Mystery: Big Alarm Clock Ghroth Path

Chapter 170 The Meaning of Numbers
Seeing Roger speak up, Cecilia stopped hiding her feelings:

"The advantages of the current promotional plan are that the pricing strategy and product performance introduction are well done, basically showing all the highlights, and the price will not cause strong resistance, so the average middle-class family should be able to accept it.

"You did a good job on the promotion plan, and I have no objections to the promotion channels. You are professionals in these areas."

She first affirmed the advantages of the current promotional plan proposed by Edmund Dwork, and then said:
“But the problem is that the customer base for this product still has room to be expanded – music industry professionals and middle-class people who love music, as the current plan states.

"It's essentially old-fashioned thinking. Who says people who don't like music can't use a portable phonograph?"

When Edmund heard Cecilia's words, his originally sloppy sitting posture became much straighter.

He leaned forward slightly and looked at Cecilia with interest:
"Miss Cecilia, could you elaborate on this?"

"of course."

Cecilia nodded and continued:

"This is actually a misconception left by people due to the old phonographs - the equipment at that time was complicated, had too many redundant parts, and was too expensive.

“Besides, due to the limitations of dissemination methods, the content and form of the records are just an extension of traditional classical music.

“As a result, only the wealthy who really enjoyed classical music would spend a lot of money to buy a phonograph, and they used it only as an alternative way to enjoy classical music when they didn’t have time to go to the concert hall.

"But now the price of phonographs has dropped significantly, and their portability has increased significantly, so their application scenarios will definitely become more diverse."

Cecilia smiled and said:
"Who says phonographs can only be used to listen to classical music? Records are just a carrier of sound. In addition to classical music, they can also record audio stories, nursery rhymes, operas, stage plays, and even provide off-site sound effects for special occasions.

“For example, in some operas, there is a scene of heavy rain. In addition to traditional character movements, scenery and lighting, can we also consider using records to insert sound effects such as thunder and splashing water?

“As for classical music itself, its application scenarios are even more numerous… For example, many small cafes and restaurants need to create a romantic atmosphere, but they cannot afford professional musicians and bands. At this time, can a portable phonograph and a few records that only cost 20 pounds solve the problem?

"So the new phonograph can be used for family entertainment, education, art, business, and so on. It is suitable for almost any scenario we can think of. It will inject new vitality into all walks of life related to literary and artistic creation.

“So, our real selling point is not the phonograph itself, but the cultural value that records can bring.

“The role of the phonograph is simply that, with its portability and price advantage greatly improved, it has greatly lowered the threshold for these diverse cultural and artistic works to enter the homes of ordinary citizens.

“So the portable phonograph is not only an innovation in entertainment, but also a brand new development opportunity for the audio arts industry.

"On the other hand, we can set a time limit so that the first 10,000 people who order the portable phonograph can get a record signed by its inventor, Mr. Balelu Jones. This is also a marketing strategy. At this historic moment, those astute art collectors will definitely not miss this opportunity, and they may even sell this signed record for a sky-high price many years later."

Cecilia finished her thoughts in one breath, and then looked at Mr. Edmund Dwork again.

Edmund Dwork stared at Cecilia with his mouth wide open in surprise, unable to speak for a long time.

"Mr. De Walker, if you think my assistant is amazing, you can just say so."

Roger grinned and joked.

To be honest, he originally thought that Cecilia just had some simple ideas, but he didn't expect that this girl had such insight and foresight.

What she just said is exactly the concepts of "content ecology" and "first release specials" that are popular in the information age and even the Internet age!

You know, the period in which the Kingdom of Loen existed was roughly equivalent to Europe in the 18th to 19th centuries during the same period on Earth!

Roger couldn't help but re-evaluate Cecilia. He could vaguely feel the great potential of this girl in terms of business talent.

"sharp."

Edmund came to his senses when he heard Roger's words.

He carefully looked at the chestnut-haired girl in front of him several times again and asked:
"Ms. Cecilia, have you ever worked in the art industry, or studied marketing?"

“I’ve read a little bit about marketing.”

Cecilia replied.

Roger smiled slightly. Considering Sam's expression, the "little bit" his sister Cecilia mentioned must be at least half a bookcase of books.

Because Sam and Cecilia did not originally live in the Fourth Epoch Fortress in Torquay, but lived in another small town near Conston, they had quite a bit of contact with the business community, so she had the opportunity to read a lot of new-age knowledge.

