Chapter 312
Chapter 312:
In the quiet that followed, an elderly man with silver hair slowly stood. Well past seventy, he carried himself with a humble, unhurried composure. “Good to see you. My name is Gerald Morgan p>
The moment he introduced himself, attention snapped toward him from every corner of the room. Even Kristine looked taken aback. Gerald was the founding director of the Redal Institute — a respected pioneer in the preservation and authentication of ancient metal relics. No one had expected him to appear in person.
Several members of the audience immediately glanced back at Kristine, their expressions sharpening with satisfaction. Now someone truly qualified had stepped forward. Surely the truth would finally come out.
“Good to meet you too, Mr. Morgan,” Kristine said with a calm smile, concealing her surprise almost instantly.
Gerald wasted no time. “Here is my question. I recently examined an ancient gemstone artifact from early antiquity, carved from a local stone type. When I ran X-ray fluorescence analysis, one trace element showed up at an unusually high level — far beyond what we normally find in artifacts made from the same material. What do you believe caused this anomaly p>
For the first time, Kristine did not respond right away. She stood quietly, thinking the problem through before speaking in a measured tone. “In most cases, there are two primary explanations. The first involves the source of the raw material. Stone deposits varied greatly by location in ancient times — different mountains and quarries formed under unique conditions and contained different trace elements. The second comes from the processing stage. During carving or polishing, additional materials might have been introduced, and those materials could account for higher concentrations of certain elements p>
𝘕𝖾𝘸 c𝗵𝗮𝗉t𝘦𝗿𝘴 ev𝘦𝘳y w𝗲𝘦𝘬 𝗈𝗇 𝘨𝗮𝗹ոo𝘃e𝗹𝘴.сo𝗆
Kristine slowed, choosing her words carefully. “However, there is another factor that cannot be ignored: the environment the artifact experienced after burial. Since this gemstone dates back thousands of years, it likely remained underground for an extended period. If the surrounding soil or moisture contained high levels of that element, gradual exchange could have occurred over time — and that process would explain the elevated readings you detected.” She paused, then met Gerald’s gaze directly. “Still, Mr. Morgan, based on the details you have shared, there simply is not enough information to reach a single confirmed conclusion p>
A sharp scoff broke the quiet. “If you do not know the answer, just admit it. Why make it sound so complicated p>
Another voice followed quickly. “Getting two questions right does not prove she did not cheat. It only shows she understands restoration work. She is not nearly as impressive as she made herself out to be p>
“Honestly, I still think she cheated,” someone else said. “Maybe not every time, but at least part of it. There is no other explanation for how she answered so perfectly p>
A wave of sarcastic laughter rolled across the room.
Elyse, seated among the crowd, finally allowed herself to breathe. Relief loosened the tight knot in her chest.
Even with the noise around her, Kristine remained composed. She looked toward Gerald. “Mr. Morgan, would you be willing to share what the real answer is p>