Chapter 431: If Not This Time, There Is Always Next Time

"Wang Qi Zhi, wait a moment..." Lv Chenglong was stunned, "How much did you just say?"

"Two hundred million!"

"Are you talking nonsense? Where would two hundred million come from?"

"Nonsense: doesn't hiring that group of swindlers cost money? Doesn't going abroad cost money? Doesn't asking that Hong Kong businessman for help require favors and bribes? Let's calculate again: how much did Lin Sicheng spend researching Yaozhou Porcelain in Tongchuan and Hejin Porcelain in Shanxi? Thirty or forty million wouldn't even cover it."

"Stop talking nonsense. Is the local government useless? Did they not help at all?"

"Oh, so you do know the local government helped? Good that you know..."

Wang Qi Zhi let out a "hiss," "Old Lv, do you know where we are going this time? Abroad. If you can guarantee that the local government departments will cooperate unconditionally like they do domestically—giving us people when we need people, giving us supplies when we need supplies, without us spending a single cent—then pretend I never said anything..."

Lv Chenglong was stunned on the spot.

Academic research isn't just about sitting in a lab, testing what components an object is made of, analyzing what technology was used, determining which era it was produced in, and which region it came from, so that you can verify history and prove the technology.

You have to investigate the origins, corroborate the craftsmanship, untangle the sequence of events, and, more importantly, trace the roots.

The key also lies in the political attributes bestowed upon these few Cultural Relics due to historical reasons: for instance, technological orthodoxy, scientific sovereignty, and even the origins of civilization.

It's like putting together a treasure map: there are over a hundred pieces, and if you are missing even one, you cannot complete the map.

And as luck would have it, the provenance of these items isn't exactly legitimate. Even if the provenance were legitimate, could you expect the foreign government to dispatch personnel for you, allocate funds for you, or even give you the green light in every way, just like they do domestically?

To put it nicely, this is archaeology; to put it bluntly: this is shaking the foundations of their legal system and digging up their roots. If anyone finds out, neither the people nor the items will be coming back.

If you want to get this done, there is only one way: enter the village quietly, don't fire a shot, and scatter money by the handful.

But two hundred million... honestly, it truly exceeded Lv Chenglong's comprehension.

In a flash, Director Lv suddenly paused: Wait... something doesn't seem right.

Isn't the research just about to start? Why would Lin Sicheng need to use so much money?

Seeing him react, Wang Qi Zhi said decisively: "The old saying goes well: prepare for a rainy day. We have already sent the items here; should I wait until you have cracked the craftsmanship and technology before tracing the origins? Of course, we must prepare early and use a two-pronged approach... Honestly, I think two hundred million is even a bit low. Lin Sicheng certainly doesn't have that much money, but I can borrow it. When I go back, I will find General Manager Zhao; if General Manager Zhao isn't enough, I will find General Manager Chen (Chen Yanyang, who runs mines in Shaanxi)... I will write the IOU myself, and let's see who dares to default."

That means the money hasn't been spent yet... oh no, it hasn't even been borrowed at all?

"So what if it hasn't been borrowed? Is it that easy to take advantage of my student?" Wang Qi Zhi sneered, "Old Lv, let me tell you, Lin Sicheng has already sold these items to me. It's not much, just two hundred million. Whoever has the ability, let them try to make me donate them?"

Lv Chenglong didn't know whether to laugh or cry: he had been led into a trap by Wang Qi Zhi.

"If you wanted me to protect Lin Sicheng, you could have just said so. Why go through so many detours?"

"Hah, does my student need your protection? Do you think I'm useless? I'm reminding you: don't just bury your head in work; when you're being used like a donkey, lift your head and look around first..."

Wang Qi Zhi looked disgusted, "You are just too straightforward; you only know how to do research and don't care about politics at all... oh no, you don't understand it at all: even a donkey knows to turn the mill a few times to get a mouthful of beans..."

Before he could finish, Lv Chenglong started rolling up his sleeves, and Wang Qi Zhi hid behind Lin Sicheng: "Old Lv, think carefully. I have practiced with my student..."

Lv Chenglong glared at him: "So much nonsense? Get to the point!"

"Simple: don't be in a hurry to report it, and don't be in a hurry to establish the project. You must keep it under wraps. Wait until the research is mostly done, and strive for a big success... by then, don't even leave them a single hair."

"That simple?" Lv Chenglong was half-believing, "Will it work?"

Wang Qi Zhi slanted his eyes: "BTA Slow-Release Technology, North Song Dynasty Yingqing Porcelain, Ming Dynasty Thin-body Porcelain—aren't those all done this way?"

Lv Chenglong was thoughtful: That's right, North Song Dynasty Yingqing Porcelain, isn't that exactly how Lin Sicheng did it?

