Chapter 94: Playing East, Striking West

"It's just helping out, it's not like I'm asking you to do the repairs yourself, right?"

Feng Lin smiled, "Don't panic, Junior Brother Lin is very easygoing!"

Chen Huaizhi let out a breath and nodded vigorously.

Li Zhen had told her a lot, saying how high Lin Sicheng's appraisal skills were, how well he did Blue Pointing on Enamel, and how beautiful his Gold Stapling repairs were.

But Li Zhen had never mentioned that Lin Sicheng also knew Lacquer Repair, and that his craftsmanship was this advanced?

If you ask how advanced, look at his technique for mixing the lacquer: he neither weighed nor measured, just poured in whatever raw materials he grabbed. But after it was mixed, he lifted the glass rod, and the lacquer thread stretched a full meter high.

Chen Huaizhi certainly didn't know Lacquer Repair, but she understood the principles: only when the humidity and viscosity are near optimal can the lacquer paste reach this degree of "suspending without breaking" and "tough as a rope."

She would bet that more than half of the Ceramics professors in the Cultural Heritage Conservation Department couldn't achieve this step.

Beyond the shock, she couldn't help but feel nervous: with her own half-baked level, how was she supposed to help once she went up there?

Not to mention being slow, she would definitely make mistake after mistake; wouldn't she be scolded like dog shit by Lin Sicheng?

But things had already reached this point...

Chen Huaizhi gritted her teeth, lifted her head, puffed out her chest, and stepped onto the platform.

Then she stood quietly to the side, silent.

Feng Lin almost laughed out loud: you were asked to come on stage to help, not to come on stage to die, right?

The others were even more confused: you were just asked to go up and act as an assistant, is it really necessary, Chen Huaizhi?

It was indeed a bit strange; Lin Sicheng hadn't noticed at first, but suddenly turning his head, he saw her standing stiffly behind him, her face carrying a few traces of panic.

Lin Sicheng couldn't help but laugh: I don't eat people, what are you nervous about?

Taking a glance, he turned on the Hair Dryer again, blowing while stirring the lacquer: first to mix it evenly, second to heat it, causing the Lacquer Phenol to react quickly.

Seeing Chen Huaizhi still standing motionless, he pointed to the toolbox: "Fine Sandpaper, 400 grit, sand the edges roughly!"

"Oh, oh~" She snapped to her senses and took the porcelain shards out of the Electric Kiln.

After a light bake at 60 degrees, the lacquer liquid had already solidified, and the broken edges of the porcelain shards were covered with a layer of black film like glass.

The edges were very neat, without any lacquer liquid spilling over, and certainly no contamination of the glazed surface.

Chen Huaizhi fished out the sandpaper again and polished it carefully: this was to create grooves on the surface of the lacquer film to increase the adhesion of the adhesive lacquer.

It didn't require technical skill, anyone with hands could do it; just be careful not to polish the glazed surface of the porcelain.

After polishing five or six pieces, her emotions gradually stabilized, and Chen Huaizhi realized belatedly: Lin Sicheng had done this on purpose.

What to do if you are too nervous?

It is best to do something to distract yourself, just like she was doing now.

Forty or so porcelain shards didn't take much time. Lin Sicheng had also finished processing the lacquer liquid. He applied it with a brush again and pieced them onto the base.

This time, no reminder was needed; Chen Huaizhi had the Towel and Clamp ready. As soon as Lin Sicheng let go, Chen Huaizhi pressed her four fingers against the porcelain shard and pressed down gently.

Waiting three seconds for the adhesive to set, she grabbed the Towel again and carefully wiped away the lacquer liquid squeezed out from the gaps. Only after confirming there was no residue left would she attach the Clamp.

Quite skilled, and quite careful.

Just like that, one sticking, one clamping; in no time at all, the sauce-colored porcelain shards were all pieced together. Lin Sicheng held up the Glass Rod and compared it back and forth.

