Chapter 194: The Troublemakers Are Still to Come

The four pieces of Red Glaze shimmered with a ghostly light under the spotlights; sunlight pierced through the floor-to-ceiling window and climbed onto the body of the cup, like gemstones soaked in red oil.

Light and shadow rippled over the porcelain shards, and the Ice Crackle patterns revealed thousands of golden threads under the illumination. Two emerald-blue roosters held their heads high amidst the flowers, the feathers outlined in Cobalt Blue radiating a dazzling luster.

The double blue circles on the bottom of the cup framed the reign mark; the six characters flickered, now bright, now dim, now thick, now thin, with Iron Rust Spot-like cloud patterns seeping out from the depths of the Cobalt Material.

Made in the Chenghua Era of the Great Ming!

Everyone looked at each other in dismay, stunned into silence.

Remembering a few months ago, when Hao Jun saw the Yellow Glazed Dragon Pattern Jar that Lin Sicheng had restored, he had truly opened his eyes. He had insisted that Lin Sicheng sell the jar to him, at one point offering as much as five hundred thousand.

But Lin Sicheng did not sell it.

Firstly, it wasn't worth that much, and he couldn't swindle a friend. Secondly, he had recorded the restoration process, and when the time came to file the report, the samples and video materials had to be submitted together.

Lin Sicheng had even persuaded him: "Senior Brother Hao, don't be impatient. I will restore more slowly in the future—Blue and White, Sacrificial Glaze, Famille Rose... I'll sell them until you're sick of them."

"If you want to open your eyes, wait until I restore a Chicken Cup, and I'll call you."

Hao Jun had scoffed, not believing a single word: "Chicken Cup, how many are there in this world in total?"

"Lin Sicheng, don't say you want to restore one; the Forbidden City and the National Museum of China want to restore them even more. But go ask them—let alone restore one, can they even find one or two shards of a Chicken Cup?"

"And don't talk about restoring; if you could just let your Senior Brother catch a glimpse of a few porcelain specks of a Chicken Cup, it would be considered opening his 'heavenly eyes' for this lifetime."

But now?

More than just porcelain specks?

A whole small box—two marked bases, two roosters, two hens, and a countless swarm of chicks; isn't this two cups?

Good heavens, did he really, damn it, open his eyes?

It wasn't just Hao Jun; there was also Lin Zhangqing... on the very day he officially took office and started his new role as the Technical Consultant for the studio.

Wang Qi Zhi and Shang Yan had played him the video of Lin Sicheng restoring the Chenghua Blue and White Dragon Pattern Large Jar. In his astonishment, he had asked Wang Qi Zhi one thing: "If Lin Sicheng can even restore a Blue and White Dragon Pattern, what kind of porcelain is there that he cannot restore?"

Wang Qi Zhi thought for a moment and spat out three words: "Chicken Cup!"

At the time, Lin Zhangqing just assumed Wang Qi Zhi was using a metaphor. Because in his view, even if Wang Qi Zhi had connections reaching the heavens, it was impossible for him to find such items for Lin Sicheng.

It wasn't about being reluctant to part with them, nor was it fear that Lin Sicheng would ruin them in the restoration—it was simply that they couldn't be found...

Yet as it turned out, someone really had sent two to Lin Sicheng?

"If he can restore it, he restores it; if he can't, he uses it to practice..."

At the thought of the indifferent expression on Zhao Xiuneng's face when he said those words, Lin Zhangqing's eyelids couldn't help but twitch: "Using such things to practice, who can afford to practice like that?"

If even he was like this, let alone others?

Just for the opening of a studio, a gift worth tens of millions was presented right off the bat?

A treasure so rare in the world that calling it the "King of Imperial Porcelain" would not be an exaggeration, and it was brought for Lin Sicheng to practice on—and he brought two of them?

Are there any more partners like this?

And before this, there was no lack of people who thought that bringing heavy gifts to offer congratulations today would be enough to give Lin Sicheng plenty of face.

But now, by comparison, they felt that the things they had brought looked shabby no matter how they looked at them.

This included Chen Peng and He Zhigang.

Before coming, He Zhigang had asked Chen Peng what kind of gift they should bring. But Chen Peng was full of arguments: "He, it's best not to bring any."

"If we don't bring anything, we are elders; once we go, not only will we be wined and dined, but we'll also be seated at the head table."

"If we do bring something, we are just friends; although we'll still be wined and dined and seated at the head table, other friends are bringing gifts worth tens or hundreds of thousands, and we'll be lucky to bring a few thousand. When you sit at the table, will you be able to swallow your food?"

Sure enough, Chen Peng's words were prophetic: just looking at what was displayed in the cabinet, were these only worth tens or hundreds of thousands?

Looking again at the circle of people standing in the exhibition hall: there were business people, officials, scholars and researchers, and there was no shortage of those who walked the gray and black paths.

