Next, everyone in the audience listened to Su Yu's voice in amazement, and a steady stream of people came out of this gramophone.

Although the level of this phonograph surpassed that of Edison's first phonograph, it was still relatively rough.

It's just that this is entirely because Su Yu does not have an excellent manufacturing process, and once there is a factory, it is not difficult to improve the sound quality, because Su Yu has the most advanced drawings.

Even in a few years, it could even be available as a commodity.

It's still okay to reach the level of gramophones of the early 20th century.

But at this time, it is still enough to bring unprecedented shock.

Many of those present, in particular, were well-informed and knew that it was not a form of witchcraft.

It's a kind of technology.

It is precisely because of this that Prince Albert knows how miraculous it is.

He even fantasized about what a sensation this thing would cause once it appeared at the World Exposition.

It is completely unimaginable that in the backward and decadent Qing Kingdom, such an advanced thing would be born.

This three-minute voice, in fact, has no content, just Su Yu's greetings to Prince Albert, and expounds the history of China in the briefest language, and looks forward to the prospects of future friendship between the two countries.

But Prince Albert listened to it over and over again, as if it were incomparably wonderful.

He was completely sure that this was the first time that humans had left a voice on a machine, and that it was a technological advancement for humans.

And the first voice of the world was a sublime greeting to him Albert.

I believe that in the future, it will also go down in history.

After listening to it several times, the prince sighed: "This is indeed a magical person, and it is unbelievable that such a person was born in the Qing Kingdom." ”

Next.

The prince asked, "Tea, or coffee?" ”

Although both Ba Ha Li and Bao Ling wanted to drink coffee, they both chose tea at this time.

Because His Royal Highness has a very bad stomach, he doesn't dare to drink coffee for fear of being stimulated.

The three of them drank tea, and the prince said: "I have read your diplomatic propositions completely, they are very well written, and they can see very far, may I ask whose work this is?" ”

Ba Xia said: "This is also the work of Sir Su Yu. ”

The prince said: "This is how he conquered you at that time, so that you chose to withdraw directly from the army, and then angered the council?" ”

"Yes, but not only these, but there are some related benefits. ”

The prince said, "Can I understand it like that?" A very decaying country that gave birth to a very legendary character? He is determined to change the whole country, to save the whole country? ”

Ba Ha said: "That's right. ”

The prince said: "To some extent, it's just that he is very different, but this country is actually a desert of technology and industry?" Is this country still intolerably ignorant and rotten? ”

Bashali was silent for a while and said, "I'm not completely sure that the people of their country are indeed very ignorant. But there are some people in it who are very intelligent once they come into contact with the civilized world, and I feel that their intelligence level is not low. ”

The prince said: "You also know that the attitude of the top leaders of the entire empire towards the Qing State is completely consistent, that is, war and dumping, similar to the attitude of semi-colonies, and not an investment. Although Su Yu has repeatedly stated that this is already an outdated and backward economic means, and his kind of strategy is more advanced, the policies that have not been practiced are all in the air. ”

Ba Xia said: "Your Royal Highness, there is one thing I don't know if you know? ”

The prince said, "Please speak." ”

Ba Xiali said: "The source of our last trade war was because Lin Zexu destroyed our opium. And opium is the biggest source of profit for our trade with China. And in recent years, the export of opium has been declining year by year. Even in the Qing Dynasty, the voice of opposition to the opium trade has become less and less, and there is a core reason for this. ”

The prince leaned slightly and listened carefully.

Ba Xia Li said: "Because the Qing Dynasty has also begun to cultivate opium on a large scale. I have learned that the cost of their opium may be lower than ours, and then it will not be us who dump opium on the Qing State, but they will dump it on us. ”

This is a later thing to compare, but it is.

It won't be long before the Qing Dynasty will become the world's number one producer of opium and the number one exporter.

This thing has been ruining us for hundreds of years.

Or do some people say that the Western world has also been mutilated for many years?

But I have to say that when it comes to enduring corruption and depravity, people have a strong tolerance.

Bashali said: "Therefore, we will get less and less benefits from dumping in the Qing Kingdom. Qingguo is a very closed, self-sufficient market, and the demand is very small. And we invest in them to set up factories, we can cultivate their market, tenfold, a hundred times, and then harvest it. ”

The prince said: "I know, this is Su Yu's theory of making a big cake." ”

"And the other part is something that Marquis Su Yu didn't mention." Bao Ling said: "Because the machines of these factories are ours, and the technology is also ours, once you invest in their factories, to a large extent, you will control their economic and industrial lifeline, which is a more intelligent economic colonization." ”

Ba Xia said: "This is a great experiment for Su Yu. But for us, why not? We have the largest number of colonies, but the benefits of the colonies seem to have seen the ceiling, and have been replaced by countless revolts and uprisings. Even docile India, which is constantly revolting against our rule, is becoming more and more expensive for us to maintain colonial rule. ”

"If we continue this way, maybe one day we will lose most of our colonies."

