Reborn Treasure Appraiser: I Really Didn’t Want to Be an Expert

Chapter 94 The Female Assistant Doing Private Work

It’s a new week again.

The incandescent lamp emitted a soft light. Wang Qizhi leaned against the long table, holding a teacup to warm his hands.

Lin Sicheng stood opposite, his hands in the pockets of his white coat. The morning light filtered through the blinds, casting fine golden lines on his face.

"So, it was Supervisor Yang who was behind this? She was the one who opened the box without asking for my permission after Senior Brother Hao arrived?"

"Yes, that's her!" Wang Qizhi nodded. "She's getting older, her professional skills have seriously declined, and her learning ability is almost non-existent, which has led to a sense of crisis. But Ye Anning is too capable and has a strong background, which forced her to take risks..."

"Fired by Baoli?"

"Of course. And Baoli has already reported the case, and they'll prosecute next. I heard there were a lot of tampering... Oh, and there's also that Teacher Ma."

Wang Qizhi recalled, "I made a scene for two days straight. On the third day, as soon as I got into the police station, I was taken away by the police who had been waiting for me. I was detained for half a month!"

Lin Sicheng sighed: This is Baoli.

What I saw when I went in that day looked just like a fake.

Wang Qizhi uncovered the teacup and took a sip. "I'm just wondering, why didn't Teacher Ma come to make trouble with you?"

Lin Sicheng smiled and said, "I guess I haven't taken care of it yet!"

Firstly, it was Baoli's people who instigated Teacher Ma to submit the calligraphy for auction. It was also because of the careful design of that supervisor Yang that she was forced to sell the calligraphy and seal to herself. Therefore, the main contradiction still lies with Baoli.

Secondly, Teacher Ma knew full well that because of those two third-party resale contracts, she wouldn't win even if she took the case to the United Nations. Her only option now was to try to find some way to work with Baoli and find some evidence of Ye Anning's "disloyalty and behind-the-scenes manipulation."

But unfortunately, if she could have found Bao Li, she would have done so long ago, not her turn. On the contrary, Ye An Ning was the victim from beginning to end.

Third, it should be the desire to seek profit and avoid harm. The old man has worked hard for most of his life, and the three words "Lin Changqing" still have some credibility and deterrent power.

In the antiques business, missing out on treasures is commonplace; which connoisseur can truly say they haven't experienced this? Even the biggest pitfalls don't necessarily mean there's no chance of a comeback.

But if your reputation is ruined, there is really no hope at all.

Combining all these factors, if Teacher Ma had been more sober, she would not only not make a fuss, but would also use her sticky attitude and run to Lin Sicheng to act pitiful: Brother, look, your sister has lost tens of millions because of you, shouldn't you show some pity and compensate me?

But to be honest, if Lin Sicheng could be entangled by her, he would have lived two lives in vain, so he was not worried at all.

Compared with them, he admired Ye Anning more: if he didn't move, he would hit the weak spot, steadily, accurately and ruthlessly.

After many days of teacher-student rapport, Wang Qizhi knew what Lin Sicheng was thinking. He sighed, "Don't overthink it: no one has been involved in this matter from beginning to end, including me, your teacher's wife, and even your teacher's aunt (Ye Anning's mother)!"

"That's why I admire you!" Lin Sicheng nodded vigorously. "Cousin Ye is amazing!"

Wang Qizhi smacked his lips and thought: I always feel that using words like "awesome" to describe a girl is somewhat inappropriate.

"Change the word!"

Lin Sicheng thought for a moment: "Calm, rational, and decisive!"

Wang Qizhi opened his mouth: Why does it feel even more wrong?

Forget it, the more you draw, the darker it gets.

He changed the subject: "Where did you keep the seal? Is it safe?"

"I used my grandfather's account to open a VIP safe at the bank, and the calligraphy was also kept in it."

"Haha, Professor Lin wasn't shocked, was he?"

Lin Sicheng shook his head: "I haven't told you yet. I've also told Senior Brother Hao and Director Guan, and asked them not to tell you yet!"

Wang Qizhi was stunned for a moment and gave a thumbs up: "Lin Sicheng, you are so filial!"

Lin Sicheng smiled: "Not bad!"

After a few jokes, the atmosphere gradually relaxed. Wang Qizhi looked at his watch again: "I'm just going to pick someone up. Why is Feng Lin taking so long?"

"Didn't you tell us to talk to everyone one by one? It should be soon!"

As soon as Lin Sicheng finished speaking, the door was pushed open.

Feng Lin was in the front, and five more people came in one after another. Three men and two women, all very young.

These people are all project team members carefully selected by Wang Qizhi, and they officially joined the team today.

The five people greeted each other one after another, and Wang Qizhi nodded slightly. He stretched out his hand and took the resume from Feng Lin.

