The Master of the Strange Realm

The old man's tone was unusually tired, even a little numb.

"ordinary?"

"Don't you believe it?"

The old man put down what he was holding and strode to the cabinet by the wall. Squatting down, he opened the cabinets on the lower floor and pulled out a suitcase.

He dragged the suitcase to the table and opened it, which was filled with metal music boxes. These machines have a fairly obvious handmade feel, but that doesn't add to their value.

“I make money from this, what’s wrong with that?”

The old man asked, taking one out and handing it to Jenkins. Jenkins opened the lid, then used the key in the hand of the upright dancing figure to gently turn it a few times in the keyhole on the side of the music box. Immediately, along with the dancing figure's still movement, a tinkling tune sounded.

This is really an ordinary music box.

Jenkins put the noisy box on the table. He didn't expect that the old man was already in such poverty.

"Can you make money by selling this?"

"Of course, whether you sell it to a toy store or set up a street stall yourself, these are hot commodities and you can make quite a lot of money."

Instead of looking for a suitable gear, the old man picked up a spring and squinted under the light to observe the spring's recovery after being compressed by force.

"I polish parts and assemble music boxes every day. This is enough to support myself and save some money. I don't know why people like handicrafts so much. When I have more savings over time, I plan to recruit one or two literate apprentices. Teach them those repetitive and tiring tasks, so that they can earn more money and be able to move to a better place sooner or later.”

He lowered the spring and dropped it in a folded newspaper box.

"So, your job now...is to hand-make these music boxes?"

"Some metal parts also need to be purchased. It is impossible for me to pull out such a spring or make such a standard gear by myself. What I do is more complex and detailed work."

"No, I mean, you don't do science anymore, don't you invent things anymore?"

"invention?"

The old man suddenly turned his head to look at Jenkins, with indescribable emotions in his tired, bloodshot eyes:

“Can inventions buy food?”

Of course not, even relatively useful inventions may not be able to earn money in exchange for food.

“If you can’t eat enough, what’s the point of doing anything else.”

He pointed to himself:

"I'm already this age, do you think I still can't understand this? Inventions and creations can't be exchanged for money, but learning what others have invented and copying those already existing achievements can help me live a good life. "

"Is that what you think now?"

Jenkins asked.

"Yes, I understand now. If I could understand this when I was young, I wouldn't be forced to live in a place like this when I am old."

He said, returning to his work. Although he is a bit old, his hands are very steady.

"I used to think that I could become an inventor. All I thought about all day long was inventing powerful machines and becoming famous. Now that I think about it, I was really stupid when I was young. Not all investments will pay off. At that time If I had not wanted to be an inventor, but to be a businessman or use the money I had to build a factory, how could I be here now?”

He spoke very fast, more like talking to himself than talking to Jenkins:

"Inventors and scientists are the most useless professions. I have never heard of any inventor becoming a rich man. I have only heard of rich people becoming inventors. Even if you become the best inventor, it is simply not as good as Not the best businessman. Both the invention and science industries have career limits, and the rewards are far less than the investment, so it is better to become a businessman.”

Although these are confused words uttered by the old man in grief and anger, there is indeed some truth in it. The career ceiling of invention and science is indeed lower than that of businessmen, and in this era, the uncertainty is much greater than that of businessmen.

"So, instead of learning science and mechanics, it is better to learn business from businessmen. This is the best knowledge."

The old man concluded by himself.

"That's a bit too extreme, right?"

Jenkins asked, and he saw that this was not what the old man meant, but he was just venting his inner dissatisfaction.

"Extreme, isn't it? More and more people will see this. Except for those unlucky guys who have entered the wrong profession, children in the future will probably flock to business. This is knowledge that can make money."

"But this is not good for our civilization. Civilization needs to progress, so someone needs to delve into science and creativity."

Jenkins reminded.

“But it’s not my fault that society has not given those of us who study science and creativity more living conditions.”

The old man answered without raising his head. .

"You think it's society's fault?"

"It can be said that, except for a few big nobles, who doesn't want their children to make more money in the future? Isn't it silly to learn science and create when the ratio of harvest and investment is uncertain?"

The old man snorted and continued to vent his emotions.

"You see, he thinks the same way I do."

