Study Monster Cultivation System

Chapter 137 - 136 Chemical Meditation

"This...you’ve already provided a lot," Li Zheng hurriedly put on his lab coat, donned gloves, and wiped the cleaned round-bottom flask, "so I really did it according to my own understanding."

"You must do it based on your own understanding, I won’t speak throughout, just record," Shi Yang pulled up a

chair, sat down, and began rummaging through his backpack, "Rigid routines only kill your creativity, that’s how the senior ended up like this."

He wasn’t entirely wrong in saying that.

But suddenly, Li Zheng felt a chill coming from the door.

A quick glance to the side.

Shen Yiyun was standing at the door with materials in hand, eyes wide and seemingly on the verge of full-blown rage.

"Shi..." Li Zheng, frightened, quickly lowered his head and swallowed before saying, "The senior is just temporarily overwhelmed with tasks... Once she engages in research work, she will start creating very soon..."

"Nah, no chance, chemical inspiration doesn’t just come when called," Shi Yang said, head down, "Brother, you don’t need to think too highly of postgraduates, the stuff they do every day in their labs, even a trained orangutan could almost manage."

"No...no no...it’s not the same, Brother Shi..." Li Zheng had started stomping his foot.

"Hehe, might be even worse than orangutans~" Shi Yang threw a notebook and pen on the table, chuckling as he lifted his eyes, "Speaking of which, Brother, do you think the senior has a boyfriend? Is she still..."

"Good afternoon, Senior!" Li Zheng suddenly yelled and snapped to attention.

Shi Yang, scared, kicked the table and toppled over.

Shen Yiyun’s face twitched, and she walked in with a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes: "Ha, you two seem to be having a great time here."

"No no no..." Shi Yang picked up his glasses, stood up in a panic with the help of the table, "I mean... an orangutan is also a higher mammal... just... orangutans and humans aren’t that different..."

Li Zheng glared fiercely: "Brother Shi, better to say less..."

"Alright, carry on as you wish." Shen Yiyun sat down with her materials, "I’m too ignorant, better think how to get along with orangutans."

Li Zheng exclaimed: "This has nothing to do with me, don’t drag me into this too."

Shi Yang glared, every man for himself now?

Li Zheng hurriedly whispered, "At least save one of us..."

"That makes sense... I misinterpreted, my emotional intelligence is low," Shi Yang nodded repeatedly.

"Alright, I need to write the report now," Shen Yiyun opened her materials and said, "Shi Yang with your great skills, you teach Li Zheng."

Li Zheng immediately held down Shi Yang and quickly said, "Senior, it doesn’t work like that, I have a competitive relationship with Shi Yang, he needs to train himself for his experiments, it’s not convenient for him to teach me."

"That’s true," Shen Yiyun looked at the two with a sneer, "Well then, about that experiment, you do it first, whenever you achieve a 70% yield, I will teach you."

"Don’t say..."

"Then 80%?"

"70, just 70..." Li Zheng quickly replied, "I really don’t have the high talent like Shi Yang, let me try doing it once, and if you’re free, Senior, maybe take a glance and finally guide me?"

"Alright," Shen Yiyun waved her hand, "Be careful."

"Okay."

Li Zheng finally breathed a sigh of relief.

"Not to... Brother..." Shi Yang whispered, clutching Li Zheng’s arm, "Why did you agree so easily? Aren’t you only good at lighting alcohol lamps? Doing such a complex experiment for the first time, being thankful for even a 1% yield."

"Shh," Li Zheng whispered, "You, don’t understand women."

"Oh?"

"When women are angry, you must listen to their words in reverse," Li Zheng pointed seriously at his forehead, "Think about it, if I really achieve 70% on the first try, wouldn’t the senior see no need for her existence? What would there be left to guide?"

"That...is true..."

"So, the senior is merely speaking out of anger, wanting me to experience the hardships of experiments," Li Zheng peeked at Shen Yiyun, who was earnestly writing her report, "As for the results of the experiment, the worse I do, the happier the senior will be, and the more she will come to guide me."

"Awesome, Brother!" Shi Yang’s eyes widened, "Truly a master, I did well to follow you!"

