The harbor side of Vichy was crowded with people.

The cool sea breeze blows in the morning, and the blue waves caress the white sand. The sky is clear, and the albatross spreads its wings and soars freely between the sea and the sky.

A bright white boat docked at the dock, it was a small creature compared to the big ship next to it, but it was well-proportioned and graceful, and what was particularly striking was that it had a towering chimney.

The inhabitants of Vichy, as well as the bustling merchants and workers, gathered here today because of the trial voyage of the small ship, designed to carry less than 200 tons, the first ironclad ship in Europa to be powered by a steam engine.

Andrew Johnson, the main inventor of the ironclad ship, manages a team of more than 30 engineers, plus a large number of technicians from the north.

In order to make these technicians work with peace of mind, Sean just paid them and their families a large amount of money.

The steam engine was already very practical, it was used in mines and factories, and in many industrial towns in the north, such as the textile mills in Gyeonggi Province, the steam engine roared day and night, making profits for the factory owners.

The steam engine eats black coal, it does not complain about being tired, it does not resist and sabotage, it works hard, and all the factory owners like it.

The job of all the engineers involved in the steam engine is to make it as efficient as possible and to reduce the failure rate.

Sean's big investment brought him a new type of condensing steam engine. This multi-expansion steam engine, its steam can be re-entered the boiler for heating after continuous depressurization in the process of work, which is quite important at sea.

It has a thermal efficiency of more than 8% and is quite reliable, and the longest time in the dockyard experiment has it worked for 1 month without failure – a remarkable achievement that, if it continues to improve, will definitely be used on ocean voyages in the future.

Today is the day of the first sea trials of the ironclad ship equipped with a new type of steam engine, and to be on the safe side, the ironclad ship is equipped with two steam engines - this was originally designed with this in mind, and even if it is finalized in the future, the ship will be built according to this equipment.

Since Johnson experimented with his steamship Elizabeth on the Ossella River outside the Holy City two years ago, many shipyards in the North have also started a craze to build steamboats, but those boats are mainly wooden boats that travel on inland rivers, let alone the idea of building steamships with steel hulls.

If the sea trials are successful today, this Quds University medical school graduate will make history again.

To this end, Sean invited Governor Byrne and Mayor Stanley to join him aboard the steamship, named the Genoese.

Just in case, Sean invited Captain Alfonso to lead his Swan as a rescue vessel, while the fishermen of Vichy curiously rowed their boats to the surface of the sea, waiting for the maiden voyage of the ironclad ship.

The route is from Vichy-Harbour to Puitu Port.

As the chimney smoked black, the steam engine warmed up for a while.

The hull shuddered, and the Genoese slowly left the shore under the watchful eyes of the spectators on the shore. This kind of full-body steel guy is more agile in moving on the water because of the advanced propeller propulsion system installed.

The Genoese drove faster and faster, and the cheering crowd on the shore was no longer visible, and it cleaved the waves briskly and sailed into the distance.

"It was a great invention, and from then on sailors were no longer deterred by the storm. From then on, the sailing ocean ship will go into history. Sean said excitedly to Byrne and Stanley.

The two originally thought that they had come to Vichy Town just to watch the ceremony, or to attend the ribbon-cutting ceremony invented by Sean, but they didn't expect Sean to invite the two of them to board the ship in person to participate in the sea trial.

They weren't afraid that it was impossible, they hadn't studied any physics, and although they were surprised that the iron guy could float on the water, it was understandable after Sean's explanation.

It was another matter to be able to board the ship for the sea trial, and it was only with Sean himself attending and arranging to follow the rescue ship that the two of them reluctantly agreed, anyway, they thought that their combined net worth was no more valuable than a viscount.

The Governor glanced back at the Swan behind him, the Genoa, a nimble shark that had left it far behind, a steamship without sails that showed its strength in not being afraid of the wind.

And in front, you can already see a distant shadow of Puitu Port, really fast.

Mayor Stanley was also excited: "We in Genoa are finally ahead of all Europa, no, the whole world. It's definitely a first-of-its-kind. ”

"I completely agree with the mayor's judgment. Byrne laughed, and as the Governor, he was also pleased.

Southerners have always been inferior to this kind of machine building, and compared to their ever-changing northern neighbors, Southerners are basically the same as they were hundreds of years ago.

Whether it was a steam engine, a gunpowder weapon, or a chimney representing industrial development, the southerners had not even had the opportunity to imitate it before, and they were even frightened, and they vaguely felt the power behind the machine.

But now Vichy not only has a munitions industry that is beginning to take shape, a large-scale textile factory, but now there are new types of steamships.

