Chapter 22

"Unfortunately, it's truly a pity."

Looking at the few differently shaped incandescent lamps emitting dazzling light in front of him, the respected lawyer Mr. Joshua Stone's eyes showed a hint of fascination as he murmured, "John, if you had created these things three months earlier, Mr. Edison wouldn't have had anything to do with it, and you would have become the most famous young man in America!"

"But without Mr. Edison's success, I wouldn't have been able to replicate them, right?"

John secretly smiled, but his face showed a calm demeanor as he said.

Joshua looked at John with some surprise, his eyes full of deep meaning as he nodded and said, "I'm glad to see you are so broad-minded, John. You are a person who knows how to be content and grateful."

"Thank you for your praise."

John stood up, elegantly bowed, and said with a smile.

Joshua chuckled.

Some people might find it hard to become friends even after years of interaction, but some people can become close friends after just a few simple exchanges. John felt that he and Joshua belonged to the latter. He greatly admired this upright and kind lawyer with a very open-minded mindset. At least, it was nice to be friends before New York colored him.

After a long moment of contemplation, Joshua's expression became serious as he asked in a deep voice, "Alright, Mr. John Hunter, are you sure you want to hire me as your lawyer to handle the patent for this electric light invention? Have you confirmed this with Mr. Al Hunter?"

"Of course!"

John nodded and said seriously, "Grandfather agreed to let me handle it myself and will not interfere... of course, as long as I return the initial costs plus interest to him in the end."

John's expression was serious when he said the first part, but he couldn't help but grin at the end. John's strange laughter left Joshua, who was listening attentively, completely puzzled, blinking his eyes, trying to figure out what had just happened.

Seeing Joshua's expression, John suddenly found it uninteresting, pursed his lips, and said no more.

"Perhaps I will never be able to think about such issues with the mindset of a true Westerner."

Putting aside the boring thoughts, John took out a power of attorney he had prepared and handed it to Joshua, "Dear Mr. Stone, this is a power of attorney signed by both me and Mr. Al Hunter, authorizing you to apply for patents for these two inventions and transfer them!"

"Two?"

Joshua was taken aback by this.

"Yes, two."

John smiled and said, "One is this light bulb, and the other is a new type of battery I accidentally succeeded in creating during my experiments. I hope you can help me apply for a patent for it."

"Battery?"

Hearing this unfamiliar word, Joshua was a bit puzzled. As a lawyer, he wasn't very familiar with these new gadgets. However, not understanding the word didn't stop Joshua from looking at John with a gaze that seemed to see a monster. The fact that this kid had invented a new type of light bulb was already impressive, and now he was saying he had also invented something else?

John didn't explain further and continued, "Please note, the patent for the battery is not for transfer, only the patent for the light bulb. The base price for the transfer is $20,000, and your commission is 10%. Of course, for any amount exceeding $20,000, you will get 30%."

After saying this, John blinked and smiled, "I think this should be a substantial income, right?"

"Ha, of course!"

Joshua laughed heartily and said happily, "I've also heard about the bet you made with Mr. Edison. I know this is a sure thing!"

John and Edison's meeting that night was attended by Mrs. Stone and Emma, so it wasn't surprising that Joshua knew about it.

However, seeing his lawyer's relaxed demeanor, John raised an eyebrow and reminded him, "Joshua, allow me to remind you that Mr. Edison is not an ordinary person. Although many people heard his words that day, I don't think you can easily get the $20,000!"

"Oh, really?"

Joshua looked at John with confusion, seemingly not quite believing it. In his view, a great man like Mr. Edison, with worldwide reputation, wouldn't likely go back on his word.

Shrugging, John didn't explain much. Although in the eyes of most people in his previous life, Thomas Edison was a great inventor and was often mythologized, as a fan of web novels, John had read a lot about Edison in穿越重生 (time-travel and rebirth) stories. Many people described him as a pure businessman, and stories about him luring Tesla with a $50,000 bait and fiercely criticizing alternating current were widely circulated online.

John had no intention of evaluating Edison. He just wanted to get the $20,000.

Indeed, the bamboo filament light bulb was something Edison had invented historically. John was selling his future invention back to him, which seemed a bit unscrupulous. However, from another perspective, for Edison to find the bamboo filament material, he would need to conduct thousands of experiments over a long period and spend a lot of money. From any angle, buying it directly from John would be a good deal.

And John only wanted $20,000.

"Be careful, anyway."

After some thought, John reminded Joshua again.

Seeing John's serious expression, Joshua was taken aback and then became more serious, nodding and smiling, "Don't worry, I am a lawyer, and I will be well-prepared for everything. And as the son of a successful businessman, I firmly believe that healthy competition can bring more profits!"

John's heart stirred, and he immediately understood his meaning.

Opening his mouth, John was about to remind Joshua that this invention would only be most effective in Edison's hands, but after some hesitation, he swallowed his words. Since he had said he would leave everything to Joshua, it wouldn't be appropriate to interfere further.

Moreover, the reason John entrusted the patent to Joshua was partly because of Joshua's status as a lawyer, which provided many conveniences, and partly because of his young age, which made him reluctant to handle these troublesome matters personally.

Leaving it to a professional was both time-saving and effort-saving. Why not?

...

"Where is Joshua?"

When he returned home in the evening, Old Hunter immediately asked about his friend's son. He had signed the power of attorney and knew that John and Joshua had agreed to meet today.

"He has already gone back."

John put down his book and respectfully answered.

"Um."

Nodding, Old Hunter hesitated for a moment and then asked, "John, have you given him the power of attorney?"

"Yes."

John nodded, his face calm, and no one could tell that he had just handed over something worth tens of thousands of dollars to someone else. If Joshua took his invention and registered the patent himself, John would have no way to stop him.

A hint of a smile flashed in Old Hunter's eyes, but it quickly disappeared as he said calmly, "Good. Since your experiment is now over, we need to consider your education next."

"Ah? Are you sending me to a private school?"

Hearing Old Hunter's words, John's face immediately wrinkled.

He really didn't want to go back to school in this life. Not only was it boring to mix with a bunch of 11-12-year-old kids, but what could the schools in 1880 teach him? Theology, philosophy, and other subjects held no interest for John.

"No!"

Old Hunter rarely smiled, shook his head, and said, "The things taught in school might be too simple for you, so after careful consideration, I have decided to hire several private tutors for you."

"Private tutors? Several?"

John was greatly surprised.

Stroking his mustache, Old Hunter nodded and said, "Yes, four private tutors, all very outstanding. Starting next Monday, they will take turns coming to the house to teach you..."

...

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