Chapter 606: The Thunder Explodes
For France's Minister of Trade, he witnessed export volumes continuously surging at a rate of over 10% each month.
Although the French factories that had been affected by the previous order scam had received subsidies and sold off most of their inventory, they had practically suffered no losses.
However, the excess workers they had hired and the machinery they had purchased to fulfill those orders were still causing headaches.
Recently, with the rise of smuggling trade with Britain and Portugal, most factories had reactivated their idle capacity, and some even found themselves slightly short on supply.
At the same time, as the volume of goods shipped towards the Southern Netherlands steadily increased, the construction speed in Wallonia also rose severalfold—wherever money flows, prosperity naturally follows.
For easier freight transport, the smugglers even raised their own funds to extend Joseph's originally planned wooden track from Hainaut to Ostend all the way to Luxembourg, eventually connecting with France's domestic wooden tracks in Verdun.
Ostend, once a small, overlooked seaport, became exceptionally prosperous in a matter of months.
Large numbers of residents from northern France, the French-speaking population of the Southern Netherlands, and even many Italians flocked here, earning high wages from this "special trade."
Such was the influx of sailors seeking work that wages dropped from 100 francs to 80 francs per month. Even so, it remained an extremely attractive salary.
Numerous homes, shops, and entertainment venues sprang up around the port like mushrooms after a rain.
The population around Ostend rapidly surged from over 4,000 to more than 50,000 and was still rising.
The Austrian government's control over the Southern Netherlands was never very strong to begin with, and these tens of thousands of French-speaking people completely ignored Brussels' decrees, while the Walloon Chamber of Commerce's influence gradually expanded into the northwestern Southern Netherlands.
It could be said that if Joseph weren't concerned about provoking Austria, he could immediately annex all areas south of Brussels into France. This was an Unexpected Harvest he hadn't anticipated.
While some rejoiced and others despaired, as Ostend's seaborne trade boomed, London was facing a terrifying "earthquake."
In a coffee shop near the Port of Thames, Mesmer, dressed like a scholar, gazed somewhat unwillingly towards the distant London city center, sighing wistfully:
"I'm certain Sir Enfigip has developed a strong interest in the prospects I painted. In three days, at most, he would have invested 50,000 pounds sterling in company bonds."
He looked at Calonne, who was savoring his coffee:
"And yet you wouldn't grant me those three days."
Calonne ignored him. Beside them, Steller, the general manager of Lightning Company, sporting a small mustache, whispered:
"Baron Mordaunt has already been questioned in Parliament; we simply can't delay any longer."
The London Gas Streetlights project had suffered repeated delays in its construction schedule, causing Member of Parliament Mordaunt, who had strongly advocated for it, to be greatly humiliated by his political rivals who seized on the issue.
Consequently, Mordaunt sought out the Mayor of London, strictly ordering him to produce results "sufficient to silence Parliament" before the end of the year.
The latter immediately agreed wholeheartedly.
He was very confident, as 80% of London's Gas Streetlights were already completed, and they only needed a gas test to be put into operation.
This coverage extended to nearly the entire city, and he believed that the moment London lit up in the night, the gentlemen of Parliament would surely be beaming with smiles.
Indeed, Lightning Company had told Mayor Herbert that the London Gas Streetlights project was nearing completion, and he had no doubts whatsoever—Gas Streetlights already lined London's streets and alleys, their elegant design and sturdy Bolts all exuding an industrial aesthetic.
What Herbert didn't know, however, was that these streetlights possessed only aesthetic appeal.
All the streetlights had been manufactured and installed by subcontractors strictly according to Lightning Company's blueprints. Not only could the pipe joints not be sealed, and necessary valves were missing, but even the material of the gas pipes was particularly "delicate," guaranteed to corrode through within a year of being laid.
Even if the British invested a large sum again to hire someone to resume this "half-finished project," they would still have to dig up all the pipes by this time next year. The cost would be even higher than laying pipes from scratch.
Afterwards, Herbert demanded that Lightning Company put the completed streetlights into operation.
For Baron Mordaunt's political future, he even directly issued an announcement, scheduling a grand ceremony at year-end to light London's Gas Streetlights.
Of course, the streetlights couldn't be lit at all. So, after discussing it, Calonne and Steller decided it was time to flee.
Besides, they had truly reaped enough.
Just hours after the ship carrying Calonne and the others departed from the Port of Thames, the Mayor of London, Baron Mordaunt, and a host of officials appeared at the ceremony venue.
However, after hearing his assistant whisper in his ear, Herbert showed a hint of suppressed anger. Neither Lightning Company's general manager nor its senior executives had shown up, and no one could find them anywhere.
Herbert scanned the thousands of citizens and numerous reporters present, a bad feeling surging in his heart. But when he glimpsed Lightning Company's technicians standing not far away, along with the owners of the companies involved in the Gas Streetlights project, he breathed a sigh of relief.
'As long as the technicians were here and could light the streetlights, that was all that mattered. He could settle the other accounts with Steller later.'
The sun began to set, and after the Baron and the Mayor delivered brilliant speeches, the sky had grown dark.
Baron Mordaunt excitedly raised his hand as a signal:
"Let us dispel London's darkness with light!"
Dozens of lamplighters immediately fanned out, each uncovering a glass lantern housing and inserting a long, thin burning rod into the streetlight.
Then, they all showed looks of surprise, began checking their respective valves, and then tried lighting the lamps again.
The night remained as pitch black as before.
The lamplighters hurriedly moved to other streetlights to try, but still couldn't light them.
A full half hour later, messages came in from all over London: not a single lamp could be lit.
Herbert glared fiercely at Lightning Company's technician, who hastily explained with a troubled expression:
"Mr. Mayor, the gas isn't flowing through, I've already sent people to check."
However, the inspection yielded no results, and another hour later, Herbert announced with a grim expression:
"Due to technical malfunctions, the lighting ceremony is postponed."
The next morning, he stormed to Lightning Company with a host of officials to demand accountability.
Steller and the others still hadn't appeared. A technician timidly reported to the Mayor:
"I checked the main output pipe, and there was indeed no gas there."
Herbert snapped, "Then go check your gas plant!"
The technician reluctantly lowered his head and said:
"But, Mr. Mayor, only the chief technician is allowed to enter there..."
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