Chapter 265: A Waste of Talent

Fang Jinduan brought pastries, Li Zhen poured tea, yet Wu Hui did not move at all.

He sat quietly opposite, staring at Lin Sicheng, his expression complex and inexplicable: shock, astonishment, incredulity, disbelief...

For one week, Wu Hui had worked day and night, forgetting to sleep and eat, losing a whole circle of weight, only then managing to verify a small half of the results in Lin Sicheng's Artifact Research report.

That was just the basic solvent ratio and Inorganic salt synergy. He hadn't even managed to look at the remaining three major categories.

And this was while holding the standard answer key for reverse verification; if one had to start the research from scratch, how long would it take?

From the end of the eighties to 2000, the Cultural Relics Research Institute increased the corrosion inhibition rate of BTA to seventy percent, taking eleven years.

Afterward, borrowing the mathematical models and core data from the Cultural Relics Research Institute, the National Museum of China took five years to increase the corrosion inhibition rate of BTA to seventy-five percent.

During the same period, the Peking University Cultural Heritage Department found a different path, researching a compound system, and took three years to increase the corrosion inhibition rate of BTA to eighty percent.

These were just the three most authoritative and top-tier institutions in the field of BTA archaeological application research; the second-tier, third-tier, and even unnamed university groups and research institutions were too numerous to count.

There were a great many that spent eight, nine, or ten years without any results, just following behind others eating dust.

And how long did Lin Sicheng take?

One year!

And what was the efficiency?

Over ninety-five percent.

After a long silence, Wu Hui let out a long sigh: "Lin Sicheng, do you know how difficult materials science research is?"

Lin Sicheng did not make a sound.

If one were to talk about difficulty, it was indeed difficult.

First, it involves too broad a range of fields: physics, chemistry, biology, mechanical engineering, quantum mechanics, condensed matter physics, materials science, polymer chemistry, as well as materials thermodynamics, material preparation processes, and so on and so forth.

Second, it is sufficiently abstract. Take just one point: material properties need to combine macroscopic data, mesoscopic structure, microscopic principles, molecular levels... Just this one line of text—you recognize the words separately, but when put together, don't you feel like: what kind of nonsense is this talking about?

It's normal not to understand it; if you pull a few graduates from a materials major in their senior year, a whole bunch of them won't understand it either.

Therefore, any research team involved in materials science must have over a dozen researchers just for the staff; if you are even one short, your experiment won't be able to proceed.

And this is just the basic team configuration; when it comes to specific research and practice, the difficulty coefficient is a geometric multiple of a geometric multiple.

First, the material design space is enormous; there are countless possible combinations for choosing building units and their arrangement methods, and you have to test them one by one and eliminate them one by one.

Just like the Inorganic salt synergy in Lin Sicheng's report: BTA + Molybdate/Tungstate/Phosphate/Silicate.

At first glance, there are only four types of compound systems, so it feels very simple?

But when it comes to specific classified varieties, the total number of monomers for the four types of salts is over one thousand one hundred. If you expand this to inorganic salts suitable for corrosion inhibitors, the base unit is in the "ten thousands"!

Moreover, it is not the case that if you choose the right monomer, the experiment will succeed: you also need precise core ratios, the types, quantities, and order of metal ions and organic acids that need to be added, as well as experimental environmental parameters: pH range, temperature, humidity, and so on and so forth, precise to the degree of several decimal places.

No matter which one it is, if you are off by even one percentage point, an experiment that took ten, twenty, or even one or two months to prepare can be scrapped on the spot.

Secondly: because of technical blockades, it is difficult to accurately predict performance through mature foreign theoretical models. It requires repeated trial and error, repeated experimentation, and even more long-term accumulation of experimental data.

Sometimes, a breakthrough takes time, at least measured in "decades."

For example, the Cultural Relics Research Institute.

But behind the Cultural Relics Research Institute and the National Museum of China stand the Ministry, and behind the Peking University Cultural Heritage Department is the top university in the country. Every team gathers the most authoritative Experts in the country and uses the most top-tier equipment and the highest purity materials.

And what about Lin Sicheng?

The three Group Leaders in the laboratory are all laymen, and the rest are all Interns. Counting them up, Wang Qi Zhi knows a little bit, but he is a hands-off Manager?

Does that mean these research results were all achieved by Lin Sicheng alone?

If you were to list a formula: Lin Sicheng VS top domestic archaeological research institutions = KO.

The key is that he didn't even study materials science, and he hasn't even graduated from university yet... Who can wrap their head around this?

Wu Hui sighed again: "Lin Sicheng, do you know what it means once these results of yours are published?"

Lin Sicheng paused.

Of course he knew: increasing the corrosion inhibition rate of the basic solvent to eighty-five percent meant that the eleven years of the Cultural Relics Research Institute and the five years of the National Museum of China were all wasted effort.

Including the tens of millions in economic costs and the heart and blood of dozens of Experts over more than a decade, it was all in vain.

At the same time, it also meant that this track had been completely blocked off by him.

