Vermilion Bow Test

"The cooling system is circulating stably, and the liquid oxygen reserve has reached full capacity," Beianqi reported.

At standard atmospheric pressure, the boiling point of liquid oxygen is -183 degrees Celsius (approximately 90.2 Kelvin), far below the critical temperature line of 141 Kelvin for Gospel superconducting material they used.

"The hydroelectric generators have reached 50% capacity, and the idle capacity has reached 200,000 kilowatts." Zijin sat at the control panel next to Su Ming, reporting back to her supervisor. She looked very relaxed, and even hummed a tuneless little tune, which was rare for her, clearly indicating that she was in a very good mood.

"We'll start operating when we reach 500,000 kilowatts," Su Ming said.

He leaned back in his chair, his gaze falling on Zijin's forehead. There was a small bruise, about the size of a coin, very noticeable against her fair skin. "What happened to your forehead?" Su Ming asked curiously.

Zijin was a little annoyed; she had forgotten to apply foundation to cover it up today.

"Oh, I bumped into something a few days ago," she said casually.

"... What did you bump into? How did it get such a big bruise?" Su Ming asked suspiciously. "It's been days and the swelling still hasn't gone down?" Zijin turned her head, winked at him, and smiled slightly. "I'm not telling you~"

A warning sounded, indicating that the power station's surplus power had reached the predetermined value. The lapis lazuli turbine unit emitted an even deeper roar, and enormous energy surged out like a tide, flowing through a series of complex devices and being converted into current with specified parameters.

"Initiate the charging process, energize the superconducting coil, power 10%," Su Ming commanded.

With a series of heavy metallic clanging sounds, the massive switch slammed shut. Blue-white arcs of electricity leaped and flickered on the copper busbar, as thick as an arm, before quickly subsiding. A violent surge of high-voltage direct current rushed along the alloy cable, as thick as a bowl, and madly poured into the superconducting coils wrapped around the "Vermilion Bow" cannon. The magnetic field strength rapidly increased in the core region, and the air seemed to be slightly distorted by this invisible force field.

Typically, electromagnetic railguns rely on the instantaneous release of high-intensity pulse currents to generate extremely strong magnetic fields within microseconds, using electromagnetic force to propel projectiles.

However, this mode is not suitable for heavy-duty types like the "Vermilion Bow," whose energy storage unit and transmitting coil are designed as one unit. In the current energy storage stage, current is continuously injected into the superconducting coil, continuously pushing up the magnetic field strength in the core region.

Once the target is met, the electromagnetic projectile will be placed into the magnetic field core and then violently launched in the next instant.

Of course, this technological concept would not be possible without the support of high-performance superconducting materials like "Gospel".

The current surged at a rate of tens of thousands of amperes per second, causing the magnetic field strength in the core region to skyrocket. A bright yellow warning light illuminated on the control panel—the critical magnetic field Hc1 had been breached!

The magnetic field penetrated the perfect barrier of the superconductor, forming numerous tiny magnetic flux vortices within it, causing a jump in the heat generated by the coil. Fortunately, a contingency plan had been in place, and the low-pressure system had already reduced the temperature of the circulating liquid oxygen to minus two hundred degrees Celsius. This additional heat load was still within the system's tolerance, and the temperature curve of the superconducting coil was firmly kept within a safe range.

Su Ming quickly scanned the status of each system; everything was normal.

"Keep charging!" he commanded.

The field involving the principles of superconductivity is beyond the comprehension of technicians from another world. Even Beianqi, who has devoted tremendous effort to this, or Zijin, who has consulted countless Earth textbooks, can only act as observers at this moment, assisting him with some control tasks.

As the current continued to increase, the magnetic field was further strengthened, and the magnetic flux vortex phenomenon became more and more intense. Fortunately, under the guidance of the Earth Support Team, Su Ming had introduced a large number of microscopic defects such as lattice vacancies and precipitates into the near-perfect "Gospel" superconductor beforehand.

These defects act like anchor points, firmly pinning down the generated magnetic flux vortices and preventing them from moving, thus greatly suppressing the energy loss caused by hysteresis and the decline in the current-carrying capacity of superconductors under strong magnetic fields.

This technique is also known as "magnetic flux pinning".

Su Ming's tense nerves finally relaxed slightly; everything was proceeding as expected.

Just recalling the time when he used technical means to destroy these "perfect superconductors," Jisu and a group of researchers had sour faces the whole time, as if he were digging up someone's ancestral grave.

That felt really good!

