Chapter 76: Finished

Lin Sicheng blinked his eyes: "Professor Wang, I feel... this thing is somewhat similar?"

Wang Qi Zhi hesitated slightly: "Looking at it... it really is somewhat similar!"

Upon hearing these two sentences, Guan Xingmin, standing to the side, felt his heart skip a beat.

What is "somewhat similar"? Naturally, it means it is somewhat similar to a genuine item.

If the order of the two men's speech were reversed, Guan Xingmin would at most be suspicious. However, the one saying this thing is similar is Lin Sicheng?

It is no exaggeration to say that in an instant, Guan Xingmin's heartbeat quickened by half a beat.

Think of the Inverted Pot at the Cultural Relics Center, think of that Hetian White Jade Lion Paperweight from last time...

Guan Xingmin forced himself to remain calm: "Does that mean... the possibility of it being a genuine item is very high?"

"It is somewhat high!" Lin Sicheng pointed at the bright Gold-gilding layer, "At first glance, it's a good fifty or sixty percent."

Guan Xingmin also dabbles in collecting, so he naturally knows that the so-called "fifty or sixty percent" plus "a good" basically equals a genuine item.

However, those who do appraisals always leave themselves some leeway and will not speak with absolute certainty.

Then what does this mean? It means the Shijian and the Provincial Department have misidentified it again.

The problem is, the Municipal Public Security Bureau Branch arrested the suspect based on the appraisal report from the Shijian. The Procuratorate also used this as a basis, preparing to prosecute under the charge of "fraud, with an especially large amount."

If this turns out to be a genuine item, where would the fraud come from, and what is there to prosecute?

Seeing that his complexion was off, Lin Sicheng guessed seven or eight out of ten: "Director Guan, are you responsible for this copper incense burner?"

Guan Xingmin nodded vigorously: "Otherwise, would I be this anxious?"

Wang Qi Zhi's eyelids also twitched: No wonder?

The nature of that lion paperweight last time was even more serious, yet Guan Xingmin was only startled because he was not responsible for it.

But for this incense burner, he was responsible for both the initial appraisal and the re-appraisal; in the end, the person primarily responsible for the accountability would be him.

Since the incense burner is genuine, the charge of fraud naturally does not hold, and of course, it cannot be prosecuted. But the person has been locked up for nearly three months; does that not require compensation?

Following that, will the accountability procedure be initiated, and will the case officers be dealt with?

Of course they will be dealt with.

But how long has he endured, and how much has he sacrificed, for him to reach this step?

Boom—it is all over...

It is no exaggeration; in just two minutes, sweat broke out on Guan Xingmin's forehead.

The teacher and student looked at each other, their expressions appearing slightly grave.

Lin Sicheng pondered for a moment and turned the copper incense burner upright: "Director Guan, don't be anxious yet, let us take another look!"

Wang Qi Zhi also nodded, and the two of them took out their High-intensity Flashlights in unison, one looking at each side.

In fact, strictly speaking, no matter what kind of Cultural Relics it is, whether it be the vessel shape, material, craftsmanship, or inscriptions, all can be forged, even to the point of being eighty or ninety percent similar, which is what is commonly called "passing off the fake as genuine."

For example, that Inverted Pot from the Cultural Relics company, or that Hetian White Jade Lion Paperweight seen last time.

And among these, the hardest to forge are the various age characteristics formed over time due to material oxidation or corrosion.

Such as rust, such as patina, such as spots. Including detection by scientific and technical means, the initial inspection sample must certainly be testing for this.

Lin Sicheng and Wang Qi Zhi are also looking at this.

The two first looked at the outer layer, but after not even a few minutes, Lin Sicheng's brows furrowed slightly.

The rust on the outer layer also seems to be real?

At first glance, the surface of the object seems to be covered in a layer of soil, yet it cannot be wiped off?

In fact, this is calcium carbonate from the soil deposited on the surface, forming a layer of soil rust. It indicates the object was buried in calcium-rich soil for a long time.

Secondly, beneath the soil rust, one can see obvious white rust spots: this is the object contacting microorganisms in an oxygen-rich environment, where tin selectively corrodes to form tin dioxide (SnO), scientifically known as Type IV.

