Chapter 114

Chapter 114

Era of Science

【 History change degree: 35.56% 】

【 Random box confirmation ticket x2 (2/3) 】

【 Random box confirmation ticket fragments A, B x1 (2/10) 】

What, this?!

At the same time the number sharply rose random box fragments literally fell in a shower.

Like using experience cheat in some game and level upped!

Thinking of the countless efforts and worries poured to obtain 1 confirmation ticket until now couldn't help but be surprised.

Roughly looking at the content, the confirmation ticket itself seems maximum 3 is the limit.

Only now in conversation so no leisure to care about that anymore.

First this situation, facing the person who skyrocketed the change degree in front of my eyes was much more important.

"Chairman, the words now aren't a joke."

"...Ho."

"Hmm, so now decided to take hands off the Boer War?"

Flinch.

As I brought up words the chairman stopped the hand dusting cigarette ash and stared at me.

"...Fun. If bringing up such talk usually surprised or ask if joke, why is your reaction reverse?"

That is if a lie I wouldn't receive reward, right. I roughly glossed over.

"Because doesn't look like a person the chairman would joke to me."

"Might have drunk alcohol just now and mood became good. Today is also the top festival day in London."

"Well, the alcohol the chairman drank yesterday seemed almost a month's worth."

I also weak to alcohol so same species grasp is ghost-like.

This person, clearly not good compatibility with alcohol.

A person who frequently drinks alcohol usually doesn't suffer so much with draft beer degree.

The chairman continuously smoking pipe tobacco also might be to soothe the hangover.

Bringing up such talk the chairman's expression became quite subtle.

"Insight also good. You don't need to separately read detective novels. Anyway continue."

"...Continue?"

"Hear more what you thought. Match my thoughts for fun. I'll give a gift too."

What more continue? Now I have no information at all?!

Of course obvious Boer War talk.

I had the experience of newspaper seller days so this degree current affairs solve even with eyes closed.

The talk the chairman said of giving up Africa, this clearly wouldn't be the meaning of laying down the hegemony of all Africa.

Private capital would have been deeply invested here and there saying will plunder Africa's resources, if suddenly saying hand that over resistance would be tremendous. Wouldn't be words of really shaking hands.

British politicians not fools either, there was naturally a reason fighting for over 1 year grinding numerous money and human resources in South Africa now.

The two sea routes currently gripping the lifeline of the British Empire.

Suez and Cape of Good Hope.

Might be to perfectly maintain that control.

In my view the really important is the Suez Canal. Because the intermediate stop connecting the British Isles and India, Southeast Asia, Australia.

Britain's grand strategy has been established according to the keynote of thoroughly protecting this Suez Canal route for the past dozens of years.

Fighting the Russian Empire in the Crimean Peninsula also, to prevent Russia from eating the Ottoman through the Black Sea and coming out to the Mediterranean and threatening the Suez route.

Even now stationing troops in Egypt and interfering in internal affairs, right? Practically protectorate state.

Right before the Boer War occurred waged war with Sudan for 18 years. That also to protect the Suez route.

But in the now serious power game occurring in Europe, unknown how far Britain can maintain the Suez route.

Just looking geographically France or Italy, Spain if only having the heart are in a position to blockade the route as much as one wants.

As soon as that threat was realized with the Triple Alliance continuously instigated so those guys can't pay attention there.

So the Cape of Good Hope is needed.

The Cape of Good Hope is an auxiliary route that functions when a serious situation unable to use Suez occurs.

And the Orange Republic threatening the safety of that route was exactly Britain's immediate biggest threat.

"Accurate explanation. Correct. Thought of volunteering as a separate politics teacher for you... No need. As expected you are a genius."

"Ugh."

"When will you receive my constituency? Okay to enter the lower house immediately and do parliamentary activities."

"Chairman...!"

"Sorry. This side was the real joke."

The chairman was a person with ambiguous boundary between truth and joke.

"The problem is other country's politicians aren't fools either. As much as we try to defend the Suez Canal, they also know well that place is Britain's weakness."

Britain's exposed weakness. Very good to stab deeply, right?

And numerous players continuously moving even now to occupy the world's strongest country position.

They operate not only in the light but also in the dark.

Chairman Balfour, so was suspecting whether the current Boer War occurred by someone's cunning scheme in Europe.

Really the numerous damages occurred by this war becoming a spark gradually gnawing the British Empire, ultimately returning Britain to the original small island country after the world war.

If some politician in the middle doesn't come to senses a future that will definitely become so.

Of course since my change degree reversed unknown how it will become ahead.

"In fact a war that should have ended. Already last year September occupied most of the South African Transvaal Republic. We decided to spare national power rather than bearing further international criticism. Will stop the war and declare ceasefire. A strategy of escaping the trap like that."

"Can you bear? Since caused such big damage, if not perfect victory can't soothe domestic criticism public opinion."

"So you are there, right."

"...Yes?"

"St. George seems not yet abandoned Britain. If you acted only 1 year earlier more things would have changed by now. Anyway I believe you'll share more than half the burden."

“Yes?!”

Only then I realized. Why of all places at my investiture Chairman Balfour is pouring out such important talk to me not even a politician.

He was continuously waiting for me to say this one word.

Moreover this was an unconventional declaration to the point my baronet investiture is really treated as trivial.

But the media will concentrate only on me, right. An obvious matter.

"Until now we had no choice except being dragged around. But thanks to you another choice arose. Thanks to bringing the item timely persuasion was fast. Seems went to the kitchen, would have seen the people surrounding that machine called your refrigerator."

"...Very troubled. What on earth did you say? Why did people make such a fuss to that degree?"

