Chapter 1072: Hopes and Illusions
A bizarre scene unfolded a moment later.
Sandel and Rice, who had appeared to be on the brink of death, sat up in their hospital beds. They simultaneously twisted their stiff backs, letting out long, satisfied groans.
White, oily greasepaint peeled away from Sandel's face, revealing the healthy skin beneath.
Rice, meanwhile, pulled his left arm out from inside his shirt. The "severed hand" that had been protruding from his sleeve fell limp to the side.
A doctor's assistant quickly retrieved the limb and submerged it in a chemical solution—it was a genuine human hand, and it would likely rot and begin to reek if left exposed for too long.
Indeed, every step of the process—from the announcement of the product's progress to the boiler explosion and the subsequent injuries to Sandel and Rice—had been a carefully choreographed script.
Starting five years ago, Sandel had been gradually replacing the technicians around him with agents from the Security Bureau.
Then, Dr. Brusque had "accidentally" cured a mysterious illness that broke out among the technicians, earning him a high-paying position as the company's resident physician.
Naturally, he and his assistants were also members of the Security Bureau.
After Joseph issued the order to "detonate" the plan, Hart, the Security Bureau's chief in London, took direct command of the operation. Everything—the design of the explosion, the costumes, the makeup, and even the dialogue—had been rehearsed repeatedly.
It culminated today with the public destruction of the Boulton-Watt Company's experimental workshop. During the blast, Sandel and his team had been safely tucked away behind a reinforced wall, completely unharmed. Their blood-soaked, mangled appearance was nothing more than the work of theatrical makeup.
The reason for such an elaborate ruse was primarily to facilitate the extraction of a vital talent like Sandel. Simultaneously, it served to mask the fact that Britain's development of new steam engines had reached a complete standstill.
Sandel had left a massive trove of technical data behind for the Boulton-Watt Company, which the British technicians could use to continue their research.
While this vertical cylinder, short-stroke steam engine configuration offered significant advantages in thermal efficiency, it was incapable of scaling up its power output. According to Murdoch's previous assessments, the power limit for this specific design could never exceed 60 horsepower.
Joseph's goal was to ensure the British remained unwilling to abandon a technology in which they had already invested vast amounts of capital and effort. He wanted them trapped in a technical quagmire, squandering their budget and time.
In a few years, the British would realize with horror that their steam engine technology trailed several generations behind that of France.
On the other side of the city, Montes grabbed his friend Graby and rushed back to the newly renovated London Stock Exchange at top speed.
There were less than fifty minutes left until the 4:30 PM closing bell. He had to use this narrow window before the news spread to dump as much of his clients' Boulton-Watt stock as possible.
Fortunately, he had already intended to persuade Graby to sell Boulton-Watt that day, so they had both brought their clients' relevant documentation. Otherwise, just organizing the transaction files would have taken half the day.
The two men worked with incredible efficiency. By 4:15 PM, they had secured sell authorizations for their top five clients.
They immediately began offloading the Boulton-Watt shares at highly attractive prices.
However, stock transaction procedures in this era were painstakingly tedious. By the time the closing bell rang, Montes had only managed to sign four transaction contracts.
Even so, he had helped his clients liquidate nearly 50,000 pounds sterling worth of stock. Graby's side had offloaded more than 20,000 pounds.
The following morning, the front pages of every major London newspaper were dominated by the news: "Boulton-Watt's Latest Steam Engine Explodes During Testing, Chief Technician Critically Injured."
The London Stock Exchange descended into a state of absolute pandemonium.
In less than an hour, the price of Boulton-Watt shares on the announcement board plummeted from 57 pounds to 49 pounds per share.
In this era, stock trading was a game for the nobility and major capitalists. An ordinary middle-class family could exhaust their entire fortune and still be unable to afford a single share.
Montes and Graby had already sold off all their Boulton-Watt holdings. They watched with comfortable detachment as the stock price continued its freefall, discussing where they should go to celebrate that evening.
At 4:00 PM, a stockbroker suddenly shouted at the exchange entrance, "The International Standard Statistics Company just downgraded Boulton-Watt! Their rating is now A3!"
A sudden silence fell over the hall.
The previous "rating war" surrounding the Boulton-Watt Company had been a sensational affair that everyone knew about.
As Boulton-Watt's performance surged and their new technology seemed to progress smoothly, the two major French rating agencies had been forced to admit that the Genoa United Credit Rating Company had been right all along, restoring the company to the highest rating.
At the time, the entire London financial world hailed it as a victory for British industry, promoting the news widely.
This had made the three major rating agencies household names among the British.
While they didn't entirely trust the ratings, they were nonetheless influenced by them.
This time, however, the French were incredibly efficient. Boulton-Watt had met with disaster only yesterday, and the rating adjustment was issued by this afternoon.
The downgrade took an immediate toll on the stock price. The value on the board skipped down to 46 pounds.
The next morning, when the other two rating agencies followed suit and lowered their evaluations, the stock price took another hit, nearing the 40-pound mark.
Fortunately, Boulton-Watt's response was swift. At noon on the third day after the accident, Boulton gathered a large group of reporters to publicly display the intact technical data for the new steam engine. He also announced that Watt, a recipient of the Order of Saint Louis, would serve as the interim chief technician.
Only then did the stock price manage to stabilize at 40 pounds, halting its descent.
Simultaneously, good news came from Dr. Brusque: the conditions of Sandel and Rice were under control, and they would likely survive.
However, their injuries were indeed severe, and Brusque mandated that no visitors were to be allowed under any circumstances.
Inside the general manager's office at the Boulton-Watt Company's newly completed headquarters, Boulton paced irritably. "Why did Sandel violate the safety protocols? Now we're guaranteed to default on the delivery of the new machines."
Frank had even managed to pre-sell the 180-horsepower models for him.
"At least the pre-sale volume wasn't huge; we won't lose too much in penalties," said the major shareholder, Faulkner. "As long as the existing older models can be produced steadily, the situation isn't catastrophic."
"We have to develop a higher-power model before the French do." Boulton suddenly grabbed his hat and walked toward the door. "I need to check on Sandel's condition."
Watt gave him a cold, sidelong glance; the gesture was clearly a lack of confidence in his own abilities.
He and Faulkner rose in turn and followed him out.
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