novelsite Chapter 63 The Art of Micro-carving
Chapter 63 The Art of Micro-carving
At noon, sunlight streamed through the skylight in the workshop roof, cutting sharp spots of light onto the armored panels of the sixth carriage.
Wang Zhengyang stood in front of the plate, his right index finger hovering five millimeters above the metal surface, his eyes closed. Mechanical affinity spread out like an invisible stream, with a perception radius of fifteen meters, but at this moment it was all focused on a depth of 0.5 millimeters below the surface of this 1.2-meter by 0.8-meter armor plate.
Thunder Matrix Type 1 - Armor Plate Micro-Engraving Circuit Modification Scheme.
This is not an external attachment system, but rather a laser-ablation of a mesh of conductive lines, 0.5 mm deep and 0.15 mm wide, into an existing 22 mm thick armor plate. The total length of the lines is 128 meters, forming a dense induction-discharge network. When a projectile impacts, a piezoelectric sensor detects the stress, triggering a supercapacitor in the corresponding area to discharge within 30 microseconds. This generates a momentary strong electromagnetic field through the lines, interfering with the projectile's trajectory.
"Laser power 38%, focus offset compensation 0.02 mm, scanning speed 15 cm per second."
Wang Zhengyang recited the parameters in a low voice, his eyes still closed. In his perception, the metal beneath the laser head was undergoing microscopic changes: the alloy steel surface was instantly heated to 2200 degrees Celsius, the metal vaporized, leaving a 0.5-millimeter-deep groove. A tiny heat-affected zone existed at the edge of the groove, altering the grain structure and generating residual stress.
This requires him to do the second thing—repair.
Once the laser head was removed, his mechanical affinity immediately penetrated deep into the edges of the grooves, adjusting the arrangement of metal atoms at the nanoscale, eliminating stress concentration, and repairing lattice defects. This was not direct manipulation, but rather guiding the metal's natural recovery process with his mind, much like a doctor guiding a wound to heal.
A 0.57% arousal level is just enough to achieve this.
"Engineer Wang, the third block is complete." Chen Yishang's voice came from the side, carrying a hint of something unusual. He stared at the monitor screen, a fine layer of sweat beading on his forehead, not just because of the stuffy heat in the workshop.
Just twenty minutes earlier, while he was adjusting the newly installed large CNC milling machine next to him, his palm inadvertently touched the cold casing of the machine tool. In that instant, an unprecedentedly clear tactile sensation penetrated the glove and was directly imprinted on his nerve endings—
He "senseed" it.
It wasn't vibration, nor temperature, but something deeper within the metal itself. He could vaguely "perceive" the distribution of sand holes inside the cast iron bed of the machine tool, the minute roundness deviations of the spindle bearing balls, and even the uniformity of the titanium nitride coating on the guide rail surface... It was like touching a piece of fabric with your eyes closed, yet inexplicably "knowing" its warp and weft density and fiber strength. This information wasn't visual or auditory, but a complex intuition about the state of the metal that directly flooded his mind. Heavy, dense, with a subtle "granular" feel and the direction of internal stress.
The feeling was fleeting, yet incredibly real, so real that it sent shivers down his spine.
"The circuit connectivity test passed, and the resistance value is within the allowable range." Chen Yishang tried to keep his voice steady as he handed the test report to Wang Zhengyang. His right hand fingers unconsciously twitched slightly, as if he was still savoring the strange "touch" he had just experienced.
Wang Zhengyang opened his eyes and took the report. But he didn't immediately check the data. Instead, his gaze calmly and profoundly fell on Chen Yishang's face, or more precisely, on the finger that had just moved unconsciously.
The perception granted by the 0.57% arousal level wasn't limited to metal. In his highly focused state, Wang Zhengyang could detect something more subtle—an extremely faint but anomalous "coordinated fluctuation" appeared in the biomagnetic field surrounding Chen Yishang's body. This fluctuation resonated with a delayed response to the faint field left by the metal residue of the machine tool he had just touched. Like a stone thrown into water, the ripples should have subsided quickly, but around Chen Yishang, these "ripples" oscillated for several more weak cycles.
Interesting. A thought struck Wang Zhengyang. This wasn't the absolute control his Caldova engine possessed at the atomic level; it was more like... the metal itself actively "telling out" its state to a sensitive receiver.
"Did you touch that milling machine just now?" Wang Zhengyang suddenly asked, his tone flat and devoid of emotion.
