Chapter 234 You Just You Wait

The office windows were open, and smoke swirled and drifted in the air.

Several leaders held the documents, their eyes showing surprise.

Why has Secretary-General Tan been intentionally or unintentionally contacting Lin Sicheng these past few days?

Of course, I was commissioned by them.

The reason is not complicated: it is an indisputable fact that the site was discovered by this overly young and arrogant teacher, Mr. Lin.

From both a public and private perspective, and from both a moral and rational standpoint, Hejin, Yuncheng, and even the province should all sincerely thank them.

Secondly, according to Professor Lin, the Laoyaotou site is only a part of it. There should be even earlier sites, such as those from the Ming and Yuan dynasties.

To be honest, if they were to search on their own, they would probably end up finding nothing, just like before. So, they still need to ask for help.

After discussing it, the leaders decided that the official level should try to downplay the issue and avoid mentioning "Shaanxi" if possible.

However, on a personal level, this issue should not only not be downplayed, but should be strengthened, at least to prevent Mr. Lin from feeling that they are discarding him after he has served his purpose.

Of course, it would be best to make them all family, from "Shaanxi" to "Shanxi", wouldn't that be the best of both worlds?

The result was quite unexpected; before they could even say anything, they launched a huge bombshell on the spot?

He can identify, restore, research, and do archaeology... He has a whole host of expert titles, and the key point is that he's only twenty-one.

In addition, he is the head of a key laboratory at Northwest University, a national-level intangible cultural heritage inheritor, and the head of a provincial-level support project.

The question is, how much sincerity must the local authorities have shown to win over this teacher, Ms. Lin?

Forget about turning them into one of our own; for now, all we can do is try our best to mediate and maintain the relationship.

"Old Tan, we still need to explain this, to try and avoid any misunderstandings!"

Tan Wu nodded: "This Teacher Lin is very understanding. She said she understands our difficulties. She is also very straightforward and speaks very directly: we don't need to increase the price too much; the initial amount will be as agreed."

If any more sites are discovered later, just allocate a few more test samples to them. Complete artifacts aren't needed; porcelain shards from abandoned pits will suffice, and they're willing to pay for them.

How much are a pile of broken porcelain shards worth?

The leaders nodded in unison: "No problem!"

"And one more thing!" Tan Wu looked up at the director of the Industry Bureau, "Director Chen, try to get the information on your Chengni inkstone as detailed as possible!"

"rest assured!"

Director Chen readily agreed, but Tan Wu was still somewhat uneasy.

Because he comes from a technical background, he knows very well what kind of people researchers are: if you ask them for information or data, it's like they want to steal their wives.

What if someone secretly takes precautions and tampers with the documents? Wouldn't that be tantamount to harming someone?

He was about to remind Director Chen, but then he hesitated: Although they were both in Yuncheng and at the same level, one was in the city and the other in the county. He and Chen Zongnian were at most acquaintances, not close friends.

Saying things too bluntly is tantamount to offending someone.

Besides, I'm just making wild guesses here.

He thought for a moment and said, "Director Chen, let's go together once the documents are delivered!"

Chen Zongnian nodded: "Okay!"

The group discussed the matter further, focusing on the excavation of the Laoyaotou site and the subsequent exploration of potential kiln sites.

According to normal procedures, since the Provincial Institute of Archaeology has already taken over the case, they don't need to worry about it anymore; they only need to provide logistical support.

However, the Laoyaotou site is too large, and it will take at least two or three years for the archaeological institute to be able to excavate it.

What if we still can't find it then?

The group thought about whether they should ask their leader for instructions and communicate with Lin Sicheng again: they should try to find someone as soon as possible!

As they were discussing this, Chen Zongnian's phone rang.

Have the people from the Chengni Inkstone Research Institute arrived?

"Director Chen, how come it's so fast?" Tan Wu was taken aback. "Is the data okay?"

"Secretary-General Tan, they've been preparing for three days! Besides, it's just a photocopy; what problems could possibly arise?"

Tan Wu thought for a moment, then stood up: "Director Chen, I'll go with you!"

...

The large rear-projection TV displayed a very clear picture. On the screen, Rui Xiaodan, dressed in a police uniform, sat by the river, the image gradually blurring.

Then, the end credits rolled, and the screen displayed the words: The End.

Lin Sicheng, still wanting more, pressed pause.

Ye Anning sat to the side, staring at Lin Sicheng's profile: After resting for several days, Lin Sicheng was either sleeping or watching videos.

He wouldn't go back to Xi'an, wouldn't go to karaoke, wouldn't go to the movies. He wouldn't even go for a walk on the Yellow River beach.

He just stares at that old TV, watching the same show over and over again: "The Way of Heaven," which he's watched three times already.

"Is it really that good-looking?"

