Zhuang Rui's uncle had used his connections to give him face, and Zhuang Rui didn't want to refuse. He figured everyone should help him, so he had no choice but to agree. However, when he saw Mayor Cen standing to the side, Zhuang Rui's anger flared up.
"Director Xia, although attracting investment is a key focus for all provinces right now, some people have impure motives. They're helping the Japanese to obtain the formula for traditional Chinese porcelain. This kind of behavior is almost tantamount to treason..."
As Zhuang Rui spoke, his eyes were fixed on Mayor Cen. These slap in the face made Mayor Cen's old face turn pale and uncertain. He looked at Mayor Xue for help, knowing that he had no right to speak in front of Director Xia.
"President Zhuang, this is a mistake on our part. Although the city has repeatedly emphasized that economic development cannot neglect the construction of civilization, some comrades have still done things that are heartbreaking. Rest assured, we will definitely learn from this incident, and we will also criticize Mayor Cen's behavior..."
Mayor Xue's words completely disappointed Mayor Cen. He had been hoping that Mayor Xue would lend him a hand, but instead of helping, Mayor Xue kicked him in the back, which made Mayor Cen almost despair.
Mayor Cen was still somewhat unwilling and said, "Mayor Xue... Mayor Xue, this is about focusing on economic development, but... but..."
"Stop talking, Mayor Cen. You should go back now and do a thorough self-criticism, recognizing the mistakes you made in your work..."
Mayor Xue interrupted Mayor Cen, not letting him continue. "What a joke! Although I have said that everything is centered on economic development, I have not asked you to cooperate with the Japanese and get their formulas."
Mayor Cen, seeing that things had come to this point, was filled with resentment, but there was no point in staying any longer. He lowered his head and hurriedly left with his arrogant chief secretary, Liu. He had some connections and wondered if he could salvage the situation, at least to prevent his administrative rank from dropping.
"Mr. Xu, Mr. Yu, Mr. Li, let's go, Director Xia is treating, let's go have dinner together..."
Seeing that the troublesome person was gone, and with Peng Fei saying that Yamaki, the little devil, was about to die, Zhuang Rui was in a great mood.
"Me...we're going too?"
The highest-ranking official Yu Zhengjun had ever met in his life was a county magistrate. He never expected to be able to dine with provincial and municipal leaders today, and he was a little incredulous.
"Of course we'll go together. Oh, by the way, let me introduce you. This is General Manager Li, this is General Manager Yu, and Mayor Xue, you're their local official..."
Zhuang Rui pulled the bewildered Yu Zhengjun aside and introduced him to Mayor Xue. As for Director Xia, he was from the provincial level, so no further explanation was given.
Yu Zhengjun and Li Dali were both worldly people, so they naturally knew what to do. They immediately handed over their business cards, and out of respect for Zhuang Rui, they spoke to each other gently, creating a scene of harmony between officials and the people.
"Brother Zhuang... Brother Zhuang, shall I skip this trip?"
Although Xu Guoqing was a dullard, he wasn't stupid. He could tell that Zhuang Rui had helped him. However, at this moment, his mind was still focused on the Cizhou kilns that hadn't been fired yet, and he wasn't very interested in eating.
"Mr. Xu, you absolutely must go. Our city has produced a contemporary art master like you; that's a remarkable achievement and deserves proper publicity. Also, you can make any requests you may have in the future..."
Before Zhuang Rui could answer, Mayor Xue grabbed Xu Guoqing. He had heard Director Xia explain the whole story on the way here. If Xu Guoqing could really replicate the Cizhou ancient porcelain, it would be an opportunity for Shijiazhuang to enhance its urban cultural brand.
"No, no, I'm not worthy of such praise. How could I possibly be considered a master?"
Upon hearing Mayor Xue's words, Xu Guoqing shook his head and waved his hands repeatedly, his face turning bright red. His research on the restoration and reproduction of ancient ceramics was entirely out of interest. Even Xu Guoqing himself was unaware that his ancient ceramic reproduction skills were unmatched in the country.
"Mr. Xu, you should go. Firing porcelain isn't something that can be done in a day or two. I have some things I want to discuss with you tonight. Let's stay in Shijiazhuang together then..."