Then he handed it over: "Basically, they are all selected according to your requirements!"

Lin Sicheng nodded and took the folder.

One PhD, two Masters, and two Bachelors. Their majors are very relevant, and the first three have rich experience.

In particular, one of the female masters majored in metal cultural heritage preservation in our school. After graduation, she interned in the laboratory of a retired professor of metal cultural heritage preservation in our school for two years. She has both sufficient knowledge reserves and rich experimental experience.

The key is the research direction: collaborative research on high-temperature kiln furniture and metal molds.

This is one of the few research topics that intersects ceramics and metal artifacts. She stayed there for two full years, which shows that she can get started with ceramic experiments and even better with metal artifact experiments.

He also knows a little about lacquer carving, which makes him almost a jack of all trades.

After comparing himself with the photo, Lin Sicheng continued to flip through the pages.

He read it very carefully, for about five or six minutes, and basically memorized the resumes and specialties of the five people.

After Lin Sicheng finished reading, he returned the folder to Feng Lin. Wang Qizhi picked up the thermos cup and said, "You take care of the arrangements. I'm going to the meeting!"

Lin Sicheng was stunned: No...you're just leaving like that?
You are the mentor, laboratory director, project initiator and general manager. You recruit people without giving any instructions?

At least you should say a few words to encourage him, right?

"What's the point of always engaging in those empty talk?" Wang Qizhi couldn't escape, so he had to turn back: "Besides, Lin Sicheng, what did we agree on before?"

Lin Sicheng opened his eyes wide.

Yes, I did say: Teacher, you just need to coordinate the overall situation, including planning, application, project establishment, funding, acceptance, selection... Just pay more attention to it in daily life, and Sister Feng and I can basically handle the small details.

But it didn’t say that you can just be a hands-off boss?

Lin Sicheng paused: "Aren't you afraid that I'll mess it up?"

Wang Qizhi laughed: Which instrument in this laboratory are you better at using than Feng Lin?

And those research plans, even the sub-topic directions were proposed by you, and you say you don’t know how to do it?
Besides, how bad can it get?

Wang Qizhi looked very serious and nodded again: "Teacher believes in you!"

Just one sentence made Lin Sicheng unable to utter a single word despite having prepared a lot of speeches.

Lin Sicheng knew, of course, that Professor Wang was intent on establishing his authority within the laboratory. Just as he had once said to Professor Shang, patting his chest: Now that Lin Sicheng is here, he'll be the founding disciple, the sect's senior brother.

Anyone who came later, regardless of their status, had to obey orders if they were willing to come. Lin Sicheng simply felt that Professor Wang had placed too much trust in him.

He breathed a sigh of relief: "Teacher, I'll try my best!"

Wang Qicheng gave a mysterious smile: Why does Lin Sicheng need to use his full strength?
At most, I can use 50% of my strength to make these people obey me.

He lowered his voice again: "Teacher is not going to hang out, he has to go and tell the dean about it."

Lin Sicheng nodded vigorously: "Yes, business is more important!"

Whether the teacher and student can take off depends on whether the iron project can be approved. But without the support of the school, they really can't do it alone.

Because you have to really snatch food from other people's bowls, and look at those opponents: National Cultural Heritage Administration, Peking University, Beijing Institute of Technology, National Museum of China... Most people would feel their scalps tingling just by seeing their names.

Lin Sicheng gave Wang Qizhi an encouraging look, and he nodded in understanding and walked out of the laboratory leisurely.

With the sound of the door closing, the atmosphere suddenly became quiet.

Lin Sicheng got straight to the point: "Senior Sister Feng, please take a few of the brothers and sisters to familiarize themselves with the machine and understand the experimental plan!"

Several people were stunned at the same time, and when Lin Sicheng's gaze swept over them, they nodded in response.

These people were carefully selected by Wang Qizhi, and Feng Lin talked to them one by one. He said it very bluntly: Professor Wang's laboratory is somewhat special, and the daily management is basically the responsibility of Junior Brother Lin.

Although she was a research assistant and an administrative assistant, her main job was to support Lin. She even specifically reminded him, "Junior Lin is a senior this year and hasn't graduated yet, so you should be mentally prepared."

At the time, all five of them expressed their understanding. But expressing it is one thing, and seeing it with their own eyes after arriving here is another: In this lab, the assistant manager is really being sidelined?
It goes without saying that everyone understands Lin's age, but what they find a little hard to accept is the instructor's attitude:

The process from receiving a resume to submitting it was so smooth. The key point was Wang Zhiqi's words at the time: "Basically, the selection was based on your requirements."

What do you mean?
It is very likely that these five people will not be used by Professor Wang in the future, but by this Junior Brother Lin.

The problem is, they are here because of Professor Wang’s qualifications and abilities. How can we throw them to a kid?

For a moment, everyone had different thoughts and ideas.

