Homo sapiens

July 8th.

Dawei Port in a storm.

Kevin, who is in charge of the area, is reporting his work to Li Qingye in an underground bunker.

After landing in Bangkok, Li Qingye settled in a resort near Bangkok as Andrew. In fact, he was a soldier pretending to be Andrew and operating in the resort.

Li Qingye, as a member of a small family in Siam, lives in the Dawei Port area of ​​​​Sawady.

Kevin said cautiously: "Boss, the third scientific research base has been completed, but we have very few scientific researchers majoring in nuclear physics. There are only 17 relevant researchers now, and customized soldiers are serving as the remaining personnel."

Regarding this situation, Li Qingye did not blame him: "It doesn't matter. After all, nuclear physics is a key area of ​​focus for the great powers. It is right to be careful."

"In addition, our crude uranium reserve has reached 3,213 tons. In the third base of Black Tiger Canyon, we have built three small graphite reactors. However, we currently lack low-concentration uranium 235 and have not yet formally tested it."

Li Qingye nodded with satisfaction: "I came here this time to solve the refining problem. Where do you store the things that the Internal Affairs Department transported some time ago?"

"Right in Black Tiger Canyon."

"Then when the rain stops, we will head to Black Tiger Canyon."

"My subordinate understands."

At noon the next day, Li Qingye, Kevin and others who took the ship arrived in Kayah State, located in the southwest of the Shan State Plateau.

The Black Tiger Canyon where the third base is located is a very inconspicuous small valley plain in the mountain valley of this plateau.

In order to cover up this base, Hongsawady set up this area as a nature reserve for Bengal tigers, and also set up a scientific research station on the surface.

The advantage of this place is that you can directly enter it by a 500-ton ship through a tributary of the Salween River.

Especially after dredging and it is the rainy season, even a 1,500-ton ship can reach Black Tiger Town in Black Tiger Canyon.

After immigration and relocation, the entire Black Tiger Town is now owned by the Qingye Group, and there are no outsiders at all, ensuring the confidentiality here.

After Li Qingye came to Black Tiger Town, he did not appear in front of ordinary employees, and his identity was also an inspector sent by the headquarters.

Under the leadership of base director Wu Hu, a group of people entered a mine near Black Tiger Town.

The original choice here was partly due to its concealment and convenient water transportation, and partly because of the mine.

This is a small lead-zinc mine with many underground tunnels dug by the previous mine owner.

After a second transformation, all the mine tunnels were reinforced, expanded, and modified, turning them into today's underground bases.

Moreover, the second phase of the base project is also being carried out secretly.

Li Qingye took the elevator shaft transformed from the mine and reached 27 meters underground. If part of the mountain is included, the depth of this part of the area can reach thousands of meters.

The nuclear facilities are located under the cover of those mountains.

"We have transferred some of the coarse materials here, and currently have 1,200 tons of coarse materials stored here." Kevin introduced in a low voice.

At the bottom of the elevator shaft, after taking the elevator, there is a small underground station, where trams are used as transportation.

Wu Hu quickly opened the door of the carriage: "Boss, let's get in the car!"

Soon the tram started slowly and drove deeper into the base.

However, the tram did not directly enter the nuclear test area and crude material storage area. After all, these things carry certain risks.

After changing into full-coverage biological protective suits in the safe area, Wu Hu took them into the nuclear test area.

A group of researchers, also wearing full-body protective suits and special resin transparent space helmets, are in front of a small centrifuge.

Wu Hu called the head of the researcher, Dr. Levis, who was a former researcher at the Luzon Nuclear Power Plant and one of the few scholars who studied nuclear physics in Luzon. He was secretly sent here at the beginning of this year through suspended animation and a change of appearance.

Levis actually met Li Qingye in Luzon. He said helplessly: "Li, this small centrifuge can't separate uranium-235 at all. You should understand the danger of this kind of thing!"

"Don't worry! I will solve the problem of uranium enrichment." Li Qingye replied confidently.

"Can you solve it? Li, although I admit that you are a top biologist, this is nuclear physics." Levi looked suspicious.

Li Qingye shrugged, then turned to Wu Hu and ordered: "Take the item No. 983 that was sent before and bring it to the special biological laboratory here."

"Yes, boss."

After a while, inside the special biology laboratory.

What Li Qingye wants has been placed in front of everyone.

He opened the suitcase, which contained rows of storage tubes containing special frozen fungal spores, and took out one of the tubes.

Insert into one of the large bucket-shaped Petri dishes.

After adding various pheromones and hormones, as well as a steady stream of nutrient solution, and adjusting the temperature, the fungus quickly grew in the petri dish.

After an hour of rapid growth, Li Qingye mixed another 100 kilograms of uranium-containing powder and nutritional paste together.

Finally, the fungi in the petri dish are poured into uranium-containing nutrient paste.

"Let's go!"

"Is this enough?" Levis was confused.

Li Qingye replied confidently: "Don't underestimate the adaptability and possibilities of living things. You must know that fungi are now growing near the reactor at Chernobyl."

Levis, who was doubtful, muttered to himself: "Can biotechnology really enrich uranium?"

"You'll find out tomorrow."

The next day, early in the morning.

Levis couldn't wait to come over. Obviously he also wanted to know how effective the bioconcentration technology was.

Open the row of lead chamber cultivation tanks. At this time, there is a large reddish-brown fungal aggregate floating on the surface of the cultivation tank, which is somewhat similar to the appearance of cyanobacteria after eutrophication.

"Remove the bacteria on the surface, and then dry the sludge at the bottom of the cultivation tank."

"yes."

The bacteria floating on the surface are removed, and then the sludge at the bottom of the tank is filtered and dried, turning it into hundreds of kilograms of mud.

Levis and others measured the uranium-235 content of the mud.

After more than five hours of intense testing, the uranium-235 content in the mud finally came out, and its concentration reached about 7.2% to 8.3%.

Obviously, this concentration made Levis feel incredible. It was equivalent to being purified hundreds of times. He said excitedly:

"Lee, you are such a genius."

But Li Qingye felt a little dissatisfied:

"This technology is not yet perfect. Uranium-enriched bacteria are currently unable to purify uranium 235 in one go. They must undergo repeated absorption 15 times before they can extract uranium 235 with a concentration exceeding 90%."

"Furthermore, there is still a small amount of uranium 238 remaining in the uranium element absorbed by the uranium-enriched bacteria, and these waste materials must be reprocessed."

hehe! Levis was speechless.

In his opinion, this technology is already very powerful. Even if it requires repeated absorption 15 times, it is faster and cheaper than the centrifuge separation method. It can even be said to be cheap.

You know, the bioconcentration method only requires simple cultivation equipment, bacterial strains, nutrients, hormones and pheromones.

The cost of these things is not high for Homo sapiens companies.

Levis made a rough estimate. According to current data, the cost of producing one kilogram of uranium-235 with a concentration of 90% will not exceed 5,000 gold dollars.

This cost is simply that of the centrifuge separation method.

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