Chapter 272 Visit and Inspection
The old dean recounted what happened, downplaying it.
Vice Dean Ma stared blankly at the documents in his hand.
The news came so suddenly that it felt unreal.
Prior to this, Vice Dean Ma had already mentally prepared himself for disciplinary action, or even dismissal...
After a long moment of stunned silence, he looked up and asked, "Did Xiao Lin give it to you? But Professor Wang and Northwest University didn't stop it?"
Why are you trying to stop me?
The former dean was remarkably composed. "The main body of the research is still Xida University, and the owner of the project results is still Lin Sicheng. We're just lending our names to the project; what loss would they suffer?"
"The papers will be published as they should be published, and the journals will publish them as they should be published. The names of Xida University and Lin Sicheng will not be missing, only a few days later. It's just that there's an additional prefix of 'Institute of Humanities and Social Sciences,' but the influence is not only not less, but even greater."
Most importantly, we can not only help them maximize the benefits of their research, but also save them more than a year or two of their time. It's a win-win-win situation for all three parties, so why wouldn't Northwestern University agree?
Ma Qinglin realized this too late.
Strictly speaking, BTA technology accounts for only a very small portion of the field of metal corrosion inhibition. Moreover, more than 60% of its applications are concentrated in archaeological research.
If things had proceeded normally: Lin Sicheng would have first published a paper, which would have been submitted to Northwest University for approval, reviewed and evaluated at each level, before a patent could be applied for, and then the patent would have been recognized and registered.
After registration, an application must be submitted to formulate the "Standards for the Application of Scientific Research Achievements". The application must first be submitted to the province, and only after the provincial department has reviewed and approved it can it be submitted to the bureau. Then, experts will be organized to conduct acceptance and review.
Only after these procedures are completed can Xida University and Lin Sicheng authorize the application units. From start to finish, it will take at least two to three years.
But for the Institute of Cultural Heritage... well, to be more precise, for the State Administration of Cultural Heritage: they are the ones who report, review, and set the standards. How much effort can that save?
Of course, there will be no shortage of verification, review, evaluation, and application standards. However, more than 60% of the intermediate steps can be reduced. If Deputy Director Ma keeps a closer eye on things, this process can be shortened to three to four months.
Compared to this, these are secondary. The key point is that this is technology, not a product. People don't need to buy it from you; they can make it themselves if they know the formula.
More importantly, the only institutions that can utilize this technology are provincial and municipal archaeological and cultural heritage institutions. Even if you know someone is infringing on your rights, even if you sue them one by one, even if you win every case, what about the time and cost?
Even whether it can be implemented effectively is still unknown.
But it's different with the Cultural Relics Bureau: You dare to infringe on the research results of the higher-level authorities? Don't you want to regret this?
Believe it or not, you won't get any discount on the transfer fee, and each company will pay faster than the last.
Even if the Institute of Humanities is shameless, it wouldn't be so ungrateful as to try to embezzle the money; it would definitely transfer every penny to Northwest University...
After a moment's thought, Vice Dean Ma exclaimed, "Huh? This doesn't seem like... Professor Wang's style?"
"Wang Qizhi can calculate this meticulously? You don't know the cost of firewood and rice until you're in charge of the household. Give him eighty, and he'll dare to spend one hundred and twenty on you..."
That's Lin Sicheng?
This kid is good, at least better than me: he can do accounts!
Vice Dean Ma knew perfectly well that he was also the kind of person the old dean had described—someone who, given eighty, would dare to spend up to one hundred and twenty…
"That coward is quite clever; he knows how to maximize his benefits. But for us, this is like sending charcoal in snowy weather..."
The old dean paused for a moment, then tapped the table, "I'm retiring at the end of the year, don't expect this old man to repay this favor for you!"
Vice Dean Ma nodded solemnly: "Old Dean, I understand!"
"That's good enough!"
The old dean sighed again, "Now you should know why he gave you a research direction of 'photo-passivation mechanism' even though he had given me the whole set of data for free?"
Vice Dean Ma paused for a moment, then fell silent.
