Chapter 294 Grand Event
"Um, guests from Chicago, Jesla, take our guests to rest, I have something to discuss with John." Just the half sentence that Rockefeller let out was enough for Sheffield to figure out the general situation. After figuring out the ins and outs of the matter, it was obvious that Fisher was not suitable to stay here.
Fisher was also very sensible and followed Jessla out. Sheffield and Rockefeller Jr. were left in the room. Sheffield walked back and forth with his hands behind his back, his face full of how could this be possible? Finally, he couldn't help asking, "You offer a higher price than Morgan Jr.?"
"No, $300 million to retain 10% of Carnegie's shares. Isn't this the psychological price you and I discussed?" Rockefeller Jr. rejected it flatly. "My real psychological bottom line is $350 million. I won't go for anything higher. J.P. Morgan offered $480 million to acquire Carnegie Steel Company."
"Then how did you win?" Sheffield was surprised. Was Rockefeller Jr. a chosen one, destined to achieve great things? No, Rockefeller Jr. was a very qualified heir in history, but compared with Rockefeller Sr., he was not a genius. Even his five sons were more famous than him.
This made Sheffield confused. He didn't believe in pie in the sky. There must be something unknown about it. If the person in front of him was not the boss of Standard Oil, he would have thought he was a liar.
But obviously, Rockefeller Jr. didn't know how he won and couldn't explain it, which was very embarrassing.
The team led by Morgan Jr. did not even return to the hotel, but directly got on the train and left Pittsburgh. Obviously, the failure of this head-on confrontation made Morgan Jr. very disappointed, and he did not want to stay here for a moment.
Soon, all the major companies with their own channels learned the result of this confrontation. Some sighed with regret, while others gloated over the incident. Although they did not know what had happened in the end, many of them were watching and imagined a shocking confrontation or a fierce verbal exchange, which ultimately ended in a lose-lose situation.
However, the two competitors gathered in Pittsburgh were completely confused about the real facts and could not guess Carnegie's real thoughts. In any case, the United Company and the Standard Oil Alliance jointly invested $300 million to acquire the majority of the shares of the steel king company. The amount of money involved alone made many people dumbfounded. They deeply admired the strength of this alliance, and even felt that it was very normal that Morgan did not win in the face of such an alliance.
"Then I won't go to sign the contract!" Sheffield said uncertainly, "Since the merger has been successful, I will go home and take care of my own business."
"That won't work. Mr. Carnegie has already made it clear that he hopes you will be present at important signing events." Rockefeller Jr. shook his head and said, "He specifically asked me to do that before I came back."
"Okay!" Sheffield understood that all doubts would be answered after the formal signing, so there was no need to rush.
But before that, Sheffield and Fisher discussed the prospects of washing machines in the hotel, and even began to look at the ancestors of some current home appliances, such as electric fans, which have been around for many years. As for the extent of promotion, Sheffield has never seen an electric fan trust.
"White appliances?" Sheffield was muttering about the types of home appliances that could replace labor in the future, including air conditioners, washing machines, refrigerators, and even many kitchen supplies. These things may look inconspicuous, but they are actually things that can show one's taste for life. Many of these things have actually been around for quite some time, but there has not yet been an integrated system.
There is no doubt that in the first year of the 20th century, if all these things were combined together, it would definitely be a new industry. Although it may not seem like something that will change the world, its significance is no less.
If these things could be made as cheap as Kodak cameras, they could be sold all over the world, at least in big European cities. Because early refrigerators and washing machines had large internal engines, they had to be made large to ensure that the actual internal volume of the appliances was sufficient. The white shell made the machine look flatter and less obtrusive.
"With the promotion of electrification, electrical appliances should also enter the lives of the public. So in this field, Fisher, you are a pioneer." Sheffield praised this fan who took the initiative to find him without hesitation. "You are the talent I need. I will support you in conducting related research. Even washing machines alone are too narrow. We should expand the scope. So, I will send someone to take you back to Chicago and take your family to Houston. Mr. Tesla is also there. There is a 404 Electric Power Research Institute in Houston. There is everything you need."
