RBCT Chapter 27 A Mouse in the Rice Jar
Chapter 27 A Mouse in the Rice Jar
As the elevator platform ascended to the top floor of the building, Lin Zhuo's view suddenly opened up, with far fewer obstructions in his field of vision, and he could roughly see the view at the edge of the city.
Standing at such a high altitude, the wind and water remained calm, with only a few warm urban convection currents and no constant, fierce winds from the planet's atmosphere.
What's on top of my head?
Looking up, the steel trusses with lights are so close together, the huge lights like millstones hanging overhead, and the pipes and nozzles of the city's seasonal and weather control system are faintly visible near the lights.
What is there in the four directions?
Looking around, the plump skyscrapers stop growing at this height, leaving behind neat, flat canopies. Countless walkways and tracks extend from the rooftop terraces, like spiderweb threads, connecting the buildings together.
The furthest threads of this transportation spider web extend all the way to the inner walls of the artificial dome, including the vertical shafts built upwards from the top of the building and the electromagnetic tunnels constructed laterally along the building's edges.
These electromagnetic tunnels first extend horizontally to connect with other buildings, and then rise upwards at the end, leading all the way to the inner wall of the dome.
The overall design of the dozens of tunnels resembles long pipes extending from the tops of city buildings in all directions to the horizon, reminiscent of a skeleton under an umbrella. At the end of the tunnels, rows of cables suspend them from the dome truss, making them look like harps hundreds of meters long from a distance.
Many might be impressed by the sheer scale of industry when they see such a well-developed transportation network, but Lin Zhuo's thought was that the environment here would provide a significant advantage for practicing agility and nimbleness. After all, the high altitude and complex obstacles make it highly challenging, but also very rewarding.
He dismissed his unrealistic thoughts, went to the platform at the edge of the building, tapped the vehicle call button, and after a short wait, saw a short capsule train whiz out of the electromagnetic tunnel and come to a graceful stop in front of him.
The capsule train is only slightly larger than a sightseeing cable car, and each trip can carry a maximum of ten passengers.
He climbed into the car, fastened his seatbelt, and set his destination. The Materials Research Institute was located on the 72nd floor of the East Sixth Zone on the inner wall. The electromagnetic tunnel leading there had an upward slope at the end, at which point he would be thrown backward.
Suddenly—the capsule train accelerated smoothly.
Lin Zhuo had heard that a long time ago, when the technology was not mature, this electromagnetic track had caused a traffic accident, accelerating the capsule train into a cannonball that crashed into the inner wall of the dome, causing very serious damage.
This accident caused widespread panic, which has led to a severe speed limit on capsule trains.
Lin Zhuo had a timid classmate who absolutely refused to ride the capsule train and was eventually blindfolded and carried into the carriage by others.
In terms of comfort, the capsule train is probably the most relaxing of all modes of transportation. The fully enclosed cabin has screens playing movies, the seats are very soft, have a massage function, and can automatically adjust the backrest angle. Even the air freshener smells quite nice.
How comfortable is it exactly? The student who was afraid of electromagnetic tracks was cured after riding it once.
The train arrived at the station, and Lin Zhuo yawned as he stepped out.
This is the interior of the artificial dome.
The platform's dozens of exits all lead to corridors, these vein-like corridors connecting various functional areas with limited space. The roads meander and extend in all directions; without navigation, getting lost is quite normal.
Lin Zhuo didn't like this place much because the hum of water and electricity pipes always came from behind the corridor wall, like the pulse of some kind of living behemoth. This thought always gave him the illusion that he was a tapeworm in the belly of a whale.
Following the guidance of Chijiang, the journey inevitably involved many twists and turns.
In the corridor near the outer wall of the dome, a long, narrow viewing window was installed on one side of the wall. Chijiang used a Bluetooth headset to send a voice prompt to Lin Zhuo, suggesting that he could slow down and enjoy the scenery.
He turned to look out the window. Before him lay the world beyond Hongshui City, this steel and concrete haven, a foreign land unfamiliar to humankind, these primates originating from Earth.
What's outside?
A vast, gray-green land, covered in copper mines, with desolate yellow dust drifting in the wind like a veil. The dark blue mountains on the horizon are rugged like knives, and the reddish-brown river, rich in iron ions, flows across the plains, its surging waves crashing against the shore like a sea of blood.
The thick clouds, like a dark blue blanket, reflected most of the distant sunlight, making the world always seem so gray and hazy. Torrential lightning laughed wildly in the sky, and the strange rocks on the earth, illuminated by the fleeting flash of lightning, seemed like the shadows of thousands of silent beasts.
This is Emerald Star, a name that sounds gentle but is actually quite cold and ruthless.
Even so, the abundant mineral resources still make Emerald Planet a dazzling treasure in the map of the human community.
