Lord of the Desert

Chapter 586 Overconfidence
"How exactly do you want this electrolysis to be done?"

Shi Meng was slightly impatient.

The second-grade martial art "Azure Thunder Arrow Manual" passed down by the Feixia Sect is based on the two lines of thunder and wood, but this does not prevent him, a master of all arts, from not understanding the complex relationship between power generation and aluminum production.

“By passing an electric current through a molten cryolite-alumina mixture, elemental aluminum can be obtained at a low cost…”

Just as Wen Zhongguan was about to launch into a long discourse, he was interrupted.

"The technical details are extensive and cannot be fully explained in just a few words."

Hong Fan glared at him and waved his hand.

"Master Shi, you can think of it as a business of manufacturing lightweight steel using lightning. As for the form of cooperation, there are two options. The first is that I will build the factory on my own, and your sect will provide personnel to be employed by the merchant. The prices will be the same as those of the Golden Magnetic Sect, so there is no risk for the Flying Cloud Sect. The second option is that the Flying Cloud Sect will invest in the factory, and we will operate it together."

"how?"

he asked.

Shi Meng glanced at the three people from the Golden Magnetic Sect present, and hesitated for a moment.

Over the years, everyone in Xijing knew that they made a fortune every day, but even so, the biggest profits still went to Kaiming Sect—in terms of both status and strength, Feixia Sect far surpassed Jinci Sect, so naturally they were unwilling to share the profits equally.

"Sending someone to be hired is just scratching the surface; if I'm going to get involved, I'll play big."

Shi Meng downed the strong liquor in one gulp, his voice booming like thunder.

"But what if we choose the second option and lose money?"

"The business world is like a battlefield; if you lose money, you have no choice but to accept it."

Hong Fan picked up the wine pot with one hand and filled Shi Meng's empty cup.

"With Brother Hong's reputation as a god of wealth, surely he can guarantee that you'll break even?"

Shi Meng held his cup but did not drink, his expression a mixture of amusement and unease.

"There's no such thing as a guaranteed profit in business. Profit and risk are always two sides of the same coin."

Hong Fan casually replied, "I'll drink and pour my own."

"I'm the kind of person who likes to be upfront about the unpleasant aspects. The aluminum industry has a vast potential in the long run, but it may not be very profitable in the short term. At present, only the Yaojing Machinery Bureau and the Machinery Industry Supervision Bureau in Xijing have stable demand, but I can't guarantee how big the demand will be."

The "Yaojing Machinery Bureau" he mentioned was established less than a year ago. Its business included the manufacturing and sales of various steam engines and large machinery. In addition to Hong Fan, its main investors included powerful families in Xijing such as the Bai family and the Lin family.

Today, Hong Fan's various businesses are closely connected and large in scale, and they are backed by powerful and influential families in Liangzhou. Considering their development speed and market potential, their future power will far exceed expectations.

In my previous life, it would have been too early to plan ahead and implement measures to divide and balance the conflict at this time.

But Hong Fan was not worried at all.

If he cannot escape the Star Lord's calamity in the next twenty years, everything in the mortal world will be subdued under the power of the demon god, and nothing will be mentioned again; if the world is turned upside down and Xiao Zi is eliminated, his power will be a hundred or a thousand times greater than Roosevelt at his peak, and he can decide capital monopolies and conglomerate breakups with a single word.

After several rounds of back-and-forth conversation between the two Yuan Magnets, the atmosphere at the table had become icy, and even the Xiantians present seemed reserved.

"So it seems that the prospects for this business are mediocre."

Shi Meng put down his wine glass, his expression turning pale.

"Indeed."

Hong Fan smiled easily, seemingly unconcerned.

"It's just a business. It doesn't matter if Master Shi isn't interested. I'll just find someone else."

ding dong...

Just as the hour of You (6 p.m.) arrived, the mechanical clock in the corner of the room struck the hour precisely.

Outside the wide window, the sun had already set behind the city, and the dim, gloomy light bathed the entire Western Capital like water.

Shortly after, a knock came at the door, and a young waiter bowed as he entered.

"Please allow me to light the lamps for our distinguished guests."

He was referring to the gas chandelier in the center of the ceiling.

The lamp arm is made of finely lacquered mahogany, the gas nozzle is pure copper plated with gold, and even the surface of the semi-buried gas supply pipe is engraved with micro-carvings.

Gas lamps were still a novelty in Xi'an.

So everyone stopped drinking and putting down their chopsticks.

The waiter first turned the gas valve in the corner of the room to release the gas, then inserted the ignition rod into the top of the lampshade to ignite it with a flint and steel ignition device.

After a few crisp clicks, the bright yellow flames danced silently inside the carved glass dome, scattering golden light everywhere.

Shi Meng's face was obscured by the lamplight, his expression shifting between light and shadow.

He was over ninety years old and had long held a high position. He had many differences in style with the younger generation around him. For example, Hong Fan did not like to hear people use derogatory terms such as "small" or "servant" to refer to themselves, so the servants of Qixia Residence all used "I" or "I".

To Shi Meng, this sounded far too frivolous.

In addition, there are seating arrangements, toasting etiquette, demeanor, and the management of subordinates, among other things, and so on, in countless details.

When interacting with Hong Fan, Shi Meng made many concessions, but as a veteran Yuan Ci, making concessions was precisely what he was unwilling and not good at.

"The lights are so bright, yet there's no need to add oil or change the candles; it's truly convenient."

Yin Yizhen praised it enthusiastically.

"I heard that the entire Hong Mansion in Xijing uses these new gas lamps for lighting?"