Everyone thought he was researching Hejin Porcelain and Hozhou Porcelain, but quietly and imperceptibly, he had already bridged the gap with Ming Dynasty Thin-body Porcelain and Song Dynasty Shadow Blue Porcelain. By the time Jiangxi found out, Lin Sicheng had already held the Academic Report. Forget about grabbing a piece of meat; now they can only lick the soup at the very end. And yesterday, he also went to the Wenbo Building for a meeting; one of the projects, which could even be called the highlight of the entire conference, was Lin Sicheng's BTA Slow-Release Technology.

It is no exaggeration: after hearing Wang Qi Zhi's report, the experts and scholars in the relevant fields were green with envy.

Bidding for the same project from the National Cultural Heritage Administration, starting from the same starting line, they had only just begun, and the Cultural Relics Research Institute was already preparing to apply for a phased acceptance?

The key is that not a single whisper of wind had leaked out before.

What does this mean? It means Northwest University and the Cultural Relics Research Institute were eating alone, not even leaving them a mouthful of soup.

Fortunately, it was Wang Qi Zhi who went; his status is special enough. If it had been Lin Sicheng, he wouldn't have even been able to leave the venue.

But honestly, it's useless: the materials that should have been reported were reported long ago, the data that should have been public was made public long ago; it's impossible to share the spoils equally, to have everyone be happy...

Lv Chenglong nodded: "Fine, as long as you say it works!"

"It's useless for just me to say it; you have to keep your mouth shut. No matter who asks, you can't say a word. And the people below, don't let them brag just because they're excited..."

Wang Qi Zhi cupped his chin, "Otherwise, should I find you all a new place?"

Lv Chenglong: Hehe...

This was pure nonsense. Even if he didn't understand politics, he understood: this project would eventually have to be established. There were many qualified units, but only a few with a conscience...

"Let's just keep it here!" Lv Chenglong shook his head, "The craftsmanship of the items isn't complicated; we don't need too many people. Cai, Dong, and two more research assistants will be enough... The key lies in field trips and field research..."

Lv Chenglong looked expectant: "When are we going to Japan?"

Wang Qi Zhi calculated: "It will take at least a month or two, probably after New Year's Day!"

"So long?"

"Nonsense, how long has Lin Sicheng not been back to school or home? Doesn't that whole mess at school need to be arranged?" Wang Qi Zhi sneered, "Do you think everyone lives like you, with a wife who is a widow and children who have lost their father..."

What the hell?

Lv Chenglong started rolling up his sleeves again, and Wang Qi Zhi darted out the door.

He clenched his fists and chased after him, but was stopped by Lin Sicheng: "Director Lv, I will have to trouble you during this time!"

Lv Chenglong was stunned; how could he still be angry at Wang Qi Zhi?

He widened his eyes: "Little Lin, what do you mean? You're not going to manage this place at all?"

Lin Sicheng explained patiently: "We have already discussed the general direction, and there is basically no difficulty on the technical level. The focus is still on research and tracing the origins; that is the real focus. If I go back early and finish handling things at home, I can set off sooner..."

"Oh, right, right, right... settle things early and set off early!"

Lv Chenglong nodded vigorously and gave Lin Sicheng a knowing look, "Don't worry, before there is any progress, no one will know!" Regarding this point, Lin Sicheng was not very worried. Director Lv was just relatively pure, not inexperienced; he knew what to do.

After saying a few more words, Lv Chenglong saw Lin Sicheng out the door. Seeing Wang Qi Zhi leaning against the wall smoking, he pointed his finger at him: "Don't come again in the future!" Wang Qi Zhi: "Hehe... do you own this place?"

This was naturally a joke. Lv Chenglong knew best that there was no one more suitable than Wang Qi Zhi: for things like project establishment, applications, approvals, and inspections. And even more so: for taking the heat...

Wang Qi Zhi knew it well, gave a reassuring look, and waved his hand: "Old Lv, I'm off!"

Lv Chenglong nodded and watched them leave.

Long after the people had left, the two Researchers finally came out of the laboratory. Seeing the items on the table, both were a bit dazed: "Where is Lin Sicheng?" "He went back to Xijing!" Lv Chenglong sighed, "He said to let us do the research first!"

With an "Ah," the two Researchers were stunned.

Research was, of course, no problem; although rare, the craftsmanship and technology of these items were not complex. It would be an exaggeration to say it was as easy as slicing melons or vegetables, or as simple as reaching out to grab something, but for the Porcelain Research Institute, the difficulty was not particularly high.

What surprised them was: How could Lin Sicheng be so unconcerned?

Not to mention how many hundreds of millions it was worth or how significant a project it could become, the key was the political impact: if even a hint of news leaked, certain departments would pounce like wolves smelling meat.

Not even mentioning whether they and Director Lv could withstand the test of human nature, wasn't Lin Sicheng worried: could the three of them withstand the pressure? Lv Chenglong sighed again.

That was exactly what he was sighing about: Lin Sicheng's unreserved trust made his heart feel heavy. And Wang Qi Zhi's naked threat made his pressure increase even more.

