Chapter 338: Centrifuge

While the Missile development work was in full swing, Li Mingyuan quietly began another, more confidential plan.

Late that night, when most researchers had already left the laboratory and only a few technicians on duty remained, Li Mingyuan slipped into his private workshop without a sound.

He had specifically requested that this small room be fitted with three locks; even Minister Zhang had to give advance notice if he wanted to enter.

"Damn it, I can't rely entirely on missiles; I need some real deterrent power."

Li Mingyuan muttered to himself while taking a stack of blueprints from a drawer; these were the secret designs he had been drawing during his overtime every night.

The drawings did not depict missiles or robots, but rather a peculiar cylindrical device with an extremely complex internal structure, filled with various precision parts and control systems.

Li Mingyuan spread out the blueprints and looked over his design again, nodding with satisfaction: "Theoretically, there's no problem; the key is the actual manufacturing. Those precision parts simply cannot be made with ordinary craftsmanship..."

He pondered for a moment, and his eyes lit up: "I've got it! The Iron Arm-11 Robot!"

Early the next morning, Li Mingyuan found Minister Zhang and made a request that seemed inconsequential.

"Minister Zhang, I need to requisition two Iron Arm-11 Robots for special research. Also, please arrange a separate laboratory for me, preferably one isolated from the main experimental area."

Minister Zhang was somewhat surprised: "Chief Engineer Li, the missile development is at a critical moment; is this special research very important?"

Li Mingyuan smiled mysteriously: "More important than the missile. But it's not convenient to say more right now; please trust me."

Minister Zhang stared at Li Mingyuan for a few seconds before finally nodding: "Alright, I trust you. There is an old warehouse at the Rear Mountain that can be converted into a laboratory. As for personnel, what kind do you need?"

"The fewer the better, just Lao Liu and a few technicians I can trust; it must be kept absolutely confidential."

"Fine, I will arrange it." Minister Zhang agreed readily, though his heart was full of curiosity.

Three days later, a secret laboratory was established in the old warehouse at the Rear Mountain of the military industrial base.

Li Mingyuan personally supervised the renovation work, ensuring the laboratory's soundproofing and security measures.

Two Iron Arm-11 Robots were secretly transported into the laboratory, along with a modified Numerical Control Machine Tool and the latest Computer equipment.

"Chief Engineer Li, what kind of trick is this?" Lao Liu looked at the empty laboratory and the mysterious Li Mingyuan, unable to help but ask.

Li Mingyuan did not answer directly, but instead handed Lao Liu a list: "Where can we get these parts?"

Lao Liu looked at the list carefully and scratched his head: "Most of them can be requisitioned from the missile production line, but there are a few special alloys and precision bearings... I'm afraid they will have to be custom-made."

"The faster the better, don't attract attention." Li Mingyuan instructed, "Also, only the people present know about this; don't even tell Minister Zhang the specific details for now."

Although Lao Liu was full of questions, he still nodded in agreement.

In military industrial units, confidentiality is a basic requirement.

Over the next two weeks, Li Mingyuan divided almost all his time into two parts—guiding missile development during the day, and quietly slipping to the Rear Mountain laboratory at night to struggle alongside the robots and machine tools until late.

As the parts arrived in batches, the prototype of a mysterious device gradually took shape.

This was a metal cylinder about two meters high with an extremely complex internal structure that required machining precision down to the micron level.

Under normal circumstances, the current industrial level of Long Country could not manufacture this level of precision equipment at all, but with the Iron Arm-11 Robot and the future knowledge Li Mingyuan brought, the impossible became possible.

"The last bearing, it's installed!" Late that night, Li Mingyuan shouted excitedly to Lao Liu. He had just used the operating system to control the Iron Arm-11 to complete an extremely precise assembly operation.

Lao Liu walked up to the mysterious cylinder and examined it curiously: "Chief Engineer Li, be honest with me, what on earth is this thing? I've been watching for two weeks and still haven't figured it out."

Li Mingyuan wiped the sweat from his forehead: "You'll know soon. Tomorrow, I will invite Minister Zhang and the Military Department Director to visit."

"Such a big display?" Lao Liu said in surprise, "Then I must clean up the laboratory properly!"

The next morning, Minister Zhang and the Military Department Director, guided by Li Mingyuan, secretly arrived at the Rear Mountain laboratory.

Following them were two mysterious elderly men, said to be Advanced experts who had traveled specifically from the capital.

"Chief Engineer Li, so mysterious, what kind of treasure have you developed?" The Military Department Director asked impatiently as soon as he entered the door.

Li Mingyuan did not answer immediately, but led the distinguished guests to the center of the laboratory and pointed to the cylindrical device covered by a canvas:

"Leaders, I have been secretly developing a key technology for the past two weeks, and today, I can finally reveal it to everyone."

He solemnly lifted the canvas, revealing the metallic, lustrous cylinder: "This is our new achievement!"

The leaders looked at each other, clearly confused.

The thing looked like a large stainless steel bucket, connected to complex pipelines and control panels, but no one could see anything special about it.

"This is... what?" Minister Zhang asked cautiously, fearing his ignorance would be mocked.

Li Mingyuan took a deep breath, his tone solemn: "This is the core equipment for producing high-purity nuclear material—a Centrifuge!"

The laboratory fell silent; the leaders seemed stunned by the term, but their expressions remained bewildered.

"A Centrifuge?" The Military Department Director frowned in thought, "Is that the machine that can purify... that thing?"

"That's right," Li Mingyuan nodded, "It is a gas Centrifuge used for enrichment. This is one of the most critical pieces of equipment for manufacturing that weapon."

Hearing the words "that weapon," everyone gasped.

The two experts from the capital looked at each other, a flash of shock and ecstasy in their eyes.

"Chief Engineer Li," one of the white-haired elderly men finally spoke, his voice trembling slightly with excitement,

"Are you sure this is the legendary Centrifuge? One of the most closely guarded technologies of Di Guo and the Polar Bears?"

"Absolutely," Li Mingyuan said confidently, "This is the latest generation of gas Centrifuge, using a special alloy rotor with an optimized internal structure; theoretically, it can achieve 30% higher separation efficiency than existing technology."

"My god..." Minister Zhang seemed to finally realize the significance of this device, his whole body trembling slightly, "Chief Engineer Li, are you saying... we can use this to manufacture that weapon?"

Li Mingyuan nodded: "Theoretically speaking, as long as we have a sufficient number of Centrifuges, we can produce weapons-grade enrichment. And this piece of equipment is the first step in proving that we have this technical capability."