Chapter 53: If You Can't Speak Properly, Keep Your Mouth Shut in the Future

After briefly explaining the procedure and the leaders saying a few words of thanks, the appraisal officially began.

Wang Qi Zhi was absent-minded throughout the entire process. As soon as he managed to send the leaders off and entered the evidence room, he impatiently pulled Lin Sicheng to one side.

His thick eyebrows were knitted into an inverted 'eight' shape, his pupils slightly constricted, and his Adam's apple bobbed incessantly; his eyes were filled with disbelief:

"Lin Sicheng, come here and let me look at you. Did you install lasers in your eyes? It's fucking miraculous: you can identify a radioactive source with the naked eye?"

Guan Xingmin was startled, and Lin Sicheng gave him a look to stay calm.

With that watch on his wrist, what could he not ask about?

"Professor Wang, it's not as exaggerated as you say. At most, it counts as a coincidence; I just made a guess!"

"Come, tell me in detail, how did you guess?"

Lin Sicheng roughly explained the process:

Because the price was low, he suspected there was a problem with the item...

Because of the color difference, he suspected the item was a fake...

Because the appraisal report was too complete, he suspected high technology was used...

And finally, he bluffed a bit...

His expression was very calm, and he spoke in a plain, straightforward manner throughout without any embellishment, but Wang Qi Zhi let out a "Ha," and pushed him back with a single sentence: "Was Professor Lin there at the time?"

Lin Sicheng opened his mouth, speechless.

Not only was he there? He was still lying in the hospital at this moment.

So, did Professor Lin suspect there was a problem with the pot? Did he discover the color difference and subsequently suspect that high technology had been used?

He did, right? Then why didn't he infer whether that pot might contain radioactive material? He is still a very famous ceramics expert...

What's more, that pot was even sent to Beijing and sent to the Shanghai Museum; the entire set of required appraisal tests was done, so why didn't they suspect anything?

His nostrils flared uncontrollably, his cheeks twitched slightly, and Wang Qi Zhi looked at him with a sense of frustration that he wouldn't live up to expectations: "Lin Sicheng, such a big matter, with such a serious nature, why can you talk about it so lightly?"

Coincidence? Coincidence your head!

"Professor Wang..."

"You shut up first!"

Wang Qi Zhi turned his head abruptly: "Director Guan, the meaning is: that pot flowed from abroad into Guangzhou, then from Guangzhou to Singapore, then from Singapore to Hong Kong, then to Guangzhou, and only finally arrived in Xijing...

Which is to say, that thing left the country and re-entered, entered and left, and then entered again?"

Guan Xingmin paused and nodded slightly.

"And then it was sent to Beijing, had Carbon-14 done, and also had Mass Spectrometry done?"

Guan Xingmin nodded again.

"After that, it was sent to the Shanghai Museum and had Thermoluminescence done!"

Guan Xingmin nodded once more.

Wang Qi Zhi pressed on relentlessly: "And the result?"

Guan Xingmin did not speak and sighed: did the result even need to be said?

Wang Qi Zhi gave a strange smile: "So, back and forth, that thing has taken at least ten flights, right? It can't be that foreign Customs, our Customs, and the testing centers at so many airports are all just sitting around doing nothing?

Or is it that the Cultural Relics Appraisal Center, the Shanghai Museum, and the provincial and municipal-level Appraisal Centers all took black money from those two fake antique dealers?"

No... Professor Wang, aren't you shifting the concept?

Just as Guan Xingmin was about to say something, Wang Qi Zhi waved his hand forcefully: "Director Guan, don't misunderstand. Didn't Lin Sicheng also mention that last year, foreign terrorists openly smuggled nuclear materials, and foreign Customs were similarly slow to react?

So, the problem lies in the system... and what I want to express is: Lin Sicheng is too young, so he doesn't understand, but you all should know what his 'coincidence' this time implies?"

Guan Xingmin nodded vigorously: "Secretary Wang, I know... I was just afraid of scaring him, so I didn't say it!"

What does it imply?

