Chapter 41 of 100
Chapter 41
13 min read3,257 words
"Master Li has arrived!"
A cry of surprise caused a flurry of necks to crane. Hundreds of people stretched their necks, their eyes wide and round, straining to get a better look, which was quite a bizarre sight.
"Master Li, are you selling this loom?"
"Lord Li, I want a hundred, a hundred!"
"Master Li, this spell should be simple, right? How about we exchange knowledge? I'll give you five hundred taels of gold." Indeed, there were some smart people.
"Right, right, how about we exchange knowledge?"
...
After a brief silence, the scene finally erupted. Fu Minghui and his many guards could hardly hold back the frenzied merchants.
Li Xian smiled, but he carefully listened to every word. When he heard someone say the spell was simple, Li Xian's smile grew even wider. Yes, the technique is simple, but the imperial edict is not. Last night, I played a good game of strategy with His Majesty, all for the sake of you guys.
Come on, come on, the trap is already set for you.
After a slight pause, Li Xian stepped forward, "Thank you all for your support, but could a few representatives step forward so we can discuss this openly?"
Soon, three representatives were chosen.
"Hello, Master Li, I am Guo Youcai from the Guo family."
"Hello, Master Li, I am Liu Shuren from the Liu family."
"Hello, Master Li, I am Huang Youquan from the Huang family."
"Hello, all three of you." Li Xian smiled broadly, "Please wait a moment."
Without waiting for a response, Li Xian waved his hand, and the Li family's chief steward, Yang Zhong, led the servants to bring out two plaques framed in glass, carefully hanging them on the wall behind Li Xian.
"Industrial Expo" and "Colorful Clothing Loom" were the two plaques, each bearing a red imperial seal.
When the plaques were hung, the excited crowd seemed to have their necks cut off, their faces showing a mix of emotions. Especially the three representatives, who felt as if they had swallowed flies.
Damn it, why didn't you hang them out earlier? You waited until we all stood up and prepared our speeches before hanging them. How despicable!
Though everyone knew the Great Xia Empire was corrupt to the core, who dared to openly defy the emperor's command? Before the emperor even acted, their opponents could destroy them.
"Sorry, sorry," Li Xian smiled brightly, "Now, everyone can speak."
Speak now? Speak what now?
Seeing that no one spoke, Li Xian took the initiative, "Someone, how can you be so blind? Bring out the chairs."
Over five hundred chairs, prepared in advance, were brought out and arranged. The crowd finally sat down of their own accord. Li Xian then spoke seriously, "Since no one has any questions, I will say a few words.
First, the loom is for sale. Since it is displayed at the Industrial Expo, it is, of course, for sale. The price is 500 taels of gold per loom. Each person is limited to one loom.
Second..."
"500 taels of gold, Master Li, are you crazy about money!" Before Li Xian could say his second point, someone was already dissatisfied.
But this time, Li Xian didn't need to speak. Guo Youcai sneered, "What fool!"
Liu Shuren also sneered, "Shut up if you don't know."
Why were they fools? It was simple. The smart ones had already figured it out. Li Xian clearly stated "each person is limited to one loom." This was a clear signal—buy it, take it apart, and study it yourself. As for me, Li Xian, I'm only doing this one-time deal!
Li Xian watched the commotion around him and said nothing, pausing slightly before continuing, "Second, I hereby announce that the age of industry has begun.
Industry means using machines to replace human labor. You have already seen the power of this loom.
In fact, this engine can be used in carriages, ships, and even in war. Yes, that rotating machine is called an engine, the core of industrial power.
This Industrial Expo only displays the loom, but Li Xian hopes that next year's expo will feature moving vehicles and ships.
Next year's Industrial Expo will begin on December 10th and last for five days, still here.
At that time, Li Xian will join you all in this grand event."
"Great!" Li Xian's speech excited everyone. Almost everyone saw a glorious future in his words.
"Everyone, please listen to Li Xian. It's best to keep the looms within the Great Xia Empire. We will buy materials from outside and sell cloth.
Last night, Li Xian met with His Majesty, who also expressed the intention to establish a large textile base, hire citizens to work, and agree to keep the technology confidential.
I won't say more, but I believe national policies will be announced soon.
Li Xian will be here for the next three days, and I welcome everyone to visit at any time."
After speaking, Li Xian left gracefully. The merchants then rushed to buy the looms. Unfortunately, Wu Lili, in charge of the looms, regretfully said, "Young Master said the looms can be sold, but not until two days from now. We still need to demonstrate them. However, we accept pre-orders. After pre-ordering, you can send your textile workers to operate them, and we will provide on-site training."
"Then pre-order it!" Without hesitation, someone immediately pre-ordered. They then sent their female workers to weave and learn. Li Xian's small strategy was very popular.
After pre-ordering the looms, Guo Youcai began to wander around. Now, looking at the fabrics on sale at an "80% discount," he no longer felt a sense of crisis but saw a huge business opportunity. After watching for a while, he went to the glassware section and found it truly beautiful.
This first expo was too small, and he soon found himself in an inconspicuous corner—the Sea Soul Silk display area.
"Sea Soul Silk?" Guo Youcai was taken aback. He had clearly heard of Sea Soul Silk before and followed the crowd inside. Once inside, he squinted his eyes. This small, inconspicuous corner contained a luxurious, small hall. The walls were lined with glass cabinets, divided into four grades: A, B, C, and D, each with three sub-grades: upper, middle, and lower.
Guo Youcai examined each cabinet. Inside, there was only a three-inch piece of Sea Soul Silk, with two paper signs. One sign read, "Exhibit, please enter the back room for pre-purchase." The other sign listed the price.
Seeing the price, Guo Youcai was stunned, "Grade D, lower quality Sea Soul Silk, 4 taels of gold per meter."
"One meter? What is that?"
"It is a new unit of measurement used internally by our Brilliant Stars and will be the standard unit for future industry. One meter is approximately three feet, and one bolt of cloth is 10 meters. One hundredth of a meter is a centimeter, and one tenth of a centimeter is a millimeter.
The diameter of this Sea Soul Silk is 1 millimeter."
"Who are you?" Guo Youcai looked at the person who suddenly appeared.
"Hello, my name is He Wenlong. I am now responsible for the classification, cutting, and screening of Sea Soul Silk."
Guo Youcai frowned, absorbing the information, "Can you obtain large quantities of Sea Soul Silk?"
"Yes, we exchange it with the sea creatures using lanterns. Ten carts of lanterns can be exchanged for one kilogram, or one 'large catty' in the Great Xia Empire, of Sea Soul Silk."
"Oh..." Guo Youcai responded but said nothing more.
He Wenlong smiled and moved to another area.
Time quickly passed to evening, and the small expo was already bustling with people. The intelligent came to seek opportunities, but more came for the spectacle. There were not many spectacles in this world, so how could they miss this one?
At this moment, a cultivator flew into the air and shouted, "Everyone, please pay attention. Tonight at the fourth watch of the dog hour (8 PM), there will be a lantern festival. Seven large crystal chandeliers will be auctioned, starting at 50 taels of gold."
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