am-books Chapter 51: 51 Unity is Strength
Chapter 51: 51 Unity is Strength
Chapter 51: Chapter 51 Unity is Strength
Previously, by inquiring with the staff of the safe company, Lin Xian learned that safes could be forcefully opened using an “oxygen-acetylene cutting torch.”
Naturally, the same applied to the safe in the dream.
He opened his computer and started searching for relevant information.
The online encyclopedia stated—
An “oxygen-acetylene cutting torch” is a high-temperature gas cutting method extensively used in various industrial fields. It’s primarily used for the rapid cutting of irregular steel products, such as steel coils, steel ingots, and steel frames, among other steel items that are not easy to secure.
Its principle is very simple.
...
First, two cylinders of high-pressure liquefied gas are required—one is liquified acetylene, the other is liquid oxygen—both of which are the main combustion materials for the cutting torch.
The two liquefied gases are connected to a high-pressure spray gun via hoses, and after adjusting to the proper pressure and gas output ratio, they are ignited to produce a roaring, intensely spouting “flame long knife.”
The shape is similar to the flame of a windproof lighter that is commonly seen, only the length is dozens of times longer.
At the “heart” of the high-speed jetting flame, the temperature reaches 3000 degrees Celsius. This temperature far exceeds the melting point of steel (1500 degrees Celsius) and can easily melt steel into molten steel, effectively completing the cutting task.
Lin Xian searched for videos of safe cutting on video websites and, without exception, they all used the oxygen-acetylene cutting torch to do it.
Upon contact with the safe, the high-speed, incandescent flame seems to enter tofu effortlessly! It blew out countless tiny, burning sparks of iron! It took only a matter of ten seconds to cut through the entire safe!
The molten steel at the cut edge flickered with a red glow, as if lamenting its impotence under the absolute high temperature.
Lin Xian had seen that safe in the dream many times before.
Eighty percent of the paint had already flaked off.
There were layers of rust inside.
It was clearly quite old.
If it could rust, then it was definitely made of steel, which meant its melting point wouldn’t exceed 1500 degrees Celsius, so using an oxygen-acetylene cutting torch to cut it would pose no problem at all.
Lin Xian then looked up more information...
The technology for this oxygen-acetylene cutting torch was very mature and widely distributed. It could be freely purchased on any construction site, steel market, and even on online shopping platforms.
In those small shops that made steel frame billboards by the roadside, it was almost a tool in every worker’s hand.@@@@
“Since this item is so common, it should be easy to find in the dream as well,” Lin Xian thought.
Only then did Lin Xian remember that in his real life, he had seen this device countless times before.
During primary school, as he and Gao Yang went to and from school, they would pass by a street full of advertising signs, where workers frequently used electric welding and oxygen-acetylene cutting torches to weld the steel frames.
Both devices were extremely bright when in use and would throw off scorching iron sparks, so the workers covered their entire faces with heavy-duty goggles.
And Lin Xian and Gao Yang, who passed by, would often inadvertently glance at them, leading to dark spots in their vision for a long time afterward, similar to looking directly at the sun.
...
Lin Xian turned off the computer.
Luckily, he had a god’s eye view and plenty of bargaining chips for negotiating with the two of them.
No big deal.
After he finished washing up, he turned off the lights and lay down in bed.
“Let’s go.”
...
...
Whew!
Familiar summer winds brushed his face; it had been a long time since Lin Xian had entered a dream and felt this heat.
His body instantly warmed up.
He glanced at the electronic billboard next to him:
[August 28, 2624]
[21:42]
The surrounding environment, the crowd, the scenery – everything was no different than usual.
Lin Xian estimated that once Professor Xu Yun’s paper was published, human technology would inevitably advance by leaps and bounds.
By then, the plaza in the dreamscape would surely undergo earth-shattering changes as well.
Whether it was the level of technology, the surrounding architecture, people’s lifestyles, or even the toys the kids on the plaza played with, it would all transform into a completely different scene.
“This unchanging dreamscape of 23 years is finally about to embrace a complete and drastic change.”
“Will this plaza still exist then? What will the surrounding scenery turn into?”
The thought of soon saying goodbye to all this familiarity made Lin Xian feel somewhat reluctant to let go.
“Then, with this limited time left... Let’s crack open that safe. I’m quite curious about what’s really hidden inside.”
Looking eastward, he saw two brothers who had thrown aside their masks and run off, shouting about Ultraman flying kicks and slides.
Lin Xian walked up and picked up the Ultraman mask from the ground, putting it on his face.
Then he approached the portly figure stepping out of the van:
“Big Face Cat!”
“Huh?” A face covered with Rhine Cat Mask and filled with horizontal flesh turned around.
Smack.
Lin Xian’s right hand rested on his shoulder.
As the masks drew close, he whispered:
“Listen patiently, I have something very important to tell you...”