It was equivalent to having all walks of life gathered together; whatever Lin Sicheng wanted to do: he had money if he needed money, connections if he needed connections, and means if he needed means.

There was no need to doubt that most of them would exert their full strength: for example, Hao Jun, Guan Xingmin, or Chen Peng, He Zhigang, or even Zhao Xiuneng, and Wang Qi Zhi.

Suddenly, Zhao Xiuneng looked at Lin Sicheng, his eyes red with envy: in the past, many peers said he was the "local tiger" and "earth immortal" of Sanqin, and Zhao Xiuneng deeply agreed.

But only today did he realize that he didn't even count as a scratch on the surface.

Thinking again of Lin Sicheng's age, Zhao Xiuneng couldn't stop his excitement: he was only in his early twenties and could at least help his two sons for fifty or sixty years. By then, let alone his own grandchildren, his great-grandchildren would probably be in their twenties or thirties.

Sure enough, his mother's eyes were truly sharp: that child was blessed with great virtue and had wisdom in his eyes; if he held onto this big thigh tightly, it would at least bring blessings for three generations...

While he was feeling gratified, a few "buzzing" sounds pulled General Manager Zhao back to reality.

Wang Qi Zhi took out his phone and answered it smoothly: "The visiting group from the district has arrived."

Looking back, the college leaders had already reached the entrance.

The Dean, the Secretary, two Deputy Directors, two Deans, as well as the Youth League Committee, Assistants, and various group leaders... all in all, about a dozen people.

They had hired a professional celebration company, and without needing a reminder, the "Welcome March" began to play. The volume was neither too loud nor too soft, just right.

Consequently, the group of guests also went out to welcome them.

At first, the college leaders were quite surprised: yesterday, hadn't Wang Qi Zhi and Lin Sicheng said they hadn't invited many people?

But looking at the parking lot, it was more than half full, with one car more luxurious than the next.

Looking into the exhibition hall again, there was a huge crowd; not counting the people from the school, there were at least twenty or thirty people.

Immediately, the group of leaders was stunned: "Wait... how are these two here?"

The Cultural Heritage College and the Municipal Appraisal Center were co-construction units, so they were certainly no strangers to Chen Peng. Since they studied Cultural Relics, they were even less strangers to Deputy Bureau Chief He.

They certainly recognized the people, but for a moment they didn't understand: why were these two here?

Recalling the guest list, they weren't on it at all. So, did these two come on their own?

In their surprise and suspicion, the two sides met, and Dean Geng shook hands with them one by one, half-jokingly: "The two of you have graced us with your presence; I am flattered!"

"Dean, don't be surprised."

Chen Peng laughed, "I heard Little Lin was hosting a banquet, so He and I just came to bum a meal."

Upon hearing "Little Lin," the Dean's eyelid twitched.

The school leadership knew exactly what Lin Sicheng had been doing during the two months he was missing. To express their gratitude, Bureau Chief Li Chunnan and Chen Peng had even made a special trip to the school to offer their thanks.

Wang Qi Zhi had also specifically mentioned that Lin Sicheng had helped the Public Security and Cultural Relics bureaus quite a bit, and that he got along very well with the leading supervisors of both bureaus.

The Dean had assumed that what Wang Qi Zhi called "getting along well" simply meant that the leaders of the two bureaus held Lin Sicheng in high regard.

He never imagined it had reached the point where they would show up to offer congratulations without even waiting for an invitation.

The problem was, what to do now?

While he was secretly turning this over in his mind, Chen Peng added, "Don't worry, Dean. It's just adding two pairs of scissors; it won't cause any chaos..."

Dean Geng paused for a moment, then nodded: That was true.

At most, they would just change the opening speech and add two more people for the ribbons and etiquette. Even if it were chaotic, it wouldn't be that bad.

Dean Geng made some rough inquiries and found there were basically no oversights. Afterward, the visiting motorcade entered the school.

Two Audis, three Pasats, followed by a Coaster.

Seeing the Audi and glancing at the license plate, Dean Geng's eyelids twitched again: He recognized the first car; it was Deputy District Mayor Feng, who was in charge of the district's propaganda department and was already on the list.

But that car behind it—was that a Shaan-B plate? Wasn't that a Tongchuan license plate?

Just as he was secretly alarmed, the cars stopped at the entrance, and the rear doors opened in unison.

It was indeed Deputy District Mayor Feng in the front, but in the back, it was actually Wang Zeyu and Tian Chengming.

The two of them had even brought secretaries, who moved a plaque out of the trunk; it had a black background with gold lettering, looking quite antique.

Anyone who knew a little bit about the situation was stunned: If Wang Zeyu had gone to the district office first, the district office would have definitely notified the school. So, nine times out of ten, they had waited on the road and snuck into the motorcade.

