136: Chapter 136 Hobbies Challenge Professionals

After thinking for a moment with no results, Wang Shuo turned to look around at the surrounding equipment, and he actually found something unusual.

A piece of equipment not far away was isolated on its own, seemingly having undergone some degree of modification.

"What is that?"

Wang Shuo pointed.

Tan Yan's expression changed as he looked at Secretary He beside him.

"There's nothing to hide. President Wang is an honored guest of our factory."

Secretary He emphasized the word "honored."

A look of understanding flashed across Tan Yan's face, and he nodded slightly.

"That is where our company experiments with new materials," Tan Yan said directly. "It's used to produce Ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene."

Ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene?

A formula flashed through Wang Shuo's mind, and he instantly became interested.

"Can I take a look?"

"This..." Tan Yan hesitated.

Hearing was one thing, but seeing was another. You couldn't tell much just by hearing, but seeing was different; there was a risk of leaking secrets.

Who knew if the Wang Shuo in front of him possessed a pair of sharp eyes that could steal their secrets with just a single glance?

If the factory wasn't sold in the end, and Wang Shuo didn't become his boss, but he ended up causing a leak of secrets instead, how would he face President Lin?

Tan Yan glanced at Secretary He beside him once again.

Secretary He was also in a bit of a dilemma. President Lin had only asked her to show Wang Shuo around to understand the factory's situation; he hadn't authorized her to let Wang Shuo spy on the factory's technical secrets.

As a secretary, she knew very well what the words "Ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene" meant. It was the factory's most important technological achievement in recent years. At the moment of its successful development, President Lin had even specially granted a three-day holiday to celebrate properly.

That was the most glorious moment for Junfeng Company.

After that, everything began to go downhill.

First, the Ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene could not be converted into high-strength fibers, making it unusable in practice. Then, the company's market was squeezed by newly emerging new-material factories, gradually shrinking until they could barely make ends meet. Next was President Lin's desperate last stand, where all expansion projects failed completely, and the massive investments went down the drain. Finally, there was the collective divestment of the major shareholders.

A series of blows left the company, which had just gotten on track, completely devastated. President Lin was also deeply affected, and under pressure from many shareholders, he ultimately chose to sell the factory.

Snapping back to reality, she saw Wang Shuo still looking at her with bright eyes. Secretary He calmed her emotions and nodded.

She had just realized that no matter how advanced a product was, it was worthless if it couldn't be practically applied. After all, what others wanted was your company's finished products, not raw materials, even if the technical content of this raw material was the best in the world.

Having received permission, Wang Shuo stepped into the isolated compartment.

The equipment in front of him was much larger than the others, with much more complex piping, and there were many visible add-ons that were likely installed later.

A pure DIY product.

Wang Shuo even saw a compressor pump used for boilers.

This was the thing that produced Ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene?

Looking at the structure of the equipment, Wang Shuo pondered carefully, trying to figure out the DIY logic behind this heavily modified creation.

The equipment was modified from a standard polyethylene production device, so its performance limit shouldn't be too different. Therefore, this equipment couldn't withstand too much pressure, and since the pressurization setup only had one compressor pump, it was destined to be unable to pressurize to a very high value.

It could basically be concluded that it operated at room temperature and atmospheric pressure, or room temperature and close to atmospheric pressure.

And this strong smell of gasoline...

"This is the equipment I modified by referencing the low-pressure slurry method."

Just as Wang Shuo was thinking deeply, a voice suddenly came from behind him.

Wang Shuo turned his head and saw young man walk up to the equipment, seemingly introducing it to him.

"The entire setup is built based on a polyethylene preparation device, with added passage pipes and a reaction furnace."

young man pointed to the compressor pump.

"To make the reaction pressure reach 1.3 atmospheres, I added a compressor pump. The whole process is very simple: first, obtain polyethylene using conventional preparation methods, then put the polyethylene into the reaction furnace, add titanium tetrachloride as a catalyst, apply 1.3 atmospheres of pressure, and control the temperature within the range of 75 to 85 degrees. This allows the polyethylene to polymerize and yield Ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene."

"Then, add gasoline and heptane as solvents to increase the fluidity and self-lubricating properties of the Ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene, facilitating stretching and drying to obtain material pellets."

"Very nice," Wang Shuo praised. "It's just as I thought."

young man frowned and looked up at Wang Shuo.

With such a youthful face and an unsophisticated smile, where did this kid, who probably hadn't even finished college, come from? Why would the company allow an outsider to stand in front of such important equipment and even let him touch and view it at will?

Most importantly... what did he mean by "just as I thought"?

I spent two years modifying this equipment, and you've only looked at it for a few minutes?

"The relative molecular mass of the Ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene prepared this way should be around..." Wang Shuo rested his chin in his hand and simulated it carefully, obtaining an approximate figure. "It should be around 3.5 million, which is considered a decent Ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene."

young man opened his mouth but didn't know what to say, swallowing back the words that were about to come out.

"You also understand polymer material synthesis?"

His voice was filled with astonishment.

"I know a bit," Wang Shuo smiled, meeting the incredulous gaze of the youth in front of him. "Actually, I think if you could design a loop reactor, pressurize it to 1.3 megapascals, keep the temperature at 90 degrees and let it sit for three hours, and then use a centrifuge to separate and dry it for pelletizing, the results might be even better."

young man, who was about to ask a question, was instantly drawn in, knitting his brows as he pondered deeply.

"Then the catalyst can't be titanium tetrachloride, and the solvents can't be gasoline and heptane either; those are easily separated by a centrifuge."

"Exactly," Wang Shuo nodded with a smile, praising him. "You really are impressive. How about we switch the catalyst to magnesium chloride and alkyl aluminum, and the solvents to hydrogen and ethane?"

young man's brow furrowed tighter and tighter, fine beads of sweat beginning to form on his forehead as his brain worked at high speed.

"This is feasible... This is feasible! This is a... new preparation method for Ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene!"

He suddenly looked up at Wang Shuo.

"Who are you?"

"Just an ordinary college student, a freshman this year."

"Impossible." young man shook his head vigorously. "This isn't knowledge a freshman could access. What do you actually do?"

Wang Shuo helplessly pulled out his student ID card, handed it to young man, and said earnestly,

"My name is Wang Shuo, and I am indeed a freshman. As for this, it's just a hobby."

young man took the student ID card, opened it, and looked at Wang Shuo's name and photo. For a moment, he was at a loss, his eyes filled with bewilderment.

He was already very lost about his future, but he had never been as bewildered as he was now.

The youth in front of him was truly just a college freshman.

A college freshman had seen right through the Ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene production equipment that he had spent two years researching at a single glance, and had even casually spoken of a new production formula, having already figured out how to design it.

And then what did he hear? This was just a hobby?

Had hobbies in this world already become terrifying to this extent?

At this moment, Secretary He and the others, having received a signal from Wang Shuo, finally walked into the isolated room. She said to the despondent young man, "Zhao Cheng, let me introduce you. This is President Wang of Frontier Technology Co., Ltd."

"Frontier Technology Co., Ltd.?"

Zhao Cheng's drifting eyes regained a spark of life as he looked at the smiling Wang Shuo, his surprise growing even greater.

"President Wang?"