There weren't many places that needed repositioning; after a slight adjustment, a half-broken Sprinkled Gold Bowl sat on the tabletop.

Only a piece was missing from the rim of the Bowl, as if it had been bitten by some wild beast.

After a final check, Lin Sicheng straightened his back: "Electric Kiln constant temperature, 80 degrees, 90 percent humidity, set for four hours..."

After he finished speaking, Chen Huaizhi's eyes almost popped out: she had studied for four years of university, three years as a Master, and worked in a laboratory for two years, and this was the first time she had heard that porcelain repaired with lacquer could be baked in an electric kiln?

The slower method is Natural Air Drying, and those with better conditions use a specialized shade room; the shortest time is twenty-four hours, and the temperature has never exceeded thirty degrees.

Surprise is one thing, but whether to do it or not is another. She didn't hesitate at all, carefully supporting the base tray, and sent the porcelain Bowl into the Electric Kiln. She then conscientiously adjusted the temperature and humidity according to Lin Sicheng's requirements.

Closing the kiln door, she still felt it wasn't quite right, so Chen Huaizhi leaned forward cautiously: "Won't it... crack?"

It wasn't a challenge, and she was indeed a little bit curious; most importantly, Li Zhen had emphasized to her:

Lin Sicheng's Blue Pointing and Ceramic Repair techniques were so amazing that even Professor Shang marveled at them; for some key technical applications, even Professor Shang would have to ponder them repeatedly after returning to understand them.

Opportunities are rare; when you go, ask what you should ask, learn what you should learn, and definitely don't be reserved.

Isn't the opportunity here now?

"Isn't that reminder a bit late?"

Lin Sicheng made a joke and then nodded, "Don't worry, it won't: the essence of the solidification of raw lacquer is the oxidative polymerization reaction of Lacquer Phenol under the catalysis of Laccase...

It is first oxidation, then polymerization, and only finally does it form a film and solidify... as long as molecular activity is maintained during these three processes, it does not affect the final formation of the lacquer film..."

Chen Huaizhi blinked her eyes, her pupils filled with confusion.

At first listen, she seemed to understand, but thinking about it in reverse: her brain was still blank.

Lin Sicheng broke it down further:

"Lacquer Phenol is a catechol derivative with a long-chain alkyl group. The higher the unsaturation of its R group, especially the unsaturation of the conjugated double bond group, the stronger the oxidative polymerization activity, and the better the quality of the lacquer film."

"The medium that promotes the oxidation of Lacquer Phenol is water. Secondly, free radicals trigger the cross-linking reaction between Lacquer Phenol molecules to form long-chain polymers, which then build a three-dimensional network structure... heating can accelerate the reaction process..."

"Therefore, as long as sufficient humidity and appropriate temperature are guaranteed, the solidification process of the lacquer film can be rapidly shortened."

Chen Huaizhi understood, but didn't grasp it: "But what I've seen before has always been Natural Air Drying, and the temperature never exceeded thirty degrees?"

Lin Sicheng paused: "The lacquer wasn't mixed well!"

It was just that he wasn't in much of a rush, otherwise Lin Sicheng could have shortened this process to about an hour.

To put it professionally: they hadn't mastered the structural balance between Laccase and the colloidal protein molecules, or perhaps they had, but the person mixing the lacquer didn't know it themselves, or wasn't confident enough.

So-called insufficient technique can only be made up for with time.

Chen Huaizhi suddenly realized: when he pulled up the lacquer thread with the Glass Rod, wasn't she surprised: most Ceramics professors couldn't mix it this well...

Seeing her staring with wide eyes, Lin Sicheng picked up the Towel and wiped his hands: "Let's go, let's go eat first!"

"Don't we need to keep an eye on it?"

"No need, if it cracks, I'll just glue it back together!"

After replying, Lin Sicheng checked his watch: "Senior Sister Feng, you take the shift first, I'll only be half an hour... You all should go off duty too."

Feng Lin nodded: The electric kiln was on, so someone definitely had to stay, otherwise no one would know if a fire started.