Feng Lin then handed over some more documents: "You've all used the machines before, so take a look at the manual and familiarize yourself with them. This is the research plan, so you need to pay special attention to it. If you have any questions, ask them promptly, and if you have any suggestions, raise them as soon as possible..."

Several people nodded, took the information, and flipped it open:

Material and process analysis: Evolution of early bronze metallurgy technology and study of alloy composition of bronze artifacts unearthed from the Banpo site.

Conservation and restoration technology: Corrosion mechanism and intervention measures of bronze artifacts unearthed from the Loess Plateau, including desalination and slow-release protection technology.

The former belongs to technological restoration, while the latter belongs to restoration and protection. They are very comprehensive and targeted.

Just looking at these two research plans, you can tell that the project team put in a lot of effort before launching the project: it not only avoided the possibility of duplicate applications with the same school, province, or even other research institutions, but also had a certain degree of foresight.

The latter, in particular, although a vertically segmented project, is currently undeveloped and has a very promising future. To put it simply: any research results that can be achieved will result in several patents.

The papers are being published at a rapid pace.

Suddenly, everyone felt much more at ease: although the person on the stage seemed unreliable, the tutor was still very reliable.

But when they looked past the title and flipped through the details, as if by agreement, all five of them craned their necks forward:
PI (Project Leader): Wang Qizhi.

Co-PI (co-PI of the project, head of sub-project): Lin Sicheng.

As if I couldn’t believe it, I read it again: Yes, he was not only the sub-project leader, but also the co-project leader.

what does this mean?
This means that in addition to the main research direction, the clear technical route, key technical modules, experimental stages and progress estimates are all designed by him.

In addition, he will be responsible for daily experimental division of labor, data analysis, supervision and inspection of experimental progress, as well as coordination of interdisciplinary guidance and collaboration.

This meant he had to do at least half of the supervisor's work. As long as the supervisor kept quiet, he had the final say in the lab and project team.

The question is, setting aside whether he has the ability, whether this report was actually his plan. According to regulations, sub-projects must be held by a PhD or higher, and the co-leaders must be associate professors.

But this guy is only a senior and hasn’t even graduated from college… So how did the bid get approved when the project was established?

The strange thing is that the school actually approved it?
Just as they were feeling confused and uncertain, one of the undergraduates muttered, "I heard he's Vice President Lin's grandson?"

The other four remained silent, but their intuition suggested that this was unlikely: the signs of behind-the-scenes manipulation and the transfer of scientific research resources were too obvious, a bit too blatant.

A few people made random guesses while Feng Lin watched coldly.

Professor Wang had said: According to Lin Sicheng's plan, once the project begins, the intensity will be extremely high. This intensity does not refer to time or physical strength, but to the rigid requirements of professional ability and knowledge reserves.

How strong is it? Those who are capable will shut up, and those who are not will voluntarily withdraw.

Before that, no matter how much you explain, there will always be people who doubt you. It's better to see the truth on stage. To put it bluntly, it's a mule or a horse, take it out for a walk.

Fortunately, these people are not fresh out of school. Although they are skeptical, their mentality is still stable.

We quickly got into the groove, skimmed through it, and then sat down to discuss it. The topic was surprisingly consistent: the design approach was a bit vague, and the verification process wasn't detailed enough.

To put it simply: They don’t quite understand this report.

The PhD student was okay, and he could basically understand it. The two masters were much worse, and they felt confused and confused, as if there was a piece of paper between them, and they couldn't make sense of their thoughts.

As for undergraduate students of the two subjects, it is like reading a book written in a foreign language.

Feng Lin sighed secretly.

Professor Lin was right: the gap between these people and Lin Sicheng was at least one laboratory away.

As they were sighing, there was a loud "crash" and several people turned around at the same time.

On the operating table, Lin Sicheng moved out a box and poured out a pile of porcelain pieces.

After roughly sorting them, he started putting them together again.

Several people didn't know why.

After watching for a while, the doctor turned around and asked, "Assistant Feng, what is Junior Brother Lin doing?"

"Piece pieces together!"

The doctor choked: Didn’t I know he was putting together porcelain pieces?

But the thing is, this is a metal artifact laboratory.

Feng Lin probably saw what he was thinking, so she explained: "This is Lin Sicheng's own project. He and Chen Huaizhi (the universal female master's degree holder) will complete it independently. It has nothing to do with you!"

The doctor didn't know what to say.

What is an "own project"?
Private work.

It would be fine if he just brought it to the lab to work openly, but the project team even assigned him an assistant to do private work?
Several people looked at the laboratory's doorplate, then looked at Lin Sicheng who was piecing together the tiles, and then looked at Chen Huaizhai who was extremely calm and seemed to have known what they were here for.

Suddenly, a strange sense of absurdity arose...

(End of this chapter)