"interesting."

Mr. Edmund stood up with his hands clasped together as if he had discovered a treasure.

In fact, Roger had mentioned some issues about content ecology to Baron Dwork, but those ideas were just casual remarks and were far less specific and rich than what Cecilia said today.

Now that she had said this, Edmund seemed to be able to see a whole new era of media.

An era where various art forms enter thousands of homes using portable phonographs as a medium!
Just thinking about how big this cake is makes Edmund shudder, given his business experience.

Originally, Edmund did not take the phonograph matter very seriously and planned to assign it to a random department, but after listening to Cecilia's analysis, he felt that he had almost missed out on a million pounds.

Edmund has now changed his mind and wants to personally oversee this project!

Roger also struck while the iron was hot:

"Mr. Edmund, I would like to arrange for Cecilia to assist in the sales and promotion of my portable phonograph. I wonder if you would be willing to have her join this project team."

"Of course, I'll be paying her salary... I'll give her a commission based on the monthly sales."

With the previous preparations and Cecilia's output, Edmund immediately revealed an expression of "I couldn't ask for more":

"Of course, Mr. Jones, it's an honor to have Miss Cecilia join me."

"That's good."

Roger breathed a sigh of relief.

In fact, although Cecilia has rich theoretical knowledge and ideas, she has not yet really started to promote an artwork project.

He believed that after being nurtured by the professional team atmosphere under Edmund Dwork, she would grow into a mature marketing manager at a very fast speed.

Afterwards, Roger, Cecilia and Edmund discussed some details of the product promotion and confirmed that Cecilia would officially go through the joining procedures this Wednesday.

As for salary, Edmund and Roger agreed that Dwork Art Marketing Company would pay her a weekly salary of 2 pounds 15 soli, and Roger would pay Cecilia the commission generated from sales according to market standards.

According to Edmund and Roger's estimation, with Cecilia's learning ability and intelligence, she should soon be able to earn more than 20 pounds a month and her annual salary could reach around 500 gold pounds.

That would have made it easy for her to become what Mrs. Summers called "a respectable middle-class person who could afford the rent of a single-family house and at the same time afford two maids, a housekeeper, and a cook."

And this does not include Sam's income. Generally speaking, it is almost certain that the two siblings will be able to support themselves.

After settling this matter, Roger felt much more relaxed. He took Cecilia to say goodbye to Mr. Edmund, and then returned to the first floor to find the two brothers Alister and Perseus arguing fiercely over a comic magazine.

Ms. Caitlin was standing by with a helpless smile on her face, trying to persuade the two boys not to fight.

Seeing this, Cecilia immediately walked up to the two brothers, gave each of them a slap on the face, and then glared at them.

Alister and Perseus immediately shut up and dared not provoke Cecilia again.

"Let's go, kids, get ready to see the teacher."

Roger glanced at the monthly comic book magazine they were fighting over, titled "Tussock Humorous Stories," memorized the name, and said:

"Don't argue, I'll go back and order a whole year's supply for you.

"If I keep arguing, people will think I'm a child abuser and won't let my kids read comic books."

After saying this, he nodded slightly to Ms. Caitlin with an apologetic look:
"Excuse me, ma'am."

"You're welcome, Mr. Jones."

Ms. Caitlin smiled and replied, “These two kids remind me of my nephews…little boys just have endless energy.”

Roger spread his hands, gave a helpless smile, and then took the three children of the Abraham family in a rented carriage and drove to the "Winston Tutoring Center" in Cherwood District.

On the way, Cecilia and Roger talked about some of their thoughts:
"Cousin, in fact, in the past few days since I became the 'corpse collector', I have been thinking about the issue of acting."

The "acting method" is no secret in a family like the Abraham family. Roger and Klein took advantage of the past few days to explain it in more detail to Sam, Cecilia and others.

"Oh? If you have any ideas, tell me."

Roger smiled and nodded, motioning for Cecilia to continue.

"According to what you and Detective Moriarty have said, 'acting' has two main cores.

"One is that the symbolic meaning of the potion's name is greater than its practical significance, which leads to full spiritual participation... and the second core is the feedback from external observers on the performance effect, right?"

After receiving Roger's nod, Cecilia continued:
"Well, in other words, the so-called 'corpse collector' focuses on the two images of 'collection' and 'corpse'.

"The most obvious understanding of 'collection' is funeral practices such as burial and cremation, but the cultural and symbolic meaning revealed here is to send the deceased to the underworld with dignity and usher in an immortal new life."