Bao Ling said: "And this Jiujiang Economic Pilot Zone just allows us to make another attempt." ”

"If it succeeds, it may be replicated in other colonies in the future." This brings greater good, and less resistance. ”

"Even according to Su Yu's words, this kind of policy may be able to last for a hundred years for the hegemony of our British Empire."

Then, he took out the bill of three million pounds and said, "In order to achieve this goal, Su Yu has raised more than 10 million taels of silver, which is equivalent to more than three million pounds. Not only that, but he also got a piece of land, a land that had gone through the war, completely started from scratch, and for this plan, he planned to emigrate 300,000 people, and all this was going on. ”

The prince was surprised: "This secret agreement has not been officially signed yet, and our side has not passed it yet, so he has already done this?" At such a huge cost? ”

"Yes, he's making an unprecedented gamble. ”

Prince Albert said, "Then if I don't pass here?" Then everything he has done will be reduced to ashes? ”

"Of course." Bashali said bitterly: "And Sir Bao Ling and I will lose all our political future, as well as almost all our savings. And Su Yao's side will completely lose everything, and the fate of hundreds of thousands of people will also be wiped out. ”

"The most important thing is that the British Empire will completely lose the opportunity to experiment and explore another path. There may be an opportunity for experimentation, but it will definitely not be as perfect as this one. ”

"Sometimes, I don't even know which of us will lose more if the secret agreement is not approved."

"Because these theories of Sir Su Yu are indeed far-sighted, at least they have completely conquered me, who is poor in knowledge."

The prince said, "Two sirs, don't be modest. Even though you're taking a political gamble, and you're not at the table in a way, you're just underestimating the difficulty of the matter beforehand, and there's no turning back. But at the end of the day, you are still some of the best people in the British Empire. ”

Then, the prince tapped his fingers on the table and said, "But it is useless to be far-sighted, interests, interests, interests!" Gentlemen, our capitalists don't have a lot of patience. Those old men in our Congress don't have much patience either. ”

The British Empire has always been like this, robbing faster and building too slowly.

Of course, they have amazing patience in some things, such as political-stirring sticks.

Ba Xiali said: "Therefore, Su Yu is willing to sign a gambling agreement with us." The profit distributed to us in the first year after the completion of these factories was three million taels of silver, and the rate increased by twenty percent every year thereafter. ”

When the prince heard this number, he was immediately startled.

"No way." "According to the terms of the secret agreement, we will invest 1.8 million pounds, as well as related talent and technology, accounting for 49% of the shares. In other words, if the total investment is less than 20 million taels of silver, the profit in the first year will be 6 million taels? It's impossible! ”

"In fact, Sir Su Yu's investment is more than 10 million taels, but this has nothing to do with us. According to the contents of the secret bet, the total profit of these factories in the first year will indeed be 6 million taels, and then increase by 20% every year. ”

Prince Albert said: "In other words, after fifteen years, the total profits created by these factories are probably equivalent to the financial revenue of the Qing government?" ”

"According to the contents of the secret covenant, this is indeed the case. ”

The prince shook his head and said, "This is crazy. ”

"But if it can be achieved, the benefits to the British Empire will be astronomical," he said. The benefits of war and dumping will far outweigh the benefits of war and dumping, or even many times over. ”

Bao Ling: "In fact, according to the content of the secret agreement. The profits we made in the first year alone would have exceeded the profits of the British Empire's trade with China for the whole year. In other words, the benefits of this line in the first year will exceed our original diplomatic line toward China. ”

The prince said: "This is still too exaggerated, the prospect is too wonderful to be believed." ”

"So there is a VAM agreement, if the profit handed over to us in the first year is not so much. Then Su Yu will have to pay twice the total amount of our investment. ”

The prince said, "He can't get the money." ”

"Yes, he can't get the money anymore. The more than 10 million taels of silver he has in his hands now have been a collective realization of all his honors and all his political capital. "So, he mortgaged it with the patented manufacturing method of penicillin." We've looked to top professors at Cambridge Medical School, and this penicillin is able to treat syphilis, to treat pneumonia, to treat wound infections. It's a miracle drug, and if production can be scaled up, the benefits could exceed five million pounds, or even ten million. ”

"Here's the report." Bashali handed over the relevant report of the Cambridge Medical School, as well as the experimental data.