Hearing that they could go off duty, the two fresh graduates—one Bachelor's and one Master's—finally snapped out of their daze.

Everything Lin Sicheng had just said was knowledge from their undergraduate textbooks, only Chen Huaizhi hadn't remembered it. Of course, they hadn't remembered it either.

The professors certainly knew it too.

But theory is one thing, and practical operation is another; the reason those ceramics professors didn't use it was exactly what Lin Sicheng said: the lacquer wasn't mixed properly.

It was evident, then, what Lin Sicheng's understanding of the lacquer craft was, as well as his proficiency?

At the very least, they could also tell: the lacquer paste Lin Sicheng mixed was truly excellent.

The few of them marveled inwardly and went downstairs one after another. They hadn't made plans with each other; everyone was going to eat on their own.

But after Lin Sicheng and Chen Huaizhi returned, the four of them were sitting neatly under the laboratory bench.

Lin Sicheng was stunned for a moment, then cracked a joke: "Don't rush, it'll still take several hours!"

"Haha~"

A few low chuckles came from below.

A moment later, the only remaining female Master raised her hand: "Junior Brother, did you really do this Project Plan Report all by yourself?"

Huh?

Lin Sicheng looked up: "Why do you ask that?"

Wei Hong fell silent: Because these words were spoken by Doctor Zhu, that very Doctor Zhu who came to apply for the position of core Researcher.

When the group discussed the project proposal earlier, Doctor Zhu mentioned: before he came to apply, he had studied all of Professor Wang's relevant Academic Reports and Theses, and the technical approach, technical modules, key technical applications, and application prospects in the project proposal were all vastly different.

While Doctor Zhu said these things, there was a faint sense of admiration in his tone.

At that time, Wei Hong thought: Technical approaches and modules cannot be changed just like that, which meant this plan definitely did not come from Professor Wang's hand, or at least he wasn't the one leading it.

And it was absolutely impossible that they had hired a ghostwriter: because technical approaches cannot be copied at all, let alone applied to experiments.

And for such a large project, with funding easily reaching millions, it was impossible for the school and Professor Wang to use it as a stepping stone for someone's protégé. Therefore, the person in charge of the project experiments must be the one who originally designed the research direction and conceived the technology.

Consequently, only one possibility remained: this project proposal was done by Lin Sicheng... and that was exactly what Doctor Zhu meant.

Wei Hong asking now was definitely not out of doubt, but out of panic. And it was panic to the extreme, to the point where she had to ask: because after mulling it over for an entire morning, she still hadn't cleared up her train of thought.

Five people, only three technical positions: Doctor Zhu went without saying, Chen Huaizhi had already demonstrated her own value, and now only she was left. If she became the only one dragging them down, where would she hide her face?

Seeing the female Master hesitant and stammering, Lin Sicheng guessed seven or eight-tenths of it in an instant, and secretly praised her: Doctor Zhu had a sharp eye, and this person's mindset had shifted very quickly.

If it were him, he would have at least doubted for another two or three days.

Oh well, better to explain it clearly early on and get to work.

He smiled and picked up the Project Plan Report:

"Because I was worried about accidents like 'technical leaks' during the bidding process, the project proposal was made relatively rough. But since we are behind closed doors today and have a bit of time, I'll explain it in more detail... But let's be clear, there's no overtime pay..."

The few of them laughed again.

Seeing this, Chen Huaizhi nimbly sat over and picked up a pen to open her notebook.

Seeing this, the two undergraduates followed suit.

Lin Sicheng laughed along: "One more thing, some things I won't admit to once we step out of this door... because according to my approach, the final stage of this project research will likely lead to a war of words with Western historical research institutions..."

"First point: the research on the alloy composition of the Bronze unearthed at the Banpo Site... it's called composition research, but it's actually craft restoration, and the goal is simple: the world's copper smelting craft originated in China..."

"If this research doesn't hold up, then at least we must prove: China is an independent origin, rather than what is currently generally believed by the world: that China's copper smelting technology originated in Western Asia..."