The "Hong Mansion" she mentioned is the new residence that the Hong family purchased in Xijing last year—in fact, it was the acquisition of the original Liu Mansion—covering a total area of ​​200 mu, located directly north of the eastern city, adjacent to the State Administration of Military Affairs, and was not yet fully renovated at this time. Hong Sheng's wedding will be held in this new residence in April.

"That's not all!"

Wen Zhongguan laughed.

"I visited your residence a few days ago and was truly amazed by what I saw."

"The entire mansion features glass windows, and several main halls are equipped with glazed tile roofs, allowing natural light to stream in and making it exceptionally bright! Each courtyard is separated by black lacquered doors with copper nails, which are very heavy, but because the door hinges use a new type of ball bearing, they open and close smoothly and silently."

"But the most amazing thing is that horizontal double-furnace boiler. It is covered with Taihu stones on the outside and the steam is transported to all places through underground steel pipes covered with asbestos. No matter how cold and snowy it is outside, the house is warm and cozy, which is far better than a charcoal stove!"

He spoke with great enthusiasm, which made Yin Yizhen extremely eager to listen.

"In short, its wonders are hard to describe in words. Elder Yin will personally visit us another day to reveal the truth..."

The incident involving the lighting of lamps helped to smooth things over, and the atmosphere at the dinner table warmed up again.

Hong Fan then suggested that the wedding banquet be held on the tenth day of the fourth lunar month.

"Although this is my elder brother's wedding, I actually planned and handled many things. Even every invitation I sent out was signed by both my brother and me. To this day, I have invited five celestial beings to come in person: Lord Wuzheng of Liangzhou, Lord Zhu, Chief Ying, Admiral Xu, and Governor of Hezhou. There are also seventeen Yuanci Masters who have confirmed their attendance."

"I don't usually like crowds, so it's rare for me to do this kind of paper- pasting work. I hope to do it perfectly and leave no regrets. The Feixia Sect is a banner of martial arts in Liangzhou. Without Master Shi, it would not be considered complete."

He spoke without any hint of joy or anger, yet to those around him, it sounded like an immense pressure.

"Lord Hong, this matter..."

Wu Chonggu quickly explained.

"Sect Leader Wu need not worry, I know Master Shi's predicament."

Hong Fan nodded slightly.

"The Feixia Sect and the Jiang family had some misunderstandings, and since then, Master Jiang and Master Shi have never met again. However, it is better to resolve enmity than to perpetuate it. Now, taking advantage of my brother's marriage, I am willing to take the liberty of acting as a mediator."

After he finished speaking, he turned slightly and stared intently at Shi Meng.

"Let's do it tomorrow."

Hong Fan asked flatly.

"I invite Mr. Shi and Mr. Jiang to gather at the newly built Tingxing Tower in my residence. It will just be the three of us, and we can talk about the old stories."

The speaker did not show any emotion, but his indescribable dominance made everyone feel like they were walking on thin ice.

Sweat beaded on Wu Chonggu's forehead; Zou Jian'an remained silent, not daring to utter a word.

Cao Hanhai also felt that Hong Fan was too reckless.

This was less of a mediator and more of a forceful coercion—it should be noted that Shi Meng was a Yuanci Grandmaster who led a major martial arts sect and was known for his unyielding temperament among the powerful figures in Liangzhou.

The gas lamps still emitted a steady, even glow, but the atmosphere at the banquet had plummeted to freezing point.

Shi Meng remained silent for a long time.

Years ago, when Jiang Danhu came to Feixia Sect to challenge them, he lost on home turf and felt deeply ashamed ever since. Everyone in Xijing knew that this resentment had been long-standing, and many important figures had tried to mediate, but none of them could make them swallow their pride.

Let's get together tomorrow and talk things out?

You mean tomorrow?
You think you can just openly discuss things like that?

If it were the two Yuan Ci from the Bai or Lin families, whose lives had already come to an end, Shi Meng would have already turned against them; however, now that Hong Fan was fixing his gaze on him, he felt his heart pounding and his hair standing on end. Even though his anger was building up, he was powerless to vent it.

There was no murderous intent in the air.

There is no innate spiritual energy gathered inside or outside Qixia Residence.

For ordinary people, the phrase "unrivaled innate talent, supreme among peers" is merely gossip. Only a genius like Shi Meng, who has cultivated diligently for sixty years and finally broken through to the Yuan Magnetic Realm, can understand Hong Fan's unparalleled talent and know who he might offend if he were not careful.

Not the most outstanding among the elite;

Not a primordial celestial being;

More likely, he was a martial arts saint who had dominated the Great China for two or three hundred years.

Her fingers clenched slightly above her knees, but her thoughts wandered even more.

Shi Meng thought of the railway that was about to be completed outside the city, the cranes by the river, the flintlock muskets he had played with and which were popular in the Liangzhou border region, and the three-point cannons that were famous in the northern border region of Hezhou...

Hengtian Chixing rose to fame in just eight years, but Liangzhou had already been transformed because of him.

As his mind raced through his thoughts, Shi Meng felt guilty and short of breath, and became increasingly unable to put on any semblance of composure.

"So be it, so be it..."

He suddenly burst into laughter.

"Since Brother Hong has spoken, I will give Jiang Danhu a chance."

Upon hearing this, Wu Chonggu thought he had misheard, while Cao Hanhai was even more bewildered—he couldn't help but think that if Hong Fan didn't fall, Jinci Gate would never return to its independent and autonomous state.

The wine cups clinked together with a soft clang.

“We, the Venerable Yuanci, should take a long-term view. If we only care about the present, how are we any different from ordinary people?”

All the people saw was Shi Meng raise his cup and drink it all.

"Young Master Hong, why don't you discuss that electrolytic aluminum deal with me again?"

(End of this chapter)