Chapter 632: The Treasure Map

The expert looks at the technique, the layman looks at the spectacle.

To Zhang Yuanqiao and Zhang Yuanfan, Lin Sicheng's movements did not seem unusual, as if he were prying staples out of a book:

The knife tip inserted into the gap of the metal trim, a slight force was applied, and the Gemstones were pried off.

Occasionally, when one could not be pried, Lin Sicheng did not force it; instead, he turned on the hot air blower, blew from a distance, and then repeated the previous action.

So very quickly, in no time at all, there were more than a dozen Gemstones in the tray.

But the others were so startled that their eyelids twitched.

Although Gemstones are also stones, who said that stones cannot be broken by prying?

Take Turquoise, for example; this thing belongs to the hydrous phosphate mineral group and contains water of crystallization within its crystal structure. A sudden rise or fall in temperature causes rapid water loss. The whitening and loss of luster on the stone surface are secondary; more importantly, it causes internal reticulated cracks, and in severe cases, it directly crumbles and turns to powder.

And Lin Sicheng just blows it directly with a hot air blower?

Then there is Agate; although this thing is hard, it is highly brittle. The moment the trim loosens, if the tool scrapes the edges, it will vibrate the interior and create fissures.

And there is Blue Material Stone; you wouldn't be wrong to call it glass. When this thing is buried in the soil, it comes into contact with the acids and alkalis in the soil, causing the lead to leach out. Once it leaches to a certain degree, the internal structure changes, which is commonly known as embrittlement; the longer it has been buried, the more brittle it becomes.

And this pot has a history of nearly a thousand years, so one can imagine how brittle this stone is. It might even shatter into a pile if you scratched it with a fingernail.

Yet Lin Sicheng uses a knife to pry it directly, and the speed is wicked fast: a "click" sound for one, and another "click" sound for another.

Among those present, Zhang Wenguang is considered the most professional, having dealt with all kinds of Gemstones for half his life. His fame may not be as great as those Chairmen or Museum Curators, but when it comes to professionalism, Zhang Wenguang could give them a head start with one hand tied behind his back.

But even after studying for decades, even at his steadiest and most skillful, he would never dare to wield a knife like Lin Sicheng.

What is even stranger is that those dozen or so pieces pried off by Lin Sicheng: let alone a scratch or a chip, they don't even have a mark on them?

Museum Curator Tang and Teacher Zhang exchanged a look: it couldn't be that they really just turned into stone, could it?

That is, of course, impossible.

It is rather that Lin Sicheng has a sharp eye and a steady hand: he knows at which angle the force is most uniform so as not to chip the edges and corners. He also knows exactly how much force is needed to just loosen the Gemstone without using excessive force.

From this, one can see how rich his experience is?

And this is what Zhang Wenguang finds most strange: without decades of practice, one cannot be this proficient. Looking at Lin Sicheng's age: even if he had started practicing from the moment he left his mother's womb, and even if he had skipped his nursing time to practice, it would still be impossible to achieve this.

If Zhang Wenguang is like this, let alone Sun Jingzhou, who only knows how to look at the spectacle?

He stretched his neck like a goose, staring intently at Lin Sicheng's hands, his eyes widened like light bulbs.

He Youhan did not understand: "Mr. Sun, what is it?"

Sun Jingzhou woke as if from a dream: "Breathtaking!"

He Youhan was stunned: he knew Lin Sicheng was an expert in Artifact Restoration, perhaps even more so than what he had investigated.

But, it is just prying a stone, what is there to be breathless about?

Sun Jingzhou wanted to explain, but did not know how to say it?

This is the difference between a layman and an expert: even if you try to explain it to them, they might not necessarily understand—

While pondering, Lin Sicheng stopped his knife and handed the tray to Li Zhen. A rough count showed twenty-four Gemstones of various colors, along with twenty-four silver rings that held the Gemstones in place.

Looking closer: whether it was the stones or the silver rings, even the surface patina and soil encrustation were perfectly intact?

Subconsciously, Sun Jingzhou recalled the words Lin Sicheng had said earlier: General Manager He, rest assured, whatever this thing looked like before dismantling, I will ensure it looks exactly the same after I reassemble it.

If nothing else, at least these ornaments are definitely still in their original state—

Next, Lin Sicheng began Targeted Softening. Roughly speaking, it is using localized heating to soften the leather, dismantling the leather cords at the seams intact, and then dismantling the pot into parts.

The next step is to soften the main body, flattening the three-dimensional Tree Bark Pot into a plane.

