71: Chapter 71 Graphene as Fabric? You Call This Scientific Research?

As soon as Su Che finished speaking, Lieutenant General Peng said nothing and immediately pulled out a red encrypted phone.

He didn't even ask how much was needed, nor did he ask for specific specifications.

When the call connected, he only said one sentence.

"Highest priority, 'Shield-Casting' project initiated."

"Graphene composite film, liquid metal substrate, national inventory, all to be transported to the Beijing 'Zhurong' No. 1 Laboratory within three hours."

After saying this, he hung up immediately.

Crisp and efficient.

Beside him, President Liu Qianghua silently pulled out a handkerchief and wiped the sweat from his forehead.

National inventory?

That stuff is a strategic reserve calculated in 'tons'!

Transported to Beijing within three hours?

How much power would that require? I'm afraid all high-speed trains and flights along the route would have to yield for it!

"Let's go, Su Che."

Lieutenant General Peng put away the phone, as if he had just ordered takeout.

"The 'Zhurong' laboratory has already been cleared."

...

Two hours and fifty minutes later.

In the Western Hills of Beijing, the National Key Laboratory of Materials Science, codenamed 'Zhurong'.

This place is the top-tier material 'kitchen' of the Dragon Kingdom.

When Su Che and his party arrived, over a dozen large transport planes painted with Air Force markings were landing one after another on the military airfield outside the laboratory.

The cargo doors opened, and materials packed in special alloy boxes were quickly transferred to the underground laboratory.

Academician Qian Zhenhua gasped when he saw the 'Top Secret' seals on those boxes and the grim expressions of the escorting soldiers.

He felt that he wasn't here to conduct scientific research.

He was here to participate in a war that would determine the nation's fate.

"Su Che, all materials have been put into storage."

A base commander wearing a Major General's uniform stepped forward quickly and saluted Su Che to report.

Su Che nodded and walked directly into the main laboratory.

In the center of the laboratory stood one of the Dragon Kingdom's most advanced 'High-Precision Quantum Lithography Equipment', flanked by a series of top-tier instruments such as atomic layer deposition equipment and electromagnetic simulation testing systems.

Any one of them was worth a fortune.

"Bring the graphene film over."

Su Che took off his coat and ordered casually.

Soon, two staff members carefully carried over a half-meter square temperature-controlled box.

Opening the box, inside was a roll of film as thin as a cicada's wing, yet reflecting a metallic luster under the light.

"Su Che, this is the highest-grade 'Flying Blade' level graphene composite film in our inventory, with a thickness of only 0.335 nanometers and a strength 200 times that of steel."

Academician Chen Shian, who had rushed over from the 'Nuwa' laboratory, stood by and introduced it in a tone that was almost like a pilgrimage.

"Its molecular structure is extremely stable, but also extremely fragile. Any lateral stress exceeding 5 Newtons could cause its structure to..."

Before he could finish his sentence, he saw Su Che put on gloves, reach in, and pinch a corner of the film.

"Rip—" A sound as crisp as tearing fabric rang out.

Under the stunned gaze of all the scientists, including Academician Chen Shian and Academician Qian Zhenhua, Su Che... directly tore a large piece off that priceless 'Flying Blade' level graphene film with his bare hands!

It was just like a housewife tearing a sheet of kitchen paper from a roll, casual and rough.

"You... you..."

Academician Chen Shian pointed at Su Che, his lips trembling.

He couldn't catch his breath and almost fainted on the spot.

A spendthrift!

This was simply a waste of a precious treasure!

Su Che held the piece of graphene film, which he had torn with uneven edges, and looked at it against the light, seeming quite satisfied.

"Not bad, quite sturdy."

He completely ignored the group of petrified old experts and walked straight to an 'Ultra-High Frequency Induction Melting Furnace'.

"Pour the liquid metal substrate in."

The staff member was stunned for a moment and looked at Lieutenant General Peng.

Lieutenant General Peng waved his hand expressionlessly.

A bucket of viscous, mercury-like liquid shimmering with silver light was slowly poured into the melting furnace.

"Su Che, what should the melting temperature be set to? Do we need to perform component homogenization?"

The researcher in charge of operations asked cautiously.

"No need."

Su Che waved his hand.

Then, in the gaze of everyone who had collectively frozen for the second time, he casually threw the piece of graphene film he had just torn off—a piece worth enough to buy a courtyard house in Beijing—into the melting furnace.

Just like throwing a piece of cabbage into a hot pot.

"Glug."

The graphene film was instantly swallowed by the liquid metal at thousands of degrees, without even a bubble rising.

It's over.

Academician Chen Shian's vision went black, and he was caught by President Liu Qianghua beside him.

This kid isn't here to conduct research.

He's here to wreck the place!

Su Che didn't care about the mood of those old men.

He walked to the console and typed on the keyboard for a while.

He didn't start the melting program; instead, he pulled up another completely unrelated system—the control program for the high-precision lithography equipment.

"Dismantle the 'Quantum Enhanced Laser' module of the lithography machine, set the power to maximum, and aim it at the observation port of the melting furnace."

This order plunged everyone into confusion once again.

Lithography machines are used to etch microscopic circuits on chips; you're using it as a searchlight?

Although they didn't understand, the order was carried out.

A deep blue laser beam shot precisely into the melting furnace.

"Hum—"

Inside the melting furnace, the previously calm liquid metal instantly boiled!

The graphene film that had been thrown in was not melted; instead, under the irradiation of the laser, it began to actively decompose and reorganize in a strange way!

On the screen, the real-time microscopic images transmitted back through special sensors showed countless carbon atoms breaking free from the hexagonal lattice of the graphene, merging at the most fundamental level with the liquid metal atoms in a brand-new, profound topological structure!

"Heavens... Good heavens! What is he doing?"

An academician in charge of materials science stared intently at the screen, his voice trembling.

"He... he skipped all the alloy proportions and melting processes!"

"He is using the quantum laser to forcibly 'program' a brand-new metamaterial directly at the atomic level!"

"This... this isn't science!"

Academician Qian Zhenhua muttered to himself, as if in a trance.

"This is creation!"

There was no expression on Su Che's face.

To him, this was just following the blueprints provided by the system, step by step.

Half an hour later.

The laser went out, and the liquid metal inside the melting furnace returned to calm.

However, its color had changed from the previous silvery-white to a deep, pure black that seemed to absorb all light.

"Cool down, demold."

Su Che issued the final instruction.

Soon, a palm-sized, jet-black metal block with no reflection on its surface was removed by a robotic arm.

It lay quietly on the laboratory bench, like a black hole from the depths of the universe.

Su Che stepped forward and picked up the metal.

It felt cold to the touch and was incredibly light.

He weighed it in his hand, then turned around to look at Lieutenant General Peng.

"It's done."

"Now, go find me a target."

"Use the one that is the most advanced in our Dragon Kingdom, the one that can detect a fly 5,000 kilometers away... the 'Sky Eye' phased array radar."