Chapter 32: Some People Are Always Different

"Glug, glug..."

The laboratory was filled with the fragrance of tea. An iron plate lay quietly at the bottom of the tea solution, occasionally releasing a bubble. This process involved reacting the tea tannins with the rust layer through twenty-four hours of static immersion, followed by removal, drying, and ultrasonic vibration to strip the rust. It needed to be repeated five or six times, spanning over a week.

However, Lin Sicheng had mentioned in a text message that this method was insufficient. He insisted that electro-chemical cleaning and chelating agents were necessary to remove floating and harmful rust. Afterward, further procedures such as desalination, de-chlorination, corrosion inhibition, and sealing were required. He had even sent over a list of detailed steps via text. To be honest, Wang Qizhi did not fully understand them.

He was not alone. Aside from a few select institutions—such as the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, the Department of Materials Science at Beijing University of Technology, the State Administration of Cultural Heritage, the National Museum of China, and the Beijing Municipal Administration of Cultural Heritage—hardly anyone in the country understood these techniques. Even these organizations had only begun research last year, after the "Iron Relic Protection Plan" was designated as a "Key Social Science Research Project of the Eleventh Five-Year Plan" by the state. Before that, domestic technology for the protection and restoration of iron relics was virtually non-existent. The reason was simple: the country lacked funds and had to prioritize the urgent and significant over the trivial and gradual.

It was precisely for this reason that the academic papers Lin Sicheng had mentioned were concentrated in 2006. It was also why Wang Qizhi felt so suspicious: besides those journals, Lin Sicheng had no other channels or means to access such information. Yet, to suggest that Lin Sicheng could understand, master, and even reverse-engineer specific experimental details and precise data from a few papers was complete nonsense. Forget Lin Sicheng; even Einstein couldn't do that.

But then, another problem arose: he had called a friend at the State Administration of Cultural Heritage, and the friend had claimed that what Lin Sicheng sent was indeed the standard procedure for iron relic restoration. Even the acid solution Lin Sicheng had just mixed—if Wang Qizhi's testing was correct—was a standard "Rapid Iron Rust Removal Solution." It was hazardous, certainly, but entirely controllable. More importantly, the patent had only just been filed, and the developer, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, had not yet begun mass production. How could Lin Sicheng know the precise formulation data?

The more he thought about it, the stranger it became. Wang Qizhi felt this student was a walking enigma.

The sound of keyboard clacking broke his train of thought. Feng Lin was staring at the computer screen, her lips bitten tight, eyes wide and bulging as if they might pop out. Looking closer, he saw the title: *Archaeology*, 2006, Issue 8: "Ultraviolet Imaging: The Application of Surface Penetration Combination Imaging Technology in the Analysis of Iron Rust Layer Composition."

The research content was sound, the journal was legitimate, and the hosting organization was beyond reproach. The problem was Lin Sicheng: who reads a journal and remembers the exact date so clearly? Thinking about it, the kid was even weirder.

He tapped the table. "Xiao Feng, let's call it a day."

"Ah? Oh, okay..."

Feng Lin snapped out of her trance, her hand on the mouse, repeatedly clicking the 'close' button. Wang Qizhi only then realized she hadn't just opened this one article, but many—all the journals and papers Lin Sicheng had mentioned earlier. It seemed she had been rattled. That was normal. He was a professor, and even he had been stunned, hadn't he?

As he thought this, Feng Lin looked up, her expression a mix of shame, suspicion, and confusion. "Professor Wang, these papers... I can't understand any of them!"

Wang Qizhi pursed his lips, not knowing how to console her. Different fields are like different mountains; it was normal not to understand. Even the procedure and the sealed bottle of chemicals Lin Sicheng had provided—he hadn't fully grasped them either.

Wang Qizhi sighed. "Specialization is key. Your research direction is different from his."

Was that really it? Feng Lin bit her lip. "But Professor Wang, Lin Sicheng is only a senior. And... and he failed so many courses before!"

Wang Qizhi was speechless. That was true; Lin Sicheng was only a senior, so where did this "research" come from? And wasn't he supposed to be a poor student? He had heard rumors that Lin Sicheng didn't want to attend Western University, so he had clashed with Professor Lin and deliberately slacked off, failing every subject. But in private, he was more diligent and learned faster than anyone else. Even so, it was impossible to be fast at everything. And it was even less likely that he would be so excellent as to show off in front of everyone else. Appraising and bargain-hunting could be attributed to family heritage, but research? Without stepping into a lab and just relying on empty talk, that was impossible.

After a moment's thought, Wang Qizhi said something remarkably profound: "Some people are always extraordinary." He paused, then smiled. "Don't dwell on it. Let's go home."

Feng Lin sighed deeply. "Alright, Professor Wang." Life had to go on, and work had to continue. There was always someone better; there was no need to take it to heart. Feng Lin turned off the computer and the lights.

After leaving the lab and locking the door, she suddenly remembered. "Professor Wang, since the lab is recruiting interns, could we recruit Lin Sicheng?"

Wang Qizhi was taken aback. *Why didn't I think of that?* An internship was obviously impossible. Even if he were willing to hire him, would Lin Sicheng be willing to come? He was making hundreds of thousands with a single move; unless he had lost his mind, why would he want to work as a beast of burden for twelve hours a day for a monthly salary of less than a thousand?

But he could have him pursue a postgraduate degree. He was in his first semester of senior year; wasn't the timing perfect? After pondering for a moment, Wang Qizhi shook his head. He had heard a couple of days ago that Professor Liu, who taught *Scientific Archaeology*, and Professor Shang, who researched ceramic restoration, both wanted Lin Sicheng to apply for their graduate programs. At the time, many said that with Lin Sicheng's reputation as a fool, he had no chance of passing unless those two protected him, so it must have been Professor Lin pulling strings.

He had been skeptical then, but now it seemed his doubts were well-founded: if Lin Sicheng were truly a fool, how could he deduce a person's profession, exact work address, and even their unit just by looking at their hands? This kid was like an awl in a bag; his sharpness was beginning to show, and he could no longer hide it. Therefore, even if he wanted to recruit him, Lin Sicheng might not be willing to join: after all, from a commercial perspective, working with bronzeware was certainly inferior to working with porcelain. If he were to apply, he would likely choose Professor Shang's program, as the state prohibited the sale of bronzeware.

But where there was a will, there was a way. After thinking it over, Wang Qizhi took out his phone, but after two attempts, it kept indicating that the line was busy. *Forget it, I'll ask him in person tomorrow.*

"Contact Teacher Yang and ask what classes the first-year Cultural Relics Protection class has tomorrow. If there's time, I'll call Lin Sicheng over for a talk."

"Understood, Professor Wang!"

Feng Lin replied and dialed the number. A moment later, she hung up. "Professor Wang, tomorrow the first-year Cultural Relics Protection class only has two main courses: Earth Site Protection and Stone Cave Reinforcement... but Teacher Yang said Lin Sicheng asked for leave again, claiming his brother is sick!"

*Isn't that just nonsense?* The faculty all knew Lin Sicheng was an only child; that was exactly why Professor Lin kept such a tight leash on him. So, where did he get a brother?

Wang Qizhi pulled out his phone and sent a text: *Since when do you have a brother?*

His phone buzzed. Lin Sicheng glanced at it. *Wait... it's only been a few minutes since I asked for leave, how did Professor Wang find out?* As for the brother—if he didn't have a biological one, couldn't he have a sworn one?