Continuing downward: the rust layer is blackened, faintly revealing reddish-brown: this is a composite rust layer formed by the mixture of the object and iron oxides in the soil in an oxygen-rich, dry environment.

Scientifically known as Type II, its main components are copper oxide (CuO) and black copper (CuO).

Based on these three points alone, one can deduce the burial environment: oxygen-rich, dry, calcium-rich, active microorganisms... a northern loess tomb that has already been damaged and has formed a long-term aerobic environment.

Whether it was dug out from Shaanxi is unknown, but it is definitely north of the Yellow River.

The point is: from bottom to top, the rust layer is a multi-layer structure of "black → brown → soil," and it is layered progressively; without two or three hundred years, this rust could not form.

Forgers cannot create it either.

Is Guan Xingmin really finished this time?

Instinctively, Lin Sicheng's brows furrowed even tighter; suddenly, with a "Clang," the copper incense burner jolted.

Wang Qi Zhi had knocked the edge of the burner with his Magnifying Glass, his face showing joy: "Lin Sicheng, come over and look, this rust seems to be pasted on."

Impossible...

These three words flashed instinctively in his mind; Lin Sicheng simply walked around the table to Wang Qi Zhi's side.

But with just one look, his eyelids could not stop twitching: just from that light knock, some green powder had actually fallen off the copper incense burner?

Not much, just a few specks.

But this is not a question of quantity at all: copper rust generated by hundreds of years of corrosion can hardly be scraped off even with a knife, yet it came off with just such a light tap?

In surprise, Lin Sicheng grabbed a bit and rubbed it with his fingers: the rust is real.

Looking through the Magnifying Glass at the surface of the object again: at the very bottom of the rust layer, between the black copper oxide and the copper incense burner, there is a layer of black light film.

It is extremely thin and very concealed; if not for the high magnification of the Magnifying Glass, it might not have been visible.

This is a lacquer film, that is, raw lacquer, the most commonly used and most durable adhesive in ancient times. So it is certain beyond doubt that the rust layer was pasted on.

Why is the other half of the rust so real that it could not be any more real?

It cannot be that this copper incense burner is half real and half fake?

Absolutely impossible: there are no traces of splicing on the entire body, and the casting traces are integrated as one; let alone the Qing Dynasty, it could not be forged even in another eight hundred years.

Just as he was suspicious, he saw Guan Xingmin heave a sigh of relief and actually start to laugh.

Lin Sicheng poured cold water on the situation in time: "Director Guan, don't laugh just yet!"

As he spoke, he turned the copper furnace around.

Wang Qi Zhi did not understand, so Lin Sicheng gestured again, meaning for him to look first.

Subconsciously raising the Magnifying Glass, Wang Qi Zhi had barely taken a glance when his pupils suddenly constricted.

Black rust (Copper Oxide) → brown rust (cuprous oxide) → earth rust (calcium carbonate), with white tin dioxide interspersed beneath the earth rust.

A Type II generated in an oxygen-rich, dry, calcium-rich environment?

Looking at the other side: Copper Oxide → basic copper sulfate → basic copper carbonate... a Type III generated in an oxygen-deficient, humid, low-chlorine environment.

But what kind of nonsense is this?

Because the environments in which these two types of rust layers are generated are completely opposite.

To put it simply: one is in the permafrost of the North Pole, and the other is in the equatorial zone. Therefore, these two types of rust layers could never appear on the same artifact...

The key point is: the rust layer on the dry side is tightly adhered to the artifact, and after checking back and forth four or five times, Wang Qi Zhi could not find any traces of transplantation or pasting.

Furthermore, having spent nearly twenty years in Artifact Research, could he not tell whether these rust layers were naturally generated?

Therefore, this half is genuine.

He thought for a moment, turned the furnace back around, reversed the Magnifying Glass, and vigorously rubbed the area he had just appraised.

With one rub, a piece of rust fell off; with another rub, another piece of rust fell off.

Gradually, the Gold-gilding layer was revealed, as was the Type II mixed with earth rust and black-brown rust, exactly the same as the side Lin Sicheng had appraised.

Wang Qi Zhi was stunned for a long time, then looked up in astonishment, staring intensely at Lin Sicheng, the words "genuine item" surging to his lips.

Guan Xingmin is finished!