He expanded the inorganic salt compound system to four types, which meant that the three years of the Peking University Cultural Heritage Department were also wasted effort.

A corrosion inhibition rate of ninety-six percent or higher meant: the track of inorganic salt compounding had also been blocked off by him.

Although Lin Sicheng was still in the research stage for the remaining three major categories, he had basically already drawn the framework and locked in the research direction.

It can be said like this: from now on, no matter who researches BTA archaeological application corrosion inhibition technology, Lin Sicheng is like a Seat Mountain standing in the middle of the road, the kind you can never get around.

And this was while he was deliberately slowing down his research rhythm and intentionally suppressing the experimental progress; otherwise, these three tracks would also have been completely blocked off by him...

Seeing that Lin Sicheng didn't speak, Wu Hui thought he didn't realize the severity of the problem and emphasized again: "Not just archaeology, not just the Cultural Relics and Museology Department field!"

Lin Sicheng nodded.

The foundation of industry is metal, and as long as it is metal, it will oxidize. So even if BTA corrosion inhibition only accounts for a tiny part of the metal protection field, compared to the archaeological field, it is like the difference between a watermelon and a sesame seed:

Electronic industry, cooling systems for automobiles, etc., oilfield water injection, water treatment and circulation, metal processing, and even future new energy (battery electrodes, conductive metal salts).

To say it is difficult to promote how much progress the domestic industry will make might be an exaggeration, but it will certainly be of some use to domestic industrial development...

"Department Head Wu, you must be very curious: with so many institutions across the country researching BTA archaeological applications, some having started since the eighties, researching for over ten or twenty years without overcoming the difficulties, and some areas even being things people hadn't even imagined, why did I only take one year, and why are the results I produced not only numerous but all subversive?"

"Even more so, for some experiments that require hundreds or perhaps thousands of sets, why was I able to accurately construct the units after doing only a dozen or so? For some experiments with very high uncertainty that are extremely prone to errors, why was I able to predict the accurate data model after only a few attempts?"

"It's as if I already knew the precise data sets, and even already knew what kind of monomers were effective and what kind were ineffective?"

Wu Hui nodded vigorously: Isn't that exactly how it is?

It's just like Lin Sicheng is copying from the answer key...

"If I said that the reason the experimental accuracy is high and the number of trial-and-error attempts is low is entirely the result of my deduction and comparison based on published relevant Thesis papers, you certainly wouldn't believe me?"

Wu Hui let out a "Ha": "That's exactly what Wang Qi Zhi said!"

But I'll be damned if I believe it...

Lin Sicheng smiled: "I can mention a few papers that Department Head Wu should have an impression of: In fact, as early as 2000, Professor Xu Qunjie of Shanghai University of Electric Power proposed a research direction on the AC impedance of compound tungsten-based corrosion inhibitors for the corrosion inhibition of copper electrodes."

"In 2004, Dalian University of Technology proposed the preparation and corrosion inhibition performance of long-acting corrosion-resistant coatings of phytic acid salt-doped polypyrrole/Nano-SiO2/epoxy resin..."

"In 2005, Professor He Jun of Wuhan University proposed research on the synergistic corrosion inhibition behavior of mercaptobenzimidazole and sodium molybdate on brass."

"These three theses are the earliest in the country regarding the application of BTA inorganic salt synergy and BTA organic salt compound synergy. During this period, many other relevant theses were published..."

"Professor Xu Fei of Nanjing Museum proposed in 2002: A comparative study of the corrosion inhibitors BTA and AMT for the protection of bronze cultural relics... In 2004, Hebei University of Science and Technology proposed research on the preparation and performance of SiO2 microsphere-loaded BTA corrosion inhibitor-type self-healing corrosion-resistant coatings... and in 2005, a photoelectrochemical comparison of BTA series corrosion inhibitors for copper corrosion inhibition..."

Every time Lin Sicheng mentioned a paper, Wu Hui's eyelids twitched.

He knew some of them, such as Professor Xu Qunjie: this person is a big name in the field of China's energy material electrochemistry, responsible for major research plan projects of the National Natural Science Foundation, and researching several items simultaneously.

But his main focus is power plant chemistry, energy storage battery materials, and power material protection. By comparison, the proportion of metal protection is extremely small, and research subdivided into the field of BTA archaeology is even more negligible.

Therefore, the direction proposed by Professor Xu was just a direction; he left it alone after proposing it.

When the National Museum of China initiated the project, someone did suggest trying it. But immediately, someone objected: first, they didn't have as much money as the power group, and second, they weren't as professional as Professor Xu. Since even he didn't continue the research, one can see the difficulty, right?

It was subsequently dropped.

Wu Hui had also looked into some: Professor He Jun of Wuhan University proposed mercaptobenzimidazole and sodium molybdate; this direction is for copper brighteners in the electroplating field, which touches on BTA, but only to a limited extent.

There is also Professor Xu Fei of Nanjing Museum; AMT is a type of tungstate, and when mixed with BTA, the effect is not even as good as the basic solvent.

