Chapter 96: Changing the Form of Address Later

The laboratory was very quiet.

Five new colleagues were buried in their work, sometimes writing rapidly, sometimes lost in thought.

Lin Sicheng and Feng Lin were quietly piecing together another Greasy White Bowl on the workbench.

The speed was quite fast, taking only about half an hour.

It was just a bit of a sorry sight: holes on the left and eyes on the right; let alone holding water or rice, it would leak even if filled with broad beans.

The key was that most of the holes were in the middle of the bowl wall, not the edges, which meant the difficulty of the Artifact Restoration had increased by several levels.

Feng Lin frowned: "This won't be easy to patch, right?"

"It's fine, let's give it a try!" Lin Sicheng said in an indifferent tone, "It only cost two hundred yuan; it won't hurt even if the repair is botched!"

That was true.

Feng Lin nodded, supported the base, and sent it into the Electric Kiln.

When she turned back, Lin Sicheng was actually hunched over the table, writing non-stop.

Glancing at the title, Feng Lin suddenly understood: it was written for Zhu Kaiping.

Shang and Zhou: Bronze Golden Age, 3,600 years ago.

Copper Smelting technology at the Taosi Site (Linfen, Shanxi) in the middle and lower reaches of the Yellow River, 3,900 years ago.

Majiayao Site (Dingxi, Gansu): Bronze knife, 4,500 years ago.

Jiangzhai Site, brass flakes and brass tubes (Xi'an), 4,700 years ago.

As the saying goes, a single piece of evidence is not enough for examination, and a single proof is not enough for declaration; if one only studied the brass flakes of the Jiangzhai Site, no matter how detailed the data, the historical and archaeological circles would not acknowledge it.

Therefore, there must be strong supporting evidence, just like what Lin Sicheng was writing now: working backward from the later periods.

First, push from the Shang and Zhou dynasties to the Taosi Site, then push to the Majiayao Culture, which is closer in time and closer in geographical location (six hundred kilometers from Xi'an). Then push further back to the Jiangzhai Site.

It was equivalent to Lin Sicheng listing a highly probable "China Copper Smelting Technology Inheritance Route," and clearly telling Zhu Kaiping: just follow this path for your research and conduct verification in parallel.

However, wasn't this a bit too comprehensive?

While she was feeling suspicious, she saw Lin Sicheng write a few more points, and Feng Lin narrowed her eyes:

Counter-argument 1: The difference between the Copper Smelting technology of the Taosi Site and the Copper Smelting technology of the Eurasian Southern Steppe Sites (present-day Ural Region, Russia)……

Counter-argument 2: The differences and connections between the Jiangzhai brass and the Shijiahe Culture Copper Smelting technology (Tianmen, Hubei, 4,300 years ago). That is, the origin of the Shang Dynasty bronze culture.

The first one was fine; it was used to refute the "Western Origin of Copper Metallurgy Theory" that is generally believed abroad, and even more firmly held by the domestic history and archaeology circles than abroad.

But the second one…… the historical and archaeological circles generally recognize that the Shang and Zhou bronze culture was inherited from Shijiahe; was Lin Sicheng trying to poke a hornet's nest?

Feng Lin lowered her voice to remind him, but Lin Sicheng was dismissive: "The domestic academic circle also generally recognizes that 'Shang and Zhou bronze technology originated in West Asia.' If we can't even overturn this point, how can we prove the 'Copper Metallurgy Independent Origin Theory'?"

Feng Lin was left speechless by the rebuttal.

Only now did she realize that this hornet's nest had to be poked……

She glanced again at the titles Lin Sicheng had listed: "Are the chances of success... high?"

Lin Sicheng nodded firmly: "Don't worry!"

In his past life, the Chinese Academy of Sciences traced the origins along this very path, and in the end, it connected perfectly.

However, one link was still missing in the middle: the Xichengyi Site in Gansu, but this site would not be excavated until 2010.

Therefore, Lin Sicheng planned to take some time to go to Gansu and find a way to have the Gansu Cultural Relics and Archaeology Institute excavate this site in advance.

By next year at the latest, otherwise Zhu Kaiping's research would have to come to a halt.

With these thoughts, he stepped off the laboratory bench and walked to the corner.

Zhu Kaiping looked up subconsciously and stood up.

"Senior Brother, please sit!" Lin Sicheng waved his hand and handed over the manuscript, "Just some tentative ideas, Senior Brother, take a look first. If you think there's some possibility, we can discuss it further!"

Taking a glance, Zhu Kaiping's pupils constricted: was it just "some possibility"?

The possibility was extremely high: look at the time, the intervals were only a few hundred years.

