Chapter 205: [General Dynamics Corporation]

Under the gaze of many celebrities, Ma Shao's enthronement ceremony officially began.

  Most of the ceremony consisted of formalities that seemed to him meaningless.

  Until the shoulder point.

  The so-called shoulder tapping means that the queen holds a sword and gently taps the shoulder of the recipient who is kneeling on one knee with the sword twice.

  This process was short and mild, but it was the period when Ma Shao experienced the most emotional ups and downs.

  When she touched his shoulder, the sword in Queen Victoria's hand was only a few centimeters away from his neck.

  Kneeling on one knee and willingly letting someone put a knife to your neck - there is probably no more vivid gesture of submission in the world than this.

  Therefore, although this was just a common ritual in the British investiture ceremony, Ma Shao still felt a sense of humiliation in his heart.

  Of course, he would not show this emotion in his heart, but he might never forget this brief moment.

  With Queen Victoria's praise and words of encouragement, Ma Shao received the medal of honorary knight from her and officially became a knight.

  From today on, he is a Lord of the British Empire.

  Although he is only the lowest rank lord.

  After the enthronement ceremony, Ma Shao also needs to participate in a series of social activities, exchange pleasantries with British celebrities and nobles, and make more friends.

  The first person I focused on was Dickens.

  Dickens' influence is enormous, not only in later generations but also in the present.

  In the 21st century, Dickens is a monument in the literary world. In the 19th century, he was one of the best-selling authors with fans all over the English-speaking world and even the world.

  This can be seen from the rampant piracy of books in the United States.

  Dickens was evidently a man of the first order, with a keen curiosity and wide-ranging views, and he soon discovered that the horse whistle gave him far more pleasure than any other man he had ever met before.

  Although he was not a scientist, he was very interested in science and technology, and was particularly fascinated by new gadgets like mechanical computers, which is why he became good friends with Babbage.

  Therefore, Ma Shao had a very pleasant communication with Dickens.

  Ma Shao told Dickens many stories and realities about Indians, and invited him to visit Apache in the future, to which Dickens readily agreed.

  There are also less pleasant things.

  At a banquet, as people drank and chatted, the topic of discussion gradually turned to the telegraph. Ma Shao, as the chief designer of the trans-English Channel telegraph project, naturally became the focus of everyone.

  "The transatlantic telegraph is indeed a remarkable achievement, but I still have to say that General Electric's transatlantic plan is simply impossible... The English Channel and the Atlantic Ocean are completely different." said a middle-aged man who looked like a scholar.

  His remarks sparked heated discussions among people, with some agreeing and others disagreeing.

  Ma Shao certainly did not agree with this view, both from a scientific point of view and from a profit point of view - he wanted to raise funds by using the name of transoceanic telegraph.

  The money he brought from the United States has been almost spent, and he must raise a large sum of money as soon as possible before he can proceed with his next plan.

  He held a half-full glass of wine and said slowly: "Some people once thought that telegraph communication over a kilometer was impossible, but the reality is that telegraphs have spread throughout major cities in the UK and are penetrating into every corner of the world."

  "It's true that the telegraph has expanded rapidly, but it has to reach its limit," one person said. "To cross the Atlantic Ocean, thousands of miles of underwater cables are needed—and we don't even know how deep the Atlantic Ocean is."

  Ma Shao looked at the man and said, "Sir, do you think this project will never be realized?"

  The other party hesitated for a moment: "That's not the case, but I think it will take a long time to realize it, such as... a hundred years."

  Ma Shao smiled and said, "I have to say that this estimate is too pessimistic. In my opinion, in about five years, or at most ten years, the telegraph lines between Europe and America will be connected."

  "Five years!" people exclaimed.

  "No evidence, Sir Horsewhistle. Although you are a great scientist, I think there is no basis for this statement."

  Ma Shao said: "Let's make a bet. I bet it can be achieved within ten years."  

  "What's the stakes?" many asked.

  Ma Shao looked around and said slowly, almost word by word: "All the property, lifelong honor, and only one life."

  "hiss--"

  Everyone gasped.

  Dickens next to him was also stunned, and then he couldn't help but ask in a low voice: "Are you serious?"

  "Of course I'm serious." Ma Shao replied without deliberately lowering his voice, and asked again, "How about it, is there anyone willing to bet with me? We can sign a written agreement."

  Everyone present looked at each other, and no one dared to gamble.

  After all, the people who appear here are either rich or noble, with a lot of wealth and honors, and noble family background, so they naturally dare not gamble like this.

  And even if someone really dares to gamble, Ma Shao is not afraid.

  It might be difficult to realize transoceanic telegraph in five years, but ten years would be absolutely enough. He wouldn't even need to take any action, as others might be able to accomplish this goal within ten years.

  Once this statement was made, no one dared to question the feasibility of transoceanic telegraph.

  People were amazed at Ma Shao's indomitable courage.

  Of course, some people also cursed in a low voice: "This lunatic!"

  After this incident, Ma Shao officially announced the sale of part of General Electric's shares, attracting greedy people.

  But not everyone is qualified to buy stocks. After all, Ma Shao knows the value of his company. If it were not for immediate financial and political considerations, he would not be willing to sell these stocks.

  Those who actually bought General Electric stock were all British dignitaries and celebrities, even the Queen.

  By tying his interests to these powerful people, Ma Shao obtained stronger political support and approximately 300,000 pounds of funding.

  This money instantly made his finances extremely well-off.

  Ma Shao then founded another company: General Dynamics Corporation.

  As soon as the company was established, he took out all the inventions he could - such as the new sewing machine, James coupler, phonograph... all of them were patented, and then he hired a group of people to register patents in other countries.

  In the past in the United States, Ma Shao could hardly enjoy the protection of patent law. Barely getting a patent for jeans was almost his limit. As for more valuable inventions, there was no need to think about it. As long as he took them out, he would be making wedding dresses for the Americans.

  When he first arrived in England, he didn't dare to show off his inventions like the sewing machine. After all, it was too easy to make money with it, and it would be troublesome if someone became jealous.

  Now that he has been knighted by the Queen and has tied his interests to some powerful people, these problems no longer exist, at least within the sphere of influence of the British Empire.

  In other places, including the United States, registering patents in the name of British companies as soon as possible will be of some use as long as the registration is successful.

  General Dynamics Corporation is used to accommodate and apply Ma Shao's various practical inventions.

  Of course, having a patent is not enough. Ma Shao also needs to recruit a large number of engineers and workers to improve and produce his many inventions.

  After some inquiries, he heard of an outstanding mechanical engineer named Joseph Clement, and decided to find time to visit him.

  Unexpectedly, before he went to find Clement, another person came to him first.

  "Mr. Babbage?" Ma Shao looked at Charles Babbage in surprise, almost thinking that he was here to inform him of the end of the world.

  "I heard that you were going to hire Clement as an engineer?" Babbage stared at him.

  Ma Shao nodded: "Yes, as far as I know, he is an outstanding mechanical expert."

  "Maybe." Babbage took a deep breath and said with some excitement, "But one thing is more certain, Joseph Clement is a bastard, an absolute bastard and a complete liar! If it weren't for him, my Difference Engine would not have failed at all!"