Chapter 463: The Emperor of Porcelain, the King of Colors

Ye Anlan ultimately could not hold back: "Teacher Li, is Lin Sicheng's family very wealthy?"

"Not at all!" Li Zhen shook her head. "Of course, they are better off than the average person: his grandfather is a professor and was the Deputy Director of our college before retirement. His father works at a Funeral Home, and his mother is a teacher."

Ye Anlan was stunned: when it comes down to it, it is still an ordinary family?

Then where did the tens of millions he invested come from?

Li Zhen was concise: "Earned from the antique business!"

If one only counts cash investments, it certainly isn't as much as forty million; it's more like just over twenty million. Among this, General Manager Zhao alone invested nearly ten million.

The reason it amounts to forty million is because of those Cultural Relics that were once exhibited at the Center and are now mostly stored in bank vaults: the Three Imperial Seals, Yongzheng's Double Crane Furnace, Chen Mansheng's Blue Sand Pot, Dai Jin's "Pine and Crane Longevity Painting"... and so on. These were all entered into the public accounts, so they must be counted as part of the investment.

The remaining national treasures were not made public at all, let alone entered into the public accounts, because they were too flashy: for example, the Wang Shu Edict, the Chixia Cup (Rhino Horn Cup), the Xu Weili Documents, and so on. Otherwise, multiplying by ten wouldn't even cover it.

But even so, it still left Ye Anlan dumbfounded: earning tens of millions by flipping antiques?

And from start to finish, it only took a little over a year?

The key is that Center, valued at six hundred million: does this mean Lin Sicheng started from scratch and amassed a fortune of several hundred million in just a year and a half? Ye Anlan's family background is very good, good enough to surpass ninety-nine percent of people. She isn't short on money, but whether one is short on money is one thing, and whether one has a concept of such wealth is another.

Even if one's luck were explosive, winning five million on every lottery ticket, six hundred million would still require winning one hundred and fifty times (after taxes). Calculated over a year and a half, Lin Sicheng would have to win the grand prize almost every three days.

Go ask, would any TV drama dare to portray it like this?

But to say Li Zhen is lying... they are total strangers who just happened to meet, what reason would she have?

To say Li Zhen is exaggerating on purpose to give Ye Anning face is even more unnecessary: there is no need for others to inquire; Ye Anqi could find out everything clearly with just one phone call...

Just as she was secretly suspicious, she saw Lin Sicheng sit at the table, preparing to start painting. Li Zhen hurried over: "Miss Ye, remember to take the tray..." "Teacher Li, where are you going?"

"I'm going to help!"

Saying this, she ran over. Fang Jin was even faster than her, having already prepared the brushes, Needle, sign, and thread.

Li Zhen put on gloves and prepared the palette.

It was just street porcelain painting, not work in an Artifact Restoration room, so it shouldn't have required such a big production. But having an extra pair of hands would make things faster, and Lin Sicheng didn't say anything more.

He personally mixed the Cobalt Blue and gave instructions simultaneously: "Prepare to mix the colors: Senior Brother Fang, 10 parts Antique Gold paste, 3 parts Turpentine, 0.3 parts Bismuth Yellow... 10 parts Western Red paste, 2 parts Lead-free Melting Paste, Peach Gum..."

"Also, 10 parts Water Blue Paste, 4 parts Boron Zinc Paste, 0.5 parts Glycerin... 82 parts Boron Zinc Paste, 15 parts Quartz, 3 parts Lactic Acid..."

"Senior Sister Li, 70 parts Iron Red Paste, 28 parts Boron Zinc Paste, 2 parts Xanthan Gum... 65 parts Zirconium Vanadium Yellow, 20 parts Titanium White, then ask Cousin Ye for three capsules to add in... Additionally, 75 parts Green Crystal Paste, 25 parts Olive Paste, 5 parts Glycerin..."

After a slight pause, Lin Sicheng emphasized: "The values don't need to be too precise, as long as the hue isn't too far off..."

The two moved quickly, opening the jars of Glaze Material Lin Sicheng had prepared and mixing them according to the ratios.

After all, it wasn't a laboratory or an Artifact Restoration room, so it truly didn't need to be too precise, but they had assisted Lin Sicheng countless times; even without using scales, they could mix it to be eight or nine parts accurate.

Seeing them get busy, a crowd gathered around, including many Gold Tracing masters with stalls nearby.

Most were merchants, but there was no lack of professionals specifically invited by the tourism department to hold down the fort.

Just like the stall Lin Sicheng was painting at, and the several adjacent ones.

Several masters huddled together, whispering: "The technique is quite skilled and very professional; he must be a glaze-mixing master from some factory."

"The formula is also very unique: Bismuth Yellow, Peach Gum, Glycerin, Lactic Acid—these are likely mixed for Weaving Gold Material, but why is there no Native Gold?" "He said before, no gold stacking, no jade accumulating, only color outlining."

"If there's no gold stacking, what kind of Canton porcelain is this?"

