Chapter 185 Panic When It's Time to Panic
Tian Chengming secretly breathed a sigh of relief, and Wang Zeyu also breathed a sigh of relief.
They prepared for three whole days in order to meet Lin Sicheng.
On the first day, we went through a lot of trouble to ask for help from connections before finally getting Director Tao to come.
The next day, we searched for the items. This wasn't too difficult; the Xijing Museum had them. Simultaneously, we designed a plan and conducted emergency training.
The saying goes, "Sharpening your spear in the open will make it shine even if it's not quick," meaning you can't reveal your true intentions before you're completely open and honest.
On the third day, Lin Changqing was invited...
Persistence pays off, and I finally met Lin Sicheng.
At first glance, he appears gentle, humble, and kind, with a smile on his face, seemingly very easy to talk to.
But when they were in Tongchuan, Lin Sicheng was just as gentle and easy to talk to, and what was the result?
But as the old saying goes, "everything is difficult at the beginning," so you've successfully taken the first step and met the person. The rest is simply a matter of deepening the relationship, a process of patience and perseverance...
After a moment's thought, Wang Zeyu gave a wink, and Tian Chengming took the bracelet again: "Teacher Lin, could you please take another look?"
Lin Sicheng seemed to be thinking about something before taking it.
A piece of ivory bracelet:
It has a slightly yellow color, a delicate texture, and a unique spiral pattern on the surface, all of which spiral in one direction.
If you stretch the rope out and look at the hole in the middle, you can vaguely see a few thin lines that look like blood.
It's quite heavy, at least heavier than ivory, and has an oily feel, but it's not as smooth as ivory.
After taking a quick look, Lin Sicheng sniffed it again: "The specialized left canine tooth of the narwhal contains nerve endings that can sense the environment. Only males have it, and they only grow one in their lifetime..."
“Narwhals are Arctic creatures, so these things didn’t enter the country in large quantities until around the 1990s. At first, they were passed off as ivory to fool laymen, but then they gradually became known and became a new type of collectible… This string of beads, for example, has been around for about five or six years…”
A group of people nodded repeatedly.
They knew perfectly well whether it was a narwhal's tusk. So, regardless of anything else, their eyesight and their appraisal skills alone were astonishing.
"Teacher Lin has a good eye!"
Tian Chengming, who was specifically in charge of the straight man's joke, first praised it, then picked up the bronze plaque: "I'll have to ask you to take a look!"
Lin Sicheng paused, unsure of what to say: Such a high-ranking leader, and you're even using the formal "you"?
He sighed inwardly, took a look, and then froze.
At first glance, what is this thing? It doesn't look like cards, it doesn't look like money, it looks like a figment of imagination.
Look closely: it's made of brass with a few streaks of rust. There's a hint of old patina, but it's already integrated with the brass.
Looking at those few patches of rust, they are reddish-purple with hints of brown, and the rust is extremely solid.
Judging from just these two places, Lin Sicheng was certain that this thing was at least eight or nine hundred years old, if not a thousand years old.
Looking at the pattern again: there are many characters engraved, and I recognize the radicals, but when put together... what is this writing?
Turn it over and look at it again: it's pitted and uneven, with a ridge on the left and a pit on the right, and there's no pattern to it.
The design is unusually strange, but the casting and engraving techniques are only average.
But Lin Sicheng looked at it very carefully, sometimes picking at it, sometimes using a magnifying glass to examine the edges, and sometimes looking up to think.
He looked at it for a long time, at least ten minutes, before he finally put the things down.
Then he sighed: "It must have been hard for them to find something like this."
Rare is only one aspect; the key is its scarcity... Have you ever seen a gold edict made of brass and meteorite iron, belonging to the founding emperor of the Khitan?
Only seven or eight such pieces have been unearthed nationwide, and their condition and preservation are exceptionally good. It's clear that the Xi'an Museum borrowed them from a top-tier museum for its opening exhibition.
