Chapter 22

Chapter 22

Dangerous Bet

The 1900s was a period when innovative technologies and inventions, and unique new products poured out hotly like a furnace.

Among them, if there was a particularly noteworthy hit, it was the Brownie No.1 camera released by the American Kodak company in February 1900.

Until this product was released, cameras were not only enormously expensive but also difficult to even change film, a luxury item that only a few minorities played with.

Even the number of uses was limited, and if you took 100 photos you had to return the camera to the manufacturer to replace it with new film.

But Kodak caused a sensation in the camera market. Not only did they simplify the structure to make film replacement easy, but they also took the strong measure of releasing it at the shocking price of 1 dollar per unit, and 15 cents for film.

Originally the camera body was standard to be made of metal or wood, but they just discarded durability and covered it with paper cardboard to stupidly cut production costs.

So what happened? I don't know the exact numbers but according to rumors it was a tremendous hit?

But because most were sold only within America, I remember a close newspaper reporter lamenting a lot that it couldn't be obtained yet in Britain.

How do I know the newspaper reporter? In an era without SNS and where copying others' articles is impossible, where on earth did reporters get their reporting sources. You can't ignore the newspaper seller network. And I was a person famous enough to be called the boss among them.

Anyway, as soon as the heyday of cameras opened in America like that, there was a place that cheered at the same time.

That was the yellow press that mainly dealt with gossip. Representatively, psycho bastards like the New York World or the New York Journal.

These bastards corrupted the newspaper world with stimulating materials like entertainment, sports, crime, and politician scandals, and how excited they must have been when they could even attach photos as cameras spread!

They started writing stimulating articles while stirring up not only America but the whole world holding one camera and several films.

And what was held out in front of my eyes were also such things.

"Special feature on the world's worst food culture...?"

"That's already a popular corner serialized 45 times. I also often read it for fun when relieving stress. The content is trash though. Keep reading."

Phew, I sighed.

"...The chicken sold in London, Britain was really terrible compared to the fried chicken of Louisiana and Georgia, the home of it in America. The tough batter clearly showed how much the British whose creativity was exhausted envied America's food culture and were plagiarizing cunningly like coyotes. Among them the worst was a restaurant called 'Culina Divina,' where they were nonchalantly committing the act of packaging and selling such terrible food as if it were high-end cooking while receiving the large sum of 1.5 dollars (about 6 shillings)... it said?"

I looked at Mr. Tesla with an absurd expression while reading the article.

This was a scrap of newspaper that Mr. Tesla suddenly threw saying if you're curious how I deduced your name, read this.

From the front page content it was a typical tabloid without basis. J.P. Morgan is bribing politicians and pouring taxes into the Panama Canal, all the trust conglomerates causing monopolies must be collapsed, the New York Police Commissioner is heating up media suppression...

And among them the worst was definitely this.

These damn bastards were slandering my Chicken and Chips in America?! Should I kill them?!

"Here, let me see once too!"

Whoosh.

While I was crumpling the newspaper with a hand full of anger, Lord Crookes who was still chuckling snatched that letter trash.

And he burst into laughter clapping his hands again.

"Puhaha! Young Jean-Paul Durand, when on earth was this photo taken? No matter how I look it's you!"

I saw it too. That's why I'm even angrier.

It's a completely identical outfit to the clothes I'm wearing right now.

The photo quality is also shoddy and it's black and white printing so the face is hard to recognize, but the shirt, vest, tweed pants, and slicked-back hair with pomade that I'm wearing are identical to the outfit in the photo. A person with a sharp eye would easily find the similarities.

Why am I still wearing the clothes I wore then? Who does laundry often in this era! Rather, if you wash often you get treated as a fool saying it only ruins the clothes!

"Recently letters requesting interviews kept flying in, so I stuffed them all in the trash can. But someone secretly sneaked in without permission so I caught them and scolded them thoroughly and handed them over to the police..."

Of all things it was caught by the Earl of Derby who was full of anger from not being able to eat galbijjim. The Earl yelled asking if he sneaked in to steal the recipe, and immediately threw a punch at the nose to relieve stress.

Looking now it seems it was a reporter or something of that sort.

The Earl of Derby has some nasty sides, but still he was famous for strong punches among the nobles.

My goodness, I didn't know the old man could box that well. Somehow he looked sturdy, but with one punch the person's nose bridge collapsed?

Anyway, Mr. Tesla nodded.

"Well, it's a common thing. They go around in pairs or threes throwing bait to anger the opponent, and overlay a bad image with that. I almost got hit once in Washington in the old days. Of course I sued and received ample compensation."