The gear man behind him also spoke. Although his tone could not tell the emotion, if he were a real person, he would definitely be elated at this moment:

"Your civilization itself has problems. Science and creation cannot create wealth in a short period of time. Some science and creation are even meaningless in themselves, but someone must do it to prove the meaninglessness, or to inspire other people's ideas. . Therefore, there should be strong support and help for industries and individuals who are involved in creation, rather than letting them fend for themselves. What is even more intolerable is that industries that are not of great significance to civilization should be allowed to show more than science. and create more revenue. You are burying your own civilization."

When the first three targets were talking to Jenkins, the gear man never interrupted. This time he spoke probably because the current situation was very suitable to hit Jenkins.

"you're right."

But Jenkins was not impressed:

"Indeed, this is unreasonable."

He held one hand on the table and half-turned to look at the Gear Man:

"That's why change is needed, but not the change you want, but the change I want."

"Can stubbornness be considered a virtue?"

"Whatever you say, please shut up now and see how I get the 'heart of whimsy'."

Although it seems a bit difficult, compared with being almost helpless in the mine just now, at least Jenkins knows that when the old man was young, he must have had such a thing as "wonderful ideas".

So all he needs is to reawaken the thoughts that have been lost and forgotten, which sounds much simpler.

"How much money can this music box make you?"

Jenkins adjusted his mood and asked the old man, but the other party did not give an exact number:

"At least it's enough for me to have a good meal at the restaurant on the street."

"Then why don't you want to make more?"

"Earn more?"

The old man looked at Jenkins:

"I have already saved to the extreme on raw materials. If I save any more, the overall service life of the music box will be greatly reduced. Although I am poor, I don't know how to use this trick. As for speeding up the production process, I am already too old, and my eyesight My hands and hands can no longer keep up with the speed of my mind, so I’m thinking of recruiting a few apprentices in a few days.”

"No, no, it's not about saving costs and time, but trying to find a way to sell a music box at a higher price."

"I have to admit that I'm not cut out to be a businessman and it's too late to learn those skills now."

said the old man.

"What if the acquirer takes the initiative to increase the price? Maybe you can make some changes to the existing music boxes to make them worth the higher price while trying to control costs and production time. Remember when we first started talking, I Those thoughts you mentioned?”

"You mean, I can add something different to the production process?"

"Of course, even if the function cannot be changed, it shouldn't be difficult for you to add some beautiful textures yourself, or hand-carve some patterns that young people like, right?"

"It's really not difficult..."

The old man whispered, his eyes wandering and he didn't know what he thought of.

“If you are worried about investing too much and failing, you can just make one or two special samples and sell them in stores you are familiar with. If someone really likes it and can pay for it, then gradually increase production. If you are lucky enough and you create an innovative music box with technology that only you master, then you can definitely make a fortune by building a handicraft workshop, recruiting five or six apprentices, and mastering the manufacturing and assembly of core components yourself. Process. After accumulating sufficient capital, increase the scale of production and continue R\u0026D and creation during the production and manufacturing process.

If all goes well, I believe it is entirely possible to become a factory owner in your lifetime. "

The above process is pure nonsense from Jenkins. He himself knows how difficult it is to do this. But it is indeed "possible", and it is not completely hopeless, so this is not a lie to encourage the other party.

Chapter 2201 Wonderful Thoughts

"Can I do it? I'm so old."

The old man asked quietly, with a very uneasy tone.

"Think about it, you are already this age. If you don't give it a try, are you going to take regrets to the grave? And giving it a try won't cost you your current life. Besides, you don't seem to have any Nothing to lose."

"this......"

He scratched his sparse hair and looked anxiously at the parts on the table illuminated by the high-power gas lamp.

"Try it, it will just waste some time and delay you from earning a few meals. If you fail, just consider it as a month's work. If you succeed, you don't need to live in this kind of place anymore. Although the inventions of your youth are not Makes you money, but now it's just an improvement on the music box, not even an improvement, just adding some new and exciting features. Is it hard? Maybe it's hard, but for you, you know the process of making music boxes, you've had it for half your life. Mechanical manufacturing experience. What can stop you except the end of the world?"

Jenkins continued to confuse, and felt that he might also have the potential to become a devil. Of course, he was sure that someone who loved animals like him would make a good devil.

