Despite the air of forced selling, the fjord merchants ultimately accepted this selection method. They all knew that if they backed out now, others would swallow their share as well—when faced with goods that had no substitutes, this small concession was nothing.
Besides, they had to admit that Luo Lan made some sense. Although the samples they brought back had obvious differences in taste, none could be replicated by the fruit wines or other liquors on the market. The only difference was how much profit they would make. Moreover, the regions each person was responsible for selling to were different, so the likelihood of competition was low, further reducing the risk of selecting inferior products.
Watching Jiamuoer and the others circling the wooden barrels, even pressing their noses close to sniff, trying to find traces of the remaining beverage, Luo Lan chuckled inwardly. Don't let these barrels' ordinary appearance fool you; they were lined with a film drawn by Suoluo Ya, completely isolating the inside from the outside air. Relying on the nose alone, there was no way to smell any difference.
While everyone was busy selecting the Chaos Drink, he quietly called Mageli aside and said in a low voice, "The flavors of the drinks in the barrels on either side of number ten and twenty-four are quite good, at least I personally like them very much."
The latter showed a surprised expression, "Your Majesty..."
"Consider it a thank-you gift," Luo Lan chuckled. "If it weren't for the merchant group you initially brought, it might have taken the Western Territory two or three more years to look like it does today. Although your original intention wasn't to do business with Border Town, the town still benefited greatly, so this little reward is nothing." He paused. "Of course, only this once—after all, if you always draw good cards, others will inevitably become suspicious."
What he said was mostly true. The steam prototype at the time was bulky and difficult to operate, suitable only for the simplest drainage and hauling tasks, and there wasn't much of a sales market for it in the Western Territory. If she hadn't introduced it to the silverlight city mining merchants, thus opening up a high-profit trade route, the early primitive accumulation would have been much more difficult.
Moreover, the sales area that Mageli's trade association was responsible for was Graycastle continent, so using the better-tasting varieties to seize the local market first was also a good choice.
"Then I'll accept your thank-you gift," the female merchant didn't decline too much—in her dealings with people, she did have a bit of Leiting's shadow, being forthright and generous, while also unconcerned with petty details. After slightly touching her chest and giving Luo Lan a salute, Mageli covered her mouth and smiled, "Since I've received your gift, I can't give you nothing in return. Let me reveal some good news to you first."
"Oh?" Luo Lan raised his eyebrows.
"That first merchant group you mentioned, also my old friend Huo Ge, is also planning to visit the Western Territory soon." She lowered her voice, "But judging from his letter, it won't just be him coming this time—those machines you sell have already spread throughout the Kingdom Department area. Now almost all the mining merchants are inquiring about that set of track transport system. Perhaps in half a year, your factory will be busy non-stop."
"Is that so..." Luo Lan was slightly startled, then nodded with a smile, "It seems like it's indeed good news worth celebrating."
But only he himself knew that after hearing this news, a sincere sense of accomplishment suddenly surged in his heart.
This day had finally come.
Over the past two years, he had sold nearly a hundred steam engines, with the kingdom only accounting for 30%. At the beginning of the Graycastle Industry Company's establishment, the monthly output was a mere two to three units, which was an unsightly number. Even when the territory's own needs weren't being met, he still sold some to Silverlight City, all in anticipation of this day.
Such a small amount of motive power was almost negligible for the Industrial Revolution, but it was a signal, a signal of the shift from manual labor to machinery, a signal of the transformation of production methods. When everyone noticed this emerging force and wanted to emulate and pursue it, the revolution would begin.
This kind of revolution, driven by profit, was almost impossible to stop. Its effect was ten thousand times better than touting and promoting products everywhere. The energy it contained was enough to change the entire era.
And now, Neverwinter City was no longer what it used to be. The industrial park's daily output was equivalent to the past month, and it could grow even more after three shifts. Most importantly, a large number of apprentices who had received primary education were continuously being transformed into workers—they had never touched a hammer, nor had they forged a sword, but they had learned how to use machines to produce machines. As long as the time was right, Neverwinter City would explode with productivity that would astonish this era.
From Mageli's news, Luo Lan seemed to see that this opportunity was not far from him.
...
Two days later, the Fjord merchants left Neverwinter City with their selected Chaos Drinks, while Baluofu couldn't wait to walk into his office, clutching a thick stack of notebooks.
From the old chief steward's expression, which was so smiling that his eyes were almost invisible, Luo Lan knew that the harvest this time must have been bountiful.
However, after opening the statistics book, he didn't linger on the entry amount for too long, but instead focused his attention on the newly added population.
According to the agreement of the last meeting, Sunset Island and Shallow Water City would each provide three hundred craftsmen in exchange for the completion of paddle steamer transformation within five years; while Crescent Bay, with its wealth, was even more straightforward, using two thousand people and fifty thousand gold royals to purchase a sail-less steel ship. Although both of their purposes were aimed at shipbuilding technology, Luo Lan didn't care about this little thought, but instead treated it as a bargaining chip—as long as they were willing to leave people behind, he could give them not only manufacturing methods and techniques, but also design drawings.
Therefore, they had also put in enough effort this time. According to Baluofu's statistics, the number of craftsmen brought by the Fjord this time was about 10% to 20% more than agreed, and most of them were old carpenters with many years of shipbuilding experience. Their intention was self-evident: since Neverwinter City did not prohibit the outward transmission of technology, then when the contract was completed, in addition to those who were regarded as part of the transaction, the rest would bring everything they learned back to the Fjord.
Unfortunately, they didn't understand the term "new era technology."
Luo Lan couldn't help but raise the corners of his mouth. Before long, the Fjord people would discover that if they wanted to produce steamships themselves, they would have to purchase raw materials, processing equipment, and key components from Neverwinter City... In the end, they would only become more dependent on Graycastle, just like those small countries in later generations that lacked complete industrial capabilities.
He picked up a quill and drew a circle under the total number of these craftsmen, then handed the statistics book back to Baluofu.
"Settle them properly, and then call Carl Vanbert together to make a financial plan based on the current situation of the industrial park," Luo Lan instructed. "We'll have to build a few more factories."