The prince said, "Gentlemen, you must realize something. Whether it is penicillin or metronidazole, in fact, it cannot be mass-produced, it is very magical, but it cannot bring huge benefits. More can only be used as a gimmick, like this gramophone. Even if it is a profit, it is a distant future. ”

"It sounds like this, but ...... Our British Empire and the Qing Kingdom are not the same, he can't mass-produce, not necessarily we can't mass-produce. ”

The prince said: "No, you can't expect the patent of this thing to bring a lot of benefits in the short term. Otherwise, Su Yu would have used him to make money a long time ago. So this investment is a big gamble for Marquis Suyu, but it is also a big gamble for us. ”

"I have carefully read your report, and our simple investment may indeed be 1.8 million pounds, but with the relevant patented technology and related personnel costs, it is actually far more than 1.8 million pounds. Just like Su Yu, who claimed to invest three million pounds, but in fact it would be exceeded. ”

"And if that investment fails, do you know what that means?"

"It means that the investors will tear the two of us apart, and we will not only lose all our political future, but all our possessions, and even more. ”

Prince Albert said, "If I pass this secret covenant and endorse it." In the future, if this investment fails, I will become the laughing stock of European royal families. Because I am going against the will of the entire Congress, where we all know that your plan has been utterly defeated and opposed. That's why you're doing everything you can to bypass Congress and find me here to get the royal family to endorse you. ”

Bao Ling and Ba Xiali's faces turned pale.

In fact, it looks like they're inciting the royal family against Congress.

Prince Albert said, "You know, within the empire, there are many people who regard me as an outsider, and there are many people who oppose me. ”

"If this investment fails, it will be the waterloo of my political career, and it will even be a blow to the majesty of the royal family."

"To carry out such a large-scale investment industry in the backward and decaying Qing country, I feel extremely crazy when I think about it."

Sir Basha's expression suddenly darkened.

It occurred to him that, no matter what, Prince Albert did not seem to have to make such a political adventure.

He is already an uncrowned king, unlike Bao Ling and Ba Ha Li, who have invested too much in this secret covenant and have no way back.

"So, gentlemen!" Prince Albert said earnestly: "For the sake of my political reputation, for the sake of the majesty of the Queen, please do your best to make this investment a success." ”

"I, Albert, would like to endorse your secret covenant!"

"I'm willing to admit that this is another diplomatic route approved by the royal family."

"I'd like to admit that your plan is with royal permission and some degree of support."

"I am willing to order that the armies of the British Empire in the Far East shall not carry out any form of military attack on your investment industries."

"I would like to order that the British army is in a sense obliged to protect your investment assets. This includes, but is not limited to, the safety of transportation at sea and on rivers. ”

"I am willing to decree that all trade routes of the British Empire are open to your investment industries. Even the colonies of the British Empire, which will be open to you as a source of raw materials. The markets of the British Empire and its colonies will also be opened up to some extent for your investment industries. ”

"For the sake of the interests of the British Empire, I am willing to use my political reputation to open another diplomatic route towards China, even if it is an alternative route."

Then Prince Albert began to write the papers.

The whole document is very detailed. But what he described was what he just said, an endorsement of the secret covenant.

After I finish writing!

Doused with wax and oil, he stamped the relevant seals.

In this way, it becomes an authoritative will.

Two identical documents, one remained at Buckingham Palace.

The other one was handed to Bao Ling.

Bao Ling and Ba Xia Li couldn't believe what was in front of them.

The whole person was stunned at first, and then began to tremble, almost crying with joy.

They finally got it, even more than they imagined.

Just after they had despaired again and again, and had hit a wall again and again, they had already given up hope after this meeting with the prince.

But the result ...... And they got it.

Finally, he didn't hold back, and Bashali still burst into tears.

"I will always praise your wisdom, your kindness, your nobility, Your Highness."

Bao Ling and Ba Xia Li, at this time, they wanted to kneel down and kiss the upper of the prince's shoes.

Prince Albert said: "This may be a phased victory for you and for Marquis Suyu. But...... The challenge has only just begun, because now this vehicle is not only the three of you, but also half of my feet. ”

"I hope you don't tarnish my political reputation and don't make me a joke in the mouths of European royals."

Bao Ling and Ba Xia Li seemed to have a flame hidden in their hearts, and at this time, no words could really describe their gratitude to the prince.

Even, an old Chinese saying welled up in Bashali's heart: A soldier dies for his confidant.

Su Yao, your efforts are not in vain!

We did it!

………………………………………………

Note: I wrote all night again, and I can't support my energy, so the number of words in this chapter is a bit low, sorry.

That...... Can I still ask for a commuter pass? Thank you, thank you.

(End of chapter)