Chapter 97: Perhaps the Materials Were Inappropriate

After Li Su unlocked the nine linked rings on his hand, Wei Shian couldn’t quite express how he felt. He was relieved that Li Su was a bit slower than him, but could this really count as his victory?

After all, he was the creator of these nine linked rings! And yet, he had only barely outpaced this young man by a small margin!

Wei Shian felt a tightness in his chest, stuck in an awkward position, neither here nor there, making him deeply uncomfortable.

Li Su hooked a chair over with his foot and plopped down. “Dean Wei, do you think this speed is acceptable?”

Wei Shian barely managed to control his expression. “Just barely.” Naturally, he didn’t tell the truth—he had to save face.

Li Su nodded. “I agree, just barely. I have a few other methods that are all faster than this.”

Wei Shian’s eyes widened slightly. A few methods? All faster than this?

His first thought was disbelief. Li Su must be making things up again—after all, he was used to Li Su’s wild claims.

If Li Su knew what Wei Shian was thinking, he would surely protest, “That’s unfair! When have I ever made things up? Everything I said was true!”

As Li Su restored the nine linked rings, counting silently in his mind, his fingers began to move faster and faster. Wei Shian straightened up, his expression grave and serious.

Li Su went through every method he could think of, and Wei Shian, stunned, had to accept this reality.

Indeed, Li Su had some talent. His skill with the nine linked rings surpassed even his own.

After Li Su finished demonstrating, he asked, “So? Does this meet the Dean’s standards? I hope I haven’t embarrassed my master.”

Wei Shian was speechless. Not only did it meet the standard, it far exceeded expectations. It brought great honor to Xi Sheng.

Still, Wei Shian stubbornly said, “It’s just so-so.”

Li Su looked at Wei Shian. “Dean, how long do you need? I want to learn.”

From the Dean’s tone, it seemed possible to be even faster than him.

With a desire to improve, Li Su extended an invitation to Wei Shian.

Wei Shian hesitated. He couldn’t match Li Su’s speed in unlocking the nine linked rings, but if Li Su found out, what would become of his pride?

He had already lost out to Xi Sheng in the imperial examination; now, he was outpaced in unlocking the nine linked rings he himself developed by Xi Sheng’s disciple!

Trying to save face, Wei Shian changed the topic. “These nine linked rings are nothing special; I’m only a little faster than you. I have something new here.”

He rose from his chair and carefully opened a cabinet, retrieving a piece of glazed glass he had developed, capable of magnifying objects, ready to show Li Su something extraordinary.

---

Upon seeing this magnifying glass, Li Su’s attention naturally shifted away from the nine linked rings.

Hearing Wei Shian mention something new and intriguing, Li Su’s curiosity was piqued.

Wei Shian gently placed a box on the table and opened it as he said, “Don’t underestimate this piece of glazed glass; it’s no ordinary glaze.”

Li Su walked over, playing along with curiosity. “What’s so special about it?”

Wei Shian tried to appear calm but couldn’t hide his pride. “Place it before your eyes, and any object you look at will appear larger.”

Li Su’s eyes widened slightly. “A magnifying glass?”

Dean Wei’s ability to craft a magnifying glass from glazed glass showed his genuine interest in the art of understanding things.

Wei Shian admired Li Su’s amazement, then was drawn in when Li Su uttered the three words “magnifying glass.”

“Magnifying glass—that’s a fitting name. Henceforth, this object shall be called that.”

Li Su asked, “Dean, may I take a closer look?”

“Sure, but be careful,” Wei Shian cautioned, worried Li Su might accidentally break it.

Li Su promised, “I’ll be careful.” After all, this was the Dean’s precious creation.

Wei Shian, as if entrusting a legacy, handed over the magnifying glass, his eyes fixed unwaveringly upon it.

Li Su held the magnifying glass before his eyes. Naturally, its effect was nowhere near as good as those he’d seen in the modern era. After all, glazed glass was difficult to polish here—there were no advanced grinding machines, and the glaze had low transparency, making it hard to achieve high purity and uniform texture.

Dean Wei’s choice of glaze was already commendable; inventing a magnifying glass from it was impressive.

Wei Shian waited expectantly for Li Su’s amazement, but after the initial surprise, Li Su remained calm.

Clearing his throat twice, Wei Shian said proudly, “So, what do you think? I’m also preparing to make a ‘thousand-mile eye’—a device that lets you see what others are doing from far away.”

Li Su blinked. A telescope? Dean Wei’s mind was indeed clever.

However, using glaze with such low transparency to make a telescope was impractical; even this magnifying glass was barely passable.

Li Su gently placed the magnifying glass back into its box. “How is your ‘thousand-mile eye’ coming along? May I have a look?”

He was curious about the Dean’s progress.

---

Wei Shian avoided Li Su’s gaze. “That’s top secret. Plus, you know, such a powerful device is very difficult to make. It’s not like you can just pick leaves off the ground.”

Li Su immediately knew the project was stalled.

“Dean, I’m quite interested in this. Maybe if you tell me more, we can spark some inspiration together.”

Wei Shian’s eyes lit up. “You’re interested in the study of things? Want to join me?”

“Old Xi Sheng certainly can’t teach you this. Though I can’t match his cunning in intrigue, when it comes to the study of things, he’s no match for me!”

Suddenly, Wei Shian considered poaching Xi Sheng’s disciple.

Li Su was speechless. In this area, Dean Wei probably couldn’t teach him much either.

Wei Shian pressed, “Li Su, what do you think?”

“I want to pass the imperial exams and become an official,” Li Su stated his intention plainly.

Wei Shian scolded, “What a disappointment! What’s so great about being a government official? The court is full of scheming and deceit. Those old men can ruin you without you even realizing it.”

“I still want to pass the imperial exams and become an official.”

“What’s with your obsession with official positions?”

“Yes, and I want to be a high-ranking official.”

“...”

Wei Shian was somewhat exasperated. “Do you talk to Xi Sheng that way too?”

Li Su nodded. Wei Shian felt better; with Xi Sheng’s temperament, Li Su must have often exasperated him, so this balanced things out.

Wei Shian shared his ideas and retrieved more glazed glass to continue experimenting.

An idea popped into Li Su’s mind: why not have the Dean produce real glass?

Then he could commission a batch of glass bottles for storing wine—novelty items loved by the wealthy. He could produce a batch of high-end wine with exquisite packaging, and an affordable line without fancy packaging.

Li Su spoke mysteriously, “Dean, have you considered that maybe the problem lies with the material itself?”