In 1891, the British Empire was still in full swing, and the economy and culture were in their heyday, and the "empire on which the sun never sets" still lived up to its name.

The whole world is shrouded in the shadow of the British Empire, although the hairy bear still considers itself a challenger, France is making small moves in East Africa, and Germany is quietly moving in South Africa, but they are still crushed to death!

As in London Minor:

Oh, Britain's greatest wealth

Undoubtedly an honest worker......

See thousands of people meet

I was so happy

……

(Forget it, let's omit, a nice tune, translated into nondescript!) ）

During this period, London was the most prosperous city in the world, and its citizens were sharing the prosperity and hope brought by the industrial revolution in the first half century.

People's diets have also changed, in addition to potatoes and bread, beef and lamb have also come to people's tables, and milk has become a necessity of life.

Housing conditions have also improved, soap prices have become cheaper, houses have become cleaner, and individuals have begun to pay attention to hygiene.

People live and work in peace and contentment, and rising wages allow people to pay for their daily expenses and strive for decency.

In short, everything is moving for the better.

In Chekov's eyes, London, as the capital of the British Empire, was the "dream capital" in the hearts of the world's elites.

On October 28, 1891, the Bulgarian delegation led by Chekov arrived by ship in London, the "capital of dreams".

The thick smoke fills the air, and it really feels a bit like a dream. Oh, but it's a pity that there is a bit of a strange smell mixed with it, which spoils this beautiful scenery.

Proud of the good relations between the two countries, the Chekov delegation came to make a big purchase this time, so it was treated well.

They were greeted by the British Foreign Secretary, Robert Arthur Gascoigne-Sisi.

Oh, there were quite a few people attending the banquet, and the British business community sent representatives.

Well, Chekov found himself overthinking, and he was not valued as much as he imagined. Although there are many people, most of them are capitalists, and the goal is very clear, that is, orders, and the charm of money is unlimited.

This kind of life is really not suitable for Chekov, and it is also not suitable for the delegation. They had never seen such a scene, so they could only be cautious, for fear of saying the wrong thing and being ridiculed.

A group of Bulgarian elites were instantly transformed into dirt buns at the banquet. Although it may be a gentleman's demeanor, no one said anything; But the contempt in his bones was still inadvertently revealed in his eyes.

Chekov, an honest man, waited until the end of the dinner party, and then dragged his tired body back to the hotel, unable to sleep all night.

Early in the morning, the fog is white and damp, after which it becomes more smoke-like. The small particles in the air and the soot mix together, making one's breath feel dry and stinging.

At some intersections, traffic was completely jammed and people had to abandon some buses and vans.

Chekov's dream of London was shattered, and neither the glittering high society nor the bad air was acceptable to him.

London's smog not only harms human health, but also poses a threat to buildings. The soot in the haze can blacken the building, and the smog contains a large amount of sulfide, which is acidic when combined with water vapor, forming an acid mist that is lethal to the building, which can gradually erode the building.

In order to combat smog, the British also specially developed anti-corrosion building materials. In fact, London's smog lasted until after World War II, when it was brought under control.

The causes are also strange, the blockade of Germany, the lack of fuel in London. The British government has adopted a strict rationing system, controlled coal burning, and promoted electricity energy.

Chekov was far more than one person whose dreams were shattered, and anyone who visited London in the 19th century would find it difficult to revisit it.

……

No matter what the weather, the work continues. In order to leave London as soon as possible, the delegation devoted 12 minutes of energy to negotiating with the capitalists.

Oh, the big guy Robert Arthur Gascoyne-Sisi, except for making an appearance at the welcome banquet, no longer paid attention to Chekov and the others.

No way, who called Bulgaria a low sense of existence! The cabinet ministers of Bulgaria are not yet qualified to be personally received by the foreign secretary of the British Empire. If the ministers of the Cabinet of Germany, France, Russia and other countries are changed, the treatment will be different.

……

Since the British inventor Bessemer invented the low-cost converter steelmaking method in the 50s of the 19th century, the United Kingdom has gradually become the world's steel center, and the steel industry has also become an important contribution sector to the British economy.

