Diesel

In the field of internal combustion engines, Diesel was undoubtedly one of the greatest inventors. The diesel engine he invented had an enormous impact on later society. Bringing Diesel under his wing ahead of time would ensure that they remained far ahead of their rivals in the field of diesel engines.

Diesel engines had an extremely wide range of applications, but what Oscar valued most was their use in tanks, armored vehicles, heavy Truck vehicles, and submarines. All of these were inseparable from the military sphere.

Diesel's full name was Rudolf Diesel. He was born in Paris, France, in March 1858. His parents were German workers employed in France. After France and Germany fell out, the Diesel family was expelled back to Germany. The family's life consequently became difficult.

In 1879, Diesel graduated from university at the age of just twenty-one. He became an engineer specializing in refrigeration. Through his work, Diesel keenly felt that the steam engines of the time were terribly inefficient, and the idea of designing a new type of engine took root in his mind. After saving up some funds, Diesel resigned from his position as a refrigeration engineer and opened an engine laboratory of his own.

After suffering repeated failures, Diesel's experiments finally succeeded. In 1892, Diesel was finally able to show the world his achievement—a practical diesel-powered compression-ignition engine. This engine was powerful, consumed little fuel, and could use low-grade fuel, revealing a brilliant future. Diesel immediately threw himself into the commercial venture of diesel engine production. Unfortunately, although he was an outstanding engineer, Diesel lacked business sense. He gradually fell into financial difficulties. By 1913, Diesel stood on the brink of bankruptcy. That summer, while taking a ferry across the English Channel, Diesel suddenly disappeared and was believed to have jumped into the sea to end his life.

Oscar's trip to Augsburg this time was to save Diesel and change his fate. At the same time, it was to preserve a national-treasure-level scientist for Germany.

As Bavaria's third-largest city, Augsburg was fairly prosperous. Following the address he had obtained beforehand, Oscar went straight to Diesel's office.

Diesel's office was located in the suburbs, because the rent there was cheaper. Calling it an office was an exaggeration; it was actually an abandoned factory. It was here that Diesel had carried out countless experiments before finally inventing the diesel engine.

However, although Diesel had succeeded, the commercial rollout of his diesel engine had not gone smoothly. Market acceptance was low, and he could barely find any buyers. As a result, the investors who had previously funded Diesel's research, seeing no hope of profit, stopped supporting him. The consequence was that Diesel was about to fall over the edge into bankruptcy.

"Excuse me, is Mr. Diesel here?" After finding the place, Oscar could not help frowning. Of course, he could understand it as well. Diesel's life had always been rather full of twists and turns, and now that he was living in straitened circumstances, it was only to be expected.

Not long afterward, the door opened. A middle-aged man wearing pitch-black work clothes appeared before Oscar.

"I am. Who are you?" The middle-aged man frowned. He did not know the young man before him.

"Hello, Mr. Diesel. I came because of your reputation. I heard that you invented an engine with great power, low fuel consumption, and the ability to use low-grade fuel," Oscar said.

Diesel nodded. This was no secret.

"Come in!"

After entering the yard, Oscar found it even more cluttered inside. Engine parts were piled everywhere, and the motor oil gave off a foul smell. It was obvious that the working conditions here were extremely crude.

"That is the diesel engine I developed. It's just that not many people on the market accept it." Diesel's eyes looked somewhat dim.

Oscar nodded. Diesel's current circumstances could be described as utterly dire. Although the diesel engine Diesel had designed was a product that could be called epoch-making, it had suffered attacks and exclusion from competitors. On top of that, Diesel lacked business sense and had lost a large sum of money in stocks, plunging his life into hardship.

Oscar looked at the diesel engine, which could only be called rudimentary. Yet he knew that any invention or creation would not be particularly attractive when it was first developed. As technology continued to advance, it would naturally be improved in every respect.

"Mr. Diesel, this is an excellent invention. I think very highly of its prospects for application," Oscar said.

"I believe so too, but unfortunately, I'm afraid I simply won't be able to hold on until that day." Diesel's eyes were filled with despair.

"No, Mr. Diesel. I believe you will certainly overcome this difficulty." Oscar's face was firm.

Diesel was taken aback, seemingly not expecting Oscar to be so confident.

"Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Oskar. I am the fifth son of Wilhelm II, Emperor of the German Empire. The German Welfare Lottery Company and the German Shipyard are also my businesses. In addition, I have just registered a company called the German Engine Manufacturing Plant, and I hope you can join it." Oscar spoke with solemn earnestness.

"What? Prince Oskar?" Diesel was dumbfounded.

Of course Diesel knew about the German Welfare Lottery Company. It was hailed as the company with the highest profits. As for the German Shipyard, though he knew nothing about it, if it truly was also one of Prince Oskar's enterprises, its scale obviously could not be small.

"Greetings, Your Highness!" Diesel wanted to extend his hand to shake Oscar's, but when he remembered that his hands were covered in motor oil, he hurriedly drew it back.

"Hello, Mr. Diesel. Would you be willing to join my company? I can purchase your technical patents and provide you with sufficient research funding so that your work can continue! The initial price will be set at five million Mark. Of course, if you are dissatisfied, we can discuss it further." Oscar was extremely generous about this. Although he was already heavily in debt, with the German Welfare Lottery Company supporting him, he was under no great financial pressure.

"Five million Mark?" Diesel was shocked. To him, this was undoubtedly an astronomical sum. Even at his wealthiest, his total assets had never exceeded one million Mark.

"If you agree, I can establish a research center in Augsburg, and the future factory can be located here as well. That way, you won't have to leave your homeland. However, I hope you can continue your research into diesel engines and develop diesel engines with greater reliability, more power, and smaller size. I believe the future of this kind of engine will certainly be very bright!"