186: Chapter 186 Popularizing Materials: From Aerospace to Cookware
While the arguments on Capitol Hill in Washington and the shouts on the square intertwined into a chaotic overture, in the core area of the GDA, a silent but more profound transformation was seeping into every fiber of civilization along another technological vein.
"Guanghan Palace" base, Material Synthesis Plant No. 3.
Inside the massive workshop, there was none of the clamor and grease of traditional factories; instead, there was a low, deep-sea-like hum of energy. At the center, several complex "Field-Effect Material Reconstruction Furnaces" were operating steadily. Inside the furnace bodies, under the influence of controllable strong magnetic fields and specific frequency energy fields, the atomic structures of basic mineral raw materials were precisely "shattered" and "reorganized," growing into new materials with specific properties according to preset models.
A silver-gray sheet, shimmering with a metallic luster yet feeling as warm as ceramic to the touch, slowly slid out of the discharge port. It was only a few millimeters thick and one meter square, yet it required two workers wearing powered exoskeletons to carefully lift it onto the testing table.
"Batch A-7, Civilian Enhanced Composite Sheet, testing begins," the engineer's voice rang out calmly.
The heavy hydraulic press bore down, and the pressure readings climbed straight up—10 tons, 50 tons, 100 tons... The sheet bent slightly but showed no signs of shattering. A high-energy laser beam was directed onto it; the surface only showed a slight red heat, which was quickly dissipated toward the edges rather than accumulating at a single point. After being soaked in a chemical corrosion tank and taken out, a rinse with clean water left it as good as new. Finally, a steel plate of the same specifications was hoisted and slammed heavily against its edge. After a piercing crash, the steel plate dented, while the silver-gray sheet only left a shallow white mark at the impact point.
"Excellent compression resistance, impact resistance, extreme temperature resistance, corrosion resistance, and energy dispersion characteristics... Its overall performance is five to eight times that of aerospace aluminum alloy, yet its weight is only two-thirds," the engineer recorded the data, a smile appearing on his face. "More importantly, the production energy consumption is 70% lower than traditional high-strength steel, and it has extremely broad raw material adaptability, even allowing for the use of some recycled metals and industrial waste."
Nearby, the project leader, material scientist Han Qing, was reporting to the Bright Dawn base via video: "Consultant Lin, the first generation of civilian composite materials simplified based on the reverse engineering of 'the piercer' liquid metal and the principle of 'field-induced phase transformation' has passed all pilot tests. We have named it 'keystone-1 type'. Although its performance is far inferior to the dynamic changes of 'the piercer's' own material, it excels in being stable, controllable, and low-cost, making it very suitable for large-scale industrial production."
Lin Mo on the screen nodded. "What about the production capacity planning?"
"According to the arrangements of the GDA Industrial Committee, seventy-three large factories worldwide that originally produced special steel, high-performance plastics, and some non-ferrous metals are undergoing production line modifications. The first batch of modifications is expected to be completed within thirty days, at which time the monthly production capacity of 'keystone-1 type' can reach the million-ton level. The second batch of modifications will follow within ninety days, with the goal of increasing capacity to the ten-million-ton level, basically meeting most of the global demand for high-performance structural materials in fields such as construction, transportation, and infrastructure."
"Application directions?"
Han Qing pulled up a series of 3D design drawings: "First is the construction sector. Using 'keystone-1 type' components along with new connection processes, permanent housing and public facilities with excellent earthquake resistance, fireproofing, and thermal insulation can be built quickly, especially suitable for post-disaster reconstruction and the development of new industrial zones. We have already provided the first batch of custom components to the Golden Harvest vertical farm project, increasing construction speed by 300%."
"Next is transportation. The lightweighting of cars, trains, and ships will bring huge energy savings and safety improvements. Aerospace is naturally a focus; the frames and skins of the next generation of aerospace planes will utilize it extensively."
"Finally," Han Qing paused, a subtle, wonderful smile appearing on his face, "is the civilian consumer goods sector. Based on the Civilization Cornerstone Plan's universal benefit principle, we have designed several 'keystone-1 type' derivative products for ordinary households and are currently collaborating with several large daily necessity manufacturers."
Soon, these "derivative products" began to appear in the markets of GDA member states.
They had no earth-shattering publicity; they were simply placed quietly on the shelves.
Dragon Country, Shanghai, a large home furnishing supermarket.
Aunt Wang pushed her shopping cart and stopped in the kitchenware section. She was attracted by a new display stand, which held a row of cookware that looked high-quality and simply designed. The label read: "'keystone' series coating-free wok—lightweight and durable, even heat conduction, scratch-resistant."
