Chapter 30: I'll pay you back if I ruin it.

How much is 300,000 in 2007?

If you live in Xijing, you can buy a large apartment in the city center.

If you were in Beijing, even in Wudaokou, the center of the universe, you could buy 20 square meters of that property.

But Lin Sicheng made two phone calls, and not only was 300,000 yuan not enough, he also incurred a debt of over 100,000 yuan:

One fully intelligent small-scale ceramic electric kiln from Shinpo, Japan, costs US$47,000.

One electric potter's wheel from Foshan NKT Laboratory, 30,000 RMB. Various types of clay, glazes, and broken porcelain, 60,000 RMB.

Thankfully, it was cash on delivery, and I was fortunate to have a piece of iron tile on hand, otherwise I would have had to rely on my parents.

As I was doing the accounting, the screen lit up: Class is about to start, why aren't you here yet?

Lin Sicheng typed casually: Coming soon.

...

All practical classes are held in the experimental center, but today we went to the new laboratory. Lin Sicheng wandered around and sent two text messages to Xiao Yuzhu before finally finding the place.

The classmates were all waiting at the door, not going in yet. But the door was open, and Lin Sicheng peeked in.

The overall layout is very large, with many equipment rooms: spectrophotometers, qualitative analysis rooms, X-ray imaging rooms, infrared scanning rooms, ultrasonic cleaning rooms, multi-functional cold welding rooms, argon arc welding rooms, and metal repair rooms are all available.

Lin Sicheng was taken aback: all of that was secondary; the key equipment was all imported. All things considered, it would cost at least thirty or forty million.

It should be considered the school's prized possession; let alone the students, even the professors in the college probably haven't used it more than a few times.

He glanced at the title on the electronic screen again: Shaping and Reinforcing Bronze Cultural Relics.

The Manchukuo Communist Party has only had three classes, how come the progress is so fast?

Seeing him standing at the very back, Xiao Yuzhu leaned closer and sniffed again: "Oh, you're not inviting me to dinner?"

But then she noticed Lin Sicheng's bulging white coat pockets: one side held a bag of longan, the other held soy milk.

Xiao Yuzhu smiled and reached out her hand, but Lin Sicheng slapped it back.

It was indeed brought for her, but didn't she consider where it was from?

"Duh, I'll eat at the stairwell!"

"Ten minutes left, is that enough time?"

"Tch, why don't you bring two more cages and see?" Xiao Yuzhu tugged at him. "Let's go!"

"I've already eaten!"

"Who told you to eat? I told you to stand guard!"

"What you can do?"

Xiao Zhuyu scoffed, "Don't come looking for me if you're planning anything next time you're in class!"

Well, you know what?

Lin Sicheng nodded: "Let's go!"

As the two walked towards the stairwell, several cold snorts came from the group, all of them girls.

...

The steamed buns were as big as longan fruits, and Xiao Yuzhu ate them one after another.

Lin Sicheng leaned against the windowsill: "Is this new Professor Wang going to start a project?"

"Oh, you've never heard of it?"

It probably hasn't been announced yet, but Lin Sicheng estimates that it has definitely been discussed at the school council meeting.

"That's pretty impressive!"

"Who? You mean Professor Wang?" Xiao Yuzhu slurped up her soy milk. "He seems quite young, maybe thirty-five or thirty-six at most, younger than Professor Shang."

Lin Sicheng smiled.

This isn't a matter of age.

He's just teaching undergraduates, but he's using the college's largest laboratory, and the research is progressing so fast.

Considering his new job status, it's clear that they're looking to select top-performing undergraduates, or even graduate students.

From the perspective of cultural heritage preservation, the most valuable artifacts for research and protection in Shaanxi Province are undoubtedly the bronzes and inscriptions from the Shang, Zhou, Qin, and Han dynasties, which naturally include bronzes.

Consequently, more institutions and organizations participate in the research, resulting in a higher overall research level. Often, a single sub-project will attract a dozen or even dozens of competing organizations.

If we shrink it infinitely, even within Northwestern University or the Department of Cultural Heritage Conservation, the same applies: of the dozen or so professors, at least a third of them study stone carvings and bronzes.

Therefore, to be able to snatch research projects from so many senior colleagues when you first arrive, besides having strong connections, you also need to be highly skilled.

You also said he was concurrently a leader of the hospital?

"Yes, the deputy secretary of the college's Youth League Committee!"

Wow, technical skills plus administration, impressive!

The key is this age and level?