If we can cooperate once, we can cooperate a second time. Vice Dean Ma, we have a long future ahead of us, let's take it slow and steady... That's what Lin Sicheng meant.
To put it bluntly: this is a show of force in advance to prevent the Institute for Advanced Study in Literature or Vice President Ma from doing something incompetent.
Thinking of this, Ma Qinglin was both amused and exasperated: "No... even if there's no basis for cooperation, we wouldn't stoop to such a despicable act, would we?"
"This is called prevention: Just because we don't do it doesn't mean others won't."
The old dean gloated, "As the saying goes, 'A fall into the pit, a gain in your wit,' this coward got ripped off in Shanxi!"
"Huh?" Vice Dean Ma was taken aback. "Shanxi, Hejin Kiln?"
"Yes, it's what he said this morning: he just finished finding the kiln site, and then he was kicked out..."
That doesn't make sense. Since he's already been kicked out, why is he still working so hard?
Hmm, that doesn't seem right either: he's researching more than just the Hejin kiln now...
Vice President Ma felt increasingly uneasy: He had already done so much research, how could he possibly be absent from the subsequent excavation and research?
Instinctively, a chill ran through him, and Vice President Ma observed three minutes of silence for his colleagues in Shanxi.
That's about it. Get ready, let's start the meeting!
The old dean glanced at his watch, pointed to the documents, and said, "If no one brings it up later, you should!"
Vice Dean Ma immediately understood: "Yes, Dean!"
...
Most academic conferences are held in the Wenbo Building, so the bureau leaders all have spare offices there.
The three of them circled the coffee table and sat in a circle on the sofa. Sun Jiamu spoke slowly and deliberately, Liu Shuxian listened attentively, while Wu Hui fiddled with the tea set.
The water boiled vigorously, and Wu Hui brewed a pot, serving each person a cup.
Liu Shuxian took the teacup and remarked, "This kid's got some talent!"
It's not just a little, it's not too much.
Honestly, if I were leading the team, could I have found all six kiln sites within four months?
Not to mention thoroughly researching the techniques of more than a dozen famous porcelains and demonstrating their correlation.
No matter how Sun Jiamu thought about it, it seemed like a complete fantasy.
"So what is his demand?" Director Liu took a sip of tea. "After going to such lengths, he must want something in return, right?"
"Restore the egg-white jade porcelain technique, which is the Northern Song Dynasty Hutian Kiln Yingqing porcelain!"
Wu Hui put down his teacup, walked over, and opened the box. "Director, please take a look at this first!"
Liu Shuxian paused for a moment, and Sun Jiamu also paused for a moment:
Four cups, each thinner and more transparent than the last.
The body is fine and clean, and the glaze is bluish-green, like jade.
What are the differences when compared with the celadon artifacts in the Palace Museum and the National Museum of China?
In fact, I feel that the imitation porcelain looks better?
Wu Hui pointed and said, "This is the fourth batch that Lin Sicheng fired before coming to Beijing. According to him, it still falls short of the Hutian Kiln celadon porcelain in the exhibition hall. The simulation level is at most ninety percent..."
"Firstly, the glaze coloring mechanism: the main coloring element of celadon is iron, and the influence of trace elements is very low. However, these pieces not only contain beryllium, titanium, and manganese, which are found in Hejin kiln fine white porcelain, but also trace amounts of cobalt..."
"Secondly, the glaze color appears to be consistent to the naked eye. However, optical testing reveals errors in the crystalline phase... Lin Sicheng explained that this is due to the differences in the details of the calcium feldspar microcrystals precipitated on the glaze surface."
To put it simply: The specific firing curves of the original ceramic are lacking, including core data such as staged temperature control, kiln atmosphere, and the rate of secondary crystallization during cooling…
"These points cannot be derived through standard sample analysis; we must excavate the site, refer to the kiln structure, and analyze the ash, kiln sweat, and other remains..."
Wu Hui recounted the story in detail, and Liu Shuxian nodded repeatedly, but his eyes were fixed on the four cups on the table.
Sun Jiamu was stunned by the shock.
