Mystery: Big Alarm Clock Ghroth Path

Chapter 135: Fors Wall (Two Chapters in One)

"You mean to say that you want to develop an improved phonograph, targeting the middle class?"

Mr. Leppard confirmed it with a frown after listening to Roger's description.

"Yes."

Roger nodded in confirmation.

"Well……"

Mr. Leppard stood up and paced around, thinking:
"As for the hand-cranked phonograph, I've seen the corresponding designs... They're basically derived from Emperor Roselle's creative manuscripts, and the structures are pretty much the same.

"The Emperor conceived countless inventions throughout his life, but due to lack of time and energy, not all of them became reality... Without his genius, it would be difficult for mediocre people in later generations to make any improvements or innovations.

"It's precisely because of this that the cost and price of phonographs remain high, and the annual shipment volume is small, so no company has made it their core business... Most of the phonographs on the market today are produced by Madison Industries. I've seen one, and I have to say, the design is indeed very cumbersome and bulky.

"So technically speaking, the improvement plan you just mentioned has every chance of being realized. The possibility is quite high."

Lack of time and energy is one aspect, but more likely it is because the emperor did not have complete exposure to the relevant knowledge of phonograph manufacturing... After all, this aspect is too unpopular for Internet users in the 21st century.

As Roger thought about this, he smiled and said:
"It seems you already have a direction."

The reason he said this was because he clearly heard dissatisfaction in Leppard's words.

For technical talents, dissatisfaction means having certain ideas.

This loyal inventor of Emperor Roselle most likely discovered that some redundant structural components in the phonograph could be simplified and its functionality could be optimized, and this most likely overlapped with the solution proposed by Roger.

"Well, I have some ideas."

Leppard nodded. "But this is extremely time-consuming and labor-intensive, and there's no guarantee of opening up a suitable market... In fact, this is why Madison Industries is reluctant to make further improvements. Rather than using uncertain R&D costs to try to open up an uncertain market, it's better to borrow ideas directly from the Emperor's manuscript."

What this inventor said actually conforms to market principles.

Without technological breakthroughs, it is difficult to reduce costs, and without cost reduction, it is difficult to open up the market. Without market expansion, the final selling price cannot be reduced.

Considering that things like phonographs are non-essential entertainment products and the corresponding potential market size is completely unclear, the technical research and development in this area is like crossing a river by feeling the stones, and the cost of trial and error is indeed too high.

So the problem eventually fell into a vicious circle, which is also the core reason why phonograph technology has not made significant progress over the years.

But for Roger, such things are not a problem at all.

Because those countries that entered industrialization earlier in the past had already demonstrated the broad market prospects and profit margins of phonographs, so that manufacturing phonographs and records became an industry trend for a period of time, and many companies followed suit to produce, which eventually led to oversupply and a near market collapse.

Therefore, he must seize the initiative, complete research and development and patent registration as soon as possible, so that he can be the first to eat the cake.

This is actually the same as Klein's bicycle project.

No matter what era it is, as long as the trajectory of civilization development is similar, the direction of technological development is inevitable!
So in response to Leppard's concerns, Roger went straight to the point:

"Just tell me, how much funding would be needed to complete the improved research and development and meet the requirements I mentioned earlier?"

"That's not a small number."

Mr. Leppard paused.

“It’ll take at least 1000 pounds to have a chance.

"Because I'm going to buy a Madison phonograph, have it analyzed thoroughly... and also buy some specialized materials and tools, and considering the cost of my labor and knowledge, this is a reasonable price.

"However, this is only the initial R&D cost. Later, we will have to go into mass production, establish the corresponding raw material supply and production system. Once everything is on track, it will cost an estimated 5000 to 10000 pounds.

"This process is thankless and I don't make much money..."

Mr. Leppard still seemed to lack confidence in the project, and his words finally turned to the direction of "don't do it if you can avoid it."

Fortunately... I can accept it.

Roger breathed a sigh of relief:

"I'll give you 1500 gold pounds for the initial research and development costs. As long as you can come up with a preliminary plan that satisfies me, the rest of the money will be yours.

“But my requirement is that it must be completed within one month, and all the hard standards I just mentioned must be met… If you can do that, I will give you another bonus of 500 pounds.

"If this project can eventually be successfully put into production, I can also give you 20% of the technical shares. Is that possible?"

"1500 pounds? And a 500-pound bonus?"

Leppard was stunned. He had previously been reluctant to participate in Roger's phonograph project, believing that the high cost would discourage the musician and allow him to devote himself to his own "rickshaw" project, which was probably of little future.

However, he did not expect the other party to be so generous. Not only did they accept his offer in full, but they also added value on top of it.

As for the 20% technology shares, Leiphard didn't care about them at all, because he felt that it would be difficult for this project to really make money, and the so-called shares were nonsense.

Only cash is real benefit!
"This..." He then went from being reluctant to being conflicted.

