Tunghai University has been bustling with people these past few days. Senior students are coming and going in a hurry. Those who have submitted their theses and passed their defenses have successfully graduated and left to dedicate themselves to socialist construction, becoming a stepping stone in the socialist edifice. Those who did not pass and need to revise their theses are constantly searching for materials in the library, and even looking for ghostwriters. In short, no matter what the cost, they must graduate! Several years of hard work cannot go to waste.
Zhao Qiang received his red graduation certificate at around 10 a.m. He casually stuffed it into his bag and that was it. Whether he had the certificate or not was irrelevant to him. What was the point of going to university? Of course, it wasn't for some noble excuse like serving the country. It was to earn more money to support his family. Now, Zhao Qiang was worried about how to spend the money he had. Was the graduation certificate still useful?
Standing at the dormitory door, Zhao Qiang felt a pang of emotion. This was his home for nearly four years, only moving to Shunfeng Technology last autumn. He should take some good photos of it so that when he's old, he can point to the photos and say to his son, "This is where your dad suffered back then. Remember, only by enduring hardship can one rise above others!"
"Brother, your expression is so sentimental." Wei vibrated Zhao Qiang's watch. This watch had been upgraded and now had a large screen that could clearly display Wei's every word and action. The built-in functions had also increased, such as taking pictures, computing, storage, and lighting. It could even cut metal like the watch they used before.
Zhao Qiang said, "My brother is a sentimental person; that's what they call being emotionally rich, I suppose."
As he spoke, Zhao Qiang took a few photos of the dormitory with his watch, then left without looking back. He didn't rush back to Shunfeng Technology, but instead went to the cafeteria to have another meal of the school's communal food to experience university life. Even if he wanted to eat it again, he might not be able to feel the same way as when he was a student.
It was still early, so there weren't many people in the restaurant. Zhao Qiang bought his food and sat in a corner, slowly eating. However, the cooks didn't seem to be giving him any face this time. They found a stick in his stir-fried green beans. He didn't know if it was a rotten branch from the green bean trellis or a stick mixed in with the beans. In any case, it looked disgusting. Zhao Qiang sighed, pushed his plate aside, and left the restaurant. He would never come here again. Goodbye, Donghai University, goodbye, my student days.
The phone rang, and it was that same knock-off. "Hello, teacher?" Zhao Qiang was a little surprised. This was the first time Professor Gu had called him on his own initiative. It must be something important.
"Zhao Qiang, this time you've truly graduated, right? Professor Gu's information network is still very good."
Zhao Qiang said, "Yeah, I just had my last meal at the university cafeteria. It's a pity that my classmates arrived at different times, so we couldn't all get together. I'm just wandering around the campus by myself now."
"Hehe, stop wandering around aimlessly. I think you should come work for me starting tomorrow. Classes are about to begin."
Zhao Qiang said, "Going to Huaxia University of Technology for classes tomorrow?" His voice was reluctant. He had just left one campus and was about to enter another. It felt like being in prison. It was completely different from the reluctance he felt just now. Human emotions are really complicated and fickle.
Professor Gu chuckled: "You think I'm afraid of you reading from a book? I'm mostly here to get your guidance."
Zhao Qiang hurriedly said, "Teacher, what are you saying? I'm so young and ignorant, do I need your guidance?"
Professor Gu said, "Don't give me that platitude. You don't need to stay at the university for long. Just come once or twice a week. We can sit down, have some tea, and discuss academic issues. If you don't come to class for a single day and then suddenly graduate claiming to be my student, it won't look good for the school. Nobody even knows you yet."
Zhao Qiang said, "I understand, teacher. I'll bring some good tea over tomorrow."
Zhao Qiang was so focused on making the phone call that his attention wandered a bit while walking. In fact, with the control capabilities of the super-level biochip, Zhao Qiang shouldn't have any problem doing a dozen things at the same time. However, recently Zhao Qiang has been practicing turning off the super-level biochip's control capabilities instead of letting the super-level biochip automatically shut down. This way, if something happens, such as when he wants to drink, Zhao Qiang can be more composed, instead of getting drunk as soon as he touches the alcohol and having to get to a certain level of intoxication before the super-level biochip can shut down automatically.
"Ouch!" Zhao Qiang bumped into a girl coming around the corner, knocking her sunglasses to the ground. Zhao Qiang stepped on them and they shattered with a crack. Those were high-end items, not something you could buy for a few hundred dollars.
Wei? Zhao Qiang was about to apologize when he realized that the person he had hit was none other than Luo Wei, whom he knew all too well.