It's quite unbelievable that they brought it here for me to examine it again. So, what kind of benefits did they promise Director Tao?
Seeing his silence and sigh, they assumed Lin Sicheng hadn't identified it. Perhaps he wasn't very confident and couldn't make a conclusion immediately.
This gave the group a boost of spirits.
They weren't afraid that Lin Sicheng wouldn't see it; they were afraid that he would see it too accurately and too quickly.
As long as it's not obvious, it's like leaving a hook, so you can arrange a time for the next meeting.
It doesn't take long, just a day or two. If you still can't see a difference, try something even more difficult... After a few times, does that mean you've become closer?
At the same time, do a thorough background check, and then cater to their preferences: everyone has hobbies and needs... so you can definitely reach an agreement, it's just a matter of how much you have to pay.
After a moment's thought, Wang Zeyu glanced at Tao Zhuo, who nodded slightly.
He considered Lin Changqing an equal, so it was inappropriate for him to address him as "Teacher Lin." He first smiled, then pointed to the bronze plaque:
"This thing is too strange and too difficult. To be honest, I've studied it for a long time but haven't figured it out, so I brought it here to ask your grandfather to take a look... But unfortunately."
"Don't worry, Xida University is full of talented people. Xiao Lin, take a few photos, ask your teacher when you get back, and do some research... maybe you can find some clues!"
Lin Sicheng sighed again: "They've already come to our doorstep, how can there be a next time?"
The saying goes, "A swift knife cuts through a tangled mess..."
He pointed to the bronze plaque, then to the character in the center: "歹、兴、廾... This is Khitan script, the most primitive Khitan script. Translated, it only represents one character: 朕!"
"The middle circle is Khitan script, which is a script that evolved from the Khitan people during the mid-Khitan period and is closer to Chinese characters... Translated clockwise from below the button hole: Heavenly Year Virtue and Blessing, Longevity and Godly Prosperity, Father Country..."
"Doesn't it seem like the numbers are wrong? There are clearly twelve in this circle, but only eleven were read? And the sentences are awkward and extremely difficult to pronounce?"
Lin Si pointed to the only character with a square frame, then to the character "圡" next to it, "This was originally one character, meaning 'country,' but it was deliberately broken up and carved on... and this one..."
He then pointed to the character next to the square-shaped character, which looked somewhat like the character "丹" with a dot erased: "This is '父' (father), but it's carved backwards."
“Normal characters are not carved in separate pieces, much less in reverse, much less in a completely disordered and indistinguishable manner… The reason this bronze plaque is like this is simply because it is a token, specifically used to convey secret military orders… Therefore, it is necessary to use techniques such as skipping lines, using the fanqie method, substitution, and misalignment to translate its true meaning…”
"I don't know exactly what it means, but this '朕' only represents the Emperor of the Liao Dynasty... and there's this messy diagram behind it..."
Lin Sicheng turned the bronze plaque over. "This is the Khitan's unique 'Nine Dragons Pattern,' symbolizing 'abundant descendants and boundless blessings.'"
At the same time, it was also a secret military map of the Khitan: the raised areas were mountains, the low-lying areas were valleys, and could also be roads... The specific directions were all written in the eleven characters on the front..."
"To put it simply: This is a gold token specially used by the Emperor of Liao to send orders to high-ranking generals who are fighting abroad, meaning 'as if I were personally present'..."
With each sentence Lin Sicheng spoke, Tao Zhuo's eyelids twitched; with each subsequent sentence, they twitched again.
He borrowed the item himself, and he knew best whether the character in the middle was "朕" (Zhen, meaning "I" or "I"), and whether it was a golden token used by the Khitan emperor to issue orders.
But shouldn't it?
There are only seven or eight of these items in the whole country, which are collected by three museums. Each one is regarded as a treasure of the museum and is rarely exhibited to the public.
