Chapter 260: Kerosene (4K)

"Is this kerosene?"

Liang Yao looked at the research results Nobel showed him.

There is a pale yellow liquid in the glass container. When you get closer, you can smell the pungent smell of the liquid.

"I haven't decided what to call it yet. After all, this is a newly discovered liquid, but the name you gave is very appropriate. Is it called kerosene?" Nobel said excitedly.

At this time, Nobel had not realized that these liquids would change the life of the entire human civilization in the future. This thing called kerosene would light up the nights of human cities and enrich people's nightlife.

Although whale oil is available now, due to production and cost limitations, not all cities can afford to use whale oil as fuel for street lights.

Even for a city as rich as San Francisco, only the commercial streets and civic squares in the center of San Francisco can keep lights on all night long.

You can count the cities around the world that use whale oil as fuel for street lamps on a large scale. There are only a few wealthy cities such as London, Paris and New York.

Moreover, with the large-scale hunting of whales by humans, the number of whales has plummeted. Now fewer and fewer whales are captured by humans every year, and the price of whale products has also been rising.

The soul comes from Liang Yao in the 21st century. Kerosene is not a common commodity in life. The kerosene Liang Yao comes into contact with most often is the kerosene in lighters in later generations.

"This color doesn't look pure enough. Is there no purer kerosene?" Liang Yao asked Nobel.

The color of relatively pure kerosene should be colorless. The light yellow color indicates that the kerosene extracted by Nobel distillation is not pure enough.

"Yes, the light yellow kerosene is refined on a large scale. I also have refined kerosene here."

With that said, Nobel brought another tube of colorless kerosene. The refined kerosene was not much different from the kerosene that Liang Yao would see in later generations.

Liang Yao was very satisfied with Nobel's results. He took two kerosene lamps modified from whale oil lamps, poured kerosene into the kerosene lamps and lit them.

This kind of lantern is also called horse lantern, lantern, angry wind lantern and boat lantern in China. It is widely praised for its practicality and good wind resistance.

In the late 1970s and early 1980s when electric lights were not yet popular, this kind of lamp was still widely used in rural areas of China.

Everyone looked curiously at the flickering flames in the kerosene lamp.

Since it was daytime, Liang Yao asked Hu Jinchen to close the curtains to better observe the lighting effect of kerosene.

The lighting effect of kerosene lamps lived up to expectations. Two kerosene lamps illuminated the spacious living room brightly.

In fact, one kerosene lamp is enough. The reason why Liang Yao lit two kerosene lamps was to observe the difference between kerosene crudely purified by large-scale distillation and kerosene purified by multiple distillations.

The result is obvious. In terms of lighting effect, there is no difference between the two.

The only subtle difference is that yellow kerosene has a pungent smell when burning, while colorless kerosene has almost no odor.

"You did a good job." Liang Yao patted Nobel's shoulder very seriously, "Human civilization will now enter a new era, an era full of light in the dark night."

The significance of kerosene is self-evident. There were many ways to make money in the United States in the 19th century, but when it comes to what is the most profitable, the answer is undoubtedly oil.

Steel magnate Andrew Carnegie spent his entire life chasing the wealth of oil magnate Rockefeller and chasing the title of America's richest man.

Unfortunately, even though Carnegie rode the wave of America's great infrastructure, the steel produced at his Pittsburgh Steel Works was in short supply.

Steel is needed to upgrade rail tracks, to build steel bridges across rivers such as the Mississippi, to build new skyscrapers in cities, and to build ships.

However, until the output of Andrew Carnegie's steel mills exceeded British steel production, his wealth still did not exceed Rockefeller's oil empire.

Even at his peak, Andrew Carnegie's wealth was only about $500 million, not even half of Rockefeller's.

At the same time, Andrew Carnegie was already the richest man in the United States besides Rockefeller.

Rockefeller's oil empire also became the richest man in the history of the United States with a fortune of US$1.4 billion. He was the undisputed richest man in the United States during the Gilded Age.

When Rockefeller passed away in 1933, he left behind a huge fortune of US$1.4 billion, accounting for 15% of the United States' GNP at that time. It is no exaggeration to say that he was as rich as the country.

Before the advent of the electrical age and the popularization of electric lights, there was no cheapest lighting fuel for this era, no one.

Kerosene was as important to mankind in the 19th century as electricity was to mankind in the 20th and 21st centuries.