When Zhuang Rui saw Xu Guoqing decline, he offered a word of advice. Seeing that Xu Guoqing could imitate the official kiln porcelain of the ancient Cizhou kiln, Zhuang Rui had many thoughts in his mind.
It only takes about half an hour to drive from Gao County to Shijiazhuang. The group had dinner in Shijiazhuang at a guesthouse of the provincial party committee. Although it was not ostentatious, the dishes were very exquisite, allowing Zhuang Rui to experience authentic Hebei cuisine.
"Mr. Zhuang, the room is ready. Please call me if you need anything..."
After the meal, Director Xia handed several room cards to Zhuang Rui. He was now quite impressed with this young man, wondering how he had managed to get information out of Zhuang Rui during the meal.
Chapter 798 Discussion
If it were Zhuang Rui from two years ago, Director Xia would probably have found out everything about him in just a few words.
However, Zhuang Rui is now quite the seasoned veteran. Throughout the meal, he spoke with impeccable discretion, leaving Director Xia completely baffled as to who was behind him.
"Thank you, thank you so much, Director Xia. This is my personal phone number. Please be sure to contact me if you ever go to Beijing..."
As Director Xia was leaving, Zhuang Rui handed him a business card, which turned out to be a photo of him at the Dingguang Museum.
Upon seeing the business card, Director Xia seemed to recall something. It seemed that a few months ago, the relevant department had mentioned this museum in a document, but Director Xia had forgotten the specifics.
"President Zhuang's business card is a must, he won't be stingy with it, will he..."
Seeing that Zhuang Rui didn't offer him his business card, Mayor Xue shamelessly asked for it directly.
During dinner, Mr. Li mentioned the club in the suburbs of Beijing several times, seemingly to boast about himself, and implied that the club belonged to Zhuang Rui. Mayor Xue was intrigued by this, otherwise, given his status, he would never have asked for a business card.
"Not at all, Mayor Xue, you're too kind..."
Zhuang Rui hadn't really intended to give it to him, but if he didn't, it would be like being slapped in the face in public. So Zhuang Rui quickly handed over one, inwardly smiling bitterly.
So this is how favors are formed. If these two need to go to Beijing in the future, they might have to call me. I got a free meal from them today and have gained their favor, which I will definitely have to repay later.
When officials use government funds to curry favor, they have to pay out of their own pockets.
Zhuang Rui couldn't help but admire Ouyang Jun. While others were begging government officials, Ouyang Jun had simply used a club to integrate these resources, making those officials rush to give him money. The situation was completely reversed.
After Mayor Xue and Director Xia took their leave, Zhuang Rui finally breathed a sigh of relief. Talking to these old foxes was exhausting. Every word was full of hidden meanings, and one wrong move could reveal his true intentions. Zhuang Rui didn't want outsiders to think that he was flaunting the Ouyang family's name.
"Mr. Xu, let's go to the room to talk..."
Zhuang Rui pulled Xu Guoqing toward the room, but Li Dali stopped them, "President Zhuang, since you're in Shijiazhuang, shouldn't I at least show you some hospitality? I've already arranged all the activities for tonight..."
Li Dali still has some influence in Shijiazhuang. During a break from eating, he went out to make a phone call and booked a nightclub. He also invited a few nice female students from the Shijiazhuang Art School, planning to give Zhuang Rui a good time that night.
"Alright, Mr. Li, Mr. Xu and I have some important business to discuss. I appreciate the token of my appreciation, but you two can go and have some fun..."
Zhuang Rui shook his head. He wasn't very interested in those entertainment venues, and judging from the way Li Dali was talking, he guessed it was a bit lewd. With his wife pregnant, Zhuang Rui didn't want to do anything like having an affair.
"Mr. Zhuang, this won't do..."
"Mr. Li, no need to say anything more. You all have a good time. I have things to do tomorrow. I'm heading back to Beijing first thing tomorrow morning after we've finished talking today..."
Zhuang Rui waved his hand to interrupt Li Dali. Seeing that Zhuang Rui insisted, Li Dali could only leave with Yu Zhengjun in a huff. The arranged program ended up benefiting that kid Yu Zhengjun.
"Peng Fei, you should go back and rest..."
