Chapter 74: New Materials

Du Qiu was not aware that Zhang Mingliu had returned to her unit and was worried she might come looking for him at his company. So he deliberately spent enough time wandering outside before leisurely returning to the office.

However, as soon as he entered his office, he found Ning Shuangshuang was already waiting for him.

No wonder when he was going upstairs, Liu Yaofeng and others were winking and making faces, and Yuan Minhua even asked with a face full of gossip, “President Du, is that your girlfriend? She’s really beautiful!”

Du Qiu sent everyone at the door away and then closed the door.

“Your company seems pretty nice.”

“Yeah, we’ve just started and things are going smoothly. I guess after the industry exhibition in the capital during the May Day period, our CNC control software products should start making a name for themselves in the industry.”

Ning Shuangshuang nodded and pointed to a bag on the coffee table, saying, “Your crystal cube has been returned to its rightful owner.”

Du Qiu walked over, took out the crystal cube from the bag, and looked at it carefully. He found that this thing was exactly the same as the one in his backpack.

Du Qiu took out the counterfeit made by Chen Han Sheng from his backpack and placed it next to the one on the table.

Hey, the two really were identical.

“Can’t you tell the real from the fake now?”

Du Qiu scratched his head and said, “Indeed, this thing might just be a modern artifact, that’s why an identical copy could be so easily made.”

“Of course, they’re the same. These two crystal cubes were both produced by the same factory. The same mold was used, after all.”

Ning Shuangshuang blinked her big eyes at Du Qiu and then slowly said, “Shouldn’t you explain why you also made a counterfeit?”

Du Qiu felt a tightness in his chest but then smiled, “This is what they call ‘real and fake confusing each other.’ Since someone is looking for this thing, it indicates it has some value.

Regardless, it was hard for my father to find this item for my headaches. I can’t let it be taken away easily.

In the antique industry, the best way to conceal a genuine article is to create a counterfeit. Having a fake can make it hard to distinguish the real from the fake.”

Ning Shuangshuang watched Du Qiu for a while and asked with some concern, “Have your headaches gotten any better?”

“Are you kidding? If this thing could cure my headaches, then it would indeed be a treasure,” Du Qiu said with a straight face.

“Fine, it’s your item anyway. Make sure to keep it safe.”

Du Qiu changed the subject, “By the way, how are you dealing with Chen Han Sheng?”

“He violated the laws of Tang Country, and naturally, the law will punish him. By the way, he has confessed that he was hired by an extremist environmentalist named Walkerson.

According to our understanding, Walkerson is currently the director of action for a global environmental organization called Natural Might. This person had been engaged in anti-Japanese whale hunting activities for a long time.

He is very determined, and I don’t know why he took an interest in your crystal cube. Maybe he will send someone again.”

“Ha, if this guy really wants it, he could have bought it with money. How should I get in touch with him and just sell it to save trouble?”

“Would you really sell it?” Ning Shuangshuang asked skeptically.

“As long as the price is right, I’ll sell!”

“The Natural Might organization is currently collaborating with the Magic City Environmental Protection Bureau. Maybe you could ask them to convey a message to Walkerson for you?”

“Huh, what a coincidence? If they’re not here to steal my stuff by the way, it might be worth a try.”

“Rest assured, they are indeed engaged in environmental public welfare activities. You’d better give it a shot, who knows, there might be a pleasant surprise.”

Ning Shuangshuang clapped her hands, stood up, and walked towards the door.

“Uh, you’re leaving just like that?”

“I came here to deliver the crystal cube to you.”

“How about I give you a tour of my company?”

Ning Shuangshuang paused, turned her head to look at Du Qiu, and nodded slightly, “Sure.”

Hearing Ning Shuangshuang’s willingness to take a tour, Du Qiu felt relieved. This indicated that their relationship could still develop – otherwise, why would she bother touring his company for no reason?

From the personal lab to the rows of CNC machining centers in the workshop, Du Qiu explained his software products and future hardware product plans.

Du Qiu even personally processed a metal peony flower from aluminum on one of the machining centers.

“Shuangshuang, this is for you, as a keepsake.”

Looking at the silver metal peony, Ning Shuangshuang was touched and asked, “Is this the first time you’ve given a girl this kind of gift?”