They have seen similar techniques for restoring ancient porcelain and replicating famous ancient porcelain: the Palace Museum Ceramics Research Institute, the Institute of Ceramics Research of the Academy of Arts and Sciences, Jingdezhen University, and Jingdezhen Ceramics Research Institute are all similar institutions.
The second tier includes even more institutions, such as provincial museums.
He had also seen the finished imitations, such as Ru ware: the Palace Museum, Jingdezhen, Ruzhou Pottery Research Institute, and Hebei Museum have all made imitations.
But he had never seen anything replicated so quickly. Even if, as Wu Hui said, it wasn't a 100% accurate replica, it was still a little off, at most 90%.
Taking Ru porcelain as an example again: In 1987, some Ru porcelain fragments were discovered at Qingliang Temple in Baofeng (the site of the Ru official kiln in the Northern Song Dynasty), along with agate veins and original glaze clay. The Hebei Provincial Museum officially deciphered the Ru porcelain body and glaze formula.
However, it wasn't until 2004 that Hebei Museum basically achieved glaze color stability, making the similarity more than 90%.
How long did it take Lin Sicheng?
Four months?
Or perhaps, a month?
"The formula is easy to make; it's just a matter of following the example, deducing from the test results, and then finding suitable porcelain clay. If you can't find it, you'll just make your own... But what about solid-phase reaction (glaze crystallization) and fire control technology?"
The more Liu Shuxian thought about it, the more unbelievable it seemed. "If you don't know the specific structure of the kiln, you can only guess. But it's impossible to guess 90% of the kiln's structure after only four or five trial firings?"
It's no exaggeration to say that the probability of success is lower than winning five million dollars with two dollars.
If Lin Sicheng just got lucky and guessed right, then why bother with research? Wouldn't buying lottery tickets be better?
Wu Hui succinctly stated: "He copied it!"
What?
Director Liu looked puzzled: "How did he copy it?"
The Hejin kiln has not been excavated. The Song Dynasty Hutian celadon kiln site was completely destroyed by the Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties. Where could he have copied it from?
Wu Hui sighed: If I were to say that Lin Sicheng not only plagiarized but also pieced things together haphazardly, and did so right in front of me, would the director scold me?
"Although the Hejin kiln has not been excavated and the Hutian Yingqing kiln no longer exists, the sites of Ming Dynasty sweet white glaze, Ming and Qing Dynasty Dehua white porcelain, and Qing Dynasty thin-bodied porcelain are quite well preserved. Lin Sicheng deduced and simulated models of the Hejin kiln and Yingqing porcelain kiln based on the kiln structure of these porcelain pieces..."
Wu Hui explained in a straightforward manner, but Director Liu and Sun Jiamu listened as if it were a myth: they had never heard of piecing together several types of kilns to deduce the kiln structure of newly discovered porcelain.
After a long while, Liu Shuxian turned around and said, "Old Sun, have you ever seen anyone do research like this before?"
Sun Jiamu shook the rattle like a wooden drum: he had never even heard of it, let alone seen it.
Sweet white glaze was made in gourd kilns, Dehua white glaze was made in stepped kilns during the Ming Dynasty, chicken coop kilns during the Qing Dynasty, and thin-bodied porcelain was made in town kilns (egg-shaped kilns) during the Qing Dynasty... To put it bluntly, these are not the same thing at all.
They have different shapes, different sizes, and even more different internal structures.
Of course, there must be a connection; otherwise, similar types of porcelain couldn't be fired. But the problem is, with so many contributing factors, who knows which part causes the connection?
So even if you just copy it exactly, what can you possibly produce? Besides, it's just a random patchwork.
Instinctively, Director Liu was particularly curious about what Wu Hui said about the model Lin Sicheng had simulated: "What does the kiln he made look like?"
“It’s very strange!” Wu Hui gestured. “Double fireboxes, double smoke chambers, long flue… built against the mountain, but not in the style of a cave dwelling, but rather a pit dug in the ground…”
Director Liu thought about it for a moment, but couldn't come up with any ideas.
"Then what?"
"Then, when he went to exchange the standard samples, he asked his partner to borrow the research data of Yongle sweet white glaze from the Jingdezhen Ceramic Research Institute, and he also asked Wang Qizhi to borrow the research data of Ming Dynasty eggshell cups and Chenghua doucai from the Palace Museum."
