Chapter 66: Can It Be Taught?

Of course, there is no question of fooling anyone.

Quite the contrary; it is precisely because he respects him as a teacher that Lin Sicheng would speak this way.

Otherwise what? Should Lin Sicheng pat his chest and say: "Professor Wang, see that? I'm even more awesome than you: as for things like Chicken Cups, that's all a piece of cake!"

Wang Qi Zhi was just a little depressed: he took on a student, and the student knows more than he, the teacher, does?

After feeling melancholy for a while, he let out a long sigh: "The teacher won't ask anymore..."

Lin Sicheng stopped his chopsticks and grinned: "Thank you, Teacher!"

Wang Qi Zhi glared at him and pointed at the box under his feet: "Then when will you finish the restoration?"

"Let's talk about it when I have time." Lin Sicheng thought for a moment, "The laboratory will be officially registered next week. I'll join the group first; Teacher, you should get the research project established first!"

At a time like this, why are you still worrying about a research project?

Besides, it's already been through the meeting, so it's not going to run away, is it?

Wang Qi Zhi spoke earnestly: "When can a research project not be established? Besides, it doesn't get in the way: the project team needs to recruit people first, and we need to prepare materials. Feng Lin can handle all of that; you don't need to help."

"But the Chicken Cup—if I miss the chance, I really will have missed it, won't I?"

"Secondly, Professor Lin's (home) equipment is incomplete, and running back and forth is just a waste of effort. It's better to finish the restoration in the laboratory... The Porcelain Research Group has the equipment, and our laboratory has everything else; we only lack an Intelligent Temperature-Controlled Electric Kiln. I'll go find the Dean when I get back and have him coordinate one... Rest assured, it will definitely be top-tier..."

Lin Sicheng scratched his head: "It won't be easy to transfer, right? Under what pretext?"

Bronze Cultural Relics research all uses smelting furnaces; who uses an electric kiln?

The key is that it's expensive. If it's a top-tier laboratory-grade intelligent electric kiln, one unit costs seventeen or eighteen thousand US dollars.

"It's not like I'm asking the school to buy a new one; it's just transferring one. Isn't it easy to find an excuse?"

Wang Qi Zhi thought for a moment, "I'll go find the Dean when I get back and just say we're preparing to research the application of copper-based alloys in the welding and repair of porcelain Cultural Relics..."

Lin Sicheng was stunned and gave a thumbs up: Professor Wang, you're amazing. For the sake of this dish of vinegar, you're willing to wrap up a plate of the most expensive abalone and lobster dumplings?

But aren't you afraid the school will treat you like a lucky money-making boy?

Because this type of technology belongs to the categories of industrial ceramics and polymer materials, and is currently only applied in the fields of electricity, medicine, and engines.

In terms of Cultural Relic Restoration, the Cultural Relics Bureau and the National Museum of China are indeed researching it, but they are basically still at the stage of "crossing the river by feeling the stones."

Therefore, if Wang Qi Zhi dares to spout nonsense, the Dean will dare to submit an application to the school to get his project approved as quickly as possible: whether it can actually be researched or not, we won't worry about that for now; first, let Wang Qi Zhi run the connections and get the research funding approved.

Besides, although it has "copper" in it, this is a proper ceramic restoration technique. Believe it or not, the moment he gets the project approved, Shang Yan will come knocking on his door with her people?

"It's best not to use this; it won't be easy to justify later!"

Lin Sicheng shook his head violently, "How about this: just say our laboratory is preparing to try researching the restoration technology for Cloisonné... We don't need a top-tier one, and it doesn't need to be big. A regular electric kiln will do. Let's see which laboratory in the Ceramic Group is free and borrow one first..."

Wang Qi Zhi's eyes lit up: Huh, why didn't I think of that?

Didn't Lin Sicheng just do some Blue Pointing in the Ceramic Group's laboratory a couple of days ago, and the samples are even still sitting at his own place?

It's my own fault for being too absorbed in my thoughts; I was only thinking about how the item being restored this time is porcelain, and I didn't remember that restoring Cloisonné also requires an electric kiln.

"Good, I'll call the Dean right now!"

Wang Qi Zhi took out his phone, then paused: "What other materials are missing? Make a list!"

Lin Sicheng thought for a moment, then shook his head: "Being able to mooch off the laboratory is already quite enough. I'd better prepare the materials myself!"

"Lin Sicheng, what are you thinking? Even if you wanted to mooch off the school's materials, the school would have to have them in the first place!"

