Chapter 437: A Paradise in Europe
Schmidt ambled through the brightly lit streets of Paris until half past two in the morning. Only then did profound fatigue finally overcome his excitement, urging him to return to his hotel to rest.
That night, he had bought an untold number of fashionable clothes, health products, and handicrafts. His accompanying servant was already exhausted under the weight of numerous bags and packages, forcing Schmidt to hire a ten-year-old boy to help carry things.
The Palais-Royal Gardens Hotel, where Schmidt was staying, was extremely luxurious. His suite was already equipped with gas lamps, which cast a brilliant, sun-like glow. This alone made him feel that spending an extra 3 Florins to stay here had been the right decision.
He looked out the window at the Parisian streets, adorned as if with countless stars, and felt that this place was simply in a different world from Munich.
He recalled the clean, bright streets, the bustling crowds, especially the fashionable and beautiful French women, and the dazzling array of exquisite goods displayed in shop windows. He savored the fresh taste of sea shrimp, oysters, and nuts—a North African-style feast he had just enjoyed.
His servant dropped a pile of items onto the table, rubbing his cramping arms. Following his master's gaze towards the bustling city nightscape outside the window, he couldn't help but exclaim, "Oh, I think this must be what heaven looks like!"
Schmidt, uncharacteristically, didn't scoff at his servant's inexperience, but instead nodded instinctively.
At 6 AM the next morning, Schmidt, who had only slept for about three hours, was awakened by a knock at his door from the hotel attendant. "Mr. Schmidt, you asked me to remind you this morning. It's six o'clock now."
"Oh, yes, thank you."
Several members of the Bavarian Chamber of Commerce were already waiting at the entrance to the Palais-Royal. Schmidt hurried over to greet his old acquaintances courteously.
Moments later, music swelled all around, and Mirabeau, the French Minister of Industry, delivered another lengthy speech. Then, accompanied by the release of white doves, the grand gates of the Palais-Royal slowly swung open.
Holding his VIP invitation, Schmidt did not queue with other tourists but entered the Palais-Royal directly through a special channel.
When the gardens of the Palais-Royal unfolded before him, his eyes widened instantly.
He had attended exhibitions and fairs before, such as the "European Expo" that Austria had frequently hosted for over a decade, and similar events organized by Britain. But those expos, frankly, were no more than rather lavish country fairs.
Workshops or merchants would display some decent goods in exhibition halls, enthusiastically hawking them. The government would arrange for nobles and wealthy individuals to visit, followed by banquets and balls, before a successful closing.
But what appeared before Schmidt now was absolutely not a "country fair." It was a truly magnificent sight, with national pavilions separated by tall wooden walls and elaborate garden designs.
From the nearest Austrian pavilion, he saw miniature versions of iconic buildings like the Hofburg Music Hall and St. Stephen's Cathedral. The adjacent North African pavilion was set up to resemble a Mediterranean port scene, with a model of a Roman amphitheater subtly visible within, specifically the El Jem Amphitheatre in the outskirts of Sousse, built during the Roman rule of Tunisia.
As he and other foreign dignitaries entered the Austrian pavilion, they were presented with Austria's signature industry: glass products.
However, unlike previous simple displays of goods, this exhibition showcased an entire model of the glass production process, with several artisans performing demonstrations for the visitors.
When he saw a colored glass decanter, crafted through an incredibly intricate process, he instantly felt as if the object possessed a soul.
Further on were exhibits of leather tanning, iron smelting, and other industries...
In the past, when Schmidt attended such exhibitions, he would merely glance at the exhibits, perhaps offering a few compliments on the fine craftsmanship of a particular item.
But today, he lingered in the Austrian pavilion for over an hour. Only when the general visitors began to stream in did he reluctantly follow the signposts towards the adjacent Netherlands pavilion.
There, Schmidt was quickly captivated by a demonstration of the shipbuilding process. When he saw a newly designed Dutch river cargo ship nearby, his eyes lit up.
As Bavaria's second-largest shipping operator, he immediately realized that this type of vessel could significantly reduce his costs.
He eagerly approached the Dutch exhibition team, inquiring about the factory address and other information for manufacturing such ships, intending to purchase several after the expo concluded.
However, a nearby exhibition staff member, hearing his words, promptly smiled and informed him that there was a business hall on the second floor of the Palais-Royal where detailed information on all exhibited items could be obtained, and even direct contracts signed for transactions.
After paying a small deposit, a waiter led Schmidt to the business hall. He immediately saw lawyers and bank employees waiting nearby, ready to assist.
Before lunchtime, Schmidt had already signed a purchase intent letter with the shipyard and paid a small deposit, witnessed by a lawyer. All these funds were conveniently transferred directly to the Netherlands via the Bank of France.
When Schmidt returned to the main exhibition area in the Palais-Royal gardens, he couldn't help but exclaim inwardly, 'So this is how an exhibition can be done!'
At the same time, in the various pavilions of the Palais-Royal, visitors from different countries were voicing similar exclamations: "So this is what an exhibition can be like."
"Absolutely spectacular!"
"Coming to Paris this time was truly worth it; it's been an eye-opening experience."
The visitors' astonishment was entirely within Joseph's expectations. What a joke! All sorts of commercial activities and exhibitions in the 21st century were already beyond mature. Simply copying some of the expos he had seen would amount to a dimensional strike against an era that wouldn't see a World Expo for another half-century.
From the layout of each country's exhibition hall to the content of the demonstrations and the production of the models, everything at this expo was planned under his guidance, ensuring a consistently high standard.
This was even with limited preparation time. If he had also included various national costumes, songs and dances, or even international cuisines, the expo's impact would have been even more sensational!
The next day, when Schmidt finally toured the French pavilion, he was utterly stunned—
Visitors sat in sightseeing cars pulled by High-Pressure Steam Engines, automatically traveling along tracks that circled the exhibition hall.
Inside the enormous pavilion, from High-Pressure Steam Engines to new automatic looms, from luxurious and comfortable carriages to modern Particleboard Furniture, from Gas Streetlights to advanced Steel smelting...
A multitude of novel inventions overwhelmed his senses. Every product was exquisitely crafted, beautiful, and conveyed a sense of high quality. In just a few hours of touring, France's image in his mind had instantly elevated by several notches!
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