"After that, he searched for some technical data on Dehua white gauze porcelain and Dehua white paper porcelain on the website, then combined it and started test firing..."
Suddenly, all four eyes widened in surprise.
Based on the combined technical data of various famous porcelains, how to reproduce ancient porcelain?
I recognize each of these words individually, but put them together... what the hell is this?
Yes, the Jingdezhen Ceramic Research Institute is indeed trying to restore the sweet white glaze technique, but it has only just made breakthroughs in raw material formula. Things like translucent texture and kiln firing control are still in their infancy. What's the use of learning from it?
Even a place as luxurious as the Forbidden City wouldn't conduct any compositional analysis on eggshell cups or Chenghua doucai porcelain; they would only do some visual research, such as on appearance and color.
At most, you could add some speculation, such as fire control procedures and glaze formation factors, but even if I lent you the data, you wouldn't be able to use it.
They did conduct systematic research on the restoration of Dehua white porcelain, but they took a different approach: a combination of restoration and innovation.
To put it bluntly: the so-called white gauze porcelain and white paper porcelain are all modern porcelain. What's the use of digging up the data?
Let alone combining all this data to create some kind of imitation.
Liu Shuxian dared to guarantee that, nine times out of ten, a batch of waste residue would be produced.
Even if a finished product could be fired, it would only turn out to be a mishmash.
"It really is a hybrid!"
Wu Hui nodded, took out a cup, and poured some more tea into it. "This is the first tea that Lin Sicheng brewed!"
After glancing at each other, Director Liu and Sun Jiasen were both taken aback.
Thin as paper, smooth as fat, lustrous as jade, yet translucent as ice.
Both moisturizing and translucent?
How can two seemingly opposite visual sensations be embodied in the same object?
Look closely: what are the differences between this cup and the four cups next to it in terms of body, glaze, and color?
It's just a bit greener, and it doesn't have any patterns.
In fact, they look even better to the naked eye than the other four...
After staring for a long time, Sun Jiamu raised his head: "The first batch?"
Wu Hui nodded: "The first batch!"
"No... his core data and fire control technology are all pieced together haphazardly, how could it burn like this?"
Not only Sun Jiamu couldn't understand it, but even Wu Hui himself couldn't understand it.
The problem is that Wu Hui was present the entire time, whether Lin Sicheng was researching borrowed data or plagiarizing papers from the internet.
Wu Hui was also present when Lin Sicheng, relying solely on his imagination, pieced together several kiln structures to create a kiln shape he had never seen before.
He even lent a hand and offered some suggestions.
Then, the resulting monstrosity, which resembled nothing else, reached an astonishing level of quality.
The two were experts after all, but when they thought about what Wu Hui had said before about Lin Sicheng's haphazard and pieced-together process, Director Liu and Sun Jiamu felt as if they had seen a ghost: Could the restoration of ancient porcelain techniques really be done like this?
But having been partners for so many years, the two wouldn't suspect Wu Hui of lying.
Besides, he and Lin Sicheng are not related, and their relationship is easily exposed, so there's absolutely no need for that...
Taken aback, Liu Shuxian stared at the cup for a long time.
Suddenly, he narrowed his eyes: "This cup is so strange, it looks a bit like the ones you mentioned earlier?"
"They do look somewhat alike, otherwise why would they be called a 'four unlikes'?"
Wu Hui nodded, "If you look at the glaze accumulation, it's hazy and indistinct, which perfectly matches the characteristics of celadon."
"Looking at the edge of the glaze, it is almost like a piece of clay, and when the light shines through it, it is warm and smooth like jade, giving people a gentle and sweet feeling... Even the Yongle sweet white glaze in the exhibition hall is only to this extent."
"Looking at the cup wall, the body is as thin as a cicada's wing, and it is translucent when held up to the light. The water patterns on the outside of the cup are clearly visible, which perfectly matches the body structure and optical characteristics of the Hehua Doucai, Sanqiu, and Chicken Cups."
