Legend of the Cyber Heroes
Chapter 433 - 77: Centrifuge

Chapter 433: Chapter 77: Centrifuge

Yuan Wenren, Yuki, and Liu Ri also got off the car one after another.

"Senior..." Liu Ri also wanted to rush over like Panic did.

But Xiang Shan’s staff tapped on his shoulder, "No need for formalities for now. I appreciate the thought. I do not take disciples. Your insistence is futile."

"Ah, but Senior, isn’t this just a way to show my sincere enthusiasm?" The former Burrow Dragon youth looked at Xiang Shan and earnestly said, "You are giving me guidance in martial arts now, aren’t you? So wouldn’t it make sense to also take me as your student? Ah, I’ve heard that indeed many heroes test their disciples multiple times before accepting them to judge their dedication. Great Hero, you won’t be able to discourage me!"

Xiang Shan withdrew his staff and shook his head, "So, I’ve already given you guidance on martial arts, what else are you unsatisfied with? Why do you insist on formally taking me as your master? Aren’t you and Yuki both learning from me? You two exchange ideas in your daily practices, right?"

Liu Ri nodded.

"Whatever I teach my own disciple, I will teach you. So what is there to be unsatisfied with? Why do you insist on becoming my disciple?"

Liu Ri said, "Do I need a reason?"

Xiang Shan was stunned, "Shouldn’t there be one?"

"Ah, only by becoming a master and disciple will you further take me to explore Jianghu, right!" Liu Ri put on the petulant attitude often used by teenagers, "So please take me as your disciple?"

"Sorry, but I won’t officially take any disciples until I start using my own name again. So let’s wait until that day," Xiang Shan replied.

Yuan Wenren sighed and pulled Liu Ri away, consoling him with a few words in a text window. Then, Yuan Wenren said, "Senior, you haven’t introduced us. Who is this person?"

Although everyone completely trusted Xiang Shan, unlike the two young men, Yuan Wenren still inquired about Ai Tielang’s identity.

"This is Knight Ai, Ai Tielang, also known as...hiss..."

Ai Tielang quickly intervened, "In front of the Nameless Hero, I dare not mention my minor reputation."

Xiang Shan pointed at Yuan Wenren, "This is my current partner, Yuan Wenren."

"Defending Justice Gun"? I heard you were ambushed by the government three years ago and became less active. I thought you were already..." Ai Tielang gave Yuan Wenren a respectful hand gesture, "I have long admired your reputation."

Yuan Wenren returned the gesture, "The reputation of ’Lone Wolf’s Hammer’ is far louder than mine."

Ai Tielang liked to use ultra-large caliber sniping guns, and those he assassinated looked as if they had been hit by a Siege Hammer, hence the nickname.

Yuan Wenren handed a file to Xiang Shan, "The results of this mission are detailed in this report. Also, the high-quality materials supported by the Burrow Dragon lineage of Nafeili have also been brought over."

Xiang Shan nodded. Different parts of a prosthetic body required different materials.

Hardness, toughness, thermal conductivity, electrical resistance, and so on.

Additionally, some components required sensitive materials to be mixed in to provide "tactile" senses, strengthening a martial artist’s control over their body.

These materials used many different alloys. These alloys required various metal elements, and those metals were found in different regions.

If it were just getting by, that would be one thing. But for a hero to get top-tier prosthetic body, they’d need extensive help.

Xiang Shan looked at Yuan Wenren’s report and nodded, "You’ve worked hard, little Yuan."

After thinking for a bit, Xiang Shan asked, "Do you think with the materials we have now, we can make a long-lasting gas separation device? I mean something like a high-speed centrifuge."

"Ah?" Yuan Wenren was startled, "Um, could I ask, Senior, what exactly do you need..."

"Liquid helium, preferably with a bit of helium-3."

Yuan Wenren said, "Senior, didn’t you mention that you weren’t planning on building a fusion reactor for now?"

"Of course it’s not for a fusion reactor," Xiang Shan shrugged, "It doesn’t require as much quantity. What I need is a refrigerant. A mixture of helium-3 with regular helium-4 will do."

Helium-3 is an excellent fuel for nuclear fusion. Moreover, during its fusion process, it does not emit neutrons—meaning much less interference with equipment. And neutron radiation is relatively difficult to block, because neutrons are uncharged and can’t be easily restrained with strong magnetic fields.

Switching a reactor that releases neutrons to one that doesn’t eliminates the need for protective materials used to slow down neutrons inside the prosthetic body, saving a lot of resources.

However, the issue is that helium is extremely expensive.

Because helium is so light, it easily escapes Earth’s gravitational field. Ever since the birth of Earth, helium has been constantly dissipating.

And helium-3 can only be produced by alpha decay radiation—a natural process occurring inside Earth. Over long geological periods, this helium-3 moves close to the Earth’s surface. Therefore, some underground gas mines contain a considerable amount of helium-3.

But at this moment, every known vein has been completely harvested by the Protectors.

Extracting helium from seawater or the atmosphere is extremely difficult.

Yet, as a refrigerant, helium-3 is slightly superior to helium-4.

Using helium-4 as a refrigerant in cooling systems could lower temperatures down to 2K or two degrees above absolute zero.

But if cost isn’t counted, switching to helium-3 as a refrigerant could decrease temperatures to below 1K.

The earliest quantum logic gates that could only operate near absolute zero used such cooling technologies.

Of course, Xiang Shan didn’t need that for his quantum chip. This quantum chip could operate at a limit of 80K.

"Able to operate" and "operating efficiently" are two different things.

In ultra-low temperature environments, reducing thermal noise interference is more effective.

Moreover, in such cold conditions, helium can exhibit superfluidity, flowing without resistance or loss through extremely fine capillaries or narrow channels.

Coupled with high-strength capillaries, it can serve as an excellent quick-cooling system.

For a martial artist, this kind of thing is incredibly useful.

After some calculation, Yuan Wenren answered, "Impossible, no matter the design, we don’t have enough alloy to use. And it would take a long time..."

Liu Ri also pondered, "If it’s urgent, Senior... darn, even the few Burrow Dragons I know of might not be able to do it."

Ai Tielang knew that Xiang Shan was preparing for the quantum chip. Hearing the conversation of the others, he curiously looked at Liu Ri’s prosthetic eye.

"Never mind, it’s not that urgent," Xiang Shan waved his hand, "Let’s get started on burying the transport."

The group returned to Pine Eagle City.

Xiang Shan asked Ai Tielang to take the others to where the heroes currently resided and then patted Yuki on the shoulder, "Kid, come for a walk with me. It’s time for your test."

"If you don’t pass, I’ll expel you from my tutelage."