The War Court and Lap Pillow, Austria's Mandate of Heaven

Chapter 1635 Cash Register

Chapter 1635 Cash Register (Part 1)
In fact, given Franz's abilities and the strength of the Austrian Empire at that time, it was not impossible for him to forcefully break the deadlock, after all, Patagonia was indeed bordering Argentina and had advantages in military technology.

However, the problem is that the risks are too great, and the losses outweigh the gains.

Rather than engaging in a life-or-death struggle with the other nations, it's better to continue watching the show and let them continue their internal strife.

Franz looked at the world map on the wall. More and more places were being ravaged by war, from the Far East to South America, from Alaska in the north to Australia in the south.

Moreover, according to his memory, the remaining regions would ultimately not escape the ravages of war, and there was no doubt that a great wave was about to sweep across the world.
At this time, all branches of United Power Department Store simultaneously installed a new invention – the cash register.

This is a cast iron box weighing over 30 kilograms, with five rows of rotatable number keys in the middle, two joysticks, and a hand crank on the side.

To modern people, this might seem like a dispensable invention, a meaningless creation, or a rather uncomplicated tool.

However, it is in fact a separate entity in the history of Western economics, a simple cash management tool that changed the basic logic of modern business.

The cash register's contribution to commerce is no less than that of the steam engine to industry. To a certain extent, it solved one of the most fundamental problems in business logic, namely, "people are not trustworthy," and ushered in a completely new era of commerce.

In fact, from the very beginning of the establishment of the United Power Department Store, Franz had always faced a problem—embezzlement.

This phenomenon has become increasingly serious, especially as the scale of the operation expands and personnel changes, to the point that Franz had to personally intervene to crack down on it.

Initially, United Power Department Store employed royal confidants, who were highly loyal and of high personal character. Coupled with a strong leadership team, theft was not yet a significant issue.

Franz's ruthless methods during the war did deter some of the villains, but as time went on, this fear slowly dissipated.

Even after numerous raids, only overt thefts can be dealt with, while more covert cash register thefts remain difficult to detect.

There was no surveillance back then, and even with a lot of supervisors, there would be times when things went wrong, not to mention those who colluded with each other.

Often, special methods and underhanded tactics have to be used, since those who steal money and goods are unlikely to sell them, and it is still easy to find some clues using criminal investigation methods.

However, this method could still be used to some extent in Germany and Italy, but it proved ineffective in Paris and Madrid.

At that time, department stores were definitely a highly profitable industry, but Franz never received the theoretical profit. The actual profit was often only 70% or even 50% of the theoretical profit.

However, this did not prevent it from remaining one of the most profitable properties owned by the Austrian imperial family. However, as time went on, thieves became increasingly sophisticated, even causing new problems.

For example, directly extorting customers. Due to the lack of a monitoring system, many disputes often turn into a situation where both sides have their own version of the truth, and scoundrels can make a fortune just by being shameless. In the end, it often becomes a performance of who can be more shameless.

Manual calculations were prone to errors. Even though Franz had provided mental arithmetic training to all the cashiers, people are not machines and will always make mistakes.

The resulting problems led to extremely low checkout efficiency, resulting in a poor shopping experience for customers. At this time, department stores primarily catered to the upper class, as well as the middle class and those who considered themselves middle class.

A poor shopping experience becomes particularly detrimental at this point, necessitating increased supervision and more checkout counters, which in turn leads to increased management costs, creating a new vicious cycle.

Fortunately, Franz came up with the idea of a cash register, so he immediately went to Dr. Babbage.

To be honest, Babbage was obsessed with the Analytical Engine. He felt that this was a crucial moment in his research, and if Franz hadn't come to him personally, he would have preferred to continue his research under the church.

In fact, Babbage's research was always at a critical moment, and Franz had long been used to it.

Babbage has changed a lot since his contact with Franz. At least he is no longer so stubborn and does not pursue so-called perfection so excessively. He also starts to do some commercial products appropriately.

"-1, 0, 1, 0 Your Majesty, once I build the Analytical Engine, all your problems will be solved."

Franz said solemnly.

“Dr. Babbage, you should know that making empty promises to us is useless. I am not one of those charlatans. I am more focused on the present.” Babbage turned his obese body around.

"Your Majesty, you may use a calculator. I have hand-cranked, electric, and foot-operated calculators here."

“Didn’t you understand? I want you to put your calculator, digital indicator (early physical display), hole punch, and spring-loaded cash drawer together. I want a working cash register.”

Franz always felt like something was missing.

"Oh, and you should also add a bell to it. The kind that rings every time the money box pops out."

"Your Majesty, this is no easy challenge."

Babbage actually wanted more funding, since research on new technologies like the Analytical Engine could never be too much. But to be fair, Franz took his research very seriously, allocating at least several dozen times more funding than the British government had given him years before.

Moreover, Franz helped Babbage successfully monetize his research; without Franz's help, Babbage would most likely have died in poverty, just like in history.

Franz would not make endless concessions without any bottom line; that would be both demeaning to himself and disrespectful to other scientists.

"If you can't even build a cash register, what are you doing working on the analysis machine? Should I hand over this difficult research to someone else? You might as well use the rest of the money to buy some more donuts."

Having lived in the Austrian Empire for so many years, Babbage had long since developed the ability to read people's expressions, and he immediately changed his tune.

"Your Majesty, I will make the cash register for you as soon as possible."

After all, Franz was Babbage's biggest financial backer and had also been instrumental in his success. On the other hand, Babbage's competitive spirit was also aroused.

"how long?"

Franz asked the question, and Babbage answered without hesitation.

"Within one year."

"how long?"

Franz emphasized his words, and Babbage thought for a moment before speaking.

"Six months! I'm sure I can build it!"

"how long?"

Franz's face was grim, and Babbage said through gritted teeth.

"I guarantee it will be ready for use in three months."

Franz nodded.

"Okay, you can continue your research. I'll wait for your good news."

Babbage is undoubtedly talented, but he's also incredibly arrogant and lazy. He won't take anything seriously unless you push him.