The process is very complex, the procedures are numerous, and the tools and instruments used are even more so; the group of people was dazzled.

After about an hour or so, the two largest pieces, which were the front and back of the pot body, were flattened by Lin Sicheng into two cardboard-like things.

Then he continued with Targeted Softening, softened the glue, opened the seams between the layers of tree bark, and only then sent them into the Steam Steamer.

This process took longer, at least two or three hours, but He Youhan did not leave; he sat in the outer room of the restoration lab and waited.

Lin Sicheng did not leave either; he had Li Zhen bring paper and a pen, and he listed his plan for the next steps.

No one made a sound until he stopped writing.

Zhang Wenguang looked suspicious: "Little Lin, have you dismantled similar Cultural Relics before?"

Lin Sicheng was stumped by the question: this was his first time seeing this thing, where could he have dismantled one?

"Teacher Zhang, this is my first time too!"

"Then how are you so proficient?"

"Oh, Teacher Zhang is talking about dismantling the ornaments?" Lin Sicheng smiled, "I haven't dismantled a pot, but I have dismantled a Pearl Crown—"

Zhang Wenguang suddenly realized: if compared, the structure of that thing is dozens of times more complex than this pot.

Especially the craftsmanship: all the components were joined using welding, riveting, gold wire binding, and Hairpin fixing; except for the kingfisher feathers, no glue was used anywhere else.

"And what about the Targeted Softening?"

"This uses the method of Drawing Dismantling, and I will continue with this line of thought: softening layer by layer, and revealing layer by layer."

He Youhan finally understood: Lin Sicheng was using his item to practice!

But then again: since it is an item appearing for the first time, even if Lin Sicheng wanted to accumulate some experience, he had to have the opportunity, right?

But fortunately, at least for now, everything is going very smoothly.

After chatting for a while, Fang Jin ordered food from outside, the group ate a little in the Reception Room, and then went back into the restoration lab.

The five main pieces came out of the Steam Steamer and were placed into the Constant Humidity Chamber.

In addition to Li Zhen and Fang Jin, Lin Sicheng called for two more helpers: Liu Yiling and Ding Azhen.

Tian Rulong realized belatedly: why hadn't he thought of asking for two helpers for Lin Sicheng from the institute?

Fortunately, Lin Sicheng had thought of it.

Seeing Lin Sicheng put on his gloves, everyone became nervous, because the most difficult part was coming.

Immediately, several more people entered the restoration lab, standing around Lin Sicheng, some filming, some recording.

Observing the expressions of those nearby, He Youhan looked suspicious: "Mr. Sun, is this very difficult?"

"It is difficult, harder than peeling a painting!" Sun Jingzhou paused, organizing his words, "No matter how many layers an Ancient Painting is mounted with, each layer is glued on individually; it is not a single entity in itself. Although there is glue between them, as long as you soften it properly, this layer of glue actually becomes a separator and lubricant, making it easier to peel off."

"But this pot is different: the original craftsmanship is a single-body shell formed by high-temperature, wet-press lamination. No matter how many layers of bark there are, its fibers have already formed a state of horizontal and vertical interlaced compression; you are in me, and I am in you—"

Sun Jingzhou gestured: "You cannot cut it, nor can you slice it; you can only unravel it bit by bit—well, it is roughly the process of Silk Drawing and Cocoon Peeling."

He Youhan frowned: he could tell that the Silk Drawing and Cocoon Peeling Sun Jingzhou spoke of was not a metaphor, but the actual situation.

"Then, during the Ming Dynasty, how was this pot opened?"

Sun Jingzhou replied without hesitation: "It was opened this way too!"

After a slight pause, he explained further: "General Manager He, if you are retrieving something from inside, you must peel it layer by layer like General Manager Lin is doing. Because you don't know which layer the item is tucked into, and you fear damaging it, you can only search layer by layer."

"If it were to stuff something inside, there would be no need to dismantle it so delicately: after softening the bark, you would just make a cut in the middle of the interlayer and stuff the item in."

"But as General Manager Lin said: regardless of which method it is, there is no need to reassemble the pot so meticulously."

This sounded contradictory, but He Youhan could understand: either the item inside was very difficult to retrieve, and despite trying every method it could not be taken out, yet they did not want others to know, so they had to reassemble the pot exactly as it was.

Or, the item placed inside was very precious, or perhaps some kind of secret, and the pot had to be restored to a state where no traces of dismantling or assembly could be seen.

