Chapter 433: Benefits Cannot Be Fully Claimed Alone

The few thin sheets of paper felt as heavy as a thousand catties.

But fortunately, since he had reached this position, he possessed the necessary composure.

The two exchanged a glance, pondering who should speak first and how to begin, when Lin Sicheng pointed at the document:

"The general plan and direction for this project have been basically discussed between my teacher and Director Lu of the Porcelain Research Institute. There are still some details left, depending on the progress of the archaeology in Shanxi and the archaeological report from the Cultural Relics Bureau. Barring any surprises, we can submit the materials in the spring, around March or April. We should be able to get the project approved around May Day..."

"There is still time; the district and the school can discuss which unit should be the primary applicant for this project. Should it be the Intangible Cultural Heritage Center or the Cultural Relics Protection Center... Of course, the goal remains the same: to research and restore the lost techniques of ancient Palace Porcelain, with the research of intangible cultural heritage projects as the core..." Even though his composure was deep enough, the faces of those present still clearly revealed a look of astonishment: What did Lin Sicheng mean? His words were very blunt, one could even say there was no preamble at all, straight to the point: The reason the "Party A" line was left blank was simply because he was in a bit of a dilemma, not knowing whether to put the district government first or the school first. Since it was hard to weigh, he simply brought it back for them to look at and discuss themselves. They certainly understood, but they were somewhat incredulous.

Because doing this was equivalent to adding an extra layer of procedures. To put it bluntly: having one more lead unit meant potentially having one more restrictive shackle. If this unit deliberately caused trouble, even if the project didn't fail, it would end up a complete mess.

Of course, this was an extreme case, and they would only do this if they were aiming to wreck the place and flip the table. In all honesty, for over a year, as long as it was a condition proposed by Lin Sicheng, the district and the school had almost always responded to every request and provided unconditional support.

But then again, out of the consideration that being prepared for a rainy day and having one less "housekeeper" would save a lot of trouble, Lin Sicheng could have completely signed directly with the Porcelain Research Institute for this project.

Therefore, they were not only surprised but also somewhat uncomprehending.

Roughly guessing what they were thinking, Lin Sicheng smiled: "Director Liu, Bureau Chief Bao, Dean: My wings haven't fully grown yet, and I'm not ready to fly on my own..."

Before the words had even faded, the group was stunned in unison, and then a burst of laughter erupted.

At the same time, they felt an extraordinary sense of emotion in their hearts: Lin Sicheng had used a joking tone to say that most simple truth: When drinking water, don't forget those who dug the well; even if I leave, I couldn't just walk away without a care.

They were not very clear about what exactly had happened during the two months Lin Sicheng had been in Beijing. Even Dean Deng, the school representative and the main body of the BTA project research, had been busy in Beijing for two months and likewise did not know what Lin Sicheng had done.

But they at least knew which units had been eyeing Lin Sicheng over these two months: the National Academy of Cultural Heritage, the National Cultural Heritage Administration, the Palace Museum, and even the Beijing Public Security Bureau.

And in the end, there even popped up an Oriental Performing Arts Group?

Especially this last one, which had even pulled strings with the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Culture, and even the provincial level.

And they had stated it clearly: as long as he could help, the conditions were up to Lin Sicheng to set: household registration, housing, employment, official staffing, benefits... even the signing bonus started at a million. The key was that it was only a loan, not a direct transfer, and the term would not exceed three years.

Once the term expired, Lin Sicheng would be free to come and go.

But to be honest: since when did Beijing household registrations and housing, or even Ministry staffing, become so worthless?

Therefore, they knew very clearly: a mountain nest could not trap a golden phoenix; Lin Sicheng had a broader world.

It wasn't that Lin Sicheng said his wings hadn't grown; they were as hard as they could possibly be.

Just as they were feeling emotional, Lin Sicheng smiled again: "I'll say one thing, and you Deans might not believe it: I will definitely go to Beijing more frequently in the future, because there will be more and more cooperation, and it's impossible to always be like this time, temporarily transferring people from Xijing. So, establishing an office in Beijing, or setting up a separate sub-center, is inevitable."

"But for the school side, or more accurately, the Center side, at the current stage, at least for the next five to ten years, it will remain the center of gravity. Firstly because of this intangible cultural heritage project, secondly because of the cooperative relationship, thirdly because of policy and resources, and fourthly because of some reasons that are not easy to state directly..."

"To put it bluntly: if I were to fly solo, it would be impossible to have what I have here—wherever I want something, there is a unit like the school behind me providing unconditional support, let alone the unconditional cooperation of relevant departments..."