Roger nodded slightly. What Cecilia said not only conformed to the definition of some orthodox churches, but also took into account the ideas about the immortality of the soul of many factions of the "Spiritual Sect" including the "Eternal Life Society" that believed in the god of death.

“And the meaning of ‘corpse’ can be either a real corpse or an abstract corpse.

“For example, a culture, an era, or an idea.

"For example, there's a saying in Loen: 'Tradition is the corpse of wisdom,' which expresses something similar."

Cecilia's words made Roger frown slightly. He seemed to realize something, raised his eyebrows with interest, and motioned Cecilia to continue.

“So, can the old era of culture and entertainment be considered a kind of spiritual corpse?”

Cecilia laughed.

"You mean to say that you intend to use the new phonograph to create a new cultural era, and then, by inheriting the essence of the old era and allowing it to usher in its own 'rebirth', you will symbolically 'collect the corpses'?"

Roger asked.

"That's right." Cecilia nodded, confirming Roger's guess.

"It's an interesting idea, I think it's worth a try."

Roger's expression turned serious. He had never imagined that the role of "corpse collector" could be played in this way. He couldn't help but admire Cecilia's ability of imagination again.

"However, if you want to realize your idea, you must make a conceptual connection between 'old culture' and 'corpse,' 'new culture' and 'rebirth,' so that you can obtain sufficient feedback at the mystical level."

After understanding Cecilia's thoughts, he immediately pointed out the most critical issue.

"Of course, in the marketing of subsequent products, I will consciously incorporate phrases like 'The Renaissance of the Steam Age' into my promotional pitch—as long as you don't mind."

"That's fine with me. Please."

Roger extended his hand very gentlemanly and made a "Ma'am, please feel free" gesture.

"Cousin, I have another question."

At this moment, Perseus, who was standing aside, suddenly asked.

"Please?"

Roger smiled and spoke.

"When are you going to order Tussock Humorous Tales for us?"

The twins looked at Roger expectantly.

"..."

Roger was speechless for a moment, then paused and replied:
"I'll order two for you tomorrow at the latest, okay?"

After hearing what Roger said, the twins smiled and started playing again.

"Cousin, that's just how they are. Just get used to it."

Faced with Roger's helplessness, Cecilia shrugged awkwardly.

……

The carriage soon arrived at the "Winston Tutoring Center". Roger spent about two hours talking in detail with the person in charge there, and he was very satisfied with the result.

As advertised, Winston Tutoring Center's teachers and backgrounds were very reliable, and Roger also met two other parents and received positive feedback from them.

He eventually chose a grammar teacher, a vocabulary teacher, a math teacher, a science teacher, and a history teacher for Alister and Perseus.

After that, Alister and Perseus will receive about 30 hours of study per week, in addition to homework guidance and hands-on practice.

Especially in the field of natural sciences, since the two brothers were not studying in school, Roger had to prepare the necessary teaching aids again.

Fortunately, he already had some tools and equipment at home that could be used for chemical experiments, which saved Roger about half of the purchasing costs and he only needed to buy the remaining half.

In fact, Roger originally planned to let Klein be the history teacher of the two brothers, and the latter was very willing.

However, considering that Klein's detective work would take up a lot of his time and Sam needed to learn from him, both parties eventually gave up and only mentioned that Klein could teach Alister and Perseus some knowledge of the Fourth Epoch in his spare time.

Sam can also participate in this regard, but it still requires a certain transition period.

In the end, Roger paid a fee of about 280 gold pounds for half a year, which did not include the food and drink required by the tutor when necessary.

Such expenses were clearly not cheap, and could even bankrupt most middle-class families in Backlund. Fortunately, Roger's career was still on the rise, so he spared no expense to ensure that his two orphaned brothers received the best education.

Alister and Perseus were very upset about this - until Roger bought them a year's subscription to Tussock Humorous Tales and Children's Comics at the newsagent on his way home, and then the brothers were happy again.

Roger also did not forget to help Cecilia choose a formal suit for work, and then sent her back to Woston Gardens. He took Alister and Perseus back to No. 15 Minsk Street.

Seeing that Klein and Sam had gone out to investigate a case and had not returned yet, Roger personally went to the kitchen to make lunch for the two brothers.

While eating, Roger felt his heart skip a beat.