"Didn't say much."

"Ah."

"Those people are intellectuals leading Britain now, and will lead ahead. Instinctively realized, right. How much that one item will change the world ahead. Even I was astonished would they be different."

"Yesterday didn't seem surprised."

"Surprised."

"Expression change wasn't much, right."

"Using poker face well isn't only you. Heard you do card games so well? Will you do one game with me too?"

The chairman who finished the words put down the pipe tobacco and really took out one set of cards from the drawer.

Seeing the shuffle skill seemed really skilled.

"The Admiralty's strategy staff predicted the Boer War even if going well from now at least half a year, worst case even 1 year more dragged. Just finishing the war half a year early tremendous cost is saved. We'll pioneer the new continent with that money. Call?"

Clearly the chairman's expression is hard to read.

Moreover turning cards also had tremendous skill. Probably if His Majesty Edward VII does card games with the chairman might lose all.

"Call."

"Showdown. Seven triple."

"Straight."

"...How did? In this case the probability of making that hand is very rare."

"Well. I originally bet only when certain."

"Even saying so would be bluffing."

The chairman mixed the cards again.

I suddenly became curious and threw a question at him.

"...But what is the new continent you're talking about?"

"Asking knowing."

"Really don't know."

Chairman Balfour suddenly turned the head so I followed.

And someone abruptly intruded into the table only the two of us were sitting.

"I'll answer that instead."

That man briefly looked at me with drooping eyes then turned the gaze back to the chairman.

"Brother."

"Gerald. Not having much fun in cards? Will you let me join too? The more players the more fun the game. Because harder to predict."

"Yes, please."

First Lord of the Treasury, Arthur Balfour.

Chairman Balfour's brother, and the undisputed 2nd in command of the current British Empire government.

One of the top power holders in Britain appeared.

Naturally there was bone in his words too.

"Congratulate the baronet investiture, Sir Jean-Paul Durand. First since seeing at the concert."

"Thank you."

"Don't know if knowing thanks to you my brother is bothering me a lot lately. Gerald seems to have bet very strongly on you. To the point of even the impudent imagination of mass producing that refrigerator or whatever of yours and scattering all over Europe and occupying all the food market."

"Brother."

"Haven't told Sir Durand yet? Sorry but let me also see the fun of leakage a bit."

Leakage or whatever somehow seemed so.

If modern don't know but by 1901 standards my refrigerator was almost close to OOPArt, tremendous over technology.

Moreover the design isn't early type either. State of me intervening and advancing several generations.

Looking at the atmosphere the freezer also seems will be implemented somehow.

So even if a power holder who recognized that value steps forward saying will utilize this as a weapon no strange.

The realization is very fast more than my thought, but that also thought the result of my current position and fame.

Who would dare directly bring the refrigerator and plug to Chairman Balfour?!

The story of these I guessed was ultimately this.

With extracting existing colony resources, reached the growth limit and rather loss due to maintenance cost.

So utilizing Jean-Paul Durand's refrigerator and pioneering a new food consumption market in Europe, that is a kind of new continent and sucking that side for the time being that sound seemed.

Like selling textiles to Qing and earning money and buying spices with that money, and building plantations in Southeast Asia and selling various agricultural products produced there to Europe and taking profit, raising the expiration date of food to the extreme through my refrigerator and making European people crazy about delicious food then extracting tremendous profit...

The evil and demonic idea of infinitely raising all Europeans' Engel index!

In front of that terrible future I couldn't help but shudder!

That ultimately Jean-Paul Durand grinding operation, right!

New market creation and food distribution innovation.

Exactly matches the opportunity the Department of Food Innovation was created in the government.

Ah, Chairman Balfour also originally knew about making the refrigerator, right?

Then this plan must have been carefully prepared from very long ago.

Chairman Balfour was thinking of stabbing a dagger all over Europe. As the new economic power of the British Empire, now when no one has noticed yet.

That was his grand Europe retaliation plan.

"Gerald, the consultation ended just now. Choose one among Barking, Dagenham, and Greenwich. In fact came to inform that."

"Sir Durand, you choose instead of me. The qualification is on you."

"Yes?!"

But this flow was absolutely impossible to understand.

What to choose to me?

"Choose one among the three. As the feeling goes."

Barking, Dagenham, Greenwich.

All port areas?

At least among them the place name familiar to me was Greenwich. Because there was the Royal Navy Dockyard.

"Then Greenwich—"

"Brother, Greenwich would be good."

"...You guy, lately really doing work only as the mood goes. Greenwich? Understood. Well no relation."

Leaving those words the First Lord of the Treasury stood up from the seat again.

Said doing card games, not doing?!

"Briefly go over there. Just in time the Duke of Devonshire is also here. I'll give the confirmation and come. The Greenwich land problem is that family's jurisdiction."

As the First Lord of the Treasury disappeared the chairman started card shuffle again.

"Seems a lot curious."

"No, just now on earth what talk?"

"What, I said I'll give a gift, right."

"...Gift?"

"Hmm, don't know if said knowing, Greenwich is a good choice. Because there's a steel mill and power plant nearby."

"Yes?"

"Manufacturing districts, no in this case a bit different words needed. Industrial estate would be appropriate."

"Don't know what words."

"Durand industrial estate."

"Yes?!"

"Greenwich-Durand refrigerator industrial estate. Remember well. With the money and resources saved from war expenses will push the remaining forest area of Greenwich during winter and enter next year. And the patent right problem you were concerned about, will be solved as soon as the refrigerator is decided as the strategic resource of the Department of Food Innovation."

Shocking statement.

How is that a gift?!

No, more than that why naturally embedding my name there?!