by <unknown>
Not only that but when Chen Chen looked up to the sky, he also noticed that there was a neat circular pattern above them. Wisps of clouds were gathered into a large circle with an empty center. It was truly eye-catching.
This power…
Chen Chen felt quite disturbed. This item should not be used as an energy storage device, but as a bomb. He had hung this bomb around his neck for half a year.
After clambering over the sand dune, Chen Chen saw that the dead tree upon which the "Galaxy" had hung was gone. Not only had the tree disappeared, but even the ground had also vanished.
There was only a huge crater with a depth of dozens of meters and a radius of a hundred meters on the land.
"Is it just about a hundred meters?"
Upon seeing this, Chen Chen could not help but frown.
The width of the crater was only one-fifth of the expected range. In that case, a sniper bullet would only trigger the "Galaxy pendant" to release energy akin to 4 to 5 tons of TNT.
This was about one-fifth of the energy it contained.
The AWP used a 12.7×99mm rifle bullet. The known mass of the warhead was 46.01 grams, the initial velocity was 850m per second, and the final velocity was 0. The impact time of the warhead hitting the "Galaxy" was about 0.01 seconds. According to the momentum theorem, one should be able to work out that (N-mg)t = 0-(-mv), N = mg+mv/t.
In other words, when the bullet hit the "Galaxy pendant", the force acting on it was about 4000N. If one divided that by the contact area, one could easily calculate the pressure.
This was the force and pressure that triggered the power akin to four tons of TNT explosive within the galaxy pendant.
Hmm, what an empirical display.
Having thought of this, Chen Chen walked toward the crater and finally located the undamaged Galaxy pendant there.
Even if the energy was released, it remained unharmed. Although Chen Chen did not know how the aliens in the movie had activated the energy within, it was clear that impact excitation was also a method of activation.
Now that he had figured this out, Chen Chen knew what he had to do next.
He just had to find someone who could make an electrical device that could charge the Galaxy pendant so he could charge it 24 hours a day. If he ever had to go off and take the USB drive with him, he could replace the USB drive with the Galaxy pendant so that no electricity would be wasted.
As for releasing the energy that had been absorbed, it was very simple.
Chen Chen only had to use a car engine as a reference. First, he would install and affix the Galaxy pendant in the combustion chamber. After that, when the machine started, the piston would automatically hit the pendant.
Each force of impact would release some of the energy. This energy would push the piston back. At the same time, the connecting rod of the piston, due to inertia, would produce the force of the next impact…
Creating an endless loop.
The only difference between this kind of engine and the car engine was that fuel excitation was replaced by the way the piston would strike the pendant to excite energy. Thus, the need for fuel was eliminated.
By adjusting the force of the piston hitting the pendant, it was also possible to control the amount of energy released by the pendant.
Not only that but Chen Chen also thought of another use for the Galaxy pendant.
If only a small amount of energy was stored in the pendant and it was then installed upon a detonating device, would it not mean that only a tiny amount of explosive could be used to detonate all the energy within the pendant?
This was undoubtedly a super-powerful bomb. Just like before, with a force of only 4000N, it could attain ten times the power of a Tomahawk missile. It was truly a daily essential for killing people, whether one was at home or traveling.
Most crucially, this item weighed only 20 grams, so Chen Chen could extract many of them as backup...
With this in mind, Chen Chen swiftly returned to the research center and began to sketch the engine design.
Furthermore, to be able to activate as much energy as possible at one time, Chen Chen designed the engine with a multi-cylinder form. Each cylinder was two meters in diameter and the fuel chamber was replaced with an impact chamber. At the same time, Chen Chen eliminated the air intake and fuel injection ports, and even the spark plug was completely abandoned.
After finishing the design illustrations, Chen Chen called Qian Wenhuan, asking him to contact those in Germany and find out which engine manufacturer could produce the engine he had designed.
Chen Chen was not worried about this being leaked to others. He could just pretend that this was a handicraft, a hobby. After all, from their perspective, this kind of engine was simply something they had not seen before, something without any function.
They did not know about the existence of the Galaxy pendant, let alone imagine that there was a substance in this world that could release energy through impact. The key point was that this substance would not be damaged even as the energy was activated.
Chapter 164: In the Eye of the Storm |
As the Eco Science City got closer to its completion date, this newly built town was also getting more tourists who came here to visit.
Since the construction of the Eco Science City began, it had practically become a local attraction for Namibia. After all, these towering buildings had been erected in a wasteland. In the eyes of a bunch of idle natives, this was the mighty power of civilization.
They praised this great power and they always went to the construction team to ask for water from the well. Every day, before daylight, some villagers from nearby villages would even earnestly haul up water from the wells created by the construction team.
Finally, in desperation, the research center had to apply for assistance from the military before they managed to drive away these natives.
Even so, in this sense, the lack of manpower in Blacklight Biotechnology became evident.