Director Xia booked three rooms for Zhuang Rui. After letting Peng Fei do his own thing, Zhuang Rui took Xu Guoqing to his room.
"Brother Zhuang, I really have to thank you for this..."
Xu Guoqing wasn't a blockhead; he knew that if it weren't for Zhuang Rui today, he might have been stuck in the bureau for a few days, and the formulas for firing Tang Sancai and Cizhou ware would probably have fallen into the hands of that Japanese man.
"Xu Gong, let's not talk about these things. I have great respect for your ability to replicate Tang Sancai and Cizhou official kiln pottery based solely on your interest. Those so-called masters who are researchers and receive state salaries are far inferior to you..."
Zhuang Rui got up and poured Xu Guoqing a cup of tea. Although the guesthouse was not particularly eye-catching, Zhuang Rui noticed that the tea on the table was actually a top-grade pre-rain tea that cost thousands of yuan per ounce, which showed that the people he usually entertained were all of very high status.
"President Zhuang, the firing formula for Tang Sancai (Tang tri-color glazed pottery) is already quite mature. However, Cizhou ware porcelain is still in the experimental stage. Although the initial shaping and painting have been completed, the firing temperature has not been fully mastered. I'm afraid a lot of experiments are still needed..."
Xu Guoqing corrected Zhuang Rui's statement. He determined the clay and glaze for the porcelain based on the large number of Cizhou ware fragments his father had collected. It took him several years of experimentation to complete the preliminary work of making the blanks. However, just when he was about to start firing, he unexpectedly went bankrupt.
"Mr. Zhuang, do you still want some Tang tri-colored pottery? I can make some for you when I have time. The technique is quite mature, and it doesn't cost too much..."
Xu Guoqing was genuinely grateful to Zhuang Rui. He had been trying to guess Zhuang Rui's thoughts. Since Zhuang Rui had come to visit him after seeing the Tang tri-color pottery he had made, Xu Guoqing guessed that Zhuang Rui still wanted tri-color pottery figurines.
Zhuang Rui thought for a moment and said, "I would like to have Tang Sancai, but Lao Li still needs dozens of pieces, so it's not urgent. I want Cizhou porcelain now. I wonder how long it will take you to fire it, Xu Gong?"
The price of Tang Sancai (Tang tri-color pottery) on the international market, especially for high-quality Sancai figurines, is much higher than that on the domestic market. Many foreign collectors like to collect Tang Sancai. Zhuang Rui wants to release a batch to make some money from foreigners first.
However, the number of porcelain pieces released must not be too large; at most, only two or three pieces can be released at a time, and the locations must be scattered, with one piece from Germany and one from France, so as not to arouse suspicion from international auction houses.
Therefore, the dozens of pieces in Li Dali's hands were enough for Zhuang Rui to work on for a while. More importantly, those porcelain pieces had been artificially aged, which saved Zhuang Rui a step, otherwise it would have been quite troublesome.
The process of aging porcelain is quite complicated. The most primitive method is to first use cowhide to wipe away the surface shine. This process can take anywhere from a few weeks to two months.
Then, put the porcelain into water with tea and alkali, and boil it for 5-6 hours to remove the "glare" on the surface. There are some tricks to this. High-temperature porcelain is usually polished with hydrofluoric acid and water, while low-temperature porcelain is polished with potassium permanganate, a small amount of acid, and water.
Finally, apply shoe polish to the porcelain and bury it in the soil. The surface of the porcelain will absorb the soil, thus creating an antique look.
Although this method is time-consuming, the resulting aging effect is much better than simply polishing the porcelain with fine sandpaper to make it shiny. Furthermore, the patina effect after mud immersion is far superior to that of quick aging methods.
There are many other methods to make porcelain look old, such as abrasion, glaze peeling, popping air bubbles, removing fire marks and coloring, and creating patina. I will briefly mention them here, but I won't go into the professional details.
Upon hearing Zhuang Rui's question, Xu Guoqing thought for a moment and then said, "To restore Cizhou porcelain, it would probably take at least half a year, and, moreover..."
“XCMG, please speak frankly, it’s alright…”
Zhuang Rui noticed that Xu Guoqing was very straightforward, and it seemed that he had some unspeakable secret.
