Chapter 67 Principle Research

At two in the morning, Lin Mo was still sitting in his office.

The halo of the desk lamp cast a soft circle of light on the desk, illuminating the open notebook and several printed documents. Outside the window, all was silent, save for the occasional distant hum of a patrol car's engine.

He was studying the technology package he had recently exchanged.

During the day, he only guided the team's direction and provided specific experimental parameters. But late at night, after everyone had left, he dared to truly delve into the knowledge transmitted by the system.

Lithium Extraction from Seawater.

These words seemed simple, but the principles behind them left him increasingly startled the more he looked.

Traditional ideas for Lithium Extraction from Seawater were nothing more than the usual set of adsorption, filtration, and desorption. Using adsorbents to catch lithium ions from seawater and then washing them off with acid in a repeated cycle. The cost was high, efficiency was low, and after decades of effort, it had failed to achieve industrialization.

But the technology provided by the system was completely different.

Lin Mo flipped open his notebook, which was filled with dense notes of the key information he had organized:

Core Principle: Utilize a strong Magnetic Field Gradient generated by a superconducting magnetic field to directionally capture positively charged lithium ions in seawater.

Lithium ions are positively charged and are subject to the Lorentz Force when moving in a magnetic field. If the magnetic field is strong enough and the gradient is large enough, the lithium ions can be deflected from their original trajectory and guided to a specific collection area.

While other ions—sodium, potassium, magnesium, and calcium—are also positively charged, their charge-to-mass ratio, magnetic susceptibility, and hydration radius are all different from those of lithium ions. In a meticulously designed magnetic field, they will move in different directions, thereby achieving separation.

No adsorbents needed, no chemical reagents needed, and no complex desorption processes needed.

All that was needed was—a superconducting magnetic field.

Lin Mo's fingers tapped lightly on the notebook.

Superconducting magnetic field.

Room-Temperature Superconductivity.

These two terms collided thunderously in his mind.

In their hands, they had Room-Temperature Superconductivity materials.

That first blueprint exchanged for free from the system, the discovery that had kept Wang Zhenguo awake all night with excitement, the technology that had already passed Pilot-scale production and was being prepared for mass production—Room-Temperature Superconductivity materials could generate strong magnetic fields at room temperature without the need for liquid helium cooling or bulky cryogenic equipment.

If this material were made into a magnet and placed in seawater...

Lin Mo closed his eyes, letting his thoughts wander further.

A pipe, with seawater flowing in from one end. The pipe is wrapped in Room-Temperature Superconductivity coils, which generate a strong magnetic field when energized. As seawater flows through the pipe, lithium ions deflect under the influence of the magnetic field and are guided into collection troughs on the side walls. Inside the collection troughs is a circulating electrolyte solution that carries away the enriched lithium ions.

The remaining seawater, with its lithium content significantly reduced, can be discharged back into the ocean.

The entire process requires no chemical additives, no adsorbent regeneration, and no waste liquid treatment. The only energy consumption is the small amount of electricity needed to maintain the superconducting magnetic field—because Room-Temperature Superconductivity materials have almost no resistance when energized, the energy consumption is extremely low.

Lin Mo opened his eyes and let out a long breath.

He remembered the image of the technology tree when he first activated the system:

Room-Temperature Superconductivity → Lithium-Sulfur Battery → Lithium Extraction from Seawater → Controlled Nuclear Fusion → Carbon Nanotubes → space elevator...

At the time, he thought it was just a linear sequence, one technology after another. But now he understood that these technologies were not in a simple sequential relationship; they were a mutually supporting, interlocking ecosystem.

Room-Temperature Superconductivity provided the core equipment for Lithium Extraction from Seawater—a strong magnetic field.

Lithium Extraction from Seawater provided inexhaustible lithium resources for Lithium-Sulfur Battery.

Lithium-Sulfur Battery provided high energy density power sources for the subsequent Nuclear Fusion and space elevator.

And Nuclear Fusion, in turn, required extracting deuterium and tritium from seawater...

It was a complete system.

Every step was paving the way for the next.

Lin Mo leaned back in his chair, looking at the night sky outside the window.

Who exactly designed the system? Why was it able to design such an interlocking technological roadmap? Why did it give these technologies to him?

He had asked himself these questions countless times, but there was never an answer.