It implies that all these institutions have huge Security Vulnerabilities, especially Customs security checks: things that can build an Atomic Bomb or cause rapid cancer are just coming and going, in and out, so brazenly?

And this is just antique dealers; what if it were extremists?

It wouldn't even take much; just put a little in the airport restaurant, put a little more in the restroom... the scene is too beautiful, Wang Qi Zhi didn't even dare to imagine it.

So, is it because Lin Sicheng 'coincidentally' 'suspected' something, and then 'coincidentally' 'inferred' something, that the entire nation's Customs and public security systems are forced into an emergency Reform?

And it can't even be slow.

To put it more officially: how much loss did his coincidence this time save for the country and the people?

It's no exaggeration: it's just that they didn't know Lin Sicheng was coming; if they had known, believe it or not, the person coming to the Appraisal Center today would at least be a department-level leader?

"Professor Wang..."

"You don't know shit, shut your mouth!"

As soon as Lin Sicheng opened his mouth, he was scolded back by Wang Qi Zhi, who then smiled: "Director Guan, the kid doesn't know any better, but we can't just treat it as a coincidence, can we?"

Guan Xingmin opened his mouth, not knowing how to answer.

Was Wang Qi Zhi asking about "us"? He was asking about the Municipal Bureau, and even the Provincial Department.

Not to mention higher levels, and as for the three words "Lin Sicheng" being written into the memorandum of which institution, or being noted in the minds of which agencies and leaders, let's not talk about those for now.

Just ask: if it weren't for Lin Sicheng's "coincidence," wouldn't this pot have entered the Cultural Relics Company, then entered the Provincial Museum, and finally been on public display?

Most importantly, the pot passed through the Provincial Department's machines first before being sent to Beijing for appraisal. So, wouldn't the first, and biggest, black pot be carried by the provincial and municipal public security systems?

Just from this point alone, how much reputation loss did it save you, and how many people's positions did it preserve?

It can't just end with the bureau leaders shaking hands and saying "thank you for your hard work," right?

Of course it wasn't over, but Guan Xingmin didn't dare to speak casually.

To be able to understand the cause of the matter so clearly with one phone call, could this be an ordinary professor?

He deliberated for a long time: "Secretary Wang, don't worry, after the investigation of the case is finished, there will definitely be a commendation!"

What kind of commendation? A certificate?

Are you trying to fool a child?

Wang Qi Zhi gave a small laugh: "Director Guan, I don't mean to make things difficult for you; I'm just a bit agitated and am using this opportunity to vent..."

Make things difficult... why is this phrasing so strange?

While he was secretly suspicious, Wang Qi Zhi took out his phone again: "You all go ahead and appraise it; I'll make another call to find out more..."

As he spoke, he pointed a finger at Lin Sicheng: "If you don't know how to speak, keep your mouth shut in the future!"

Lin Sicheng was left completely bewildered by the scolding: That is a Radioactive Source... even if I said it wasn't a coincidence, would anyone believe me?

Watching Wang Qi Zhi's retreating back, Guan Xingmin narrowed his eyes, staring at the watch on his wrist: "This Secretary Wang of yours, he must have quite a background, right?"

Lin Sicheng nodded: No need for "right," and you can even remove the question mark.

Wang Qi Zhi even hinted at it so obviously: Director Guan, I won't make things difficult for you... we are of the same rank and belong to different systems, so what right do you have to make things difficult for me?

I'll make another call to find out more... what decent person would talk like that?

Guan Xingmin was lost in thought: "That watch of his looks a bit familiar; it looks like the earliest calendar watch produced in Shanghai, an A-something, wasn't it?"

Lin Sicheng sighed: If you're suspicious, just say it!

"A623!"

Guan Xingmin was shocked, his mouth hanging open for a long time: No wonder it looked familiar?

The first domestically produced mechanical calendar watch, with its unique "gold-inlaid Relief Carving font" dial, only 1,048 were produced in total.

Why is the number so specific?

Because the first time New China conferred military ranks, there were exactly 1,048 people...