I Live on the Land in Global Games
Chapter 292 - 288: Iron Smelting Issue

Chapter 292: Chapter 288: Iron Smelting Issue

After speaking with Tongbi 559, Mu Ying felt much relieved.

The female Vampire wasn’t so strong that she was impossible to deal with, and her strength would be weakened by sunlight. Although she had high potential, her leveling speed wasn’t very fast, so the immediate threat wasn’t significant.

Concerns about the next generation also weren’t urgent for now. After distributing the Contraceptive Potion, no newborns had been born within the territory, so she just needed to keep it in mind.

She had planned to go back to continue practicing her spells, but suddenly she received a call from Professor Han through a Dingling Flower, asking her to visit the Iron Refining Camp.

Professor Han was the materials scientist recommended by Professor Su. His ability was truly impressive, and he was now in charge of the Iron Refining Camp. Mu Ying had retained several other applicants with expertise in this area under Professor Han’s leadership to research iron refining, steel refining, and equipment forging!

Upon receiving the call, Mu Ying teleported to the Iron Refining Camp.

The Iron Refining Camp was relatively close to the Quarry Camp, though not very large in size. Stone Mountain had been leveled, and in its place stood a towering stone factory building.

The workers’ dormitories, the Iron Refining Area, the iron ore storage area, the fuel storage area, and the output warehouse were all there.

When Mu Ying teleported to the Iron Refining Area, she saw the ironworkers, one by one, looking dirty and disheveled, their clothes and hair as if they hadn’t been washed for weeks, including Professor Han.

"Lord, we have failed your trust, the steel refining has failed," Professor Han told her the bad news as soon as she arrived.

Mu Ying was somewhat surprised upon hearing this.

Professor Han was an expert in materials science. Even if the conditions weren’t as good as before the apocalypse, using the most primitive methods should have been sufficient for iron and steel refining. So why had it failed?

However, judging by their looks, it was clear that it wasn’t for a lack of effort, which meant that some other unexpected situation must have arisen.

Mu Ying asked calmly, "Have you found the reason?"

"As you know, we initially wanted to refine steel, using iron for the spine of the blade and steel for the edge. Weapons made this way would have flexibility and a hard, sharp edge, not worse than those of White Quality.

Before the apocalypse, we had thoroughly researched the properties of steel. Steel is an iron alloy with a carbon content between 0.02% and 2%. Anything outside of this range is considered iron, with higher carbon content being pig iron, which is hard but brittle, and lower carbon content being wrought iron, which is soft with good plasticity.

But now, the properties of iron have changed. Even when we strictly followed the pre-apocalyptic methods of iron and steel refining, the result was significantly different from what we aimed for. After eliminating all other possibilities, we came to an astonishing conclusion: the material properties themselves have shifted."

Professor Han sighed and continued, "Moreover, I suspect this might not be an isolated case. The burn duration and temperature of coal have increased compared to before the apocalypse. It’s likely that many materials have undergone changes in their properties. In such a scenario, most of the knowledge I’ve learned throughout my life might no longer be applicable. I have failed the trust you placed in me, and I might find it difficult to fulfill my duties in this position!"

It was evident that Professor Han’s confidence had taken a significant hit as well.

The properties of materials had changed, indeed rendering his acquired knowledge practically useless, but Mu Ying did not believe his prior knowledge had become valueless.

"Don’t worry, even if the properties of materials have changed, what about it? Just do more research. You certainly have knowledge beyond just material properties, right? Just treat the current iron as a completely new material to study. Didn’t you always dedicate yourself to researching new materials before the apocalypse? As for the efficiency of the Iron Refining Camp, you needn’t worry. The territory can still support it for now. If we don’t use the iron ore ourselves, we’ll end up selling it as a raw material or transforming it directly into energy, which is very uneconomical."

Mu Ying comforted him, "Moreover, the change in material properties isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Take coal, for instance; you said its burning temperature and duration have increased. That’s a good change, right? Maybe it’s the same with iron ore. As long as we find out its characteristic properties, maybe it will turn out to be even better than the iron before the apocalypse!"

The original intention for building the Iron Refining Camp was to process the iron ore from the Iron Mining Camp more thoroughly and sell it for a higher profit; it was merely an investment.

So she could accept a temporary lack of output, and even if they had to start from scratch researching material properties, the territory could support it. At most, it would just mean investing a bit in labor costs since the iron ore was produced locally.

She was a bit concerned about the changes in material properties, too, but her attitude was mostly optimistic.

The iron and coal had no difference in appearance compared to before the apocalypse, but their properties had changed. However, this change hadn’t strayed too far from their inherent attributes. Iron ore remained hard and suitable for weapons and tools, and coal remained combustible and could be used as fuel.

When one thinks about the goal of the Doomsday Game, isn’t it to promote the evolution of the entire planet and the creatures upon it?

Humans, plants, and animals have all evolved, generally developing in positive directions. So it seems only natural that non-living material substances would also undergo evolution and mutation, likely for the better.

The only drawback is that many of the experiences from before the apocalypse are now discounted or entirely inapplicable.

But what was learned before the apocalypse wasn’t just knowledge; it was also methodology. With the method remaining the same, it’s possible to reacquire the knowledge.

"You’ve made me realize how old I’ve become, not as open-minded as you young people. A blessing in disguise, perhaps. I’ve been short-sighted," Professor Han lamented. "But still, thank you for your trust. I promise to devote my life to researching new materials for the territory, to rise to the challenge!"

"Alright, research doesn’t have to be done in one go. Don’t ruin your health. Look at those dark circles under your eyes. No work today; take a day off to rest properly, then we can start again after you’ve fully recovered," Mu Ying said.

She wasn’t a heartless boss. It would be a sin if, after surviving the apocalypse without casualties in battle, her local people suddenly died from overwork.

After granting the workers at the Iron Refining Camp a holiday and seeing everyone off to rest, Mu Ying said to Professor Han, "Don’t put too much pressure on yourself. With the iron issue, I’ll go and inquire about it for you, see if I can bring back a mentor to guide you."

Professor Han’s eyes shifted, "Are you referring to Old Uncle Rub?"

Mu Ying nodded, "Deep Blue Star isn’t what it used to be. Having become part of the Multiverse, there’s an overall evolutionary uplift. Although he’s no match for his two sons and is just an ordinary blacksmith capable of making ungraded tools, he has spent a lifetime forging iron and should still understand its properties."

"In fact, I’ve observed his work before. He simply smelts the iron using the most primitive methods and refines it by hammering. It looked similar to the way ancient blacksmiths in our country made iron, which is why I didn’t pay much attention," Professor Han explained.