Chapter 33

"Tap, tap, tap..."

As Joshua's carriage drove away, John stood at the gate for a moment, enjoying the warm afternoon sun before turning back into the house.

Today was Saturday, and there were no classes to attend. With Joshua just having left, he seemed to have nothing to do for the moment. After standing in a daze on the living room sofa for a while, John felt a bit bored and decided to go upstairs to his study and set up his drawing board.

"What should I draw?"

Holding the charcoal pencil, John stared blankly at the white drawing board.

Ever since Miss Philip moved in, John had chosen painting as his main focus in the arts. After all, according to old Hunter's requirements, he needed to understand most forms of art and master at least one, even if only superficially.

After careful consideration, John, with a bit of pragmatism, chose painting and indeed planned to learn sketching well as a skill reserve. However, he never imagined that after more than a month, under Miss Philip's gentle guidance, he would actually start to enjoy the feeling of drawing with a charcoal pencil, to the point where he sometimes thought that if he had the chance in his previous life, he might have become an art student...

"Let's keep it simple, I'll draw a teacup."

After looking around the room for a long time, John found that most items were too difficult for him, so he chose a simple little thing. After all, he was a beginner, having only been drawing for a little over a month, and being able to draw a cup well was already quite good.

However, after drawing the first stroke on the paper, John's mind suddenly became somewhat absent-minded.

"If I really start a factory, what industry should I choose?"

The charcoal pencil moved casually on the paper, but John's thoughts were on the conversation he had with Joshua in the morning.

Starting a factory and engaging in industry was not a whim of John's. In fact, he had once thought that relying on the powerful figures in history, such as Bell Telephone and Colgate, and future giants like General Electric and Ford, by investing or buying stocks, he could live a comfortable life. However, after some thought, he decided to do something himself, and he would need funds for future investments, wouldn't he?

If everything went smoothly, John could get at least $30,000 from Edison, plus the $10,000 Joshua promised to invest, which would be a substantial amount, enough to build a small factory in New York. However, deciding on the specific industry to invest in was a headache for John.

In theory, his memory contained countless things that surpassed the times, and even though most were impossible to realize due to technological limitations, some required only creativity and not much professional knowledge. For example, bathroom fixtures like toilets, simple furniture, clothing, toys, and so on. But after careful consideration, John felt hesitant.

Could this era really accept those things?

For example, clothing. John could design things that were popular in the future, but in the current world, women wore long dresses, and men wore old-fashioned formal wear, with even suits just beginning to take shape. Too advanced designs would be seen as heretical by the gentlemen and ladies of this era, and would be rejected outright.

Moreover, most people in New York were just solving their basic needs. Did they really have the economic power to buy such things?

John did not want his factory to produce items that only the rich could afford. While it could make money, it would not have much potential for growth. To achieve something significant, targeting the general public would be the most practical approach.

"The simplest thing would be to build a pharmaceutical factory!"

Soon, John involuntarily thought of his old profession. However, almost immediately, he dismissed this idea. Ignoring how to explain the appearance of these inventions, the difficulty of producing these drugs was too great. Although he remembered the molecular formulas of many chemical drugs due to the benefits of his穿越, turning them into products was a challenge. The chemical industry of this era was not advanced enough to support the production of most future drugs.

However...

After a long moment of contemplation, John's eyes suddenly lit up as he remembered the name of a drug.

"If it's that, there would be no problem at all!"

John thought to himself, "Not only can it bring huge profits, but it's also not difficult to produce. The only thing to consider is how to 'invent' it... Hmm, this can't be rushed, absolutely can't be rushed!"

Subconsciously, John shook his head vigorously.

The interests involved were too significant, and it could easily attract the attention of many bloodthirsty sharks of this era. Moreover, the current environment was not ideal, and the patent period was limited. To maximize profits, it wasn't the right time to reveal it yet.

"Let me think more, let me think more."

Feeling a bit frustrated, John shook his head and urged himself to return to his previous train of thought: "I need to think of something practical, something I can do now!"

Industries that truly made big money in this era, such as finance, resources, and steel, were not something John dared to touch. On one hand, he genuinely lacked the knowledge and foundation, and on the other hand, he was well aware that with figures like Morgan, Rockefeller, and Carnegie around, any small-scale operations would inevitably be swallowed up. This was the era of the giants, and they were ruthless!

Moreover, his few tens of thousands of dollars would barely make a ripple in these fields.

As for the factories in New York, John had learned through Joshua that the most numerous were in the clothing industry, with thousands of them. Other industries like sugar refining, construction, and machinery manufacturing were also not suitable for him.

"I can only focus on clothing, food, housing, and transportation!"

John quickly made up his mind.

As mentioned earlier, John would not consider clothing. He had no understanding of fashion from over a hundred years ago, and even the most profitable textile industry was beyond his expertise, making it difficult to compete with others. Food and housing were not even worth mentioning; food was one of the most painful memories of Americans in this era, and land speculation had already been perfected by the Astor family.

"Should I start with cars now? That would be a bit funny!"

Thinking of this, John couldn't help but laugh. If it were twenty years later and with substantial capital, he could consider acquiring a car company, like Buick, and invest heavily to attract technological talent to improve the car's performance. He could also draw the designs of old-style cars from his memory and introduce assembly lines, which would be enough to challenge Ford. But now, it was out of the question. Cars hadn't even been invented yet, and he didn't understand the basic principles of how they worked.

"With my level, maybe I can manage bicycles!"

He laughed self-deprecatingly and threw the charcoal pencil on the table. His absent-mindedness led to the abandonment of his plan to draw a cup, leaving a strange shape on the paper that didn't look like anything...

"Hey?!"

Suddenly, John's body stiffened as if struck by lightning.

What did he say just now?

Bicycles?

A spark of joy appeared in John's eyes, and he suddenly slapped his thigh hard!

"This can be done!"

...

Seeing some comments in the book review section, I can't help but explain.

My books are usually slow to heat up, and the beginning often seems a bit depressing, which I have noticed. However, to be honest, I also want to dive straight into the main plot and write about the protagonist's achievements in the medical field. But as a staunch advocate of realism, I can't do that.

Some readers might find the protagonist's indecision and hesitation unappealing, but I personally think it's fine. If you understand the status of physicians in that era and the medical environment (which will be presented in later content), I believe a normal person wouldn't return to their old profession, given the many benefits of being a穿越. This requires a process, at least for me, a realist.

Moreover, are the things I write at the beginning useless?

Dear reader, the content at the beginning, such as hiring a tutor and starting a factory, is essential for the later development of the story. Starting a factory is crucial for the protagonist's growth, as I can't have him accumulate experience until he's in his thirties or forties like other great figures of the same era, which would make the story less appealing.

Therefore, at the end of the first volume, I asked for your patience.

I originally wanted to reply in the book review section, but considering that many readers might have similar questions, I decided to respond here. I will seriously consider speeding up the pace of the early parts, reducing the length, and striving to enter the true medical phase as soon as possible.

Regardless, I want to thank those who have supported me. The fact that you can provide feedback shows that you have read the book carefully, which is quite rare given the limited number of chapters. Thank you!