Wang Qi Zhi pointed at the box underneath and couldn't help but laugh, "If you don't believe me, ask Shang Yan—has she ever restored Hongzhi Jiao Yellow Glaze or Ming Dynasty Blue and White with Five-Colored Underglaze?"

Lin Sicheng nodded: That's true.

And don't even mention Professor Shang; even the old man hasn't really restored much Ming Dynasty Official Kiln Porcelain.

Including the school's Porcelain Research Group, most of the Ming Porcelain samples they research are Folk Kiln porcelain; they simply don't have the materials Lin Sicheng wants.

Wang Qi Zhi opened his bag again and took out paper and a pen: "If you're not going to restore it, fine, but if you are, you have to do it to the best of your ability. If we rely on you to prepare, the day lilies will have already wilted... Make a list, be detailed, and when you're done, I'll make the call. Two or three days at the shortest, three to five days at the longest, and it's guaranteed to arrive..."

Lin Sicheng just opened his mouth, and Wang Qi Zhi waved his hand: "No need to thank me. It's not a free gift; you'll definitely have to pay for it!"

He was stunned and simply shut his mouth: This isn't even a question of money.

Not to mention the Chicken Cup, just taking these two pieces at his feet as an example, Lin Sicheng intends to sell them for money after they are restored, so naturally, he can't just fool around with plaster and ordinary lacquer paste like one would with common porcelain.

For example: if the porcelain shards are incomplete, don't you have to use shards from similar porcelain to patch them? Don't you have to go to Beijing to hunt for them?

But even if they are broken porcelain, these are Jiao Yellow Glaze and Ming Dynasty Doucai; not only are they from an Official Kiln, they are also Ming Dynasty Imperial porcelain. How could they be that easy to find?

Lin Sicheng estimates that half a month back and forth would be fast, and the quality would be, at best, average.

But with one phone call from Wang Qi Zhi, they would be pulled from the Treasury that same day, packed the next day, and delivered by the third day. And whatever kind you want, they have it; whatever grade you want, they have it.

Don't believe it?

Sorry, the teacher's wife's surname is Shan...

Lin Sicheng picked up the pen and wrote them down on the paper one by one.

Wang Qi Zhi then casually dialed the Dean's number:

"Hello, Dean. Can I discuss something with you... What? What trap are you trying to dig for me again? When have I ever dug a trap for you?"

"It's like this: isn't the project team about to be registered? But the personnel aren't in place yet, so I wanted to research something simple first. I wanted to ask for your help in transferring an electric kiln... What? No?"

"No... Dean, listen to me. I really am not planning to snatch a project from the Ceramic Group. What I'm researching really is Bronze... It's Cloisonné; I've already found the samples?"

"Ah, you actually know? Yes, yes, yes, it's Lin Sicheng... What? Can it be transferred from the Ceramic Group? Impossible..."

Not knowing what the Dean said, Wang Qi Zhi's face changed, his back straightened, and even his tone became much firmer: "Dean, it's just an electric kiln. If you won't transfer it, then I'll just buy one myself?"

"Uh... okay, thank you, Dean..."

After hanging up the phone, Wang Qi Zhi narrowed his eyes and sneered silently.

Lin Sicheng was completely confused: "What happened?"

"The Dean asked if you could be transferred to the Ceramic Group," Wang Qi Zhi said with a "Heh," "It must be the one surnamed Shang who complained!"

The one surnamed Shang? Professor Shang?

Lin Sicheng was stunned: Didn't you say last week that you had already reasoned with her and appealed to her sense of logic?

"How was I supposed to know that woman would go back on her word?" Wang Qi Zhi gritted his teeth, "Going back on her promises, a treacherous, faithless person..."

Lin Sicheng could neither laugh nor cry: "Don't be anxious, I definitely won't go!"

"Of course I know you won't go, but it's not the thief you fear, it's the thief who has their eye on you..."

Wang Qi Zhi frowned and pondered for a while, "The Dean said the Electric Kiln can be moved over tomorrow. You rest for a day first, and we'll repair it the day after tomorrow..."

"Repairing the Sunflower Plate is fine, or repairing the porcelain you're most skilled at is also fine... but no matter what we repair, we must let that person surnamed Shang see it for themselves first..."

Wang Qi Zhi sneered again: "Wanting to snatch a student from me, they should weigh their own worth first: are you even capable of teaching?"

Lin Sicheng could neither persuade him nor laugh...