"Not bad!" Lin Sicheng stretched. "I was just checking to see if this TV series would be banned."

Ye Anning had watched a few episodes casually and didn't see anything wrong with them.

"This movie was just released this year, why is it being banned?"

"class!"

Upon hearing those two words, Ye Anning fell silent. But she couldn't help rolling her eyes.

"You've been cooped up for three days, why don't you go out for a walk? Let's go get some hot pot."

"Don't you get tired of eating at the hotel every day?"

Ye Anning didn't care: "It's not like I only eat the same dish every day."

But Lin Sicheng was already tired of it: "I'll take you to eat mutton stew in Fancun Town."

Why go to Fancun Town?

"The ones in the city aren't authentic!"

Ye Anning was happy at the mention of food and was just about to call Wang Qizhi to ask if he wanted to come when the doorbell rang.

Fang entered the inner room and opened the door. Lin Sicheng glanced at him and stood up.

"Let's talk about the Secretary-General!"

The four people entered the room, and Tan Wu introduced them:

"Teacher Lin, this is Director Chen of the Municipal Bureau of Industry, and these two are Deputy Director Yao and Technician Tong from the Jiangxian Chengni Inkstone Research Institute!"

"Please come in quickly..."

Lin Sicheng hurriedly greeted them, and as he went in to wash the teacups, Ye Anning turned on the electric kettle.

After everyone was seated, Director Chen took the file bag from Director Yao and placed it on the coffee table.

"Teacher Lin, this is the information on Chengni inkstones. We'll need your help with the subsequent kiln site matters!"

Lin Sicheng paused for a moment, then smiled: Pretty direct?

But this is the best way: an equal exchange, where each gets what they need!

He nodded and removed the seal.

There were quite a few, roughly thirty or forty pages. The paper still smelled of ink, and you could tell at a glance that it had just been photocopied and bound.

Lin Sicheng casually flipped through the pages and started reading.

Knowing that researchers often have some quirks, Tan Wu and Director Chen didn't pay much attention.

The two people behind them paused for a moment: Shouldn't they wait until the guests leave before looking at it?

But if you flip through it so fast, faster than reading ten lines at a glance, what can you possibly see?

Just as they were pondering this, Fang Jin brought over tea, and the group thanked him.

It didn't take long, maybe five or six minutes, for Lin Sicheng to flip through the entire document.

He closed the book, thought for a moment, and then his gaze swept over the four people in turn before landing on the face of Director Yao.

"Gentlemen, may I ask you a few questions?"

The two exchanged a glance and nodded: "Teacher Lin, please ask away!"

"Okay, Chengni inkstones use sedimentary clay from deep within the ancient Fenhe River channel. It needs to be filtered, washed, and then air-dried. However, during the air-drying process, the Chengni clay can crack. How do you solve this problem?"

The young technician remained silent. Director Yao adjusted his glasses and said, "Scoop, knead, just like making dough. Then seal and let it age!"

"Without adding anything else?"

Director Yao paused for a moment: "No!"

"What about the temperature?"

"Fifteen degrees!"

What about the firing cycle?

"Seven to fifteen days!"

"What about temperature control after the kiln is in?" Lin Sicheng gestured. "I mean, do different stages require different temperatures?"

Director Yao's eyes darted away for a moment: "No need, a constant temperature of 900 to 1000 degrees is fine!"

"Okay!" Lin Sicheng smiled. "How do we control the kiln transformation effect?"

"This is beyond our control. It depends on the metal content in the clay, as well as changes in weather, temperature, and humidity during firing..."

"Oh, is that so?" Lin Sicheng said with a half-smile. "What about fuel? Coal, electricity, or firewood?"

Director Yao bowed slightly: "Electricity is the most convenient, but the color is rather limited. Coal and firewood produce better kiln transformation results, but the temperature is uncontrollable, so the success rate is extremely low!"

"Understood, thank you, Director Yao!" Lin Sicheng stood up and extended his hand again. "I'll study it some more!"

The four people were taken aback.

What's the meaning?

The tea was still steaming hot, and I hadn't even had a chance to take a sip before you told me to leave?

Tan Wu and Chen Zongnian exchanged a glance, belatedly realizing: if the air-drying temperature, firing cycle, kiln entry temperature... these data points were already in the documents, Lin Sicheng wouldn't need to ask them again.

Does that mean it's not in the information?

Upon further reflection, Tan Wu's eyelids twitched rapidly: It wasn't even specified what kind of fuel was used.

Just half an hour ago, he was worried that the documents might have been tampered with or the data might have been altered. And then, this happened in the blink of an eye: The person surnamed Yao didn't change the data; did he simply withhold it because he was trying to suppress the information?

