Writer 1879: Solitary Journey in France

Chapter 644 Two hundred million against one hundred million, the advantage is mine!

The vibrant atmosphere that used to permeate the Menlo Park laboratory has vanished; engineers and assistants no longer laugh and chat.

Although everyone was looking down at the parts in their hands, they seemed distracted.

Today's newspapers are scattered on the workbench, the eye-catching headlines and pictures on the front page glaring like needles.

Thomas Edison arrived unusually late today, not appearing in the laboratory until almost noon, and his hair was disheveled, making him look extremely tired.

He quickly sensed the atmosphere here, and his face instantly darkened, but he didn't react immediately.

He changed into his work clothes as usual, sat down at his workbench filled with blueprints and equipment, and began his day's work.

Although he had announced as early as 1883 that he would “be a businessman for a year” and did indeed spend most of his time handling business in his office at 65 Fifth Avenue in New York, or traveling around to oversee the construction of power plants.

Even the letterhead was changed to "Central Power Plant Construction Department" to demonstrate its determination to fully commit to the construction and promotion of commercial power systems.

But the extraordinary power demonstration that took place in Verneve, a suburb of Paris, gave him a huge sense of crisis and dragged him back from his office to the laboratory.

He appeared here even more frequently than before, sometimes staying out all night, as if he had returned to his youth.

By evening, after the experiments with two new bulb filament materials had both failed, Thomas Edison finally lost his temper and smashed a bulb on the ground with a loud crack.

Everyone in the lab stopped what they were doing and looked nervously at their boss, their idol; an uneasy atmosphere filled the air.

Thomas Edison took a few deep breaths, trying to calm his turbulent emotions; he knew he had lost his composure today.

He wasn't immune to failure—in fact, no one in the world understood the value of failure better than him.

But in the last two years, he has encountered not failure, but humiliation in everything related to "electricity"—unprecedented humiliation!

Lionel Sorel refused to cooperate with him, J.P. Morgan stopped investing in "direct current," and the lawsuit against Joseph Swann for his electric light patent failed...

Even the performance of electrocuting an elephant became an indelible stain on his career.

Not to mention that, starting with Nikola Tesla, almost no electrical engineer at Edison's Paris branch could stay for a full year.

Almost all of them were quickly poached by Sorel-Tesla Electric with high salaries after becoming familiar with circuit design and installation operations.

Thomas Edison, feeling the gazes of his assistants, walked to the center of the laboratory and surveyed his team.
These engineers and assistants who have followed him for many years firmly believe that direct current is the future, and together they have overcome countless technical challenges.

But now, each of their faces shows frustration, confusion, and even wavering.

This won't do! Absolutely not! Thomas Edison straightened his back, his gloom replaced by a stubborn fighting spirit.

He cleared his throat and began to rally the crowd: "Gentlemen! I know what you're thinking! You've seen the newspapers and heard the noise coming from New York!"

His gaze swept over everyone: "They proclaim 'the electric age has arrived,' 'victory belongs to alternating current!' as if everything we've done over the past decade—"

The first light we lit, the first power station we built—these all became insignificant preludes, even laughable mistakes! But look at this—”

He turned and pointed to a giant map of New York City hanging on the laboratory wall, covered with red and green dots and lines.

The red areas represent regions where DC power stations have been built and electric lights have been installed, while the green areas represent regions where power stations and power lines are being prepared for construction.

The red area on the map once started at the Pearl Street Central Power Plant and expanded rapidly, covering the lighting of dozens of nearby apartment buildings in just one year.

But in the past year, this map has remained almost unchanged. Thomas Edison's voice deepened as he began to reminisce—

"New York City has undergone lighting energy reforms no less than five times. Charcoal, coal, whale oil, gas, kerosene, and electricity... the rights and wrongs are complicated and difficult to discuss."

But capitalists have all noticed that it is in this metropolis that the rise and fall of countless technology companies is determined, hence the saying that 'whoever conquers New York conquers America'.

I don't understand why you all think this is Hannibal's situation after his defeat by Scipio, as if this war of electricity is doomed for us.

Fifteen years ago, I moved from Boston to New York to start my second business, and the General Stock Printer became a standard feature of Wall Street banks and exchanges.

Since then, wherever our products have been, merchants and people have welcomed them wholeheartedly. We have truly seized the opportune moment. The vibrant and flourishing scene is still vivid in my mind.

Fifteen short years later, has this place become my final resting place? In any case, London has decided to adopt our DC power system.

The British Empire had 20 million square kilometers of land and 200 million people, while the United States and France combined had only 15 million square kilometers of land and 100 million people.

