Knowledge is love

Part 20: Back to phones

"If you were wrong, you'd have to go through all that trouble again," Kohaku pointed out.

As Magma finished smashing all the rocks, Kokuyo approached you and Senku. He admitted it was strange since Magma never actually offered to help before. He asked you two if something happened in the cave. You guys then thought back at the pit where Magma said that he wants you two to continue showing him amazing stuff. But you and Senku just played dumb.

Morning came and Magma finished smashing all the rockets into powder. So next was Senku to use his chemistry skills to turn the powder into a toothpaste-like consistency. But Gen wasn't too excited about the chemistry stuff but he knows better now than to ask questions.

After that, the next step was to treat the toothpaste with hydrogen by warming it up in a glass container. This was to get rid of any rust. And then you guys were done. Sneku stated that it has to be a thousand degrees, but the hotter you guys make it, the stronger the tungsten will turn out.

"Ho-ho! We can just throw it in our trusty furnace here," Old Man Kaseki said.

"It's nice to get an easy step once in a while," Chrome said.

"Very true Chrome but unfortunately we can't use the furnace," you stated.

"Huh? Why not y/n," Chrome asked.

"Chrome, what exactly do you two think will happen if you threw a glass container into a thousand-degree fire," you asked.

It took them a second but Chrome and Old Man Kaseki realized what you were getting at. They gasp in horror as they get a mental image of the glass melting.

"We have to make sure that only the tungsten mixture inside the glass container is getting hot," Senku states.

"So then we'll need to pinpoint the heat on one spot," Old Man Kaseki said. "But how exactly?"

"Let's split up the work-- time is short," Senku said. "Y/n and I can handle all the toothpaste-making chemistry stuff."

"Wait, then who's gonna figure out the pinpoint heating mechanism," Chrome asked. "We don't have another scientist!"

"Take a guess," you said. "I'll give you a hit, he's a captain."

Chrome was a bit confused but then gasped as he realized who you were talking about.

"Seems you figured it out," you said.

"Are you two sure," Chrome asked.

"Come on. You know everything you need to make that happen," Senku stated. "You've gotta throw all the science tricks you've learned at it."

"Exactly. Or do you still need Professor Senku to hold your hand," you asked.

Chrome went from shocked to confident. "Are you kidding with that? Don't make me laugh y/n." He stuck a little pose. "I'm Chrome, you know! And I'm smarter than hell! I'm a scientist!"

Chrome and Senku high five as you follow Senku to the lab and Chrome stays outside.

"If you two need some help in the lab, neither of you better not come crying about it to me, okay," Chrome said.

"We got all the lab stuff, no problem," Senku stated. "You're gonna have your hands full leading the heating team."

Old Man Kaseki admitted that he felt a bit jealous of Chrome and Senku. Growing up he was always making stuff inside while others just stared at him. He envies Senku's and Chrome's teamwork and wishes he had a crafting buddy. But Chrome then stated that you three were his crafting buddies. Old Man Kaseki didn't really believe that since he was almost fifty years older than you three but Chrome stated that age didn't matter. Old Man Kaseki cried a bit as those words filled his heart but he then yelled as he got pumped up to start.

"I've gotta say, he certainly is gung-ho," Gen said as he watched Chrome and Old Man Kaseki work.

You then grabbed the back of Gen's coat and began to drag him to the lad with you and Senku.

"Come on modern man, you're coming with us," you said.

"But why," Gen whined.

"Because I'll bet you know a little more chemistry than the villagers," Senku stated.

"I'm not so sure," Gen admitted.

There were a crap ton of steps which meant this was gonna get pretty complicated but Senku did his best to keep it simple. The steps were to cook the powder in sodium hydroxide, add seashells, hydrochloric acid, and ammonia to crystallize it. Then bake it and mix it with honey.

Gen gasped as he tried to process that. "Yeah, okay, and I am reading you loud and clear Professor Senku! I'm using honey! Bake it and add some honey. That's about the gist of it, that right?"

Senku looked like he made a mistake as Gen clearly didn't understand him. You expected that since it was pretty hard to keep up with Sneku even if he simplified it.

"Chrome would be ten billion times more helpful right now," Senku admitted.

"No, I doubt anyone could've kept up with all that. And the fact that even your wife looks confused only proves my point," Gen said.

"You are the only person who would understand this completely Senku," you admitted. "But it's not that hard to keep up with it." You gave Gen a soft glare. "As long as you paid attention in chemistry."

Senku chuckled a bit as Gen looked a bit hurt by that. In just a few sentences, you managed to defend and roast both of them. But Gen did get the bigger roast since you insulted his intelligence while you technically praised Senku's.

*Timeskip*

It was brutal but you, Senku and Gen managed to make tungsten toothpaste. Gen was pretty much dead so you and Senku left him in the lab to rest as you guys went to check on the heating team.

"So, heating team, how's it goin'," Senku asked.

"Great. We're just about done here," Chrome stated.

This confused you and Senku a bit since you guys expected it to take just a bit longer.

"Not too shabby ya science user," Senku said

"Uh, I'd hold the praise if I were you," you said as you saw the machine.

Senku then took a look and screamed in horror at the monstrosity. Chrome literally combined everything they made from the cotton candy machine to the batteries to the machine.

"What's with the jumbo deluxe combo set," Senku asked.

"Come on, Senku. I'm doing exactly what you told me to do," Chrome said. "Using every trick I've learned."

"I didn't think you'd take it that far," you admitted. "The machine ain't pretty but that doesn't mean we can't use it."

Senku chuckled as he agreed with you. Yes the machine was ugly as hell but it might be the best solution. So now everyone has to work to get the temperature crazy high.

You guys first had to squeeze out a long, thin blob of the tungsten toothpaste. Then zap some water with electricity to produce hydrogen. The hydrogen with tons of heat, will peel the rust right off. And to get the temperature high, Kinro, Kohaku and Magma were in charge of getting the temperature high as Suika and Ginro made sure they wouldn't overheat. The villagers gasped as the tungsten was withstanding the heat.

"We've tamed the world's most heat-resistant metal," Senku said "Which means now we have our hands on tungsten filament!" Senku looked at the tungsten filament. "With this, we have everything that we need."