Subconsciously, He Youhan thought again of the Copper Box that held the pot before it went to auction: it seemed that regardless of which case it was, the thing hidden inside was not simple—

It was indeed very difficult; one could tell from Lin Sicheng's expression that his focus was highly concentrated and his spirit was extremely tense.

His eyes were fixed on the microscope, and the movements of his hands were gentle to the extreme: his two fingers pinched the corner of the bark, while the Bamboo Starter (an extremely thin, blunt-angled bamboo knife) in his right hand slid inward bit by bit.

Liu Yiling stood to the side, staring into another eyepiece; every time Lin Sicheng slid forward a centimeter, she would pad a piece of PTFE Isolation Film inside.

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The two worked in perfect coordination, but the speed was very slow; after an hour, they had only advanced a little over ten centimeters, which was about one-half of one side of the pot body.

He Youhan suddenly sighed: "General Manager Lin has great stamina!"

The others only then reacted.

Lin Sicheng had maintained the same posture the entire time: his lower body straight, his upper body leaning forward, his eyes fixed on the eyepiece, not moving at all.

The only things that could move were the two hands extended into the Constant Humidity Chamber.

As for the assistant beside him, she had already changed from Liu Yiling to Ding Azhen, and then from Ding Azhen back to Liu Yiling.

Like this, the assistant rotated about every twenty minutes, and this was even while they were able to move around appropriately.

But Lin Sicheng was like someone nailed to the spot; for over an hour, he hadn't even shifted his toes.

Another hour passed, and Lin Sicheng suddenly straightened his back, let out a breath, and then had Li Zhen open the Constant Humidity Chamber.

Everyone's spirits lifted, and they looked inside: half of the bark pot had successfully had its first layer peeled off.

It was extremely thin, almost translucent, and lay flat on the Isolation film.

Looking further down, the thickness of the pot body did not seem to have thinned much.

He Youhan only then remembered: he had actually forgotten to ask, how many layers does this pot have?

He looked at Lin Sicheng: "General Manager Lin, how many more layers need to be peeled?"

"I don't know for now, but even if the item is tucked in the very center, at most there are six more layers to peel!"

The seventh layer is the very center, which means the pot body is made of fourteen layers of bark pressed together.

One layer takes two hours, so seven layers would be fourteen hours, and that is under the premise that Lin Sicheng does not eat, drink, or rest.

But He Youhan was not in a hurry at all: good things are worth the wait.

The bark was sent into the steamer, but this time it was quick, steaming for only ten minutes before being returned to the Constant Humidity Chamber.

Lin Sicheng set up his formation, the two assistants were also ready, and they officially began peeling the second layer.

But this time, Lin Sicheng's movements were much faster; with a light lift of his left hand, the Bamboo Starter in his right hand could slide in a large distance.

Furthermore, his spirit was much more relaxed: although his body remained still and his eyes stayed fixed on the microscope, at least he had time to talk.

After discussing a few things with Liu Yiling, Lin Sicheng explained to He Youhan: "General Manager He, the reason it was slow just now is that the first layer is the exposed layer, which has the most severe aging and the driest fibers."

"Secondly: when it was reassembled after being dismantled in the Ming Dynasty, this layer bore the most force and was pressed the tightest; to avoid fiber breakage or secondary adhesion, one can only use slow work for fine results—"

Seeing him multitasking, He Youhan's eyelid twitched: Lin Sicheng, when you are talking, can you stop your hands for a moment?

Not only did he not stop, but it seemed he had even sped up?

"General Manager Lin, I advise you not to talk." He Youhan sighed, "Even if you slipped up, I wouldn't make you pay, but it would damage your reputation."

Lin Sicheng was stunned for a moment and closed his mouth.

He had worried earlier whether He Youhan would ask this and that. Now, it was the opposite: he actually found him too talkative?

Indeed, he shouldn't be distracted.

Lin Sicheng concentrated his spirit, and the movements of his hands became faster. In just half an hour, this sheet was peeled off.

Then came the third sheet; this one was even faster, taking only twenty minutes for both steaming and peeling.

The group was both skeptical and expectant: at this speed, perhaps in another half hour, Lin Sicheng could finish peeling this half of the pot shell.

Of course, it might not be in this half; it could be in the remaining half. Or more likely, there might be nothing at all.

Just as he was secretly pondering, Lin Sicheng stopped. His eyes, which had been staring at the microscope, suddenly moved away and turned to look at the bark in the box.

