External alchemy still flourishes?

Making faked eggs

As I explained in my previous post "The hidden secret of External Alchemy"， the gist of the success of changing base metal into silver is to be able to pass a normal guy's visual (well, and/or textile/other) perception, and, still better, also be able to pass the current technological testing procedure. With the advance of testing technology, such practice is now extinct.  It is not magic, a successful practitioner had to be very professional and resourceful, taking techniques and skills from different disciplines, if needed.   External alchemy is extinct, but it seems its spirit still survives up to this date.

I find some similarity between this practice of metal changing and a "practice" recently surfaced in Mainland China. I am talking about the "practice" of making faked eggs. There are indeed different ways to accomplish the same objective, some culprits, after being caught or gave themselves up, explained to the authority their special secrets, surely enough, each claimed to have the best techniques! Some even offered tuition for learning their techniques, of course in private and away form the authority.

An undercover reporter from Shandong Province （山東省) paid RMB700 to have a private tuition with an expert in the field named Mr. Ren Yongxing （任永兴). Without knowing the reporter's ultimate objective, the master taught him everything, from ingredient preparation to mold making, telling him that he only needed 30-40 times of diligent in-home practice to make a passable faked egg. And, before the reporter left, the master handed him a CD! The ending of this story? The reporter published the story in his newspaper and the master gave himself up to the police a few days later (see the full story in Chinese through this linkage - with complete photos showing the process).

One however should take note of one important point.  Whereas faked eggs makers are for private gains, at least some external alchemists were with the heart of one Robin Hood.