Peace and Business (2)
Joseph didn't overwork Lucien this time. He simply had Lucien organize some of the family's current investments. This task did give Lucien a more comprehensive understanding of Joseph's strategic vision.
"Joseph, what is this 'Zeus' project? Why is it taking up so much funding? And it seems like investment in it will increase further in the future?"
"This plan," Joseph said, "Is a revolutionary plan, a revolutionary plan that will put us decades ahead of everyone else. Its impact is comparable to Watt's steam engine, and even surpasses it."
By this time, Watt had completed his improvements to the steam engine. In 1776, his improved steam engine was already in use in mines, driving water pumps. Several Watt steam engines, imported from Britain, were already operating in the Watt of Duke of Orleans' mines. Today, Watt's steam engine is widely used in the textile industry, significantly contributing to the dominance of Britain textiles in the global market.
However, the true potential of the steam engine had not yet been realized; trains and ships had not yet appeared. So when Joseph used Watt's steam engine as an analogy, Lucien scoffed and said dismissively, "Compared to the steam engine, it's nothing special."
"You're neither a true scientist nor a true industrialist. You can't see the direction things are heading." Joseph shook his head. "You know, you know, this thing is extremely important. If it succeeds, it can practically send all existing modes of production to their graves—to the history museum for people to remember."
Lucien knew that Joseph was quite reliable academically and rarely boasted about such things. His curiosity was piqued. "What exactly is this Zeus Plan? Tell me about it..."
"Your secrecy level is good enough," Joseph said, "But after you hear this, remember not to mention a single word to anyone else, especially your shady women!"
"I understand, I understand," Lucien said. "I have plenty to brag about with those women. Who talks about academic matters with women? Ah...right, there is one such oddball in this world..."
"What do you know? She listens attentively when you talk to her about academics; that proves your charm," Joseph retorted.
"Alright, enough of that, for the sake of your pride," Lucien said. "Let's get back to the point: what exactly is this 'Zeus'?"
"Well!" Joseph said, "Right after Mr. Lavoisier invented the electric detonator, we conducted an underwater explosion test. Someone casually placed a compass next to a power line. I discovered that the compass needle suddenly started moving the instant the power line was energized. Of course, this could have been due to the wind and waves on the ship. So I repeated the experiment in the laboratory, and I found that when current flows through the power line, it really does cause a change in the magnetic needle."
"So what?" Lucien asked.
"So what?" Joseph laughed. "Nothing much. I'll take you to the lab this afternoon; you can see for yourself. Now, let's deal with this problem first..."
"Damn it, this problem is just tedious, not difficult. Although it involves a bit of secrets, Miss Lavoisier should be able to access secrets of this level. Why do I always have to do this kind of thing? Joseph, you're inhuman!"
After lunch, Joseph took Lucien to the new laboratory. The laboratory was a bit far from Paris, so they didn't arrive until sunset.
Joseph led Lucien into a laboratory. On a table in the middle of the laboratory were two machines with coils of wires. One of the machines had a crank, and the other was connected to a water pump. The two machines were connected by three wires.
"Go and crank that handle," Joseph said.
So Lucien went forward and started cranking the handle.
"Shake faster, haven't you eaten?"
"I really haven't eaten, I'm starving!" Lucien complained as he sped up his pace.
As Lucien shook it, the machine connected by an electric wire started turning, and the water pump also started running, with water gushing out of the pump.
"How about it? Isn't this amazing?" Joseph said proudly.
"Yes, it's a lot of fun," Lucien replied while vigorously turning the handle.
"Do you understand its meaning?" Joseph asked again.
Lucien stopped, thought about it carefully, and nodded, saying, "This thing is better than a steam engine!"
Having followed Joseph for so long, Lucien certainly knew the value of these two machines. When steam engines were used as industrial power to drive machines, they required complex transmission, clutch, and speed-changing systems. For ease of arrangement, people had to place multiple steam engines in places that were not actually suitable for them. For example, in a textile workshop, steam engines should not have been present for fire prevention reasons, but because the drive shaft could not be too long, the textile machines and steam engines ended up being only a little over a meter apart.