All of this is brought about by the young people around him, worthy of being a member of the Royal Society of Science, who not only brings new technologies, but also creates jobs and taxes.

Sean pointed to a stretch of coast east of Puyatou:

"Your Excellency the Governor, Mr. Mayor, how about leasing me that piece of coast?"

Stanley was surprised, "Viscount, do you want to build your steamship in Poitou, not in Vichy?"

"Mr. Mayor, in my plan, we will not only build this kind of 200-ton offshore boat and inland river vessel, but in the future I will build a 10,000-ton ocean-going vessel. The territory of Vichytown is too small to support the development of shipbuilding. "Besides, I don't want Vichy to become a chimney-lined industrial city with my tea plantations and beautiful beaches." ”

At this time, Byrne spoke: "Viscount, how much are you going to invest?"

"A million louis! ”

Sean's words were shocking, and then Sean continued: "This is just the initial plan of my shipyard, and it is impossible to do it all in one step. Prior to this, I am going to invest in a steel company at Fort Partenham, and a coal company at the foot of Mount Ott, near Javia, and I will give you 500,000 louis at once, as soon as you two allow it. The 500,000 yuan is just the right to mine, and I will pay the annual tax. ”

Byrne glanced at a somewhat dazed Stanley, who seemed to be ignorant of Sean's plan, and apparently it was the first time that Sean had proposed his grand plan to outsiders, and said:

"It seems that our news is a bit lagging, and you have gained a lot from it in Northern Genoa. ”

"God forbid, my men have found iron ore and coal in those two places, and according to the exploration technicians, the iron ore is of good quality and the reserves of coal are not small. "They're all enough to support my plans." ”

The mining rights worth half a million gold louis have no shilling relationship with Stanley, the mayor of Poitou, because the mine is in the northern part of the province, and the local residents and officials will benefit, but it is obviously a match for the shipyard that Sean said.

But this is great news for Mayor Stanley and for him as governor, which means not only a half million dollars in revenue soon, but also massive investment, jobs, and taxes in the future.

Only then did Stanley realize that Sean's ambition was visible, and he knew that Sean had proposed exploration to the Governor at the beginning. Apparently the viscount was also extremely wealthy and capable of making large-scale investments, which even attracted the attention of the tax-inclusive companies.

But this was not something that the governor could give to him privately, and mineral deposits had always meant great wealth.

The Genoese made a beautiful arc in the port of Poitou, and under the astonished gaze of the various merchant shipowners and sailors in the port, it sailed back to the town of Vichy.

Andrew Johnson then looked relaxed and returned to the deck from the bilge.

"Well done!" Sean celebrated with Johnson's high-fives.

"Thank you! This is a return for your generous investment. Johnson was also thrilled.

Sean introduced Johnson to the Governor and the Mayor, and said with a smile: "Your Excellency the Governor, Mayor Shengsheng, Mr. Johnson is a genius inventor from the Holy City, and he is also my partner. He knows all about machines, and I dare say he's the most brilliant mechanical engineer in Europa. ”

"Haha, Mr. Johnson's name, I have been famous for a long time, your invention of the steamship has now set off a craze, and as mayor, you are also welcome to settle and start a business in Poitou. Stanley said, "And you've met a nobleman." ”

"Yes, the Viscount is both my investor and my friend. Perhaps only members of the Royal Society of Science will be discerning. Johnson replied in a respectable Holy City accent, touting Sean and boasting about it in passing.

"Hopefully, the coastline of Genoa will be full of ironclad ships invented by Mr. Johnson. Byrne said.

Seeing that Sean had something to talk about with the two big shots, Johnson said very cleverly: "I'm sorry, I'm out of company." ”

Byrne said: "Viscount, it seems to me that there is no problem with the mining rights, although it also needs to be tendered, and there are not many such largesses in Genoa. You know, the rich people of Genoa are keen on land, or sea trade. ”

"Now it's a tea plantation. Stanley chimed in.

"Well, I can understand that. But I'm determined to win. Sean said, "I need the Governor and Mr. Mayor to be able to provide some convenience. ”

Sean's hints, Byrne can understand, and of course Stanley understands, which is also the main purpose of Sean's invitation to these two today.

Byrne nodded, acquiescing.

So, after lunch in the rose garden, each of them had an extra check in their pockets—enough for them to be honest officials from now on.

As Sean says, he's determined to win, and this is probably the most important part of his ambitious series, the power of black steel and coal.

Moreover, he was an open bidder, which would not make it difficult for the Governor, except that he would get someone else's bid in advance, even if it would cost him a very high price.