"You didn't fake this data, did you, kid?"
Tony Stark pointed to a spot on the blueprints, looking at Luca with a suspicious gaze.
However, as soon as the words left his mouth, he realized he had asked a stupid question. He was the one who proactively asked to see the design blueprints. These existing blueprints were for Luca's convenience in design and manufacturing—why would he fake them?
Could it really be a labeling error? Would this kid make such a low-level mistake?
Regardless of what was going on in Tony's head, when Luca saw the spot he was pointing to, a look of understanding flashed in his eyes. He followed up with a playful, teasing tone:
"That's not a data error. What's the matter? Can the great Tony Stark not tell that a new material is being used here?"
"Impossible!"
Tony gave his judgment without a moment's hesitation.
"No matter what material you use, it's impossible for the entire machine to weigh this little! With such a low density, what happens to your structural strength? Forget about combat or defense—you won't even meet the standards for basic mobility. One slightly large movement and the internal transmission structure would snap!"
"Don't tell me you went through all this effort just to make a stationary ornament?"
Since he was thinking about helping Luca perfect the flight capabilities, Tony was naturally paying extra attention to structural integrity and weight balance.
Yet, looking at the final data, Tony discovered that the robot Luca intended to build would weigh less than 50 kilograms (110 lbs)!!
That was lighter than his Mark 7 Iron Man suit.
Keep in mind that the Mark suit was a hollow armor, whereas Luca was building a nearly solid robot. Based on this data, the density of the robot's primary material would have to be less than one-sixth that of steel!
Damn it, why even design a flight apparatus for a material with that density? It would probably disintegrate just running on the ground!
"And even if the strength meets the requirements, what about corrosion resistance? High temperature, wear and tear? Stress strain? Don't tell me you're planning to solve all your problems with an external coating?"
Listening to Tony's non-stop analysis and complaints, Luca looked at his "uninformed" expression, and the corners of his mouth curled into a slight smile.
"All of those can be achieved, naturally. In fact, you've seen this new material before~"
Luca prepared to give the correct answer. Before he could speak, a flash of inspiration hit Tony Stark, and he whipped his head toward Haro.
"Is it this little thing?"
"Wait... no wonder you asked for so much graphite! You want to use electromagnetic deposition to get carbon nanotubes, weaving them into an array to enhance structural strength?"
"No, even so, to guarantee enough strength, the nanotubes would have to be packed densely enough that it would raise the overall weight. The result wouldn't be as cost-effective as just using a titanium-gold alloy!"
At this point, a flicker of astonishment finally crossed Luca's eyes. He hadn't expected Tony's guess to be so close to the truth based on such a small hint.
Yes, the primary material Luca planned for the robot was the famous "E-Carbon" from Gundam 00.
However, E-Carbon wasn't just "carbon nanotube arrays" as Tony suggested; it was a further step: "Carbon Atom Lattice Arrangement."
In truth, Luca didn't have the equipment to produce this at home yet; his gear wasn't up to standard. But after Haro checked Stark's lab last night, it confirmed that while not custom-made for E-Carbon, the top-tier equipment here could manage a makeshift production. That was why the blueprints were adjusted.
Watching Tony continue to mutter to himself in a cycle of self-doubt and re-analysis, Luca stopped teasing him and gave the answer.
Taking Haro back from Tony, Luca tapped the little guy's shell and said:
"E-Carbon. It's a brand-new material I stumbled upon. By using magnetic fields to arrange carbon isotopes into a specific lattice, it can be combined with most metals to form new alloys."
"The density is only one-seventh that of steel, but the tensile strength can reach 150 GPa—seventy-five times that of carbon steel. It's heat-resistant, pressure-resistant, and corrosion-resistant, possessing both hardness and toughness, along with excellent electrical conductivity. It's arguably the best material I can produce right now."
As Tony listened to Luca's calm description, he completely turned into a stone statue, staring blankly at the boy.
"Do you even hear what you're saying?!"
"The density is ridiculously low! The strength is terrifyingly high! And it's heat-resistant and corrosion-resistant! AND it conducts electricity? Do you think you're filming a sci-fi movie??"
Tony only knew of one material like that: the legendary Vibranium.
But even with Vibranium, while other properties might be superior, the density would never be that low. Most importantly, how much Vibranium was there in the whole world? (At this point, Tony didn't know about Wakanda).
This kid, barely in his teens, had researched a mass-producible "degraded Vibranium" all by himself?
Even if material science relies on luck for breakthroughs, with this level of luck, isn't this kid the 'Chosen One'?
For the first time, the habitually arrogant Tony felt a faint sense of being inferior to someone else.
Luca could only shrug helplessly. These were actually his conservative figures. Since Tony's lab equipment wasn't custom-made, some parts couldn't be perfect. Otherwise, the properties of the E-Carbon would be twice as high.
Furthermore, this was just pure E-Carbon without "GN Particles." The ultimate state would involve a GN Particle path between two layers of E-Carbon armor, using the particles to further reinforce the material's strength. At that point, it would reach a level of near-total physical immunity.
Thinking of this, Luca tapped Haro's head and put on a sentimental expression:
"Actually, this isn't even its complete state. I discovered this material by accident while building this little guy, but I haven't been able to replicate it perfectly since. This is the best I can do for now. Once I replicate the better version, I'll definitely build a brand-new robot."
Hearing this, Tony's eyes, which had been a bit dazed, suddenly lit up. He asked urgently:
"Luca kid, do you plan on selling this material?!"
---