"The person paid for it; they can paint whatever they want."

The master who asked was choked up and frowned: "What about those last few types?"

One of them squinted: "They look a bit like Wucai materials, though I don't know exactly what they are. But he will definitely paint Blue and White..." Nonsense, everyone has eyes and can see: the young man is personally mixing Cobalt Blue; if he isn't painting Blue and White, is he using it to paint his face?

He will definitely use it for color outlining, or at the very least, for tracing the edges.

But is Blue and White material that easy to mix?

"Without aging (fermentation), without sunning, without shading—what could he possibly mix up?" Another frowned, "Wanna bet? What he burns out will definitely be a lump."

There is no need to guess this; it's at least ninety percent certain. It has nothing to do with technique, experience, or ability: if the blue material isn't aged (fermented, exposed to sun and dew, dried in the shade—commonly known as the three agings), it will melt into a puddle of water as soon as it's heated.

"Never mind what it burns out to be, just ask yourself, is his posture correct?"

The master who said it would definitely burn into a lump stopped talking: the technique was skilled, unhurried, and methodical. Including the man and woman mixing the paste for him, they were clearly experienced hands.

More importantly, he rattled off the ratios right off the top of his head, even precise to the decimal point?

What if, just what if it didn't burn out?

Someone had a thought: "Master Yu, how much Western Red paste did he say just now?"

"No, why are you remembering this? It's just some roadside wild recipe..."

"I just feel his material formula is quite special, just curious..."

The masters kept whispering, while the onlookers were full of curiosity: ordinary Gold Tracing pigments are only four or five types, or six or seven at most. But the ones being mixed right now were at least ten or more.

And the woman from before, who painted the lady plate so well, was actually just an assistant; then how good must the painting by this young man be?

They were out to have fun anyway, and seeing there was a spectacle to watch, more and more people gathered.

The four siblings were surrounded inside, and Ye Anlan talked non-stop, adding oil and vinegar to what Li Zhen had just said.

Ye Anqi and Tao An looked at Li Zhen and Fang Jin, who were meticulously and single-mindedly mixing colors by the table, feeling an indescribable sense of strangeness: after all this time, these two are Lin Sicheng's assistants?

But that was secondary; the real issue was the Research Center Ye Anlan mentioned: over forty million in investment, a valuation of six hundred million. And, Wang Sanshu is just someone who handles connections?

Oh no, that's not right; it should be said: Public Relations!

And what they found hardest to accept was: starting from scratch, from nothing, Lin Sicheng only used a year and a half?

What can you do in a year and a half? Even university takes four years...

After finally waiting for Ye Anlan to catch her breath, Tao An couldn't wait: "Sister Anning, is what Sister Anlan said true?"

Ye Anning nodded very calmly: Of course, and that was an understatement.

Li Zhen has a quiet and cautious personality and only picks unimportant things to talk about. If it were Uncle, believe it or not, he could shock the three of them into doubting the world?

"But where did he learn it?" Tao An couldn't fathom it, "Born with it?"

It's not that there are no geniuses, but even for a genius, doesn't there have to be a process?

Setting aside everything else, just consider those patented technologies that authoritative departments valued at several hundred million—where did Lin Sicheng get them from?

If they didn't fall from the sky, then didn't Lin Sicheng have to have time to study and research them?

Let's also calculate his age: he is only twenty-two this year...

This is indeed hard to explain. Ye Anning thought for a long time: "His grandfather is a professor of archaeology and Cultural Relics Protection. Lin Sicheng was exposed to these things when he was very young, so his foundation is extremely deep. But that is only one reason; the second is..."

Ye Anning paused slightly, "You might not believe it when I say it: he has a photographic memory!"

Tao An was stunned: "What?"

"It's roughly like this: for example, whatever book he reads, he basically remembers it once he's seen it. If he looks up any information, it also only takes one time. And even after a long time, he won't forget it..."

Ye Anning emphasized: "Including data, he even remembers the values after the decimal point without a single error!"

Tao An moved his lips, very much wanting to say something, but not knowing what to say.

A photographic memory—is there such a person in the world?

In legends, and what he has heard, there are quite a few, but he has never seen one himself.

But he had just witnessed it: Lin Sicheng reciting the *Panyu County Annals*, the *Wenxi Village He Clan Genealogy*, and the *Huangpu Village Chen Clan Genealogy* in front of the lantern riddles. He even recited a passage of *Dream of the Red Chamber* for them.

Come to think of it, his memory must be quite good. Even if it hasn't reached the level of a photographic memory, it is definitely much stronger than an ordinary person's.

But then again: since he has such an awesome ability, why not do something else?

Couldn't he get into Tsinghua University or Beijing University easily?

"Because his grandfather wouldn't let him: Lin Sicheng scored seven hundred points on the college entrance exam, and in the science track at that. But his grandfather made him apply to Xida, and for a liberal arts major..." Ye Anning explained, "Because of this, he almost cut ties with his family."