Look at the geography: it was equivalent to using the Jiangzhai Site as a Center, radiating to the surrounding areas.

Then why hadn't he thought of it?

Because there were more than a thousand copper smelting sites from the Shang Dynasty and earlier; it was like a Password Lock, requiring you to pick one set of codes from 1 to 1000 to open the lock—how great was that difficulty?

Suddenly, Zhu Kaiping shortened the research cycle he had envisioned by half: from five to six years, down to three to four years.

There was only one point: the last two counter-arguments were too advanced.

But he understood even better that if one wanted to prove Lin Sicheng's ultimate hypothesis—the Copper Metallurgy Independent Origin Theory—these were two mountains that had to be crossed.

Zhu Kaiping nodded vigorously: "Junior Brother Lin, I will do my best!"

"No rush, take your time!"

With a smile and a reply, Lin Sicheng turned and left.

Glancing at the manuscript on the table, Zhu Kaiping stared at his back: just some tentative ideas, how could that be?

He let out a breath, sat down, and began to redraft his research plan based on the draft.

The laboratory fell silent again.

Not long after, Wang Qi Zhi walked into the laboratory, swaying, carrying his thermos.

Just as he entered the door, he let out an "Eh": so quiet?

Lin Sicheng was mixing lacquer paste, and the others were each occupying a corner, writing furiously, including Feng Lin.

Even when he, their mentor, returned, no one had noticed?

Looking closer: they were either writing project proposals or outlines of difficulties.

Tsk, suddenly so proactive and cooperative?

Thinking back to when he left this morning: one by one, they were both suspicious and disappointed…… At the time, Wang Qi Zhi thought that to make these people obedient, it would probably take two or three days.

As it turned out, they hadn't even lasted half a day?

Secretly suspicious, he stepped onto the experimental platform on tiptoe; Lin Sicheng glanced at him and let out a "Heh."

No need to think, he must have overslept at home: whose meeting could last from nine in the morning until four in the afternoon?

Unfilial disciple!

Wang Qi Zhi glared at Lin Sicheng, then gestured with his chin toward the stage below, his voice very low: "What's the situation?"

"I roughly explained the research approach and the ultimate goal of the project, and the Senior Brothers and Senior Sisters were all very enthusiastic."

Lin Sicheng, what kind of nonsense are you spouting to me?

Wang Qi Zhi squinted his eyes: "You said it and they just believed it?"

"They believed it!" Lin Sicheng nodded, "Senior Brother Zhu has a very high level of research, and furthermore, his eyes are very sharp: one could say he hits the mark with a single Needle..."

In an instant, Wang Qi Zhi guessed it eight or nine times out of ten: if Lin Sicheng said it, it must have sounded like bragging no matter how you listened to it... I believe your ghost?

But if it were Zhu Kaiping, who holds a Doctor degree, has published in journals multiple times, and has achieved certain scientific research results, then the others would believe it one hundred percent.

This is the persuasiveness and authority brought by one's own strength.

But to be able to see Lin Sicheng's true level just by looking at that report which was rough to the extreme, Zhu Kaiping's level is indeed not low.

It was not in vain that he went to such great lengths, both conducting research and reviewing the Thesis.

With these thoughts turning, Wang Qi Zhi sat down.

Just then, Wei Hong had finished organizing her general ideas and ran over excitedly. Halfway there, she realized Wang Qi Zhi was also there.

"Oh, Professor Wang!"

Wang Qi Zhi nodded, "What is it?"

"I wrote down some of my understanding and ideas regarding the project plan, and I would like to ask Junior Brother Lin to take a look!"

"Oh!" Wang Qi Zhi glanced at the manuscript, "Change the form of address in the future!"

What form of address, was the title not written correctly?

Feeling suspicious, Wei Hong instinctively looked up and discovered that Professor Wang was not looking at the manuscript, but at her.

His expression revealed a hint of seriousness.

Wei Hong's heart skipped a beat, and she suddenly realized: since it is for review, since it is for seeking advice, you call Lin Sicheng "Junior Brother"?

Moreover, is this just guidance?

The argumentation approach for a quasi-National Level Project, what is this? This is passing on knowledge and teaching the Dao...

Furthermore, the research plan is sitting right there, the "Co-PI: Lin Sicheng" on it, isn't it so eye-catching?

Wei Hong had a flash of inspiration: "Senior Brother Lin!"

Wang Qi Zhi nodded with satisfaction: as the first disciple to open the mountain, shouldn't you call him Senior Brother?

Zhu Kaiping doesn't count, he is a disciple from a friendly sect, roughly equivalent to a wandering monk...