Chapter 324: Are all the people who come to help this strong?

The sky was very clear, the air was cold, and the leaves of the locust tree were stained with a thin layer of frost.

A Pasat pulled up at the entrance, and Lin Sicheng and Zhao Xiuxian stepped down the stairs to welcome them.

A man and a woman got out of the car; the man was around forty, the woman twenty-five or twenty-six. Their features were somewhat similar, but they didn't look like father and daughter; rather, they looked like siblings with a significant age gap.

Even though it was their first time meeting, there was a vague sense of familiarity. It wasn't until Zhao Xiuxian extended his hand and offered a greeting, and the man and woman opposite him smiled with crinkling eyes, that Lin Sicheng suddenly realized.

Natural peach-blossom eyes, exactly the same as that General Manager Ren he had met the day before yesterday.

Wondering if the three were biological siblings, cousins, or distant cousins, Zhao Xiuxian introduced the two parties.

"General Manager Yu, this is Teacher Lin!"

The man didn't shake hands, but instead performed a cupped-fist salute: "Manager Lin, I have long admired your reputation and have come to ask for a cup of tea!"

This salute was quite interesting: both hands were clenched into fists, with the two thumbs tucked into the palms, looking like a gold ingot.

This sentence was even more interesting.

To translate: don't rush to talk business yet, let's test our credentials first!

"Boheng, prepare the tea!" Lin Sicheng returned the salute, "The two of you, please come in!"

Wang Qi Zhi stood in the lobby, watching them head straight for the Reception Room: "General Manager Zhao, what does this mean?"

"Panlong Sect, also known as 'Seat Mountain Armor', it's just testing credentials!" Zhao Xiuneng glanced over, "Junior Brother can handle it!"

Of course.

It wasn't as if Wang Qi Zhi hadn't seen it before; when Lin Sicheng played the underworld game, he was even more like an old hand than veterans like Zhao Xiuneng.

But these people were, after all, involved in dangerous dealings; as the old saying goes, porcelain shouldn't collide with earthenware, so one still had to be on guard when necessary.

"General Manager Zhao, they've gone to the Reception Room, should we go in?"

Zhao Xiuneng shook his head: "Fellow travelers in the underworld visiting for the first time—too many people is not good, and it would weaken our momentum! Besides, Boheng and Zhongjiu are there, Professor Wang need not worry!"

Wang Qi Zhi nodded: "Right, and there's General Manager Zhao!"

At the mention of Zhao Xiuxian, Zhao Xiuneng curled his lip.

The second brother was the typical character who had great ambition but little talent, and loved to stir up trouble. Not only was he unskilled and loved to play around, but he only had three minutes of enthusiasm; let alone the Panlong Sect, he hadn't even memorized the Yuanliang Seal completely.

Thinking secretly, he pointed to the computer behind the bar: "There is a camera in the Reception Room, we can just keep an eye on it!"

As he spoke, the two walked over and pulled up the surveillance of the tea room.

Zhao Xiuxian had self-awareness; he knew these two weren't looking for him, he had just led the way, so he didn't follow them in.

In the tea room, Zhao Da brewed the tea, and Zhao Er stood to one side of the tea table, ready to listen to instructions.

The three sat down, Lin Sicheng in the main seat, and the siblings opposite. No one spoke, as if everyone was waiting for the other to start.

After scalding the cups with boiling water twice and washing the tea, just as Zhao Da was about to pour, the man's hand reached out: "Brother, let me!"

Zhao Da didn't move; only after seeing Lin Sicheng nod did he release his hand.

The man took the teapot, tilted it slightly, and the water poured like a stream.

With a soft sound of "Whoosh", steam rose up, and the tea leaves slowly unfurled, swirling in the cup.

The man put down the teapot and slowly pushed the tea cup forward.

Lin Sicheng smiled, picked up the tea cup, put it back down, and then placed the teapot horizontally.