This thing is a necessity and every family can use it. In other words, kerosene can make money for everyone.

As for the gradual spread of electricity in developed countries at the end of this century, and electric lamps gradually replacing kerosene lamps, Liang Yao is not worried about this problem.

Electric lights have become popular in developed countries, but not in developing countries. Kerosene lamps still have a market in developing countries. Before the 1980s, kerosene was still widely used in vast rural areas in China.

Furthermore, before electricity became popular in developed countries, the internal combustion engine was also invented. By the end of this century, the most important function of petroleum was no longer lighting fuel, but engine fuel.

As long as we control oil, we control the future of mankind for at least the next two centuries.

Liang Yao sent a telegram to Deng Wenshun in Los Angeles, asking Deng Wenshun to come see him as soon as possible.

At this time, the California Railway (San Francisco-Los Angeles) had been opened to traffic. After the opening of this railway, it was completely operated at a loss. The exchange of people and materials between San Francisco and Los Angeles was infrequent, and there was almost no demand for the railway.

After all, Los Angeles is still a small town with a population of less than 10,000.

The California Railway is very controversial in California. Many California rich people believe that this is the most failed investment of Liang Yao, a business genius. Spending tens of millions of dollars to build a railway in a small town with a population of less than 10,000 and no development potential is unreasonable. Very stupid behavior.

Of course, some people believe that Liang Yao's political purpose in building the California Railway is greater than the economic purpose. After the California Railway is built, what will happen to the border.

California's military could drive directly to the U.S.-Mexico border in just two or three days.

But they all guessed wrong. Liang Yao's purpose of building this railway was to make money. This railway would become the most profitable railway in the West Coast region.

How can you ordinary people see the potential of Los Angeles?

Less than nine hours after the telegram was sent, Deng Wenshun appeared in front of Liang Yao.

"Third brother, you suddenly came to see me, but what's the emergency?" Deng Wenshun asked.

"Have you bought all the land in Los Angeles?" Liang Yao asked Deng Wenshun very seriously.

"All the owned land has been bought, and the unowned land has also been occupied. Except for a small amount of self-cultivated land owned by Los Angeles residents, almost the entire land in Los Angeles belongs to the American Group." Deng Wenshun thought about it carefully and said.

"Very good." Liang Yao nodded with great satisfaction, "If you open a few more wells and extract more crude oil and store it, I will soon send people to Los Angeles to set up a company and set up a factory. The company in Los Angeles will be yours for the time being. Come take charge.”

"Set up a factory in Los Angeles?" Deng Wenshun's eyes lit up when he heard this, and he became energetic, "Seriously?"

"Could I still lie to you?" Liang Yao said angrily, "You always say that San Francisco, Los Angeles is the son of your mother, Sacramento is the daughter of your stepmother, and Los Angeles is the daughter of your stepmother. It makes it seem like I didn't give anything to Los Angeles. The investment is the same. Didn’t you just move a steel factory to Los Angeles a while ago?”

"We moved a steel plant there, but the steel plant is not that profitable and doesn't attract many people." Deng Wenshun said with a smile.

"This time is different. The factory we opened in Los Angeles this time is more profitable than gold. I haven't announced it to the outside world yet. We will do it ourselves first. As long as we build the Los Angeles oil company, Los Angeles will not have to worry about anyone. Liang Yao said.

Just now Nobel showed him the kerosene, but Liang Yao didn't tell anyone else to come to Tingtao Garden to observe.

There are other ways to make money that Liang Yao can selflessly share with everyone and make a fortune together, but not oil.

The current situation of shallow mining in California is easy. According to the current digging method, it can be completed in less than 20 years.

However, the oil in Los Angeles, with the mining technology of this era, is more than enough to be mined for a hundred years. In the future, Liang Yao will expand his private army, not only to support the army, but also to support the navy. He also counted on Los Angeles oil to fund his army.

He must account for most of the oil in Los Angeles.

Liang Yao called Deng Wenshun into the study and explained to Deng Wenshun some specific matters regarding oil extraction and kerosene refining.

On April 15, 1852, Liang Yao arrived at the Port of St. Francis.

Also accompanying him were Deng Yan, a prominent figure in the Chinese Chamber of Commerce, and California dignitaries.