"I tell you the truth."

Roger paused for a moment and said, "The funding for this project was provided by His Majesty the King..."

"I do."

When Leppard heard this, he immediately nodded in agreement.

For a technology geek like him, making money is only the second need, and the biggest need is to be recognized.

The greatest recognition is the recognition from the people you admire.

Roger had noticed earlier that the inventor seemed to admire George III quite a bit!
If Leppard succeeded in a project directly sponsored by the king, he would surely become famous and might even receive a reward from the king.

So he brought out the king at the appropriate time and gave Leppard a final shot in the arm.

"very good."

Roger saw Leppard's reaction and nodded with satisfaction.

"I'll have a lawyer draft the contract in the next two days. You have time to think about the design first."

"Ok, no problem."

Leppard naturally had no objection.

"Then let's go first."

Roger put his hand on his wide-brimmed hat and stood up to say goodbye.

"Take care, Mr. Jones, and you, Mr. Moriarty."

Encouraged by this, Leppard not only used honorifics for Roger, but also mentioned Klein as well.

"Is this the so-called fan effect?"

Klein gave an awkward yet polite smile.

After leaving Leppard's house, Roger looked at his roommate and asked:
"Are you interested in investing in this phonograph project?"

"what?"

Klein was slightly stunned, and after a while he said:

"Sure, but I just recently invested in a bicycle project with Leppard..."

What he didn't say was that he wanted to save some money to buy extraordinary materials and extraordinary items that might be used later, so he probably couldn't afford much money.

Roger naturally understood that Klein's financial situation had once again fallen on hard times. He sighed imperceptibly and offered a compromise:

“We can both sign an agreement.

"I'll lend you some money for investment purposes, with interest calculated at Backlund Bank's deposit rate.

"When your bicycle project makes money, you can pay me back with interest. Or when your phonograph project makes money, I'll deduct the corresponding investment amount from your dividends and use it as debt repayment.

"how do you feel?"

Roger's fortune in the mysterious world is very good. Not only does he have a stable salary from the "Tingen City Stray Animal Protection Association", but he also makes a lot of money through various channels.

It can be said that his fortune is not much different from that of the extraordinary people on the "Wheel of Fortune" path.

Of course, this should also be influenced by the destiny authority of the "Star of Judgment" path. Although it is not liked by other gods, it focuses on making a fortune in silence.

But Klein was different.

This guy's ability to make money is actually not bad, but for various reasons he can't save any money...

Admittedly, this was all for the purpose of promotion and running the secret organization "Tarot Club", but it did put Klein's financial situation into a tight spot from time to time.

In addition, Roger's arrival disrupted the established balance, so at the moment, neither the goddess nor Amon had a clear idea of their true attitudes and intentions towards him and Klein.

In order to avoid being abandoned, both Roger and Mr. Fool must grow up as quickly as possible, preferably even faster than in the original book.

Roger, possessing a single path, wasn't concerned about his own advancement, but Klein was different. He faced numerous potential enemies, and needed to compete with angels, even the Angel King, for Beyonder characteristics and even uniqueness... Therefore, Roger constantly sought to help Klein in various ways, ensuring he had no worries about advancement.

First, he subcontracted the business to Klein, then he defeated the Celestial Lord and gave him Beyonder traits. Later, he shared Qilingos's bounty with him, and then he exchanged debt for shares...

Of course, Roger was also very willing to take advantage of the Tarot Club's relatives and friends, for example, by directly giving the Beyonder characteristics of "Vice Admiral Hurricane" Qilingos to Alger, or later giving Little Sun some Beyonder characteristics or materials of the "Sun" path, and so on.

Klein seemed to think Roger was too enthusiastic. He was stunned for a moment:
"You...isn't this inappropriate?"

"There's nothing wrong with that. You were planning to share the profits from the bicycle with me anyway, so why not just use it as an investment?"

Roger looked like a pyramid scheme leader, and he persuaded people step by step.

"Of course, you can, but you have to make it clear in advance that this is just a partnership..."

Klein looked worried, and he looked up at Roger from time to time.

"Oh……"

Roger suddenly realized what Klein was afraid of. Even Ms. Sharon, who was looming beside him, couldn't help but cast a curious look at him.

"Don't be ridiculous, I like women."

Seeing Roger's sincere response, Klein finally felt relieved.

He hailed a horse-drawn carriage and returned to Minsk Street with Klein, picking up two servings of Dixie pies and cream soup at the street corner.

After dinner, Roger changed into formal attire, said hello to Klein, and left Minsk Street again.

He took a hired carriage and went directly to the Royal Art Troupe in Queens.

The purpose of Roger's trip was, on the one hand, to inspect the creative space promised to him by the king, and on the other hand, to try his luck and see if he could meet Prince Edessak.

In fact, Roger has a very good fortune today.

With the help of "transit amplification", he was almost certain that he would meet the prince.