But one thing he was becoming increasingly certain of:

This set of technologies was not random, nor was it cobbled together.

It was meticulously designed.

It was—tailor-made for Huaxia.

He took a deep breath, sat up straight again, opened his notebook, and continued writing.

To turn this set of principles into an operational experimental plan, much work still needed to be done.

First, a Miniature Magnetic Field Separation Device needed to be designed. Using their own synthesized Room-Temperature Superconductivity materials to make a small magnet, they would test the separation efficiency of lithium ions under different magnetic field strengths and flow rates.

Second, a real seawater environment needed to be simulated. They couldn't just use a pure lithium chloride solution; they had to add interfering ions like sodium, potassium, calcium, and magnesium to see exactly how high the selectivity of the Magnetic Field Separation was.

Finally, cycle experiments needed to be conducted. To see if the Superconducting Magnet remained stable after long-term operation, whether the collection system would clog, and if there were any unexpected problems.

Lin Mo made a list in his notebook, writing in more and more detail.

Halfway through, he suddenly remembered something—Chen Xueming was still working on optimizing adsorbents and had already reached 98 mg/g. If he told them that there was actually a completely different technological route that didn't require adsorbents and used Magnetic Field Separation directly...

What would their reaction be?

Lin Mo smiled.

They would probably be shocked first, then excited, and then immediately dive into new experiments.

This was his team. Always full of curiosity about new things, always willing to try new directions.

But it was too late today. He would talk about it tomorrow.

He closed his notebook, turned off the desk lamp, and sat quietly in the dark for a while.

Outside the window, a hint of dawn appeared on the eastern horizon.

A new day was about to begin.

The next morning, Lin Mo called Chen Xueming to his office.

"Dr. Chen, I have a new idea I'd like to chat with you about."

Chen Xueming sat down opposite him, curiosity in his eyes: "What idea?"

Lin Mo opened his notebook, flipped to the page he had written last night, and pushed it toward Chen Xueming.

Chen Xueming looked down. At first, his expression was calm, but the more he read, the tighter his brow furrowed. Halfway through, he looked up:

"Teacher Lin, is this... Magnetic Field Separation?"

Lin Mo nodded.

Chen Xueming looked down for a few more seconds, then shook his head:

"Impossible. The deflection effect of lithium ions in a magnetic field is too weak. The magnetic field strength would need to reach several Teslas, and the gradient would have to be large enough to make the lithium ions shift significantly. Moreover, the seawater flow rate, pipe design, collection method... there are too many variables here."

Lin Mo didn't argue, but simply said:

"What if the magnetic field strength could reach 10 Teslas?"

Chen Xueming was stunned.

"10 Teslas?" he repeated. "That would require a Superconducting Magnet. Conventional Superconducting Magnets require liquid helium cooling, are bulky, and have high energy consumption. Using them in seawater..."

He trailed off and suddenly stopped.

He looked at Lin Mo, his gaze slowly changing:

"You mean... Room-Temperature Superconductivity?"

Lin Mo nodded.

Chen Xueming was silent for a few seconds, then slowly leaned back in his chair and let out a long breath.

"Room-Temperature Superconductivity magnet," he murmured. "If it's true, then it really is possible."

He stared at Lin Mo with a complex expression:

"Teacher Lin, just how much stuff is packed in your head?"

Lin Mo smiled: "Just some wild thoughts. Do you think this direction is worth a try?"

Chen Xueming thought for a moment and said seriously:

"It's worth it. If we can really pull it off, it'll be far more advanced than the adsorbent route. No consumables, no waste liquid treatment, and low energy consumption—it's revolutionary."

He stood up, paced a few steps in the office, and suddenly stopped:

"But it needs experimental verification. We need to build a small device first, using Room-Temperature Superconductivity materials to make a magnet, and test the separation efficiency."

Lin Mo nodded: "Regarding materials, I'll coordinate with Academician Wang. They're already doing Pilot-scale production of superconducting materials, so they should be able to provide us with some samples."

Chen Xueming's eyes lit up: "Then let's do it!"

In the afternoon, Lin Mo called Wang Zhenguo.

After hearing his idea, Wang Zhenguo was silent for a few seconds, then said:

"Xiao Lin, I've seen this line of thought in literature before. But everyone thought it was a pipe dream—because the cost of Superconducting Magnets is too high, making it unrealistic for use in seawater."

