Chapter 606 Thunder Exploded

Chapter 607 Thunder, exploded

For the French Minister of Trade, what he saw was that the export volume continued to soar at a rate of more than 10% per month.

Although the French factories affected by the previous order scam had received subsidies and sold most of their inventory, they basically did not suffer any losses.

But the extra workers they hired to complete the orders and the machines they purchased were still a headache.

Recently, with the rise of smuggling trade with Britain and Portugal, most factories have put idle production capacity into operation, and there is even a slight shortage of supply.

At the same time, with the increasing amount of goods shipped to the South Netherlands, the construction speed of the Wallonia region has also increased several times compared to before - as long as money flows, it will naturally be richer.

In order to facilitate freight transportation, the smugglers even raised funds themselves to extend the wooden track originally planned by Joseph from Hennegau to Ostend to Luxembourg, and finally connected it with the wooden track in France at Verdun.

Ostend has become extremely prosperous in a few months from a small seaport that no one cares about.

A large number of residents in northern France, French-speaking people in the Southern Netherlands, and even a large number of Italians have gathered here to earn high salaries for "special trade".

Because there are too many sailors looking for work, the wages have been reduced from 100 francs per month to 80 francs. But even so, this is an extremely tempting high salary.

And these people always need food, clothing, housing and transportation, and their salaries must be spent somewhere. As a result, more masons, carpenters, shoemakers and even "lost women" followed.

A large number of houses, shops, and entertainment venues have emerged around the port like mushrooms after rain.

The population in the Ostend area has rapidly increased from more than 4,000 to more than 50,000, and is still rising.

The Austrian government's control over the Southern Netherlands was not very strong, and these tens of thousands of French-speaking people ignored the decrees of Brussels, while the influence of the Wallonia Chamber of Commerce gradually expanded to the northwest of the Southern Netherlands.

It can be said that if Joseph had not considered that it would provoke Austria, he would have immediately incorporated all the areas south of Brussels into France. This was an unexpected gain that he had not expected before.

Some were happy and some were sad. Just when Ostend's maritime trade was in full swing, London was facing a terrible "earthquake".

In a cafe in Thames Harbor, Mesmer, dressed as a scholar, looked at the distant London city with some reluctance and sighed:

"I am sure that Sir Enfygip has developed a strong interest in the prospects I have described. In three days, at most three days, he will invest 50,000 pounds to buy corporate bonds."

He looked at Kalona who was tasting coffee:

"But you don't give me these three days."

Kalona ignored him, and the general manager of Lightning Company, Sterler, who had two small mustaches on his side, whispered:

"The Baron Mordaunt has been questioned in Parliament, and there is really no way to delay it any longer."

Due to the successive extensions of the construction period of the London gas streetlight project, Councillor Mordaunt, who pushed for this matter, was exploited by his political opponents and lost face.

So, Mordaunt found the mayor of London and ordered him to produce results "enough to shut up the parliament" before the end of this year.

The latter immediately agreed.

He was very confident because 80% of the construction of London's gas street lamps had been completed and only needed to be tested for gas before they could be put into use.

This ratio almost covered the entire city. I believe that when London lights up in the night, the gentlemen of the parliament will definitely smile.

Yes, Lightning Company told Mayor Herbert that the London gas street lamp project was nearing completion, and the latter had no doubts at all - now the streets and alleys in London are full of street lamps, with elegant shapes and solid bolts, all full of industrial beauty.

However, what Herbert didn't know was that these street lamps were only beautiful.

All street lamps were manufactured and installed by subcontractors strictly in accordance with Lightning Company's drawings. Not only were the pipe interfaces unable to be sealed and there were no necessary valves, but even the materials of the gas pipes were very "particular", ensuring that they would corrode within a year after being buried.

Even if the British invested a large sum of money and hired someone to resume this "unfinished project", they would have to dig out all the pipes by this time next year. The cost would be even higher than laying the pipes from scratch.

After that, Herbert asked Lightning to put the built street lights into use.

For the future of Councillor Mordaunt, he also directly issued an announcement to hold a grand ceremony to light up London's gas street lights at the end of the year.

Of course, the street lights could not be lit at all. So after discussing, Kalona and Styler decided to run away.

Moreover, they had really made enough money.

Just a few hours after the ship that Kalona and others were on left the Thames Harbor, the Mayor of London, Baron Mordaunt and a group of officials appeared at the ceremony.

However, when Herbert heard his assistant whisper in his ear, he was a little angry. None of the general manager and senior executives of Lightning were present, and they could not be found anywhere.

Herbert glanced at the thousands of people and a large group of reporters at the scene, and a bad feeling surged in his heart. But when he caught a glimpse of the technicians from the Lightning Company standing not far away, as well as the owners of the companies involved in the gas street lamp project, he felt relieved.

As long as there are technicians who can light up the streetlights, it will be fine. The rest will be settled with that Steller later.

The sun began to set, and after the congressman and the mayor gave wonderful speeches, the sky just got dark.

Baron Mordaunt raised his hand excitedly and said:

"Let us use light to dispel the darkness of London!"

Dozens of lamplighters immediately dispersed, each opened the glass lampshade, and inserted the thin and long burning rod at one end into the streetlight.

Then they all showed surprise, began to check the valves, and then lit the lights again.

The night was still as dark as before.

The lamplighters quickly changed other streetlights to try, but they still couldn't light up.

After a full half an hour, news came from all over London that no lamp could be lit.

Herbert glared at the Lightning Company technician, who explained with a bitter face:

"Mayor, the gas should not be coming through. I have asked someone to check."

However, the inspection did not produce any results. An hour later, Herbert announced with a gloomy face:

"Due to a technical failure, the lighting ceremony has been postponed."

The next morning, he led a group of officials to the Lightning Company to ask for punishment.

Styler and others still did not show up. A technician reported to the mayor tremblingly:

"I checked the main output pipeline, and there is indeed no gas there."

"Then go check your distillery!" Styler said angrily.

The technician lowered his head helplessly and said:

"But, mayor, only the chief technician can go in there..."