Chapter 18: The Unique Corrosion

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Xu Chen wasn’t idle either. After confirming that he couldn’t reach Grandpa Yang, he leveraged his connections in the History Department to specifically request textbooks from the Archaeology Department. He skimmed through them rapidly, scanning for any potential issues related to archaeology.

Apart from some unusual corrosion, Xu Chen honestly couldn’t find any other problems.

Moreover, this world invested far more in archaeology than the last. Especially in the restoration of artifacts to their original state, many cutting-edge technologies left Xu Chen astonished, exclaiming how incredible they were.

For example, with a type of bamboo slip that essentially fused with the soil, they could excavate both the bamboo slip and the soil together, scan them under specialized instruments, and reconstruct the characters on the slips.

As for the trading and selling of artifacts, it was even less developed. Cases of artifact trafficking were rare because most objects unearthed looked unappealing, and the vast majority of antiques that could be presented were forgeries.

Regarding the cause of the unusual corrosion, Xu Chen reviewed it carefully. The logic was coherent, and with his knowledge, the research revealed no loopholes.

However, while searching for cases of this special corrosion, Xu Chen seemed to have found something.

“Artifacts inside the Haizuo Fukou culture site suffered from poor preservation, resulting in some damage,” one report read.

Judging by the date, this wasn’t recent; it had happened two years prior.

The report detailed artifacts that were not processed promptly after excavation and suffered damage due to natural oxidation, moisture, and temperature changes.

Xu Chen cross-referenced the map and confirmed it was the Dawenkou culture site. In his previous life, the Dawenkou site had been impeccably preserved, with no such incidents.

There were quite a few similar reports. Xu Chen found each location on the map, overlapping them with his mental image of the world: sites related to Majiayao culture, Shuanghuaishu culture, and others. These incidents spanned up to ten years, occurring almost annually, with oversight committees too lazy to investigate.

These cultural sites dated back roughly five thousand years and contained hardly any noteworthy artifacts. Most finds were nearly fossilized human bones, stone tools, and pottery.

Only historians showed interest.

Though these items held no value to the general populace, historians saw profound historical significance, and only they could unlock that value.

No one treated these relics as treasures to be sold.

Xu Chen read through all the follow-up reports meticulously. Every case underwent rigorous organizational review and was confirmed to be natural corrosion caused by inadequate technology or historical preservation shortcomings.

Xu Chen didn’t agree. He believed these all belonged to the category of “special corrosion” that damaged artifacts and that there was something amiss.

Unfortunately, by the time Xu Chen finished his research, he was utterly exhausted. Searching for such information online was like finding a coin in a landfill. Cross-referencing maps and recalling details was never a simple task.

If Xu Chen hadn’t been driven by a stubborn conviction to verify the truth, he might have given up long ago.

He glanced at the monitor, looking extremely weary, but finally moved the mouse to save the document.

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“Son, your godfather brought you something delicious,” Song Tian burst through the dormitory door excitedly, carrying a massive boxed pizza.

“Godfather, you truly are my godfather. I’m so touched! Here, I’ll try it first to test for poison,” Xu Chen perked up. He had been feeling listless lately, eating only the school cafeteria’s meals. It was rare for Song Tian to splurge, so Xu Chen let him have the moment without fuss.

At worst, he could just ask him to bring one again later.

After Song Tian closed the door behind him, he eagerly opened the box to reveal the extra-large pizza he’d ordered.

“Not bad, this is huge. Got something to celebrate today?” Xu Chen asked.

Song Tian hesitated, then replied honestly, “Nope, just felt like eating it.”

“Tsk tsk,” Xu Chen grabbed a disposable glove but didn’t bother putting it on and reached in with his bare hand—only to be stopped by Song Tian.

“No, wait. Let me find one or two good news items, then we’ll have a reason to eat.”

Xu Chen was both amused and exasperated, staring at the pizza but not eating it—it was a bit torturous.

“Got it! Look, the island’s nuclear power plant is investing 20 billion yuan and entrusting our country to handle the leftover nuclear wastewater. See? That’s good news, right?”

Xu Chen glanced at Song Tian in surprise and thought it over. “But 20 billion yuan—is that enough?”

“You’re thinking too small. How could we do business at a loss? That’s 20 billion yuan here, adjusted for exchange rates. Looks like the stationed troops really had no choice. Come on, let’s celebrate this good news by eating!”

Xu Chen smiled, grabbed a slice, and bit into it while browsing on his phone.

Indeed, it was true. The entire 20 billion had been allocated to address the nuclear wastewater issue. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs even firmly stated this was only the first phase. If the problem wasn’t fully resolved, additional funds might be added.

If that happened, it would truly be a cause for great satisfaction.

Meanwhile, statistics showed the cancer incidence rates along the coast and inland had risen significantly compared to previous years.

Many people set off firecrackers upon hearing that the nuclear wastewater issue had been taken over.

There were also rumors of a new infectious disease outbreak on the neighboring coast, but the news seemed suppressed; only whispers circulated online.

Speaking of which, Xu Chen recalled a conversation with Senior Ouyang, who suggested he study oncology, as the profession might become scarce in the future.

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This was clearly official confirmation. After all, Ouyang was a graduate student under Grandpa Yang, with extensive connections. Any developments in the medical field would be detected.

...

“Based on the information I have, the name ‘Taihao’ was very likely known before he had any channels to learn about it.”

“That seems a bit subjective,” someone countered.

“I’m not being subjective. Xu Chen learned of Taihao’s existence before the Taihao Mausoleum excavation began...”

“Professor Ding testified that Xu Chen found this in the restored ancient texts, and the copies of these texts have been submitted. Would you like to see them?”

“Then how do you explain his strange behavior? Why did he ask those present if they had heard of Taihao?”

“Enough. We’re here to find solutions, not to argue,” a stern voice interrupted the murmurs. “Captain Chu, you called this meeting. Say something.”

“Yes,” Captain Chu stood, holding documents. “Our immediate priority is to understand what kind of existence ‘Taihao’ is and what crisis Director Yang mentioned.”

“Since the trail from the typhoon broke off, we had no leads. Yang Tianyou simply believed Xu Chen was special. After Xu Chen left the medical internship group, Yang seemed disappointed and decided to let him investigate ‘Taihao’ directly.”

“Yang Tianyou doesn’t seem to avoid us...”

“He just can’t get around us. We’re monitoring him closely; he can’t act covertly,” a sergeant rebutted.

Captain Chu nodded without replying and continued, “Later, Xu Chen learned about the Taihao Mausoleum from the ancient texts. The excavation is still in full swing. This coincidence is a bit suspicious.”

“However, regardless, he has helped us tremendously and doesn’t avoid official channels. In the internship group, he reportedly provided crucial information. I suggest we proceed with gentle contact and inquiry.”

“What if he doesn’t cooperate?” the sergeant asked again.

“This isn’t a war! He’s still our citizen! Don’t use that approach to pressure him!” Captain Chu glared.

“There’s always a first time. It won’t hurt to try. Let’s follow Captain Chu’s plan,” the authoritative voice intervened again, stopping any further dispute.

“Yes!”