Du Qiu seriously replied, “Of course, it’s the first time.”

Ning Shuangshuang took the metal peony and carefully put it into her purse, then said, “I believe you.”

After seeing Ning Shuangshuang off, Liu Yaofeng came up to greet him.

“Boss, you’re awesome. Who would’ve thought of making a metal peony to give as a gift? I’ll make one later too and take it back for my girlfriend.”

“I initially designed these various machining flower programs to demonstrate our software’s control precision; I never thought they’d come in handy today.”

“Boss, what does the big sister-in-law do? She’s not only pretty, but she also has such a strong presence. When she came into the company, that sharp look of hers made all of us in the R&D department nervous.”

Du Qiu patted Liu Yaofeng’s shoulder and said, “What are you nervous about? Have you done something guilty? She’s a police officer.”

Security personnel are also police officers, so Du Qiu wasn’t wrong.

“Police officer? No wonder. Boss, you better take care of yourself.”

“What are you talking about? Get to work. The sales department is fighting at the expo during the May Day period, and you R&D guys also need to work overtime!”

After saying that, Du Qiu turned and went back to the lab.

Behind him, there was a chorus of wails from the R&D department.

“My May Day holidays are ruined.”

“Isn’t President Sun rushing to the capital to sign big orders? I knew we couldn’t escape overtime.”

“What’s with all the chatter? Get to work! If there’s overtime for a big order, it means there’s a bonus!”

…

Back in the lab, Du Qiu started to get busy.

Last night in his dream, he had a significant revelation which led him to arrange for the procurement department to urgently purchase a batch of high-purity materials first thing in the morning.

The modern industry on Blue Star could already obtain materials of very high purity for single elements, such as polysilicon, industrial pure aluminum, pure copper, pure silver…

Although the titanium alloy rotor has not arrived and the high-speed centrifuge cannot be assembled, all other components are ready.

Without the high-speed centrifuge, Du Qiu planned to first experiment with the catalyzing agents and molecular exchange agents in the intermediate purification program.

If this part meets the requirements, and once the uniform magnetic field generating equipment is finished, then everything will be prepared, except for the high-speed centrifuge.

After Du Qiu’s selection, there are currently three types of new materials with high-profit potential.

One is carbon fiber.

This high-performance material already exists on Blue Star, mainly used in the aerospace field.

The manufacturing technology of carbon fiber has been developed and optimized primarily for aerospace applications, and its value chain and manufacturing facility construction are quite complete.

However, in recent years, due to its special performance advantages, carbon fiber has begun to be applied in industrial fields represented by new energy vehicles and large-diameter wind turbine blades.

But due to the cost of manufacturing, carbon fiber has always been considered a luxury material. To apply it on a large industrial scale like automobiles, it must become more accessible to the general populace.

Du Qiu is sure that once he successfully applies the alien civilization materials purification process from his dreams, the carbon fiber produced will be affordable and of high quality.

There was once a person in the country who developed a cost-effective method of manufacturing stainless steel, which changed the entire industry and captured one-third of the global stainless steel market.

Du Qiu will change the industry pattern of carbon fiber and even other materials as well.

Because Du Qiu has a second new material: graphene.

Graphene is currently the hottest new material on Blue Star, with a wide range of uses, especially in batteries.

However, the current manufacturing methods for graphene do not allow for large-scale mass production.

But Du Qiu has already found a way to synthesize graphene from the synthesis process of a certain bimetallic material related to carbon in his dreams.

In the dreams, while synthesizing this bimetallic material, there would be a by-product, which is graphene.

Du Qiu has calculated that producing graphene in this way would be far less costly than the reality on Blue Star, and the output would be substantial.

Previously, he was stuck on how to generate an ultrafine magnetic field, which made it impossible for Du Qiu to replicate the primary purification process.

Now, with this new revelation, Du Qiu believes he will soon be able to realize the new process he envisions.

The final new material is not a single-element material but a bimetallic synthetic material. The same reasons that once left Du Qiu stumped will now possibly change the entire industrial landscape of Blue Star if this bimetallic synthetic material is created.

Because it is a new material comparable to steel, but its performance far surpasses that of steel.

Du Qiu believes he holds the power to overturn Blue Star’s industrial system in his hands.