Old Harden, can you handle having your vision-shifting abilities on all the time?

Xu Xing strolled around the special exhibition, his eyes scanning over each exquisite piece.

Chengxinzhai really went all out this time, and the quality of the exhibited collections is very high.

He eventually stopped in front of a Qing Dynasty Qianlong blue and white vase with lotus scroll design, and then took a fancy to a Qing Dynasty Yongzheng famille rose bowl with overglaze floral design.

Both porcelain pieces are well-preserved heirlooms, with market valuations of around 800,000 and 600,000 respectively. They are in excellent condition and have good potential for appreciation.

He took the subscription form to the counter and handed over his internal invitation.

"Hello XCMG".

The staff at the counter had clearly been notified in advance and were very respectful. "The two pieces of porcelain you selected are priced at 1.26 million yuan according to internal rates. They will be transported back to Chang'an through the company's internal channels and are expected to arrive within three days."

"Okay, thank you."

Xu Xing swiped his card to pay and took the receipt.

The staff carefully packed the two pieces of porcelain into a specially made shipping box, sealed it, and entered it into the logistics system.

He had just put the receipt into his pocket when he heard a slightly unfamiliar voice behind him.

"XCMG?"

Xu Xing turned around and saw Zhou Zhihai standing not far away, wearing a dark gray Zhongshan suit with a surprised smile on his face.

"Old Zhou?"

Xu Xing was also somewhat surprised. "What are you doing here?"

"Haha, I was invited by Chengxinzhai to be a consultant."

Zhou Zhihai strode over and warmly shook Xu Xing's hand. "What a coincidence to run into you here!"

"That's quite a coincidence."

Xu Xing smiled and said, "I'm here for the special event, and I'll just take a look around."

Zhou Zhihai nodded repeatedly, then turned to an elderly man beside him and said, "Come, come, let me introduce you. This is my longtime friend, Mr. Zheng Mingyuan, the chairman of Yanbei Henglong Group."

Xu Xing looked at the old man.

Zheng Mingyuan was in his early sixties, with gray hair but a vigorous spirit. He wore a dark blue Chinese-style jacket and had a refined demeanor with a touch of businessman shrewdness.

He looked Xu Xing up and down, his eyes filled with scrutiny and suspicion.

"Mr. Zheng, this is the XCMG company I mentioned to you before."

Zhou Zhihai enthusiastically introduced, "The porcelain restoration masters at Chengxinzhai Restoration Center have top-notch skills nationwide."

Zheng Mingyuan then extended his hand to shake hands with Xu Xing, his tone polite but somewhat reserved: "Mr. Xu, I've heard so much about you."

Xu Xing keenly noticed the hint of doubt in the other party's eyes, but remained calm on the surface: "President Zheng is too kind, and Elder Zhou is too kind."

Zhou Zhihai clearly saw Zheng Mingyuan's doubts, but he didn't rush to explain. Instead, he changed the subject: "Xu Gong, I was actually looking for you. Mr. Zheng has a damaged piece of equipment that is in very bad condition."

The masters in Yanbei are hesitant to take on this project lightly, so I thought I'd ask if you're confident in your abilities.

Xu Xing didn't answer immediately, but instead asked, "What porcelain?"

Zhou Zhihai looked at Zheng Mingyuan, who pondered for a moment before saying, "It is a Qing Dynasty Qianlong period doucai and famille rose celestial globe vase with the Eight Immortals and lotus scroll design."

Xu Xing raised an eyebrow slightly.

A celestial globe vase with doucai and famille rose enamels depicting the Eight Immortals amidst lotus scrolls from the Qianlong period of the Qing dynasty. This is a top-tier masterpiece from the Qianlong imperial kilns.

The combination of doucai and famille rose enamels is an extremely complex technique, and the hidden Eight Immortals motif is a classic application of Taoist themes in Qianlong porcelain.

The original artifact of this level is valued at least between 180 million and 200 million, making it an absolute top-tier masterpiece.

"What is the extent of the damage?"

Xu Xing asked.

Zheng Mingyuan sighed, his tone tinged with regret: "It's very serious. The bottle broke horizontally into four pieces from the belly, with jagged edges and two large pieces missing."

There is a long, arc-shaped rim that extends from the rim to the neck, and inside there is a complex network of forks.