He paused, his voice carrying a hint of a smile:

"But things are different now. We have Room-Temperature Superconductivity. The cost has come down, the energy consumption has come down, and everything has become possible."

Lin Mo said: "Teacher Wang, I need some superconducting material samples to make a small magnet and verify the effect of Magnetic Field Separation."

Wang Zhenguo didn't hesitate: "I'll arrange it for you. The pilot production line is already running smoothly, and the yield is stable. I'll give you as much as you need."

Lin Mo smiled: "Just a few small pieces for now, enough for the experiments."

"No problem," Wang Zhenguo said. "By the way, if this direction works out, how do you plan to use it?"

Lin Mo thought for a moment and said:

"First, use it for Lithium-Sulfur Battery. The lithium in the sea is inexhaustible, so we'll no longer depend on imports. Later, if there's an opportunity, it can also be used for extracting fuel for Nuclear Fusion."

Wang Zhenguo was silent for a few seconds, then said:

"Xiao Lin, do you know, sometimes I wonder if you're someone who traveled back from the future?"

Lin Mo was stunned for a moment, then smiled:

"Teacher Wang, you flatter me."

Wang Zhenguo also laughed: "Alright, I'll stop teasing you. The materials will be delivered to you next week. Keep up the good work."

Hanging up the phone, Lin Mo stood by the window, looking at the distant Kunlun Mountains.

From Room-Temperature Superconductivity to Lithium-Sulfur Battery to Lithium Extraction from Seawater.

Every step seemed as if it had been prearranged by fate.

He remembered the system's first words:

"The most sci-fi way to level up and get stronger is to climb the technology tree."

Now he understood.

This technology tree didn't grow randomly.

Every branch, every leaf, had its reason for existing.

A week later, Wang Zhenguo sent someone to deliver several samples of Room-Temperature Superconductivity materials.

Chen Xueming looked at those palm-sized, metallic-lustered flakes, his eyes gleaming.

"This is Room-Temperature Superconductivity?" He carefully picked up a piece. "It can generate a strong magnetic field at room temperature?"

Lin Mo nodded: "We'll know once we try."

In the days that followed, a new battlefield emerged in the laboratory.

Chen Xueming, along with Zhang Zhe and Li Xiao, began building the Miniature Magnetic Field Separation Device. A transparent glass pipe wrapped in Superconducting Coils; once energized, a strong magnetic field was generated inside the pipe.

They injected simulated seawater into the pipe and then sampled and analyzed the lithium ion concentration at the outlet.

In the first experiment, the separation efficiency was less than 10%.

Chen Xueming furrowed his brow and adjusted the parameters. Magnetic field strength, flow rate, pipe diameter, collection trough position... he tried them one by one.

In the fifth experiment, the separation efficiency reached 35%.

In the tenth experiment, 50%.

In the fifteenth experiment, 65%.

That night, Chen Xueming looked at the data on the screen and didn't speak for a long time.

65%.

This meant that 65% of the lithium ions had been separated from the seawater flowing through the device.

No adsorbents needed, no chemical reagents needed, only a magnetic field.

He turned his head and looked at Lin Mo:

"Teacher Lin, this direction... is correct."

Lin Mo nodded and smiled.

Outside, the night deepened. The lights of the distant laboratory building were still on, as bright as Chen Xueming's eyes.

They both knew that this was just the beginning.

But the direction was set.

At eleven o'clock at night, Lin Mo sat alone in his office.

He opened the system interface again, looking at the technology package he had exchanged and the principle that was being verified step by step by the team.

[Lithium Extraction from Seawater] Tech Status: Verifying (65% separation efficiency)

Below was a line of small text:

[Hint]: This technology has strong coupling with Room-Temperature Superconductivity; it is recommended to prioritize the engineering of Superconducting Magnets.

Lin Mo looked at the hint, a surge of complex emotions rising in his heart.

The system had thought of everything.

It didn't just give the technology; it also gave the path, the sequence, and the coupling relationships.

It was as if... it had known all along that this team would reach this step.

Lin Mo turned off the system and walked to the window.

Outside, the starlight was brilliant. The Milky Way spanned the sky like a flowing band of light.

He looked at the Milky Way and thought silently:

No matter who you are, no matter why you gave me these things—

Thank you.

I will put them to good use.