Most citizens of Emerald Land are like fledglings huddled in their eggshells, defining their home as an area covered by an artificial dome, an isolated island of civilization, where the outside world is a desolate foreign land.
The research facilities in Hongshui City are basically housed within this artificial eggshell.
Researchers are often described as people standing in the clouds, not because they have a high status, but because their workplaces are indeed far from the ground, and also because it is an affirmation of their vision that allows them to see into the distance and into the future.
Materials Research Institute.
Lin Zhuo didn't know anyone here, and he had to ask around to find the location of Hua Jiaorong's father.
"Comrade, who are you looking for?" A haggard-looking graduate student saw Lin Zhuo lingering at the door and went up to ask.
"Is Comrade Hua Ziqin here? I've run an errand for his wife to deliver his meal."
"Director Hua is inside, in room number nine. You can go in by yourself." It was clear that the graduate student was a little afraid of the name; he shrank back and let him into the laboratory.
Upon entering, Lin Zhuo walked along the corridor, pressing against the glass wall to observe the laboratories up close. The elegant experimental equipment inside, like noblewomen, gleamed with a cold, glamorous light under the lamps.
Various kinds of microscopes, gas chromatographs, spectrophotometers, vacuum sintering furnaces, laser cladding machines. Some he recognized, and many others he didn't.
A group of graduate students and scholars were circling around the machine, while others were lying on the lab table, daydreaming, yawning, or spacing out.
Lin Zhuo felt ashamed for these lazy guys, taking work points but not doing any work, truly letting the people down. But he had been a student himself and understood this state of utter boredom and exhaustion.
Life in the lab is never very interesting.
Materials science is sometimes like metaphysics. If you're lucky, you might stumble upon a breakthrough, but if you're unlucky, you'll keep failing. Staring at endless data and sludge feels like wasting your life.
Lin Zhou possesses numerous recipes that are freely available from online forums. What he lacks is the professional equipment. If he can successfully prepare some low-grade spiritual materials, they will be excellent for drawing talismans or crafting equipment.
If he couldn't borrow professional equipment, then Lin Zhuo could only try his hand at a makeshift kitchen, using various kitchen utensils to build a simple alchemy room.
When I saw Hua Ziqin again, this unhurried intellectual was lecturing someone, speaking in his usual calm and unhurried tone, but the researcher opposite him was already sweating profusely.
"It's you? Lin...Zhuo, right? Librarian. What brings you here?"
Lin Zhuo's sudden visit diverted the poor researcher's attention. Hua Ziqin, holding his lunchbox, had calmed down and dismissed the scolded fellow with a few words, leaving Lin Zhuo to chat.
"Comrade Hua Ziqin, I have a favor to ask. I hope you can grant it, but if you refuse, I will have no complaints."
"Oh? You tell me."
"I would like to borrow some equipment and materials from the laboratory to make some simple items, and I will make sure there are no mistakes or losses."
Upon hearing this, Hua Ziqin remained silent for a long time, staring at the young man before him without saying a word. Seeing that his gaze was clear and upright, without any hint of avoidance or evasion, Hua Ziqin's expression relaxed slightly.
"Comrade Lin Zhuo, our friendship isn't enough for me to take such a risk. Of course, I admire your courage to speak your mind. Why don't you tell me what equipment you plan to borrow, what type of material you intend to produce, and what papers you're basing your decisions on?"
"It's probably not something that can be explained in a few words. Since you have concerns, I won't insist." Lin Zhuo stood up to say goodbye.
"Wait a minute." Hanako Chin stroked the food box in her hand, hesitated for a moment, and then spoke, "How about this, I'll ask Akagami to apply for a liability determination form for you. If any problems arise, you will be fully responsible for any accidents caused by you personally, and it will have nothing to do with our research institute. What is your citizen credit rating?"
"Level three." Lin Zhuo smiled with delight. He hadn't expected things to take such a turn for the better. He was never afraid to ask for help, and although he occasionally ran into obstacles, he often received assistance.
"Please fill in your ID number. I need to check your information." Hua Ziqin operated the computer, retrieved publicly available personal information, and viewed Lin Zhuo's resume.
A short while later, Hua Ziqin suddenly asked, "Who is Lin Xingxue to you?"
"One of my father's brothers was named Lin Xingxue."
"This guy used to be my college roommate." Hua Ziqin's gaze towards Lin Zhuo changed slightly, as if he smiled. "Alright, sign the responsibility agreement. I'll arrange for a student to monitor you. Well, 'monitor' doesn't sound right, so let's say 'assist you,' correcting you anytime, anywhere."
"Thank you, Comrade Hua Ziqin."
"Still calling him 'comrade'?"
"Uncle Hua?"
"Hmph. Not stupid after all."