Arriving at the rather opulent building of the Royal Art Company, Roger went straight to the front desk.

"Oh my god, they're worthy of being the Royal Art Troupe. The lady at the front desk is as pretty as Madam Sharon..."

Roger and the beautiful lady at the front desk, who looked to be around 25 years old and had long black hair, nodded.

"Hello, Ms. Vaux, I'd like to speak to Mr. Saxon, the administrative director."

He knew the woman's name from her name tag: Danica Vaux.

"Mr. Saxon? Do you have an appointment?"

Ms. Vaux couldn't help but look at Roger twice.

Mr. Saxon's full name is Greg Saxon. He was once a well-known drama actor of the Royal Troupe. After being awarded the title of baronet, he switched to a management position in the Royal Troupe.

Until now, Mr. Saxon has a significant voice and status in the art world. Meeting with him usually requires an appointment in advance, and the latter may not have the time.

"No, my name is Balelou Jones. Could you please let me know, Mr. Saxon should know me."

Roger maintained a polite smile.

"OK then."

Although Ms. Vox had never heard of this name, when she heard Roger say this, she called another male staff member, told him the situation, and then asked him to go and report.

About 10 minutes later, an elderly man with gray hair, a tall figure, and wearing high-end custom-made suit arrived at the scene.

"Mr. Saxon, why are you here in person?"

Ms. Walker was shocked. Normally, even guests or partners with appointments would need to be notified before meeting Mr. Saxon, and then the staff would lead the visitors to his office.

It is extremely rare for Mr. Saxon to come in person!

"Mr. Jones, nice to meet you."

Mr. Saxon knew Roger and shook his hand warmly.

He had watched Roger's wonderful performance at the previous Royal Variety Show and knew that George III had commended Roger.

In fact, the King's invitation to Roger to join the Royal Opera Company was also based on his suggestion.

Mr. Saxon admired the young talent very much and felt a little sorry that he had declined the invitation.

Mr. Saxon had no more hope for Roger's songwriting than for his singing ability—they were two very different fields.

But considering the king's instructions, he still arranged a place for Roger in advance.

"Nice to meet you, Mr. Saxon. I'd like to see my future workplace."

Roger opened his mouth and made his request.

"No problem, come with me."

Greg Saxon nodded, and as Danica Vaux stared in a daze, he led Roger up two flights of stairs to a pair of double doors at the end of the third floor.

He pushed open the door, and a room with good lighting and an area of about 150 square meters appeared in front of Roger.

The room has a high ceiling and is divided into two parts, one large and one small.

The larger part is filled with many musical instruments, and the surrounding decorations are soundproofed, making it obviously a place for playing music.

The smaller part consists of two separate offices.

One is equipped with a phonograph, typewriter, workbench and various music scores, while the other is a rest and meeting area equipped with sofas, tea, coffee, snacks, etc.

Roger was very satisfied with this configuration, but at the same time he couldn't help but sigh in his heart at the arrogance of the Royal Art Troupe.

"Well, Mr. Jones, are you satisfied?"

Mr. Saxon smiled and spoke.

"Very good, thank you very much."

Roger thanked him sincerely.

……

Minsk Street, 15, living room.

"It seems I was really tired the past two days. I slept for more than three hours... Before I knew it, it was dark."

Klein yawned as he made himself some sweet iced tea.

"Huh? What's going on?"

Suddenly, he noticed that the sky outside suddenly turned red.

Klein bent down with a confused look on his face and squinted his eyes at the sky outside, only to find that the moon, which was originally only half, was rapidly turning red.

In just a few seconds, the moon became full.

A full moon as red as blood!
You know, it’s only been over two weeks since the last full moon!

"Is this a blood moon?"

Klein remembered the blood moon he had experienced when he had just crossed over.

……

In Cherwood, Fors Wall, who was originally thinking about the plot of her next novel, suddenly hugged her head and showed an expression of obvious pain.

With the arrival of the blood moon, her mind was suddenly filled with crazy whispers!
Fors's action of holding her head did not ease the pain. At this moment, she only felt the whispers in her mind becoming louder and louder, making her completely blind and restless.

Although the intensity of the mumbling this time was much milder than the one in early July, it was still not something Fors could easily endure.

She tried hard to pronounce the name of the god of steam and machinery that she believed in.

But as Fors expected, this had no effect.

Not only that, her light brown hair began to grow rapidly, and even her mind almost completely went blank!
"Am I losing control..."

Fors used up the last of her rationality and whispered the name of the one who was suspected to be the evil god:
"A fool who does not belong to this era..."

"...a mysterious ruler above the gray fog..."

"Hold, good luck, the King of Yellow and Black..."

"help me……"

Fors tried hard to recite it twice. Just when she was about to give up, she suddenly saw a vague rust-colored light burst out before her eyes!
　The first update, it’s a little late today, there will be more later.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)