Patent Licenses at a Tearful Fire Sale
In Vienna, Austrian New Energy Electric Company's business had increased considerably lately, with the business department in particular worked to the bone.
Ever since Vienna had become a city that never slept, the company headquarters had often received invitations from major cities. Where there was business, there were naturally negotiations to be had.
Lacking commercial value now did not mean it would lack commercial value in the future. Electricity was the hot new trend of this era; the age of gushing wells was about to arrive.
An electric company might suffer losses, but a monopolistic electric company could never suffer losses. Even if future governments restricted prices, they could not possibly deny them a reasonable profit.
To control a city's power supply was to control one's voice in that area, especially in industrial cities.
If they wanted to strike at a competitor, all they needed was to give them a wave or two every so often during peak electricity hours, leaving the other side unable to utter a word.
The future world could not do without electricity. Whoever controlled electric power controlled this era. By the end of the nineteenth century, nearly every conglomerate would have its own electric company.
On the surface, Austrian New Energy Electric Company appeared to be a self-contained entity. In reality, it was a subsidiary of the royal conglomerate, though practical needs would turn this company into a new conglomerate of its own.
No matter how things changed, the royal family would remain the ultimate controller. Of course, on the surface, the two had no direct connection, and the shares invested by the royal family appeared to account for less than ten percent.
Even those shares would continue to be diluted after the company went public. Most of