"The application still had to be written."
"Yes, Boss." Shen Le nodded.
"The experimental plan had to be written too. Even if you used that—magic—having a detailed experimental plan could help you sort out your thoughts and compare the results."
"Yes, Boss!" Shen Le stood ramrod straight and nodded vigorously again.
"But you didn't need to hand it in to me..."
As he said the last sentence, the old professor let out a soft sigh, and his back finally slumped. The laboratory's bright lights shone on his face, making the marks left by time especially clear:
"After all, your teacher is just an ordinary person. The people reviewing reports, approving funding, and signing off on projects are all ordinary people too. They don't understand your magic, and they don't understand..."
He paused, then added with great anguish:
"What effect those Song bricks and Tang tiles have after being infused with spiritual energy..."
Boss, you just couldn't bear to part with those Song-dynasty bricks, could you?
Which was understandable. Song bricks were indeed rather expensive in the modern antiques market.
Using them in bulk for experiments, watching them get sawed in half, sliced up, crushed, soaked in water, soaked in reagents under your own hands...
It was a little heartbreaking...
"Boss, you don't need to worry about any of that!" Thinking of his advisor's feelings, Shen Le hurriedly pounded his chest and promised solemnly:
"I'll take care of the experimental materials!"
He first obtained a quarter of a Song brick from his senior martial brothers—the leftover piece from an experiment—then cut off a small half to test the waters.
He took a small box of locally produced clay used for firing red bricks, roughly equal in weight to the brick in his hand—correction, the brick shard—and placed it beside the shard.