"Creak." The door was opened and Merlin complained as he wiped the sweat from his head.

"This place is really big. Section Chief, you don't know it took me a long time to get here."

"It would be great if we found it. What a pity. Mr. Jarek is going to take us to visit the factory next. The focus is on the process of painting on the ceramic tire."

Regardless of whether he agrees or not, he has to implement it first.

Merlin immediately reacted. His superior had never shown any artistic accomplishments. He usually didn't want to visit an art museum except reading newspapers. Now, it was naturally an excuse to suddenly want to see paintings.

"Okay, anyway, I have good physical strength. Mr. Alek, let's set off."

When Alex heard the visit to the painting, his expression changed obviously, but he still pretended to say it.

"Actually, there's not much to see. The paint smells bad and there's no fireplace. Most of the employees who are responsible for glazing and painting are just a poorly educated employee, which will probably offend two people."

"It's okay, just go and have a look."

Seeing that Annick had made up his mind, Alek led the two of them out of the office building and walked towards the furnace that was smoking black.

A huge steel structure factory building is in the middle, with several masonry furnaces with tall chimneys on the left and right.

"The furnace on the left here is used to burn paper embryos. The clay is burned into white porcelain embryos or pottery at a medium to high temperature of about 1,000 degrees. After cooling, it is sent to the factory in the middle for painting and decoration.

After the glaze is applied, it is sent to the kiln on the right for secondary firing, and a transparent glaze layer is fired on top of the painted pattern."

Annick knew this very well. He had learned it on Earth before, and then asked.

"Have you implemented zoning processing? The porcelain embryos and the finished products are not fired in the same kiln."

"That's natural. This makes it easier to control the parameters and make maintenance easier. Come on in, the painting is in this factory."

Alek led the two of them through the small door on the side and entered the workshop.

"Ah, cut."

Merlin rubbed his nose. The smell here was indeed a bit strong. The entire huge workshop was divided into two areas, namely the glazing area near the door and the painting area at the back. In order to resist the severe cold, the door was closed tightly. The lighting in the room

It's all against the windows, and matched with gas lamps on the wall.

There were not many people inside, but about twenty female workers wearing masks were carefully applying a transparent glaze layer on the semi-finished products that had already been painted with brushes.

Various semi-finished products ranging from vases and pots to teacups and cups were placed on the ground according to their sizes. Then someone took a wooden frame filled with straw and filled it one by one, probably preparing it for firing.

"They are all handmade, Mr. Yarek, your products are not cheap."

Annick asked, staring at the entire process.

"Hahaha, it's okay. It mainly depends on the product. In fact, Mr. Lei Bo is also preparing to expand production capacity and provide services to the general public. We will start preparations when the snow melts."

After looking at the glazed area, painting was what Annick wanted to see.

Sure enough, compared to the glazed area, which is messy, the painted area is relatively neat. There are about a dozen people wearing white coats, and their clothes are painted with various colors in various colors. There are men and women, all holding paintbrushes to draw patterns on the white porcelain embryo.

Each employee has a dedicated table with paint trays and brushes of various sizes.

It seems that the paintings in charge are also different. Some are responsible for painting similar oil paintings, and some are responsible for simple solid color patterns. Annick also saw several people surrounding a landscape painting on Tao porcelain. They had oriental faces and flat noses.

and black eyes.

Annick pointed at the person copying over there and said.

"These guys are from Salis, and you poached them at a high price?"

"Yes, after the disastrous failure of Frantania's expedition to the east decades ago, the entire Western Continent is very yearning for this ancient and powerful country. Selis's porcelain is extremely expensive in the Western Continent, so even a Sailis like us

Leith-style porcelain is also quite profitable."

Has counterfeiting begun? It’s a consistent business routine.

"So Tess was in charge of painting here during her lifetime?"

Annick brought the issue back to the case.

"Yes, her belongings have been packed and handed over to her family. As for the work station, you know we are not doing charity, so it will naturally be handed over to others."

There was nothing wrong with this answer. Annick expressed his thanks and walked around the workshop.

Why is there an oven here?

There is a row of low red brick ovens in the corner. It is the kind of small oven commonly used in the kitchen of my hometown for making roast duck and chicken.

There was a question, but I definitely couldn't ask it now. Annick didn't ask the question and just walked back across it.

"Merlin, our mission has been completed today. Let's go to the paint factory to find out the cause of Miss Tess's death."

Call Merlin directly? Merlin responded, and then cooperated and said: "I have already told you, section chief, it is a complete waste of time for us to come here today. It is impossible for Representative Leibo's company to have problems."

"Then treat it as a visit. I haven't even come to visit before. I just forgot to bring a gift."

Alek naturally smiled when he heard this.

"You don't have to be so polite. By the way, I prepared some small gifts for Mr. Lei Bo. I hope you won't find it objectionable."

"How can I dislike it? Let's go, Merlin. I don't know what Mr. Lebo has prepared for us."

Annick deliberately revealed a greedy tone, and Merlin almost believed him.

The three of them returned to the office, and Alex brought two cloth bags with two paper boxes inside.

"A small gift, I hope you don't dislike it."

"Okay, can I take it apart now and take a look?"

"Naturally, please."

Annick and Merlin took out the paper box and opened it to see a set of ceramic tea sets with exquisite vegetable patterns. The porcelain is delicate and transparent, the shape is beautiful and elegant, the color surface is as moist as jade, and the flower surface is colorful.

"Good stuff, Mr. Merlin, we're afraid we don't have enough tea and coffee to match this tea set."

"I think your judgment is correct, section chief. This tea set will not be less than ten pounds."

"Tsk, thank you Mr. Leibo for your generosity, let's go back."

"OK."

Annick took Tess's file and agreed to deliver it a week later, and then Alek personally sent the two of them to the stables.

"Excuse me, Manager Alek, you don't have to send it away."

"Okay, good luck to you two."

After watching the carriage disappear around the corner, Alek smiled.

"Mr. Lebo really understands these Bruguet police officers. They are forced by their families or have a little overflowing sympathy, so they rush to investigate with enthusiasm. When there is no progress, they will naturally give up. After getting the benefits, they should not be entangled.
Chapter completed!