â„–18894693[Quote]
"Mr. White, look at me. You want the product? Then you follow the protocol."
Gus pulls a laminated index card from his breast pocket, his eyes remaining cold and unblinking.
"To synthesize the compound, you must first initiate the reflux of phenylacetone with methylamine in an isopropanol solvent. Maintain the temperature at precisely 78 degrees Celsius for four hours. Do not deviate. Once the condensation is complete, introduce the aluminum amalgam slowly—very slowly—to ensure the reduction remains exothermic without reaching the point of combustion. Filter the residue through a vacuum-assisted Buchner funnel, then wash with chilled ether. If you do not recrystallize the final product in anhydrous ethanol, the purity will never exceed 92 percent. Is that clear, Walter?"