Soon, a green indicator light on the control panel lit up, indicating that the magnetic field strength had successfully reached the preset value of 20 Tesla!

"Charging halted! Locking mechanism unlocked!" Su Ming commanded. "' Plain Increase ' test missile, launch!"

The slender alloy test rod, weighing ten tons, was suddenly drawn into the absolute high field region at the center of the coil by an invisible force the moment the fixing clip was released. The terrifying magnetic field accumulated inside the coil immediately erupted with an unimaginably huge Lorentz force.

With a series of rapid clicking sounds emanating from the high-speed switching array, the current fields of each coil switched precisely within milliseconds, and the working area climbed rapidly upwards section by section. In just a few milliseconds, the heavy test rod was accelerated by the layers of coils to a terrifying speed that broke the sound barrier! The air was violently torn apart, producing a loud bang, and the alloy rod, like a silver lightning bolt shooting back towards the sky, was blasted away from the barrel! It transformed into a streak of light that was difficult to detect with the naked eye, piercing straight into the distant sky.

"Launch successful! Observation team, track the trajectory of ' Plain Gift ' at full speed!" Su Ming gave the order in rapid speech, while simultaneously scanning the data streams on all the monitoring screens to check the post-launch status of each unit.

"Clear!"

King Star Pickaxe, who was inspecting the Red Ridge Mine, was also startled by the deafening roar that tore through the air. He quickly stepped out of the mine tunnel and looked up at the sky. It was already late when he came out; he had missed the ascent phase, Plain Gift had already descended. He saw a long metal rod at the end of a vertical silver trail, deploying deceleration blades and continuously slowing the pace of the ascent.

At an altitude of about one kilometer above the ground, a large, white deceleration parachute suddenly opened, further dragging it down and slowing it down until it finally crashed onto the gray rocky ground in the distance, kicking up a small cloud of dust.

"What earth-shattering treasure is this Chairman Su Ming up to now?" Star Pickaxe muttered to himself, stroking his rough stubble and squinting. "Your Majesty, judging from their internal codename, it seems to be... a bow?" Shizhen, the mine's chief technical advisor, reported in a low voice.

"A bow?" Star Pickaxe's eyebrows shot up almost to his hairline. "What kind of bow do you think could shoot that iron lump into the sky?" He waved his hand decisively and ordered, "Let's go! We're heading to the Celestite Hydropower Station right now; maybe we can still catch up with the tail end!"

At the experimental base, Su Ming conducted two more successful test launches, marking the successful completion of the "Vermilion Bow's " experimental mission for the day.

Accompanied by the low rumble of machinery, the massive intake gate of the Celestite Hydropower Station began to slowly close, the turbulent water flow gradually weakened, and the roar of the turbines also gradually subsided, returning to normal operating conditions.

The devices of the "Vermilion Bow" system were shut down one after another. Su Ming sank into the large chair at the control panel, savoring the feeling he had just experienced.

Pressing that enormous launch button felt like turning the entire sky into a canvas to be painted with unrestrained strokes—this sense of control was exhilarating. "President, King Star Pickaxe has entered the outer perimeter of Azure Stone," Ainuobia reported.

"Wasn't it estimated that there was still more than half an hour?" Su Ming was somewhat surprised.

"King Star Pickaxe has temporarily changed the itinerary, omitting several minor parts of the mine tour," Ainuobia explained.

"What a free-spirited monarch." Su Ming stood up, his gaze sweeping across the control room, where Zijin and Beianqi were shutting down and cleaning up several large units.

"Leave the cleanup here to us," Zijin waved her hand. "You go deal with this restless dwarf king."

Su Ming nodded, walked out of the control room which was filled with a faint smell of ozone, and Council of Elders Zhimeng was waiting nearby—she was the official representative of the Dragon Race at this meeting.

When the dwarf king visits, it is sufficient to provide adequate hospitality and observe proper etiquette; it is not necessary for everyone to participate in the meeting.

The two quickly took off, intercepting Star Pickaxe and his group in mid-air on their way to the experimental base.

"Welcome, Your Majesty Star Pickaxe." Su Ming gave a slight bow, his arm gracefully gesturing in the opposite direction—towards the panoramic viewpoint of the Azure Celestite Hydropower Station. "The reception area is ready; this way, please."

The dwarf king's unwilling gaze lingered for a moment on the massive outline of the "Vermilion Bow" in the distance, then he turned his expression back to the direction Su Ming had pointed out, forcing a polite smile onto his slightly rugged face, "Nice to meet you, Chairman Su."