"Looking at it as a whole: it's light, elegant, and as bright as glass, with a bluish and lustrous glaze. Isn't it exactly the same as the thin-bodied porcelain from Dehua during the Ming and Qing dynasties?"
Each time he mentioned something, Liu Shuxian's eyes would light up, and then he would nod.
Sun Jiamu's expression was both surprised and strange: it was said to be a four-not-like creature, but in the end, it became a creature that resembled all four.
Putting aside the high degree of similarity between Lin Sicheng and Yingqing porcelain, just this point alone is enough to prove that Lin Sicheng is a talented person.
Liu Shuxian straightened up: "Old Wu, how realistic is this one?"
"Not high, but very average!"
Very average, what does that mean?
At first glance, Liu Shuxian didn't quite understand, but then he suddenly realized: since it resembles all four types of porcelain, doesn't it have to have some of the characteristics of each type?
Wu Hui nodded: "The raw material formula is closer to that of Yingqing porcelain, the translucent texture is closer to that of sweet white glaze, and the physical and optical structure is closer to that of eggshell cups and doucai porcelain."
However, the overall color is closer to Dehua white... especially the scallion root white from the late Ming and early Qing dynasties. If you only look at it with the naked eye, there is basically no difference between the two..."
"The first batch fired three pieces in total: a cup with slightly more glaze than this one, and a saucer. The other two were used for analysis and testing. I don't remember the specific data, but the similarity between the data and several ancient porcelains is roughly 67% to 73%!"
Liu Shuxian's eyes shone brightly: What does a 70% data ratio mean?
It can be said that Lin Sicheng has restored most of the craftsmanship of these four types of porcelain. He has basically made breakthroughs in raw material formula, chemical composition, mechanical structure, glaze color shaping, and even crystal phase formation.
The only breakthroughs are in reducing flame curves, segmented temperature control, and slow cooling of the solid phase.
To put it simply, all that's missing is a fire control technology.
By uncovering the site of the Northern Song Dynasty Hejin Kiln's fine white porcelain, Lin Sicheng was able to deduce the structure of the Hutian Kiln's celadon kiln. Since it has been verified that the two techniques are related and from the same period, the kiln types for the two types of porcelain would not have changed significantly.
As for the remaining three, Lin Sicheng didn't even need to deduce them: with Wang Qizhi's connections and abilities, it wouldn't be difficult for him to obtain the relevant core information from Jingdezhen.
It's only a matter of time before Lin Sicheng restores the three porcelain techniques: sweet white glaze, doucai body, and Dehua white thin-bodied porcelain.
Relatively speaking, even though the restoration of craftsmanship does not account for a very high percentage of archaeological work, it was still enough to shock Liu Shuxian.
Because these techniques were all pieced together by Lin Sicheng in a haphazard, cobbled-together manner.
If we set aside the identities of leaders and experts, or even just randomly pull a few experts from the Palace Museum, the National Museum of China, or the Institute of Ceramic Research of the Chinese Academy of Cultural Heritage, who wouldn't be shocked?
No one can understand it, because it simply cannot be explained by science...
"Yingqing porcelain, sweet white glaze, and even Chenghua doucai porcelain?"
Sun Jiamu seemed lost in thought, "If Jingdezhen knew, they'd probably regret it so much they'd vomit blood!"
They were lending Lin Sicheng materials and changing the samples, which meant that the bullets the enemy used to attack them were all provided by themselves.
Wu Hui shook his head: "It's not that bad!"
Having spent so much time together, he had come to understand Lin Sicheng better: Lin Sicheng was not only generous to his partners, friends, or those who had helped him, but also magnanimous.
Even with those he was working with for the first time, he tried his best to express goodwill.
Just like when he first arrived in Shanxi, Lin Sicheng used his own money and connections to organize exploration teams and set up testing groups. He found two or three kiln sites that could rewrite history and fill local gaps. Did Lin Sicheng ever complain to the local authorities or boast about his achievements?
For example, during his trip to Beijing, he transferred the research results of BTA to the Institute of Literature and Art in the form of "contracting" or "leasing".
At first glance, it seems that Lin Sicheng's purpose was to maximize the benefits of the research results, but believe it or not, if he transferred them to other institutions, the price they would have offered would have been higher than that of the Institute for Advanced Study in Literature.
