A tour of the lab and Lin Jing's inventions

[china_shop]

I was thinking about how the hi-tech ear plug in ep 13 work, and that led to an inventory of Lin Jing's other inventions, starting with the scene where he gives Zhao Xinci a tour of his lab in ep 16 (2:09 to 3:23).

The scene

Lin Jing keeps up a running monologue. Zhao Xinci follows, listening and observing but not encouraging him.



Lin Jing: This way, Special Commissioner. This is my laboratory. All of my trophies are here.
来 特派员 这里是我的实验室 所有的战利品都在这



This one, the photon detector. It has helped us solve many important cases.
这个 这个光子探测仪 让我们破获许多大案 就是靠它

(He must mean the cases we saw in canon, right, since as far as we know things were quiet before then? Do we ever see him use this? Here's a close-up of the photo detector.)

And this one, the Bed of Experimentation. All of my research and results are on this bed
来还有这张 这张实验床 我所有的研究 所有的结果 都在这张床上

Zhao Xinci gets distracted by the Longevity Dial in its case.

Lin Jing hurries over and drapes his arm over it like it's his date.



Lin Jing: This is part of my personal collection. My hobby is to collect things.
这个是我的私人藏宾 我是个业余收藏爱好者



Zhao Xinci is sceptical? Curious? Can tell Lin Jing is lying?

LJ: Come, come, let me show you my inventions.
来来来 我带你看看我的发明



For instance, this apparatus. It's able to effectively detect dark energy. Special Commissioner, this tool is very perceptive and very accurate. Nothing will slip under its radar. Allow me to demonstrate.
比如这个仪器 它能有效地探测黑能量 特派员 我这个仪器非常灵敏 也非常工整 任何破绽 都逃不出它的法眼 我示范给你看



Dark energy detector: *detects*



LJ: It might be broken.
那个 可能是坏了

ZXC: That's enough. I've now seen what you guys do at your jobs. I want to meet your Chief Zhao.
行了 你们几个的工作 我都了解了 还是让我去见见你们赵处吧

LJ: Yes, sir.
是

Things I find interesting about this scene:

1. Zhao Xinci getting distracted by the Dial. Does he recognise it? Would Zhang Shi?
2. I love that Lin Jing doesn't claim it as one of his inventions or try to explain it away beyond "Just a collector's item, nothing to see here, moving on."
3. The SID is keeping the presence of the Hallow a secret from the Xingdu Bureau (and presumably the Department of Supervision, too). Why? And how much has Lin Jing secretly told Professor Ouyang?
4. The business with the dark energy detector is set up to foreshadow Zhao Xinci's secret, but it's interesting how quick Lin Jing is to assume it's his detector that's at fault. It's completely unthinkable that any Haixing authority figure could have dark energy powers (which helps explain why it takes so long for Zhao Yunlan to figure out what's going on with Shen Wei).
5. Lin Jing's sweatshirt reads "STRIKE OUT", which seems appropriate, given the end of the scene. Heh.

More of Lin Jing's inventions

1. Ep 5, 5:00: popcorn maker
   
   
   
   
   
   The popcorn maker looks steam-punky and strange and is primarily a humorous misdirect -- is Lin Jing doing amazing ground-breaking science? No, he's making snacks. It shows Lin Jing goofing off (which becomes a plot point later on), and gives us an adorable team scene with everyone happily partaking (including Zhao Yunlan, who arrives late and jumps onto the table to eat, why??). Xiao Guo starts to understand the SID team's dynamics.


2. Ep 8, 3:54: SID security barrier
   
   
   
   
   
   The SID's security system effectively keeps out people with dark energy, while being sensitive to the red stamp that lets friends of the SID pass through freely. Presumably the Envoy has some kind of token in lieu of a stamp, given he hasn't visited Zhao Yunlan's SID pre-canon. (The barrier is powerful enough to keep Ye Zun out, so should work on the Envoy, too.) Can be rebooted remotely.


3. Ep 8, 4:56: Changcheng's fear-electricity baton
   
   
   
   On my initial watch, Changcheng's baton made me laugh and laugh. Lin Jing finds it funny, too. The baton is half a clever weapon that turns Changcheng's greatest weakness into a strength, and half just a silly joke. *hearts*


4. Ep 12, 14:27: experimentation bed
   
   
   
   The experimentation bed shows up in many scenes -- this one where Zhao Yunlan has flagrantly lied to get Shen Wei to take his shirt off, the one with ZYL's nose bleed and Shen Wei's aggressive face-cleaning, as well as when Da Ji is killed and brought back to the SID, when Changcheng is brought back from Dixing half-dead, and others. It's unclear exactly what the bed does, but I love it anyway.


5. Ep 13, 41:10: ear plugs
   
   
   
   The high-tech ear plug must somehow turn Zheng Yi's/Zhu Jiu's unspoken hypnotic compulsions into suggestions, because otherwise Zhao Yunlan wouldn't have known what to do, and Zhu Jiu would have become suspicious. Also, there appears to only be one of them. Love the smug way Zhao Yunlan blows dust (or ear wax?) off it while showing it off.


6. Ep 20, 41:09: power-suppression handcuffs
   
   
   
   Afaicr, the power-suppression cuffs are only ever used on Zhu Jiu. Because otherwise the story would warp in a completely different direction. Still, it's interesting to know they have the technology (presumably related to the security system?). Like a lot of tech, their weak point is user error, eg, Changcheng being tricked into removing them from Zhu Jiu's wrists.


7. Ep 25, 18:24: stun-gun watch
   
   
   
   I'd forgotten about this, but trobadora reminded me. Lin Jing is very proud of this invention:
   
   LJ: *presenting the watch* High tech stuff.
   ZYL: A stun-gun watch? Like in the cartoon?
   LJ: Exactly, let me tell you...
   They're interrupted by a phone call, and Zhao Yunlan leaves without letting Lin Jing finish, to his dismay. "Hey, I wasn't done! Let me brag a bit, hey!"
   
   According to solo's subs, the watch is a reference to a watch in Detective Conan. In Guardian, I think it's used as a tracker, when Zhao Yunlan is kidnapped?

Any thoughts? Did I miss any?

Comments

Re: The Underground Fighting arc

[trobadora]

So I wasn't quite sure what the point of it was?

Maybe as a near miss, and foreshadowing? It's funny how they almost hear the bits that would have revealed it to them ...

Re: The Underground Fighting arc

[china_shop]

I guess so, yeah. I feel like there should have been just a little bit more pay-off.

Re: The Underground Fighting arc

[amedia]

Maybe as a near miss, and foreshadowing?

I could see that! Also maybe an indication that Lin Jing was very very smart to invent the listening device, but maybe not so smart in the non-scientific arena, so he didn't put together the pieces that his invention enabled him to access.

Re: The Underground Fighting arc

[trobadora]

very very smart to invent the listening device, but maybe not so smart in the non-scientific arena, so he didn't put together the pieces that his invention enabled him to access

Haha, that definitely makes sense. Good point!