useful information.

With this collected information, he could eventually find the path to success.

Being tied to a chair during his failure, Long Zhan had already achieved significant success—more than he had anticipated.

During the brief struggle earlier, the small actions he stealthily executed under the watchful eyes of the tall instructor were enough to prepare him for a second or even third "active counterattack."

The tall instructor was unaware of Long Zhan's intentions and had no idea that a trainee "wanted to flip the script."

The instructor still thought Long Zhan's resistance was just a random outburst.

Such events had happened before, after all.

Being locked in a small dark room and subjected to sounds loud enough to numb one's ears for an entire night could make anyone a bit irritable.

It's a natural human reaction, completely understandable.

As for how Long Zhan could still remain vibrant enough to "fight back" after being tortured for so long, even knocking out two sparring partners in the process, the tall instructor reasoned this:

Looking at Long Zhan's "muscular back and robust physique," and his constantly maintained perfect form, he believed he had an explanation.

After all, the old adage holds true—"The skeleton of a starving camel is still bigger than that of a horse." To exhaust the energy and stamina of such a large frame would take much more time than for an average person.

Although this might be a little tricky, the tall instructor wasn't overly concerned.

He was confident that with continued torment, the next time he saw Long Zhan, the latter would be as weak as a dead fish, with no strength to resist.

In fact, the instructor believed he could simply leave Long Zhan where he was and that Long Zhan wouldn't be able to walk out on his own.

Having spent over five years overseeing this special training, the instructor was intimately familiar with every step. He knew exactly what physical condition each trainee would be in at every stage.

No matter how fit a trainee was, after two days, they would be reduced to something like a pickled cucumber.

With Long Zhan securely bound for interrogation, the tall instructor approached him, surveying him up and down before starting the formal questioning.

"Where are you from? What is your identity? Do you have any accomplices? What are your intentions? If you want to go back to enjoy fine wine and women, just tell me everything."

The tall instructor employed a leading style of questioning, a common interrogation technique.

Torment… Interrogation… Torment… Interrogation…

An endless cycle.

This is the entire closed loop of SERE!

If the trainees cooperate and provide answers, it means they have failed the test. From there, they may indeed go off to enjoy fine women and wine.

But correspondingly, they will lose their qualification to enter DG and become a Level 1 operative.

Long Zhan was fully aware of the assessment rules, so he chose to remain silent. Saying nothing was the safest choice, while also allowing him to scan his surroundings with peripheral vision.

Could silence alone solve the problem?

Of course not!

This scenario mimics a situation after capture, where enemies employ various methods when handling prisoners. These techniques are used in this assessment.

And so…

Bang!

Long Zhan felt a punch to his abdomen, delivered by one of the sparring partners standing nearby, eyes locked on him.

Unfortunately for the sparring partner, Long Zhan's imposing physique wasn't built in vain. The punch didn't do much—if anything, it was more like a relaxing massage.

The muscle stiffness accumulated from being confined in a cage for a day was loosened by the punch, making him feel better.

"Hey, pal, did you skip breakfast or something? You're soft and weak, like a woman. No, you're not even a woman. At least women can satisfy me."

Long Zhan intentionally used harsh language, provoking the sparring partner who had just punched him.

In this psychological battle of interrogations, whether it's the interrogator or the one being interrogated, the first to lose their composure will fall into a passive position.

Long Zhan, a "super reader," had also studied psychology.

He knew exactly how to respond in this situation to create the most advantageous scenario for himself.