This style of behavior is somewhat reminiscent of Mencius's concept of "dwelling in benevolence and following righteousness." Therefore, unless the other party harms him, Lin Sicheng will never go to extremes.
Nine times out of ten, it will still be through cooperation...
Upon hearing that Lin Sicheng had transferred the "BTA technology" to the Institute of Literature and Art, Liu Shuxian nodded repeatedly: "This kid is good: he's clear-headed, bold, and capable—a real talent!"
Of course.
Wu Hui and Sun Jiamu nodded in unison.
Just then, Liu Shuxian's phone rang. His secretary sent him a message: "Director, it's time."
I checked my watch again: 2:20.
The three men suddenly realized they had been so busy boasting and expressing their feelings that they hadn't even discussed the important matters.
Liu Shuxian checked the materials for the meeting, and Wu Hui quickly sought the leader's opinion: "Director, you should first set a general direction!"
Liu Shuxian pondered for a moment.
Five kiln sites have been discovered, spanning six dynasties and more than ten famous porcelain techniques. In terms of both influence and representativeness, it has already reached its peak.
The excavation, led and guided by the State Administration of Cultural Heritage and conducted in conjunction with local institutions, is inevitable. Collaboration from the Palace Museum and the Institute of Ceramics Research at the Academy of Cultural Heritage may also be necessary.
The number of people to send, the level of experts, and the key areas of guidance will all be decided at the meeting.
However, the heads of each department had all attended the morning lecture and were generally confident in their abilities.
Secondly, how should this "Northwest University Research Center" and Lin Sicheng be arranged?
What? You're not letting him participate?
impossible.
The kiln site was found by them, the clues were collected by them, the correlation of the techniques was verified by them, and they even restored most of the techniques.
If all that's left is the excavation of the site, what's the point if you don't let people participate?
While pondering, Liu Shuxian stood up and picked up a folder: "It's definitely unrealistic to transfer personnel from the bureau for all six sites, large and small. You should suggest later that the bureau be responsible for guidance and organization, while the main excavation team will remain the original exploration team, with local agencies assisting. If no one objects, submit a report!"
How could anyone possibly object?
The department heads who attended the afternoon meeting had all heard the morning lecture. They all knew that Lin Sicheng had already done most of the work.
How dark and jealous must one's mind be to kick someone out at the last minute?
Not to mention, the bureau just owed someone a huge favor... wait?
Why didn't I think of this just now? Lin Sicheng transferred the BTA compounding technology to the Institute of Literature and Art Research with this other consideration in mind?
Secretly amazed, Wu Hui then prompted, "Director, what about the research? How are things going to be arranged?"
Liu Shuxian thought for a moment, then sighed, "At this point, what's the point of further research?"
Wu Hui paused, realizing he had also made a mistake, blind to his own shortcomings.
The lecture this morning was so clear that it was as if Lin Sicheng had deduced all the connections and possibilities of the entire process chain. Even if he missed some minor details, it was better than nothing.
The journey from Beijing to Shanxi was arduous, costing money, manpower, and equipment. The food and accommodation were poor, all for a few scraps of food with little nutritional value.
They are all state-owned research institutions, and their experts are among the best in the field of archaeology. They're not out of their minds, are they?
Wu Hui could even imagine that someone would bring it up later without him even having to: Since Northwest University has invested so much and conducted such thorough research, why can't it finish what it started?
In this way, everything Lin Sicheng expected was achieved: the excavation was done by him, and the research was also done by him.
"If no one raises the issue, then you should; if no one objects, then submit the report as normal!"
Liu Shuxian paused for a moment, then continued, "Of course, we need to prepare for both possibilities, such as insufficient manpower or technical expertise..."
Wu Hui nodded solemnly: "Sir, I understand!"
The two talked as they arrived at the conference room.
As I stepped inside, the clock hands pointed to 2:30.
The meeting proceeded as scheduled, with the main topics being: the excavation plan for the Hejin Kiln site and research on the technological connections.