"Let's talk about this BTA Slow-Release Technology: no matter how the research unit changes, whether it's the school, the Cultural Heritage Research Institute, or a joint effort between the two, it makes no difference to me. Because the ultimate beneficiary is still me."

"For example, the project's chief designer, person in charge, chief engineer, and even academic resources, ownership of results, patent registration, and profit conversion—as long as it involves the personal part, it will definitely be centered on me..."

"The only difference is that I have only conceded some things that have no substantial impact on me: such as the right to publish, the right to name, the right to promote, and part of the leading authority... but in exchange, the benefits are countless: such as application and project approval, as well as review and acceptance, and even more so, the subsequent conversion of results..."

"The reason this time had such good results is, first, because the Cultural Heritage Research Institute was in a desperate situation and grasping at straws. Second, because of Dean Zhang and Deputy Dean Ma. Third, because I have the school behind me. And fourth, because of the sign outside the Center: Beilin District, Xijing City..." "So, I really have thought: if one day, when my ability is sufficient, I establish a research institution in Beijing, if I can't encounter a cooperative unit as easy to talk to and as pure as the Cultural Heritage Research Institute, and I don't have the school's support behind me, and there is no prefix on the sign to act as my backing, can I still be like this time: maximize the benefits?"

After a slight pause, Lin Sicheng sighed again: "So, I understand very well: only by achieving each other can we go further. Really, Director Liu, Dean, Bureau Chief Bao, you don't need to worry at all, in fact, you are worrying unnecessarily."

"Eh?" Dean Jing raised his head in surprise, stunned for a long time: "Did Wang Qi Zhi teach you these words? That shouldn't be..."

They didn't know about other things, but the school knew very clearly that Wang Qi Zhi was a pure rebel: he was single-mindedly trying to get Lin Sicheng to Beijing. So, who taught Lin Sicheng these principles that were not easy to voice directly?

Lin Sicheng was instead stumped by the question: How could his teacher tell him these things?

Fearing that he would be distracted, he wouldn't even mention them; he had always just done things directly.

"Dean, I thought of it myself!"

Impossible.

Dean Jing's neck was tilted to one side, and just as he was about to shake his head, he accidentally caught Dean Su's gaze.

Dean Su was much like him: full of suspicion, surprised and curious.

It was no wonder they didn't believe it; it was truly because Lin Sicheng's persona was set too firmly: focused and professional, highly gifted, and extremely hardworking. In their view, this type of person perfectly fit the image of "not listening to things outside the window, focusing only on reading the books of sages."

It was also because he was too young, even starting research before he had graduated from university. And in just over a year, having achieved so many accomplishments and results, where would Lin Sicheng find the time, energy, and spare mind to ponder these things?

Secondly, Wang Qi Zhi's status was too special, and he had protected him too well: he hadn't given Lin Sicheng any chance to experience how cruel this society was. Combining the two, everyone felt: Lin Sicheng was as pure as a blank sheet of paper and definitely wouldn't understand these things.

Therefore, even though they were very worried, and even certain that Lin Sicheng couldn't consider the deeper reasons and might not be able to resist temptation, they still chose to just probe for his stance rather than earnestly trying to lecture Lin Sicheng with a bunch of grand principles.

Since he was a blank sheet of paper, it was better not to pollute him too early...

Seeing the expressions of these few, Lin Sicheng knew what they were thinking and sighed helplessly.

If they knew that the "Wang Qi Zhi, who they thought had suddenly become enlightened and understood such principles," was actually the one who had first urged him to go to Beijing, they wondered what they would think?

To put it bluntly: Wang Qi Zhi had only been here for three years; how deep could his feelings for the school be? And with that kind of background, in his view: these worries of the district and the school were completely unfounded.

Because as long as he wanted to, and as long as Lin Sicheng cooperated, he could pile up a background for Lin Sicheng that was as thick and hard as an iron wall.

Instead of Dean Jing and Dean Su suspecting whether Wang Qi Zhi had suddenly become enlightened, they might as well suspect Comrade Lin Zhangqing, the former Deputy Dean. From eighteen to sixty, his grandfather had spent forty-two years at Xida, dedicating most of his life. The school had also achieved the glory of his life that was enough to bring honor to his ancestors and brighten his family's reputation.

People grow wise with age; the forty years his grandfather spent at Xida were exactly forty years of sudden changes and earth-shaking transformations. He had seen too much and understood one truth: relying on anyone is not as good as relying on oneself.

So when there was a slight sign of something, the old man had advised him: don't be impetuous, just stay at school and settle down for a few years... And the deeper reason actually lay in Lin Sicheng himself.

In his previous life, he had suffered so many such losses that he couldn't finish talking about them in three days and three nights.