"404 Electric Power Research Institute!" Fisher muttered the term. He was not surprised that many large companies had their own R&D institutes. But why was it named like this? What was the special meaning?
"It doesn't have any special meaning. No entry, outsiders!" Sheffield laughed. How could people of this age understand Internet terms?
Tesla is currently researching wind power generation. People have always been very interested in wind power generation, especially the descendants of European immigrants. Windmills have a special meaning to people in many European countries. The first wind turbine in the United States has been around for more than ten years.
Wind power generation is to convert the kinetic energy of wind into mechanical kinetic energy, and then convert the mechanical energy into electrical kinetic energy. Because the wind volume of wind turbines is unstable, the output of wind turbines is 13-25V alternating current, which must be rectified by a charger and then charged to the battery to convert the electrical energy generated by the wind turbine into chemical energy. Then, an inverter with a protection circuit is used to convert the chemical energy in the battery into alternating current to ensure stable use.
Why let the Tesla team research this? The conditions in the south are not as good as those in the north. Thermal power generation requires coal, and hydropower generation requires rivers. These two conditions are worse in the south than in the north. Wind power is the condition with the smallest difference between the north and the south.
It is not for environmental protection at all, although environmental protection can be a point of praise when it is officially put into use. What the Tesla team is currently studying is charger rectification to ensure the stability of wind power generation.
In addition, at present, the United States has a vast territory and a sparse population. There is no shortage of wind power facilities in terms of natural conditions. Investing in research is not just throwing money into the water.
Someone sent Fisher to the train station. If Sheffield returned to Houston this time, he would really plan this matter carefully with the Tesla team. Of course, the current priority was to resolve the matter of the Steel King.
Tomorrow is the day for the official signing. Sheffield spread out a newspaper to kill time, but the headline on it scared him. He couldn't help but exclaimed, "This is crazy. In this era, newspapers dare to openly call for the assassination of the president?"
At the end, I saw the small print below: Reprinted from the San Francisco Examiner! Sheffield curled his lips and said, "It turns out to be Hearst's newspaper. This Irishman really dares to do anything."
Sheffield had wanted to deal with this bastard for a long time, but he had not done it for two main reasons. First, Hearst was a senior supporter of the Democratic Party, and second, Hearst's father was a senator. The latter was more important. Otherwise, because Hearst, as an Irishman, always caused trouble for Sheffield regarding Chinese workers, he would have been merciless long ago.
However, Sheffield never dreamed that this man would be so bold as to publicly call for the assassination of the president. Even though the Democratic Party had lost twice and William Bryan had already accepted the fact, this man was still jumping around to attract attention.
"Is it related to the death of William McKinley?" Sheffield didn't take it seriously. He didn't know that the assassination of William McKinley in history was actually related to this newspaper. The San Francisco Examiner, a newspaper that called for the assassination of the president, was found on the assassin's body.
Sheffield didn't know the inside story, so he didn't pay much attention to it. He rested in the hotel for a day, and early the next morning, he set off for the headquarters of Carnegie Steel Company with Rockefeller Jr. Although he had been waiting in the hotel and no one showed up, he could imagine that this important day would definitely be attended by many political and business figures.
Sheffield was right. The front of Carnegie Steel's headquarters was already crowded with people. Every one of them was either rich or noble. They stood there neatly dressed with smiles on their faces, feeling proud from the bottom of their hearts that they had the status to participate in such a grand event.
The $300 million acquisition of Carnegie Steel alone was enough to raise the blood pressure of the participants. No one could imagine how huge this fortune was. Sheffield appeared with Rockefeller Jr., attracting the attention of many people, who knew that he was the ally of the Rockefeller family this time.
"I didn't expect that this person is much younger than Rockefeller Jr. If these two people stand together, the economic landscape of our country in the next few decades will largely depend on their ideas." A rich young man who was holding his female companion's arm and staring at the cold wind, although he felt cold, he still stood straight and showed off his knowledge.
"Young and rich, he's an ideal partner!" Hearing her fiancé's words, the woman looked in the direction of Sheffield and Rockefeller Jr. with stars in her eyes.
(End of this chapter)
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