chsdbacks Chapter 26 Technological Breakthrough
Chapter 26 Technological Breakthrough
The air in the conference room was still thick with the acrid smell of gunpowder and decay, but compared to their previous desperate situation, there was at least a sense of relief and a chance to breathe. Chen Haotian and Tony leaned against the doorframe, briefly recovering their strength, their eyes warily scanning the corridor. The horde of zombies, now without their commander, wandered aimlessly like headless flies, occasionally letting out low growls, but no longer launching any organized attacks on the conference room.
"We're safe for now." Chen Haotian exhaled a breath of stale air, breaking the silence first. He walked to the corpses of the two mutants, squatted down, and carefully examined them with his tactical dagger. "Their skull structure... is indeed different, thicker, and has abnormally proliferating parts, as if to accommodate more complex neural activity." He observed while recording this valuable firsthand data in his mind. These intelligent mutants are undoubtedly key samples for studying the direction of viral mutation in this post-apocalyptic world.
Tony walked over as well, raising an eyebrow as he watched Chen Haotian's professional dissection movements. "Looks like you not only know how to predict the future and open portals, but you also know a bit about biology?"
"I know a little." Chen Haotian didn't look up, his tone flat, but a faint smile betrayed a hint of smugness. His "academic genius" persona always inadvertently surfaced at times like this. "Interdisciplinary collaboration always reveals interesting things. For example, why do they understand tactical coordination? Is it simply that the virus enhanced their brains? Or... are there external factors interfering?" He hinted at something, but didn't delve deeper, as the primary task at hand wasn't to get to the bottom of things.
He stood up and shook the grime off his dagger. "Alright, sample information recorded. Now, it's time to solve our water problem. There might be water storage equipment or usable water purification components in this building."
After a short rest and clearing the obstacles at the entrance, the two began a systematic search of the office building. They remained highly vigilant; although the threat of ordinary zombies had greatly diminished, no one could guarantee that there weren't other "surprises" hidden inside.
The search went relatively smoothly. In the first-floor logistics area, they found a small water tank, but the water inside had already spoiled and emitted an unpleasant odor. However, in an adjacent equipment room, they found their target—a commercial-grade reverse osmosis water purification system. It appeared to be intact, but it was covered in dust and missing several key filter cartridges and some connecting pipes.
"The core components are still there, the missing filters and piping... perhaps we can find replacements in other rooms or nearby buildings." Tony examined the equipment, his eyes gleaming with the brilliance of a tech geek facing a challenge. "Even if we can't find a perfect match, give me some time and tools, and I can figure out how to get it working. Don't forget, I'm Tony Stark."
Chen Haotian nodded, having no doubt about Tony's abilities. "Split up and search, be careful. Focus your search on the administrative offices, the break room, or places where spare parts might be stored."
About half an hour later, the two met up again in the equipment room. Chen Haotian found some plastic pipes and sealing tape that could be used as temporary piping, while Tony's find was even more surprising—he not only found several unopened universal filter cartridges (although the models were not exactly the same, Tony said they could be modified), but also discovered a small, portable UV disinfection pen in the office of a senior manager.
"See, we're lucky." Tony waved the UV pen in his hand. "Although the power is a bit low, it's always good to have an extra layer of protection when used with a water purification system."
With the crucial replacement parts in hand, Tony immediately got to work. Using his multi-tool and some materials he found, he began modifying and repairing the water purification equipment. Chen Haotian, on the other hand, was responsible for guarding the surrounding area while cleaning and making initial connections to the plastic pipes he found.
Tony was extremely efficient. His fingers flew between the equipment and tools, disassembling, adjusting, soldering (using an old soldering iron and solder he found), installing... His movements were fluid and precise, as if he were not repairing a broken piece of equipment in the ruins of the apocalypse, but conducting a precise experiment in his Stark Industries laboratory.
"Connection done... Now, let's try it out." Tony dusted off his hands and plugged in a working battery he had found on the spot as a power source (luckily, the building's emergency power system seemed to still have some power left).
The equipment emitted a low hum and began to operate. Chen Haotian introduced the spoiled water (after initial sedimentation to remove large particles) from the storage tank into the equipment's inlet. The murky water flowed through a series of filter units modified by Tony, gradually becoming clearer.
Ultimately, the water flowing out of the outlet appeared to be quite clean.
Tony picked up a clean cup he found, took a little water, examined it carefully, then smelled it, and finally took out the ultraviolet disinfection pen and shone it on the cup for a full minute.
"Theoretically, it should be fine." Tony handed the water glass to Chen Haotian. "Want to try some? Stark brand purified water, a doomsday special."
