Chapter 7

The next morning, in the first-floor dining room.

It was almost the same breakfast as yesterday, except that there was no milk. It seemed that Old Hunter usually didn't drink anything, and the milk yesterday was purely prepared for John. When he found out that John didn't drink milk at all, it was simply not provided today.

Apart from the slight sounds during the meal, the dining room was very quiet.

Old Hunter still maintained his habitual silence, and John, who was accustomed to not talking during meals, had no intention of starting a conversation. The grandfather and grandson quietly ate their breakfast. It wasn't until both of them finished that John stood up and suddenly asked, "Sir, Mr. Thomas Edison will be holding a new invention exhibition in West Orange, New Jersey, in a few days. Have you heard about it?"

"Are you talking about the electric light?"

Old Hunter gave John a slightly surprised look and asked somewhat absentmindedly. Of course, he had seen the news in the newspaper and had given this invention a high evaluation. However, at this moment, his mind was on his grandson's first initiative to speak to him.

"Yes, sir."

John nodded and said earnestly, "I am very interested in this invention and want to see it with my own eyes. I hope you will allow me to go."

"Do you want to go to New Jersey?"

After hearing John's request, Old Hunter couldn't help but frown.

Seeing his grandfather's expression, John's heart tightened, and he quickly added, "Sir, West Orange is not far from Manhattan. Even with a day for the visit, three days would be enough for me to return. I really hope to witness this historic moment and see this groundbreaking invention with my own eyes, so please allow Mr. Elber to accompany me!"

John's attitude was very firm.

He knew that Old Hunter might be somewhat unwilling, but he might also be hesitant. As long as he expressed his desire more strongly, there would be some benefit. Moreover, involving Mr. Elber, the butler, could make Old Hunter feel more at ease.

This time, Old Hunter didn't frown again, but he was taken aback.

"Oh? You think this so-called electric light is a groundbreaking invention?"

Old Hunter carefully examined his grandson from head to toe. His face was expressionless, but his eyes sparkled with a sharp light, and his mind was like boiling water, bubbling with excitement!

In fact, when he first met his grandson the evening before, the old man realized that, just like his height, John could not be treated as an ordinary eleven-year-old boy! After all, no matter from which aspect, this boy showed a maturity far beyond the norm!

But he never expected that the child would be mature to this extent!

Although it was just a few simple words, Old Hunter, who had seen much of the world, knew that even an adult might not be able to say such things. Just like himself, after reading the news, he only vaguely felt that the electric light should be a promising invention, but he didn't know to what extent.

Regardless of whether the child was right or not, being able to say it was quite impressive!

"Uh... perhaps I went a bit too far?"

Old Hunter's intense gaze made John's heart skip a beat, and he inwardly groaned.

In his eagerness to get Old Hunter to agree to his trip to New Jersey, he had spoken without much consideration, and his words had been a bit over the top. After all, in this era, even professors at Cambridge University in England believed that the electric light had no practical use beyond being exhibited at the World's Fair. How many people could foresee the importance of the electric light in the Second Industrial Revolution?

After a few rapid thoughts, under the surprised gazes of Old Hunter and the butler, John quickly smiled and put on a slightly proud expression to explain, "Yes, sir. In the East, I once studied some basic physics with two British missionaries and have a slight understanding of electricity. So when I read the news in the newspaper, I had a sudden idea. If Mr. Edison's electric light can really replace kerosene lamps and candles as the newspaper says, it will have a huge impact on our lives! After all, every household needs something to light their rooms at night, don't they?"

"Hmm."

Old Hunter nodded slightly but did not immediately comment on John's words. However, his gaze towards his grandson became much gentler, no longer as sharp as before.

Carefully observing his grandfather's expression, John secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

To be honest, John didn't mind showing his uniqueness at this point. After all, he was already eleven years old, and people in this era were more accepting of child prodigies than in the future. A good example was Carl Witte in Europe. Moreover, John knew that in a few years, when a certain great mind returned from studying in Europe, he would spark a decades-long IQ storm in America, creating a series of tragicomic events that would make future generations laugh and cry...

But now, being too showy was not the right time!

Old Hunter, of course, knew his daughter's capabilities very well, so before John had received systematic scientific education, he decided to be low-key. He could show his uniqueness and even display some astonishing talents, but going too far could cause trouble.

"New Jersey..."

Under John's expectant gaze, Old Hunter pondered for a moment and then said, "Alright, I will seriously consider it. I'll give you the final answer tomorrow. The exhibition is still a few days away, so there's plenty of time."

"Thank you, sir."

Hearing Old Hunter's decision, John felt a great relief and breathed a long sigh.

If it were an ordinary ten-year-old boy, he would probably be disappointed at this point. But as a psychologically mature "adult," John naturally understood that his grandfather, as he said, had no objection to his visit to the electric light exhibition; he was just hesitant because New Jersey was far away. Moreover, he could sense Old Hunter's concern behind his indifferent expression, which made John, who wanted to get along well with his grandfather but was also somewhat resistant, feel a bit happy.

And...

As long as it wasn't outright rejected, the chances of this happening were already about eighty percent!

The prospect of meeting the pioneer of the incandescent bulb made John very happy. After politely saying goodbye to his grandfather, he went upstairs. After returning from the tailor Smith yesterday, he finally discovered Old Hunter's study. Eager to understand this era, he was overjoyed and quickly made reading his top priority, wishing he could just live in the study.

"What do you think?"

After John disappeared at the top of the stairs, Old Hunter slightly narrowed his eyes and asked out of the blue.

"Sir, first of all, congratulations to you!"

Hans Elber stepped forward and stood beside Old Hunter, smiling and speaking softly, "Young Mr. Hunter has shown us his extraordinary talent and his strong thirst for knowledge... in my personal opinion, these are noble qualities that a successful person should possess!"

"Ha ha..."

Even Old Hunter, who never showed favor to his grandson, couldn't help but smile at his trusted butler's flattery, almost letting out a laugh. However, he quickly hid his smile and said, "Hans, you know I'm not asking about that. I want your opinion on his desire to go to New Jersey."

Raising an eyebrow, the butler said calmly, "Regarding this matter, I personally think you can consider it. Satisfying a young boy's curiosity is a good thing, and disappointing Young Mr. Hunter would be inappropriate. If you trust me, I can assure you that Young Mr. Hunter will have a pleasant and safe three days!"

"Oh?"

Slightly surprised, Old Hunter looked at the butler. When he saw the calm expression on Hans' face, he suddenly felt amused and laughed.