It was still the cup in front and the pot behind, but previously the cup faced Lin Sicheng and the pot handle faced the man. Now it had changed to the cup on the left and the pot on the right, with the spout and handle parallel to the two of them, lying horizontally between them.

The man nodded, took two more empty cups, and placed them side by side. He turned the teapot again, the spout still facing forward, behind the two cups.

Lin Sicheng picked up the pot, filled them one by one, pushed them forward, and there was one cup in front of each of the man and the woman. This time, the spout was no longer horizontal, but pointed toward himself.

Seeming very surprised, the man paused for a moment, then looked left and right, picked up the tea spoon, and placed it horizontally in front of the cup in front of him.

Lin Sicheng smiled, picked up the tea spoon, and laid it horizontally across his own tea cup.

The movements were extremely fast, dazzling, taking only two minutes from start to finish.

Wang Qi Zhi knew they were testing credentials, but couldn't understand: "General Manager Zhao, what do these mean?"

Zhao Xiuneng stared intently at the screen, "Offering tea, also called 'Asking the Way'—the 'way' of fellow travelers—also known as the Dragon Gate Array. The first time, one pot and one cup, the spout facing forward, and the tea cup in front of the spout; this move is called 'Immortal Asking the Way'. The man is asking Junior Brother: What kind of sacred person is this master?"

"Junior Brother served tea and placed the pot and cup horizontally, meaning: we are all friends, no need to worry, we are not 'Intercepting the Arena' (stealing business), nor are we 'Planting a Stake' (sabotaging), we are just passing through!"

"The second time, the man took two empty cups, with the pot behind in the middle, meaning the head of the house is present, and there is a request."

"Junior Brother filled the tea, pushed it forward, and pointed the spout toward himself. It means: I am untalented, just leading my brothers to earn a living. Treating guests with tea, if the hospitality is lacking, please speak up if you have any needs... I guess he hasn't seen a head of the house as young as Junior Brother, which is why the man was so surprised."

"Afterward, he placed the tea spoon on the base of the cup, meaning a sudden change has occurred, a desperate situation in the underworld. Junior Brother taking the tea spoon and placing it across his own tea cup means: since we are fellow travelers, I will not shirk from the duty!"

Wang Qi Zhi was stunned: "Testing credentials, it's all this complicated?"

"Not strange! Professor Wang doesn't mix in this line, so you might not feel it deeply. But I can guarantee that the few moves Junior Brother showed at Qianjin Lu the day before yesterday must have shocked that woman quite a bit. Let me give you an analogy: it's like someone who practices the Dao meeting a baby who just dropped its pacifier, only to find it's a thousand-year-old demon."

"Secondly, in this circle in Beijing, they are the hosts, and Junior Brother is the 'dragon crossing the river'; it's not strange to ask about the purpose of coming here. The most important thing is: they have a request, and it's a major matter; in terms of emotion and reason, they have to test the temperature and try the authenticity."

"How to test? Ask for names, where they are from, and what kind of influence they have!"

"People in this line generally don't ask that, otherwise if Junior Brother turns it around and asks what kind of business they are doing and where they are getting rich, will they answer or not?"

Zhao Xiuneng pointed at the screen: "The key lies in this Dragon Gate Array, which is a hundred times more profound than any Yuanliang Seal or underworld jargon. If you aren't a peer whose lineage has been passed down for several generations, let alone setting it up, you wouldn't even recognize it! But as long as you can set it up and handle the moves, it proves you are absolutely a fellow traveler in the underworld."

Wang Qi Zhi suddenly realized: he remembered that last year when he went to Baoji and met Zhao Xiuneng for the first time, he and Lin Sicheng had also performed these few moves.

Then, Zhao Laotai gave away an Imperial Bowl, then an Inkstone, giving away things worth millions without blinking. She even almost forced upon Lin Sicheng two Chicken Cups that were broken but worth at least ten million each.

