Humans Shrunk 100 Times

Chapter 195: Hot Air Balloon

"Hot air balloon?" Chen Mu pondered for a moment and asked, "The basket is not a problem, but do we have the materials to make the balloon?"

"Normal hot air balloons are made of reinforced nylon or Dacron, which we don't have now, but we don't need something so professional as we are not embarking on a global journey. The thin plastic after being reduced in weight by Lu Shanshan will suffice," Tang Jing explained.

Chen Mu further inquired, "And we still need a powerful heat source for propulsion, right? Is Captain Ban's three-legged cat level enough?"

Dong Junwei clenched her teeth beside them.

"Though it's a bit weak, with our current size, it should work," Tang Jing replied.

The sound of clenching teeth became more apparent.

Tang Jing added, "However, I don't intend to use heat to lift the hot air balloon."

"Hmm?"

"While it's possible, it has poor safety performance and is not stable enough, especially as our control over temperature is not up to that requirement."

"Without heat, can it still be called a hot air balloon?" Chen Mu wondered.

"As long as it can fly, right?"

"Alright, then what's the alternative?"

"For that, we'll rely on Lu Shanshan," Tang Jing said, steering the conversation in a different direction. Instead, she asked Chen Mu, "You mentioned earlier that you can manipulate gases now?"

"I can only sense it a little."

Ever since successfully experimenting with liquids, Chen Mu had been focusing on this aspect. Apparently, if his ability could truly influence the air, its impact would be revolutionary, especially in combat situations—it would be like invisible murder.

Of course, even if he managed to change the shape of the air, it was practically imperceptible and couldn't influence anything else.

Still, Chen Mu persisted in experimenting daily.

Finally, one day, when he was "energizing" the air, he suddenly felt like he had caught something with his hands.

It was an indescribable feeling, as if the intangible and colorless air had suddenly acquired substance.

Although that sensation quickly vanished, this success at least indicated that this path was feasible.

He immediately informed Tang Jing about this development.

Tang Jing didn't say much, just encouraging him to continue based on his intuition.

Today, Tang Jing brought up this matter again, and at first, Chen Mu was a bit puzzled, but he quickly understood, "You mean... Lu Shanshan can also do it?"

Tang Jing smiled and said, "If she can manipulate air to reduce its weight, then it can easily be achieved, right?"

"Hydrogen balloon?" Zhao Xiaoyan asked.

Du Jiajia said, "I heard that helium is actually used in the hydrogen balloon?"

Tang Jing replied, "That's how it's supposed to be, but helium costs more than 20 times that of hydrogen. To save costs, many businesses still violate regulations and continue using hydrogen."

"But Lu Shanshan can already reduce the weight of gases?" Chen Mu was somewhat surprised. He had just started exploring this aspect himself, and Lu Shanshan was already ahead of him?

"We tried before, and it did have some effect, but she still needs to continue practicing. Her ability is different from yours, so it's not directly comparable. However, she still has a long way to go," Tang Jing explained.

"Let's take hydrogen as an example. Its density is 0.09g/L, while the density of air is 1.29g/L, which is almost a 15:1 ratio. That's what makes the balloon so easy to lift. But right now, Lu Shanshan can only halve the density. To achieve the same effect, the balloon would need to be even larger, which presents a considerable challenge for us at our current size," Tang Jing continued.

Chen Mu nodded in agreement, "Also, I can't help but think that even if we manage to make a hot air balloon, once we're in the air, a slight breeze could blow us away. And what about birds? How do we deal with them?"

"I already have some ideas for those issues," Tang Jing said. "With our current abilities, we can roughly handle them, but everyone still needs some time to grow."

The hot air balloon issue sparked intense discussion among them and also stirred up sighs from the Class 4 members for Luo Hui.

Soon, the topic shifted back to the present.

The container truck stood silently against the wall. Chen Mu roughly estimated the amount of work needed to install tracks and modify the engine.

"Then let's begin."

In the following days, Chen Mu once again immersed himself in work, becoming so engrossed that he often had lunch brought over by He Ying. Once he started working on a part, he had to continuously reinforce the muscle memory in a short period. Being interrupted midway would lower his efficiency.

"You're working too hard," He Ying handed a plate of food to Chen Mu, who was sitting on the ground surrounded by various materials and components.

"Thank you," Chen Mu said and continued working for a while before stopping and picking up the plate.

"Aren't you going to wash your hands?"

"Oh, right."

Chen Mu went to wash his hands and also washed his face before coming back to pick up the plate to eat.

"Du Jiajia's cooking skills have improved again," Chen Mu said, nodding continuously with a mouthful of food.

Just as he said that, they heard Du Jiajia shouting with excitement and rushing towards the door.

"Are those two cats here again?" Chen Mu chewed his food and turned his head towards the direction of the door.

"Twice a day, like clockwork," He Ying said.

"But I didn't hear the cats' voices."

"You're outdated. Du Jiajia can now sense Little Huang and Little Bai in advance," He Ying said with a hint of envy.

"Everyone is making progress," Chen Mu sighed.

"Yeah."

"What about you?" Chen Mu asked He Ying.

"Me?"

"I've noticed that your speed hasn't improved in the past few days," Chen Mu said.

"Yeah," He Ying nodded and looked somewhat troubled. "It seems like I've hit a bottleneck."

"Maintaining one-tenth of your weight for five minutes is already impressive," Chen Mu comforted.

"Not beating you means it's not good enough," He Ying, who had never won once, looked fierce.

"Yeah, keep going," Chen Mu said indifferently.

A cheerful meow came from outside the door, followed by the sound gradually fading away.

Chen Mu asked, "Is Du Jiajia not tired of playing with the cats?"

He Ying snorted, "How could that be? She can take a walk outside every day, still from the perspective of a cat. Would she ever get tired of that?"

"Is she still experiencing dizziness?"

"It's said that she has gotten used to it, and now Little Bai can even run and climb fences and grass..."

"But she still can't control the route," Chen Mu interjected.

"Hehe, that's true. But if she could, wouldn't that be too much? What about other people's freedom?" He Ying chuckled.

Chen Mu smiled.

Indeed, Du Jiajia's ability, from the current perspective, was enviable. Just the scope of her activities far exceeded that of ordinary people. However, because it had been a short time, Dong Junwei still didn't allow others to ride the "cat bus," which made Zhao Xiaoyan and others eager to try it.

He Ying was about to say something when, at that moment, a string of bell sounds came from near the door.

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