Chapter 79 Green Vein Operation 12 Harvesting the Rich
If we were to name the hottest topics in London's social circles this month, factory pollution would definitely be one of them.
Since the experiment at the Botanical Salon, many corners of London have spontaneously hung white cloths. At first glance, it seems like they are surrendering to France, but in fact, everyone is just measuring the air pollution level in their own gardens.
Then a second-rate tabloid that couldn't keep up with the trend and was on the verge of bankruptcy sold out several issues in a row. The reason was just a few popular science articles published by an author named Hughes.
In the previous issue, we discussed how factory wastewater is discharged directly into the middle and lower reaches of the Thames, causing the river to become smelly and breeding bacteria. Furthermore, when temperatures rise, the wind carries the polluted water vapor upstream to the wealthy areas.
Furthermore, unless they have a highly enclosed manor, most servants of wealthy families also need to come into contact with outside merchants and civilians. Once they are infected with a disease and not discovered in time, the disease in the poor area will spread to the rich area.
Fortunately, the wind usually blows from the southwest in London, so the debate remained relatively calm and rational.
However, during these days when the temperature rose, the wind direction happened to change to the northeast. Perhaps due to the psychological effect of the public opinion bombardment, many wealthy people publicly stated in social occasions that they were being murdered by the clutches of the industrial zone.
Two days later, the same illustration that appeared in the three most popular newspapers looked more like a drop of oil dropped into boiling water. The wealthy masters and ladies anxiously closed their doors and windows, and even tried to call on all factories to stop production when the northeast wind blew.
Suspension of production was impossible. While factory owners feared pollution, they were more concerned about the financial losses from a single day's downtime. As public opinion heated up, industrial capitalists secretly united and began plotting to gain more seats in this year's parliamentary session in order to break the arrogant and self-serving aristocracy's monopoly on power.
"So, is anyone starting to care about how plants can improve pollution?" This is what Hessel is most concerned about.
Anna was munching on the smoked ham she'd brought back from Birmingham. "Of course there are. Dorothea's article briefly mentioned the purifying power of plants, and a bunch of botanists and plant hunters have been making a fortune lately. I heard a banana tree brought back from America sold for four figures at an auction yesterday!"
"Is the unit penny?" Heather asked cautiously.
“In pounds, of course!”
"Oh my god, oh my god," Mary slumped on the sofa. "If I had known, I wouldn't have gone out. I can't imagine how much business we've missed."
"It's nothing. They're just trying to capitalize on the hype by selling their existing plants. They won't steal our market." Heather pulled the trinkets she'd bought at the dock out of her bag and handed them to Anna. "Okay, Anna, stop eating. Please ask Dorothea for me. I think someone must be trying to contact Hughes, who originally published the article."
Dorothea arrived just as quickly as before, and Hazel didn't dare ask Sir Banks if he was at his lover's again.
"Hughes has published several sensational articles in a row. Many people must be trying to identify the author. Has anyone sought advice on remixing plant species at home?"
Dorothea understood her intention. "Of course, I vaguely mentioned a few species in my last article, and emphasized that not just any plant would be effective, and some might even have the opposite effect. I've heard that many plant hunters are selling their wares under the Hughes name, but anyone with real connections would surely be able to verify that they have nothing to do with Hughes."
Heather was extremely curious. "Honestly, I don't know who they'll find if they look up the name Hughes. If they can easily find you, Sir Banks will probably be furious, right?"
Dorothea gently moved the brass bird on the desk, satisfying her curiosity. "It wasn't me who found out. It was someone else who contacted the newspaper from the beginning. However, his public identity was just Hughes' assistant."
Well, the lady at the center of real power does have her own tricks.
This time, Heather prepared complete information in advance and pushed it to the other side.
"Since we're the ones causing the anxiety among the rich, we must reap the benefits. There are definitely many people who would love to have Dorotheus personally come to their homes to help plan and design an eco-fortress. Among them, there are also some who are extremely wealthy and willing to spend a lot of money to pursue heat and health."
Dorothea didn't look down at the information, but looked straight at Heather intently. "Yes, similar locations and mansions can be imitated. The first one is particularly important. I have a suitable candidate, Mrs. Daventry who lives in Kensington."
Heather was all ears.
"She's one of the most enthusiastic people looking for Hughes. Her husband is an earl, rich and free, with only one married daughter. The earl's ancestral estate in Sharpeshire just discovered a coal mine last year, making them even wealthier than before and happy to spend their money on a place like this. She also has a wide circle of friends, so the design of her mansion will surely spread quickly. While some people will directly misappropriate it, there's still room for profit."
Heather admired her a little. As Mrs. Banks, she had piles of work to do every day that didn't pay her a penny, but she still found the time to select such a suitable client. She was really an energetic person.