Don't look at how Wang Qi Zhi kept talking about money; peel back that surface layer and you would find he was talking about the future: "Old Lv, you don't need to worry about the pressure from the outside; I will slap away anyone who comes, and I will beat back a pair if two come."

"But if some trouble arises from the inside, then don't even think about having a next time for cooperation."

At first thought, it felt quite ridiculous: the Porcelain Research Institute was, after all, a top-ranked authoritative research institution in the field of ancient ceramics in China; could it be threatened by you? But think about the BTA Technology of the Cultural Relics Research Institute, think about the Shadow Blue Porcelain project about to be established, and then look at these few pieces of Japanese imitation porcelain in front of them?

Not asking for much, if he could encounter such a project every three years, Lv Chenglong would wake up laughing in his dreams. And these three projects—how long had Lin Sicheng taken? At most, less than a year.

Everyone said Lin Sicheng was lucky, but Lv Chenglong felt that no matter how good luck was, it shouldn't be good to this extent.

To borrow a phrase from the old Dean of the Cultural Relics Research Institute: this kid is too uncanny.

Secretly changing his train of thought, he pointed to the table: "Put the things away first, hide them securely. Then be self-aware and sign the Agreement..."

The two looked at each other, their faces revealing unconcealable ecstasy.

Did that mean they were officially on the team starting today?

Never mind a confidentiality agreement, they would even dare to sign a military pledge...

Seeing Lv Chenglong enter the laboratory, the two nodded busily.

Sitting in the car, Wang Qi Zhi's eyes were shining.

They say there are surprises everywhere in life, but weren't these surprises coming a bit too frequently for him?

Over the past few months, basically every other week, he had attended an archaeological work conference, or had been invited to a Cultural Relics Protection academic forum. The organizers were either the National Cultural Heritage Administration, the Cultural Relics Research Institute, the National Museum of China, or the Forbidden City. All of them were as authoritative as could be, and as high-level as could be.

It could be said that in his thirty-five years of life, the face he had gained in the last three months exceeded the sum of the previous thirty-four years.

But it hadn't stopped there; Lin Sicheng had launched another big satellite: imitation Ming Porcelain produced during the budding period of the Japanese porcelain industry at the end of the 16th century? Wang Qi Zhi didn't know how much of a sensation this topic could cause in the domestic historical and archaeological circles. But he was certain that the influence would definitely exceed that of the Shadow Blue Porcelain. It might even be on par with BTA Technology.

The reason was six words: cultural and technological output. The former was ancient output, the latter was modern output. And regardless of which one it was, it was the kind that could make it onto the Ministry's commendation wall.

Think again about Lin Sicheng's age: Haha, twenty-two or twenty-three?

Think again about the age of him, the teacher: Tsk tsk, thirty-four or thirty-five?

The key was that this matter had absolutely nothing to do with what Wang Qi Zhi's surname was, or who his father or grandfather was.

To speak from the heart, this was more meaningful than having some leader personally award him a certificate of honor at the Great Hall of the People.

Thinking and thinking, Wang Qi Zhi started laughing, "Hehehe."

Lin Sicheng glanced at him and sighed inwardly: Is the teacher dreaming again?

He poured cold water at the right time: "Teacher, this time might not necessarily go smoothly!"

Wang Qi Zhi nodded: That goes without saying.

If one wanted to stir up some commotion domestically, that was easy: analyze the composition, deduce the craftsmanship, determine the origin and era with ninety-nine percent certainty, and so on; these could all be handled in the laboratory.

The difficulty was the legitimacy.

Regarding culture, technology, and even art, the mainstream views of the Japanese academic circle and the political operations in their official narrative had always implemented a dual-track strategy of "downplaying-covering up-cutting off."

To put it bluntly: Japan had always believed that they only introduced a little Chinese technology in ancient times, and then innovated boldly to form an independent and more advanced craft technology.

This meant their later technology was more advanced than China's, but this technology was created independently under the support of the "Craftsman Spirit," and the source had little to do with China.

Under this premise, if you wanted them to admit that their set of technology was pieced together from Chinese craftsmanship, it would be a miracle if they acknowledged it.

Unless you nailed it down so firmly that they had no way to quibble, no way to argue, and slapped evidence forming a complete chain onto their faces.

But evidence doesn't just appear when you want it to.

Wang Qi Zhi, however, was not worried at all: "No rush, take it slow!"

The green light turned on, Lin Sicheng shifted gears and started, then glanced over again: "Teacher, I'm afraid your expectations are too high!"

"You said it yourself, they are expectations!"

Wang Qi Zhi's dream was that one day he could stand in the Great Hall of the People together with Lin Sicheng.

As for whether they could award him a prize, that didn't matter; as long as he could bask in the glory and get in, that would be enough...

He was dismissive: "It's fine, don't feel pressured; if there isn't this time, there will be a next time."

In any case, he was definitely going to enter that Great Hall of the People...