Tao Zhuo went through a lot of trouble to borrow it from Xi'an. It wasn't the "opening ceremony and exhibition" that Lin Sicheng thought it would be; rather, he planned to create a big splash during the Spring Festival to attract tourists.
The exhibition hadn't even been held yet, so Lin Sicheng certainly hadn't seen it.
But he not only identified it, he also explained it clearly and plainly.
The problem is that this is the earliest Khitan script, which became a dead language after the Song Dynasty. Very few related documents have been passed down, and how many experts in the country can translate it?
Not to mention someone like him, spouting off without checking any information or making any comparisons... Tao Zhuo dares to swear: those with this level of expertise can be counted on two hands...
So, I just can't figure it out no matter how I think about it.
Tao Zhuo frowned and stared at Lin Sicheng for a long time: "Xiao Lin, have you seen a similar object somewhere before?"
"Director Tao, I've never even left Xi'an in my entire life... Oh no, I just went out a couple of days ago to Tongchuan... But I've never left the province before, so where could we meet?"
Lin Sicheng tapped the bronze plaque, a half-smile on his face. "I haven't seen the item before, but I've read the relevant documents: To maintain secrecy, whenever a new emperor of the Liao Dynasty was enthroned, a golden decree was issued, including auspicious words on the front and a nine-dragon design on the back..."
Therefore, each set is highly recognizable. Anyone who understands the Khitan script can deduce which emperor the token belongs to...
Let me rearrange these twelve characters to their correct order: 朕 (Zhen), 国之父 (Guo Zhi Fu), 天神万岁 (Tian Shen Wan Sui), 福德寿长 (Fu De Shou Chang)... Director Tao, think about it: who could be the Liao emperor who could call himself 'Guo Zhi Fu' (Guo Zhi Fu) and 'Tian Shen' (Tian Shen)?
Lin Sicheng gave another thumbs up: "So, this is the Nine-Dragon Golden Token of Yelü Abaoji, the founding emperor of the Liao Dynasty..."
If a comparison must be made: it's far inferior to Genghis Khan's, but it can at least be compared to Kublai Khan's founding golden seal... Director Tao, really, you've gotten a steal: it's worth at least several hundred million..."
Tao Zhuo couldn't hold back and her face turned bright red: I would like to pick it up, but where can I pick it up?
This was borrowed from the Inner Mongolia Museum...
So, you think Lin Sicheng was praising him? No, he was insulting him... especially the phrase "several hundred million," which felt like a series of slaps to his face.
No... this coward isn't that old, how come he has such a sharp tongue?
He was both angry and amused, unsure how to explain, or even if he should explain at all.
The others looked at each other in bewilderment.
Anyone could hear the sarcasm in Lin Sicheng's tone. Yet, they weren't sure if he was just teasing Director Tao or if he was implying something more.
As they were making wild guesses, Lin Sicheng looked up and his gaze swept across the faces of the group.
Director Tao doesn't count, and that woman should be his secretary or assistant, so she doesn't count either. But what about the remaining four?
They were all around the same age, mostly in their forties and early fifties. Their clothing was also similar, just typical middle-aged attire.
However, one can discern differences in status and position from one's words, actions, and subtle details.
The slightly chubby one was in charge of handing things over and taking things away. At first glance, he seemed to be the last among the four, but he was actually the third.
The one who talks to himself face-to-face and calls himself "teacher" repeatedly should be ranked second.
The one who occasionally gives the second brother a meaningful look is naturally ranked first.
The remaining person sat silently in the corner; he was the oldest, but probably the lowest in rank.
Moreover, he seemed to be in very bad shape: his eyes were bloodshot, his face was sallow, and there was a faint hint of green.
In traditional Chinese medicine terms: deficiency of both heart and spleen, deficiency of both yin and yang, disharmony between heart and kidney, weakness of heart and timidity... symptoms of fear, unease, anxiety, and even a bit of depression.