Afterward, he had always wondered: they had never met, so why were they so trusting of Lin Sicheng?

Thinking about it now, it was because of this Dragon Gate Array...

"Does that mean: as long as you can handle the moves, you can be one hundred percent trusted?"

"If you are working in the gray areas, there's a slight possibility, like me. But for people like this, they are engaged in business where their heads are tied to their waistbands. Once something happens, at best you sit in prison until the end of time, at worst you get a bullet; they don't even trust their own parents one hundred percent, let alone fellow travelers they've never met?"

Zhao Xiuneng shook his head, "They are just probing the path first, identifying the quality, and then they will weigh the pros and cons. If the craftsmanship is indeed high, then they will try to cooperate once. Only after testing seven or eight times is it possible to do long-term business."

"But it's limited to cooperation: I pay, you fix the item. Don't ask me where the item came from, or who you sell it to after it's fixed, just earn your money, like Qianjin Lu. Of course, it's also possible that seeing Junior Brother's craftsmanship is too high, they might get the idea of pulling him into the fold."

"With Junior Brother's craftsmanship, if we were to rank, he would be at least the third or fourth in command; of course, that's assuming Junior Brother is willing to provide a 'pledge of allegiance'..."

How does one present a "letter of intent" to join? By killing someone?

Wang Qi Zhi sighed: No one knows a disciple better than their master; Lin Sicheng was one hundred percent harboring such thoughts, otherwise he wouldn't have worked so hard at Qianjin Lu the day before yesterday.

To cooperate for the long term, one certainly cannot send third-rate goods like today's, or even that woman from the day before yesterday; at the very least, it must be a second-level leader.

To recruit someone who can occupy the third or fourth chair, at least the big boss must show up. The so-called "Jiang Taigong fishing," one doesn't fear you won't take the bait, one only fears you won't show your head...

While he was secretly pondering, the man picked up his Tea Cup and gestured. Lin Sicheng also picked his up, and the two took a sip in unison.

"Finished checking?"

"Yes!" Zhao Xiuneng nodded, "Actually, this group of people isn't very suspicious of Junior Brother's identity; checking him these few times was just to be safe."

Wang Qi Zhi didn't understand: "Just because they saw he was young?"

Zhao Xiuneng didn't make a sound: Was it because Lin Sicheng was young?

Standing so close, Professor Wang, won't you look at me first?

Seeing him not speak, Wang Qi Zhi's thoughts shifted slightly, and he suddenly realized: With Zhao Xiuneng there, it was equivalent to having an invisible layer of guarantee.

Because before knowing Lin Sicheng, Zhao Xiuneng was still doing the business of building bridges and paving roads, sitting in place and splitting the loot. With this group, he was a comrade in the true sense of the word.

Lin Sicheng could call such people brothers and even take his two sons as apprentices; what kind of good path could that be?

In the blink of an eye, the few people in the tea room had already walked out, and Zhao Xiuneng stood up: "Professor Wang, you sit; I'll go meet them!"

Wang Qi Zhi had no interest in dealing with these people; he clicked the mouse, and the camera followed the figures of the few.

"General Manager Zhao, long time no see!"

"General Manager Yu, nice to meet you!"

With just these two simple sentences, Zhao Xiuneng led the few to the work area.

"First it was probing the door, so next is identifying the quality and weighing the goods?"

Muttering to himself, Wang Qi Zhi clicked the mouse, and the studio screen appeared on the computer.

The place was quite large, about seventy or eighty square meters, with a long table in the middle and equipment on both sides.

The equipment for Artifact Restoration of porcelain had already been moved away, replaced by the set for repairing gold and silver.

High-tech items included: Laser Cleaning Machine, Stereomicroscope, Micro-manipulation Robotic Arm, Formic Acid Vapor, Electrolytic Reduction, Laser Welder, and Pneumatic Dispenser.