Thinking of this, he reached out and patted the chocolate on his shoulder. Since Chocolat followed Jenkins to this strange place, he has shown a rare well-behaved attitude. In the past, he only did this when he made a big mistake or hoped that Jenkins would provide delicious food.

This made Jenkins sigh that after more than half a year, the adopted pet cat has finally grown up and is no longer the greedy and lazy cat in the past.

Chocolate, who heard Jenkins's thoughts for some reason, wanted to teach Jenkins a lesson, but thinking of the current situation, he decided to endure it first and let Jenkins know that cats cannot be slandered after this matter is over.

The old man in the white coat is still hesitant. Now this kind of life is stable and has expectations. Even if the future described by Jenkins is good, it is risky after all.

Seeing that pure interests could not tempt him, Jenkins decided to take another strong medicine from another aspect:

"Do you still remember the original idea of ​​wanting to invent? The desire from the heart, the idea of ​​feeling the heat in your heart when you touch these cold metal parts."

"That was many years ago."

"So when you dream at midnight or get drunk in the pub, do you recall your ambitions when you were young? Have you ever dreamed of realizing your ideas when you were young?"

"Indeed, there were one or two times."

"So do you really have no chance? If it is not feasible to invent a machine that no one else has thought of for the time being, then why not start by improving the existing machinery? For example, the music box in your hand."

"This..."

He is still hesitating. After both money and his own ideals can be satisfied, the old man is still hesitating. He is no longer young, not because he has lost the drive of young people, but because he has more concerns.

So Jenkins had one more trick left:

"Can you imagine that we are in this era, steam is driving society and people forward, but are you willing to waste the rest of your life doing these manual work day after day?"

The old man's expression did not reveal his thoughts at the moment.

"Imagine how many people can encounter this era. Even with the eyes of modern people, we can know how magnificent and changeable this era is. Are you really willing to live a mediocre life, and the last major event in your life is to recruit a few rude young people to help you polish parts in the basement?"

The old man tilted his head and frowned.

"Imagine, when you die, how will people write your epitaph? 'A craftsman' or 'music box assembler'? Is this what you want?"

He was surprised that he could say such words.

"Not really..."

"On the contrary, if you can muster up the courage to give it a try, maybe things will be very different. You will catch up with the trend of the times in the second half of your life, and you will use your intelligence and wisdom to become a trendsetter of the times... I hope you can understand this metaphor. If you can really become a factory owner, maybe someone will write a book for you, praising you for being successful at your age, and the failures of your youth will become part of the legend. Think about it carefully, are these difficult?"

The old man swallowed his saliva with a gulp, and his originally stern eyes softened. .

"Then, your epitaph will write about your great life, and there will be admirers and successors who will boast about your contributions. And all of this depends on whether you are willing to make changes and try to change your current destiny... Yes, change your destiny, relying on yourself. This is not something that can be done at any time. If you are not lucky enough to enter this era, even if you have an idea, you have no chance. You are lucky, lucky to have figured this out in your later years, so, for money, for yourself, and for society, try to create something."

"For money, for yourself, and for society..."

He repeated this sentence in a low voice, turned his head and looked at the parts on the table with a twinkling eye. Then he took out a piece of paper from under a heavy, oily gear, and unfolded it. On it was a hand-drawn mechanical decomposition diagram of the music box. All three views were there, and the size was marked. Jenkins saw at a glance that this music box was different from a normal music box.

"It's time to change."

The old man whispered, unfolded the drawing completely, spread it flat on the table, and then found a usable pencil from the wooden pen holder next to it.

Jenkins took two steps back and watched the old man under the lamp start to work. A transparent heart-shaped diamond emerged from his heart. Compared with the previous ones, this gem is smaller, and the temperature is not as hot when it is held, but it can be regarded as a "heart of imagination".

"You see, this is not difficult."

After Jenkins showed it to the gear man behind him, the latter asked:

"Are you sure you didn't use your power to trick him?"

"Whether I used power or not, you are so close to me, can't you feel it at all? Although I don't think it is right to change other people's ideas so easily with words, I can guarantee that I just used rhetoric. I think I can probably understand the old inventor's ideas. His ideas cannot be said to be completely right, but at least they are not completely wrong..."

As he said, he threw the gem to the other party. The two walked towards the exit of the basement together, and the gear man exclaimed:

"After watching these with you, I once again confirmed that humans are really interesting things, very interesting."