"Don’t look so pleased..." Li Zheng quickly pressed him down again, "Keep in mind, women act according to their emotions, we must not boast now. From now on, the more we fail, the better the senior’s mood will be, and once I botch this experiment completely, the senior will naturally be all smiles."

"Okay!" Shi Yang nodded repeatedly, "Just act like a total fool, right?"

"Don’t force it, it’s best after genuinely trying and failing utterly, to look like a complete fool sincerely," Li Zheng then picked up a pipette, "Just as we said before, don’t correct me, I’ll do it according to my own understanding, and I’m bound to utterly fail since it’s my first experiment."

"Good, then just as we said, I’ll only record without speaking, and we’ll discuss after you’re done," Shi Yang unfolded his notebook and rolled up his sleeves to settle down.

But seeing Li Zheng anxiously studying the gradations on the dropper, he felt somewhat reluctant, "Brother, I should still give you some guidance; otherwise, it’s just a wild goose chase. After all, it’s going to take three or four hours, and it would be a waste to just squander that time."

"Alright, speak," Li Zheng said.

"Well..." Shi Yang, stroking his chin, said, "First layer—before starting the experiment, clarify the principle behind each step in your mind."

"I had already clarified it while you were doing it," Li Zheng said. "The first step in the reaction involves salicylaldehyde and diethyl malonate synthesizing coumarin-3-ethyl ester under pyridine catalysis, followed by the addition of an alkali to hydrolyze the ester and lactone groups, and finally acidification to re-form the lactone ring, resulting in coumarin-3-carboxylic acid."

"Nice, worthy of being my brother. The theory is sound, so let’s jump directly to the second layer," said Shi Yang with a satisfied smile. "Second layer, imagine the microscopic world in your mind. Visualize in each step which bonds we need to break and form. During this process, consider how each reagent will impact the reaction and try to predict the by-products as accurately as possible.

Once everything is clear, adjust the quantities and the reaction environment based on your understanding of chemistry to achieve maximum efficiency."

"Damn..." Li Zheng’s eyes widened; Academic Fortune exploded.

He absorbed the information while closing his eyes in mental exploration.

He tried to imagine himself entering the world of microscopic particles.

In this world, each atom was a point.

These points were bound together by a force known as "bonds."

When two or more different elements were linked by "bonds,"

they formed a compound.

What Li Zheng needed to do was to destroy some of the existing compound’s "bonds" and reattach them where he needed.

However, he lacked the strength to do this with his bare hands.

He needed to rely on other substances to accomplish it.

The trouble was when these substances mixed together, they often caused more side reactions, breaking more bonds or occupying the points Li Zheng wanted to attach.

For this reason, Li Zheng tried hard to visualize every process, every collision between molecules.

How to make them collide only in the directions he desired.

He was getting the feel of it...

Then combining it with Shi Yang’s prior use of an excess of pyridine and the technique involving cold ethanol, he imagined these actions’ impacts on the microscopic chemical world...

Brilliant.

Li Zheng’s meditation delved deeper until he had completed the entire process.

Only then did he suddenly open his eyes.

He then gave his characteristic intense stare.

[Your study of Shi Yang’s Academic Fortune has reached its limit.]

[Total Academic Fortune gained: 26.]

[Academic Fortune: 4?30]

[Talent acquired—Chemical Meditation]

[Chemical Meditation: Enables efficient simulation of chemical reactions in the microscopic world through thought, thus facilitating the design and improvement of experiments and inspiring more experimental ideas.]

Looking at his intense expression, Shi Yang tremblingly asked, "Did you comprehend it that easily, brother?"

"I comprehended," Li Zheng replied without hesitation, grabbing the dropper and nodding at Shi Yang, "Thank you deeply, brother."

"Ah? I just mentioned it casually, it’s nothing that significant."

"It is significant."

With that, Li Zheng embarked on his first experimental journey.

By then, he had fully grasped every key point of the experiment,

and had developed some of his own interpretations.

Almost all of it coincided with Shi Yang’s actions.

The feeling of stealing expertise was unpleasant.

But indisputably, Shi Yang’s choices were already the limit within the existing knowledge structure.

Li Zheng thus made a firm resolve that for future experiments, he would no longer borrow insights but must comprehend them on his own.