Chen Yishang was taken aback, then nodded somewhat flusteredly: "Yes, I touched it while debugging. What's wrong, Engineer Wang? Is there something wrong with the machine tool?" He thought he had been caught operating it improperly.
"The machine tool is fine." Wang Zhengyang withdrew his gaze and began testing the nodes on the armor plate, his tone casual as if he were chatting. "Do you feel anything unusual in your hands? Like... do you have a clearer idea of where that machine is 'uncomfortable'?"
Chen Yishang froze abruptly, his blood rushing to his head before quickly receding, leaving him pale. He opened his mouth, wanting to deny it, but under Wang Zhengyang's all-knowing gaze, the lie stuck in his throat. "I... I just felt..." he stammered, unsure how to describe that absurd feeling.
"It feels like it can 'tell' you something," Wang Zhengyang said for him, while recording a test value. "Don't be nervous or feel strange. The world is vast, and people's potential varies."
He put down the multimeter, turned to Chen Yishang, his gaze devoid of surprise, only a calm assessment: "Your 'physical sensitivity' to metal is increasing. This could be some kind of trait, or it could be..." He paused, choosing a more conservative approach, "the budding of some special talent. The key is what you can 'receive' and how clearly you can understand it."
Wang Zhengyang didn't explicitly mention the word "superpower," but based on his memories of the apocalypse, he was almost certain that Chen Yishang was unconsciously awakening some kind of potential for deep interaction with metal. This perceptive talent, if directed correctly, might one day extend from "perception" to a deeper "understanding" or even "fusion." The prototype of Iron Hand might be hidden within this instinctive intuition about the state of metal. But right now, it's too weak, too blurry, like the hazy light and shadow in the eyes of a nearsighted person.
"Focus on your work," Wang Zhengyang continued, his voice steady and reassuring, "but don't deliberately ignore those 'feelings.' Sometimes, intuition is also part of the technique, especially when your intuition starts dealing with metal."
Chen Yishang listened blankly. Wang Zhengyang's words were like a key, loosening the boulder weighing down his confusion and fear. It wasn't mockery, nor denial, but... a guiding affirmation? His chaotic thoughts cleared slightly. Although he still didn't understand the reason, he at least knew that this might not be a bad thing, and that he wasn't alone.
"Yes, Engineer Wang." He took a deep breath and nodded heavily.
Resistance is 0.08 ohms, with a deviation of less than 2%.
"Passed. Proceed to the next block. We need to complete the micro-engraving of five boards today."
"yes!"
Chen Yishang returned to the control panel and placed his hand on the metal knob once more. This time, when the vague sensation of internal spring fatigue and contact oxidation quietly surfaced, he didn't panic and flinch. Instead, he tried, as Wang Zhengyang had suggested, to "focus" without "deliberately ignoring" it. He still didn't fully understand the meaning of this information, but at least he began to try to coexist with this unfamiliar sensation.
Wang Zhengyang observed Chen Yishang's subtle changes out of the corner of his eye. The young man's tense shoulders relaxed slightly, and the stiffness in his movements lessened. Good. A seed had been sown. How it would grow under suitable soil (the complex mechanical environment of the Longyuan, which would soon become a "base station") and pressure (the high-intensity modification work) was worth observing. Chen Yishang's future path might take a completely different turn because of his bewildered awakening and a few simple words of guidance today.
"But Engineer Wang, your hand..." Chen Yishang looked up during a break from his work, and this time when he noticed Wang Zhengyang's fingers trembling slightly, his eyes showed a concern he hadn't shown before.
"I'll rest for ten minutes." Wang Zhengyang walked to the worktable, took out the steel ball, and began restorative manipulation.
At 2 PM, the third armor plate was completely micro-engraved. Chen Yishang conducted a final inspection, and as his fingertips glided over the lines, those vague perceptions of depth, uniformity, and residual stress resurfaced. He still couldn't quantify them precisely, but he could roughly distinguish the differences between "good" and "excellent" areas. He silently noted these feelings, without making a sound, but a kind of secret dialogue with the metal had quietly begun in his heart.
Wang Zhengyang took everything in. The armor of the Longyuan was being strengthened, and the unexpectedly discovered seedling with potential metal affinity was adapting to its new senses. Preparations for the apocalypse were never just about supplies and weapons; people, especially those with special potential, were the most important resource and variable. Whether Chen Yishang could refine this vague sense into an "iron hand" capable of manipulating metal and transforming himself in the future, time would tell. And what he had to do was, until then, provide an environment for it to grow naturally and not wither away.