The glaze has several chips and peelings, three of which have damaged the surface of the porcelain body.

He paused, then continued, "The most troublesome thing is the damage to the patterns. The fish drum and jade tablet in the Eight Immortals pattern are completely missing, and the surrounding lotus scroll pattern has also peeled off in large areas."

The color layers of doucai and famille rose porcelain are extremely complex, making it incredibly difficult to reproduce them exactly as they were in the original works.

After listening, Xu Xing pondered for a moment.

The difficulty in restoring this piece of porcelain is indeed different from that of ordinary porcelain.

First, it involves a dual process of doucai and famille rose. Doucai requires high-temperature firing, while famille rose requires a second firing at low temperature.

The two pigments have different melting points and coefficients of expansion, and if not handled carefully during repair, the glaze may crack or the colors may become distorted.

Secondly, the hidden Eight Immortals pattern was added.

The Eight Immortals in Darkness are the magical implements held by the Eight Immortals of Taoism. Each implement has a specific form and cultural connotation, and repainting them requires extremely high painting skills and a deep understanding of Taoist culture.

Especially the fish drum and jade tablet, two kinds of ritual implements, have unique shapes and if there is even a slight deviation, they will look out of place.

Furthermore, there is extensive peeling off of the lotus scroll pattern.

The lotus scroll pattern is one of the most classic decorative patterns in the Qianlong imperial kilns. Its lines are intricate and its colors are rich and layered. To restore it to a state of perfect harmony with the original requires a deep understanding of the painting style and color system of the Qianlong period.

Xu Xing shook his head: "I can't give a definite answer just from the description. To repair a heavy weapon of this level, I need to see the actual object to make a judgment."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Zhihai looked at Zheng Mingyuan and explained in a low voice, "Old Zheng, don't be fooled by Xu Gong's youthful appearance. He is already forty-six years old and has been working in the porcelain restoration industry for over twenty years."

Moreover, he has now established his own studio at Chengxinzhai, and is Chengxinzhai's top restorer with skills that are among the best in the country. Why don't we invite him to our home to see the actual situation?

After hearing Zhou Zhihai's explanation, most of the doubt in Zheng Mingyuan's eyes disappeared.

He hesitated for a moment, then nodded: "Then I'll trouble you, Mr. Xu. Would you please come to my home and take a look?"

Xu Xing didn't mind, but remembering that he hadn't come alone, he said, "President Zheng, I came with President Zhao Yongchang and President Ma Jianguo. I need to go and say hello to them first."

"Of course, of course."

Zhou Zhihai quickly replied.

Xu Xing turned around and went to find Zhao Yongchang and Ma Jianguo.

The two men were standing in front of a bronze artifact display when Zhao Yongchang saw Xu Xing approaching and asked with a smile, "Engineer Xu, what good stuff did you buy?"

"I bought two little trinkets."

Xu Xing smiled and then briefly recounted his encounter with Zhou Zhihai and Zheng Mingyuan.

Upon hearing this, Zhao Yongchang's eyes lit up: "A Qianlong period doucai and famille rose vase with an underglaze eight immortals and lotus scroll design? That's a treasure! Can I go take a look with you?"

Ma Jianguo also became interested: "I also want to go and broaden my horizons."

Xu Xing looked in the direction of Zheng Mingyuan and Zhou Zhihai, who were standing not far away waiting.

He went over and explained the situation, and Zheng Mingyuan readily nodded: "Of course, it's an honor for you all to come, since you're all in the industry."

So the group of five got into two cars and drove out of the hotel, through the bustling streets of Yanbei city, and finally stopped in a quiet hutong area in Dongcheng District.

Zheng Mingyuan's home is a three-courtyard siheyuan (traditional courtyard house), with blue bricks, gray tiles, and a vermilion gate. Two tall locust trees stand in front of the gate, their shade covering most of the courtyard.

Pushing open the door, you'll find a courtyard with artificial hills, flowing water, and lush flowers and trees, exuding the charm of old Yanbei.

"Mr. Zheng's courtyard is truly magnificent."

Zhao Yongchang looked around and couldn't help but exclaim in admiration.

"It was passed down from my ancestors and has been repaired several times."

Zheng Mingyuan smiled and led everyone through the covered walkway to a side room in the backyard.