Recalling the inspection team Wang Qizhi mentioned on the phone, Lin Sicheng sighed and extended his hand: "Director Tian, Director Song, it's a pleasure to meet you!"
The word "Director Tian" was like a thunderclap, and Tian Chengming was startled, staring straight at Lin Sicheng.
As if stunned, he didn't know whether he should agree or reach out.
Song Hui was carefully packing copper tokens into the box when he heard "Director Song," and his hand trembled involuntarily.
What the hell? How did he know I wasn't me?
The two of them didn't reach out, nor did they utter a sound; they just stared at him intently.
Lin Sicheng smiled, then looked at Meng Shufeng: "Director Meng!"
Before Meng Shufeng could reply, he stood up again: "Hello, Mayor Wang!"
It was as if the tea room had been put on pause.
They were leaders after all, and had seen all sorts of situations. But in an instant, the four of them were so stunned by Lin Sicheng that they didn't know how to react.
Because they were certain that Lin Sicheng had never met them, including Meng Shufeng.
He hadn't gone back to school, so there was no way he could have seen any videos or photos. How did Lin Sicheng guess that they were who they were? How could he even identify who was who?
It can't possibly be something that was predicted by fortune telling, right?
Of course, it was impossible to tell fortunes, but when Wang Zeyu called out, "Old Tian..." Lin Sicheng knew that this was Director Tian of the Industrial Bureau.
The person who works so well with Lao Tian is clearly a long-time colleague of Deputy Director Song.
As for Director Meng, there's no need to deduce anything; you can guess just by looking at his complexion.
Who is the highest-ranking and most authoritative person, General Manager Wang, if not the biggest leader?
The four people weren't the only ones shocked; Tao Zhuo and his assistant were also stunned. Their expressions were so utterly astonished that their jaws seemed about to drop.
How did he recognize him?
Lin Changqing was completely bewildered and didn't understand why he had suddenly become the mayor. He was thinking, "Isn't he just a CEO? How did he suddenly become the mayor?"
Ye Anning's eyes lit up.
Her uncle said that Lin Sicheng could read auras and judge people, but she didn't believe a word of it and treated it as a joke.
So what about this time?
The group of seven or eight people, young and old, each with their own thoughts, were completely silent in the tea room; you could hear a pin drop.
After a long while, Wang Zeyu sighed and stood up.
His eyes gleamed with an indescribable astonishment, extreme doubt, and amazement: It's no exaggeration to say that Xida University treats such a prodigy like a treasure.
While thinking to himself, he stretched out his hand: "Teacher Lin!"
Lin Sicheng smiled modestly: "Boss, please don't call me that, just call me Xiao Lin..."
Xiaolin?
With these skills alone, he is definitely worthy of being called a teacher.
After exchanging a few polite words, the two sat down. Wang Zeyu wanted to say something, but then stopped.
It wasn't that they couldn't say it, but rather that it was too sudden. Lin Sicheng had completely caught them off guard, disrupting all their plans.
My mind is full of thoughts, I don't know where to begin...
In a flash, he glanced at Director Meng.
Director Meng's body trembled, his fair face flushed slightly, and his cheeks puffed out.
No... why go to such lengths?
Before he could stand up, Lin Sicheng waved his hand: "Director Meng, I know you're unaware of what Liu Dong did. Put yourself in his shoes; from your perspective, core technologies must be kept secret, and you would definitely give the same instructions: absolutely no leakage."
For you and the Porcelain Research Institute, this is the hard-won achievement of two generations working diligently for decades, expending countless efforts and energy...
For your students, this is their livelihood—a guarantee of awards, promotions, and even a means to support their families for the rest of their lives… So, Professor Meng, you really don't need to apologize…”
Director Meng paused for a moment, knowing full well that he shouldn't, but couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.
But Tian Chengming's face turned green: Old Meng, do you really think he doesn't blame you and really understands you?
