industrial lord

Chapter 774 The Huge Gap

In the golden autumn of Le Havre, the sea breeze carries a coolness, yet it cannot dispel the unique hustle and bustle and mixed smells of the docks.

The salty seawater, the damp timber, the faint fishy smell wafting from the distant fish market, and the various odors emanating from the mountains of goods together constitute the vitality of this port city.

The dock was bustling with noise, the ship horns blared, and the sound of waves crashing against the shore wove together into a never-ending symphony of labor.

Louis the Younger, the crown prince of the Kingdom of Gaul, accompanied by Armand, has just finished inspecting a shipyard.

Young Louis, still in high spirits, strolled toward the bustling customs house in the dock area, stood on the balcony, and watched as gold coins flowed into the royal coffers.

Sunlight filtered through thin clouds, illuminating the chaotic dock and the bent backs of the dockworkers under heavy pressure.

They chanted rough work songs, sweat streaming down their muscular creases as they carried sacks of grain and bundles of leather from the ship's hold and then laboriously loaded them onto horse-drawn carts.

The wheels left tracks on the stone pavement, and the air was filled with the smell of sweat and dust.

Young Louis's gaze swept across the bustling port, his heart brimming with anticipation for the kingdom's future.

Suddenly, amidst the bustling scene, several vibrant colors caught little Louis's eye.

They were giant boxes stacked relatively neatly, painted in striking blue, green, and red colors, standing out out of place in the messy environment, as if a new house had been built.

The boxes had smooth, flat surfaces, tight edges, and uniform dimensions, like bricks in a city wall.

"Armand, what are those?" Louis asked curiously, pointing to the square boxes. "They don't look like containers for ordinary goods; they look more like some kind of sophisticated machine."

Armand looked in the direction the prince was pointing, shook his head slightly, and replied with a puzzled expression, "Your Highness, this is also the first time I've ever seen something like this."

"It looks like the cargo box of some kind of... machine?"

"Such a neat and sturdy design suggests it's not an ordinary piece of machinery. It must be some new product, perhaps a puppet warhorse, a new type of motorcycle, or even a car."

In the past two years, while the front lines were facing shortages, the rear was enjoying a feast, and the nobles imported a lot of good things from the Duchy of Weisen.

Little Louis was also curious and said, "Let's go take a look."

The two approached the large box and tried to peek inside through the seams, but all the gaps were tightly sealed, and they found nothing.

Just then, a cargo ship that had just completed its port entry procedures caught their attention.

The ship looked unremarkable, its mottled waterproof and insect-repellent paint telling tales of the hardships of its long voyage, but its unloading method was quite different.

On the dock, a tall, imported crane slowly turned, emitting a dull creak. Workers operated it, lowering the hook and extending it into the cargo hold opening on the deck. What was being lifted was not the usual loose cargo packages, but several boxes of the same type as those on shore, but smaller in size.

With the creaking of the winch, the box was smoothly lifted over the ship's side and then precisely placed onto the heavy flatbed wagon that was already waiting at the dock.

Once two wardrobe-sized boxes were placed on the carriage, someone nearby shouted, and the driver cracked his whip. The horse's hooves pounded the ground, and the carriage, carrying the entire set of boxes, easily drove away. The whole process was as smooth as flowing water, without any hesitation.

Little Louis stood to the side, watching intently, his breath seemingly frozen in place.

The weight of each box was written in palm-sized numbers around its perimeter; each box weighed about one ton. The entire process, from hoisting to transporting it, took only a few minutes.

He mentally calculated that, in the old way, unloading this ship of the same volume of bulk cargo would require about ten porters to put the cargo on the crane's net, lift it out, and then move it onto the truck, which would take a whole day.

Not to mention the hassle of inventorying and transporting the goods to the warehouse, not to mention the potential damage and loss along the way.

Now, loading goods into boxes can save a lot of time with just a few workers and a crane.

"So fast?" Little Louis exclaimed softly, his clear eyes gleaming with disbelief.

An intuition told him that these seemingly simple boxes held immense value.

The efficiency gains they bring are not just several times faster, but a revolution that could overturn the entire freight transportation model, like replacing clumsy oxcarts with galloping horses.

“Armand, these boxes must be very useful!” He turned to his confidant, his tone resolute, a flame of change already burning in his heart. “Find out where these boxes came from and what they are called.”

Louis the Younger's voice carried an undeniable authority, his gaze still fixed on the brightly colored boxes, as if trying to uncover their secrets.

His first thought was the Duchy of Weisen, but he needed to find out which company it was.

“Yes, Your Highness.” Armand accepted the order and quickly summoned Philippe Dafranche, the port’s duty manager.

