Chapter 177: That's More Like It

The night curtain hung low, and the massive chimneys spewed thick, ocher-red smoke; the clouds seemed wounded, with blood-red staining half the sky.

The Bureau Chief stood by the window, holding half a cigarette, a flicker of suspicion in his eyes: "Old Du, you suspect someone wants to steal our technology? That doesn't seem very likely, does it?"

"Leader, we have to be on guard... Do you remember the year before last, when we went to Beijing to apply, those few units almost started a brawl at the venue?"

The Bureau Chief was stunned for a moment, remaining silent.

To be honest, that time really opened his eyes: the dignified central-level units, the scientific research institutions representing the highest level of research, their method of fighting was actually so plain and unadorned?

The first said the second stole his technology, the second said the third stole his, and the third said the first also stole, and that he had stolen from both.

By the end of the argument, the three parties started cursing directly, cursing mothers. It's no exaggeration; they were just short of starting a fight right there in the venue.

In the end, the debate was endless, but because the origins were too ancient and difficult to verify, each family got one item. That is why the first batch of traditional Chinese medicine techniques blossomed: the three state-level units alone applied for as many as twelve items.

Although the Yaozhou Kiln ceramic firing technique is already on the National Level directory and cannot be snatched away, if we establish a project for "Yaozhou Porcelain Restoration Technique," I wouldn't dare say National Level, but the hope for the provincial directory is still quite high.

But having said that, rather than sharing technology and helping Xida apply, why doesn't Tongchuan apply for one more item itself?

Provincial honors are also honors; who would complain about having too few?

"We really must be on guard!" The Bureau Chief flicked the ash from his cigarette. "What are their demands now?"

"They say the materials are not detailed enough and asked if we could help them find more. Or if they could borrow the application materials from the World Heritage Application... I pushed it onto Director Meng, saying Director Meng took them all to Beijing..."

The Bureau Chief had a strange look on his face: "Did they believe it?"

"Of course they didn't believe it; the institute and the bureau definitely have electronic versions... but they didn't point it out! Then they asked if they could visit the Research Center to see the Yaozhou Porcelain's Carving Embryo and Glazing process on-site... That's why I came to ask for the Leader's instructions!"

"Porcelain embryo carving and glazing?" The Bureau Chief recalled. "These are our core techniques, right?"

"Yes!" Director Du nodded. "That's why I'm in a bit of a bind: if we don't let them see, they've been hanging around for ten days or so, still polite and without any complaints. Furthermore, our city's industrial proportion is relatively high, and our bureau's research and development capability is too singular; we have to ask Xida for help from time to time, so it's not good to make the relationship too stiff...

But if we let them see, what if they want to see it a second time after the first, and a third time after the second, and refuse to leave?"

"Stupid, can they stay twenty-four hours without leaving? Once they leave, can't you lock the door? Is it that the machines can't break, or the circuits can't short-circuit?"

The Bureau Chief scolded: "Then just let them take a look; it shouldn't be for too long, right? Hmm, no taking photos, no recording!"

"Of course no taking photos?" Director Du nodded. "Then how long is appropriate, a week?"

"Isn't their inspection trip one month? Half a month has already passed, so let them watch for another half month!" The Bureau Chief thought for a moment. "Without the materials, I doubt they can learn it!"

"That's for sure!"

Since around the eighties of the last century, Director Meng led the institute to study it, researching for a full dozen years, and only by "combining research and firing" did they relatively complete the restoration of the technology.

The fired waste porcelain could be counted in "hundreds of tons."

It's impossible to learn the whole set of technology just by looking at it twice, right?

Director Du stood up: "Alright, then I will notify them now!"

"Hmm!" The Bureau Chief nodded. "By the way, when is Old Meng coming back?"

"Around the end of the year, at the earliest by the end of the month (January)."

"That's perfect; after all, he has deep ties with Xida. If he comes back early, he can exchange ideas and then see them off!"

