Genius of the Rules-Style System

Chapter 420: Chapter 264: Guess Right at First Attempt?_3

If you were to look just at the workspace, it looked quite like a fully equipped factory specialized in the production of metal goods.

Zhao Yi walked past a test bench and noticed a dark piece, which looked like a metal plate.

"What is this?" he asked.

Someone nearby answered, "It’s a casing sheet, imported from Germany."

"What kind of casing?"

"For a satellite."

The speaker was not much older, looking to be in his thirties. Among the various professors, he was considered quite young, and just a bit older than Zhao Yi.

He proceeded to introduce himself: "Zhang Hongtao, I work in the materials room."

An older professor came over, laughing as he said, "Zhang Hongtao is a Yangtze River Scholar and a specially appointed professor at our university. Don’t let his age fool you, his knowledge is profound. His research on bulk metallic glasses has received significant support from the National Science Foundation."

He looked up to see Zhao Yi and seemed to falter momentarily with his words.

Many of those visiting the laboratory were not from the Capital University of Aeronautics and Astronautics; they were simply touring around before the conference began. Guides were present at each location to explain and accompany visitors, showcasing the university’s technological research and development capabilities.

The old professor had been speaking quite proudly, not really noticing who he was talking to. Upon realizing that it was Zhao Yi, he suddenly felt embarrassed.

Zhang Hongtao was considered impressive?

A Yangtze River Scholar?

Yet he was still a good decade or so older than Zhao Yi, and there was no comparison when it came to achievements. Zhao Yi’s accomplishments had already surpassed those of many top scholars in the country, and only those who had received top international awards could be compared with him.

Zhang Hongtao still lagged far behind.

Zhao Yi took it seriously, not feeling any need to compare himself with Zhang Hongtao. He was merely curious about the piece of material left on the test bench. "Does this kind of material still need to be imported?"

Zhang Hongtao, seeming slightly embarrassed, quickly picked up the topic, "This is not just a simple piece of material. It can withstand temperatures of over 1450 degrees, has excellent conductivity under high temperatures, and also provides radiation protection, certain physical resistance, and durability..."

Zhang Hongtao explained carefully, "So far, we have not been able to replicate a material with similar characteristics, and these parts still need to be imported."

"This laboratory is dedicated for research on this matter."

The goal was to mimic and crack the code.

If it was just one part or component to be imported, it wouldn’t matter. However, high-performance material can be used to make many things, equivalent to the need for many imported components. Hence, cracking the composition and manufacturing method of a material is indeed useful.

Some materials, if of good enough quality, can be used in other fields.

For instance, military manufacturing.

Zhao Yi touched the sheet to see if there was any noticeable difference with a steel plate, then looked up to ask, "May I?"

"Of course, that’s fine," Zhang Hongtao replied, smiling. ƒree𝑤ebnσvel.com

Zhao Yi felt the sheet, finding no noticeable difference. He then tried to use Causality Law to ascertain the composition of the material.

This was easy.

The periodic table of elements is finite. As everything that’s finite can be judged, he subsequently used Correlation Law to determine the content of each component in the material.

[Examine the relationship between the panel in front and titanium.]

[Correlation Law!]

[The panel contains 73.5% titanium!]

Such a high content?

Zhao Yi hesitated, then said, "This should be a titanium alloy plate, right?"

Zhang Hongtao seemed unbothered. "Correct. Whether it is large aircraft, satellite probes, or even foreign space shuttles, many of their exteriors are made of titanium alloys. The rest of the composition consists of..."

Before Zhang Hongtao finished, Zhao Yi interjected, "It also contains aluminum and magnesium, and small amounts of carbon, as well as some very scarce neodymium."

Zhang Hongtao was shocked, "How did you know that?"

"I just guessed," Zhao Yi said laughingly, "I’ve read many articles stating that high-end materials often contain rare metals."

"You’re interested in chemical materials?"

"Occasionally."

After saying this, Zhao Yi didn’t take it to heart and walked away. The others didn’t pay much attention either, thinking he was joking.

The only one who took it seriously was Zhang Hongtao.

This was the focus of his research. The elements contained within—in particular, neodymium—were the conclusion of his latest study.

There isn’t much understanding about rare metals in the scientific community. Most nations don’t make their research public, as rare metals are directly related to military uses. As such, ’rare earth’ has become a national strategic resource.

Currently, domestic research on rare metals was only in its initial stages. Without a direct understanding, it was challenging to know which rare metals were contained in a material.

Zhang Hongtao spent a long time researching, relying on various data to verify and conclude that the material ’likely contains neodymium.’ He even made some progress.

But now...

It was directly revealed?

Zhang Hongtao was puzzled and thought about all sorts of possibilities but couldn’t figure out how Zhao Yi could have known. Or was it as Zhao Yi himself said—that he was merely guessing and just happened to guess right?

He just guessed and hit the mark?