Including Liu Yiling and Ding Azhen beside him, they all bent over in unison, looking suspicious.

He Youhan's heart stirred: "General Manager Lin, have you found it?"

Lin Sicheng looked at him and shook his head: "Not yet, but looking at the next layer, there seem to be some more lines?"

Lines—could those be characters?

He Youhan nodded: "General Manager Lin, no rush, peel slowly!"

Indeed, there was no need to rush, because the next layer was right there.

Lin Sicheng bent over again, this time even faster, as if tearing the plastic film off a new appliance: with a slight force from his left hand, the knife in his right hand followed, peeling off a large piece at once.

Liu Yiling, standing nearby, could even hear a faint sound, which made her eyelids jump in shock.

However, the tree bark was tough enough, and Lin Sicheng's hands were steady enough; the tearing, fracturing, and sticking that Liu Yiling had worried about did not occur.

In less than ten minutes, the fourth layer was also peeled off.

When the intact layer was moved out of the humidity-controlled chamber, Liu Yiling and Ding Azhen were suddenly stunned, wearing expressions of disbelief.

Because, there really was something inside.

But it was not paper, nor was it anything like silk; it was still a piece of tree bark.

Including Lin Sicheng, his expression changed in an instant as well.

He had indeed said: there might be something tucked inside, perhaps some precious historical document, or even military secrets, the kind that could influence the course of history.

Although that was to hoodwink He Youhan, it was not something he had fabricated out of thin air, nor was it a sudden whim: because this pot was a wine pot of a Khitan emperor.

Thinking from another perspective: to go to such great lengths to hide something inside an emperor's wine pot, the origin certainly could not be simple. It was even possible that the emperor himself had hidden it.

Of course, the ultimate purpose of these words was still to hoodwink He Youhan, while also mixed with a trace of Lin Sicheng's own curiosity.

But he had not expected that the reason he had casually made up for dismantling the pot would turn into a self-fulfilling prophecy: there was actually something inside?

And it was very likely something even more bizarre, more important, or perhaps even more valuable than the so-called "confidential documents influencing the course of history" that he had spouted off about.

Was it really that outrageous?

Seeing Lin Sicheng frozen and motionless, and seeing the two women beside him with expressions as if they had seen a ghost, He Youhan stood up abruptly: "General Manager Lin, what is it?"

Lin Sicheng snapped out of his daze, looked at the item that had been peeled off, and then looked at He Youhan: "General Manager He, don't be impatient, because the item is still damp and I can't show it to you yet. Wait a moment, let me process it first—"

Before he had finished speaking, Sun Jingzhou's heart skipped a beat, and he hurriedly gave a wink.

No matter how cordial they were on the surface, no matter how friendly their attitudes were, at the end of the day, both sides were opponents.

Therefore, Sun Jingzhou had been worried all along: what if there really was something extremely precious tucked inside, and what if Lin Sicheng played dirty?

It was also because of this that he had hinted to He Youhan earlier: it was best not to let Lin Sicheng dismantle it.

But unable to find a suitable person at the time, he could only entrust it to him. Now that the item had been peeled off, what if Lin Sicheng "accidentally" made a cut?

He Youhan understood his meaning; in fact, he had thought of this too, but he was not worried.

Setting aside their respective positions, Lin Sicheng's conduct and his actions were still quite admirable.

He certainly had schemes; otherwise, Lin Sicheng would not have reached this point. But he would never be so petty, nor would he use such a low-down, dirty trick—

He Youhan did not speak, only shook his head.

The fact was indeed so; Lin Sicheng was not dark enough to reach that level. He just couldn't figure it out: why do good people not get good rewards?

Why couldn't such an item fall into his own hands?

Amidst his sighing, Lin Sicheng's movements were not slow: cooling, dehumidifying, drying.

People outside could not see exactly what it was, but they could see the shape and the size: about ten centimeters, square. But it didn't look like paper; it seemed to still be a piece of tree bark.

After processing it, he placed it into a transparent vacuum box and walked out holding the box.

Everyone crowded around, and with just one glance, everyone's heart skipped a beat.

What is this thing, a map?

On it were drawn the shapes of mountains, some winding lines, and some dots.

It looked a bit like a marching map, or perhaps a camp layout map.

Besides that, there was text, but unfortunately, it was not Chinese characters, but rather the incomprehensible Khitan Script.

Lin Sicheng could not stop sighing: what kind of luck does He Youhan have?

At first glance, it looked like a map.

In fact, this was a Treasure Map—