Chapter 132 Miracle, That's Impossible (Second Update, Please Subscribe)
Dangers and opportunities coexist.
At least for now, South China is temporarily safe. After all, the Argentine civil war has not ended yet, and the Chilean civil war has already begun.
Compared to them, Nanhua, which had just arrived, was not only not affected by the war, but even achieved further development.
Opportunities are fleeting.
On Valentine's Day, Zhu Xianhai did not go to accompany his lover, but went to the dock.
Buffett is back!
Once again!
It is only natural to go to the dock to welcome the arrival of the partners.
At noon that day, a merchant ship of more than 2,000 tons sailed into Nanhua Bay against the scorching sun. Standing on the bow were none other than Buffett and Cyrus Field. Like many people who had just arrived in Nanhua, Field, with a sad face, was surprised when he looked at the city that came into view.
"Sir, are you sure this is the "America Company" you are talking about?"
The people around Field also spoke up.
"Yeah, I think this place is more like a city..."
"This is not just a company, this is a city, gentlemen!"
Buffett said, looking back at the passengers and their families standing on the deck.
"Trust me, you will start your new life here."
These people were engineers and translators he hired in the UK and the US. While Field was recovering the broken Atlantic cable in the Atlantic and restaying it, Buffett was looking for engineers and translators in the UK and France, especially the latter, who were more difficult to find. However, after some twists and turns, he finally found 65 translators.
Among the 275 passengers on board the ship, half were engineers, chemists, translators and other talents, as well as their families.
The reason they came here was purely for the salary - a high salary of 200-300 pounds per year, 30% more than what they earn in the UK!
Such a high salary is enough to make them leave England and come to the New World!
Originally, they thought that the location of this unknown franchise company was desolate and primitive, but who would have thought that what appeared before their eyes was a city!
Is this true?
"Welcome back, my friend!"
As soon as he saw Buffett, Zhu Xianhai took the initiative to walk up to him and gave him a big hug.
"Haha, did you miss me, my friend!"
The smile on Buffett's face seemed a little unnatural, and it looked like he was forcing himself.
"Of course, I've been wondering when you'll come back. Well, tell me, what kind of surprise do you have for me this time?"
"surprise……"
Buffett's expression became unnatural. He looked back at the passengers who were getting off the ship, and then said.
"Besides these technicians and translators, there is absolutely no good news."
"Sir, we failed!"
Field, who was standing next to Buffett, sighed.
“Failed again!”
"Failed? You are?"
"Hello, sir, I am Cyrus Field, the manager of the Atlantic Telegraph Company you hired, sir, we failed!"
…
London in winter is always shrouded in coal smoke and thick fog. The so-called "Fog City" is actually choking coal smoke. But even so, London in the 1860s was undoubtedly the world's first city.
In the early morning, on the streets of London, carriages were running in the haze. Although the haze blocked people's vision, pedestrians still seemed to be in a hurry. A newspaper seller on the roadside shouted loudly,
"Read the newspapers, read the newspapers, the Atlantic Telegraph Hoax has reappeared in London!"
"Read the newspaper and beware of another scam by Field"
…
Just after the New Year, the Atlantic Cable Company once again became the "darling" of the London press.
After the Atlantic Telegraph Company was acquired, Cyrus Field set out again. He led a merchant ship to search for and salvage the broken cable at sea. When the New Year came, he finally succeeded in salvaging the broken cable and reconnected it.
When the news reached London and New York, although it did not cause much sensation, it still caused the company's stock price to immediately triple.
In fact, this double is still artificially hyped. After all, the "Atlantic Cable Scandal" has long been famous in Europe and the United States, and was even called "the biggest scam in history." Since people have been cheated before, how could they be cheated again?
Therefore, even after the news of the reconnection of the Atlantic cable came out, it did not cause any sensation in London and New York. Some newspapers even claimed that this was another scam, and some newspapers even used the words "Warning: Another scam by Cyrus Field" to alert investors.
Just like now, when the telegraph experiment is about to be carried out again, all the newspapers in London and New York are reminding people that this is a scam.
"It was unexpected that it could double."
Field said to Buffett outside the telegraph room in London.
"At least it shows that there are still people who have confidence in us! To be more precise, they have confidence in Mr. William Thompson's technology!"
Field turned to William Thomson, who had been the chief engineer at the western end of the cable and had suggested four years earlier that his improved mirror galvanometer be used to detect and amplify weak signals passing through the cable. However, Field did not take his advice at the time and chose Whitehouse, the chief engineer at the eastern end. He believed that the farther the signal traveled, the stronger the voltage needed, so he sometimes used voltages as high as 2,000 volts to boost the signal. But in the end, his method simply burned the cable.
"Sir, this is 1,800 miles of cable! Even with a mirror galvanometer, there is no guarantee of success!"
William Thompson White shrugged his shoulders. Listening to their conversation, Buffett felt very heavy-hearted. They were talking about technology, but he... was investing real money!
If it fails, that's a hundred thousand pounds investment!
On January 11, the lobby of the Atlantic Telegraph Company in London was packed with reporters, but surprisingly, there were no celebrities attending.
It seems that everyone knows that this is destined to be a farce!
It should be said that it is destined to be a tragedy!
Thomas smiled as he looked at Buffett in the crowd.
"Can you believe it? With an investment of 2 million pounds, a total of 732 messages were sent."
£2 million was invested in the Atlantic cable, and a total of 732 messages were sent before the cable stopped working properly.
As a reporter for the Times, he had already prepared today's news headline - "Hoax or Tragedy?"
"Don't you believe in miracles?"
A colleague nearby asked curiously.
"Me? I don't believe it, but they do!"
Thomas said as he looked at Field standing on the stage.
"Perhaps, only a miracle can save them now!"
“Today, we will witness a miracle again!”
At ten o'clock in the morning, after Field uttered these words, the reconnected Atlantic cable sent another telegram.
This time there was no Queen's speech, and even the telegraph room was not crowded with politicians and people from all walks of life. There were only reporters and busybodies. All the politicians stayed away from here. No one wanted to be connected with this unfortunate "Atlantic Cable". The 400,000 pounds invested by the Treasury was still wasted.
Will a miracle happen?
Perhaps the reporters had prepared press releases, but they were also expecting a miracle to happen, but the result was destined to disappoint them.
(End of this chapter)
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