Or perhaps, they had been waiting at the school gate the whole time...

Subconsciously, a few of them exchanged glances: Chen Peng and He Zhigang were nothing; this was the real trouble.

But since they were already here.

In a flash, the two sides met. Chen Peng and He Zhigang even put on a show of shaking hands with Deputy District Mayor Feng: "Thank you for your hard work, Leader, thank you, thank you..."

Deputy District Mayor Feng couldn't help but laugh or cry: It was fortunate that the district attached enough importance to this that he was the one who came today. If it had just been the three bureau chiefs, they would surely have been shocked.

After a few jokes, Deputy District Mayor Feng introduced Wang Zeyu, quite formally, saying they were a fraternal unit here to observe.

The two were quite polite; Wang Qi Zhi and Lin Sicheng also treated them as observers, thanked them, and had Zhao Da and Zhao Er hang up the plaque.

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, they entered the reception room on the first floor for a short rest, and the ceremony officially began.

Deputy District Mayor Feng and Wang Zeyu went up on stage together, followed by the school principal, and then the three bureau chiefs: Chen Peng and He Zhigang.

Following at the very end, Wang Qi Zhi gave a look, and Lin Sicheng nodded slightly.

These two coming here was nothing more than them feeling the opportunity was rare: with district leaders present, college leaders present, and Wang Qi Zhi and Lin Sicheng present, it was the perfect time to talk.

But Lin Sicheng felt they probably wouldn't even be able to get past the district level: one look at Deputy District Mayor Feng's expression told him that he, too, had been caught off guard...

Thinking this over, the ceremony began. Although the weather was nice, the speeches were not long. Even with the three unexpected guests—Wang Zeyu, Chen Peng, and He Zhigang—it only lasted a little over half an hour.

Finally, the ribbon-cutting took place, with drums and music playing in unison and firecrackers sounding to the heavens.

At the end, Deputy District Mayor Feng and the Dean, one after the other, handed three certificates to Lin Sicheng.

They corresponded exactly to the three vertical plaques at the entrance:

Beilin District Intangible Cultural Heritage Protection Project, Cultural Heritage Inheritor for Ancient Ceramic Restoration.

Deputy Director of the Beilin District Intangible Cultural Heritage Protection Center and Training Center.

Director of the Northwest University Intangible Cultural Heritage Creation and Research Center, and the Ancient Ceramic Protection and Artifact Research Center.

Two directorships in a row—even if they were just titles for now without any official rank—but looking at Lin Sicheng's face, the group felt an indescribable sense of oddity...

Next was the routine tour.

Accompanied by the school leadership, Wang Qi Zhi and Shang Yan were originally scheduled to take turns giving the explanation.

But once they entered the exhibition hall, the two of them suddenly remembered: if the leaders asked what kind of glaze these four red glaze vessels were, what kind of porcelain the hundreds of broken artifacts and countless shards were, or where the Chicken Cup came from, how were they supposed to respond?

Thinking quickly, Wang Qi Zhi gave Lin Sicheng and Zhao Xiuneng a nudge.

One was the Person in Charge of the Center, the other was a Partner of the Center, and both were third-generation inheritors; if you two don't go up, who will?

But immediately, sweat broke out on Zhao Xiuneng's forehead.

If you asked old Zhao to brag in front of a bunch of peers, he wouldn't be the least bit timid. But to explain to the leaders... Professor Wang, aren't you setting me up?

Seeing his pained expression and hesitation, Lin Sicheng gave him a look. Then, he led the group of leaders into the exhibition hall.

At first, everyone thought it was just a formality. Because Feng Jian and Dean Geng both knew that today's ceremony was too rushed, and the exhibits in the so-called exhibition hall were all borrowed from the school.

There weren't many items, nothing new, and nothing worth seeing.

But after entering, the group was shocked: why was it so full?

The gold carvings, Jade, Bronze Basin, and Ancient Painting could be ignored; they were all decorated with ribbons, clearly gifts from friends and family.

But where did those broken artifacts and colorful shards of porcelain come from?

All in all, there were hundreds of broken artifacts and shards.

The two looked at each other, each more suspicious than the other.

"Leaders, these are all supported by General Manager Zhao!"

Lin Sicheng spoke methodically, pointing at Zhao Xiuneng, "At the beginning of the studio's establishment, General Manager Zhao traveled to various provinces, visiting all the major kilns and ancient kilns... It took several months and countless funds to have the hundred-plus display pieces and thousands of restoration samples in the exhibition hall today.

From the Painted Pottery of the Western Han Dynasty, the Primitive Celadon of the Eastern Han, to the Half-Glazed Ware of the Three Kingdoms, and the Yue Kiln Secret Celadon of the two Jin dynasties. Then to the Tang Sancai of the Tang Dynasty, the Xing Kiln White Porcelain, and the Color Painting from Changsha...