"This wok looks good, is it expensive?" Aunt Wang picked up a wok and let out a surprised "Huh?" the moment it touched her hand. "So light!" It was at least half as light as her old iron wok at home!
The salesperson nearby introduced it with a smile: "Auntie, this is made using the latest composite materials and processes. It has no chemical coating, making it healthy and safe. It heats up quickly, produces less oil smoke, and is very wear-resistant—you can scrub it with a steel wool ball as much as you like. As for the price, because of the mass production of the new technology, it's about the same as previous mid-to-high-end non-stick pans."
Aunt Wang weighed the wok, looked at the price, and was tempted. Her son always complained about the oil smoke from her cooking; this wok sounded perfect. "Alright, I'll take one and try it!"
Similar scenes occurred in many places.
On construction sites, workers were surprised to find that the newly delivered prefabricated wall panels and beams could be easily lifted and precisely positioned by just two people, greatly reducing labor intensity and speeding up construction. The project manager, watching the new worker village rise rapidly, clicked his tongue at the blueprints: "This new material is miraculous!"
In car showrooms, salespeople introduced new electric vehicles to customers: "...The body makes extensive use of new composite materials, making it 15% lighter than the previous generation, but with a 30% increase in rigidity, a higher safety factor, and an 8% increase in range..."
Even in remote villages, newly built earthquake-resistant primary schools used "keystone-1 type" frames and walls. Villagers gathered around the smooth, sturdy new school building—which was said to be earthquake-proof—their eyes full of hope and pride.
Materials, a concept that previously only existed in laboratory reports and high-end industrial fields, entered the lives of hundreds of millions of ordinary people in such a friendly and tangible way for the first time. It was no longer mysterious; it was a lighter spatula, a sturdier house, a more fuel-efficient car, and a safer school.
This "tangible" progress was more powerful than any grand declaration. It silently spoke: this battle for the survival of civilization is not just about the distant stars and massive warships, but also about the pot you cook with every day, the home you live in, and the car you travel in. The dividends of technology are truly feeding back to every ordinary person who supports it and strives for it.
The social monitoring network of "Fuxi" captured subtle and positive changes: in areas where the new material pilots had already been popularized, public "life satisfaction" and "support for GDA's technical policies" showed a simultaneous and significant upward trend. A sense of participation and gain—the feeling that "we are personally building a better, safer future"—was dissipating the depression brought by the shadows of war.
Of course, not everyone was happy.
The giants of traditional steel, non-ferrous metals, and specialty chemical industries within GDA member states were facing the cruel choice of either transforming or being eliminated. However, GDA's powerful industrial coordination and worker retraining system ensured that the pain of transformation was minimized, with most capacity and workers being orderly channeled into the new material production system or other areas in urgent need of manpower.
Outside GDA's borders, such as in the Pretty Country still struggling with turmoil and blockades, fragmented information about the performance and popularization of "keystone-1 type" materials acted like the most corrosive acid, continuously eroding the foundations of the old order.
On the underground black market, a wok from a GDA member state marked with the "Keystone" logo was being sold at an astronomical price because it was "as light as plastic, yet stronger than steel, and will never rust." The wealthy class, like desperate patients, began to try every means to obtain these "forbidden technological products."
This further intensified the sense of social injustice and the helpless anger toward the authorities.
Secret reports received by Wilkins showed that some originally neutral tech companies and emerging capital within the country had also begun to secretly contact the GDA, inquiring about the possibility of "cooperation" or "technology licensing." Fatal seepage was appearing in the dam of interests.
"Materials..." Wilkins looked at the description of the "keystone-1 type" performance and the speed of its popularization in the report, his fingertips turning cold. This was not just a matter of cookware and building materials. It meant that the GDA had established a terrifyingly efficient technology transformation system from basic scientific research to industrial mass production and then to universal public benefit. This systemic advantage was more despair-inducing than one or two superweapons.
His gaze turned once again to the top-secret memorandum regarding "Plan B." Under the title of the memorandum, several "key nodes" for potential attack were listed, one of which was strikingly related to the "new material production and distribution network" that the GDA was promoting globally.
"Perhaps... it's time to make some people understand," Wilkins' eyes glinted coldly, "that a 'universal benefit' that comes too quickly will also bring unexpected... weak points."
The luster of the "keystone-1 type" reflected the cooking smoke rising from thousands of households, as well as the shadow of a hammer quietly raised in the darkness, intending to shatter it.