boyutpedia Chapter 151 Oil
Chapter 151 Oil
Shen Lian's own car factory is still under construction, and all the cars are imported directly from Germany. He only had them build the shell.
There are so many things that can be improved here; any one of them could put us decades ahead of the world. Once the car factory is built, Shen Lian is confident that he can defeat all foreign car manufacturers.
The six-meter-wide gravel road was compacted and level, and even this single-bar machine could only reach a speed of twenty miles per hour. Shen Lian felt as slow as a snail.
Seeing that the vehicle was driving smoothly, the two women gradually relaxed and began to discuss the car.
When the people on the road saw the Marquis traveling, they all retreated to the side of the road. Many were so frightened that they knelt on the ground.
What is that thing the Marquis is riding in? It can move without horses, and black smoke is billowing from its rear! It must be some kind of divine treasure!
We strolled around for a bit and then headed back; it was too slow and not very interesting. The two women, on the other hand, were chattering excitedly.
"If you like, I can teach you how to drive it. You can drive it around town or something when you have time," Shen Lian said with a smile.
"No, no! We wouldn't dare open that thing!" The two women waved their hands repeatedly.
Shen Lian didn't press the issue. Nowadays, young ladies from respectable families are expected to stay within the confines of their homes. The fact that the two of them frequently went out to play was already considered excessive; asking them to drive around the city in a blatant display was a bit much for them.
"My lord, the American special envoy, Rockefeller, has been waiting for you for a long time!" Yan Tao said as soon as he got out of the car.
Shen Lian nodded, gave instructions to the two women, and walked towards the reception room.
"Greetings, Lord Marquis!" Roukeyi, who was having tea with his attendants in the living room, quickly stood up, placed his hand on his chest, and bowed.
The United States holds Europeans in high esteem, especially European nobility, whom they greatly admire. This respect extends to nobility from other countries as well.
Not to mention Shen Lian, a top Chinese nobleman who wielded immense power. The Americans really struck it rich this time, having been entrusted with the construction of over a thousand kilometers of railway.
Rou Keyi had earned considerable praise in the country, so he felt a sense of gratitude towards Shen Lian. He always treated Shen Lian with utmost respect whenever they met.
"Special Envoy, please don't stand on ceremony, please have a seat!" Shen Lian waved his hand and walked to the seat of honor.
That kid Roukeyi doesn't even stay in the capital anymore; he's based in Jinan now, coming over every few days to try and get on my good side. He's definitely not up to any good!
"My lord, I heard you've discovered another large iron ore mine? And you're planning to build a steel mill in the future. I wonder if American companies could participate?" Sure enough, Rocky went straight to the point of profit from the very beginning.
“The Special Envoy is indeed well-informed; it is true. However, we are currently cooperating with Germany, and as you know, Sir Muran is a very assertive person. If he knew that I had bypassed them and cooperated with the United States, neither of us would likely fare well!” Shen Lian said, feigning difficulty.
I'm too busy trying to restrict you Americans! You're not satisfied with just taking over such a long railway; you also want to get involved in mining and steelmaking!
"That's a real shame!" Rouke shrugged upon hearing this. Of course, he wouldn't dare to compete with the German minister, Muran. Muran was a long-established German nobleman who didn't take him seriously at all.
"There's another matter, which concerns the honeycomb briquettes and stoves produced by Lord Hou's company. I wonder if we could be authorized to produce and sell them in the United States?"
With Zhou Shunda's substantial investment, honeycomb briquettes are now being produced in large quantities. Many households in the city have already begun using them.
This device is not only easy to use, but also saves time and effort. It has a powerful firepower but produces minimal smoke. It was welcomed by the general public as soon as it was introduced. Roukeyi had also been in Shandong for some time, so it's normal that he discovered it.
Actually, neither honeycomb briquettes nor stoves require much technical skill. Anyone can make them after watching a couple of times. Because Zhou Shunda and his group were operating under the name of Shen Lian, at least within Shandong province, no one should dare to produce them privately.
Rouke Yi discovered that these coal briquettes and stoves were far superior to the coal stoves in their country, and he immediately came to them for help.
"Sure, but how much patent fee would the Special Envoy be willing to pay?" Shen Lian nodded and smiled faintly. The Americans were practically handing him money; of course he was going to take advantage of it.
"Ten thousand taels, what do you think, Your Excellency Marquis?" Roukeyi had clearly already thought this through.
Shen Lian shook his head and held up one finger; "I only want one thousand taels!"
"Thank you, Your Excellency!" Roukeyi was overjoyed upon hearing this.
"I haven't finished speaking yet!" Shen Lian waved his hand.
"I only need a thousand taels for the licensing fee, but for every honeycomb briquette you produce and sell, I will charge a one-cent patent fee," Shen Lian said with a sinister smile.
The United States has the most developed coal mining industry, and its residents naturally consume even more coal. Over time, this adds up to a considerable expense.
“No problem!” Rou Keyi agreed after a moment’s thought. He didn’t want to argue with Shen Lian over such a small matter.
Roukeyi's arrival also reminded Shen Lian that, before other countries even had honeycomb briquettes, he should quickly find businessmen in various countries to license the patent—this was no small sum of money.
In other words, the items under Shen Lian's name were invented by that private merchant. These countries probably already copied them long ago.
"By the way, Mr. Special Envoy, you must be quite familiar with Standard Oil, right? I wonder if you could have them send two exploration teams over? I'd like to see if there are any oil fields under my jurisdiction!" Shen Lian suddenly remembered something!
Currently, China doesn't have its own oil fields, and all kerosene has to be imported. With its own car manufacturing plant about to launch, there will be many more applications requiring gasoline and diesel. It's time to have its own oil company!
“No problem! I’d be more than happy to serve Your Excellency the Marquis!” Roukey agreed readily.
Whether or not oil is found, he's still willing to do something for Shenlian. Besides, if an oil field is indeed found, the extraction and refining project will likely fall to the United States.
The Rockefeller family of Standard Oil made their fortune in oil and became the richest family in America, a position they have held for over a century.
I need to find some time to travel back in time and get a map of America's oil fields. Buying those fields in advance, then partnering with Rockefeller later—it'll be like picking up free money! Hehe!
Yes! We must establish a foothold in the Middle East before World War II and secure the oil-producing regions there. Only then can China truly be invincible!
Thinking of all this, Shen Lian quickly saw Rou Keyi and the others off. Returning to his study, he found a hidden notebook and wrote these things down in case he forgot!
The notebook is now filled with countless notes. Shen Lian even used some simple code to ensure that no one could understand what was written inside!