And then to the Five Great Kilns and Six Kiln Systems of the Song Dynasty, and the Official Kiln and folk kiln systems of the Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties... It can be said that the Creation and Research Center now has everything when it comes to samples of ancient famous kilns and famous porcelain..."

Lin Sicheng stated it flatly, but Zhao Xiuneng's eyelids were twitching: Traveled across the country, visited all the famous kilns—how come I didn't know about this?

I just went to Beijing once, and it's being blown up by Lin Sicheng as having gone through all sorts of hardships, climbing mountains and wading through water, not to mention the countless funds spent?

The group of leaders was also stunned: Everything when it comes to ancient famous kilns and famous porcelain?

Lin Sicheng, isn't this brag a bit too big?

Even Dean Geng thought the same.

However, there were indeed many items, so he didn't say anything; just like taking a cursory look at flowers while riding a horse, Lin Sicheng picked out the more representative ones to talk about.

At first, no one paid much attention, but when they saw something particularly special, District Mayor Feng would focus on learning more about it. Dean Geng also chimed in with a few supportive remarks.

But when they got to the Song Porcelain, Feng Jian realized something was wrong: this colorful bottle with a missing mouth, is it Jun Kiln?

Although he didn't understand much, he had at least heard the ancient proverbs about Jun Kiln: "One color entering the kiln, ten thousand colors exiting," "Gold has a price, but Jun is priceless," and "Better to have a piece of Jun Porcelain than a house full of wealth."

Therefore, even if it were a damaged piece, Jun Porcelain should be very rare. Yet here, there were seven or eight pieces displayed?

While he was still surprised, Lin Sicheng talked about another Rice Yellow Glaze Straight-Neck Bottle from the Song Dynasty Official Kiln, as well as a few porcelain shards from the Ru Kiln.

At first glance, they were broken and tattered, not very eye-catching, but in an instant, Dean Geng's eyes went wide.

District Mayor Feng paused for a moment: the meaning is, these few damaged pieces, and these seven or eight porcelain shards, are all authentic?

Thinking back to what Lin Sicheng said earlier about the Five Great Kilns and the Six Kiln Systems: Ru, Official, Ge, Ding, Jun... could it really be that not a single kiln was missing?

Official, Ge, Ding, and Jun were one thing, but the Ru Kiln... honestly, Dean Geng had only ever seen a few pieces in a Museum. He had never imagined that one day, he would be able to see this stuff at school?

And could even conduct Artifact Research on the spot?

He looked again and again, confirming it beyond doubt, then slowly let out a breath: "Thank you, General Manager Zhao!"

Zhao Xiuneng felt a surge of spirit, a reserved smile appearing on his face: "You are too kind, Dean!"

Continuing forward, seeing the four pieces of Qing Dynasty Imperial Red Glaze gifted by Zhao Xiuneng, the group of leaders was shocked again: using items worth tens of millions as a congratulatory gift, how high must this General Manager Zhao's expectations for Lin Sicheng be, and how heavy must his trust be?

The key is, how could he be willing to part with them?

Amidst the sighs, Lin Sicheng spoke about the Doucai Chicken Cup.

At first, everyone thought they were imitations, until Lin Sicheng mentioned three or four times, "Ming Dynasty Chenghua Doucai Chicken Cup," and the group realized belatedly: these two items, are they real?

For a moment, they didn't know what to say.

It was no exaggeration; the expressions on their faces were no different from the guests who had gathered in a pile earlier, shocked into silence.

They just felt, such items, how could this General Manager Zhao be willing to give them away?

The key is, how could Lin Sicheng dare to accept them?

And even, he dared to repair them?

What if he ruined them during the repair?

Too shocked to remain unmoved, Feng Jian watched for a long while, then turned his head to look at Zhao Xiuneng and smiled: "Thank you for your support, General Manager Zhao!"

General Manager Zhao felt a jolt in his heart: "You flatter me, leader!"

This is what they call manifesting holiness in front of people and leaving a name behind. Today he deliberately held back, arriving at the very last moment; besides giving Lin Sicheng face, wasn't he waiting for this very moment?

In the future, whenever Lin Sicheng achieves something, he will surely mention: there was once a Partner who gifted Director Lin two Chicken Cups.

That is enough...

Just like that, for just one exhibition hall, Lin Sicheng tried his best to be concise and compressed, yet half an hour had passed and he still hadn't finished.

Just as he was thinking about whether to skip the rest, Wang Qi Zhi stood by his side and gave him a subtle look.

Thinking he was being told to hurry up, Lin Sicheng nodded slightly, spoke about one more item, and finished on the spot.

Wang Qi Zhi took over the lead, preparing to head to the second floor. Someone with sharp eyes looked outside.

First they were stunned, then they peered carefully: "Is that car outside Mayor Li's car?"

The whole group turned their heads in unison.