He doesn't give you a chance to explain at all...
Sure enough, just as Tian Chengming was about to say something, Lin Sicheng smiled again: "Leaders, I know your intentions... If I put myself in your shoes, I can understand your difficulties, and I can also appreciate the good intentions of the leaders in bringing benefits to the region..."
"Secret-glaze porcelain, and imperial ware at that—what a huge gimmick, what a powerful appeal! No need for deliberate advertising; as long as it can be restored, as soon as the paper is published, relevant institutions will flock to it, and the media will scramble to report on it..."
"Working overtime, we can build the factory and put the production line in place in six months. Production will begin in three months at most, and then the products will be distributed throughout the country and even exported overseas... By then, we'll definitely need to build another six, seven, eight, nine, or even ten more factories. But how many people can one factory support?"
"Let's say five or six hundred, but what about the families behind those five or six hundred people? And what about the raw materials, packaging, transportation, sales, and so on? How much employment can this increase? How many families' difficulties can it alleviate?"
After a slight pause, Lin Sicheng smiled again: "But then again: Teacher Meng has her stance, the leaders have their stances, and shouldn't I also have my own stance?"
First of all, I am a student at Xida University, helping a professor oversee a small laboratory, and with the help of the professor and the university, I also established a small workshop... So, what stance should I take?
“I’m young, so I can’t say it’s hard work, but it’s certainly not as hard as Professor Meng’s… But since it’s the same core technology, and Professor Meng and his students have achieved success, received raises and promotions, why can’t my teachers, my senior brothers and sisters, and my junior brothers and sisters also achieve success, receive raises and promotions?”
"Why can't the school benefit from this too? At least, Xida nurtured my grandfather, nurtured my father, and now it's nurturing me."
"If giving to Tongchuan can benefit the local area, create many jobs, and support many families, then why can't giving to Xida University, Beilin District where the School of Cultural Relics and Museums is located, or even Xijing, create jobs and solve difficulties?"
"Just because the teachers and students of Xida University have high levels of education doesn't mean their ideological awareness has to be infinitely high. Just because the people of Xijing aren't too poor doesn't mean they can give way first. If any leader dares to say something like that, I'll give it to them immediately, for free..."
After a brief pause, Lin Sicheng sighed again: "As the saying goes, one shouldn't be too selfish... Do not do to others what you would not have them do to you. If you repay evil with good, how will you repay good? At least, when I said no, I meant no. I didn't keep you in suspense, much less keep you all hanging for twenty days..."
His voice wasn't loud, but it was resounding; his speech wasn't fast, but it was as swift as thunder.
With each word spoken, the faces of the four men grew darker, their words becoming increasingly harsh, and their expressions growing increasingly grim.
When Lin Sicheng finished speaking, the four men, as if by prior arrangement, turned pale and the veins on their foreheads bulged.
You shouldn't hit someone in the face, and you shouldn't expose someone's shortcomings... But Lin Sicheng is different; he picks on whatever he doesn't like to hear and talks about it.
But to their dismay, they were left speechless: If there are benefits, why should I let you take them instead of my own people?
And why should others do things that you yourselves are unwilling to do?
It was at this moment that they realized that among the three—Xida University, Professor Wang, and Lin Sicheng—Lin Sicheng had the most resolute, straightforward, and impolite attitude.
Wang Zeyu understood the reasoning, but was still very angry. He even laughed out loud in anger: "Being scolded like this by a child?"
Tao Zhuo and his assistant blinked, looking at Lin Changqing and then at Lin Sicheng, remaining silent: What does it mean to have a sharp tongue? What does it mean to slap someone in the face?
Isn't this it?
Tao Zhuocai realized: out of respect for Lin Changqing, Lin Sicheng had given him plenty of face... those two teasing remarks he made earlier were like a tickle.