Moreover, different machines require different power and operating speeds, so either one machine is equipped with a steam engine, or each working machine is equipped with a clutch and transmission system.
This would make the entire machine system extremely complex. And the more complex a mechanical system is, the more expensive and inefficient it becomes. However, the system demonstrated in the laboratory, which transmits power from one machine to another, is clearly much simpler and more efficient. This advantage alone makes it more suitable for use in a wider range of applications.
"If we widely use this machine to drive all our various machines, our production will be greatly improved, and costs will drop to unimaginable levels, making it impossible for any of our competitors to compete with us... Hmm, Joseph, what exactly is this thing?"
"I have discovered the laws governing the interconversion of electricity and magnetism," Joseph shamelessly claimed the glory that should have belonged to Faraday. "This discovery, in a sense, is almost comparable to Sir Newton Newton's discovery of universal gravitation. However, I have not yet made this knowledge public, for reasons similar to why Mr. Monge's descriptive geometry has not been made public. The machine you are cranking converts external power into electric current; I call it a generator. And the machine on this side of the water pump converts electrical energy into power output; I call it an electric motor."
"These two things look very similar," Lucien said.
"Physically speaking, these two things are actually the same thing; they are mirror images of each other, each being the inverse process of the other," Joseph said.
"So, what are the main problems with the current plan?" Lucien asked.
"Problems? Problems everywhere," Joseph said. "First, the power source. I can't possibly use you as a power source, can I? A steam engine would be good, but it requires a lot of fuel. The coal mines in France are not currently under our control. And there aren't any particularly good coal mines in France right now. I've already sent quite a few people to search for minerals in our newly acquired territories. If God blesses France and we find such places, we'll need a large sum of money to buy them."
"Yes, if so, this expense is indeed worthwhile. We do need to make some financial preparations for this." Lucien thought for a moment and nodded.
"Of course, I have a backup plan. You know, back in the days before the steam engine, textile factories had to be located along rivers to power their looms, using water power to drive the machinery," Joseph continued. "So, inspired by this, I proposed building a dam on a river with a significant drop to raise the water level, then using the water flow to power a water turbine to drive a generator, and finally using wires to transmit the electricity to the necessary electric motors."
"That's not bad either!"
"That's good, but there's also current loss in the wires, which means the machine can't be too far from the power plant. Besides, a lot of this is still in the laboratory stage. Before it can be put into practical use, who knows how many problems will arise and how much more money will be needed. So... well, Lucien, you understand why we need so much cash right now, right?"
Lucien nodded. "This will indeed cost a lot of money, but if it succeeds, it will be worth it. I understand, damn it, there are just too many places where money is needed... That bastard Napoleon, he only managed to get such a small amount of money from Austria!"
Austria's reparations were paid to the government, and Napoleon received little from them. While Napoleon did seize the lands of the wealthy during his conquest of the Austria countryside, these Austria landowners were well-prepared. Grain and other valuables couldn't be transported into the cities immediately, but gold and jewels wouldn't remain on their estates. Therefore, the spoils from the conquest of the wealthy were actually quite limited.
"Austria and Italy still can't compare," Joseph sighed. "Especially His Holiness the Pope, what a wonderful man he is... So now, we can only try to make as much money as possible ourselves. Damn peace! Hmm, any results from the recent contacts with the Ireland?"
"They want to buy weapons. But... the Ireland don't have the money." Lucien spread his hands.
It's true that the Ireland couldn't possibly be very wealthy. Ever since Henry VIII broke with Anglican Church Holy See and established the Anglican Church in order to change wives, Ireland England have heavily exploited the Catholicism Ireland. After more than a century of exploitation, the Ireland are quite poor.
"The Ireland share the same enemy as us," Joseph said. "The war between France and Britain is still ongoing. Shouldn't our government provide unconditional support to the Ireland people's struggle? I believe the government should bear the cost of the Ireland people's weapons!"
"That's right!" Lucien said. "Let the government allocate funds directly to us, and then we'll provide weapons to the Ireland. We can also tell the government that our ships ran aground and encountered a storm near Ireland, so they need to order more weapons to effectively support the just struggle of the Ireland people."