Chekov's purpose was to go to the British steel mill to do a field trip first, and the results of the iron ore test in Bulgaria had already come out, and he needed to order a full set of equipment based on the actual situation.

Oh, although the slogan of the government is loud, with an annual output of 500,000 tons of steel. The production capacity of the equipment ordered by Chekov this time is much smaller, only 100,000 tons.

……

"Mr. Victor Thomas, we have checked the equipment of your company, and the quality is very good. But alas, he is not suitable for us! Chekov said with a regretful expression

"Mr. Chekov, you know, our machines are the best ......in the world," Vik Thomas said

"But it's also the most expensive in the world! Although your company's products have the highest tapping rate in terms of production capacity, the maintenance cost is also the highest! We want to be cost-effective, and use your machines, the requirements for coke are too high! "Chekov debunked Vik Thomas

It was clear that the Bulgarian delegation was treated like a fat sheep. The capitalists' temperament does not need to be considered, and Victor Thomas does not have any mental burden.

If there were no accompanying ladle of professionals, it is estimated that now Chekov would have been pitted by Victor Thomas.

Like all hot-blooded intellectuals, Chekov also liked to pursue the best, the most advanced, often ignoring the value for money.

"Flashy"!

This is the evaluation of Victor Thomas's equipment, and there is no buyer in the UK.

Of course, Victor Thomas himself knows better that this set of equipment is only an experimental product, and many technical difficulties have not been overcome.

In order to circumvent the patents of Bessemer converters and Siemens-Martin open-hearth furnaces, the Victor Thomas plant was brainstormed to develop more advanced technology, but later found that it was not possible.

The experimental products developed in the early stage could not be wasted, and all of them were simply used, so this set of equipment was added: the material was sent to the top of the blast furnace with a winch, and the belt conveyor, train and hand-cranked rail car were used to move the furnace and the main rolling span.

These technological advances have greatly increased the output of blast furnaces, while at the same time, maintenance costs have also risen significantly due to the immaturity of the technology.

Victor Thomas, who seemed to be accustomed to being rejected, continued to fight: "Mr. Chekov, I am very sincere, and I am negotiable in terms of price. It's just slightly higher than its peers, but the production capacity has also increased significantly! ”

Chekov didn't take this and said with a straight face: "What about the cost of maintenance? For now, the increased capacity and the increased costs are almost equal, and it is likely to continue to increase over time! ”

"But we're in stock! Mr. Chekov, if you want to order equipment, it will not be completed until the end of next year at the earliest, plus the commissioning time, and then it will be shipped to Bulgaria for installation, and you will have to wait at least three years before it can be put into production! "Victor Thomas is exhausted

True, if it weren't for the spot, Chekov would have stopped talking to him a long time ago. Bulgaria has no experience in building large-scale steel plants, and many aspects are underestimated, including equipment ordering.

Unless Chekov learns Zhang Zhidong, he doesn't know if he is matched, and he forcibly gets on the horse directly! But now he already knows that the factory equipment must take into account the quality of the ore, otherwise the product qualification rate will be low and doubtful.

Victor Thomas's equipment may not be the best choice, but it is the most suitable for Bulgaria at the moment. Now that the showdown has been held, then it is natural to bargain.

…… (Talking about the price omitting hundreds of thousands of words, the author is afraid that if this is written, he will be scolded for water!) ）

In the end, Chekov bought the full set of equipment for two million pounds. It includes six large factories such as pig iron factory, hemp steel factory, Shigang factory, rail factory, iron goods factory, wrought iron factory, and machine factory, iron casting factory, iron making factory, fish fillet hook and nail factory, and other small factories.

The procurement of supporting facilities for steel mills is just one of the episodes. There are still many industries that have signed large and small procurement contracts, and there is no way to take advantage of them and suffer losses.

Bulgaria received the industrial equipment it needed for development, from which the British capitalists made a fortune. The entire procurement contract added up to £8 million and caused a sensation in London at the time.