Chapter 43

Chapter 43

The Great Matter of Human Relations (3)

Slavery has been with humanity since prehistoric times.

If one wins slave owner, if loses slave. Simple, right. I stand with hands behind back and whip and hard work slaves do all the cool life.

But slavery had a fatal problem.

Hard to use except simple labor, work motivation close to 0, some of the free people have to stand supervision, and still occasionally rebellion breaks out and army has to be mobilized.

In fact the biggest problem than all these disadvantages.

That is precisely the fact that slavery is unethical.

- Wow. Really amazing fact. I also know the fact that 1+1 is 2 so will share.

If slavery was not an unethical, immoral system it would have just been one of the inefficient systems.

People have a very strong tendency to want to live as they lived, so once customary systems are hard to change easily. A representative example is things like the yard-pound method. One knows it’s inefficient but everyone just uses it, right?

Countless people burned body and mind for the abolition of slavery.

People who firmly believe such a terrible system must not exist endlessly strove for abolition so all obstruction and blocking attempts of people who gain profit from slavery collapsed and ultimately slavery was abolished.

Why brought up this story.

Because the place I am now, the United States is a dog idiot country where slavery still persists even though it is strictly a Western civilization country among many countries in the world.

Crazy guys. They say one must protect the freedom to use slaves. To protect that freedom later they even do one round of civil war. Even baby Jesus hearing that dog sound would say freely choose one of whip and gallows.

New York where I am staying is of course a place where slavery was abolished. Would I go to dirty South or something.

Look.

Isn’t the person in front of me now directly showing how useless a system slavery is in all ages.

“Please look at this a bit!! Isn’t it amazing?”

“Is the paper already out?”

“Not a paper but organized experiment data! Still dangerous but could know that if nitroglycerin and diatomaceous earth combine the explosion is much reduced. Confirming the detailed mixing ratio-”

Who said don’t catch the fish but teach the method of catching fish.

Alfred Nobel who came to know the method of catching fish had dark circles under the eyes sinking black but seemed to have no thought of sleeping.

“How about doing while resting a bit?”

“Can’t sleep.”

“No, still-”

“Humanity’s development is right in front. If lying on the bed and looking at the ceiling conviction that countless people can receive help with this technology wells up, and if tossing and turning for a long time like that one is sitting in front of the desk again. Would sleep come now?”

If saying like that I who just caught a business item to earn money look too trashy.

They said Nobel received mental pain seeing dynamite used in war and established the Nobel Prize, if that mindset it is certain the inside would rot black.

America seen coming directly... was less than the heart of the 21st century world I remembered.

But this New York alone is enormous.

Vitality close to madness.

Immigrants pouring from various places in the world seeing only one Statue of Liberty.

Countless people running toward the West with frontier spirit, with the heart of reversing life.

The era of America is coming.

I don’t know if because knowing the future, but that future was felt even in this trivial street scenery.

From my position of having to change history if not wanting the soul ejected to some unknown place, the most intense method of changing history is blocking the arrival of Pax Americana.

If intervening in the Civil War and succeeding the independence of Southern guys history would twist enormously... but seeing this tremendous prosperity of the North only conviction arises that Southern cotton field country bumpkin bastards can’t win.

Modern war is ultimately a fight of industrial capability and population number, the South lacks population and a considerable number of that population are slaves and moreover industrial capability is also much lacking and even the war justification is idiot-like.

As expected these guys winning is as much a harm to human history as Hitler winning Europe.

I cleanly gave up operations like half-killing America, and instead resolved to faithfully do my current work.

For that to work at least I should have possessed Palmerston or Queen Victoria.

Regrettable.

***

Around when I reached America via Britain.

Americans finally succeeded in threatening Japan and opening it.

“Buy newspaper, newspaper!!”

“Our United States fleet opened Japan!!”

“Great victory in the Far East! See with newspaper right now!”

The timing was very good.

Because my stock price lying still in the hotel room rose along with it.

And newspapers of this time, if just giving money this kind of thing is also possible.

[Recent situation: Young British diplomat and businessman Arthur Lee the author of <​Arthur’s Drift Record> and who opened Joseon, currently staying at New York Astor House]

Even if just eating breakfast lunch dinner and having one cup of tea here people stick.

“Excuse me. Perhaps is it Mr. Arthur Lee?”

“Yes.”

“Ah! I read your writing too impressively. Speaking of me-”

In this way.

First making acquaintance with someone, that person introduces another new person, if crossing just a few bridges like this now people doing politics or doing business approach little by little.

In this process I heard several quite interesting stories.

“Since Japan opened new vitality will turn to whaling too.”

“America’s whaling is that big?”

“Yes. Even this East prospered with whaling. Although demand for whale oil is gradually decreasing because of kerosene, still. Demand in factories etc.-”

One of the reasons America opened Japan.

Whale catching.

America’s whaling ships were going around various places in the world, and especially whaling ships with the Pacific as the stage if departing once 2 years to 4 years was basic.

In the meantime matters of running aground or shipwrecking somewhere in that rough North Pacific were not uncommon, and there were cases of being pushed to Japan and receiving rescue so the idea ‘ah if driving a stake in Japan it would be convenient!’ coming out is not a strange thing at all for these Yankees.

Next is Pacific trade.

Americans also ultimately have roots in Britain so go crazy for tea leaves. Of course if going to China and buying tea, silk, porcelain money is made.

On the other hand things America can sell to China were not remarkable. If there were items Chinese people buy a lot the freest country in the world the British Empire would have long scraped and sold that item.

Yankees sold furs or ginseng etc. and actually income was solid, but furs are popular even in Europe. Meaning a product no need to sell to China.

