industrial lord

Chapter 782 Bravely Venturing into a New Territory
The midday sun pierced through the clouds, casting golden dappled light into the tranquil forest.

A convoy of five vans slowly drove along the gravel road into the courtyard of Frederick's villa.

The soft crunch of wheels rolling over pebbles broke the tranquility of the forest, bringing with it the final fruits of the team's years of hard work.

Frederick stood in front of the French windows of his study, calmly watching the convoy come to a stop one by one behind the gate.

His face showed no surprise, as if he had expected all of this.

The emergence of animated films did not surprise him; it was all within his expectations.

Drawing little figures in the corners of book pages and observing them as they come to life when flipping through them quickly, or depicting the flapping of birds' wings and the blooming of flowers—these little games are so old that their origins are untraceable and their dates are unknown.

Frederick also enjoyed finding such little games in the family's book collection to pass the time.

Later, as he promoted the prosperity of the publishing industry, a more refined flipbook emerged.

They typically depict landmarks or historical scenes of the Principality of Wessen, and although the "playing time" is only a few seconds, they have become popular tourist souvenirs due to their affordable price.

Years later, even more ambitious inventors emerged.

Someone fixed a large number of drawing cards to a huge wheel and sealed them in a wooden box.

As the wheel spins, people can enjoy nearly a minute of dynamic footage through the viewing port.

This machine, known as the "animated roulette," quickly became popular in markets and festivals, always surrounded by curious onlookers, and even became a reward for children who got perfect scores on tests.

Unfortunately, the good times didn't last long. Every world has its share of such people, and the animation roulette started to be filled with a lot of erotic content. As a result, a bishop from the Holy City came with a letter from the Pope to order sermon content, but the studio sent the wrong item. So a team of paladins came to the Holy City and took the entire studio, along with the machines, away.

Frederick had personally reviewed several samples, and the negative impact on teenagers was undeniable.

Meanwhile, slideshow technology has become quite mature.

Drawing business reports or educational images on transparent glass or specially made slime boards has become a trendy skill that secretaries and teachers are eager to learn.

When the reserves of advanced technology reach a critical point, some people naturally begin to try to combine dynamic images with projection technology, aiming to create a more lasting visual experience.

At this moment, in the spacious living room of the villa, the five creators sat upright, unable to hide their inner unease.

Reniger, Koch, Kulis, Brecht, and Bartosch—this small team awaited the arrival of the Archduke and Duchess of Wessen.

The whirring air conditioner, the expensive tea, and the soft velvet sofa did nothing to bring any relaxation.

Bartosch unconsciously adjusted his bow tie, Brecht quietly wiped the sweat from his brow, and Kurisu repeatedly smoothed his already neat cuffs. Reniger and Koch, using the reflection from the gilded mirror frame above the fireplace, checked again and again to make sure their clothes and hair were perfectly in place.

Despite Master Psyche's earlier reassurance to keep a calm mind, how could these inventors of humble origins truly remain composed as they faced the moment when they were about to present their work to the renowned Archduke of Wessen?
The oak door to the living room was gently pushed open by a servant.

Everyone immediately stood up and straightened their backs.

Frederick and Mary entered slowly.

The Grand Duke was dressed in a dark formal suit, his expression composed; the Lady wore an elegant dress, a gentle smile playing on her lips.

They shook hands with each guest.

Frederick carefully inquired about everyone's name and background, and learned that the team leader Reniger and member Koch had recently gotten married, so he offered his blessings. Meanwhile, Maria's curious gaze had already drifted to the mysterious equipment covered with velvet in the corner.

She noticed there were no cages containing cats and mice nearby and couldn't help but wonder how the cartoon worked. Despite her many questions, she maintained a polite smile.

As the team leader, Reneg took a deep breath and stepped forward to introduce their innovative creation to the Grand Duke and Duchess.

This film system was similar in its basic principles to those known to Frederick, but the key material was ingenious—the film was made of a special slime that was flexible, transparent, and durable.

The entire production process is extremely complicated. Each frame of the artwork needs to be carefully drawn on paper. Then, these paintings are arranged neatly on a fixed shelf and made into a scaled-down etched film using projection technology. Then, colored hot melt adhesive is used as pigment to transfer the film onto a transparent adhesive sheet, and then a protective layer is hot-pressed on.

Finally, after cutting, punching, and splicing, a complete roll of film can be made.

It took them several months to barely complete a small section of the work.

In theory, creating vibrant and long-lasting color animation is not difficult.

However, due to limited funding, Reniger's team could only produce a fifteen-minute silhouette animation.

The characters and scenes are all simple black silhouettes with almost no details except for the outline; the background is also just outlined with simple lines, making the overall visual effect somewhat monotonous.

Frederick listened attentively to the introduction and nodded slightly.

When he spoke, his loud and formal voice echoed in the living room: "I have heard that you have bravely ventured into a completely new field, with no precedent to follow, and with a spirit of overcoming difficulties, started from scratch, delved into in-depth research, and continued to explore, finally achieving breakthrough progress and creating innovative achievements with independent core technologies. I would like to express my warmest congratulations and highest praise."

He paused briefly, allowing each word to resonate with the audience, before continuing, "This achievement not only marks a significant leap in technological strength, but also demonstrates your courage in facing the deep waters of technology, your wisdom in using innovative approaches to solve problems, and your resilience in the face of severe challenges."

"You have demonstrated the true meaning of hard work and perseverance through your actions."

His voice grew increasingly solemn: "This pioneering endeavor, starting from scratch, has laid a solid foundation for our enterprise. Your enterprising spirit is worthy of in-depth study and vigorous promotion by the entire Duchy of Wessen!"

Reniger and her companions felt a wave of dizziness.

These words of praise, which I used to only read in the Wessen Daily, are now being bestowed upon me, as if I were in a dream.

Koch secretly pinched his thigh, and the distinct pain confirmed that it was not a hallucination.

After this official statement that defined the situation, Frederick's tone turned relaxed and cheerful.

He smiled at his guests and said, "Now, let's see for ourselves what interesting stories you've brought."

He then turned to Reniger and asked, "Can we show it here?"

Reniger quickly scanned the living room.

Although the space is warm and elegant, with the sofa and coffee table taking up most of the area, it is still too small overall.

She explained with a hint of embarrassment, "I'm afraid this isn't a suitable place."

"The device requires a projection distance of at least ten meters, otherwise the image will be blurry."

Her gaze fell on the pile of equipment, subtly indicating that they needed a more spacious place.

Frederick nodded, looking out the window. The weather was unusually good; he estimated it would last for a day or two.

“That’s easy,” he said with a touch of nostalgia. “We’ll have an outdoor screening tonight.”

(End of this chapter)