Xu Guoqing scratched his head sheepishly and said, "Brother Zhuang, I've been too focused on my own hobbies and interests before, and haven't paid enough attention to my family. My wife is so upset that she's gone back to her parents' house. I... I was thinking of giving my wife 300,000 of the 500,000 you gave me, but the remaining 200,000 probably won't be enough to cover the costs of experimenting with Cizhou ware porcelain..."
After today's incident, Xu Guoqing realized that his family hadn't earned a single penny since 2000, and that his wife and children had been suffering alongside him all along, which is why he said those words.
"So, how much more funding do you need?"
Zhuang Rui asked.
"It's hard to say. Porcelain clay isn't valuable, but glaze is very expensive. Also, in the beginning, there will be a lot of scrap. If everything goes smoothly, five or six hundred thousand should be enough. But if things get stuck, I'm afraid two or three million won't be enough to solve the problem..."
Xu Guoqing lost his tens of millions of dollars in this way. Looking back now, he feels like he's in a dream. He was so poor that he could hardly afford to eat, so how could he still have such a great interest in porcelain?
However, if Xu Guoqing were to return to that laboratory now, he would probably still bury himself in it and ignore everything else.
Zhuang Rui unconsciously tapped the glass coffee table with the middle finger of his right hand, lost in thought. Xu Guoqing, unaware of Zhuang Rui's thoughts, remained silent, and the room fell into a moment of quiet.
After about ten minutes, Zhuang Rui spoke up: "How about this, Mr. Xu, I have an idea. What do you think? There's no need for your factory to stay open. I'll invest in converting it into a laboratory specializing in the restoration of ancient ceramics. What do you think?"
"It's fine, but buddy, this lab is a money-burning business. I like it, that's fine, but all your money is going to go down the drain..."
When Zhuang Rui wanted to invest, Xu Guoqing naturally had no objection. Wouldn't that be the other party giving him money to play with? However, Xu Guoqing was quite honest and made sure to say the unpleasant things upfront.
"You can't say that, Mr. Xu. I can take these porcelain pieces you've made as genuine articles to the international auction market. I won't lie to you, as long as we can successfully auction off three or five pieces, we'll recoup our costs..."
Zhuang Rui spoke the words he had been pondering for a long time, and then fixed his eyes on Xu Guoqing.
Chapter 799 Jianghu Techniques
Xu Guoqing was taken aback by Zhuang Rui's words, a troubled look appearing on his face. He murmured, "This... isn't this a lie?"
Xu Guoqing is very confident in his skills; the Tang tri-color pottery he produces is absolutely indistinguishable from the real thing.
Moreover, Xu Guoqing also knew some methods of aging antique porcelain, and knew that once his porcelain pieces were aged, it would be very difficult to detect their authenticity unless instruments were used.
However, Xu Guoqing also had his own bottom line, which was that he could not use his skills to cheat others. This was the main reason why he had only given away and not sold the porcelain he had made for more than ten years. Zhuang Rui's words made him somewhat resistant.
"Yes, it was a lie, but I lied to foreigners..."
Zhuang Rui's expression was very frank. He had seen a lot of deceit and treachery in the antique trade. However, as the saying goes, even thieves have their code of honor. What Zhuang Rui could do was to deceive those foreigners who deliberately inflated the prices of Chinese antiques.
"Xu Gong, you don't seem to know much about the antique market, do you?"
Seeing the lingering unease on Xu Guoqing's face, Zhuang Rui continued, "Over a hundred years ago, foreigners used guns and cannons to plunder Chinese art. And now? These foreign devils are using a trick, exploiting the patriotism of the Chinese people, to swindle large amounts of wealth belonging to the Chinese people with the antiques they looted in the past. I have no regrets about what I'm doing..."
Just last month at a London auction, a piece of blue and white porcelain that was supposed to depict Guiguzi descending the mountain was transformed into a large Yuan dynasty blue and white jar with a figure on it. It was sold to an anonymous buyer for over ten million pounds, which translates to over 200 million yuan.
This has sparked a surge in international auctions of Chinese art. Over the past month, wealthy Chinese have made numerous bids, acquiring many precious Chinese artifacts, but the costs they have paid are unimaginably high.