Chapter 117: What is your surname?

Yesterday, he drank almost a whole bottle at the restaurant. But after returning, he was still restless, so Wang Qi Zhi poured and drank by himself, finishing another half bottle.

Therefore, he really hadn't gotten around to asking what catalog Lin Sicheng had listed, what materials he needed, or what physical objects he wanted to see.

But a student is able to toil for their teacher, having done most of the work. With only this little bit left, there was no reason for him, the teacher, to be unable to handle it.

No matter how difficult, it had to be done.

Counting by seniority, he was still a junior, so Wang Qi Zhi bowed slightly toward the old man: "Sorry for the trouble, Section Chief Yao!"

The two Persons in Charge exchanged a glance: the attitude was very polite, even somewhat respectful, but the demands were truly not polite at all.

After all, these few items were national treasures.

But the Museum Curator had specifically instructed yesterday: receive them well, satisfy them as much as possible...

Section Chief Yao smiled: "It's no trouble at all, Professor Wang, please wait a moment."

Saying this, he gave a few instructions to Group Leader Chen, then left the data room, presumably to call the leadership for instructions.

Lin Sicheng was unhurried as he took out his tools.

First, the old three: high-intensity flashlight, high-magnification lens, and gloves.

Then paper and pen.

Group Leader Chen returned the folder, and only after Wang Qi Zhi opened it did he realize: there were actually more than just the three items he had glimpsed, with two more underneath:

Tang Dynasty: Red Gold Walking Dragon!

Tang Dynasty: Gold Crown Ornament of Princess Li Chui!

Wang Qi Zhi's lips twitched: No wonder those two had such strange expressions?

Lin Sicheng, are you planning to sweep up all the gold-category national treasures of the Provincial Museum in one go?

It was only that the Beast-Headed Agate Cup wasn't there; otherwise, Lin Sicheng would definitely have wanted to take a look at that too.

But then again, since they were already here.

Lin Sicheng started writing and drawing again; Wang Qi Zhi didn't disturb him and chatted with Section Chief Chen for a few moments.

After about half an hour, Section Chief Chen returned, followed by five staff members, each carrying a silver-white case.

Both were aluminum alloy, but the case that held the gold crown yesterday was just aluminum alloy. But these five were specialized transport cases for precious Cultural Relics: constant temperature, constant humidity, and isolated from the outside. Under necessary conditions, they could even be oxygen-deprived to reach a vacuum state.

The cases were placed on the long table, and the five staff members had no intention of leaving, clearly indicating they would take them away as soon as they were finished looking.

Time was limited, so Lin Sicheng didn't dare delay, hurriedly putting on his gloves and picking up the flashlight and Magnifying Glass.

Then he said in a deep voice: "Record!"

Wang Qi Zhi was stunned for a moment.

Section Chief Yao, Group Leader Chen, and the staff members guarding the long table were also taken aback: who are you telling to record?

It wasn't until Wang Qi Zhi realized belatedly and picked up his notebook and pen that Lin Sicheng reacted: this wasn't his past life, where no matter the time, he always had at least two assistants by his side. Whenever he put on gloves, there would be cameras and synchronized note-taking.

Lin Sicheng hurriedly smiled: "Teacher, I'm sorry, I was too absorbed for a moment!"

Wang Qi Zhi waved his hand dismissively: it wasn't as if he hadn't seen it before?

In the laboratory, as soon as Lin Sicheng stepped up to the experimental bench, it was like he was a different person, radiating professionalism, seriousness, and focus from head to toe. When giving orders to Li Zhen and Feng Lin, he never wasted words: roast, bake, paste, wash...

Whenever he frowned even slightly, Li Zhen and Feng Lin would be at a loss, instantly able to recall every auxiliary process: what did I do wrong?

Even Shang Yan said: Lin Sicheng has a special aura when he gets on the bench, looking more like a mentor than she, his own mentor.

Fearing he might be nervous, Wang Qi Zhi even smiled: "Relax, look carefully!"

Lin Sicheng nodded.

Nervousness wasn't the issue, but it was true that his eyes had been opened.

No matter how much data, pictures, or images one looks at, one cannot feel the shock of "historical weight," "imperial prosperity," and "the magnificent songs of the Great Tang" when seeing the physical objects.

It was even harder to imagine that ancients from over a thousand years ago could control craftsmanship to this degree: relying on pure hand-rubbing to control craft and technology to micron-level precision—have you ever seen that?

Taking a deep breath, Lin Sicheng began to look carefully. Wang Qi Zhi followed step by step, holding his notebook and pen.

