Chapter 87 - 32: Shipment Sent Out (Part 2)
Explosive engineering is a profound and vast field of study, encompassing multiple areas, from geological exploration to mechanical structure, from the destructive effects of gas to the destructive effects of stress waves, from theoretical knowledge to practical experience...
Even with comprehensive data and a full set of equipment for testing, it is difficult for an individual to become a qualified explosive engineer in a short time or to complete tasks like mining or building demolition.
Not to mention the high-difficulty precision blasting of tunnels; even directional blasting is not that simple.
For someone like Chen Zhou, who lacks both theoretical knowledge and practical experience, explosive operations are a completely unfamiliar job.
Black powder is powerful, yet its nature is far less stable than modern industrial explosives such as detonators.
Therefore, he must be both bold and meticulous, seeking safety and stability in aggressive choices.
Using burnt gravel to make several earthen mounds, he wrapped the black powder in small pieces of canvas, inserted oil-soaked fire cords, and buried them at different locations and depths within the mounds, then detonated them sequentially.
By observing the shapes the mounds took upon explosion, Chen Zhou roughly estimated the destructive range of the gas generated by the explosion.
It was a hemispherical shape extending upwards and to both sides, with almost no damage downward.
This experimental result taught him: "The explosives should be buried at the bottom center of a cave, placed deep within the gravel layer, to best unleash the explosive power."
Besides explosive gas, stress waves from the explosion would also damage the mounds.
But the amount of powder used in the experiment was too small, and the mounds too loose, making it impossible to accurately observe the power of the stress waves, only that it could cause the mounds to collapse.
The black powder destruction experiments were nearing their end, and Chen Zhou was more curious about the mountain structure.
For an entire mountain peak, a depth of three to five meters is not even considered an external injury.
But the structure of gravel below and rock above on this cliff indeed left him uneasy.
Compared to the sunlit and sea breeze battered sunny slopes, the internal cracks of the shady slope's rock layers were more hidden, meaning more danger and harder to guard against.
However, the matter had progressed to this point, and within his capabilities, all necessary experiments were conducted.
With black powder supplies limited, he had to make good use of them and could no longer squander them.
After finishing a full day of explosive experiments, he returned to the cave, sat by the bed, and luxuriously lit an oil lamp, flipping through the blast effect diagrams and stress wave analysis data he had drawn under the dim light.
From time to time, he used a feather pen to jot down a line of numbers, and the light purple explosion diagrams of the mounds gradually turned to the last page.
In fact, Chen Zhou always had a dream of becoming an artist. He loved drawing from a young age and once won first place in a city-wide art competition.
The award certificate, framed by his father in a glass frame, still hangs on the wall of his living room.
His mother, while cleaning the house numerous times, always complained that fly droppings on the glass were hard to wipe off, but never put away the award certificate in a corner where flies couldn't reach.
Many years ago, his mother often praised him to relatives, saying he was not only good at studying but also had artistic talent.
Unfortunately, their family's financial situation was too ordinary. Even though his parents knew about his talent in drawing, they didn't dare to suggest art classes, fearing it would hinder his studies.
Chen Zhou matured early, maintaining this tacit understanding with his parents, and kept his dreams to himself for many years.
Upon entering college, mechanical drawings required precision and simplicity, further restricting his artistic talents, and his hobby gradually faded over time and slowly disappeared.
Today, as he dipped the feather pen in ink, carefully drawing the scene of the earth mounds post-explosion by powder, he suddenly remembered that he once had hobbies and dreams.
Every line drawn by the rigid tip of the feather pen was so firm, every turn so stiff, as if structuring diagrams made with a ruler and compass, even curves were perfectly rounded, methodical.
Letting out a self-mocking laugh, reviewing the lessons learned in the day and contemplating precautions for tomorrow's explosion, Chen Zhou blew out the lamp.
…
As for the mysterious reward on the 28th, Chen Zhou had already lost interest.
If last time the reward wasn't the Electronic Wooden Fish but a box of lighters, he would have definitely gotten up early this time, heading to the beach in the starlit morning dew.
But unfortunately, there are no ifs.
Traversing over ten kilometers of mountainous land, wasting over three hours, and consuming a lot of energy for a modern industrial remnant worth less than ten yuan.
In modern society, such a "losing deal" would only invite scorn; no one would undertake it except fools.
Unfortunately, Chen Zhou now had to unwillingly become that fool.
No choice, even if there's only a one in ten thousand chance, he has to go because it's the only channel to acquire modern items.
However, this time, he didn't rise early but went about his routine of washing up, having breakfast, observing the mother and kid goats, and only after the sun slightly rose, put on his wide-brimmed hat and set out.
The greater the expectation, the greater the disappointment.
Exerting oneself to rise early only to fetch a toy like picking junk would ruin a whole day's good mood.
Having endured two lessons, this time, Chen Zhou chose not to hold expectations.
Guiding Lai Fu along the overly familiar path, he noticed that the water level in the river had dropped about five more centimeters, and the raft once docked at the riverbank edge had long been stranded.