In an instant, a surge of anger welled up within him. He opened his mouth to curse, but Director Yao bent down, his face beaming with a smile:

"Teacher Lin, I didn't even notice until you pointed it out: we arrived in such a rush that the staff didn't print everything?"

"I'm sorry, I'll go back and reprint a copy right away, and I'll send it to you tomorrow!"

"Okay!" Lin Sicheng handed the document back. "Thank you, Director Yao..."

Before he could finish speaking, Tan Wu waved his hand: "No need for tomorrow, let's do it this afternoon... Yao Xinglong, your institute must have a fax machine, right?"

They've stopped using titles and are just calling people by their names?

Director Yao was sweating profusely: "Yes...yes!"

Tan Wu glanced at him indifferently, then sighed, "Teacher Lin, please excuse my poor appearance!"

Lin Sicheng smiled and said, "That's only human nature!"

Upon hearing this, Chen Zongnian's face darkened. Only now did he understand what Tan Wu meant when he reminded him in the office earlier to "take the documents more seriously."

Thinking back to his own matter-of-fact remark, he felt his face burning.

Teacher Lin, please take care of the kiln site... Take care of it? If I were Lin Sicheng, I'd say: I'll give you a piece of my mind.

The more he thought about it, the angrier he became; he wanted nothing more than to slap Yao Xinglong twice.

They forced a smile, made a few more promises, and then left the suite.

As soon as the door closed, Chen Zongnian's face turned cold, and his gaze pierced through the room like a knife.

"When Secretary-General Tan asked you in the lobby, what did you say: 'Both leaders, please rest assured, the information is absolutely fine'... Is this what you mean by 'no problem'?"

"Old Yao, do you know that the old kiln site has been discovered? The key is that there are more behind it, it could be from the Ming Dynasty, the Yuan Dynasty, or even the Jin Dynasty or the Song Dynasty... We had a good plan, asking them to help us look for more, and then you fucking did this?"

"Yao Xinglong, don't you have any sense of the bigger picture? Have you lost your mind?"

Yao Xinglong looked embarrassed: "Leaders, we didn't say we wouldn't give it to you. We just thought there were still two months left, so we could delay it a little longer!"

Chen Zongnian didn't even bother to talk to him, and glanced at his watch: "It's 10:30 now, I'll give you three hours!"

"well……"

Yao Xinglong readily agreed, and after Tan Wu and Chen Zongnian left, he wiped the sweat from his forehead.

That's it, I've really offended them. But what's done is done, and it's too late to regret it.

It's unbelievable: that young man looked only a few years old, but how could his eyes be so sharp?

It's not what Tan Wu and Chen Zongnian thought at all; the information wasn't complete, and a lot of things weren't written down.

He actually only slightly blurred the details, secretly omitting a few key data points. Even the county's industrial bureau and Director Lin (the process restorer) checked three times but couldn't find it.

But Teacher Lin only glanced at it a few times?

The technician next to him looked puzzled: "Sir, how did that person find it? I feel like he just flipped through it casually?"

Yao Xinglong wholeheartedly agreed: "Isn't it just a casual flip through?"

He looks young, but he's an expert...

...

Chen Zongnian was filled with regret: if only he had just made a copy from the bureau.

Although there were quite a lot of files, and they were rather disorganized, totaling more than a dozen volumes, it was unclear which ones were usable and which ones were not.

But it's better than being humiliated, right?

You may be angry, but what's done is done. Even if you kill Yao Xinglong, what difference will it make?

His face darkened. "Secretary-General Tan, what should we do?"

What else can we do?

Tan Wu sighed: "Report to the leader first!"

Chen Zongnian nodded and immediately took out his phone. But before he could finish speaking, the phone rang a few times.

The two exchanged a glance: most likely, Deputy Mayor (County Head) Wu had smashed the cup.

No wonder the boss was angry: putting aside the consequences, just consider this: can this person afford to lose face?

And it was even lost outside the province?

The call was immediately disconnected, and it took about ten minutes for the call to come back.

Chen Zongnian kept saying "uh-huh," and the two talked for quite a while.

After hanging up, Tan Wu couldn't wait to ask, "What did they say?"

"Mayor Wu said that he has reported the matter to the city government, and the city will step in to resolve it!"

"How do we solve this?"

Chen Zongnian paused for a moment, then sighed: "The city leaders said that our intangible cultural heritage skills are not limited to just Chengni inkstones?"

Besides Chengni inkstones, what else does Yuncheng have?

The lacquerware of Jiang County, the mother-of-pearl inlay of Jishan, and the gold and silver filigree... all are techniques that are preparing to apply for national intangible cultural heritage status.

Now things are really messed up: originally, all that was needed was to give Chengni inkstones, but because of Yao Xinglong's fuss, we have to give away another kind.

The two men gritted their teeth in unison: Yao Xinglong, you just wait...