Chapter 502: Experiencing the Shock of Internet Jargon
Steller, an Italian who had conducted business in Britain for many years, had ancestors from Bourges, France. He constantly yearned to return to Bourges, making him a Frenchman at heart.
Bailly, a close friend of many years, knew of Steller's exceptional business acumen and suggested entrusting him with the competition for the London gas streetlight project.
Mayor Mordaunt raised his glass, offering a slight smile. "I will discuss your company's bid for the project with Member of Parliament Mordaunt as soon as possible."
"Thank you so much!"
After the salon concluded, Steller recounted the day's events to his valet in the carriage. The valet immediately lavished praise on him. "You've done an excellent job, Mr. Steller. At London City Hall, we have already 'surpassed' all the British companies."
"Now, it's all about your 'live demonstration.'"
This valet was none other than Captain Deloney of the French Intelligence Bureau, the overall manager of the "Gas Lamp Project."
Steller confidently replied, "Please rest assured, I've made ample preparations. Your innovative presentation method is sure to impress those Members of Parliament."
Deloney chuckled, waving a hand. "What do I know about presentations? That was invented by a truly important figure."
Joseph knew that to fully secure the London gas streetlight project, bribery alone wouldn't suffice. The scope was too vast; overwhelming strength had to be demonstrated to silence all opposition. Thus, he instructed the Lightning Coal Company to arrange a business presentation that would have been impossible in the 18th century.
Three days later.
Baron Mordaunt, a Member of the British House of Lords, arrived with several other Members of Parliament and numerous experts and scholars. They walked a red carpet, led by Steller's solicitous guidance, into the gates of the Lightning Coal Company.
As soon as they entered, Mordaunt and his entourage were surprised. Before them stood a giant rock, taller than a man, its side chiseled flat and engraved with dignified Roman script.
Lightning Coal Company Culture: Dreams Without Limits, Exploration Unceasing, Creating Miracles!
Driven by innovation, continuously pushing boundaries, igniting the flames of technology with the sparks of new ideas...
Pursuing excellence, meticulously focusing on every detail, crafting first-class products that exceed user expectations...
Striving and enterprising, undeterred by hardship, becoming the finest company through unwavering belief and diligent effort...
These platitudes, which no one in the 21st century would give a second glance, appeared remarkably grand and sophisticated to Mordaunt and his entourage – 18th-century people had never encountered anything like it. The awe-inspiring slogans and avant-garde concepts instantly captivated them.
Baron Mordaunt then gestured for a servant to help the Members of Parliament and others put on shoe covers, stating apologetically, "Please forgive us, gentlemen. Due to the very precise instruments within the company, and to prevent any adverse effects from dust, shoe covers are absolutely essential."
The group followed him inside the company, where they found the premises impeccably clean, its walls adorned with various documents and charts. Over 300 employees bustled about, and occasionally, someone would loudly declare, "Efficiency! Always maintain efficiency!"
"David, the data I require must be submitted within three minutes!"
"The precision can still be enhanced. I only want the absolute best products!"
This display left the visiting Members of Parliament utterly dumbfounded.
Steller led them into a very spacious hall. In the center of the room stood a towering, cylindrical apparatus that gleamed with metallic luster, connected to a multitude of pipes and instruments.
Before Mordaunt could even pose a question, Steller began a loud explanation. "Gentlemen, please observe: this is our company's latest developed coal distillation equipment. Naturally, this is merely a prototype; the units used for actual production will be considerably larger."
Steller winked at his assistant, who immediately directed workers to place coal blocks into the cylindrical apparatus, then lit a fire in the furnace below.
Soon, a light yellow smoke began to emerge from a glass tube atop the apparatus.
"Our machine is 20% more efficient than those the French use in Paris," Steller declared, pointing to a tall wooden board covered in comparative data. "You can see that our technology is comprehensively superior, from furnace temperature to distillation speed and raw material consumption."
"These coals will undergo dry distillation here, releasing a large volume of coal gas. This gas will then travel through these pipes, entering as many as eighteen stages of filtration and decomposition equipment – ah, right here..."
He spoke effusively and passionately, spewing technical jargon as if it were free. Not only were Mordaunt and the other Members of Parliament utterly bewildered, but even the accompanying scholars were lost in a fog of incomprehension. Yet, none dared voice their confusion, for this was the cutting edge of new technology, and it was perfectly natural not to fully grasp it.
In truth, even if they had asked, Steller had a strategy: simply overwhelm them with even more technical jargon and data until they had no choice but to fall silent.
Of course, this so-called "distillation equipment prototype" was merely a model crafted from sheet metal, a far cry from actual functional coal distillation technology.
Nevertheless, it had been meticulously polished by artisans, boasting a refined appearance and a distinct technological aesthetic. It could even be ignited for a demonstration. As a tool to impress, it was flawless. Its actual cost was less than 1,000 Francs.
Steller instructed his assistant to distribute beautifully printed promotional brochures to the visitors. "Our company has successively invested 30,000 Pound Sterling in developing this technology. This brochure clearly demonstrates that all its performance metrics are world-leading!"
"Therefore, our next stop is to examine another of the company's cutting-edge technologies – the coal crusher."
After viewing the coal crusher model, they proceeded to a gas washer model, and then a separator model...
With a thick stack of promotional brochures in their hands and only profound amazement for cutting-edge technology left in their minds, Steller then elaborated on the company's "Analyze-Design-Test-Integrate-Iterate" spiral development methodology.
This entire framework was even more purely conceptual, a theoretical exercise where every statement seemed profoundly logical, yet after listening, their minds would retain absolutely nothing.
After all, this was a standard R&D model from a later era, so it naturally held validity. However, Joseph merely needed to omit a few crucial points from it, and it instantly transformed into an inscrutable mystery.
Finally, in the conference hall, Steller erected colorful display boards and passionately depicted the company's future outlook for the gas streetlight project, along with its "sustainable" development plan.
Hours later, a surge of emotion filled the British Members of Parliament and experts as they exited the Lightning Coal Company. Their minds were crammed with exquisite images and an array of novel terms, convinced that this company possessed the most advanced technology and superior products in all of Europe.
Mordaunt was already convinced that if the Lightning Coal Company were to undertake London's gas lamp project, it would undoubtedly create a more refined and magnificent urban image than even Paris.
And he, as the one leading this project, would reap immense political rewards. He had even formulated his own promotional slogan: 'Father of London Streetlights.'
It might even be possible, in time, to contend for the position of Prime Minister.
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