Siheyuan came through and sent Jia Zhang to prison

Chapter 630 Zhang Chuan's Abilities

“Professor Zhao, these are samples collected from mines in various places in recent years. Some of them are even difficult for veteran miners to distinguish.” Jiang Hu picked up a piece of coal the size of a fist. The surface of this coal was uneven and its color was a dark gray-black. It looked no different from ordinary coal. “Tell me about this one first.”

Zhao Ci took it, his fingertips first touching the texture of the coal—not very hard; a light scratch with his fingernail would leave a shallow mark. He brought it close to his nose, sniffed it gently, and frowned slightly: "This coal has some shale fragments mixed in, so it will have a stronger smoky smell." As he spoke, he rubbed off a little coal dust with his fingertip and examined it against the light. "The calorific value should be around 4000 kcal, which is considered low to medium calorific value coal. Judging from the carbon content and moisture, it seems to come from a small coalfield in the southwestern mountains, where coal seams are often associated with shale."

Jiang Hu's eyes flickered, but he remained silent, picking out a palm-sized lump of coal from the box. This lump was completely black, its surface smooth as if glazed, and it felt significantly heavier than other coals of the same volume. "And this one?"

Zhao Ci weighed the coal in his hand, then gently tapped it with his knuckles. The coal produced a crisp "clanging" sound, like stones striking each other. "This is anthracite, and a high-quality one at that," he said confidently. "It has a high carbon content and a high ignition point, so it burns with almost no smoke. It's suitable for civilian fuel and can also be used in fertilizer production. Judging by its density and luster, it's most likely from a high-quality anthracite coalfield in Henan or Guizhou."

Jiang Hu was secretly amazed. These two pieces were indeed exactly as Zhao Ci had described, with identical origin and characteristics. He then took out three coal samples that were extremely similar in appearance and placed them side by side in front of Zhao Ci: "Take a look at these three."

All three pieces of coal were dark black and similar in size, almost indistinguishable without close inspection. Zhao Ci, however, remained calm and composed, picking them up one by one to examine them. He held the first piece in his hand, rubbing it repeatedly, then brought it to his ear and gently shook it, as if listening to some sound: "This is gas coal, with a high volatile content, making it easy to burn. When burned, it produces a large amount of coal gas, suitable for use in coking and blending. The production area should be in the North China Plain area."

Picking up the second piece, he scraped the edge of the coal with his thumbnail, and the powder that fell into his palm was grayish-black: "This is coking coal, which has strong binding properties and is the main type of coal used for coking, making the coke more solid. Judging from the binding marks, it should come from the coalfields in Shandong."

He examined the last piece for a long time, even using a small knife he carried to gently shave off a thin slice and observe it against the light: "This is lean coal, with low volatile matter and weak caking properties. It's not very good for coking on its own, but when used in combination with coking coal, it can improve the strength of the coke. This should have been mined from a coalfield in Shaanxi."

Jiang Hu stood to the side, his brows furrowing deeper with each listen—even the mine's technicians often confused these three pieces of coal, yet Zhao Ci described them perfectly, pointing out even the subtle differences in their uses. Still not giving up, he rummaged through the corner of the box and pulled out a piece of coal covered in yellow mud and studded with gravel: "What about this one? It looks like a piece of waste coal, doesn't it?"

Zhao Ci took it and carefully peeled away the outer layer of yellow mud, revealing the coal core inside. The coal core was brownish in color and loose in texture, crumbling into several pieces with a single touch. "This isn't waste coal; it's lignite," he said, picking up a piece of coal. "It has a low degree of coalification, high moisture content, and low calorific value, but it contains a lot of humic acid. Besides generating electricity, it can also be processed into humic acid fertilizer. Judging from the composition of the yellow mud and the plant residues in the coal, it should have come from the eastern mining area of ​​Inner Mongolia."

He paused, looked at Jiang Hu, and smiled gently: "Director Jiang, I have explained the characteristics and origins of these coal samples. In fact, coal is like people, each with its own 'temperament'. By looking at its luster, hardness, fracture, smelling the odor after burning, and even touching its 'feel', you can roughly figure out its details."

Before Jiang Hu knew it, all the coal samples in his hands had been identified. Looking at Zhao Ci, his doubt had vanished, replaced by genuine admiration. He couldn't help but applaud, his voice ringing out loudly in the warehouse piled high with coal samples: "Professor Zhao, you truly live up to your reputation! I'm impressed! With your skills, you could easily be a consultant at a mine, or even lecture at a geology college!"

Zhao Ci put the last piece of coal back into the box, patted the coal dust off his hands, looked at Jiang Hu, and smiled gently but with an undeniable confidence: "Director Jiang, now, can we talk about working here?"

Jiang Hu squinted at Zhao Ci, a scrutinizing smile playing on his lips: "Don't play dumb with me. Someone as capable as you, why would you give up a promising future and choose to work in a small place like mine? Don't you have some other plans in mind? Tell me honestly, what exactly do you want?"

Zhao Ci looked up to meet his gaze, her tone calm and even: "I came here to work and get paid. I don't know what the director means by that? Are you saying they're not hiring here?"

Jiang Hu was angered by his unyielding attitude. He slammed his hand on the table and shouted to his men behind him, "Go! Teach this arrogant good-for-nothing a lesson and show him who's in charge here!"

Several henchmen surrounded him, their fists clenched so tightly they cracked. The burly man at the front, with a face full of scars, struck first, his fist, as big as a clay pot, aimed straight for Zhao Ci's face. Zhao Ci, however, remained completely calm. He lightly shifted his feet, sliding to the side like a leaf, while simultaneously thrusting his elbow into the burly man's ribs—a seemingly effortless strike that caused the man to groan in pain, his punch instantly missing its mark.

Another tall, thin man seized the opportunity to pounce from the side, reaching out to grab Zhao Ci's arm. Without turning his head, Zhao Ci grabbed the man's wrist and pulled him to the side using the force of his forward momentum. The tall, thin man lost his balance and stumbled several steps backward, crashing solidly into the corner of the desk, wincing in pain.

Zhao Ci glanced towards the door, his feet never stopping as he dodged the furniture around the room, his movements as agile as a monkey. Someone grabbed a chair to throw at him; he ducked low, the chair grazing his scalp before crashing against the wall with a loud thud, sending splinters flying. Using this opening, he hooked his foot around the ankle of someone nearby, tripping them lightly. The person lost their balance and fell flat on their face, nearly knocking out their front teeth.

Seeing his men unable to even touch Zhao Ci's clothes, Jiang Hu watched with burning rage. Suddenly, Zhao Ci shouted, "Zhang Chuan, save me!"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Chuan outside the door became enraged, like a tiger that had been provoked. He kicked open the office door with a loud bang, the door slamming against the wall. He roared inside, "Who dares to touch my brother!" Before he finished speaking, he had already collided with the two guards at the door.