So these bastards again sold opium.

“These days opium price is not like before.”

“Hehe. Probably so.”

The information Americans wanted to know coaxing me was fixed.

‘What sells well in China?’

‘They said practically monopolized Joseon trade, is there anything among the products we handle that can be sold to Joseon?’

‘Reputation is widespread as the world’s best Far East expert, what to sell to Japan to make money?’

If I knew that I would have eaten long ago. Why deliberately make competitors.

Besides that there were also sales proposals like ‘if growing the business more ships seem more needed we make ships better than Britain. Want to buy ships?’, of course well organized such stories. Since ships are actually needed.

“America’s clipper is the world’s best. Although Britain is hurriedly constructing clippers it is hard to catch up to our shipyard’s know-how already.”

“I am more engaged in intra-Far East trade than trade going back and forth Britain and the Far East so cargo ships suitable for mass transport are more coveted than fast ships.”

“Is that so? But aren’t there few things that make money as much as tea leaves?”

“Haha. The board is too big for me to insert.”

“Then of course opium. If cultivating opium in Joseon same-day direct delivery from the production area seems possible?”

“Hahahaha...”

Fast ships are good. But soon pushed by steamships and disappear what.

Such fast ships famous as ‘clipper’ inevitably load less cargo, so products that can extract profit with fast ships are fixed.

High value-added products with light mass per volume that spoil easily and must be transported quickly.

Tea leaves? That is a lower person’s idea. Too honest and competition is fierce.

Americans handled the product <​blackies> that exactly matches that condition from long ago and made solid money, and the recent trend is precisely <​opium>. Really 19th century is disgusting.

I don’t know when but if the Suez Canal opens the era of sailing ships meets the end much faster.

For sailing ships to pass the canal other ships have to forcibly drag them, but steamships if just putting coal in the chimney can pass by themselves swish swish. No matter how fast the clipper is it has to go around the Cape of Good Hope so can’t compare with passing Suez.

Pre-construct steamships, and after the Suez Canal opens sell the steamships and instead buy old sailing ships at a bargain. If putting these sailing ships into Eastern trade again it seems quite money will be made... this requires enormous lump sum.

In the end all money problems. Caught the opportunity to earn money but money doesn’t actually earn.

So I busily looked for business items that don’t cost much of my money.

“Demand for weapons seems to grow in the future. Perhaps do you handle some weapons?”

“Weapons! If looking for guns from Americans you came exactly.”

“Will you try Mr. Colt’s new pistol once?”

“How about this? If Mr. Lee just persuades the Joseon government well I will pay a price not regrettable.”

“Do Joseon people perhaps know about railways? Railway companies are drooling-”

If saying my money not used and just poof money springs up of course selling interests... regrettable. As expected rather than selling interests I want to do business with my money and suck.

A sponsor was needed.

Not Gladstone, a firm sponsor who will provide vast money only for me.

***

A little less than a month passed.

Here I made acquaintance with many American friends, exchanged opinions on various businesses, and also learned a lot about how current American politics is running. And many Yankees who want to jump into Far East trade will contact this Arthur Lee whether by letter or telegram.

This much obtained everything to obtain.

Now just holding hands with Nobel and returning to Britain ends.

Instead of continuing to stick in the hotel my stage now moved to places like balls the full-scale social activity venues. The result of diligently expanding connections.

But could not find a marriage partner.

“Why hasn’t Mr. Arthur married yet?”

“Haha. Will you go to Joseon with me?”

“Ah... definitely hard to find.”

If saying let’s go to the unknown land Joseon together mostly expressed reluctance, and people burning enthusiasm saying they want to go mostly belonged to frighteningly overflowing passion believers. Believers are a bit that for me.

So even coming out to such social gatherings, I naturally got inserted into the category of men talking business among themselves at corner tables.

And if being in such places, wise and sensible Americans gave sweet proposals.

“Let’s pull up the stock price?”

“Right. If Mr. Lee hints that this company is scheduled to conclude an exclusive contract with the Joseon Kingdom-”

“Actually no such thing?”

“Of course.”

“Just if casually letting it flow it’s fine.”

“And I return to Britain?”

“Just good, right.”

Ah! Stock price manipulation! Too delicious!

I to the end lending only the name... no, not even that.

Just a proposal of giving cute dollars abundantly as the price of not doing ‘direct denial’ when someone asks.

It was the freeloading thing I had been searching for so much.

“How about moving seats and talking a bit more seriously?”

“Fine. Let’s get up.”

“I’ll follow soon!”

Alcohol energy rises, money energy also rises. Very good.

It was the moment just about to leave the seat after briefly stopping by the bathroom.

“Excuse me.”

“Yes, miss. What can I help you with?”

Quick scan.

A woman young no young. Seems one or two years younger than me. Dress attire. Expensive. Smell of a rich house.

Alcohol energy doesn’t particularly seem but slightly tobacco smell is soaked. Looking at the physiognomy looks a bit stubborn, and this place seems a bit awkward so not active in social circles or first time.

Scan result.

A miss who approached because of my literary fame and name value as an adventurer.

Exactly that. A precious young lady who read adventure stories and heart pounds. Hmm. More curious about the miss’s father than the miss.

“I happened to hear the story a little while ago.”

“Ah, don’t worry. It’s just like men drinking party jokes among themselves.”

Was it hearing the current ominous crime conspiracy and stopping? Was it the ‘such bad things must not be done!’ case.

“No. Not that.”

“Yes.”

“You are being scammed right now.”

“Can you speak a bit more in detail?”

The alcohol energy completely flew away.

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Author's note

Thank you to Time Flight for your sponsorships!!