Seeing the mixture of fatigue, excitement, and a hint of mischief in Tony's eyes, Chen Haotian didn't hesitate, took the cup, and took a small sip. The water was cool and refreshing, with no unpleasant taste.
"It tastes good," Chen Haotian commented, a faint, roguish smile on his face. "It seems Mr. Stark is not only good at making weapons, but also at public works projects. If he goes bankrupt in the future, he could probably make a good living by opening a water company."
Tony snorted in annoyance, "Thanks for your kind words, but 'bankruptcy' and 'running a water company' are not on my life plan." However, looking at the steady flow of water, a look of satisfaction still appeared in his eyes.
Successfully resolving the water problem significantly enhances their survival capabilities in this post-apocalyptic world. A stable source of fresh water provides a more solid foundation for both short-term survival and long-term planning.
Chen Haotian looked at the well-functioning equipment, then at Tony, and suddenly said, "Perhaps we can make it even more efficient."
Tony looked at him with a puzzled expression.
Chen Haotian carefully took out the crystal containing strange void energy, which he had extracted from the armory's generator set, from his backpack. Even in the dim light, the crystal still emitted a faint, eerie glow, seemingly not belonging to this world.
"As you analyzed before, this crystal contains void energy and has peculiar properties." Chen Haotian handed the crystal to Tony. "The essence of water purification equipment is energy-driven physical filtration and chemical sterilization. If we can introduce the energy of this crystal into the energy system of the equipment in a controllable way, would it... enhance its purification efficiency? Or even produce some unexpected effects? For example, direct energy field sterilization, or changing the structure of water molecules to make them more easily absorbed by the human body?"
Tony took the crystal, his eyes instantly filled with intense focus and excitement. As a top scientist and inventor, the desire to explore unknown energies and new technologies was ingrained in his very being. "An interesting idea! Void energy… its properties are unlike any energy we know; it seems to be able to ignore or distort certain physical rules to some extent. If we could harness this property…"
He immediately got to work, no longer content with simply getting the device running. He disassembled the control panel, carefully examining the circuitry, searching for a safe point to connect to the crystal's energy. Chen Haotian offered advice from the side. Although he didn't have Tony's in-depth knowledge of electrical engineering, his understanding of the nature of energy, especially his perception of runes and interdimensional energy, provided a unique perspective.
"A direct connection won't work, it'll burn out the circuit. We need a buffer or a 'translation' device..." Tony muttered to himself as he quickly built a very rudimentary energy interface device using the extremely limited materials at hand—a few wires, a discarded capacitor, and even a miniature transformer salvaged from a broken electronic clock.
He carefully placed the Void Energy Crystal in the center of the interface, then took a deep breath and connected the device's output to the main power line of the water purifier.
hum-
The humming sound of the equipment suddenly changed, becoming deeper and more resonant. The water flowing from the outlet pipe seemed to become clearer and more transparent, even faintly shimmering with a pale blue luster almost imperceptible to the naked eye under the light.
Tony immediately used a portable testing device (one of the gadgets he brought from Stark Tower) to test the water.
"Incredible..." Tony stared at the fluctuating data on the monitor, his face filled with shock. "The purification efficiency has increased by at least 300%! Microorganisms, viruses, and harmful mineral residues in the water... have been almost completely eliminated! Moreover, the water's activity... the data shows a peculiar enhancement. This water... seems to have become a bit 'special'."
Chen Haotian also poured himself a glass of water and tasted it again. This time, the water tasted even sweeter, and after drinking it, a faint warm current seemed to spread from his stomach, slightly relieving some of his fatigue.
"It seems we've not only solved the water crisis," Chen Haotian said, swirling the water in his glass and gazing at the faint blue luster, a deep light flashing in his eyes, "but we've also unexpectedly created a kind of... 'energy water'? This void crystal is more valuable than we imagined."
The technological breakthrough brought a brief moment of joy, but both knew it was merely a small step in this perilous post-apocalyptic world. Solving the water problem bought them precious breathing room, but greater challenges and the secrets of this world lay hidden behind endless ruins and the shadow of mutation.
Tony gazed at the device steadily flowing with "energy water," then at the crystal in his hand still emitting a faint glow, his eyes brimming with the inquisitive curiosity characteristic of a scientist. "The energy applications of this crystal... are definitely not limited to this. If we could understand it more deeply..."
Chen Haotian nodded without saying a word. His gaze seemed to pierce through the walls, looking into the distance. Runes, another world, void energy, intelligent zombies… behind all of this, a faint thread seemed to be gradually emerging. And his journey had clearly only just begun.