Being tripped by the same hurdle once could be called carelessness; being tripped a second time could be called meeting a challenge head-on. But being tripped a third time was absolutely stupid beyond recognition and hopeless.

Everyone knew that he would eventually set up his own business, including Lin Sicheng himself. But Lin Sicheng felt that this wasn't subtraction: one minus one equals zero? As long as your ability is sufficient, you can completely do 1+1+1+1.

Just like this time: two projects, the school gives one, the district gives one, enough for them to digest for two or three years.

Under this premise, he could keep one for himself to test the waters, such as the Imitation Ming Dynasty Ru Porcelain, and no one would say anything; they would even continue to support it vigorously. At the same time, he could try to see if he could add another ally, while satisfying his teacher's ambition and Senior Brother Zhao's peculiar tastes.

The so-called "a fall into the pit, a gain in your wit," in any case, he would never be as reckless, alone, and fighting single-handedly as in his previous life, only to end up with a head full of bumps... Secretly feeling emotional, Lin Sicheng pushed the proposal forward again: "Although it is only a letter of intent, it has already initially obtained the consent of the competent department, and the general direction will definitely not change."

"So, if possible, Director Liu and Bureau Chief Bao, please take this information back and let the leaders take a look first. If there is anything inappropriate, you can communicate with my teacher again..."

The two were secretly ecstatic: what could be inappropriate about this?

To put it bluntly: this was cooperation with a unit in another province, and it was an authority as authoritative as it gets. The "competent department" Lin Sicheng mentioned naturally referred to the superior department of the Palace Museum, the Ministry.

As the saying goes, "the whip cannot reach," they couldn't help much even if they wanted to; at most, they could only voice their support and beat the drums from the sidelines.

The benefit was just "hanging a name," but this "hanging a name" could bring countless benefits: cultural benefits, social benefits, economic benefits, and even political influence.

If you don't believe it, look at Xida: the dignified Deputy Principal, Dean Deng, has now almost become the Beijing-based Consultant for the "BTA Project." For two months, she hasn't even shown her face at the school.

Because the logic is the same: the investment is pitifully small, yet the benefits are as numerous as they could possibly be; what else could they be dissatisfied with?

Besides, didn't you hear the second half of what Lin Sicheng said: if you feel it's inappropriate, you can communicate with his teacher again... it's communicating with his teacher, not that he, Wang Qi Zhi, is so easy to talk to?

Thinking about it this way, this teacher and student pair are simply a perfect match...

With these thoughts turning in their minds, the two put away the materials and said "good" several times in a row.

Dean Jing and Dean Su exchanged glances again.

If Lin Sicheng could openly bring out the project proposal and let these two take it back without any hesitation, then there is only one possibility: he had communicated with Dean Deng in advance.

Dean Deng did not tell them, and didn't even mention it; her attitude was self-evident: we cannot take all the benefits for ourselves.

Therefore, the two knew it clearly in their hearts and didn't say a single extra word.

After chatting for a while longer and seeing the guests off, Lin Sicheng took out two more sets of materials.

One was the "Changguan Glaze Achievement Transformation and Bidding Plan," and the other was the "Hejin Porcelain and Hozhou Porcelain Restoration Process Patent Registration Plan." Changguan Glaze is Yaozhou Porcelain; in these few months, during the time Lin Sicheng was away, Comrade Lin Zhangqing, using the technical porcelain materials left behind by Lin Sicheng and leading several Researchers, had completely restored three types of glaze techniques: "Eel Yellow," "Crab Shell Green," and "Tea Dust."

The patent was registered last month; since the results have been achieved, the issue of transforming the results must be considered.

As for Hejin Porcelain and Hozhou Porcelain, that was even earlier; Lin Sicheng had restored all the processes before arriving in Beijing. It was only because they were still cooperating with the Shanxi side that it was delayed for a while.

It wasn't until recently, through the mediation of Department Head Wu Hui, that an agreement was reached: the achievements belong to Lin Sicheng, which is indisputable. But if a factory is to be built for production, the local area must be considered first.

When to build the factory is a matter for later, but the patent must definitely be registered first.

Lin Sicheng pointed at the plan and smiled again: "I will ask Professor Shang to help with the patent registration. As for the Changguan Glaze, I have to talk to the district government, but since my teacher is not here, I can only ask Dean Jing and Dean Su for help..."

The two were stunned for a moment, then sighed: Lin Sicheng understands human relationships.

At this point, they somewhat believed it: that speech just now probably wasn't taught by Wang Qi Zhi. It wasn't that Wang Qi Zhi didn't understand human relationships, but that their backgrounds were different, and he simply disdained to do such things...