Magic Industrial Age

Perhaps, almost every mechanic's laboratory is incompatible with neatness and cleanliness.

Lilia's laboratory, even though it's only been completed for half a year, is already like this.

Several processing machines are placed everywhere, the ground is covered with various parts, and although there are shelves around for placing things, you can't expect them to be placed in a fixed location!

Don't think this is messy, because for the mechanic himself, it is orderly in chaos, and they can always find what they want.

But if someone helps them clean up, then they won't be able to find anything.

His Excellency Bartholomew led Loye and the others through the laboratory to the inner reception room.

The area here is not large, but it is covered with expensive cashmere carpets, which are very comfortable to step on, and it is close to the window.

Looking out, you can see countless people busy on the Ruhr River, and ships shuttling back and forth, a busy scene.

Although this is Lilia's home field, His Holiness Saint Bartholomew is more like the host.

He took the lead in sitting down, and then pointed casually, asking everyone to sit down as well, and then raised his hand to take out black tea from his dimensional bag, still steaming, and automatically pushed it to everyone.

Putting aside everything else, just this one 'mage hand' spell has already been used by him to a superb level.

However, he didn't give Loye time to taste the tea, but directly asked: "Tell me, what do you want?"

Loye didn't answer immediately, but picked up the teacup, took a sip, and then slowly opened his mouth: "I want orders!

Orders for Maxim magic heavy machine guns, the time can be extended, but the quantity and profit of the orders must be very considerable, and the payment must be quick."

His Excellency Saint Bartholomew's expression froze, and he looked up strangely. He stared at Loye and said, "I thought you would ask for a large sum of gold thalers, in the name of a patent, and let the empire pay you."

Loye smiled, with a bit of self-deprecation: "Ordinary machinery is fine, but this is a gun, a great weapon on the battlefield, it's a bit ridiculous to use so-called patents to restrict it.

I believe that when Christina produced the first finished product, she sent the information back to the empire, and the imperial military should have already completed the experiment and started small-scale equipment, right?"

"My request is not excessive, after all, it's just a small part of this huge production capacity, enough to keep me busy."

"But why? Can you tell me? In my opinion, you can just ask for money!"

"Wealth is just one of the standards for measuring a person. It seems extremely important, everyone loves it, but it's not that important.

What I want now is actually a breeding ground for cultivating talents, a workshop for honing skills, accumulating enough technology, and manufacturing high-quality products."

His Excellency Saint Bartholomew still had some incomprehension on his face. Obviously, although this one is powerful and proficient in magic machinery,

However, he doesn't quite understand economic principles, let alone the operation of factories.

Loye thought for a moment, and then changed his statement: "Your Excellency, I built an armory, you know that, right?"

"Brussels Armory, I know, what's wrong?"

"You see, the armory is built, there must be people, products, and sales channels, but these are not important, the most important thing is orders!"

"As long as the empire gives me enough orders, I can transfer mechanics, recruit apprentices, purchase raw materials, and produce these heavy machine guns.

Although, it will be slower in the early stage and there will be problems, but as long as the first step is taken, it will be smooth.

And these heavy machine guns are delivered to the empire, I can exchange them for gold thalers, pay wages and bonuses, maintain the relationship with suppliers, organize new research and development teams, and even transport goods by rail and sea...

You see, just a few more orders, but I have gained an armory, skilled workers, weapon production lines, various technologies,

And even earned gold thalers, let the knights and vassals see hope, and support the upstream and downstream industrial chains."

"This is what orders can bring, there are many benefits, which is not comparable to simple patent fees!"

Loye looked at His Excellency Saint Bartholomew again and asked, "Am I asking for too much?"

His Excellency Bartholomew shook his head slightly and said, "It's not too much, it's too little.

In a sense, you are the creator of this magic weapon and should own most of its intellectual property rights.

Now, just asking for some orders makes my Habsburg Empire seem very stingy."

Loye couldn't help but smile bitterly: "Your Excellency, this should be your idea, not those ministers of the Imperial Cabinet, right?"

"I didn't exchange opinions with them, what's wrong?"

"If it were them, I'm afraid they would only be more excessive, even eating everything clean and leaving me nothing."

"How is that possible?"

"Your Excellency, this heavy machine gun is a powerful weapon enough to change the war, you should imagine that the empire will never give up.

I'm afraid that if I ask for too much, those in the cabinet will have other thoughts.

