industrial lord

Chapter 783 Another Rising Star

As the last rays of the setting sun sank behind the distant mountains, the dark blue sky began to be studded with tiny starlight.

The villa's garden unfolds in the twilight, its expansive lawn resembling a giant piece of dark green velvet, quietly nestled amidst oak and rose bushes.

The evening breeze carries the sweet scent of earth and night-blooming jasmine, and dewdrops on the tips of grass blades have quietly condensed, shimmering faintly in the rising darkness.

After dinner, the once quiet place suddenly became lively.

After enjoying a delicious meal of crispy roasted pork knuckle, Reniger and her team got busy.

They brought out the machines covered in velvet, and that precious roll of film.

Bartosch carefully hung the white curtain between the two oak trees; the fabric billowed gently in the wind, like a cloud suspended in the darkness.

Kulis and Brecht were adjusting the projector, its gears and lenses gleaming coldly under the light.

Reniger took a deep breath, opened the tin box containing the film rolls, which held fifteen minutes of their painstakingly crafted dream.

Gradually, people gathered in the garden.

After Frederick gave the order, the servants in the villa put down what they were doing, and the guards temporarily relaxed their serious expressions. Some began to move tables and chairs, while others stood in twos and threes at the edge of the lawn.

Frederick brought Maria, Susan, and Lilu to the garden. Everyone was dressed in formal casual wear, chatting and laughing, and occasionally glancing at the curtain.

Everyone waited quietly, an atmosphere of curiosity and anticipation silently spreading through the air.

Tony moved several rattan chairs to the best spot, and someone brought over a table with drinks and snacks, as if a tea party was about to be held.

As the last rays of dawn faded, Kulis lit the projector's light source.

In an instant, a beam of pure white light tore through the night and projected straight onto the screen.

A suppressed gasp rose from the crowd.

Within the beam of light, countless dust particles, like startled spirits, spun and danced wildly.

Koch nervously turned the crank, the gears making a rhythmic clicking sound, like a spell to awaken sleeping magic.

Suddenly, a black silhouette appeared in the light and shadow.

"An oyster shell?!"

Lilu immediately recognized what the black shadow was.

Reniger replied, "We received funding from Mr. Dafranch and his introduction to the Weisen Scientific Society a long time ago, and the story to be performed is also related to Mr. Dafranch."

Frederick asked with some surprise, "You know Prince Dafranchus?"

"We met because we were regular customers at his business," Reneg said a little shyly.

Frederick nodded and continued watching them tinker with the equipment.

In addition to the projector, this projection system also includes a phonograph.

Reniger put in the first disc, and music started playing.

The opening music also serves as a signal; when a specific sound is heard, the joystick is turned, and the screen begins to change.

A black silhouette appeared on the screen. The audience could see that it was a well-proportioned young woman sitting in a chair doing sewing.

Koch kept adjusting the rotation speed to synchronize the content of the screen with the dialogue and background music coming from the phonograph as much as possible.

The story depicted on the screen is one that many of those present have experienced.

It happened in Iron Mine Town back then. Ella went to Frederick's party without her family's permission. Maria helped her out, and then Dafranché met Ella at the ball. After the ball, Ella ran so fast that she lost her shoes. In the end, the police dog unit helped find her.

The record plays for five minutes, and the first five minutes are just enough to show Ella's ordeal at home.

At this moment, the screen displays the subtitle "It's evening," the gramophone changes the record, and then the next scene of the party begins.

In the audience, Maria unconsciously tightened her grip on Frederick's arm. She was completely mesmerized; although she knew it was a shadow play, the complex and fluid movements and the dynamic composition still made her heart race.

Lilu was equally engrossed in watching, while her mind was wandering to other things.

Sea voyages can be quite monotonous. If a ship had this kind of equipment and a few more stories to tell, it would definitely be very popular.

Susan shared the same idea, believing that this form of presentation was far better than drama in the field of medical advocacy.

Frederick stared intently at the curtain, a thoughtful expression on his face.

He saw not only silhouette animation, but also the infinite possibilities behind this technology, and areas for improvement.

The story on the screen was slightly modified; the role of the police dog unit was changed to that of an angel sent by the God of Light to help Dafranchus find Ella.

As the animation nears its end, the pace gradually slows down before becoming cheerful, with the male and female protagonists donning wedding attire and walking into the church.

The silhouette lines soften, as if a beautiful dream is about to end.

Reniger secretly glanced at the faces of the audience. In the flickering light and shadow, she saw rapture, amazement, and emotion—expressions that brought her more joy than any praise.

As the last image disappeared off the screen, the beam of light suddenly went out, plunging the garden into a brief darkness.

After a moment, the applause started sporadically, then quickly spread out and surged like a tide.

The guards forgot their manners and clapped enthusiastically; the servants whispered among themselves, excitedly describing the scene they had just witnessed; even the usually reserved Afu showed a rare smile.

Frederick walked toward the team of inventors, his voice clear in the night wind: "What you have created is not simple entertainment, but a whole new world."

"In the first phase, I will allocate 20,000 gold coins to you to upgrade your equipment. The most important thing is to combine the recording on the record with the film, for example, so that the film does not appear in the position of the screen."

"Secondly, you need to plan the entire process from production to screening carefully. I'll see your results next spring."

"You should study the film reproduction work carefully and strive to do it quickly and well."

"Third, the entire set of equipment should be as simple and reliable as possible, ideally so that one person can carry it on horseback."

"You should also collaborate with artists to expand the variety of stories."

He now spends all his money in paper money; 20,000 gold shims is equivalent to 1,000 florins, which is a large sum of money.

Reniger felt her eyes welling up.

She looked at her companions; Koch was quietly wiping away tears from the corners of his eyes, Brecht was smiling like a child, and Kulis and Bartosch were holding hands tightly.

At this moment, all the fatigue from staying up all night to draw, and the setbacks from repeated trials, turned into a heart full of sweetness, and a check.

As night deepened, the crowd gradually dispersed.

But the magical light and shadow seemed to linger in the air of the garden.

Maria, arm in arm with Frederick, walked along the path back to the villa and whispered, "I never imagined that a black silhouette could be so moving."

The others nodded in agreement.

Frederick said, "Our angel investment budget for this year is almost gone, otherwise we could have invested more in them."

"The silhouette is just the beginning; color is not far behind."

While tidying up the equipment, Renige looked up at the starry sky.

Before tonight, they were just unknown inventors.

But from the moment Grand Duke Wesson handed them the check, they knew that they had become a highly sought-after investment target because they had opened a brand new door to a dreamlike world of light and shadow for the world.

The broad road ahead is right in front of us.

(End of this chapter)