"That's true!"

Director Du was noncommittal and took his leave.

Just after getting off the Industrial Bureau building, he dialed Dean Su's phone. His tone was relieved, even carrying an expression: "Dean Su, I have lived up to the trust..."

After Dean Su finished the call, he called Lin Sicheng.

In all honesty, the institute's attitude was actually okay: apart from guarding against them like thieves, not giving core materials, and not letting them enter the Research Center, everything else was quite generous.

They provided a small laboratory, the equipment and instruments were fully sufficient for restoring porcelain, and materials could be provided in a timely manner.

So for the past half month, Lin Sicheng hadn't been idle; apart from looking for materials, he was researching techniques and formulas.

But unfortunately, apart from the ancient restoration methods, there were also some process innovations that couldn't be deduced for the time being.

Just like this vessel on the table: Yaozhou Celadon Peony and Tang Grass Pattern Jar.

Although it was repaired, traces of the repair glaze could still be seen in the subtle areas.

This was because the glaze material ratio was different, resulting in a color difference.

Secondly, regarding the missing carved embryo before the repair painting, Lin Sicheng tried repeatedly: Carving Flowers, Incising Flowers, Carving Out Flowers, Shallow Carving, Deep Carving, Openwork Carving... From Tang to Qing, he tried all the ceramic carving techniques, but it was still somewhat unsatisfactory.

So he was very certain that this was not an ancient method, but an alternative technique innovated by Director Meng. But what exactly it was could not be researched just by looking at the finished product.

But as long as he was allowed to watch the process of carving the wet embryo once, he could deduce seven or eight out of ten...

Just as he was examining it, the call from Dean Su came in: "Director Du called and said he agreed; we can go to the Research Center tomorrow. But because they need to maintain equipment at the end of the year, there is only half a month..."

Lin Sicheng let out a sharp breath: half a month is more than enough.

For a large jar with such extremely complex engraving, the longest it would take to carve is one week. Then one day for mixing and applying glaze, one day for firing, and one day for drying... ten days is sufficient.

Calculating secretly, Lin Sicheng held the phone and took off his gloves: "Dean Su, what time tomorrow?"

"Eight-thirty, we have to wait for them to start work!"

"Alright!"

Hanging up the phone in a few words, Lin Sicheng looked left and right: "Senior Sister Li, prepare yourself; you will go with me tomorrow. Professor Shang and Senior Brother Sun, you rest!"

The three nodded.

The Porcelain Research Institute guarded against them like thieves; it wouldn't be good if too many people went. Furthermore, apart from Lin Sicheng, the others would just be watching the fun.

After a slight pause, Lin Sicheng looked at the other three, smiling but not quite: "Director Ge (Police Captain), are you going or not?"

"Going!" Ge Xu nodded.

But he muttered in his heart: But I definitely won't go... He felt that doing research with Lin Sicheng was more painful than being in jail.

At the beginning, they were quite curious; when Lin Sicheng did experiments, they would also follow him to the laboratory.

As a result, Lin Sicheng was not polite at all, really using them as assistants: washing broken vessels, grinding porcelain shards, grinding porcelain powder, throwing mud embryos (mixing porcelain clay)... anyway, whichever had no technical content and whichever work was the heaviest, he let them do it.

Or else it was copying materials, because Director Du wouldn't let them photocopy, so they had to copy by hand. After copying for a week, Zhang Feng and Captain Ge were dizzy.

It is no exaggeration to say that they felt even more exhausted than when chasing thieves on the street.

Naturally, the two of them began to slack off: either you take the morning shift, or I take the afternoon shift. If asked to do anything, they would dawdle...

Captain Ge reached out and pointed at Xu Gaolan: "Just let little Xu go..."

Xu Gaolan frowned and was about to say something, but he hurriedly added a patch: "One day of work counts as two days of duty!"

Xu Gaolan was satisfied: That's more like it.

(End of this chapter)