"Ahem, then shall I continue reading somewhere. This part? There's a rumor that in Britain they put opium or ether in the low-quality Chicken and Chips to spread it so American travelers must be careful... it says? You, by any chance didn't really put drugs in it, right? Somehow every time I eat Chicken and Chips my appetite explodes!"

"Am I crazy?!"

"Hehehe, it's a joke, a joke! Hehehehe."

This person is no longer a grandfather! He's just an old man!

"Well this article content is completely absurd nonsense! If the guy who wrote it was in front of my eyes, I would have thrown a punch instead by now!"

It's useless to try to clean it up now, old man!

Anyway, the situation was roughly grasped. Mr. Tesla read that trash-like article in New York, and applied the content to me who was wearing the same clothes... Well, that kind of deduction?

But the question still wasn't resolved. I threw one more question at this Croatian Holmes.

"But, this photo just has similar clothes and my face isn't visible at all. Moreover my name didn't even come out in the newspaper."

"It's simple, Lord Crookes boasted about your chicken so much. I almost got calluses on my ears. And you proposed to meet first, right? How unsightly the appearance of boasting about the introduction letter was. Would there be more young men that such a Lord Crookes would bring today besides you."

"...Ahem! Tesla you, stop such embarrassing talk a bit!"

...Wait, from the start deduction and everything wasn't needed. It was just that Lord Crookes went around blabbering my personal details one by one?!

But Mr. Tesla still didn't loosen his expression full of irritation.

"Lord Crookes, do you really think this friend can help my research? As deduced he's just a chef, right?"

With eyes as if he would really throw a punch if it was a joke, Mr. Tesla coldly glared at Lord Crookes.

"No, of course it's a joke! You didn't take that seriously, did you? This friend is just a chef!"

Crack.

It seemed like the sound of a spark flying from somewhere was heard.

"In fact the person who needs help is not you but this friend! I know you enjoy brain activity a lot, but according to my experience when work is stuck a change of pace is definitely needed! That way better ideas suddenly come to mind later! It was like that when I discovered thallium too."

"So, what on earth do you want to say right now? Is it joking around? Please stop interfering with my time."

"Wait, while we're at it, you, won't you make a bet with us?"

Uh uh, the flow is strange again somehow? This old man, surely the reason he brought me here�

"A bet? Well let's hear it once."

"It's simple. You, since coming to Britain food doesn't suit your mouth so you're only drinking coffee all the time, right! But here I have the chef I cherish the most in London! If young Jean makes food that suits your taste... How about it? You give a small help to young Jean's worries!"

Excuse me?! Grandfather? What about my opinion?

"Then if I win? As you know my taste is quite picky."

"The conditions will suit your heart perfectly? You said your investment funds recently bottomed out? So didn't you come to London to earn pocket money? Just in time I have some money to spare, so I can help with your wireless charging system or whatever. Along with that I'll also connect you to our academy members."

"Then isn't it too advantageous for me? I'm thinking of saying it's not delicious no matter what?"

"I have all the thoughts. For now I'll take the referee fairly. And there's one more secret judge who will compete in victory or defeat with you. Young Jean, what do you think?"

Wink.

Now my expression also became uncomfortable. Because when Lord Crookes winked before departing for the coffee house, I only now realized the meaning contained in it.

When on earth did he prepare this prank? From the moment I said I needed a refrigerator?

And who is the judge? Is he going to have some cooking competition with my food? Is the secret judge Mr. Henry? The Earl of Derby? Or will the Duke of York secretly appear disguised as Holmes again?

But even so I wasn't one to run away.

Because I had a secret cheat key.

[ Nikola Tesla: That friend absolutely won't know the fact that I'm a vegetarian! / Emotion: Joy / Satisfaction: - ]

This guy, unlike his words he's happy inside? If I put out Chicken and Chips, is he thinking of overturning the table saying he doesn't eat meat and just eating and running with the investment funds?

But that won't do. Sprinkling ink on finished rice is my specialty.

I also answered with my mind twisted a lot.

"Good. I'll show this person the real British taste of a Briton. For reference I'm not a Frenchman but a Briton, Mr. Tesla. Only my name is like that."

"Good! Young Tesla, your thoughts?"

Mr. Tesla corrected his posture.

"Well, I was gradually getting hungry. Even if it's tasteless food it will be a change of mood. Of course it will be unpleasant. It would also be interesting to check if this friend really put drugs in the food."

"Both agreed, right? Then young Jean, let's go to your restaurant! I'll show you the speed of my Mercedes 35 HP!"

...The speed was really a turtle.

But who on earth is the secret judge!

###

It didn't take long to confirm the identity of the secret judge.

