CHAPTER 338: CHAPTER 39: TINA’S INNER STRUGGLES

"Hello, I am Bai Ye."

Su Xiao didn’t say anything further. Even if the other party had a very high IQ, as long as he acted cautiously, the other party would not suspect anything.

"Prepare to set off."

General Crane ordered, and the warship slowly started moving, heading toward the island located half an hour away from Enies Lobby.

Su Xiao was placed in a cabin, where he began to think about how to leverage his technology for greater benefits.

"Woof."

Bubute Ni suddenly barked, and Su Xiao looked at Bubu Wang in confusion.

At that moment, Bubu Wang seemed a bit off, lying limply on the floor with its fluffy ears no longer erect.

Bubu Wang had a look of loss, its stomach twitching as if it wanted to vomit.

"Is it... seasick?"

Bubute Ni being seasick was surprising to Su Xiao, but it was indeed the case, and there was nothing he could do about it. Luckily, the journey wasn’t long.

The cabin door opened, and Vice Admiral Crane and Tina came in.

"Bai Ye, what materials do you need to make an Alchemy Bomb? We’ll have people gather the materials you need before we reach our destination."

General Crane handed over pen and paper, indicating for Su Xiao to write down the materials he needed.

Su Xiao picked up the pen and wrote on the paper, listing the following:

’Black gunpowder, Lower Energy Circuit, Matry Metal, Aqua Regia, Explosive Frog Skin.’

After writing down the required materials, Su Xiao handed over the paper to General Crane.

As General Crane read, her brow furrowed more deeply, and the wrinkles on her face became more pronounced.

"I know what black gunpowder is, but what is this ’Lower Energy Circuit’? And this Matry Metal? Aqua Regia? Explosive Frog Skin?!"

Tina leaned over and looked at the formula, her face bewildered. She recognized all the words, but when combined, they left her completely lost.

"You can think of ’Lower Energy Circuit’ as a type of wire with R7P3T conductivity properties. It’s highly sensitive to energy perception, enabling remote control and detonation..."

Su Xiao started to explain what the Lower Energy Circuit was. General Crane was merely puzzled while looking at the formula, but after Su Xiao’s explanation, she too looked bewildered.

"Aqua Regia, also known as ’King’s Acid’ or ’Nitrohydrochloric Acid,’ is a highly corrosive liquid that emits yellow fumes. It’s a mixture of concentrated hydrochloric acid (HCl) and concentrated nitric acid (HNO₃) in a 3:1 volume ratio. It’s one of the few liquids capable of dissolving gold (Au). Its name comes from its strong corrosiveness..."

General Crane began to feel overwhelmed, while Tina yawned beside her.

"I’ve explained everything thoroughly, so these materials should be no problem. Even if you can’t find the exact materials, you can find substitutes with similar properties."

Su Xiao looked at General Crane with a smile; this was his area of expertise, and no matter how high the other party’s IQ, it was of no use.

General Crane felt a bit awkward and coughed dryly, saying, "I basically understand it."

"Oh? Is that so? Then when looking for a substitute for Explosive Frog Skin, it must have the following properties: strong water solubility, excellent conductivity, biological characteristics, and no toxins..."

Su Xiao continued explaining, and General Crane’s head began to ache more and more.

After five minutes, General Crane sat opposite Su Xiao with lowered eyes, her head near bursting.

However, General Crane confirmed one thing: Su Xiao was indeed a research talent. Even though she couldn’t understand what he said, she could feel he wasn’t making things up.

"Tina, did you get all that?"

General Crane looked at Tina, who was taking notes. Tina smiled brightly.

"There are... a few formulas I can’t write."

General Crane sighed. She originally intended to put Su Xiao in his place, but now it seemed that he was the one putting them in their place.

"What formulas can’t you write?" Su Xiao took the pen and paper from Tina and wrote down the formulas for her.

"Shall we continue?"

"Conti...nue?"

Tina’s mouth opened slightly, her head was also close to bursting.

"Yes, this is one-twentieth of the entire formula. Although it will take some time, it’s a necessary process."

General Crane’s cheek twitched, and she stood up to leave.

"Tina, I’ll leave this to you. I’ll contact our destination’s personnel and have them prepare."

Tina’s red lips parted, not wanting to stay either.

"Miss Tina, shall we continue?"

Su Xiao continued dictating the formula, with Tina responsible for recording it.

After ten minutes, Tina’s eyes were vacant, her mind filled with various chemical and mathematical formulas.

"Um..."

Tina spoke weakly.

"Hmm? What’s the matter, are you tired? We can take a break and then continue. There are still about four-fifths remaining."

Tina’s vision went black upon hearing that there were still four-fifths left. She wanted to run away; she could fight, but recording these Heavenly Book-like formulas was pure torture.

"Though it might be a bit rude, Mister Bai Ye, you should write them personally. I’m a navy officer, and I’m clueless about research. See, I’ve written several formulas incorrectly."

Tina looked at Su Xiao with hopeful eyes.

"This..."

Su Xiao looked at Tina with a teasing smile.

"Please～."

"Alright."

Su Xiao took over the pen and paper, and Tina felt relieved, leaving the cabin in a few steps.

On the deck, Tina gently rubbed her slightly aching head, looking up to find General Crane leaning against the ship’s railing, deep in thought.

"Why did you come out?"

General Crane’s gaze was somewhat displeased, while Tina felt bitter, secretly thinking, didn’t you come out because you couldn’t take it either?

"Not easy to deal with."

General Crane sighed.

"What?"

Tina looked at General Crane in confusion.

"Nothing, but Tina, what feeling do you get from this Bai Ye?"

General Crane’s question made Tina fall into contemplation.

"What feeling～, a strong smell of blood. Even though he has bathed and changed clothes, the bloody smell persists."

"Not bad perception."

General Crane patted Tina on the shoulder.

"That guy’s aura is similar to Shiliew but fundamentally different. Shiliew kills for the sake of killing, while this one has clear motives. Even though his strength is not close to Shiliew’s, he will undoubtedly be more challenging to deal with in the future, so we must keep him under control. He’s a double-edged sword.

His research ability is undeniable, surpassing global standards in Bomb studies. However... I don’t feel any goodwill or loyalty from him."

The Navy dispatched General Crane to probe Su Xiao.

"Then Lady Crane, what should we do?"

Tina, once General Crane’s subordinate, used a more intimate address.

"Wait and see. When we reach the island, someone there will keep an eye on him, someone who stays on that island permanently."