Tao An suddenly stopped making a sound: seven hundred points, for God's sake, that's seven hundred points!

He scored six hundred and fifty back in his day, and that was in the liberal arts, yet his family was so happy they beat drums and gongs. His mother went to the temple to fulfill vows and burned incense for the ancestors of the Tao and Ye families.

Not to mention the difference between liberal arts and sciences, just look at this fifty-point gap: what lies between them is not a mountain, but the galaxy. So, if he were in Lin Sicheng's shoes, he would also cut...

But the problem is, even a genius shouldn't be able to be this awesome: the money earned in a year is actually calculated in the "hundreds of millions"?

Ye Anning smiled: "Several hundred million is just a valuation; to put it bluntly, it's just a number and doesn't count for much!"

Ye Anqi was just about to say something, but the words reached his lips and he swallowed them back.

It is indeed just a valuation, but it wasn't assessed by some grassroots, fly-by-night organization; it was jointly assessed by three ministries: the Property Rights Bureau, the Ministry of Culture, and the Ministry of Education.

Setting aside the latter two, just talk about the Property Rights Bureau: believe it or not, based on this document stamped by the Property Rights Bureau, if it were given to a professional investment company, they could raise at least one billion.

If he were the one operating it, twenty billion would be the starting point.

Does this count for something?

Leaving all that aside, just look at the tens of millions invested in the early stages—it was all earned by Lin Sicheng himself. And he only used a little over a year; how incredible is that?

For Tao An, let alone tens of millions, even tens of thousands would be a struggle...

Ye Anning stuck to the same line: "He has a good memory!"

Ye Anqi was speechless.

For this line of work, a good memory is indeed quite useful, but being able to remember is one thing, while knowing how to use it, how to compare, and whether one can actually discern things is another matter entirely.

In a flash, a thought stirred in his heart, and his eyes brightened slightly: "Sicheng should be staying in Guangzhou for several days, right? I'll ask him later which day he can take us to stroll around Xiguan Market (Guangzhou antique market)..."

Ye Anlan curled his lips: "My dad said that place is full of scammers and there isn't a single real item there!"

Ye Anqi shook his head: The reason his fourth uncle says that is because his eye for antiques isn't good enough.

In antique markets all over the country, it's the same everywhere—Guangzhou is like this, Beijing is like this, and Xijing is even more so. Didn't Lin Sicheng still earn tens of millions? It's not that he wants Lin Sicheng to help him pick up a bargain or anything; Ye Anqi is just curious: how high must Lin Sicheng's appraisal skills be, and how good must his luck be, to earn so much money in such a short time?

Just as he was secretly turning these thoughts over, there was a commotion nearby.

Several people looked up: Lin Sicheng had already prepared the colored pigments and was ready to start painting.

He took a Rabbit Hair brush, dipped it in the pigment box, and made a stroke on the porcelain plate.

Immediately, several blue lines were left on the pure white bottom of the plate.

Several Gold Tracing masters were stunned: "Using Cobalt Blue to outline—what is he planning to paint?"

"It's definitely not Guangcai Porcelain, and even less so gold weaving."

If it were Guangcai Porcelain, one would definitely apply the base coat first: which part to paint the scenery, which part to paint the people, which part to paint the faces, which part to paint the clothes. Roughly speaking, according to the composition, one would first use pigments to divide the areas and apply the base.

This method of Lin Sicheng's is more like the bone-outlining in traditional Chinese painting. If on porcelain, it is the outlining for Colored Porcelain. In fact, to put it bluntly, it is still dividing the areas first.

But here comes the problem: whether it's traditional Chinese painting or painting glaze on Colored Porcelain, one must calculate the proportions, design the base drawing, and make a draft before putting the brush to the surface. Yet this guy, he didn't even consider it for a second, picked up the plate, and just started painting?

Of course, it wouldn't be a big deal if he painted it wrong; he could just wipe it off and paint it again. But it just felt like the pigments this young man mixed were too much of a hassle, a bit of a waste of time.

Just as they were thinking this, an old master let out an "Eh": "Oval blank space... is this the double-outline of Blue and White?"

Someone didn't understand: "Master Wang, what does Blue and White double-outline mean?"

"Also called double-outline blank-leaving; it's generally not used in Colored Porcelain, so it's very rare. Only Five-Colored Blue and White would use it..."

The person who asked was suddenly stunned: "Five-Colored Blue and White, isn't that Doucai?"

"Yes!" Master Wang nodded vigorously, "That's Doucai!"

A group of Gold Tracing masters looked at each other: using the technique of Doucai to paint colors at a stall for Guangcai Porcelain?

It's not that it can't be done, but it's rare. Besides, the person paid for it, so they can paint however they want.

But the problem is, this is Doucai, the emperor of porcelain, the king of colors.

Since when could a young man who doesn't even have a few whiskers on his chin, who just showed up at a street stall, paint it—and dare to paint it?