People who don’t know the inside story think that this grand scene is the American East India Fleet welcoming Perry. In fact, it is not the case. What Liang Yao is welcoming is just an ordinary Chinese woman. However, this woman’s identity is somewhat special. She is his current Deng Lan.

Soon, the chimney of the James Day, the most luxurious liner of the World Shipping Company, appeared on the sea level in the distance, followed closely by the entire hull of the James Day.

Sven, the president of Global Shipping Company, personally took the helm and sailed the James Day into the port of San Francisco, docking the James Day firmly at the dock.

"Madam, this is San Francisco."

After parking the boat, Sven said to Deng Lan, who was standing on the deck and looking at the dock.

"Captain Lao Siwen is with us along the way." Deng Lan thanked Siwen.

"I don't dare, I don't dare. It's an honor for me to serve my lady. Are you satisfied with this voyage?"

Since he has only taken routes to China for more than two years and often interacted with Chinese people, Siwen has become very proficient in Chinese. Siwen can even speak fluent Cantonese now, but his accent is a bit strange.

"The foreign ship is very stable, there is nothing wrong with it." Deng Lan said with a smile.

Although the Pacific Ocean is bumpy, the James Day is a large ship of more than 2,000 tons, which is much more stable than the small sampan Deng Lan used to go fishing in his early years.

Along the way, Deng Lan didn't even get seasick.

Liang Yao followed the memory of the original owner and quickly saw Deng Lan stepping off the boat, and stepped forward and shouted.

"mother!"

Bringing his biological mother to California to enjoy her life and leaving the suffocating traditional family in Xiangshan is the only thing Liang Yao can do for her original owner now.

"Yao'er."

Seeing Liang Yao, Deng Lan couldn't help but burst into tears.

Deng Lan was originally chosen as a concubine by Liang Yao's father Liang Shaochen. The reason why Liang Shaochen took Deng Lan as a concubine was nothing more than her appearance. Therefore, there was almost no affection between the couple, and Deng Lan did not have much affection for the Liang family.

In the entire Liang family, the only people Deng Lan really cared about were her two sons, Liang Yao and Liang Hui.

"To be honest, it has been more than three years since you left Guangdong in the 29th year of Daoguang (1849). When you first left, I didn't know how you were doing in America. Later, you sent back a letter saying that you had made a fortune in California, the United States. Only then did I feel relieved."

Deng Lan looked at Liang Yao, who was half a head taller than her, and smiled with relief.

"I'm much taller and stronger than when I left Guangdong, but I'm also a lot darker."

Deng Yan couldn't help but say, "Third sister, you're a promising kid now. You're a frontier official in the United States who holds military and political power. You're my immediate superior and you have thousands of soldiers under your command."

"Really?" Deng Lan just smiled faintly, "I don't understand American affairs, but as long as you live well, I'll be relieved."

"Aunt, my cousin is also my superior now. I'm managing a big bank for my cousin now." Deng Ying came forward and took Deng Lan's hand and said.

"Ying'er is getting more and more beautiful, and you're not young anymore. You're old enough to get married. Do you have a crush on someone in California?" Deng Lan asked Deng Ying with a smile.

"Aunt!" Deng Ying stamped her feet.

"Since she came to California, this little girl has become more and more disrespectful. Even I can't control her. Let her be. It's her own business if she can't get married." Deng Yan glared at Deng Ying.

"Has the Liang family made things difficult for mother?" Liang Yao asked with concern.

"Since you became rich, the Liang family has been very polite to me and never made things difficult for me. Your grandfather was ill and wanted to come to California to see you by boat, but he was worried that he was too old and weak to withstand the wind and waves on the sea, so he asked me to tell you that he hoped you could go back to see him when you are free." Deng Lan said to Liang Yao.

"When I have time, I will go back to see him." Liang Yao said calmly.

"Brother."

Liang Hui, who was hiding behind Deng Lan, looked up at Liang Yao and shouted.

Liang Yao stepped forward and touched Liang Hui's head: "Liang Hui has grown so tall too."

Liang Yao is his younger brother. If Liang Yao remembers correctly, Liang Hui was fourteen years old in his lunar age. When he left home, Liang Hui was only eleven years old.

"When you first left, this kid kept saying he wanted to go to America to find you, but when he really saw you in America, he was speechless." Deng Lan said, holding Liang Hui's hand.

"It doesn't matter. Let him slowly adapt to the new environment." Liang Yao said.