For example, no longer supporting Flower Collar, but abandoning the Raymond family, just to monopolize the knowledge and patents of heavy machine guns.

I believe that they can not only do it, but even be very happy to do it."

"So, I want to be careful and only ask for very little, so that everyone can rest assured!"

Loye's idea is not groundless. There is a saying that 'great kindness becomes hatred'. When kindness reaches a certain level, it becomes hatred.

At this time, all the enemies are destroyed, and the kindness does not need to be repaid.

The empire's size is there, in comparison, Flower Collar is really nothing.

He was afraid that the things he took out were too good, resulting in a situation of 'a child holding gold passing through a闹市', and that day would be really difficult.

So, this time, Loye didn't even want to negotiate with Imperial Ambassador Sir Robin Walter, but directly approached His Excellency Saint Bartholomew.

This one, although actively involved in imperial affairs, is obviously not those black-hearted politicians.

But even so, Loye spoke frankly, without any concealment, and carefully put forward his request.

But even so, he still felt it was not enough, and said: "Of course, in order to promote this order, I have also prepared two gifts."

"Gifts?"

Until this moment, His Excellency Saint Bartholomew had followed Loye's train of thought.

He is, after all, rich in life experience. After a little thought, he knew that Loye's worries were very necessary.

Those in the cabinet are all black-hearted and ruthless, and they can really do things that eat everything clean.

At this moment, he looked at Loye again with admiration, narrowed his eyes slightly, and asked, "I want to see what gifts you have prepared?"

Loye raised his hand, took out a parchment scroll, and handed it over, saying: "This is 20% of the shares of the Brussels Armory. In the future, you will also be one of the shareholders of this factory.

The specific amount of income depends on how well this factory is managed and what level it develops to."

His Excellency Bartholomew paused as he took the parchment scroll, his expression restrained, and there was even some anger brewing: "Are you bribing me?"

"No, no, no, you can think of it as a apprenticeship gift.

Lilia has been studying with you for so long and has gained a lot. It is always necessary to express something in terms of emotion and etiquette."

"It's just that Your Excellency has too high a vision, and there are not many things I can offer here, so I have delayed it until now.

This 20% of the shares can also be converted into some money, and there will be some dividends every year, just as pocket money, to subsidize the experimental needs."

"These words are really beautiful! It's comforting to hear, but this doesn't change the essence of bribery."

Loye 'hehe' smiled and said, "The second gift I prepared is really a bribe, do you want to take a look?"

"Take it out and see!"

This time, Loye took out a large stack of information from the dimensional bag, placed it on the table, and pushed it in front of His Excellency Bartholomew.

He said: "Since I promised Your Excellency to take out some interesting mechanical designs, I will not break my promise!

The Maxim magic heavy machine gun is a small test. I have also prepared a six-barreled Gatling heavy machine gun and a single-soldier demolition weapon that can be directly used for castle defense and offense, grenades!"

In fact, grenades are not Loye's original creation. The Habsburg Empire had such a design, but because of its instability, it caused multiple explosions.

There was even an incident where a warehouse was blown up and dozens of people died, so it was not popular.

Loye picked up this design again, and as for the solution to the safety problem, it is ridiculously simple, that is, adding a safety device!

This time, it really scratched His Excellency Saint Bartholomew's itch, and he directly picked up the information and read it.

He read it very quickly, often just glancing at it and turning to the next page.

Until he saw halfway, he separated the drawings and information, because the second half was the design drawing of the grenade.

But at this moment, a hand stretched out, and was about to touch the design drawings placed aside, but he quickly held it down.

"What are you doing?"

This was Bartholomew's question, and the object of his question, Christina the mage, first smiled embarrassedly.

But after reacting, she jumped up and said, "Your Excellency, Your Excellency, this should be mine, give it to me! Can't I even take a look?"

"No!"

At this moment, he no longer looked at the drawings in his hand, but looked up at Loye.

As if organizing his words, after a moment, he finally spoke: "This gift is very good, I like it very much."

"What about the order?"

"I promise! I will discuss it with the Imperial Cabinet, and the matter should not be difficult to solve."

"In your name?"

"In the name of my Saint Bartholomew!"

"That's good! That's good! Thank you!"

"I should also thank you. You used your wisdom to put magic machinery on another path and tried another possibility. Very good!"

At this moment, Loye and His Excellency Saint Bartholomew smiled at each other, and the somewhat tense atmosphere dissipated, but it was much more relaxed.