Chapter 15: The Family Corporation, First Day of Internship?
“Ah?”
Zhou Cheng looked surprised, examining it carefully but couldn’t make out anything special.
“It’s just a perpetual lamp, right?”
Hearing Zhou Cheng’s voice, Zhang Xuan nodded, but with a serious expression said, “It is a perpetual lamp, but not an ordinary one!”
“This Nine-Twisted Dragon Flame Perpetual Lamp can burn for a thousand years!”
Hearing it could burn for a millennium, not only was Zhou Cheng astonished, but the viewers in the livestream also found it hard to believe.
“Burn for a thousand years???”
“Are you sure it can burn that long? Is it nuclear-powered?”
“Xuan-ge is talking nonsense again!”
“Do you think I’ll believe that?”
Zhou Cheng said, “Xuan-ge, are you joking again?”
“Even a solar-powered bulb can’t last a thousand years!”
Zhang Xuan, however, spoke earnestly, “Brother, it seems your professional knowledge needs some building!”
“You don’t even know this?”
“Let me be honest with you.”
“The lamp oil in this perpetual lamp’s bowl is made by boiling deep-sea whale fat mixed with several rare minerals!”
“The biggest feature is its endurance!”
“Burning for a thousand years is not an exaggeration by the ancients!”
Seeing Zhang Xuan’s sincerity, Zhou Cheng still thought he was teasing him. He raised his flashlight for another look: “Then why is it extinguished now?”
“Could it be that this ancient tomb has existed for over a thousand years?”
“Huh!”
“Wait, the Warring States period was more than two thousand years ago, so it really has surpassed a millennium!”
“Anyway, the lamp oil inside has already burned out; no one knows exactly how long it lasted.”
“I’ll reluctantly believe you then!”
When Zhang Xuan showed a smug smile, the audience finally understood his intention — with no evidence, he could claim however many years he wanted!
Truly a crafty fellow!
But unexpectedly, Zhang Xuan grinned and then said seriously again, “Brother, you’re wrong again!”
Zhou Cheng looked confused: “Wrong again?”
Zhang Xuan nodded: “What else could it be?”
Seeing Zhou Cheng silent, Zhang Xuan said, “Brother, to make our communication easier, I’ll give you a small test!”
“That way, I can know your real level!”
Zhou Cheng: “Okay!”
Zhang Xuan said, “Simply state the purpose of a perpetual lamp!”
“Just two points.”
Zhou Cheng: “Ah?”
---
“Oh!”
“The legend says the perpetual lamp guides the way to the underworld, providing light for the souls’ reincarnation.”
Zhang Xuan nodded: “Correct. And the second point?”
Zhou Cheng: “Let me think…”
Zhang Xuan waved his hand: “Hesitating means you don’t know!”
“Alright, now I know your level!”
“Let me teach you—besides the purpose you just mentioned, the perpetual lamp also serves a practical function: it consumes the oxygen inside the ancient tomb!”
Zhou Cheng was stunned: “Ah?”
Zhang Xuan chuckled, “Large ancient tombs usually have burial items like metal, silk, and pottery.”
“The tomb owner hopes to enjoy these luxuries even after death, so protecting these burial items from decay is crucial!”
“After burial, the tomb is sealed; the perpetual lamp burns continuously inside, consuming all the oxygen!”
“This ensures that the burial artifacts inside the tomb remain preserved for a thousand years without decay!”
Zhou Cheng’s voice was full of surprise: “So the ancients really had such wisdom!”
Zhang Xuan chuckled, “Otherwise, why do those newly unearthed burial items look as good as new?”
“But once exposed to air, they start to rot immediately?”
“That’s the role of the perpetual lamp!”
Zhou Cheng took a deep breath: “Xuan-ge, a single conversation with you is worth ten years of study!”
“I’ve learned a lot!”
The viewers in the livestream were also convinced by Zhang Xuan’s explanation.
Comments streamed by:
“This host really knows his stuff!”
“Xuan-ge is quite skilled! Thumbs up!”
“Learned something new!”
After hearing all the praise, Zhang Xuan frowned: “Brother, I think you’re a bit slow to catch on. Sometimes I have to repeat things several times for you to understand.”
“I guess you haven’t worked long?”
“Still an intern?”
Faced with Zhang Xuan’s gaze, Zhou Cheng felt a bit embarrassed and said, “Well, it’s my first day on the job, so naturally I’m not very familiar.”
Zhang Xuan showed a shocked look: “First day and you’re handling such a big project?”
“Your boss is quite bold!”
Zhou Cheng just smiled awkwardly without replying further.
The livestream viewers burst into laughter.
This host is really lively; one might think they were genuinely discussing work!
But Zhang Xuan clearly didn’t want to give up and asked again, “How about your mentor’s level?”
Zhou Cheng instinctively glanced at Third Uncle and Uncle Tai, who were excavating nearby, then smiled bitterly: “Not bad.”
“But can’t compare to Xuan-ge!”
Zhang Xuan showed a proud yet humble expression: “Overpraised, overpraised!”
---
“Hehe!”
“So, is it a family business?”
Zhou Cheng cleared his throat: “Yes!”
Zhang Xuan nodded: “Got it!”
“Family business, first day on a Warring States project!”
“Brother, your starting point is pretty high!”
“I’d guess you might become the family’s future head!”
Zhou Cheng felt a bit embarrassed and forced out an awkward smile: “Something like that.”
“Xuan-ge, let’s talk about something else. The company has confidentiality rules!”
Zhang Xuan nodded: “Understood!”
“Well then, since you’re the future heir and it’s your first day as an intern, I’ll share some knowledge with you!”
“Maybe it’ll help you later, and also give the viewers something to learn.”
“Save me from being called a bragger all the time!”
Zhou Cheng nodded: “Okay.”
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“A professional tomb-robbing group bound by family ties, with known members being uncle and nephew!”
Fang Youcai put down his pen, showing a contemplative expression.
Xiao Lü scratched his head: “Captain, do you think we might be looking in the wrong direction?”
Fang Youcai glanced at him: “What do you mean?”
Xiao Lü pointed at Fang’s notebook: “Don’t you think this information was deliberately given to us by Zhang Xuan?”
Fang Youcai was stunned.
Xiao Lü continued: “Look how he kept asking questions. If he really had some interest with the tomb robbers, why would he reveal so much?”
Fang Youcai blinked and stared at the screen in surprise, then showed a thoughtful look: “That’s true.”
Then he scratched his head, seeming quite troubled: “I really don’t understand what this kid is up to.”
“Could he really just be a simple livestream host?”
Liang Jingyi frowned: “There are many things that don’t add up.”
“Captain Fang, I think we should report this to the headquarters.”
“Let them decide what to do.”
“After all, these people might have already entered a Warring States ancient tomb!”
“This is already a major tomb robbery case!”
Fang Youcai sighed: “Yes.”
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