Study Monster Cultivation System

Chapter 133: The essence of chemistry is...

Li Zheng only realized that the joke had ended.

So, where was the punchline…

"Ah… not funny?" Shen Yiyun scratched her head with a goofy smile, "This one, probably only people from the Chemical Institute would get."

"No, no, no, it’s pretty funny, if I knew the dean and advisor’s personalities, I would have definitely burst out laughing."

"Exactly, exactly, the dean is the real workaholic fiend, and the senior brother is like the pot calling the kettle black."

"Haha… I see," Li Zheng forced a laugh, then continued, "The joke itself is a bit hard to get, but it really is interesting when you tell it, Senior. You would definitely be more attractive than the current idols if you went into acting."

"Ah, my goodness…" Shen Yiyun’s face turned red again, "It’s just… art comes from life, right~"

On the other side, Shi Yang was pinching his pipette as if trying to squeeze blood from it.

Listening to their whispers that were like the buzzing of mosquitoes.

It just didn’t seem right.

Wasn’t this place supposed to value chemistry skills above all?

Chemistry big sister, don’t be mesmerized by this guy who looks like a total player.

Look over here, look over here.

However, Shen Yiyun and Li Zheng were chatting more and more enthusiastically, unable to contain themselves from performing more jokes from the Chemical Institute, occasionally covering their faces to giggle.

Shi Yang could no longer bear it and spoke in a deep voice, "Shall I start now?"

On hearing this, Shen Yiyun’s previously beaming face instantly frosted over.

"Sure, please do."

Shi Yang clenched his teeth.

You’re really pulling a 180?

Not cool, big sister.

I will save you with my chemistry skills!

Shi Yang, determined, didn’t even look at the experimental principles and steps, he immediately began his performance.

"The preparation and titration of coumarin-3-carboxylic acid, Shi Yang."

As he said this, he opened a dark bottle (salicylaldehyde), dipped the pipette in for a quick draw, then grabbed a graduated cylinder and dropped the solution in, repeating the action swiftly twice before screwing the bottle closed, all without looking at the cylinder’s scale.

"Wait, I’m going to have to deduct points," Shen Yiyun raised a hand and smirked coldly, "Check the paper—take 2 milliliters of salicylaldehyde, do you even know how much you took?"

"2 milliliters." Shi Yang said without looking away, already opening the second reagent bottle (diethyl oxalate),

Shen Yiyun’s nose twitched, itching to check it right away and take him down a peg.

But as a second-year graduate big sister, it would just seem petty to argue over every detail.

Li Zheng, although very good at reading people, wasn’t skilled enough to see this layer of interaction, but driven by curiosity, he walked around to the lab bench, leaned on the table, and started staring at the scale.

2 ml, not a fraction off…

There was once a legend about a candy seller known as "One Grab Accurate" who, no matter the weight requested, would grab a random amount that always turned out to be exact.

Now, he was witnessing the Cobalt God’s "One Drop Accurate".

At that moment, he turned his head to look at the man drawing the reagent.

It was as if the man was surrounded by an invisible aura of chemical molecules.

This man, he was no longer Shi Yang.

He was the Cobalt God.

At the same time—

[Academic Fortune detected.]

[Shi Yang: 27]

[Learning limit: 26.]

[Learning in process…]

[Luck +0.1…]

[+0.1…]

Li Zheng’s eyes widened.

No closing them now, he wouldn’t close his eyes until he had absorbed all the luck.

Now, the only reference for Academic Fortune was Li Zheng himself.

It was 4.

And this jerk Shi Yang had nearly seven times his own luck.

All these experimental talents, truly the luck needed for this era.

Mine, mine, all mine!

Of course, talk of stealing luck was nothing more than a jest.

For scholars, this was about learning, gathering wisdom, and improving together.

Since the system had clarified that it was about learning, the luck of the Cobalt God would undoubtedly not be diminished because of it.

All things considered, the nation’s luck had seemingly increased out of thin air—an auspicious development indeed.

Li Zheng watched Shi Yang intently, then returned to Shen Yiyun’s side.

"Exactly 2 milliliters, not a drop more or less..." Li Zheng whispered softly.

