Chapter 38

When the time slowly approached the end of July, the weather in New York had already become quite hot, which made John suffer a lot, especially since there was no air conditioning, not even an electric fan. The days were indeed hard to endure.

Even more intense was the preparation for the bicycle factory.

After seeing the excellent performance of the bicycles, everyone was very excited. Feng Ke and Joshua spent half a day learning to ride, and even their fathers could勉强上路 after a day. The excellent performance of the bicycles gave everyone great confidence. Everyone could see its potential value, so under the leadership of Old Hunter, the three families quickly reached a consensus: double the investment and speed up the process!

The total investment reached $100,000!

John contributed $40,000 in patents and cash, Old Hunter $20,000, and the Stone and Menders families each contributed $20,000, dividing the shares cleanly. Purchasing an existing factory cost more than $30,000, and designing a set of machines cost another $40,000. The remaining funds were reserved for when the machines arrived.

By the end of the year at the latest, bicycles would be produced continuously.

However, during this period, everyone was not idle.

John first improved several issues with the bicycle based on his experience, then proposed a suggestion that amazed everyone. Thus, after the factory quickly produced a dozen sample bikes, a scene that attracted countless people's attention appeared in New York: every afternoon around 4 o'clock, ten bicycles would line up and ride from south to north through the bustling Central Park!

Around 4 o'clock in the afternoon was the busiest time in Central Park.

Ordinary people would only come here for leisure on weekends, but the upper class had already made it a habit to ride carriages through the park every afternoon. Many people saw the novel and eye-catching bicycles. As the weather warmed, these ten bicycles would even pass through Central Park several times each weekend, with tens of thousands of people witnessing their appearance!

This "Feige" brand bicycle quickly became a topic of conversation in New York...

Of course, these matters had little to do with John. After completing the improvements to the sample bikes, he simply made a suggestion and completely disengaged from the project, leaving everything to Joshua and Feng Ke. He began to live a leisurely and relaxed life.

For a short time, he did not want to seek the limelight again.

With the weather warming, he attended classes regularly and spent weekends with friends, living a carefree and easy life. John also devoted more effort to his studies, especially in science. To escape this boring time as soon as possible, he had already started putting pressure on Mr. Cole. He believed that by the end of the year, this meticulous German would resign voluntarily. As for the theology and art courses he used to dislike, John also began to put in more effort, especially in sketching, where his skills improved dramatically, leaving Miss Philip both amazed and regretful...

In Miss Philip's view, John's sketches could only be called technical, not artistic!

After half a year of training, John, who had almost devoted half his energy to sketching, could perfectly reproduce the lines and structure of an object or a person, with every detail accurate. However, in terms of light, shadow, and composition, he fell far behind. In Miss Philip's eyes, John's sketches were very precise but lacked beauty, giving the impression of being cold, rigid, and devoid of any aesthetic appeal.

"You are indeed more suited to be a scientist!"

After half a year of effort, Miss Philip helplessly defined John. As his tutor, she knew about the electric lamp and the bicycle, and was naturally amazed by her student's scientific talent. This impression was further deepened after a conversation with Mr. Cole, where she heard his evaluation of John.

John did not mind this, and continued to live his small, peaceful life...

...

August, the hottest season.

On the first Sunday evening of the month, Old Hunter went out to attend a dinner party. After dinner, John returned to his study to pass the time. At this moment, the butler Hans came to his study.

"Is there something you need?"

After sitting up, John asked the butler, somewhat puzzled. Generally, Hans would not come to disturb him when he was relaxing unless there was something important.

Hans smiled slightly and said, "Sir, next Saturday is Mr. Hunter's 63rd birthday. I have already sent out invitations to several gentlemen, and they will all attend a small banquet... Have you thought about what gift to give him?"

"Grandpa's birthday? Next Saturday?"

John was slightly taken aback but quickly understood. Hans was reminding him to avoid forgetting his grandfather's birthday.

After a brief moment of thought, a smile appeared on John's face, and he nodded. "Thank you for the reminder, Mr. Elbert. I will prepare a surprise for him."

"Very well, sir, have a pleasant evening!"

Seeing that his purpose was achieved, the butler's task was complete, and he quietly left. However, he did not close the door, allowing the stuffy air to circulate.

"Grandpa's birthday..."

After the butler left, John put his feet back on the table and began to ponder.

Ordinary things were certainly not lacking for Old Hunter, and the old man did not smoke or drink much. Apart from his love for reading, he had no particular hobbies, which made it difficult for John to decide. Although Old Hunter might not care much about gifts, he was John's only relative in the world, and with so many guests visiting, it would be inappropriate not to put some thought into the gift.

"What should I give him?"

Leaning back, the chair began to creak rhythmically under the support of John's feet.

The best gift for his grandfather would, of course, be something he made himself. However, when John really started to consider this, he realized that making something in the 19th century was not an easy task. The electric lamp was just assembly, and the bicycle was a design he had sketched for craftsmen to manufacture. If he had to make something himself, he probably couldn't even make a decent chair...

"Knock! Knock!"

While John was deep in thought, two dull knocks came from downstairs, followed by the footsteps of the maid Lina and the sound of the door opening.

"Miss Philip, what's wrong?"

Almost simultaneously with the door opening, Lina's surprised cries echoed upstairs!

John's heart stirred, and he quickly put his feet down, walking quickly to the top of the stairs to look towards the front door.

"Is Mr. Hunter at home?"

Miss Philip, wrapped tightly in a long dress and wearing a hat, bent over, supporting her knees, and asked in a hurried and strained voice. It seemed she had just undergone intense physical exertion, and her voice was filled with fatigue and urgency.

"Mr. Hunter is at a dinner party."

Lina supported Miss Philip and replied, "Only young Mr. Hunter is at home... Do you want to see him?"

"Miss Philip, what happened?"

Without waiting for the teacher to respond, John quickly descended the stairs and loudly asked. He had a good impression of this reserved and serious tutor and guessed that she must have come seeking help with some unsolvable problem.

At this moment, the butler Hans also heard the commotion and hurriedly called out, "Lina, let Miss Philip sit down... Bring a glass of whiskey immediately!"

"No, no, that's not necessary."

Before Lina could act, Miss Philip straightened up, her eyes fixed on John, and took several deep breaths.

In that moment, John had already reached the front door and clearly saw Miss Philip's condition.

He was instantly shocked!

In such hot weather, Miss Philip was still wearing a tightly wrapped long dress and a hat, with only her face exposed, which was drenched in sweat and pale as if all the blood had been drained from it! Her usually calm and gentle eyes were now filled with anxiety, pain, and sorrow, making one's heart tremble!

Just as John was about to ask in astonishment, Miss Philip took a deep breath, stepped forward, and said in a trembling voice, "John, help me!"