Therefore, if one were to say that Lin Sicheng deduced experimental units, constructed arrangements, and even accurately predicted experimental monomers based on these theses, Wu Hui absolutely would not believe it.

Lin Sicheng looked left and right: "I will mention one more, but Department Head Wu, just listen; once I walk out this door, I will definitely not admit it..."

"In November 1991, the Light Industry Ministry published a book titled 'Technical Data: Recent Fine Chemical Formulations and Technologies in the United States,' which included BTA inorganic salt compounding and organic salt synergy. I wonder if Department Head Wu has any impression of it?"

Fine chemical formulations, and even technology... Impossible!

Could the Americans be that generous?

Wu Hui was half-believing and half-doubting, trying hard to recall: "Why don't I have an impression? Wang Qi Zhi, do you have an impression?"

Wang Qi Zhi shook his head repeatedly.

"Because the journal only published one issue!" Lin Sicheng smiled, "The technology given by the United States was provided in October, published in November, and they demanded it back in January of the following year, after which they explicitly restricted us from using it. Therefore, in February 1992, the State Council issued a red-headed document and recalled all the journals..."

Wang Qi Zhi stared with wide eyes, as if listening to a story.

Wu Hui recalled, and a flash of light crossed his mind: In December 1991, the Soviet Union dissolved.

Before that, the two sides could be said to be as sweet as honey, but after that, it took a sharp turn for the worse. To borrow a phrase from Xinhua News Agency at the time: Sino-US relations were extremely tense.

According to Lin Sicheng's account: The Americans had just given the technology, but the Soviet Union underwent a change. Naturally, China became the biggest rival. Giving more technology would be equivalent to sending guns and ammunition to the enemy.

Even what had already been given had to be taken back.

Understood this way, it could make sense. But Wu Hui truly did not remember such a thing happening...

"Every trade has its master; in the archaeological field at that time, there wasn't much application of fine chemical technology, so Department Head Wu might not have paid much attention. But major universities and industrial research institutions must have had an impression..."

After a slight pause, Lin Sicheng said pointedly: "For example, Professor Xu Qunjie and Professor He Jun of Wuhan University should have both looked into it... but BTA technology only occupied a very small part of the journal, the analysis wasn't very detailed, and furthermore, the application field was limited, so they didn't put much effort into it..."

As time passed, only a vague impression remained, and occasionally when they remembered it, they would quickly publish a thesis. It could be considered providing some direction for relevant research units..."

The two were stunned for a moment, then suddenly realized: So that's where those theses Lin Sicheng mentioned earlier came from?

BTA only occupied a very small part, so what about the rest?

Subconsciously, Wu Hui thought of those National Level projects of Professor Xu, and the Wuhan University School of Molecular Sciences that won awards at every turn.

Suddenly, his eyes lit up, and he just wanted to ask: Since the journals were all recalled, where did you read them?

But immediately, Wu Hui remembered what Lin Sicheng had just said: Department Head Wu, just listen; once I walk out this door, I will definitely not admit it.

The logic is simple: you secretly read, secretly learn, and secretly research—that's all fine. Even changing the name and publishing a thesis openly is even more fine.

If you insist on bringing up sensitive topics, you must be prepared to be scolded or even invited to attend an ideological education class.

If it were Wu Hui, Wu Hui wouldn't admit it either.

He also understood: Why did Lin Sicheng research so many results but keep them in his hands without publishing them?

He definitely wants to publish, but it's impossible to release them all at once...

Just as he was thinking, Lin Sicheng explained again: "Department Head Wu, if you want to find them, you can definitely find relevant materials; at most, you'd have to change the name, and you might even be able to borrow the original handwritten copies."

"Once you read them, you will understand: BTA technical data is indeed very scarce, with only a few subdivided research directions. Even for research, various units would definitely prioritize those with detailed formulations, wider application ranges, and those that are relatively more important, or even technologies that might cause 'choke-point' issues."

"So, the big shots aren't incapable; they just couldn't spare the time. I just happened to be there at the right time and picked up a leak; don't think of me as too magical..."

Wu Hui was silent.

If the inorganic salts and organic salts were the ideas Lin Sicheng found there, then the animal and plant source synergy and BTA resin composite protection must have been researched by Lin Sicheng independently, right?

He had seen all the data and figures; Wu Hui could be certain that Lin Sicheng had already broken through the key steps, and the rest was nothing more than verification.

He could even conclude: The research direction in the BTA archaeology field for the next ten years could not possibly escape these two scopes.

Non-toxic, environmentally friendly, and a corrosion inhibition rate of over 96% meant that these two tracks had already been completely sealed off by Lin Sicheng.

If the news were passed back, it is estimated that those experts at the Cultural Relics Research Institute and the National Museum of China, as well as Professor Hu at Peking University, would have to bang their heads against the wall...

Wu Hui sighed: "Lin Sicheng, following Wang Qi Zhi is a waste of your talent!"

Wang Qi Zhi rolled his eyes...