Luo Wei blushed slightly. The bump had almost caused her to fall into Zhao Qiang's arms. It was May, and her clothes were quite thin. Such close contact was embarrassing. Fortunately, it was Zhao Qiang. If it had been any other man, Luo Wei didn't know how she would have reacted. It was all her fault for being flustered and walking in such a hurry.
Zhao Qiang, what are you doing at school?
Guangwei stood there, wearing a faux two-piece short-sleeved dress with a ruffled hem. The hem only reached ten centimeters above her knees, revealing her long, beautiful legs. She wasn't wearing stockings, and her fair thighs were extremely alluring.
"You've brought your thesis, it's passed, and you've received your diploma. Sorry, your glasses are broken. I'll have Hu Qian buy you a new pair later." Zhao Qiang pointed to the broken glasses on the ground.
Luo Wei shook her head: "My big boss, why are you being so polite with me, even though we wear glasses?" Zhao Qiang didn't insist. He knew Luo Wei wasn't short of money; all the company's top executives were multimillionaires. Zhao Qiang was never stingy with his money, and his subordinates were all rolling in it. "Where are you going?"
Luo Wei said, "I'm going home. Something happened to my dad."
Zhao Qiang couldn't help but be concerned, because Luo Wei was now the general manager of Qimingdeng Electronics, and she handled all the business. If something happened to her at home, it would inevitably affect the normal operation of Qimingdeng Electronics. "What happened?"
Luo Wei said, "It wasn't clear over the phone; it seems like one of my grandfather's most cherished possessions was broken."
Zhao Qiang said, "Let's go take a look together."
Luo Wei was very happy. "Thank you, Zhao Qiang. I feel much more at ease with you by my side."
Zhao Qiang and Luo Wei left the campus. Donghai University's parking lot was located at the school gate. There were parking spaces on campus, but Luo Wei didn't like to make a fuss, so she preferred to walk a bit further rather than drive into the campus. Just as the two reached the gate, Zhao Qiang's phone rang again.
"Ya? Why are you calling at this hour? Don't you need to eat at the school cafeteria?" Zhao Qiang asked.
Xu Xiaoya replied decisively, "I'm at the airport, come pick me up."
Zhao Qiang was startled: "You've gone to Donghai? Why didn't you tell me beforehand!"
Xu Xiaoya smiled: "Here's a surprise for you. How about it? Happy?"
Zhao Qiang said, "I wasn't prepared at all. I took the bus to school today to pick up my graduation certificate. Luckily, Wei is here too. We'll go pick you up first."
Luo Wei started the car: "Is Xiaoya back?"
Zhao Qiang nodded: "They only said the training would end in a few days, but I didn't expect to be notified only after we arrived in Donghai. Can we go to the airport for a look around first?"
Luo Wei said, "Of course, it won't make a difference if it's just a little while."
At Donghai Airport, Xu Xiaoya wore a purple rose-print fitted dress with short sleeves and a red belt. The gold-embossed rose pattern on the hem of the dress was dazzling, but it couldn't outshine the slender waist accentuated by the fitted dress, or the high, full breasts above the waist. The round neckline revealed a glimpse of her cleavage, a deep cleavage partially concealed. Men passing by couldn't help but stare, and even girls frequently turned to look with envy.
Suddenly, Xu Xiaoya threw down her suitcase and ran off without any ladylike manners. Her chest bounced up and down due to the movement, and several passing men got a good look. One of the guys was so busy looking that he didn't even notice that he bumped into someone. When they saw this beautiful woman throw herself into the arms of a young man carrying a worn-out laptop bag, everyone sighed and said, "What a waste of a good cabbage."
Xu Xiaoya hugged Zhao Qiang tightly, inhaling his scent deeply. Every aspect of this man fascinated her; she wanted to meld her body into his embrace. "Qiang, did you miss me?"
Zhao Qiang felt the hot, elastic flesh against his chest. "I've been thinking about it."
"You're going to throw a welcome-back party for me tonight. I'm going to drink, and you're not allowed to stop me."
Zhao Qiang nodded: "Hao Wei is here too."
Xu Xiaoya reluctantly got out of Zhao Qiang's arms. Luo Wei had already dragged Xu Xiaoya's suitcase over. She looked at her senior with a smile. Xu Xiaoya stepped forward and shook Luo Wei's hand: "Wei, how have you been these past few days?"
Luo Wei said, "It's not bad. You know the company's performance. Besides fast chargers, slow-release chargers are also an important production target now. Yang Shiqi has to transfer more than 100,000 of them every month."
Xu Xiaoya said, "Okay, we can talk about business tomorrow. Let's leave the airport first."