"Very good, I think she will be happy to spend some money to add a natural green shield to her house. However, it is obviously not appropriate for both of us to appear in person for this matter. This is not a consumer product specifically for women like aromatherapy. Do you have any suitable agent options? Can you guarantee that person will not turn against us?" She didn't want to become the focus among her circle of acquaintances after being exposed.
Dorothea slowly pushed the brass bird that jumped out. Heather didn't understand why she suddenly became so childish, as she had acted as if she didn't care about anything and looked down on everyone before.
"The man who contacted the newspaper on Hughes' behalf will do. His name is Ralph Cummins. He was once a researcher under Sir Banks and has a deep understanding of plants. Moreover, I can guarantee with all my dividends that he will never betray me. He is the only one who will obey my orders 100%. I will have him come to see you tomorrow, and you can decide whether to use him."
100% trust? Interesting.
“I’m looking forward to meeting him.”
The agreed time was 10:30 the next morning, and Cummins knocked on the door of 12 Paddington at 9:55 on time.
He wore glasses, dressed elegantly, and looked to be about forty years old.
Hessel asked him to sit down in the study and asked him what he thought about the next work.
Cummins spoke softly, without a hint of aggression, yet his words were confident and resolute. "Mrs. Lawrence, I have carefully read the information you provided. Many of the viewpoints are not found in existing mainstream theoretical literature, but based on the clues you provided, I believe they are all very likely correct.
For example, densely planting English elms around the perimeter of a fence—their densely hairy leaves are indeed a good choice for capturing coal smoke. Also, the silver atomizer you mentioned is very interesting. If filled with mint and lavender essences, this spray can effectively purify the air in a room while the owner is away."
In just one night, Cummins not only memorized the list of possible purification plants that Hessel had written down, but also added a few based on currently popular species and his own accumulation.
"If you want to increase your profits, adding a few plants that are generally considered expensive might be a good option. For example, the Boston fern, which is highly sought after by the upper class, is very suitable for indoor environments. This kind of good things that are in line with the perception of wealthy people can help us command a higher price."
Heather raised her eyebrows and said, "Mr. Cummins, you don't look like someone who would be content with an assistant position. You should start your own business. You will definitely be able to earn more than this job."
Mr. Cummins noticed her implication, pushed his glasses up, and looked up. "After leaving Kew, I ran an indigo plantation. You should know that textile mills have a huge demand for this dyeing material, and I'm not short of money."
Like a patient and good-tempered teacher, he took out a scratched pen from his pocket and placed it on the table.
"As long as you and Mrs. Banks remain partners, I will never betray the agreement. If you have any doubts, I can accept any binding terms."
This sounds like a prelude to the two of them running away together...
Heather pulled the brass bird out and put it back in. "Well, I can't think of any reason to refuse you. I trust Mrs. Banks's business character, and since she trusts you so much, I'm happy to work with you."
Cummins was stunned and said softly, "Does she trust me very much?"
Heather: "Of course, she's willing to guarantee you 100% of her profits. To be honest, I thought there was no one in the world she completely trusted."
Mr. Cummins smiled. He looked genuinely happy, and even his glasses couldn't hide the smile in his eyes.
"Please rest assured that I will do my best to complete this task."
"Hey!" After seeing Mr. Cummins off, Heather climbed onto the hidden sofa in the study and breathed a sigh of relief. "Reina! I want some sandwich cookies."
Mary took the biscuits and walked into the study, placing them on the coffee table within her reach. "Is Mr. Cummins so difficult? Aunt, why do you look like everything is finally settled?"
"No." Heather reached out and carefully stuffed the biscuit into her mouth. She was afraid it would get stuck in her throat. No one knew the Heimlich maneuver yet. "I just miss a poem."
What is love in this world? It makes people promise to be together for life and death.
Unfortunately, this sentence is difficult to translate.
"By the way, Aunt Gardner heard we were back and just had the maid come over to bring some fruit. She also said Jane and Mr. Bingley are going to be engaged on the 10th of next month."
"What?" Hazel jumped up from the sofa.
Mary wasn't surprised at all. "Isn't this quite normal? They made the decision long before they returned to Longbourn. I thought the news would have come in a long time ago. Aunt, we must go back then, right?"
Heather patted the biscuit crumbs on her hands. "Of course. This is my niece's first wedding. I have to go back even if it rains knives from the sky. I just don't know if you're busy. If you are, I can probably only go back for two days. No earlier."
Mary expressed her understanding: "It doesn't matter. Elizabeth has returned home from Hunsford. She will help Jane prepare for the engagement ceremony."
Oh, Heather wanted to sigh again. Although London was interesting, she was too busy every day.
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