108: Chapter 108: Even if I gave you the blueprints, you couldn't replicate them even after twenty years.

With the advent of the motion picture projector, Lin Tian had actually begun planning to establish a dedicated film company.

Moreover, ever since Edison, that great master, joined the Umbrella Laboratory.

Currently, the R&D team has begun to conquer the second-generation movie camera—the color camera.

The core principle of this technology is to use three separated images of the photographed scene as a foundation, add corresponding filters to red, green, and blue negatives, and finally synthesize a realistic full-color picture.

In fact, the world's first color photograph was tinkered together as early as 1861.

But at that time, limited by technology, the developing process for full-color photos was not only agonizingly tedious but also frighteningly expensive.

Therefore, this technology had always been shelved and could not be popularized on a large scale.

But now it is different; the brand-new technology mastered by the Umbrella Laboratory can not only greatly simplify the operation process but also cut production costs to the bone.

It won't be long before the epoch-making color camera enters the market.

...

Just after the New Year.

In Woodstock, Oxfordshire, in the British Isles, a company signboard named "Lin-Churchill Joint Pharmaceutical Company" was officially hung up.

At this time, the first Sulfonamide production line had been debugged and officially put into operation.

Although the efficiency of this imitation production line was far inferior to the original goods Lin Tian had pulled from the system.

But this was already the most advanced technology the Umbrella Laboratory could offer.

Randolph Churchill, who was inspecting the pharmaceutical factory, looked at the beautifully packaged finished Sulfonamide products on the assembly line, his eyes glowing green.

The group of British nobles accompanying him were swallowing their saliva in excitement.

In the eyes of these vampires, these white pills were not medicine to cure diseases and save lives at all, but brand-new pounds sterling exhaling the fresh scent of ink!

"Lord Churchill, thank you so much this time for letting us share such a big piece of the cake!" a young woman wearing a lady's hat and an orange dress said with a charming smile.

"Lady Cheever, I should be the one thanking you for your generous investment!"

Randolph Churchill replied politely, beaming with joy.

This charming lady before him was no simple person; she was a genuine young noblewoman. Her husband was an old Marquis with one foot in the grave, who had just passed away last year.

Now, this Lady Cheever had become the most sought-after wealthy widow in all of London.

"No, no, no, it is we who are basking in the reflected glory of Lord Churchill to get such a generous return!"

The Marchioness Cheever laughed until she shook.

"That's right! Lord Churchill, being able to participate in such a profitable business is simply the honor of our entire family!"

Another young noble wearing a black top hat and holding a walking stick chimed in.

"Baron Göring, you are too kind. If we really want to thank someone, the person we should all thank most is His Excellency Bruce Lin, who is far away in the USA!"

Randolph Churchill smiled and brought out the boss behind the scenes.

Hearing this, the Marchioness Cheever's eyes lit up, and she lowered her voice, full of gossip:

"I heard that His Excellency Bruce Lin's total assets have now exceeded 100 million US dollars! My God, that is an astronomical figure of nearly 20 million pounds! And I heard he just turned eighteen this year!"

"It is absolutely true! I saw that The Daily Telegraph and Morning Post did a large-scale report on it just a few days ago. The newspapers in the USA call him the 'King of Inventors,' the 'Most Benevolent Capitalist,' and some even praise him as the greatest figure of the nineteenth century! The most terrifying thing is that he only spent less than eight years earning this mountain of gold!"

Baron Göring exclaimed with a shocked expression.

"My God! It's simply unbelievable!"

A middle-aged Earl nearby named Glover couldn't help but exclaim.

You must know, his family had been old-school nobles since the era of Queen Anne of the Stuart dynasty.

Yet, after two or three hundred years, let alone 20 million pounds, he couldn't scrape together a fraction of that even if he pawned his underwear.

If he hadn't gritted his teeth and invested in the Sulfonamide pharmaceutical factory this time, his century-old family estate would have been squandered away very soon.

"However, I heard that tycoon is Chinese?" At this moment, a Lord in the crowd interjected hesitantly.

In this arrogant era, the British upper class looked down on the Chinese.

Ever since they won the Opium War, the British had long since trampled that once-vast ancient Eastern country under their feet.

In their arrogant eyes, the Chinese were no different from the enslaved Indians. If it weren't for the fact that the ancient country had such a huge population and the cost of governance was too high, they would have already turned it into the British Empire's backyard.

However, upon hearing this, Randolph immediately straightened his face and shook his head repeatedly in rebuttal.

"No, no, no! You are all completely wrong! His Excellency Bruce is by no means some ignorant Qing Dynasty person! Those currently ruling that ancient country are a bunch of barbaric Tatars. And His Excellency Bruce is a descendant of the orthodox Huaxia, which has inherited a long history and glorious civilization!"