"Normally, the trade ministers from both sides should exchange draft agendas first." The Star Pickaxe landed on the solid floor of the observation deck, but the topic abruptly shifted, becoming direct. "I need that electric motor you installed in the main shaft of the Red Ridge Mine!"

Although the bet regarding the steam engine modification had not yet expired, the dwarves were now at an impasse. They finally realized that they had underestimated the difficulty of "boiling water."

In the short term, they have no hope of success.

"That motor is too advanced; you can't use it, nor can you maintain it," Su Ming replied directly.

Although Su Ming admired Star Pickaxe's vision and ambition, it was a high-powered neodymium magnet motor, not something that could be easily fed and run. "I know you need a lot of magic crystals," Star Pickaxe refused to give up, "I can supply more openly. Of course, I need to send observers to ensure that these magic crystals are not used for military operations against the Eastern Continent countries."

"I'm sorry, but that's not possible." Su Ming shook his head again. "The Unfinished Bone Mad Machines can use those devices is because we have a unique logistical support system. You cannot replicate that."

Star Pickaxe could only let out a deep sigh, his beard trembling slightly, before giving up.

The Star Pickaxe's itinerary was very tight. After visiting the roaring turbine hall of the hydroelectric power station, the entire group moved to the administrative center of the Ruby Base.

After a somewhat rushed but hearty lunch, both sides rested to recharge for the afternoon's negotiation agenda.

Su Ming returned to his office and reviewed the agenda documents exchanged between the two parties. Even though electric motors and cutting-edge equipment were excluded from the transaction list, there was still ample room for cooperation between the two parties—from commissioning the dwarf factory to directly produce the basic materials Su Ming needed, to processing them into various parts.

Although the dwarves' technological advancements vary, their massive industrial scale far surpasses that of the Final Bone Mad Machines. Fully utilizing the Dwarf Kingdom's productivity would undoubtedly give wings to their expansion.

"We need to plan carefully and stagger the development paths of the goblins and dwarves." Zijin's voice rang out as she leaned against the window, playing with a strand of hair between her fingers, her head swaying gently to the rhythm of the base's operation that could be faintly heard outside the window.

It seems we'll have to set up another development planning team, Su Ming thought to himself.

Key personnel were summoned, and the framework for the afternoon's negotiations was finalized. Su Ming himself did not intend to personally participate in the negotiations. In any case, he was well aware of his own bargaining skills and voluntarily stepped aside to let more professional people handle it.

"President, regarding the evening's reception ball," Ainuobia reminded her at the opportune moment, "You need to finalize your choice of date."

Star Pickaxe came with the Queen this time, and according to diplomatic protocol, Su Ming was also required to bring a female companion. However, he was completely clueless about dancing, had an extremely poor sense of rhythm, and could even miss the beginner level of the dance game "Audition Online" repeatedly.

Su Ming decided to play the role of a quiet, decorative figure, handling the initial reception and then slipping away early, leaving his female companion to deal with the lively dwarf guests. He began to consider his options. Beianqi was a skilled dancer, but she herself came from the dwarf world and had a role as a bridge in this diplomatic event, making her unsuitable as his companion.

Younier has a mountain of behind-the-scenes work to do, so that's also ruled out.

Su Ming's gaze finally settled on Magelaili, who was in charge of Sapphire Port's operations. "Thank you for your hard work tonight."

Magelaili had just put on a professional smile, about to agree with "no problem," when a chilling coldness instantly ran from her head to her toes. She stiffly turned her head and saw a certain scholar, with an extremely "gentle and kind" smile on her lips, scrutinizing her.

"President, I twisted my ankle!" Magelaili immediately raised her hand and made a pained expression on her face.

"Sigh, it seems I have no choice but to do it reluctantly." Zijin's tone carried a sense of sorrowful helplessness.

"Then... I'll have to trouble you." Su Ming glanced at her.

"You're welcome~" Zijin's voice was like a falling feather.

Everyone tacitly ignored this incident and turned their attention back to the next topic of discussion.

Stacy messaged me, "I have some good news. I hope you and Zijin can come to the lab building."

"Now?" Su Ming replied.

"Now would be best."

Su Ming glanced around the conference room; the main matters had been settled. He glanced at the time; there was still more than half an hour before the formal meeting with the dwarves that afternoon.

"Meeting adjourned. Everyone, please take a short break," he announced.

Then, Su Ming waved to Zijin, "Stacy is looking for us."