He glanced at Bandit, who was eating with his head down, then turned around and secretly came to the branch of Mr. Fool's kingdom at 15 Minsk Street, where he received the Rat of De La Hoya.

This time, the small silk bag of "De La Hoya's Rat" was filled to the brim, and it was obvious that there was a lot of cargo.

"Here, what you want, and a reply."

The cute "rabbit-shaped mouse" handed Roger four extraordinary materials, and then handed him a letter.

The letter paper was the same kind that Mr. C had always used, and Roger recognized it at a glance.

He opened the letter and found the following words:

“Your Excellency, the Special Messenger of God:

“Enclosed are the four extraordinary materials you will need.

"C"

In addition to this piece of letter paper, there was also the stack of banknotes that Roger had previously given to Mr. C.

As he expected, Mr. C returned all the money.

Seeing this, Roger stopped being polite to Mr. C and put away the money and letter. Then he fumbled around in his body and took out 8 nuts.

Ever since he was attacked by the sonic waves of the "De La Hoya Rat" last time, Roger is now very conscious of always carrying various nuts with him, for fear that this guy will suddenly send a message to him.

Sure enough, this came in handy.

Their original agreement was to deliver five nuts each time, but this time Roger considered that the "De La Hoya Rat" had to transport too many items and was very tired, so he wanted to reward it and give it more.

"No need. We agreed on five, so that's five."

"De La Hoya's Rat" shook its little head and then picked out only five of its favorite nuts from Roger's hand.

"You're quite a good person."

Roger collected the remaining three nuts and laughed.

“It is very important to keep our promises.

"On the other hand, the number 8 represents mystery and knowledge to spiritual beings, but it is not an auspicious number for real humans."

The De La Hoya Rat said seriously:

"So from now on, you must be careful not to engage in any transactions or collaborations with other spiritual beings that might correspond to the symbolism of the number '8'."

Roger was a little curious about what "De La Hoya's Rat" said. He thought for a moment and asked:

"What other numbers are considered unlucky by beings in the spiritual world? I mean, for beings in the real world."

"Besides '8', there are also '3' and '12'."

The "De La Hoya Rat" then added:

"12 is one of the most important sacred numbers in the spiritual world, but for real beings it means loss and confusion.

"'8' is associated with disease and disaster—that's the real-world view, but it's a good number for spiritual beings, as I just said.

"As for '3', the situation is a little different. This number has connotations of 'sacredness,' 'stability,' and 'completeness' in the real world, but it is unlucky for spiritual beings and does not resonate with us. Although it is consistent with the sum of the units and tens digits of '12,' its mystical meaning is completely different.

"There are some very powerful beings in the spirit world who are extremely averse to the number '3'. Mentioning it in front of them might make them angry."

Roger nodded, and then remembered something interesting:

"What do you think of the number '13'?"

This was a disrespectful number to "God" that was circulated in Roger's previous life. He now wanted to hear what the spiritual beings thought of this number.

"Oh~"

The "De La Hoya Rat" shook his ears and seemed very happy:
"'13' and '4' are both numbers that represent spiritual power. Their meanings are similar, and we like them very much."

In other words, it's the number that "Tianzun" likes...

He had read before that "13", which has a close relationship with "4", symbolizes the fourth pole of the cross, corresponding to "the underworld" and the spiritual world, and listing "4" as a sacred number has the blasphemous meaning of turning the cross upside down.

"What about '5'?"

He asked again.

"'5' is a special number. Whether it is good or bad in the spiritual world depends on how it manifests itself. It cannot be generalized."

After hearing the reply from "De La Hoya's Rat", Roger nodded in understanding. He now had a better understanding of the mystical meaning of numbers.

Unlike what he had imagined before, the "3" corresponding to the "Three Mysterious Paths" was actually disrespectful to the spiritual world, but the "5" corresponding to the "Five Paths of Omniscience and Omnipotence" seemed to hide some kind of two-sidedness.

"Could it be that this symbolizes the hidden meaning of the two pillars themselves... or perhaps reveals some kind of relationship between 'Tianzun' and 'God'?"

Roger paused and continued:
"If I go to the spirit world, your territory next time, can I visit your true form?"

He said this tentatively, then looked towards the De La Hoya Rat, waiting for its reaction.

“As for the main body, you can’t see it, but there is hope for the secondary nodes.

"But now you can only see the terminal... the time is not right."

After saying this, the "Rat of De La Hoya" did not stop, turned around and jumped into the darkness.

(End of this chapter)