Randolph paused, his tone becoming very serious: "For that vast Eastern empire, the current rule is simply a regression of history! Barbarism defeating civilization, just like the 'Scourge of God' that swept across Europe back then, is a disaster!"

Hearing this explanation, the group of nobles nodded thoughtfully.

In the Western view of history, there are only two tough characters who can be called the 'Scourge of God': one is Temujin of the Mongol Empire, and the other is Attila the Hun.

These two dark histories of being rubbed into the ground are simply traumatic childhood memories for Westerners.

Being swayed by Randolph, the nobles agreed deeply and considered they had completely accepted Lin Tian's 'orthodox identity.'

"Lord Churchill, I propose that we should jointly invite His Excellency Lin Tian to visit Europe! If he is willing to grace us with his presence, I guarantee I will invite the most beautiful ladies in all of Europe for him and host the grandest salon party!"

The Marchioness Cheever's eyes shone, and she issued the invitation enthusiastically.

Baron Göring also chimed in: "That's right! I think the upper-class gentlemen of all London are impatient to meet this talented Chinese prodigy!"

"Yes! I also heard from friends in the USA that Mr. Bruce has recently developed some long-distance wireless telegraph technology. Several big shots in our London are very envious of this technology!"

Randolph looked in the direction of the voice and smiled, politely declining:

"Lord Lorne, regarding the telegraph company business, His Excellency Bruce intends to operate it independently and is not considering accepting any external investment for the time being."

Hearing this, the young man known as Lord Lorne—who was the future ninth Duke of Argyll, John Campbell—shrugged with some regret.

"Don't misunderstand, I'm just passing on a message for the big shots in London."

Everyone present knew Lord Lorne's illustrious background.

As a core member of the top-tier Argyll family, he married Princess Louise, the fourth daughter of Queen Victoria, before he was twenty-six, and was even sent to Canada to serve as the highest Governor-General for a period of time.

This was a real royal relative!

He alone swallowed 5% of the shares of the Sulfonamide pharmaceutical company.

Obviously, the official high-level officials had set their sights on the wireless telegraph technology in Lin Tian's hands that was enough to change the world landscape, and wanted to use Lord Lorne's mouth to test the waters.

Unfortunately, even Randolph Churchill couldn't make the decision on this matter.

Because Lin Tian had long sent a secret telegram, explicitly issuing a death order: Wireless telegraph technology must not be shared, it must be wholly owned by the Lin family, and a dedicated telegraph communication company must be established directly in London in the future.

...

Time had just entered 1891.

Far away in New York, Lin Tian received an urgent transoceanic telegram sent by Randolph.

Facing the invitation to visit Europe jointly issued by a large group of British nobles, Lin Tian threw it directly into the wastebasket.

What a joke! Where would he find the spare time now!

In this backward era, going to Europe is not as simple as taking a plane in later generations.

Just sitting on a bumpy steam passenger ship crossing the Atlantic takes seven or eight days. Plus the time for socializing, a round trip would take at least a whole month.

There are a bunch of industries waiting for his layout in the USA, how could he have time to go to London to drink afternoon tea with that bunch of vampires!

Let's wait until everything at hand is sorted out first!

As for what Randolph mentioned in the telegram about London's top brass coveting the long-distance wireless telegraph technology.

Heh! Lin Tian could only respond with a cold sneer.

As a piece of super black technology that is decades ahead of the current era.

Lin Tian had once specifically asked Tesla if it was possible for Europe to reverse-engineer it.

At that time, this scientific madman shook his head with great disdain.

"Absolutely impossible! The core of the second-generation wireless telegraph transmitter uses the small vacuum tube technology exclusively developed by our Umbrella Laboratory. With the pathetic level of scientific research in Europe now, even if you threw the blueprints at them, they wouldn't be able to figure it out in ten or twenty years!"

Since he had obtained the guarantee from the scientific big shot, Lin Tian was naturally fearless and full of confidence.

His Lin Telegraph Communication Company must be 100% independently controlled, and not even a penny of external capital would be allowed to touch it!

All second-generation transmitters that leave the factory will be engraved with a unique, exclusive serial number.

Want to use it? No problem, pay up!

Charged by the word, one penny per letter, no credit allowed!

Think it's expensive? The door is right there, don't let the door hit you on the way out!

Want to install this on a warship? That's fine too.

The Lin Communication Company can provide leasing services.

As for the rent, let's calculate it based on the displacement of the warship. The larger the tonnage, the more money you pay!

Of course, if you feel the pinch, you can continue to drag a long wire behind your warship when you go to sea.

It's just that domineering!