Lin Sicheng lowered his voice: "Aren't you going to take the postgraduate entrance exam? I suggest you don't apply to Peking University, just apply to this one!"

"Ah, why?"

"I bet this could be a golden opportunity!"

After graduation, staying at the university is just a matter of a word from him.

Xiao Yuzhu asked, half-believing, half-doubting, "Really?"

"Trust me, you won't go wrong!"

"I'll think about it!"

As she finished sipping her last mouthful of soy milk and was wondering where to throw it away, she heard footsteps in the hallway.

Then, the class teacher and Wang Qizhi turned the corner.

Xiao Yuzhu shrank back, hid the cup behind her back, and tugged at Lin Sicheng: "Let's go!"

But it didn't move.

Looking up again, Lin Sicheng seemed frozen. His eyelids fluttered, then fluttered again.

No...aren't you at the Baoji Bronze Research Institute?

After just a few days, he's suddenly transformed into a professor in the Department of Cultural Heritage Conservation?

Wang Zhiqi looked up and immediately burst into laughter.

He was just thinking: I've attended several senior year classes, but I haven't seen this kid at all. I've finally caught him today.

Unexpectedly, they came to us of their own accord?

"Teacher Yang, please organize the students first!"

"Okay, Professor Wang!"

The class teacher gave her a wink, and Xiao Yuzhu obediently followed behind.

Lin Sicheng snapped out of his daze and was about to greet him when Wang Zhiqi cut to the chase: "Did you sell the iron certificate?"

How is that possible?

"I haven't even washed yet?"

"You haven't washed it yet... then where did you get 300,000?"

Hmm, those two teaching assistants are pretty talkative, aren't they?

"I found a Vajravarahi statue at Xiaodongmen and sold it to Rongbaozhai!"

"What is it?"

"Vajravarahi, a deity of Esoteric Buddhism, during the Yuan Dynasty!"

Wang Qizhi wasn't that he didn't hear clearly, but rather that he was too surprised.

The Tibetan Buddhist holy mother statue is an extremely rare artifact. To put it bluntly, even Wang Qizhi might not recognize it if it were placed right in front of him.

It's not surprising; as the saying goes, everyone has their own expertise, and it's like being in a completely different world.

But why do these two sentences not apply when applied to Lin Sicheng?

The first was a contemporary internal reference, the second was an iron certificate from the Ming Dynasty, and the third was a Tantric Buddhist artifact.

Not only do they differ greatly in materials, but they also come from very different eras.

"You bought it yourself?"

"Oh, Professor Shang's teaching assistant, Li Zhen, was also there, as was the student Xiao you just saw."

One is a teaching assistant who works in ceramics, and the other is an undergraduate student... so they probably don't have much in common.

Wang Qizhi glanced at him thoughtfully: "Next time we go to Xiaodongmen, should we bring this kid along?"

Lin Sicheng, oblivious to the strange expression on Wang Qizhi's face, was still staring at his hands: "Weren't you in Baoji?"

“I was transferred here in June, and I took the opportunity to rest for two months.”

"Also serving as a hospital leader?"

"What's so strange about that?" Wang Qizhi adjusted his glasses. "I work at the Baoji Bronze Museum, where I'm in charge of cultural relic protection!"

Lin Sicheng understood immediately.

Given his rank, even if he changes jobs, he still needs to be assigned a specific position. But since the school probably can't arrange it right away, they put him in the Youth League Committee.

It's quite a mishmash.

"Let's go to class first, then we'll talk!" Wang Qizhi glanced at his watch. "It's been over a week, why haven't you washed your iron coupons yet?"

I'd like to take a shower.

But doing it by hand is too slow, and preparing the solutions is troublesome. If you want to use instruments, you have to find a professional laboratory... wait a minute?

His eyes lit up as he remembered the ultrasonic cleaner and multi-functional metal repair device he had just seen.

"Professor Wang, when do you have any more practical classes?"

Wang Qizhi knew exactly what he was up to: "I use the lab every day, but the problem is, who are you going to let operate it?"

Lin Sicheng nodded: "Me!"

you?

I can't do it!

Just like when the two first met, Lin Sicheng said: Although copper and iron are both metal artifacts, they are worlds apart in terms of corrosion and restoration conditions.

He frowned: "What if I ruin it while washing it?"

Lin Sicheng patted his chest: "If I ruin it while washing, I'll compensate you with one yuan, no money required!"

Wang Qizhi: "Hehe..."