Suddenly, how could the few people below still laugh?

Wasn't it just a sub-project?

Looking at the report again: That's right, the school's bid?

But with one sentence, Lin Sicheng had pushed this project beyond the city, beyond the province, and even out of the country?

Big brother, we're just starting, can we not go this big?

Zhu Kaiping froze for several seconds, then silently took out paper and pen.

Feng Lin, who had been about to go eat, paused, closed the laboratory door, and walked over to sit with the others.

Because even she didn't know that Lin Sicheng's goal was this grand.

"You will definitely say I'm bragging, so I'll just say one thing: according to Western historical accounts, the earliest bronze in Western Asia is Arsenic Copper, dating back about 6,000 years. But actual research on unearthed specimens shows it's actually around 3,500 years old."

"Its main components are only copper and arsenic, using arsenic as a flux... and the Banpo Brass, how many years old is it?"

Lin Sicheng stretched out his hand and spread his five fingers: "To be precise, 4,700 years. Following the Western convention of rounding up, at least 5,000 years, and the flux metals are zinc, tin, and lead... What is this? Ternary Alloy Copper!"

"And European archaeologists have practically plowed through every site in Western Asia that might contain relevant Cultural Relics, only to find one piece of Tin Zinc Brass sheet dating back about 2,600 years... which means they are more than two thousand years behind us!"

"Even setting this point aside, just comparing Western Asian Arsenic Copper with Banpo Brass: the 1,200-year gap is enough to prove that Chinese copper metallurgy is an independent origin..."

"If we can further prove through our research that the smelting craft of Banpo Brass is similar to that of Southwest Asian Arsenic Copper, then doesn't that mean: the world's copper smelting craft originated in China, and right here at that?"

After a slight pause, Lin Sicheng smiled again: "If we're lucky, perhaps we can even prove 'World Metallurgy Technology Originated in China' along with it..."

The six people were dumbfounded, all of them with their mouths agape, staring at Lin Sicheng on the platform.

What is metallurgy?

All metal smelting, even including non-metal catalytic elements like arsenic and sulfur.

And copper, in that context, is just a single hair on an ox.

In an instant, the feeling among the few was exactly the same, and particularly eerie: it was as if a group of Stone Age savages were sitting in a thatched hut, discussing how to rule the whole world.

Never mind whether it's possible, just look at this approach, just look at this goal... how grand it is?

After a long time, Zhu Kaiping gave a start: "But I remember, the 'Chinese Social Science Journal' (Chinese Academy of Sciences journal) reported: the Chinese Academy of Sciences already started research last year, and the project theme was 'China Metallurgy Origin'... Oh right, the Person in Charge... the Person in Charge... who was it again?"

Zhu Kaiping had a pained expression, muttering to himself, but for the life of him, he couldn't remember.

Lin Sicheng smiled slightly: "Professor Wang Changsui!"

"Right, right, right..." Zhu Kaiping slapped his forehead, "Professor of the Department of History of Science and Scientific Archaeology at the Chinese Academy of Sciences..."

Halfway through his sentence, Zhu Kaiping suddenly froze, his features gradually twisting: Are you... planning to snatch a project from the Chinese Academy of Sciences?

That is the Chinese Academy of Sciences, after all?

I surrender... Big Brother, I truly surrender!

The others were basically shocked to the point of having a "blank mind": No wonder Lin Sicheng emphasized at the beginning: once they stepped out of this door, he would not acknowledge certain things?

Setting aside whether he acknowledges it or not, if you go out and tell others, who would dare believe it?

As if a pause button had been pressed, the laboratory was exceptionally silent; after a long while, an undergraduate student suddenly raised a hand: "The Banpo Site, it seems, has never unearthed any Brass... though natural copper does exist?"

Lin Sicheng smiled without saying a word, while Zhu Kaiping sighed inwardly: Child, you are still too young.

Do you not know what it means to make a feint to the east while attacking in the west?