Chapter 138: Discovery

Since there is no safety concern regarding Wu Tong, it is best to leave things as they are for now. The situation is much like the novels popular among young people: Wu Tong is in a state of deep seclusion and cannot be disturbed, so everyone must simply wait for her to emerge.

Immersed in the wondrous microcosmic world, Wu Tong remains oblivious to the activity in the outside world. In her mind, the process of deduction is pushed to its absolute limit. A torrent of elemental symbols interweaves and dances, while various atomic structures and refined unit cells come into focus.

Under the power of her deductive reasoning, every detail is as clear as fine hair. She rotates and joins them, crafting beautiful hexagonal prisms. These prisms interlock seamlessly, inseparable, forming metal lattices that coalesce into grains, which in turn form the macroscopic metal body.

After nearly a month of continuous study and deduction, exploring the realms of materials science, chemistry, physics, and mathematics, Wu Tong has finally discovered the basis for absolute directional determination and absolute deduction.

So that was it. At a more microscopic level, elemental atoms undergo a special, equivalent covalent bonding, forming new unit cells. By preserving selected beneficial orientations and combining them into new molecular structures—and then employing directional solidification—a quasi-new substance is born. The data for these resulting materials is transcendently superior.

In chemical terms, this is a process where metal particles undergo specific combinations, with chemical bonds constantly breaking and reforming.

This special covalent interlocking is not limited to the titanium, aluminum, or nickel-iron elements she had used before; it exists between all natural elements. Under specific rules of combination, the metal's structural distribution undergoes a new, innovative rearrangement based on chosen directions, allowing it to exhibit properties far beyond those of ordinary metals.

Within this, there exists a miraculous set of laws that can perfectly harness the strengths of combined metals to create the superior alloy materials they require.

Without mastering these laws, random combinations—unless one is incredibly lucky or possesses an absolute intuition like Wu Tong’s—will often result in materials with performance inferior to their components. For instance, in common titanium-aluminum alloys, the inclusion of aluminum dilutes the density of the titanium, leading to a sharp decline in tensile strength, failing to even reach the average of the two components.

Regrettably, these special laws may not be universal. Different material combinations possess unique rules, and attempting to generalize is unrealistic. It is also possible that current technological methods are not precise enough to observe the more microscopic levels, meaning that transforming this special covalent interlocking into a fixed, theoretical, and practical system still requires further research.

Indeed, the magic of materials cannot be mastered overnight. Human understanding of matter remains far too limited. An alloy is a solid product with metallic properties obtained by mixing one or more metals or non-metals, melting them, and then letting them cool and solidify.

Yet, the world’s understanding of alloys remains at the most superficial level. It is merely macroscopic uniformity—akin to alchemy. People rely on combining various elements to form different alloy phases, followed by appropriate processing and endless trial and error, hoping for a lucky break to find the right ratios that meet specific performance requirements, all without being able to explain the underlying microscopic principles.

Wu Tong’s discovery serves as a significant guide for exploring the principles of how alloy materials are formed. Moreover, she has captured these insights on paper, moving them beyond mere intuitive judgment.

Outside the dormitory, as the final rays of sunset faded from the horizon, Elder Cheng arrived at Wu Tong’s door with Ruan Chengxu. Wu Tong had not left her room for two days, constantly occupied with her deductions.

The day she stopped coming out, he had received a report and checked on her, but he refrained from disturbing her, fearing he might interrupt her train of thought. Now that two days had passed and she still hadn't appeared, he was uneasy and came specifically to check on her.

Li Yisheng had also been waiting outside for a while. Seeing the mentor and his student, he greeted them: "Elder Cheng, Chengxu, you’re here too?" He had learned that Wu Tong might have entered a special state of inspiration when he called Elder Cheng earlier that day to confirm her status.

Li Yisheng had witnessed this twice before, and Elder Cheng had seen it in the laboratory as well. Once Wu Tong made a discovery, she would fall into this state, completely absorbed in her deductions and oblivious to the world.

By afternoon, when he still hadn't heard from Elder Cheng or Wu Tong, he grew anxious. After finishing his lecture, he hurried over and had been waiting at the door.

He hesitated to knock. Wu Tong hadn't left for two days and nights, and she likely hadn't eaten much. It wasn't healthy for a young person to neglect their body like this. But if he knocked and broke her concentration, the damage to her progress would be heartbreaking.

After a moment of hesitation, Elder Cheng decided, "Let's knock. If we interrupt her inspiration, we can always try again. It’s not worth Wu Tong wearing herself out like this!" Compared to a momentary achievement, Wu Tong’s health was far more important. She was young, with a vast future ahead, and one shouldn't lose the forest for the trees.

"That's true!" Li Yisheng nodded in agreement. He stood by the door, turned, and raised his hand to knock.

Just as they were speaking, Wu Tong was already emerging from her deep state of study. Having sensed the movement outside, she tidied up her manuscripts, stood up to stretch her limbs, and walked over to open the door.

The door swung open just as Li Yisheng was about to knock. "Teacher, Professor Li, Senior Brother Ruan—is everyone here?" Wu Tong asked, looking at the three of them in surprise.

"You haven't stepped out in two days. No matter how important your research is, you must take care of your health! Trading your well-being for research results is the worst possible approach," Elder Cheng admonished her gently. "I had Chengxu bring you some porridge; drink it to warm your stomach first."

Worried that Wu Tong had gone too long without food, Elder Cheng had made sensible arrangements based on his own experience. He knew exactly how she felt because, when he was young and engrossed in experiments, he too would forget the passage of time, only to be left with a chronic stomach ailment in his later years.

"I’ve worried you all. Teacher, I have some food in my room; I’ve been snacking," she said. She knew she could get carried away by inspiration, so she kept snacks like grain biscuits, energy bars, and eight-treasure porridge on hand. They had come in handy this time.

"Teacher, I’ve found it!" Wu Tong’s eyes were bright with excitement. More than anything, she wanted to share her discovery with her mentors.