novelsite Chapter 27 Construction Begins
Chapter 27 Construction Begins
At 6:50 a.m., all the bent parts were completed.
Wang Zhengyang began the final quality inspection. He touched each component one by one, his supernatural senses scanning the metal interior like a precision scanner. Three components were selected for rework—one had tiny inclusions inside, and the other two had uneven residual stress distribution. The corrections took seventeen minutes.
At 7:40 a.m., the morning light began to paint the eastern sky. Wang Zhengyang shut down all the equipment and covered the finished components with a tarpaulin. His work clothes were soaked with sweat, his forehead was covered with fine beads of perspiration, and his breathing was slightly heavy. The high-intensity use of his supernatural abilities had taken a heavy toll on his body; his 0.41% activation level was insufficient to support prolonged continuous work. He estimated that he could maintain a high-efficiency processing state for a maximum of four to five hours each night, and he had to recover through rest and nutritional supplements during the day.
But he didn't have time to sleep.
At eight o'clock in the morning, when Chen Yishang arrived at the work area with his apprentices and workers, he saw hundreds of machined parts neatly stacked, along with all the matching connectors and installation tools. In the morning light, the surfaces of those metal components reflected a cold luster, and the high precision of the machining was visible to the naked eye.
"This..." Chen Yishang rubbed his eyes, walked to a pile of steel plates, picked up calipers and measured several key dimensions—all within tolerance. "Dr. Wang, did you process all of these by yourself last night?"
"Hmm." Wang Zhengyang's voice sounded a little hoarse, but his eyes remained sharp as a knife. "Your goal today is to complete the installation of all the reinforcing steel plates on the east side and top of the first section of the locomotive. The process documents are on the tablet, with 3D animation demonstrations and torque requirements for each step. Remember, the structural adhesive needs 24 hours for initial curing and 72 hours to reach its design strength, so the bolt preload needs to be applied in four stages. The timeline is detailed in the document."
He pointed to the workbench next to him: "The second batch of parts to be processed today is over there—all the structural profiles and connecting plates for the third and fourth carriage racks. Assemble and weld them according to the drawings, and complete the main frame by 6 p.m. The welding process must use CO2 shielded welding, and the weld grade requirement is level two."
The first rays of sunlight finally pierced the morning mist, casting long shadows on the concrete floor of the marshalling yard. The hiss of an angle grinder rang out first, followed by the buzzing of welding machines, the clicking of pneumatic wrenches, and the clanging of metal... The refitting project of the "Longyuan" officially began in the morning light. The workers started to get busy, hoisting steel plates, mixing structural adhesive, and preparing tools.
Chen Yishang looked at the components whose processing precision was comparable to that of a five-axis CNC center, and then looked at Wang Zhengyang—this young man had obvious shadows under his eyes and his face was a little pale, but his back was straight, like a steel rail that would never bend.
"Dr. Wang, you should go and rest. Leave this to us," Chen Yishang said solemnly. "I guarantee I'll complete it to the required standards."
Wang Zhengyang nodded, not trying to be brave. He did need rest; physical fatigue and the depletion of his superpowers were undeniable facts. He walked towards the technology center carriage, his steps slightly slower than usual.
When I entered the carriage, Lin Luo'er was already working there, with messy calculation sheets in front of her and an oscilloscope in operation.
"Dr. Wang!" She looked up, her eyes bloodshot but her spirits high, like a child who had discovered a new continent. "I've calculated the first version of the equations for the energy recovery and buffer circuit! The test efficiency reached 81% of the theoretical value, and the transient response time is 15% faster than the design requirements!"
Wang Zhengyang walked to the test bench and looked at the waveform on the oscilloscope screen and the data records next to it. Indeed, under the transient load of simulating projectile impact, the circuit's energy recovery efficiency was stable between 80.5% and 81.7%, with a response time of 2.3 milliseconds, which was better than the design requirement of 2.7 milliseconds.
"Very good," he said, the weariness in his voice making the word sound especially real. "Continue optimizing, aiming for 85% efficiency and a response time of 2.0 milliseconds. Also, have you finalized the selection criteria and supplier list for the main capacitor array?"
"Here it is!" Lin Luo'er pulled up the document, her eyes sparkling. "I compared twenty-three types of industrial-grade supercapacitors available on the market, and gave them a comprehensive score based on six dimensions: size, weight, capacitance, internal resistance, lifespan, and price. In the end, I selected these five for a hybrid solution. This is a detailed performance comparison table and cost analysis..."
She spoke eloquently, her face radiating the pure joy of a breakthrough in her field. That brilliance, almost dazzling in the morning sunlight streaming through the car window, was like a lamp suddenly illuminated in a dark room.
Wang Zhengyang listened quietly, occasionally raising a key technical question or pointing out a potential risk. His brain was processing multiple threads of information simultaneously: Lin Luoer's technological progress, today's construction plan, material shortages, acquisition methods for the twenty-three special materials, his physical fatigue, and... that increasingly urgent timetable.
He needed to make a decision as soon as possible: when and how to contact the special channels of Berlin's underworld to obtain materials that could not be obtained by conventional means.
The first target was Zhang Yiqiang.
Wang Zhengyang looked out the window. The morning mist had dissipated, and the clear autumn sunlight of Berlin bathed the marshalling yard. Beside the "Longyuan," workers were erecting scaffolding, and Chen Yishang was directing the hoisting of the first reinforcing steel plate. Sparks from welding flickered in the morning light, like briefly blooming orange flowers; the clanging of hammers and the hum of power tools echoed in the yard, like the heartbeat of a steel behemoth gradually awakening.
This steel ark on the tracks is gradually growing a strong skeleton and sturdy armor.
The cost of building it will soon arrive in an unexpected way.
"Lin Nuoer, regarding the modification design of the hydroponic cultivation and life support experimental module, you can refer to NASA's closed ecological cycle system used for the space station. Let's come up with a plan first and discuss it together, and then let Chen Yishang and his apprentice build the basic structure," Wang Zhengyang said gently, looking at Lin Nuoer. "I believe in you."
Wang Zhengyang turned his gaze to the red-highlighted list of materials on his tablet. Tonight, he would begin planning his first "special procurement" operation. But before that, he needed at least three hours of deep sleep to recover his overexerted physical strength and supernatural abilities.
He walked to the folding bed in the corner of the carriage, took off his work jacket, and lay down. Before closing his eyes, he saw Lin Luo'er tiptoe over and cover him with a thin blanket, her movements as gentle as if afraid of disturbing a fragile dream.
Then she returned to her work desk, dimmed the desk lamp, and softened the sound of her typing.
In the final seconds before falling into a deep sleep, Wang Zhengyang vaguely thought: This girl... might be more valuable than he initially assessed.
It's not just about technological value.