Chapter 251: New Industrial Revolution, New Pains

Noon, No. 11 Narcissus Street.

"Afu? Mr. Blue, where is Afu?" Melissa brought a bone and wanted to feed the interesting dog but didn't see it, so she couldn't help but ask.

"Melissa, don't run around, be polite!" Benson held his forehead. They had just arrived home, and he originally wanted to visit alone... but Melissa said she wanted to come to see Ah Fu...

“It’s okay,” Old Blue smiled and said, “Afu is out playing by himself. He will definitely like Melissa’s gift. Just put it on the kitchen table.

"You guys are back now? You were only away for two days? You were so rushed... Actually, it could have been longer. I can't say anything else about the company, but we have sufficient funds, so we don't have to worry about the employees' travel expenses."

"No, I can't take a vacation peacefully anymore..." Benson said with a wry smile.

"I saw with my own eyes how Mr. Jacob negotiated deals worth ten thousand pounds, one hundred thousand pounds...it was crazy!"

Old Blue opened the gift Benson brought. Inside was a package of fragrant black tea leaves. He took a sip and said:

"Thank you for the money, this is a very good Marquis black tea...

"Well, Backlund's transaction volume is still normal. You have to know that some land nobles earn hundreds of thousands of pounds in rent every year... and some earn millions of pounds, such as Duke Negan and the royal family.

“Compared to them, we are just a small-scale operation…Benson, broaden your horizons.

"'Invention patent' is a new term brought by Roselle. In recent years, Loen has finally had a law protecting patents... Heh, even the smallest invention can be a very profitable business as long as the patent is obtained. So I bought the copyright of Melissa's 'Cockroach Bully'... You should understand, right?"

Benson said with emotion: "With sufficient capital, we can collect as many patents as possible... On the one hand, we can seek external investment, and on the other hand, we can select some of them, invest capital, and transform them into physical products. The next step is to enter the market... Of course, we can do market research before making a choice..."

Old Bruce nodded with satisfaction:
"Very good, your mind has been opened. This trip to Backlund is very worthwhile!

"At this stage, we still need to collect patents from external 'civilian scientists', but once our research laboratory is built, the focus in this regard will shift to internal research and development...

"Although we are still a makeshift team, but... we are not that makeshift, right?"

Melissa, who returned from the kitchen, took over the conversation:
"It's already amazing! I've seen a lot of new machines... Well, after I study for a while, I'll be able to build a 'bicycle' based on Emperor Roselle's creative manuscript!"

"Uh...Melissa, the 'bicycle' is still a trade secret for now. Don't let it slip when you get back to school..." Benson warned, and asked the old man:
"Mr. Blue, I want to confirm with you that the goal of the 'Perpetual Motion Machine Tingen Branch' is also to collect patents? But the number of scientists we have here seems to be... not many?"

"Oh? What does Tingen have the most?" Old Blue guided.

"University! Tingen is a university city!" Melissa answered first.

"That's right," Old Blue agreed.

"Most people at Tingen University are children of wealthy businessmen and nobles, but there are also children like Klein who are supported by your family to study. The former may not be interested in our company, but the latter... Well, Benson, don't be stingy with money. As far as I know, the weekly salary for the lecturer position at Tingen University that Klein applied for is 3 pounds and 10 soli... You can just offer 5 pounds, it's okay.

"And Backlund and even Trier... Heh, there are almost no 'civilians' in the universities there...

"This is Tingen's advantage. We need a lot of practical talents, who can be recruited from the current society, but we also need some talents with dreams and unlimited creativity..."

"You... are so far-sighted!" Benson was shocked by the old man's words and couldn't help but admire him.

"It's just a win-win cooperation..." Old Blue waved his hand and said:

"Also, we need to set up scholarships and relief funds in various universities... We don't ask the children who receive the aid to come to our company, but we must let them know that there is a 'perpetual motion machine' company... It's also advertising, but I believe more in the actual effect... Well, Melissa, if you get a 'perpetual motion machine' scholarship during your school years, will you give priority to us after graduation?" "Yes! Of course!" Melissa answered without hesitation:
“And I will recommend this company to my classmates and encourage them to join us!”

Old Bruce smiled and said, "See, this is the difference from advertising in newspapers. It is more flexible and more effective."

"I am impressed by your wisdom," Benson said, remembering something.

"This initiative of yours is more charitable than Sir Deville's charity fund..."

"Deville..." Old Blue certainly remembered this man, a wealthy man and philanthropist in Tingen. Klein had helped Deville appease the grievances of the white lead workers before... He sighed softly:
"You have, I suppose, read about the lead-women and the enamel-women in the newspapers?"

Seeing the two nod, Old Blue continued:

“This is the pain brought about by the steam age and the industrial revolution, but it does not mean that we have to ignore this problem.

"It is useless to simply increase the weekly wages of female workers... it is also exchanging their health for profits...

"Similarly, it is not a good idea to ask them to leave the factory when they have a headache, because that would mean their families would not have enough money to buy bread... The female worker in the newspaper concealed her symptoms for the sake of her family... and died suddenly in the street.

"So, how do you solve this problem? Shut down all the white lead factories? No, that would put more people out of work.

"Let entrepreneurs add equipment to factories to protect against dust and lead poisoning? Of course, this is possible, but it will make the factory's production costs unacceptably high..."

Benson and Melissa were both in a heavy mood. This was an almost unsolvable problem. Otherwise, how could it be called the "pain of the times"...

“I’m sorry, Melissa, for letting you hear these… negative things at your age…” Old Blue pointed at the table and said in an excited tone:

“How to solve the pain caused by the ‘Industrial Revolution’?

“A lot of people say there’s no way.

“But the ‘Perpetual Motion Machine’ company does!

"That is, to start another 'industrial revolution'! Use technological innovation to drive changes in the entire industry! Factory owners will refuse protective equipment that increases costs, but they will never refuse new, more convenient technologies! Even if that is more expensive!
“Of course, there are a few guys who refuse to change their equipment and still don’t have any protective measures… Heh, I still have some connections in the police force.

"Just go for it, Benson. We will lead a new era!"

……

After returning to No. 2 Daffodil Street.

"Melissa, don't take what Old Blue said to heart," Benson hung his formal suit on the coat rack and advised his sister:
"Many things are not so contradictory..."

"I know." Melissa paused, then smiled and said:

"Benson, you've worked really hard these years...

"I've always known that our former neighbor, Jenny, who was the same age as me... after her father lost his job, she had to drop out of school and work in the white lead factory, even though she was still a minor..."

(End of this chapter)