The Shadow of Great Britain-Chapter 1627 - 33: One Stone, Three Birds (Part 2)

Chapter 1627: Chapter 33: One Stone, Three Birds (Part 2)

She murmured to herself, as if repeatedly confirming the knowledge she had learned.

At this moment, soft footsteps came from upstairs. Becky looked up, towards the direction of the stairs.

A few seconds later, Arthur walked down from upstairs in his morning robe, his gaze swept across the dining room and finally fixed on Becky.

"Good morning, Becky."

Becky quickly closed the magazine, stood up, and respectfully replied, "Good morning, Sir, breakfast is ready."

Arthur nodded lightly, but his eyes couldn’t help drifting to the "Family Life Science" in Becky’s hand: "Hmm? You’ve recently taken a liking to reading housekeeping magazines?"

Becky’s cheeks flushed: "Um... others told me that reading housekeeping magazines more would be beneficial for work, so I joined a women’s book club."

"Women’s book club..." Arthur pulled out a chair and poured himself some tea. "How much is the membership fee? 3 shillings? 4 shillings? I remember London’s book clubs charge around that price, right?"

"The book club I joined doesn’t have many books, so the membership fee is cheaper, only 1 shilling a year."

Arthur took a sip of tea: "Then switch to one with more books, I’ll pay the difference for you. There’s nothing wrong with reading family magazines, but you shouldn’t read only that, right? You can also freely read the books placed in the living room bookshelf, just don’t touch those in the storage room cabinet. Those are deposited by Mr. Carter, if they get damaged, when he returns from the sea, I’m afraid he’ll nail me to the mast with Poseidon’s trident."

"Sir, you’re really too kind." Becky lowered her head slightly, her voice gentle and respectful: "But you don’t need to spend more money on me. The books from the book club are already enough for me to read for a long time, as for novels, I would like to read them, but there are too many new words in them, I can’t understand them yet. It’s better to wait until I know more words before considering that."

Becky was unwilling, and Arthur didn’t insist either. He picked up the newspaper by the table and replied while having breakfast, "That’s fine too, whenever you feel your vocabulary is enough, just let me know."

Becky paused for a moment upon hearing this, then gently said, "But, Sir, your generosity towards everyone leaves me feeling overwhelmed. You’re always so kind-hearted, wanting to give everyone the best treatment, but I always feel that, sometimes, some people don’t deserve your kindness."

Arthur was slightly taken aback, he didn’t respond immediately, just took a small sip of tea.

Seeing Arthur not responding, Becky quickly added, "I appreciate your kindness, but please also take care of yourself, consider your own needs, you can’t always think of others. After all, not everyone can understand your good intentions."

"Hmm..." Arthur paused upon hearing this, then sighed and said, "Becky."

"Sir?"

Arthur looked at her with a face full of regret, saying, "If Fleet Street and White Hall had half your awareness, I wouldn’t be associating with college students now."

Becky was immediately a bit annoyed at the mention of Fleet Street and White Hall.

Although she didn’t read newspapers, the street vendors always revealed the daily news when shouting out their wares.

She didn’t understand what the Caucasus incident was, nor comprehend international diplomacy, but to Becky, how could such a kind employer like Sir become a traitor?

How could the one taking the bullets become a traitor, while those cowering behind become heroes?

Should good people be pointed at with guns?

There’s no such logic in the world! 𝒻𝑟ℯℯ𝑤𝑒𝑏𝑛𝘰𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝒸𝑜𝘮

Becky spoke with a bit of a sulking attitude: "I may not be that knowledgeable, but I’m straightforward. In my opinion, good people like you shouldn’t get tangled with sanctimonious villains, you’re just losing out with them. If you don’t mind me being blunt, I’d say you’re doing pretty well now, respected in school, plus there’s work at the editorial office, and bankers, poets, theater managers, various actors, they all want to curry favor with you. Mr. Smith from the Alhambra Theater visited you three times in one day, more diligently than eating meals, did you enjoy such treatment at the Foreign Office? And Mr. Cook..."

"Mr. Cook?" Arthur paused with his teacup in hand: "Which Mr. Cook?"

"That’s Mr. Whistone’s partner, Mr. William Cook from the England Electromagnetic Telegraph Company." Becky said: "Didn’t you previously ask me to politely decline his visits? Each time he came, I told him you were out, yesterday afternoon was already his fourth visit."

As a partner in developing the telegraph machine with Whistone, William Cook was able to meet Whistone largely thanks to Arthur’s matchmaking at the Royal Society back in the day.

However, with Arthur and Cook, personal relations are personal relations, while business is business.

Even though Whistone was eager to merge the company into Imperial Publishing, Cook clearly had more patience than Whistone and had more faith in the future prospects of the telegraph.

When Whistone proposed to sell the company, Cook not only vocally opposed the idea but also planned to team up with another scientist, Francis Ronald, who had researched telegraph experiments for years, to set up a new venture.

For Arthur, if Cook was opposing the merger and reorganization because of money or shares, then they could slowly negotiate, ultimately reaching a result acceptable to everyone.

But if Cook wanted to start a new venture, then they became competitors facing off with bayonets.

Nobody understood the vast future market of telegraph technology better than Arthur, hence every potential competitor had to be nipped in the bud.

Arthur once earnestly discussed the matter with Cook for several days, but Cook’s attitude was too firm, showing no inclination towards cooperation.

Even during the negotiations with Arthur, Cook used his private connections to approach the Navy Department, strongly recommending telegraph technology to them.

However, just like when the Ordnance Bureau rejected Colt’s revolvers, this time too the Navy Department refused to issue government orders for Cook’s telegraph technology.

While Britain has always held an open attitude toward new technology among civilians, its government departments, especially the military system, have tended to be conservative since the end of the Napoleonic Wars.

Therefore, Arthur wasn’t surprised at all by Cook’s rejection.

After all, the telegraph lines he established during his term at the Police Intelligence Department were later deemed wasteful public spending by Minister Luo Wan in the annual report.

After being turned down by the Navy Department, Cook approached the Manchester-Liverpool Railway Company and the Great Western Railway Company, demonstrating the telegraph’s functionality to them, and proposed that the England Electromagnetic Telegraph Company could fund a telegraph pilot line at the Manchester Railway Station, urging them to try it out.

But this time, Cook was also ruthlessly rejected by the two railway companies.

This rejection wasn’t because the railway companies didn’t see the prospects of the telegraph, quite the opposite, they were very satisfied with the demonstration results.

However, unfortunately, before meeting with Cook, these two companies had already preliminarily reached an exclusive agreement for bookstores and telegraph equipment with Imperial Publishing through an introduction by the shareholder, the Rothschild family and Baring family.

With no orders from the envisioned two main application scenarios, Cook, at his wit’s end, could only return to the negotiating table with Imperial Publishing, but due to his series of impolite behaviors earlier, Arthur decided to leave him hanging for a while.

Firstly, to cool down his feverish head, so he wouldn’t come up with other ideas later.

Secondly, it’s also because he had to prepare an advertising plan tailored for the wired telegraph.

In human society, how can a new thing immediately gain great notoriety?

Naturally, it’s to let the public see that the upper class is using it.

And who’s the most prominent family in British upper society?

Naturally, it’s the Royal Family.

Becky was vividly describing Cook’s look of utter defeat and dejection from yesterday afternoon when suddenly the ringing of the bell outside broke the narrative.

She hurriedly put down the magazine in her hand and opened the door.

"Is Mr. Hastings in? Please inform him that Old Fagin is here."