By linking my account to the check-in system, I became a leisurely traveler.

Chapter 228 repair complete!

When Li Younan saw that national treasure, even he couldn't help but feel regret.

This revolving vase, made during the Qianlong era, is officially called a famille rose and gilded openwork landscape and figure revolving vase.

The bottle consists of three parts: an outer bottle, an inner bottle, and a base. The outer bottle is carved with openwork patterns of landscapes and pavilions, while the inner bottle is painted with famille rose figures and stories, just like the replica that Li Younan had seen in the previous exam.

The inner screen can rotate and features dynamic characters corresponding to the scene, while the base is carved with lotus scroll patterns and inlaid with gemstones.

No wonder it is called a national treasure that integrates ceramics, painting and carving techniques.

However, this national treasure was also severely damaged.

The outer screen has many hollowed-out carvings that are broken and missing, the famille rose glaze has peeled off in large areas, the details of the figures' faces and clothing are blurred, the inner screen's rotating shaft is broken, and nearly one-third of the famille rose painting on the bottle is missing.

In addition, the carved patterns on the base have also been damaged, and the overall structure has become extremely loose.

Li Younan also realized that restoring this national treasure was not as simple as Master Chen had said before; possessing three top-level skills was only the most basic requirement.

To restore this artifact, each step is interconnected with the next, requiring a systematic and comprehensive plan.

The director sighed slightly, then looked at Li Younan with an expectant gaze and said, "Xiao Zhang has already told you about the relevant information and materials for this national treasure. To put it simply, in terms of craftsmanship, this national treasure is even more exquisite than the revolving vase that sold for 2.2 million yuan before. If it can be restored, it can definitely become one of the most prized possessions of our museum."

"My suggestion is that we have another meeting to discuss this before we officially start the repairs. You can share your thoughts and considerations, and we can work together to solve any problems that arise."

Li Younan put on a mask and gloves and carefully examined the national treasure.

Gradually, his eyes grew brighter and brighter. All the skills he had accumulated in the system became the foundation for him to see through this national treasure and devise a restoration plan. A clear and feasible plan had already taken shape in his mind.

Li Younan looked at the dean: "Dean, I need to make a list, and I would appreciate it if you could help me prepare it."

"Hmm, your proposal is..."

"The specific plan... well, I'll come up with it tomorrow and report back to everyone."

“Okay.” After a pause, the dean said seriously, “After the plan is approved, we will need to report this to the higher authorities. But don’t worry, it’s just a formality.”

Li Younan understood, of course. After all, this was a priceless restoration of a national treasure, and he was essentially an unofficial member of the organization.

However, with the dean in charge, it wasn't an obstacle.

Today, Li Younan is staying directly inside the Forbidden City. He needs to make proper preparations and come up with a practical plan.

Repairing such a national treasure is not a task that can be completed as simply and quickly as it was during the previous inspection.

Li Younan estimated that it would take at least a week.

Of course, this week is already extremely fast compared to other expert instructors.

Li Younan is prepared to approach this national treasure with utmost focus and patience.

The next day, in a conference room with a group of experts and staff, Li Younan took out the plan he had carefully prepared overnight and distributed it to them.

Li Younan was extremely confident in this plan.

As expected, everyone who read Li Younan's proposal couldn't help but nod in approval.

However, there are difficulties. All the procedures in the entire solution are seamless, and only one craftsman can complete the entire process to achieve a perfect repair. And that person can only be Li Younan.

After everyone had finished reading the plan, the dean asked if anyone had any further opinions. After a few lively discussions, everyone reached a consensus and assigned tasks to each person, who then went off to prepare.

Li Younan also needs to further measure the relevant data parameters of that national treasure.

While busy, Li Younan suddenly thought of something really annoying.

I'm here to film a video.

Although this was just a pretext for visiting those three places, the current restoration tour of the Forbidden City is indeed a very interesting and worthwhile subject to watch.

However, now that he has become a restorer, he naturally can no longer be the one filming the video.

He quickly adjusted his mindset.

Forget it, compared to shooting video footage, restoring national treasures is far more meaningful.

Do what you are capable of; with great power comes great responsibility.

Once all the necessary tools, materials, equipment, and other items were prepared, Li Younan also prepared the required parameters and data, which he recorded in a small notebook.

The next step is the formal repair process.

With the help of staff, all parts of the national treasure were moved to a workshop specially set aside for the restorers to repair the national treasure.

However, when Li Younan went in, he was still stunned for a moment.

Several cameras—the kind that have been specially processed and have no exposure flash—were fixed in the workshop.

In addition, there was another reporter whom Li Younan had seen on CCTV and was familiar with.

At that moment, the dean was talking to the reporter.

Oh? People from CCTV have come too?
Before Li Younan could react, the dean had already led the reporters over and introduced him, saying, "This is Li Younan, the chief restorer of this national treasure whom I just told you about."

The beautiful reporter smiled sweetly at Li Younan and said, "Mr. Li, we're colleagues." Li Younan was taken aback for a moment before the reporter continued, "We're both in the media."