"Uh..." Shen Yiyun spoke resentfully, "That...is not very difficult, a senior brother from three years ago...could also do it."

Once Shi Yang began the experiment, it was as if he was completely oblivious to the conversation on the other side, and in the blink of an eye, he poured 2.4 ml of diethyl oxalate and 10 ml of anhydrous ethanol into a 50 ml round-bottom flask, one after the other.

In the process, there were naturally many little techniques and maneuvers.

For instance, when adding the anhydrous ethanol, the Cobalt God noticeably slowed down the pouring speed while rapidly spinning the flask, pouring in a swirling motion.

Clearly, this was intentional on the part of the Cobalt God.

But Li Zheng couldn’t see through it.

He had no choice but to lean in close to the elder sister figure and ask, "Why..."

Before he could voice his confusion, Shen Yiyun answered, "When dropping in the reagent earlier, it’s inevitable that some gets on the inner walls of the flask, he’s doing this to wash down any other reactants from the inner walls using the anhydrous ethanol."

Li Zheng uttered a grunt of realization as he finally understood.

Such minute details would never be mentioned in the experiment instructions.

Only those who had conducted numerous experiments would naturally develop such habitual techniques.

The experiment had barely started, and there were surely a plethora of such little tricks to be revealed.

Cobalt God, show off your Academic Fortune to the fullest.

Once the Cobalt God had prepared the solution, he placed the flask on the oil bath rack, securing it before using a high-precision plastic syringe to draw some piperidine, carefully inserting the needle into the flask, and very cautiously injecting it, causing the solution to turn yellow.

"Hmph..." Shen Yiyun suddenly chuckled, but then quickly quieted herself.

What had she noticed?

Li Zheng had no idea.

He even doubted he would understand even if he asked.

Well then, there would be no point in asking. Pretending to be knowledgeable and humming along seemed like the better option.

"Hmph."

The Cobalt God, however, paid no attention to the pair, and proceeded to pick up another vial of glacial acetic acid, holding it motionless above the flask, centered perfectly for a long while before allowing it to drop in.

Unlike his previous carefree actions, these drops were exceedingly cautious, presumably also to avoid getting any on the inner walls of the flask.

Chemical experiments call for strict measures of reagents, as even a single drop more or less can affect the rate and amount of reaction; in severe cases, it could even spark unexpected and strange reactions, leading to a failed experiment.

Take this synthesis question of coumarin, for example, the final yield is worth a hefty 40 points.

The theoretical yield for this reaction is 2.53 grams.

But that’s just theory, the yield without any molecular loss.

In a college laboratory environment, with human manual operation, the yield’s absolute upper limit is about 90% of the theoretical amount.

Therefore, when scoring, a final yield above 80% would be perfect, scoring 40 points.

70% would earn 35 points.

60% would earn 30 points.

And so on.

Watching the skilled Cobalt God place the condenser tube, Shen Yiyun finally took on a serious tone, "For an undergraduate standard, reaching a 70% yield would be considered excellent."

"Which is 1.78 grams..." Li Zheng mumbled, "But for full marks in the competition, the requirement is above 80%, which is...2 grams."

"Virtually impossible," Shen Yiyun confidently shook her head, "It’s not that it’s theoretically impossible, just that someone doing it for the first time can’t possibly achieve that. Hitting 70% is already quite outstanding.

However, if you had a week to repeat the experiment dozens of times, making continuous minute adjustments to the dose, reaction time, and temperature in pursuit of the limit, you might figure out ways to improve the yield."

"Dose, time, temperature..." Li Zheng couldn’t help but say, "Isn’t that just alchemy..."

"It’s not too far off," Shen Yiyun adjusted her glasses, "Chemical experiments are fundamentally about manipulating the molecular activity in the microscopic world, creating the substances we need through the magic of bonds and rings."

"Hmm..." Upon hearing this, Li Zheng felt as though he had finally touched upon the threshold of chemistry.

Now, looking at the focused and mischievously smiling Shi Yang.

Li Zheng felt as if he were witnessing a master crafter of the microscopic world.

So this was the very thrill of chemistry!

Damn.

His hands were starting to itch.

He really wanted to do an experiment.