There were even more traditional ones: Eel Anvil, Sandalwood Press, Willow Leaf Tweezers, Hair Drill, and Ox Horn Board. There were also Gold Polishing Wood, Cocoon Wipe, and Chiwen Chisel.

Just these things, all domestic products, still cost Zhao Xiuneng over seven hundred thousand...

Scanning roughly, when he saw a few materials on the shelf, the man's eyes narrowed: Wumei Paste, White Chalk Mud, Tartaric Acid?

The names were very ordinary, but the formulas were extremely complex, and their uses were even more so. For the gold and silver ornament Craftsman in ancient imperial palaces, these three were essential items: the former for corrosion prevention, the middle one for absorbing chlorine, and the latter for cleaning.

But that was ancient times; in the modern era, let alone mixing and using them, there were few who even knew the formulas.

After looking roughly, the man gestured, and the woman opened a leather suitcase and took out a sandalwood box.

Opening it again, inside was a Scent Pouch.

Silver, Gold-gilding, filigree scrolling grass pattern brocade ground, inlaid with Kingfisher Feather Inlay, pearl, and Shanhulu plum blossom patterns.

It was double-sided; one side was intact, novel and unique, with an interesting shape. But the other side was like it had been chewed by a dog. A pit on the left, a groove on the right.

Lin Sicheng was stunned for a moment, flipping the Scent Pouch over and over to look at it, his face full of strangeness.

The item was quite pretty, the pearls were bright, the silver threads were fine and even, and the structure was both three-dimensional and beautiful, but it looked brand new at a glance.

And it was all machine work: the threads were pulled by machine, then programmed by computer, the edges were sealed by machine, and the pearls were also embedded by machine. Including the gold beads on the trim, they were also spun by machine, not granulated.

It could be said that the parts of this thing made by hand did not exceed twenty percent.

The more critical point lay in the black pits and black holes on the back.

If nothing went wrong, it should have been intentionally cut and then etched with acid, and the time elapsed was no more than two days.

Lin Sicheng sighed and held up the Scent Pouch: "General Manager Yu, really repairing it?"

"Of course!" The man nodded and gestured again, "Fifty thousand!"

The fifty thousand the man spoke of naturally referred to the manual labor fee for the repair, but to tell the truth, fifty thousand could buy at least seven or eight of these.

Was he really willing to spend that much?

Lin Sicheng nodded and put on gloves: "Senior Brother Fang!"

Fang Jin hurriedly stepped forward: "Teacher Lin!"

"5% saturated sodium bicarbonate solution, soak for 30 minutes, ultrasonic cleaning in pure water, 40kHz/5 minutes... use a syringe to drip 2% Paraloid B72 acetone solution to the edge of the hole, cover with 0.02mm thin silk paper..."

"Boheng, Zhongjiu, prepare the materials!"

The two brothers called out "Master" and stepped forward in unison.

"For the filigree parts, lightly grind with horsetail stems dipped in Tea Oil, then remove rust with a cotton swab of Wumei Paste; remember to measure the pH: around pH 4.2."

"For the Gold-gilding parts: Laser Cleaner, Nd: YAG 1064nm, energy density 0.8J/cm, pulse frequency 10Hz, then Micro-particle Sandblasting. Glass powder particle size 15μm, air pressure 0.1MPa, incident angle 45°."

The man and woman were stunned for a moment: So fast?

The two were experts themselves, otherwise Ren Danhua wouldn't have sent them. Although their craftsmanship wasn't high, they were definitely knowledgeable: the former was for neutralizing residual acid and removing reaction salts, and temporary stabilization.

The latter was for zone-by-zone and layer-by-layer treatment, removing grime, rust, and acid.

The procedure was certainly correct, but the key lay in the solvent ratio, time, cleaning frequency, and the method of reinforcement.

For example, it was like a patient critically injured and dying being sent to the hospital emergency room; an ordinary doctor would have to check first, look at the report to judge how severe the injury was, how large the wound was, what blood type to transfuse, and what kind of cardiac stimulant to inject.