On the way, Xu Xiaoya learned that Luo Wei's father had encountered some trouble. Her relationship with Luo Wei was naturally very special, so she urged Luo Wei, "Then hurry up and go to your house. It's important to take care of business."
This wasn't Zhao Qiang's first time visiting Luo Wei's house. Stepping into her living room again felt like revisiting a familiar place. Luo Wanfeng and his wife Chen Lin sat in the living room, their faces filled with sorrow, a pile of broken porcelain shards in front of them.
Luo Wei ran over without even taking off her shoes, "Dad, Mom, what happened?"
Although his daughter is still in college, Luo Wanfeng doesn't treat her like a child anymore. This is because Qimingdeng Electronics, which his daughter manages, is not as profitable as his Haifeng Group's refrigerator division. In terms of profit alone, his refrigerator division, plus the Donghai City Sunshine Home Appliance Chain where his wife works, is not even one-fifth of theirs.
"The Yuan blue and white porcelain incense burner from the Romance of the Western Chamber that your grandfather left here is broken." Luo Wanfeng was so depressed that he didn't even notice Zhao Qiang's arrival. You know, Zhao Qiang was his savior. Since escaping from the Holiday Inn, Luo Wanfeng wanted to treat Zhao Qiang to a meal to express his gratitude, but Zhao Qiang had something to do and went back to his hometown, so the meal was postponed.
Volume 2 [217] You are the one who can create miracles
Blue and white porcelain is a rare find. This is a precious Yuan blue and white porcelain jar depicting figures and stories, which is known to almost every Chinese person. Only eight pieces are known to have survived to this day. It is said that the incense burner from the Romance of the Western Chamber was in the hands of a private collector in Asia. It is unknown how it ended up in the Luo family. Perhaps this private collector in Asia refers to Luo Xin, the patriarch of the Luo family?
Xu Xiaoya knew a little about cultural relics. She stepped forward and examined the pile of fragments. The largest pieces were no bigger than a fist, and some were practically pulverized. There were thousands of pieces in total. It must have taken a lot of force to smash them like that. It looked like someone had stomped on the ground again and again and smashed them with a hammer. It would be difficult to make out the original pattern now, let alone distinguish the authenticity. "Uncle, are you sure this is real Yuan blue and white porcelain? That's priceless."
A Yuan Dynasty blue-and-white porcelain jar depicting Guiguzi descending the mountain was sold at Christie's London auction of Chinese ceramics, works of art and export art in July 1949 for £10,000, which, including commission, reached £80,000, equivalent to approximately RMB 100 million. This set a record for the highest auction price of Chinese art in the world at that time. Therefore, it is not an exaggeration to say that this incense burner from the Romance of the Western Chamber is priceless, provided that it is authentic.
Luo Wanfeng said, "This is absolutely true. My father would never lie to me. My company is holding an important overseas ordering conference. Mr. Smith, an American large appliance chain, wanted to see my father's collection of the 'Romance of the Western Chamber' incense burner, and even offered a huge order as a condition. So I begged my father to lend me this Yuan blue and white porcelain. I was worried that it would be lost if it was left at the company with so many people coming and going, so I left it at home with Chen Lin to look after it. I didn't expect that when Chen Lin went out to buy groceries today, she came back to find a cat jumping into the house from the balcony. The Yuan blue and white porcelain was knocked over and shattered like this."
Zhao Qiang thought to himself, "I wouldn't feel at ease leaving it at the company with someone watching it, but I really feel at ease leaving it at home. Such a valuable item should be kept in a secluded room and not easily shown to others."
Xu Xiaoya said, "Uncle, don't be sad. Quickly find someone who restores cultural relics to see if they can be repaired."
Luo Wanfeng said, "I called a friend to consult. It's broken like this, and there are very few panoramic photos of this jar that have been leaked. There's no original object to compare it with, so the possibility of repair is zero. Even if it could be repaired, the cost would exceed its own value, so there's no hope."
Luo Wanfeng's dejected expression was on full display.
Luo Wei frowned. She knew all too well how important this Yuan blue-and-white porcelain was to her grandfather; it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say it was his life. She didn't know how her grandfather had agreed to let her father bring the jar home. Now, the most important thing was to repair the jar. "Dad, no matter the cost, repair it first, even if it exceeds its value. We can find a way to borrow the money. If Grandpa finds out the jar was broken, I'm afraid things will be impossible to handle. He might be heartbroken." Chen Lin sighed, "Your grandfather had a pretty good impression of your father recently. He even invited him to our house for dinner once, and at the table, he mentioned that your father should prepare to take over the family business. If this Yuan blue-and-white porcelain can't be restored, your father will have no hope left."