Lord Crookes, Mr. Tesla, and me. When the three of us arrived at my restaurant after running for dozens of minutes with our bodies crumpled into the old Benz�

What we faced in front of the front door was a middle-aged man with a receding hairline and an uncomfortable expression just like Mr. Tesla and me.

White hair, a slightly wide face, deeply sunken eyes, a round and large nose, a white shirt and vest, and a bow tie.

A figure that a modern person couldn't not know even if they tried. A regular guest of biographies and textbooks.

Mr. Tesla carelessly spilled the name of that man.

"...Mr. Edison, to meet you in this far British land. Lord Crookes, what on earth is this intention? My mood is quite bad."

And the status window of the middle-aged man that floated at that moment.

[ Thomas Alva Edison: I came because it was a delicious food bet, but that friend Tesla came to interfere again! / Emotion: Irritation / Satisfaction: - ]

I also couldn't help but be surprised. The man standing in front of my eyes was none other than that famous American inventor, Thomas Edison!

He was also a figure entangled with Mr. Tesla over the academy problem right now. This was really unpredictable. Should I get a signature on the restaurant phonograph at least?!

Anyway he was also full of anger with blood rushing to his pure white scalp turning red and blue.

"I want to say the same thing, Mr. Crookes. What on earth is this doing? An explanation seems necessary!"

"It's simple! There's not one thing changed from what I told you Edison by phone!"

Haha, you're joking, right? What on earth is this commotion!

Lord Crookes said while putting his hand on my shoulder.

"The friend here right now is the best chef in London as far as I know! And I made a bet with young Tesla, if Tesla admits defeat after eating this friend's cooking I'll give a very small help to this friend, and if not I decided to make a very large investment in Tesla!"

"I know that. It's just that I didn't know that friend was Tesla here."

"Is that important now? As I told you, you have to find the parts that don't logically match in young Tesla's taste evaluation and successfully refute them! If you refute it's your victory, and if you can't refute well Tesla might win! If you Edison win, I won't interfere with the lobbying activities you're doing now, and I'll write a opinion letter to the parliament to positively review your opinion! But if you lose, as I said earlier you also have to give a small help to young Jean!"

This is crazy doing. I should get out of here!

To summarize the structure of the bet, it's like this.

The winner of this game is only one person, Mr. Tesla or Mr. Edison. But depending on the case both can lose.

First, if my food is really delicious and Mr. Tesla has no choice but to admit it's delicious, Mr. Tesla loses and Mr. Edison also has no logic to refute so both lose. The winner in this case is me.

Second, if the food is not delicious and Mr. Tesla honestly says it's not delicious, Mr. Tesla wins and Mr. Edison similarly can't refute and loses.

Third, if the food is delicious but Mr. Tesla lies and says it's not delicious, there's a probability that Mr. Edison successfully refutes that and wins. If he can't refute, ultimately Mr. Tesla's victory.

Fourth, if my food is not delicious but Mr. Tesla lies and says it's delicious? This is completely stupid, right? In this case it doesn't exist from the start. Mr. Tesla immediately loses and Mr. Edison's victory. So this flow is excluded.

That is, either I win, or Mr. Tesla wins, or Mr. Edison wins.

Considering this structure, Mr. Tesla now has to speak the truth no matter what. If he lies the risk of losing is much greater.

"Young Jean, you just need to make the best cooking as usual! There won't be anyone who evaluates negatively after eating the food you make! So you make them admit defeat no matter what! Then the two people who are the world's best inventors here will join forces and make that refrigerator or whatever you so desperately wanted! This is the best help I can give you!"

...This grandfather just laid the premise that I would definitely make delicious food.

The most ideal scenario for me and Lord Crookes is that the food I make is really delicious so Mr. Tesla has no choice but to admit it, and Mr. Edison fails to refute.

Then the two world's top genius inventors stick to me. Lord Crookes also won't lose money!

When on earth did this grandfather make this plan?!

It seems that he is my fan is really sincere.

Knowing that I was racking my brain over the refrigerator problem, the intention was to stick the world's best inventors to me and give help.

In the three cases there was no loss to me. One of the two definitely loses, and in the end has to help me. Excluding the first, only Lord Crookes takes the loss.

So I was rather caught in a dead end. If I cause loss to Lord Crookes who is trying to help me this much, hair will grow on my conscience. As expected of the brain attack of the strongest scientist in current Britain.

Moreover, the message faintly sparkling in one corner of my vision.

【 General Quest: Impress celebrities with special food (2/99th cycle) 】

Could I obtain a double reward with this opportunity?

But what on earth cooking do I have to make? One is a vegetarian, one is a man with his mind twisted a lot. This is driving me crazy! Chicken and Chips is absolutely no good!

In the end the three of us, after looking at each other alternately for a long time to our heart's content, all nodded at the same time.