As Chen Chen's territory expanded, he was stretched for manpower, whether it was the scientific research personnel or the technical personnel or even the guards in the Black Security Service force. A new round of talent recruitment was urgently needed.
Meanwhile, as the precedents from the eleven Disciple families also served to create buzz for his Eco Science City, Chen Chen chose to announce the "age-reversal treatment" in the form of a paper in the journal, Cell.
The core of this technology was to cultivate the patients' cloned embryos, from which embryonic stem cells would be extracted. Therefore, after the announcement, the entire academic community was in a complete uproar!
Following that, this information quickly went viral. Numerous news outlets and even independent media, like flies that had caught a stench, all published the results of Chen Chen's paper on the Internet.
"Journal Cell Publishes Amazing Research Results, Human Life Expectancy Is Expected to Reach New Limits! — Old Wave News."
"Can Human Aging Be Reversed? Scientists Have a Shocking Answer — TX News."
"What Is a Cloned Embryo? What Does It Have to Do With Cloned Humans? Is It Illegal to Study Cloned Embryos? — Search Bear Express."
All at once, the words "age-reversal treatment" were everywhere online all over the world.
On one hand, many marveled at the progress of science and the fact that even aging could be treated now. On the other hand, countless people immediately leaped up angrily and began to raise their banners to oppose Blacklight Biotechnology.
Soon, the Internet was full of comments that lambasted Blacklight Biotechnology.
This was why Chen Chen previously had reservations. Many people thought that an embryo was a new life and killing embryos to extract embryonic stem cells was a kind of murder, which should be strongly rejected.
Of course, if there were detractors, there would naturally be supporters too. Some people thought that this was a price that was not even worth mentioning when compared to increasing human lifesp
an.
For instance, on a certain technological forum currently, the debate between both sides was in full swing in a post titled [Where did a third-rate company like Blacklight Biotechnology even come from]:
LunarSirius: [What right does Blacklight Biotechnology have to take away the lives of those cloned embryos? I seem to recall that China has forbidden human cloning over and over? Why is this company of theirs not punished?]
LuyaoZou: [OP, are you an idiot? Yes, the company is a China company, but they've even built a city in another country, who even gives a f*ck about that law?]
JoyLovesGrayWolf: [It's bad enough that the OP is dumb, but the reply is just as stupid. The Earth Federation and every continent oppose all forms of human cloning, yes, but cloned embryos aren't included in this definition. Which continent or country in this world has not researched cloned embryos? If researching cloned embryos is a crime, then the whole world is guilty.]
Poison: [Lol, so you can harm a life just like that? Embryos aren't human? In that case, dear poster, didn't you start out as an embryo? Or you jumped out from a crack in a rock?]
Childheart: [dude you're a troll right]
…
These discussions either started out on an extreme note, after which both parties started to attack each other's parents or they began as a friendly debate which gradually turned violent, finally devolving into comments that revolved around genitals and parents, all in the spirit of cheerful academic discourse.
In short, the "age-reversal treatment" had taken over every screen across the entire Earth Federation. Before the situation cleared up, some authoritative agencies would not even deign to come to a conclusion.
Nonetheless, Chen Chen was no longer the simpleton he once was. If he had publicized this technology one year ago, he would have been crushed to death by international public opinion. However, by now, these criticisms and verbal abuses had no effect on him.
This was because he had capital backing.
Not only that but as Chen Chen kept publishing papers in major journals one after another, his reputation gradually improved accordingly. Although he was not at the level of those academic luminaries, he was at least considered to have some clout.
When people in academia mention Chen Chen's name, they could immediately associate him with results such as "Alzheimer's disease treatment" and "age-reversal treatment".
This was a form of recognition by the academic world.
Before the public, Chen Chen had deliberately downplayed things and even allowed Little X to manipulate online public opinion so that his name appeared in the public eye as little as possible. Nonetheless, the names, "Blacklight Biotechnology" and "Eco Science City", had become known to everyone.
Even so, with the announcement of these technologies, the principles behind the technologies also became fully known to the public. After all, the technology of the "age-reversal treatment" was not complicated. It was simply using embryonic stem cells to transform the hematopoietic stem cells, then rebuild the human immune system.
Although there were difficulties with this technology, they were not impossible to overcome. In Chen Chen's view, as long as he had publicized the technology, the world would be able to develop a mature version of the technology within a few years even without the core data.
In other words, the world would have been able to develop this technology sooner or later, even without Chen Chen. He merely advanced it by a few years.
Still, for the time being, the Eco Science City was the only place in the entire Earth Federation that could utilize this technology. This was an intangible advantage. Once the Eco Science City was launched, the money would come rolling in at once.
Of course, when there was profit, there would also be more conflicts.
In North America and Europe, the eleven Disciple families served as his sentries. Coupled with the Blanc family incident some time ago that acted as a deterrent, Chen Chen could hold down the fort. Now he was just afraid that someone from Mainland China would try to trip him up.
Therefore, Chen Chen headed to the Embassy of Mainland China again and sold the core data of the "age-reversal treatment" to the authorities of China.
