1840Indian rebirth

Under the watchful eyes of many celebrities, the canonization ceremony of Ma Shao officially began.

Most of the ceremony was a ritual that seemed meaningless to him.

Until the point of shoulder.

The so-called shoulder tapping means that the queen holds a sword and uses the blade to tap twice on the shoulder of the person who is kneeling on one knee.

This process is short and light, but it is the stage where Mashao's emotions fluctuate the most.

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

Kneel down on one knee and willingly let someone put a sharp knife on your neck - there is probably no more distinct gesture of surrender in the world than this.

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

Of course he won't express his inner emotions, but he may never forget this short moment.

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

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

Although he is only the lowest gentleman.

After the canonization, Ma Shao still needs to participate in a series of social activities, be polite with celebrities and nobles in Great Britain, and make a few more friends.

The first point of friendship was Dickens.

Dickens's influence is huge, 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 world and even around the world.

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

Dickens was obviously a first-class intelligent man, with a strong curiosity and a wide range of opinions. He soon discovered that the horse whistle could bring him much more pleasure than anyone he had ever seen 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. This was also the reason why he and Babbage had a good relationship.

Therefore, Ma Shao and Dickens had a very pleasant exchange.

Mashao told Dickens many Indian stories and realities, and invited him to visit the Apache in the future, and Dickens readily agreed.

There are also less pleasant things.

At a banquet, while changing cups and cups, the topic of discussion gradually led to the telegraph. As the chief designer of the cross-English Channel telegraph project, Ma Shao naturally became the focus of everyone's attention.

"The cross-ocean 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." A middle-aged man who looked like a scholar said.

His remarks aroused heated discussions among people, with some agreeing and others opposing.

Of course Mashao did not agree with this view, either from a scientific point of view or from a profit point of view - he wanted to raise funds in the name of the transoceanic telegraph.

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

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

"It is true that the telegraph expanded rapidly, but it always came to an end." Someone said, "Crossing the Atlantic requires thousands of miles of underwater cables - we don't even know how deep the Atlantic is."

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

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

Ma Shao smiled: "I have to say, this estimate is too pessimistic. In my opinion, in about five years, no more than ten years at most, the telegraph between Europe and America can be connected."

"Five years!" people exclaimed.

"It's empty talk, Sir Mashao. Although you are a very powerful scientist, I think this statement is unfounded."

Ma Shao said: "Well, let's make a bet. I bet it can definitely be realized within ten years."

"What's the stakes?" many asked.

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

"hiss--"

Everyone gasped.

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

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

Everyone sitting here looked at each other, no one dared to bet.

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

And even if someone dares to bet, the horse whistle is not afraid.

It may be difficult to achieve a transoceanic telegraph in five years, but ten years is absolutely enough. He doesn't even need to take action. Others can complete this goal within ten years.

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

People marveled at Ma Shao's courage to move forward.

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

After this incident, Mashao officially released the news of selling part of GE's stock, which attracted greedy people.

But not everyone is qualified to buy stocks. After all, Mashao 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 shares were all the British dignitaries and celebrities, including the Queen.

By tying interests with these powerful people, Mashao received stronger political support and about 300,000 pounds of funds.

This money instantly made him extremely financially comfortable.

Ma Shao then established another company: General Dynamics.

As soon as the company was established, he took out all the inventions he could come up with - such as new sewing machines, James couplers, phonographs... they were all registered as patents, and then hired a group of people to go to other countries to register patents.

In the past, in the United States, horse whistles could hardly enjoy the protection of patent law. Obtaining a patent for jeans was almost the limit. As for more valuable inventions, don't think about it. As long as you take them out, they will be used as wedding dresses for Americans.

When he first arrived in the UK, he didn't dare to use inventions like sewing machines. After all, it was so easy to make money, and it would be troublesome if someone got jealous.

Now that he has become a knight conferred by the Queen, and has completed the binding of interests with some powerful people, at least within the sphere of influence of the British Empire, these problems no longer exist.

In other places, including the United States, patents are registered immediately in the name of British companies. As long as the registration is successful, it will be somewhat effective.

General Dynamics is used to accommodate and apply various practical inventions of horse whistles.

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

After some inquiring, he heard about an outstanding mechanical engineer named Joseph Clement, and planned to find a time to visit him.

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

"Mr. Babbage?" The horse whistle looked at Charles Babbage in a hurry, almost thinking that he was here to inform him of the end of the world.

"I heard that you are 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 then said with some excitement, "But what is more certain is that Joseph Clement is a bastard, an out-and-out bastard, and a complete liar! If

If it weren't for him, my difference engine would never fail!"