Chapter 81: Discovery In Lunar Soil
Fan Ren led several Ministry of Industry transportation personnel into the laboratory. Elder Ye had even handled security issues for him, so he had to repay the other with practical actions.
“General Manager Fan, you have no idea, for this 0.5 kg of lunar soil, major universities and research institutes called every three days and visited every five days to keep an eye on us. Unexpectedly, it ended up in your hands in the end.”
The speaker was one of the accompanying personnel, an older one. When he handed the lunar soil to Fan Ren, he actually started sighing somewhat reluctantly.
Fan Ren smiled without paying it any mind, reached out to take it, and handed it to the staff to handle.
“I won’t say more. Thank you for the Ministry of Industry’s trust. Please especially thank Chief Li for me when you go back.”
With that, he walked toward the workbench area.
Due to the vacuum and microgravity environment of lunar soil, it has been influenced by factors such as solar wind and cosmic rays over long years, and it is rich in various mineral elements of extremely high value to humanity.
But previous explorations had never considered tri-titanium alloy in this regard. Now, with this small amount of lunar soil in Fan Ren’s hands, after a simple observation under a high-magnification microscope, he didn’t find anything unusual.
He then proceeded to the next process.
High-temperature plasma smelting process in an oxygen-free environment.
Outside, when Dan Qin found Zeng Yingying, her pair of fine eyebrows couldn’t help but furrow slightly.
She really couldn’t imagine that the secretary of this enterprise boss, whom Elder Ye had specifically instructed to protect fully, would be so obsessed with playthings and lose her ambition.
Zeng Yingying sensed someone behind her and turned around with a pair of charming eyes full of doubt.
“Hello, I’m from the Security Department. Next, my colleague and I will be responsible for General Manager Fan’s safety. I’m here to ask you about General Manager Fan’s recent security work.”
Dan Qin’s voice had no emotional tone. After hearing it, Zeng Yingying inexplicably felt a bit uncomfortable, but she also knew the woman in front of her was no ordinary person.
She immediately said, “General Manager Fan basically lives in the laboratory office every day. Not long ago, I just drove him to live in the apartment. There are no security issues, right?”
Unprofessional!
Dan Qin secretly made a decision in her heart, thought for a moment, and had to say, “Is it convenient to take me to General Manager Fan’s office to have a look?”
Zeng Yingying also knew these people were not simple. She nodded, put away her mobile phone, and said, “Follow me.”
But in her heart, an inexplicable sense of vigilance inexplicably arose.
In the laboratory, Fan Ren stared closely at the smelted lunar soil tissue block, his gaze following the mechanical arm as it slowly moved, finally stopping at the testing platform.
“General Manager Fan?”
The operator was waiting for his command. Now he also knew that what the mechanical arm he operated had picked up was extremely rare lunar soil.
It was collected from the Moon and brought back to Earth by the Phase Three lunar exploration project after untold hardships and enormous costs.
His hand couldn’t help but tremble a bit.
Seeing this, Fan Ren gently patted the other’s shoulder and said, “I’ll do it.”
Then he took over the workbench, took a deep breath, and slowly moved his wrist.
Under the microscope, in the dark gray tissue block, molecules of various components were scattered in irregular arrangements.
No tri-titanium alloy components were found on the surface.
Fan Ren’s expression became a bit more serious. Operating the cutter, amid everyone’s surprised looks, he emotionlessly cut down into the tissue block.
He didn’t have nearsightedness. Through the glass, he could clearly see that after the cut was complete, a familiar silvery-white reflection appeared in the middle of the tissue block.
Fan Ren’s hand actually trembled a bit unconsciously as well.
“There really seems to be some!”
“The visual reflection color of tri-titanium alloy is exactly this silvery-white glow.”
Fan Ren took a deep breath, blocking out the low voices of the researchers behind him, and placed half of the tissue under the microscope again.
“The structure matches!”
“Yes, it’s definitely tri-titanium alloy.”
“As General Manager Fan predicted, as long as it’s in a vacuum environment, this ore indeed has the possibility of being widely distributed.”
Fan Ren raised his head, exhaled a turbid breath, and slowly nodded to the group of researchers in front of him.
“Can’t really call it prediction. Given the formation conditions of ordinary crystal stone, the Moon is our best reference. It’s not surprising I thought of it. Alright, save the experimental data. You all continue testing the strength of this tissue block and hand the data to me.”
After instructing the operator from earlier, Fan Ren walked toward the office.
He needed to think carefully about the next direction.
“General Manager Fan!”
Pushing open the door, Zeng Yingying’s figure was standing in the office, startled by his sudden entrance.
“Hmm? What’s this?”
Fan Ren looked at her puzzledly and saw that Zeng Yingying’s complexion wasn’t great, so he immediately said, “Feeling unwell?”
“Hmm? Ah? You go ahead with your work.”
Being asked this by him, Zeng Yingying immediately felt embarrassed and ran past him out.
“What the heck.”
Fan Ren muttered, closed the door, and took out his telephone to prepare to dial Li Jiandong’s number.
“Wait!”
A clear, cold voice rang out, startling him.
At the doorway of the bathroom connected to the office, Dan Qin appeared expressionless.
“What’s this?”
Fan Ren stepped back two steps, steadied himself, and noticed that the clean suit on her was now stained with some dust.
“Sorry, General Manager Fan, I’m responsible for checking for eavesdropping devices around you.”
Dan Qin said apologetic words, but her face remained the same as she walked forward.
“General Manager Fan, no eavesdropping devices were found in your office for now. Is it convenient to check your person?”
Fan Ren’s lips twitched. He really feared this woman from the Security Department would check his clothes without another word.
“No need. My daily life is all handled by Yingying, and she does it very well.”
He flatly refused. At this point, he also realized why Zeng Yingying’s complexion hadn’t been great earlier—she must have been annoyed by this Dan Qin’s questioning.
Hearing this, Dan Qin didn’t force Fan Ren. This work could start from subtle details later. Over such a long time, no important eavesdropping incidents had been found on him anyway, so there was no rush at this moment.
“Alright then, General Manager Fan, you go ahead. I’ll be outside. Call me if there’s anything.”
Saying this flatly, Dan Qin walked straight out, without any procrastination.
Fan Ren didn’t think much of it either. Startled by her, he put down the telephone in his hand.
He poured himself a cup of tea and sat on the sofa, lighting a cigarette.
In his vision, future controlled nuclear fusion would involve every aspect of human life.
Under the trend of large-scale development, the tri-titanium alloy used for the container wall would need a stable and long-term source.
From Li Jiandong’s mouth, Australia was not to be counted on. Although some mineral sources remained unproven, they were extremely limited compared to the enormous usage amount.
Moreover, tri-titanium alloy wasn’t just for nuclear fusion container walls. With strength dozens of times greater than super aluminum alloy, it could be used in too many places.
Aerospace, transportation, electronics, medical equipment, and even wide application prospects in architecture.
Now, the refinement of lunar soil had proven that large quantities existed on the Moon, not far from Earth.
So, Xinghai’s next step had only this one path forward.