As expected, just as Deputy Director Wu had predicted, Vice President Ma was the first to make a suggestion:
The bureau has limited manpower and many responsibilities. It can preside over the work, organize the work, and even send expert teams to provide guidance. However, the actual excavation still needs to be carried out in conjunction with local archaeological institutions.
At the same time, it was proposed that since the Archaeology Department (Wu Hui) and the Archaeology Management Office (Sun Jiamu) had conducted on-site inspections and supervisions, and had given high praise and evaluation to the original exploration unit, why not follow the established practices?
Then it was mentioned that the Institute for Advanced Study in Humanities would send people to accompany the team on the field trip. If discrepancies were found between the on-site investigation and the content of the morning lecture, the team would definitely be reorganized to provide guidance and conduct joint research with local institutions. Otherwise, there would be no need to waste resources.
Finally, he jokingly added: "The current Hejin kiln is not even as good as chicken ribs; it's more like a steamed bun that has been chewed up once."
The words may be rough, but the principle is sound. The unit that originally wanted to go and see what was going on out of curiosity immediately backed down: "We can't even get a hot meal from leftovers, why go and do something?"
Wu Hui watched the whole thing unfold from the very end, observing with a detached eye.
Even Sun Jiamu, who defined himself as the straight man and was supposed to speak at crucial moments, didn't get a chance to say a word from beginning to end.
The two secretly sighed: Vice Dean Ma is still the same Vice Dean Ma; he really steps up when something's wrong...
Therefore, the discussion went surprisingly smoothly: it was unanimously approved!
Just before the meeting adjourned, Director Lü suddenly raised his hand: "Director Liu, could the Palace Museum Ceramics Research Institute participate in this excavation?"
Liu Shuxian paused for a moment, then said, "Of course!"
If we were to rank all ancient ceramics research institutions in China, the Palace Museum's Institute of Ceramics Research would undoubtedly be number one. Whether in terms of research capabilities, expert pool, collections, or even research history and depth, it surpasses the Institute of Ceramics Research at the Academy of Arts & Design.
If the Palace Museum isn't qualified, then who is?
Liu Shuxian gestured to the clerk, indicating that he should take notes. Then he turned back and said, "Director Lü, could you please tell me the specific plan, such as which experts will be going, what equipment is needed, and any other requirements, so that the logistics department can prepare in advance?"
"Thank you, Director Liu. There's no need for that for now. We'll go and take a look first. Just like Dean Wu said, we can organize people to study it later if we find any discrepancies or anything is wrong."
Lü Chenglong smiled, "We plan to first visit the Northwest University Cultural Relics Conservation and Restoration Center, and then see their process of tracing the origins of Hejin porcelain and Yingqing porcelain. It would be even better if we could see some specific materials and data..."
Liu Shuxian paused for a moment, then exchanged a glance with Wu Hui. A strange glint flashed in their eyes simultaneously: So it was out of curiosity?
It's normal. With Lin Sicheng's cheat-like skills, it's hard not to be curious.
However, they will definitely go full of expectations and return feeling extremely disappointed.
The investigation process was somewhat better; although still shocking, at least it was based on evidence and reason. But the process of tracing the origins of the technology was guaranteed to shock anyone who saw it.
To give an analogy: it's like an exam paper that's completely beyond the curriculum, with content that Lin Sicheng has never learned before, but he guessed and pieced together the answers randomly and got a perfect score?
In fact, there's practically no process to speak of; it's all answers...
In a flash, Liu Shuxian nodded: "Okay, Director Lü, make a list after you come down and give it to Xiao Hu!"
As soon as he finished speaking, Ma Qinglin raised his hand as well: "Director Liu, Director Ma, the Institute of Literature and Art also had an investigation plan. Since we are both taking advantage of this excavation opportunity, why not arrange it together?"
In comparison, the Institute of Cultural Studies is more curious than the Palace Museum:
With the same research direction and the same application field, the Xida Research Center only used half the time and its other costs were probably less than one-tenth, yet it left the Institute of Humanities and Social Sciences far behind.
Both logically and emotionally, we should go and take a look at Wang Qizhi's laboratory.
Liu Shuxian smiled and said, "Okay!"
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