Though it was called a sale, naturally, it was more like a gift. At this point, some of the researchers in this country could use this technology to extend their lives. Chen Chen had only one condition, which was, the technology must not be developed for commercial use for three years.
By now, Chen Chen had everything ready and was only lacking manpower.
However, after his rise in fame, things like manpower came to him in a steady stream. Chen Chen no longer had to employ threats and rewards as he did before. He only had to toss out hundreds of invitations and more than one-third of these researchers would gladly accept this olive branch and come to Namibia.
Chapter 165: Poker Cards |
Two months later, Chen Chen stood in the middle of an empty metal room. There was a white card before him that fluttered up and down in his vision.
It was a poker card.
If someone came across this sight, they would be shocked to notice that the card was fully suspended in the air.
Yes, fully suspended.
It was not only suspended. If one got closer, one would find that the poker card was trembling slightly as if an invisible hand was holding it and the tremor was just a natural response of the human body.
Meanwhile, as Chen Chen moved his gaze to the right, the poker card also moved to his right. When Chen Chen turned to look at his left, the poker card swooped to the left too.
Following that, Chen Chen turned around in a circle. The poker card maintained a distance of thirty centimeters in front of Chen Chen the entire time like it was Chen Chen's shadow.
Upon observing this, Chen Chen suddenly closed his eyes.
Nonetheless, even after his eyes were shut, the card still hovered before him. Then, in accordance with Chen Chen's thoughts, the poker card started to twirl around Chen Chen.
It was like a dancing butterfly.
Finally, Chen Chen prodded with his mind. From a table beside him, three or four poker cards flew into the air and revolved ceaselessly around Chen Chen. Every movement of each card was identical.
"My current limit is controlling four poker cards at the same time…"
Chen Chen mumbled with his eyes shut. After that, the four poker cards began to move on different trajectories, but this only lasted for a brief moment.
In the next second, he suddenly lost control over the four cards which scattered onto the ground.
"Trying to focus on four things at once is still too much…"
Chen Chen shook his head, then opened his eyes.
Unlike the protagonist Andrew in the movie Chronicle, Chen Chen had specially designed several training courses for himself. For example, the current training with poker cards was a way to improve the accuracy of his control.
By controlling the poker cards, he could increase his brain's control over the electromagnetic force.
Besides, Chen Chen also had corresponding strength training and endurance training. After all, as the movie mentioned, this ability could be enhanced through exercise, just like a muscle.
Therefore, Chen Chen certainly hoped that this ability could be fully developed in terms of speed, strength, and endurance.
At the present, Chen Chen's utilization of electromagnetic force was mainly in the form of field energy, so he decided he might as well name his current power as — Field.
Chen Chen stretched out a hand and turned his palm flat up.
At once, four poker cards flew up in succession and landed into Chen Chen's palm one by one.
As he looked at the messy poker cards in his hand, Chen Chen shook his head helplessly. Compared to Andrew in the movie who casually put away an entire deck of scattered cards, his own control was inadequate.
Chen Chen was suddenly struck by another thought. A tin box of chewing gum, as thick as a finger, flew out
from his pocket by itself. After that, it opened with a click and a crystal clear pill floated up.
Chen Chen opened his mouth and the pill flew smoothly into his mouth. At the same time, the box containing the pills snapped shut and returned to Chen Chen's pocket.
He closed his eyes lightly. After around thirty seconds, the corners of his mouth curled up and he gently put out his hand once again.
Suddenly, what was left of the fifty-four poker cards on the table flew up one after another, spun once in mid-air, then dropped lightly into Chen Chen's hands.
One, two, three…
Ten, twenty…
They moved faster and faster. At first, it was just one card after another. By the end, all the poker cards were simply connected in one long chain, tracing a unified arc in the air before landing into Chen Chen's hands like birds returning to their nest.
"Phew!"
Chen Chen exhaled loudly and opened his eyes again.
At the moment, the deck of cards was tidily stacked in Chen Chen's palm. It was a world of difference from the disordered attempt from before.
"As I thought, after taking NZT-48, even my control over 'Field' increases by more than ten times…"
As Chen Chen murmured, he spread out both his hands. Instantly, the fifty-four poker cards formed a neat circle that floated and revolved around Chen Chen continuously.
Chen Chen suddenly exerted some force.
There was a flash of white light. The trump card of these fifty-four poker cards abruptly raced out, spinning over a distance of five, six meters, before it slowly drifted to the ground.
Following that, the rest of the cards flew out one after another. The furthest of them reached seven or eight meters and even the nearest ones covered four to five meters.
Chen Chen turned to the metal wall and sent these cards into the wall. They thudded loudly as they hit their mark.
After this, Chen Chen wore a pensive look.
"Little X."
Chen Chen suddenly spoke and looked at the monitor in the corner, "Send Qian Wenhuan a message — ask him to cut the imported graphene oxide from the research center into the size of playing cards and send it to me."