What, didn't you hear clearly?

"Yes, Dean, I have the key right here!"

"Oh, Professor Wang wants to use... what, glaze restoration for a cloisonné piece?"

"Ah, alright, alright, I'll deliver it to him myself..."

Hanging up the phone, Shang Yan looked puzzled: Can the newly appointed Secretary Wang actually do something like that?

Cloisonné is indeed made of bronze, that is correct. However, the most critical processes of "enameling" and "firing" belong to the realm of ceramics.

And it is even more difficult: the ceramic body is mainly composed of kaolin, which has a composition similar to the glaze and a relatively small expansion coefficient during firing, allowing it to be completed in a single firing. Even for overglaze colors, only two firings are needed.

Cloisonné, on the other hand, uses a pure metal body. When the glaze sinters, its expansion coefficient is large, making it extremely prone to oxidation, discoloration, or cracking during the firing process. Therefore, the glaze must be applied and fired layer by layer, requiring even stricter temperature control of the kiln.

If it is artifact restoration, it becomes even more challenging: after prolonged corrosion of the bronze body and prolonged oxidation of the glaze layer, the expansion coefficient and strength have reached an extremely fragile state.

How can a restorer ensure that the newly applied glaze color and texture match the original artifact as closely as possible, while preventing the extremely fragile original glaze layer from secondary cracking due to changes in kiln temperature?

Therefore, apart from top research institutions such as the Palace Museum and the Beijing Enamel Factory, most other places use cold restoration for cloisonné.

That is, filling with epoxy resin and then dyeing it—economical, environmentally friendly, and safe. However, both its economic and artistic values take a heavy discount.

Yet the Dean made it very clear on the phone: Wang Qizhi wants to use an electric kiln, which definitely means hot restoration...

The more she thought about it, the more curious she became. Shang Yan grabbed the keys and strode downstairs.

The teaching building and the experimental center were separated only by a garden, just a few minutes away. As soon as she reached the third floor, Shang Yan's eyelids twitched:

Why is Li Zhen here too?

Oh, Lin Sicheng is actually here as well?

Holding a box in his hands and talking head-to-head with Wang Qizhi, what could they possibly be discussing?

Wait... since when did these two know each other, and why are they so close?

A bad premonition arose in her heart, and Shang Yan blinked at Li Zhen.

Li Zhen actually nodded back... Huh?

Years of master-apprentice tacit understanding were no joke; just from this single nod, Shang Yan guessed seven or eight parts of the truth.

Oh, well, mister Wang, do you have no shame at all?

Shang Yan didn't quite understand what Wang Qizhi was meddling in yet, but that didn't stop her from knowing what the most appropriate action would be.

Rolling her eyes twice, Shang Yan clomped over with heavy steps and deliberately put on a stern face: "Lin Sicheng, what time is it? Why aren't you in the classroom attending your lecture, meddling around here? Go back..."

Lin Sicheng smiled and was just about to say something when Wang Qizhi stepped forward.

They were both old foxes, so what kind of games was she trying to play with him?

He also put on a straight face: "Professor Shang, if you send Lin Sicheng back, who is going to restore my cloisonné piece?"

"What?"

"This... right here, this plate. Lin Sicheng sold it to me... for a whole 940,000! I asked him to have Professor Lin help me restore it, and he told me: 'Why use a butcher's cleaver to slaughter a chicken?'..."

Shang Yan stared at the lobed plate inside the box: 940,000... Where did Lin Sicheng get this, did he steal it from home?

But that wasn't the main point. The main point was: the person borrowing the laboratory to restore the cloisonné wasn't Wang Qizhi, but Lin Sicheng?

Wait... Lin Sicheng, you've barely spent any time wandering around the lab since you were out of diapers, when did you learn how to fix cloisonné?

Looking again at the piece in Wang Qizhi's hands: apart from the fish tails, almost the entire porcelain glaze on the two fish had fallen off, which meant the glaze had to be restored and fired completely from scratch.

Looking further at the bronze wires on the fish, they were rusted completely black, one could only imagine the degree of corrosion of the basin body and just how fragile the original glaze layer had become.

Even Professor Lin would probably frown upon seeing this. Handing it to Lin Sicheng? It would definitely go "crack~" the moment it entered the kiln...

Shang Yan's expression instantly turned serious: "This is a nearly one-million-worth item, don't mess around!"

"Professor Shang, don't worry, I won't mess around: today I'll first analyze the original glaze composition, then formulate a similar colored glaze, and fire a few samples to check the color difference...

Simultaneously test the corrosion degree of the bronze body and the expansion coefficient of the original glaze layer, and incidentally deduce the safe kiln temperature range during the enamel firing... Once I'm basically certain, then I will consider repairing the original artifact..."

Oh, quite methodical, isn't it?

To be honest, in the field of artifact restoration, a chasm often lies between theory and practice.

Looking at Lin Sicheng's confident expression, Shang Yan's eyes started rolling again: Certain? Even I wouldn't dare say that!

Since it's just a test piece anyway, at worst some glaze will be wasted, so I might as well let him try.

It would be even better if he failed the test, as it would completely extinguish the old Wang's illusions.

She nodded and unlocked the laboratory door.

Just as she was thinking of pulling Li Zhen aside to ask how an old fox and a naive youth had hit it off, Lin Sicheng had already changed into his protective suit:

"Professor Shang, I need to perform X-ray fluorescence spectrometry, I'll have to trouble Senior Sister Li to take notes."

Looking at the protective suit he wore, Shang Yan froze: "You know how to use it?"

Wang Qizhi nodded: "He knows how!"

Did I ask you?

Knowing or not, you just claim he knows. How many times has Lin Sicheng even stepped into the laboratory? Don't I know?

Shang Yan rolled her eyes: "Li Zhen, go inside and assist, I'll take notes!"

Wang Qizhi remained silent.

Cloisonné was indeed a bronze artifact, but ceramic science knowledge was used for glaze layer restoration, making him a true layman.

Since he didn't understand it as well as they did, he should keep his mouth shut...

Shang Yan turned on the computer and opened the folder. Li Zhen had also changed into her protective suit and entered the (XRF) equipment room with Lin Sicheng.

First turn on the power, then turn on the high voltage, then initialize... After finishing these three steps, Li Zhen paused and looked at Shang Yan outside.

Since this was her first time testing a cloisonné artifact, she really had no idea how to operate the subsequent steps.

"Why are you looking at me?" Shang Yan pursed her lips, "Lin Sicheng, don't you know how?"

If I don't know, why did I come in?

Lin Sicheng nodded, hands in his pockets, unhurriedly: "Senior Sister Li, calibrate the instrument first..."

"One, matrix calibration: base, copper; two, sample standard: base surface glaze, detection element range: Cu, Co, Fe..."

"Two, parameter setting: ray tube voltage range, 40-50kv, current range: 100-200μA..."

"Filter: first Al, second Cu... Vacuum mode: Na, Mg, Al, atmospheric mode: Fe, Cu, Pb..."

"Collimator selection: 150μm... Spot range: 0.5-1 mm, micro-area..."

Inside the equipment room, Li Zhen's hands hovered above the keyboard, lingering and failing to fall.

Because she didn't know whether what Lin Sicheng said was correct or not.

Outside the equipment room, Shang Yan held a pen in her hand, her lips slightly parted, forming an "O" shape: Wait... does he actually know?

And not just a little... but how on earth did he learn this?

Seeing her frozen in shock, Wang Qizhi gave a "heh": "Professor Shang, start writing?"

"What, didn't hear clearly?"