Luo Wanfeng's face was ashen. Zhao Qiang took two steps forward and squatted in front of the pile of fragments. He gently turned over a few of the larger fragments, and then picked up one or two of the almost powdery fragments to examine them. He shook his head repeatedly. It wasn't that he couldn't control the molecular structure of porcelain, but the problem was that there were complex patterns on it, and there was no original pattern as a reference. Repairing it was extremely difficult, almost an impossible task.
Seeing a glimmer of hope suddenly appear in Zhao Qiang's despairing eyes, Luo Di knelt down in front of him with a thud. Her delicate knees touched the cold floor, a sight that pained Zhao Qiang's heart. He quickly reached out to pull her up. "Junior Sister Wei, what are you doing? Get up!"
Luo Wanfeng then noticed Zhao Qiang. "Zhao Qiang? Oh dear, your brain is failing me. You're here too. Come and sit down."
Luo Wei said to Zhao Qiang, "Zhao Qiang, I beg you to help my dad. I know you must have a way. You're the best. Please help my dad. If my grandfather finds out that the Yuan blue and white porcelain jar is broken, he will definitely beat my dad to death!"
Xu Xiaoya helped Zhao Qiang pull Luo Wei up from the ground. "Wei, don't be like this. Don't you know how kind Zhao Qiang is? He'll cover whatever money you need. After all, he's your senior." Xu Xiaoya assumed Luo Wei wanted to borrow money from Zhao Qiang. She knew perfectly well how much money Zhao Qiang had. Although she was training in Beijing, she still remotely managed the company's major affairs; a few hundred million was nothing to her.
Zhao Qiang thought for a moment and said, "Well, let's find experts to repair it. We've already spent a billion. Money can be earned. As long as it doesn't upset your uncle and grandfather, it's worth it."
A single Guigu Mountain-Descending Jar only costs a little over 200 million. Zhao Qiang's monthly income from selling slimming tea is more than that. Luo Wei's talent makes it worthwhile for Zhao Qiang to spend 1 billion to win her heart. This is also because Zhao Qiang never treats money as money. In his mind, money is no longer Jiang Qiu's goal.
Luo Wanfeng almost cried as he said, "The most famous restoration expert in the country gave me a reply saying that the possibility of restoration is zero. He said that even if the cost is ignored, it is impossible to restore it, which made me give up hope."
Zhao Qiang said, "Then let's find someone from abroad. I don't know the level of Chinese porcelain restoration technology, but there should be people with expertise in this area abroad."
Luo Wanfeng jumped up immediately: "Yes, I'll contact someone right away."
Luo Wanfeng made a phone call, and a little while later returned with a photo of the fragments, which he uploaded online. Zhao Qiang and the others waited on the side. Luo Wei, comforted by Xu Xiaoya, had finally calmed down, but her tearful eyes kept glancing at Zhao Qiang. At this moment, Zhao Qiang was the only one who could give her hope. She didn't have any expectations of the foreign experts.
Sure enough, less than half an hour later, Luo Wanfeng received a phone call and slumped onto the sofa in despair. "It's over. The German restoration expert my friend helped me contact said it's an impossible task. Even if you gave him all the wealth in the world, he couldn't restore it. It's better to just make a fake Yuan blue and white porcelain jar. But to make a fake, he needs a complete original jar as a mark." Hearing this news, Luo Wei jumped up and pulled Zhao Qiang into her room. Xu Xiaoya was confused and wanted to follow but stopped. She could understand Luo Wei's feelings at this moment. She guessed that Luo Wei was asking Zhao Qiang for help alone. After escaping the Holiday Inn fire, both women had an inexplicable trust in Zhao Qiang and always thought that he was omnipotent.
Zhao Qiang was forced to sit down on the edge of the bed by Luo Wei. Then Luo Wei did something that surprised Zhao Qiang. She actually reached behind her back and pulled on the zipper of her clothes. "Zhao Qiang, I know I don't have much to give you. I only ask that you help my father repair this Yuan blue and white porcelain jar. I can repay you with my body."
Zhao Qiang almost jumped up and slapped Luo Wei, but in the end he grabbed her hand and said, "What are you doing!"
Tears streamed down Luo Wei's face as she collapsed onto the bed, sobbing with utter helplessness in her voice. Zhao Qiang felt a pang of sympathy and could only say, "I'll give it a try, but don't get your hopes up too high. Besides, this job takes time, and of course, there's a possibility of failure. You need to be mentally prepared."