Lin Changqing finally understood half of what was going on: Lin Sicheng went to Tongchuan to learn a skill, but not only did he not learn the skill, he was also hung up for more than twenty days.
But somehow, he ended up developing the technology that Tongchuan desperately needed. Then, these people, belatedly, managed to catch up with him in Xijing.
They had already gone to Xida University, but were turned away. Then these people tried a different approach, trying to start with family relationships…
Thinking of this, Lin Changqing's face changed instantly: Isn't this bullying?
Leaving aside the humiliation Lin Sicheng suffered in Tongchuan, let's just talk about the present: Xida University disagrees, but you're asking Lin Sicheng to agree. If he really agrees, what about Xida University and Wang Qizhi, who strongly support him?
What is Lin Sicheng, who hasn't graduated yet and whose studio is still at school?
And what happened today? Isn't this just like being chased to their doorstep?
If we were able to find Lin Sicheng's grandfather this time, will we be able to find Lin Sicheng's father, Lin Sicheng's mother, and their workplaces next time?
No need to guess, it will just keep going on and on...
Lin Changqing stood up with a cold face: "Lin Sicheng, let's go!"
"Okay, Grandpa, let's go..."
Lin Sicheng also stood up, his gaze sweeping across the faces of the others: "Professor Meng should know how difficult it is to register a patent for ancient restoration techniques. But no matter how difficult it is, I will register it..."
Whether or not it will be applied for World Heritage status is uncertain, but the leaders can rest assured: whether it's a patent or a World Heritage application, I will not use words like 'Yaozhou'..."
Does he not want to? No, he simply doesn't need to...
"In a moment of haste, I said a bit too much. My words were also a bit inappropriate; please forgive me, leaders. And please understand:"
Because I've been so busy, I haven't been able to tell my family many things. And my grandfather is quite old, so I'm afraid he won't be able to accept it all at once, and he knows even less. Therefore, if any of you leaders are coming again, you can come directly to me…”
After a pause, Lin Sicheng smiled again: "Actually, besides tea dust glaze, there are many other techniques I can learn from Teacher Meng and the two bureau chiefs, and discuss them with them."
For example, celadon with ink painting, or carved relief... or even Japanese pumpkin stem knobs, Yixing purple clay handles... Of course, if you are interested..."
In an instant, it felt like a hammer blow to their chests. With each word Lin Sicheng spoke, the four people's hearts skipped a beat; with each word he spoke, their hearts skipped another.
My heart was pounding, my eyelids were twitching, and even the flesh at the corner of my mouth was twitching.
The technologies Lin Sicheng mentioned are all core technologies among core technologies of Yaozhou porcelain, and importantly, none of them have been patented yet.
Because once a patent is registered, it becomes impossible to include the technology in the World Heritage application process, it's necessary to first include it in the catalogue and then register the patent. Director Meng's trip to Beijing during this period was specifically for this purpose.
More importantly, besides Director Meng, only two bureau chiefs and Wang Zeyu knew about the existence of these technologies. Even city leaders only knew that the project existed, but knew nothing about the specifics.
Especially the last sentence: That is the Yaozhou New Celadon Teapot with Handle, which is the latest product developed by the Porcelain Research Institute. The core of its craftsmanship is to draw inspiration from the Japanese Pumpkin Stem Knob Teapot and the Yixing Purple Clay Teapot with Handle.
But Du Liangzhi, Wang Hong, and Liu Dong had no idea how Lin Sicheng knew.
In an instant, Director Meng's previously sallow complexion turned deathly pale:
I've made myself perfectly clear. If you still insist on bothering me, that's fine too; you can come directly to me.
But if you still want to involve my family, then don't blame me for being impolite: not to mention the secret glaze porcelain, I can't even get the kinds of porcelain you're currently developing into your factories... That's what Lin Sicheng meant.
The four people looked at each other, at a loss for what to do.
What's wrong with the leader this time?
Leaders are human too; they panic when they need to...
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