Philip jogged over, sweat beading on his forehead and mud splattered on the hem of his robe, and bowed respectfully to the Crown Prince. Pointing to the piles of goods in the distance, he explained, “Your Highness, these goods were transported from the Duchy of Wessen. The boxes they use are called ‘containers.’”

"Whether it contains spices, cloth, or metal parts, the whole thing is packed inside."

"When unloading, we only need to lift the entire box, which is much faster than using burlap sacks and wooden barrels before!"

"For this reason, some ships that frequently run the Weisen route have even gone to the shipyard in Lukang for modifications, such as reinforcing the deck or adding pulley systems."

Philip's tone was tinged with envy, as if he were describing a miracle that was out of reach.

"Modification?" Little Louis's interest grew even stronger, his eyes sparkling with a look of exploration. "Take me to the ship to have a look."

Guided by Philippe, Louis the Younger and Armand boarded the sailboat that had just unloaded its cargo.

The deck still retained the salty smell of the sea and the lingering aroma of the cargo.

Captain Gellert, an old sailor with a face etched with the marks of time, received the important man with utmost respect.

The ship's main body is still a traditional wooden sailboat structure, with towering masts and rolled-up sails, but changes made to adapt to new things are clearly visible: the cargo entrances on the deck have been significantly enlarged, and steel frames have been installed around the edges; inside the cabin, simple hand-operated hoists and rough gantry cranes have replaced some of the manpower for moving and securing the containers, with the securing ropes tangled like a spider web.

“Your Highness, please look,” old Gellert said, pointing to the devices with a mix of helplessness and anticipation in his voice, his fingers tracing the cold iron chains. “These were modified at the shipyard in Lukang. They’re usable, but still very inconvenient, and they waste a lot of space in the cabins.”

"Sigh, I'm trying to raise money to buy a new ship specifically built for transporting these kinds of boxes. That would be really efficient!"

He sighed, his eyes revealing both longing for the future and the bitterness of reality.

As he left the dock, young Louis felt both excited and eager. The sea breeze ruffled his hair, but it couldn't dispel the enthusiasm in his heart.

He said to Armand, "Armand, do you see? We'll definitely use more and more of these boxes in the future."

"We cannot fall behind; we must take control of our own destiny."

"You must immediately begin preparations to establish a factory in our Gallic Kingdom to produce these containers, and the corresponding cargo ships should also be put on the agenda."

His voice was as firm as a rock, as if it were a major national policy.

"Yes, Your Highness! I will do it immediately." Armand accepted the order, knowing full well the importance of this matter. In these turbulent times, the rise and fall of the kingdom might depend on this action.

For the next two weeks, Armand devoted all his energy to running around, contacting craftsmen, finding sites, calculating costs, and even personally visiting the shipyard in Lukang. He also sent a telegram to Frederick in his private capacity.

However, two weeks later, he stood before Louis the Younger again, looking exhausted and dejected, his steps heavy as lead.

“Your Highness,” Armand’s voice was hoarse, filled with deep helplessness, “we…I’m afraid we can’t do it.”

Young Louis frowned, a flicker of astonishment in his eyes, and asked incredulously, "Can't you do it? Why?"

Is it a lack of funds or a lack of manpower?

Armand shook his head and explained bitterly, "Your Highness, that's not the problem."

“We have carefully calculated that producing this kind of box requires a large amount of steel and strong metal processing capabilities. These key equipment and materials are either not produced in sufficient quantities or are of substandard quality in China, making them difficult to purchase.”

"More importantly, the special 'hollow tree' used for the box panels—which is said to have been introduced from the East by the Grand Duke of the Duchy of Weisen in his early years—is something only they have the capacity to cultivate and process on a large scale."

"Furthermore, the special adhesives needed to make the bamboo into composite boards that meet the requirements, as well as the waterproof and fireproof coating for the box... All these key materials can currently only be produced stably by the Duchy of Weisen."

He sighed, his shoulders slumped, and said helplessly, "If we insist on starting from scratch, the cost will be staggering, far exceeding the cost of buying ready-made containers directly from Wesson."

"Your Highness, it seems that it is far more cost-effective for us to buy them directly than to manufacture them ourselves."

Louis the Younger was silent for a moment, a hint of resentment flashing across his face, but it was quickly replaced by reason, and his eyes became even more profound.

He looked out the window toward the port of Le Havre, and it became clear to him: the Duchy of Wessen was leading not just in a few boxes, but in a whole system from materials and processes to standards.

In this silent competition, the Kingdom of Gaul has only just realized the strength of its opponent, and the gap between them is as deep as the ocean.

“Armand,” Louis the Younger suddenly said, “I remember, the Baron Turgot, who was considered a madman, was in Le Havre, wasn’t he?”

"Make the arrangements, I need to see him."

(End of this chapter)