Luo Wei cried as she got out of bed: "Really? Zhao Qiang, you're so great! My dad doesn't know you, but Xiaoya and I both know you're someone who can absolutely create miracles!"
Luo Wei knew about the repair work Zhao Qiang had done during this period, as well as his work on refining materials. Based on these aspects alone, Luo Wei believed that Zhao Qiang was the only person who had a chance of repairing the Yuan blue and white porcelain jar. This was something she had been convinced of from the beginning, which is why she insisted on dragging Zhao Qiang into the bedroom, intending to offer herself to him.
Luo Wanfeng looked completely bewildered. When Luo Wei came out of the bedroom, she had a smile on her face, though there were still tears in her eyes. "Dad, don't worry, Zhao Qiang has agreed to help us fix it. Don't worry, everything will be fine."
Luo Wanfeng sighed: "Wei, don't try to comfort your father. I do admire Zhao Qiang's skill in saving people, but restoring porcelain artifacts is a professional job, not something we can handle."
Zhao Qiang said, "Uncle, in my eyes, whether it's a cultural relic or any other product, if it's broken, it's a product that needs repair, and I happen to be the best repairman. Of course, that's a bit of self-praise, but I can give your Yuan blue and white porcelain jar a try. I can't guarantee anything for you right now, but we've run out of options, so why not give it a shot?"
Chen Lin also advised her husband, "Yes, whether it works or not, it's still hope, and it's better than us crying over it."
Luo Wanfeng had no other choice but to say, "Alright, then I'll leave it to you, Zhao Qiang."
Zhao Qiang kept scanning the pile of fragments without looking up and said, "But I need some quiet. Ideally, I'd like to be left alone here. I think we should set the time for Dao Shi first, and then we'll have a result."
Luo Wanfeng counted on his fingers: "It's just in time, because my father's birthday is in three days. I need to return the Yuan blue and white porcelain jar to my father then. If it really can't be repaired, I'll accept it. I'll even risk my life to gain my father's forgiveness."
Luo Wei rushed over and hugged her father: "Dad, I won't let you do that. Don't worry, I believe Zhao Qiang can fix it. Zhao Qiang, you'll save my dad, won't you?" Luo Wei looked at Zhao Qiang pitifully. Zhao Qiang nodded. Now he had a general idea of a plan. Since the possibility of restoring it by combining the original pattern was not high, because he didn't know what the original jar looked like, he could piece it together by matching the fragments. This should be more accurate than using the original pattern.
Chen Lin pulled her husband away from home, deciding to stay at a hotel for a couple of days. Xu Xiaoya never considered herself an outsider, so of course she would stay to keep Zhao Qiang company. Luo Wei, as the hostess, also stayed; someone needed to cook, and with Xu Xiaoya's cooking skills, no one dared to imagine what Zhao Qiang would eat.
Volume 2 [218] A Difficult Task
The lights in the room were dim, and the lamp compartments that could be turned on were opened. Even the table in the bedroom was brought out, creating a shadowless area around the table. Xu Xiaoya and Luo Wei stood to one side, not daring to say a word, both women looking at Zhao Qiang.
Zhao Qiang gently picked up each fragment with a lock wrapped in cotton. His first step was to take a picture of each fragment. This taking was done simultaneously from two sides. On one side was a notebook placed on the corner of the table. Wei controlled the camera to take a high-definition 3D picture of each fragment. At the same time, Zhao Qiang also stored a copy in his brain.
The large pieces were manageable at first, but the smaller fragments, even smaller than grains of wheat, were incredibly exhausting for Zhao Qiang! If it weren't for the advanced biochip controlling his hands to remain steady and accurately pick up the fragments, Zhao Qiang would have likely given up long ago, even if Luo Wei begged him. Even with the biochip's assistance, his eyes were still aching from exhaustion, and his fingers were stiff.
He worked for three hours straight. When he finally put down the lock, Zhao Qiang let out a long breath, then straightened up and pounded his back a couple of times. Suddenly, four hands appeared on his back. Two hands rubbed his sore shoulders, while the other two gently tapped his waist. The pressure and speed were just right, and the hands were soft and boneless, making it feel extremely comfortable to massage his body.
Luo Wei's voice was as gentle as her fingers: "Thank you for your hard work, Zhao Qiang."
Xu Xiaoya said, "How is it? How is the progress? We don't understand why you're picking up each piece of debris from the beginning."
While enjoying the two women's attentive and thoughtful service, Zhao Qiang said, "I need to first create a 3D model of the fragments and save it, then use the computer to assemble the original image, and finally use a special technique to glue the fragments together."