Section Chief Yao and Group Leader Chen looked at each other: why are these two so strange, the young one not like a student, and the older one not like a teacher?

It was completely reversed.

And to tell the truth, if not for the Museum Curator's instructions and the Director's exhortations, they would definitely have asked: Professor Wang, are you here to do Artifact Research and check data, or are you here to gawk at curiosities?

It wasn't a challenge, but out of professional ethics and respect for the field, they found it a bit hard to understand: these were, after all, national treasures; opportunities were rare, how could they waste them like this?

The two remained silent, bearing with it: thinking, forget it, the items have already been brought out? As long as these two don't cause any damage...

Just as they were thinking this, Lin Sicheng spoke slowly:

"Teacher, you record first: Tang Dynasty Chasing and Engraving Gold Ewer... Casting technique: Hammering and Shaping... Chasing and Engraving technique: Layered Chasing... Gold-gilding technique: Jin Red Flag method... Welding technique: Invisible Reinforcement on load-bearing parts...

Difficulties: 1. Risk of rupture in thin-walled Hammering... Solution: Sectional Annealing, Cold Forging...

2. Layer control of High Relief engraving... Solution and craft secret: Reverse Chasing, combination of chasing tools...

3. Mechanical design of the integrated handle and spout... Solution and structural innovation: 3D angle calculation, stress dispersion..."

Pausing slightly, without waiting for the others to react, Lin Sicheng straightened his back: "Key points, two lost technologies:

1. Layered Chasing for Fish Roe Pattern, High Relief, and line engraving, with a depth difference of 8mm, requiring high-carbon steel chasing heads (carbon content over 6%). But with Tang Dynasty hot steel processing technology, this is unattainable...

2. Hammering the ewer body into shape in one go requires multiple annealings. How to precisely control the temperature so that the gold sheet temperature is around 550°C each time it comes out of the furnace?"

Frowning slightly, Lin Sicheng tapped the table again: "Check!"

"1. Micro-CT Scanning report: forging marks inside the ewer handle, process design of overall engraving after multi-part forging."

"2. X-ray Fluorescence Analyzer: trace element detection of the gold-gilding layer, how to improve the fluidity of Jin Red Flag."

"3. Stress Simulation Experiment: shear stress on the ewer spout welding point when pouring water..."

Lin Sicheng kept talking, and the large data room was deathly silent, with only echoes Floating.

Wang Qi Zhi held his pen, his two eyes fixed on Lin Sicheng, blinking, blinking.

Looking at the notebook again, it was completely blank; Lin Sicheng had said so much, and he hadn't written a single word.

If you were to ask him why he didn't record it?

"Record my ass, I'm recording..." Lin Sicheng, do you have any idea how incredibly arrogant you are?

A group of Data Clerks were dumbfounded, stunned into silence, and even somewhat at a loss: should they investigate, or should they not?

Especially Section Chief Yao and Group Leader Chen, their eyes bulging and mouths slightly agape; that look in their eyes was just like they were staring at an alien.

If you were to ask why?

Starting in 1998, the Shaanxi History Museum began Artifact Research into the craftsmanship characteristics of Tang Dynasty engraved flower ewers, and it wasn't until 2002 that they determined the main research direction.

It was just three points: the resolution of the contradiction between thin-walled bodies and structural strength, the precise control of three-dimensional decoration, and the reliability of cross-material bonding.

Does that sound familiar?

It's familiar for a reason: it just so happens to be exactly those three difficulties that Lin Sicheng mentioned.

The problem is: they spent four years researching to determine that research direction, yet this kid, relying only on a Flashlight and a Magnifying Glass, just looked for half an hour?

Then, they spent another five years, repeatedly experimenting and repeatedly testing, before they deduced the craft secrets and innovative features.

But this kid, also within half an hour, analyzed it for them clearly and distinctly: how they deduced the solutions, how they cracked the technical difficulties, as well as the specific testing and experiments, and even including the process and sequence of the summary analysis...

He even, half-giving it away, added two more items for them: two lost techniques!

Just based on this "lost," I ask you: in terms of scientific value and research significance, isn't it higher than the three research directions they determined?

It's no exaggeration: the fact that they didn't corner Lin Sicheng to interrogate him—"When did you steal our research data?"—was already being calm and restrained enough.

After being stunned for a long time, the two Persons in Charge exchanged a glance, and Section Chief Yao stepped forward and extended his hand: "What is your surname?"

Lin Sicheng smiled reservedly: "No need for formalities, my surname is Lin!"