But a brilliant doctor only needs one look to dare to write the medical orders.

Secretly surprised, the younger sister stepped forward, her peach-blossom eyes fluttering: "Manager Lin, how did this Scent Pouch get broken?"

You broke it yourself, don't you know?

Throwing a flirtatious glance at a blind man, Lin Sicheng prepared his tools on his own: "First poked, then cut, then dripped with oxalic acid... roughly thirty-seven or thirty-eight hours, no more than forty hours."

Pausing slightly, Lin Sicheng tilted his head and looked at her hands: "You did it!"

The woman froze, her eyes bulging slightly, her lips slightly parted.

The item was ruined by her; wasn't it just poking first, then cutting, and then dripping acid?

Calculating the time again, it was done the night before last, so isn't that exactly thirty-some hours?

A flash of light, however, crossed the man's eyes: could it really be a pair of fiery eyes that see everything?

After the cousin went back the day before last, she said she had met a kid whose eyes were incredibly sharp and whose brain turned incredibly fast, but they didn't believe it at all.

If it were a matter of relying on one's eye for judging the newness, age, or authenticity of an object, that might still be plausible. But to say that by just looking from afar, one could tell which person repaired which item, which part was repaired well, which part was repaired poorly, what materials were used, what shortcuts were taken, and even describe the entire process clearly—the brother and sister felt it was highly unlikely.

Not to mention knowing how Li Jiansheng's arm was broken and when it was broken just by a single glance?

But now, they at least believed more than half of it: just by glancing a few times, he knew how this thing was broken, which day it was broken, and even who broke it?

To be honest, even an X-ray isn't this precise.

The more she thought about it, the more amazed she became, and the sister leaned in a little closer: "How did Manager Lin know it was me who broke it?"

Lin Sicheng still didn't look up: "Honey, coconut, rose, chamomile..."

The others were baffled, but the woman seemed stunned, slowly raising her hand.

What Lin Sicheng said was the hand cream she had applied.

It wasn't strange that he could smell the scent on her body, but what was strange was: how could he identify the ingredients so clearly?

What exactly does this person do?

The brother and sister exchanged a look; the sister nodded slightly and curled her peach-blossom eyes again. Then, she rolled up her sleeves, revealing arms like scallion roots:

"Manager Lin, I've also studied a bit of Artifact Restoration, and I know how to use all kinds of instruments, equipment, and traditional tools. I can also prepare materials; would you like me to lend a hand?"

Lin Sicheng shook his head directly: "Thanks, no need!"

The words were very polite, but the meaning was obvious: stand there and don't move, don't cause trouble.

The woman wrinkled her nose, staring at Lin Sicheng's profile, her eyes shimmering.

The more Wang Qi Zhi watched, the more something felt off: this woman was being a bit too proactive.

But that was secondary; he just felt that the two's gazes weren't quite right: it felt like this woman was the one in charge, and the man was just providing cover for her.

Subconsciously, he recalled what Zhao Xiuneng had said: with Junior Brother Lin's craftsmanship, this group might try to recruit him and would surely pay a high price. But the prerequisite was that Junior Brother Lin was willing to offer a pledge of allegiance...

A high price... what counts as a high price, and do people count?

The more he thought about it, the more wrong it felt, so Wang Qi Zhi stood up and entered the studio.

Hearing the movement, Lin Sicheng turned to look: "Teacher!"

"Keep busy!"

Without introducing anyone, Wang Qi Zhi looked at the brother and sister and nodded.

Ren Danhua had mentioned that a man in his thirties who looked like a loafer was this kid's teacher, formerly a Researcher at the Cultural Relics Research Institute, and now a university professor.

Although both were related to Cultural Relics, those who did Artifact Research and those who did Grave-robbing were separated not by a mountain, but by a galaxy. The two sides basically had no interaction, and the brother and sister had no intention of getting to know him.