"Twenty million square kilometers versus fifteen million square kilometers, two hundred million people versus one hundred million people—the advantage is on my side!"

After saying that, he looked around at everyone, his gaze piercing, as if he wanted to hammer his unwavering belief in victory into everyone's heart, word by word.

Silence fell over the laboratory. Then, sporadic applause began, gradually growing louder. The engineers' faces lit up again, their frustration replaced by determination. They may still have had doubts, but Edison's fighting spirit inspired them.

Yes, they're about to take over the entire British market—the world's largest, most populous, and most economically developed single-country market.

The war between direct current and alternating current is far from over!

Thomas Edison looked at his revitalized team, nodded, turned around, and returned to his workbench.

But the gloom in the depths of his eyes had not completely dissipated.

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From the moment the Dakota apartments and Central Park were illuminated, Lionel and Tesla were caught in a spinning "New York rhythm".

J.P. Morgan, wielding his baton of capital and connections, orchestrated a series of intensive signings and public appearances for "Sorel-Morgan Electric".

Wall Street was the first to extend an olive branch. The heads of those banks and financial companies keenly sensed the breath of a new era and the scent of money.

Their building was filled with ledgers, bonds, and stock certificates, and the flames of gas and kerosene lamps hung like the Sword of Damocles over their heads every night.

A fire could reduce everything to ashes. Orders poured in, demanding the replacement of dangerous gas and kerosene lamps with flameless electric lights.

Lionel and Tesla attended signing parties for bank after bank, shaking hands and clinking glasses with bankers, repeating their rhetoric about power security.

Following closely behind is Broadway, where the Comédie-Française and "The Legend of 1900" created a "lighting miracle" that has long been a legendary topic of conversation in New York's theater scene.

The success of the Dakota Apartments made even the stingiest theater owners abandon their "make do" approach of using gaslights; no one wanted to be beaten to the punch by their competitors.

The mailbox of "Sorel-Morgan Electric" was soon flooded with inquiries. Lionel and Tesla went through rounds of site visits, discussions on solutions, and contract signings.

Then there are the most famous department store giants in the United States: Orman in New York, Wanamaker in Philadelphia, Continental in Boston...

These retail giants have a more direct ambition: electric lights allow their luxury stores to stay open after dark, and the dazzling lights themselves are the best advertisement!

It attracts wealthy citizens who come in for an after-dinner stroll, where they can spend lavishly on a fur coat or a set of silverware in a brightly lit environment.

Lionel signed more contracts with Tesla and attended more banquets.

A department store tycoon patted Lionel on the shoulder and said, "Extending business hours means extending profits."

In addition, there are countless private orders from the wealthy and famous. Their mansions are located on Fifth Avenue, in Newport, or near the newly renovated Upper West Side.

Owning advanced AC-powered lighting, instead of outdated DC lighting, has become a symbol of status and taste, and a sign of living a "modern life."

If you lag behind your neighbors by even a month in installing Sorel-Morgan Electric lights, you could become the laughing stock of your social circle.

The days flew by in a non-stop flurry of signing contracts, surveying sites, and socializing. Lionel felt his face was practically frozen from smiling so much; he was glad he'd brought Sophie along this time.

She became his most capable assistant, handling the flood of documents, contracts, and schedules with astonishing efficiency, allowing Lionel a brief respite from the minutiae.

However, all these orders combined, in terms of both size and significance, cannot compare to the next one—

"New York City has decided to invest no less than $20 million over the next ten years to replace all of the city's current gas streetlights with our electric lights."

City Hall will use this lighting system upgrade as an opportunity to lay cables to every corner of New York City, laying the foundation for future full electrification.

When Lionel heard the news from Morgan Sr. himself, he was completely stunned.

Twenty million US dollars! Converted to francs, that's over one hundred million! Even if it's invested in installments over ten years, it's still an astronomical figure.

This will not only completely change the face of New York City, but will also influence the future energy strategy of the entire United States.

This is no longer just a business; it's a complete infrastructure revolution!
Amidst the shock, a huge question welled up in Lionel's mind, prompting him to ask, "This is certainly an amazing plan, and also good news."

But how did the New York gas company agree? Any proposal from the Paris City Hall regarding electric lighting was met with fierce obstruction and covert sabotage from the gas company.

They control many members of parliament and possess a vast network of interests. The main reason for our slow progress in Paris is the opposition from the gas company.

How could the New York gas company stand by and watch such a plan to completely replace them pass?

Upon hearing this question, old Morgan gave a cruel smile: "New York Gas Company? I bought it."

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(End of this chapter)