Li Younan chuckled silently.

The reporter then explained with a serious expression, "That's right, we just received this assignment. Because the national treasure being restored this time is of great significance, we plan to film the entire restoration process for future documentary material. Of course, this material may not be used for just one documentary; in addition, we will also try to report it to higher authorities to see if we can get this news segment broadcast on CCTV."

The director added, "The restoration process is meant to preserve visual records."

Li Younan was quite happy. He had originally thought that if he presided over the restoration himself, no one would help him film the video. He didn't expect that CCTV's most professional staff would directly intervene.

Even if they can't directly provide the footage they shoot, it doesn't matter, as long as they've filmed it.

Of course, he was well aware that the restoration process recorded by the other party might not ultimately highlight him as a person, and might not even include his name. It would definitely be presented from the perspective of "the Palace Museum restored a certain national treasure-level cultural relic from the Qing Dynasty".

But as I said before, it doesn't matter.

Being able to appear on CCTV, especially as a key staff member, even if it's just a clip or two later, is something that ordinary internet celebrities can't easily achieve.

After a brief chat, Li Younan began to work seriously.

During this process, many heavyweight experts became Li Younan's assistants, working under him.

When they experienced Li Younan's craftsmanship up close, the impact of the insurmountable gap between them and a genius became increasingly apparent.

At this point, everyone defined Li Younan as a "genius".

During breaks, everyone would naturally chat with Li Younan, wanting to know why his skills were so superb.

Li Younan couldn't explain the system, so his answers were vague, simply saying things like "it's a hobby," "I've tried it out," "I like it," and "I can learn it quickly."

But this ambiguity is seen as modesty by others.

What a genius! Not only is he a genius, but he's also so humble.

Everyone felt that such talent should be kept at the Palace Museum.

However, considering that Li Younan was a streamer with tens of millions of followers, they also knew very well that the Palace Museum could not retain such a super internet celebrity.

Regret.

The entire restoration process went very smoothly, and the cameramen and reporters sent by CCTV were also busy.

In addition to continuously taking close-up shots to enrich the video footage, the reporter also interviewed several heavyweight experts and professors to understand the difficulty of restoring this national treasure and its value and significance, and compiled written materials.

These things will eventually be presented in several forms. They may be used as material for a major documentary, or they may be broadcast as a short news report of a few dozen seconds, such as "The Palace Museum recently successfully restored a certain national treasure. The value of this national treasure is extremely high, the restoration was extremely difficult, and the Palace Museum team overcame numerous obstacles."

Li Younan, however, had no time to care about external interference.

He must be completely focused.

As time went on, his restoration work gradually reached a crucial step: the simultaneous and coordinated carving and painting.

At this point, the experts who had previously participated in the meeting and discussion also realized that the real difficulty in restoring this national treasure lay in the fact that the openwork pattern on the outer bottle and the painted body of the bottle were not independent entities, and the two had to be carried out simultaneously.

For example, on the inside of the openwork pavilion railing, the famille rose enamel needs to be painted with a light blue shadow to enhance the three-dimensional effect. If the railing is carved separately without considering the width of the shadow in the painting, the shadow will extend beyond the railing and appear messy. This would affect the whole picture, causing inconsistencies in the three-dimensionality and layering of the entire image, thus ruining this national treasure.

The same applies to the restoration of the lotus scroll pattern on the base. If the slope angle is off by a few degrees, the colors are out of sync, or the transition ratio of the coloring is improper, then the light pink covering the slope will immediately reveal the traces of restoration, and the national treasure will still be ruined.

The dynamic character paintings on the inner screen also need to be designed around the rotation trajectory. If even a slight detail is not handled well, the original dynamic effect cannot be achieved, and the national treasure will be ruined again.

When the process reached this point, every expert was worried for Li Younan.

Later, the dean simply called everyone out, leaving Li Younan a quiet space, and only allowed the cameras set up on paper to record Li Younan's steps, while they watched Li Younan sculpt on the monitor outside.

However, it was precisely in these situations that Li Younan's thinking became clearer and his hands became more steady.

The entire restoration took a full week. Only after all the parts that had been re-fired were repaired did the restoration room become lively again.

Reporters and photographers were also present to witness this momentous moment of assembly.

Li Younan then fitted the last component in perfectly.

The next moment, this national treasure, which had been dormant and in disrepair for many years, was given a new lease on life.

It was as if it had suddenly started to glow.

Everyone couldn't help but cheer, their long-suppressed emotions finally released at this moment.

The dean couldn't help but take off his glasses and wipe away the tears from the corners of his eyes.

Li Younan, on the other hand, remained remarkably calm. He rested his chin on his arm and quietly gazed at the national treasure before him.

He knew that restoring this national treasure would have many, many consequences.

However, he didn't want to think about those things right now; he just wanted to quietly admire this pretty little gadget.

Haha, restoring national treasures is really a very interesting thing.

(End of this chapter)