They also just nodded, their gazes focusing back on Lin Sicheng.

Giving Zhao Xiuneng a look, which meant that this pair of man and woman was a bit off and to keep an eye on them, Wang Qi Zhi scanned the room and put on his gloves.

Lin Sicheng was pulling silver wire using a diamond die; this was an ancient method, and what followed would be threading and weaving, then Welding.

Wang Qi Zhi wasn't very proficient in this, but he studied Metal Cultural Relics Protection and taught it as well, and there was plenty here that he was good at.

Looking left and right, he fished out a silver sheet and picked up the Antler Hammer and the Chiwen Chisel.

Then, "Clang—clang, clang—clang..."

At first, no one paid attention, all staring at Lin Sicheng. But the sound was truly too loud; it was hard not to be disturbed.

Subconsciously, the man frowned slightly.

He knew what Wang Qi Zhi was doing: Micro-forging Patching.

It was roughly like sewing clothes; Lin Sicheng would darn the holes in the Scent Pouch, and after weaving, weld it together with the original broken edges.

But because the silver wire was too thin, it was easy to break right after welding, so it needed to be wrapped with silver sheets on both sides. After it cooled and set, they would be removed.

Wang Qi Zhi was chiseling the silver sheets needed as patches.

He was genuinely helping, but the sound was too loud, and the man subconsciously took a look. But it was this one look that made him pause.

Seven or eight pieces of silver foil, the size of rice grains, had been knocked off, all different, in various shapes.

Extremely thin, at most 0.1 millimeters, extremely flat, and basically the same thickness.

The key was the shape: the seven or eight silver sheets on the table looked exactly like the holes on the silver pouch.

The same size, the same shape...

Suddenly, a strange feeling welled up in the man's heart: with just these few moves, how did this person's craftsmanship look like it was even a bit better than Li Jiansheng's?

Looking at the others nearby:

Zhao Xiuneng was preparing the Gold-gilding material: Jin Red Flag, Roasting Yellow Material, Soap Locust Water, and Yellow Alum Water. His movements were exceptionally skilled and fast.

The three young ones were cleaning what needed cleaning and removing rust from what needed rust removal.

The former was easy to explain: a figure famous for many years, a genuine descendant of palace Craftsmen. Although he specialized in porcelain, he could draw inferences about other cases, so there was no problem at all with preparing materials and helping out.

The key was the ones behind: methodical, unhurried, not very fast, but extremely efficient.

Compared to Li Jiansheng, they were certainly a bit worse, but compared to the apprentices under him, they were much higher.

Looking at Lin Sicheng again, one hand with the diamond die, one hand with willow-leaf tweezers, with a "hiss," a silver wire, with another "hiss," another silver wire.

Not only thin, but also incredibly even. To be honest, let alone using the ancient method to pull it, even if using a machine, Yu Jichuan couldn't pull it to this degree.

It seems the cousin really found the right place...

Zhao Xiuneng was multitasking, secretly observing the brother and sister.

The woman's eyes were charming and shimmering, never leaving Lin Sicheng. It seems Professor Wang wasn't wrong; this woman was indeed a bit off.

As for the man, he should be an insider; he didn't know how high his craftsmanship was, but at least he was very knowledgeable.

Precisely because he was knowledgeable, he felt it more deeply: just a few people helping out, and they were actually this strong?

Zhao Da and Zhao Er were a bit better off, as they had joined the sect with prior training and possessed some foundation. Having followed Lin Sicheng for over a year with such high intensity, and with Lin Sicheng teaching them so diligently, they had managed to train their way to success.

But Fang Jin had only been here for about a year, and before he came, he didn't know a damn thing, and his comprehension was only average. It was essentially Lin Sicheng force-feeding him, feeding him bit by bit until he was brought up.

If he knew all this, the man would likely have his eyeballs pop right out of their sockets...

(End of chapter)