Writer 1879: Solitary Journey in France

Chapter 595: How come I'm involved in this work?
The Times headline for its report on Villa Lionel was: "The French's 'Electric Utopia'."

The article writes:

Lionel Sorel's show at his villa in the suburbs of Paris was undoubtedly a successful performance. But a performance is, after all, a performance, far removed from reality.

Clearly, the French were using a glamorous facade to mask their technological shortcomings; the safety issues of alternating current remained unresolved.

Mr. Sorel chose to divert public attention by emphasizing "comfort experiences."

The Daily Telegraph was even more scathing:

Paris's romanticism seems to have resurfaced, with people going crazy for flashy "modern gadgets."

Filtering Seine water? That's as absurd as trying to extract perfume from the Thames!
As for those electrical devices—any engineer with common sense knows that early products are bound to be full of defects.

The French will pay the price for their blind faith when those fragile devices begin to fail one after another.

The Illustrated London News published a satirical cartoon:
A French nobleman sits in a room filled with malfunctioning electrical appliances. The overhead light flickers, sewage gushes from the tap, and black smoke billows from the vents.

The title is: "The Truth About 'Modern Life'".

But these reports generated a limited response in London. Discussions in cafes were mostly about Lionel and the alternating current technology—

"I heard it's really possible to filter drinking water from the Seine?"

"An electric water heater...that sounds good. In winter, we won't have to wait for servants to heat the water."

"Ventilation system, God, this summer is so hot and humid."

Some British businessmen even began to secretly inquire: "Is it possible to introduce this system? Of course, we must keep a low profile."

Thomas Edison, meanwhile, sat on the sofa in his London office, his face grim.

Samuel Insall stood cautiously to the side: "Boss, a telegram from New York."

Thomas Edison took the telegram and unfolded it. The telegram was short, with only two lines:

[Due to a reassessment of the technology roadmap and market prospects, the Morgan family has decided to suspend investment in direct current (DC) projects. We also suggest you consider adjusting your strategic direction.]

The document was signed "John Pierpont Morgan's Office".

Thomas Edison stared at the telegram for a long time, muttering to himself, "Suspend investment...adjust strategy..."

Samuel Insall dared not speak.

Thomas Edison suddenly crumpled the telegram into a ball and threw it on the ground: "Who does he think he is? Judging technological trends? What does he know besides money?"

The office was completely silent.

A few minutes later, Thomas Edison stood up and walked to the window. Outside, the London sky was gray, and smoke billowed from factory chimneys in the distance.

He said almost unconsciously, "Alternating current...is it really that good?"

Samuel Insal cautiously began, “From a technical standpoint, long-distance transmission does indeed have advantages. And the French demonstration… was very successful.”

Thomas Edison turned around, his eyes bloodshot: "Success? That's a performance! It's marketing! Truly successful technology needs time to prove itself, it needs repeated testing, it needs..."

His words trailed off. He knew the market wouldn't wait, investors wouldn't wait, the public wouldn't wait. Time was no longer his friend!
Visitors to Villa Sorel enjoyed clean drinking water, basked in bright light, and felt a cool breeze...

He spent thousands of pounds only to have the world see an elephant electrocuted and mangled beyond recognition! Reportedly, some children even wet their pants in fear!

Whenever he thought of this, Thomas Edison wished he could go back to that morning a month ago and strangle himself and Arnold White with his own hands!

Regret was useless now. He took a deep breath: "What about Joseph Swan? When will the patent lawsuit go to trial?"

"Next week. But the situation is not optimistic. The judge is inclined to rule Dr. Swann's carbon filament lamp patent valid."

Thomas Edison walked back to his desk: “Then let’s prepare a settlement. We’ll form a joint venture and operate together. We’ll provide the production and sales network, and he’ll provide the patents. As for the shares… we’ll take 95%, and he’ll take 5%.”

"I'll go prepare right away."

Thomas Edison stopped him: "Wait. Let's talk to him privately first and sound him out."

"clear."

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Three days later, Samuel Insall returned, looking extremely grim.

"Dr. Swann refused."

Thomas Edison, without even looking up, was reviewing a proposal for improving a DC generator: "Not enough? Then give him 8%."

“It’s not about shares,” Samuel Insall said with difficulty. “He…he doesn’t want to work with us.”

Thomas Edison looked up: "What?"

"Dr. Swan said he has found a more suitable partner."

"Who?"

"Lionel Sorel".

Thomas Edison paused for a few seconds, then suddenly stood up: "Sorel? He can't even get into England! How can we cooperate?"

“Dr. Swan said that although Sorel is in France, his network, his technical team, his market reputation... are all reliable foundations for cooperation.”

Thomas Edison was practically yelling: "Market credibility? What credibility does he have in Britain? He's banned from entering the country! His works are banned! He..."

Samuel Insall whispered, "Many ordinary people have a good impression of him...and the middle class...the Duke of Marlborough is also his partner..."

Thomas Edison was speechless and slumped back into his chair.

Although Lionel Sorel is not in the UK, his name, his works, his story, his network of connections... have long been established here.

Thomas Edison, unwilling to give up, asked, "What else did Joseph Swan say?" Samuel Insall hesitated for a moment, then answered honestly, "He said...'Mr. Sorel may not be able to set foot on English soil, but his good reputation will be invincible here.'"

"Invincible..." Thomas Edison closed his eyes, the word swirling in his mind.

He recalled the glory of inventing the phonograph, the cheers when the incandescent light bulb illuminated the Menlo Park laboratory, and the pride of the first central power plant going into operation...

Back then, he was invincible, and people called him "the real-life Prometheus"—now, he's "the elephant executioner"!
A French writer, through a presentation of "modern life" and the technology of a group of brilliant engineers, cornered him.

And these were the methods he was most skilled at!
The debate between direct current (DC) and alternating current (AC) seems to have reached a conclusion...

No, not yet!
Thomas Edison opened his eyes: "Prepare for an appeal. We'll appeal Swan's patent to the High Court in England, and drag it out for as long as possible."

"We'll continue with the DC project. If Morgan withdraws, we'll find other investors. If the Queen doesn't welcome Sorel, we'll take over."

"But boss..."

"Go do it."

Samuel Insall could only nod and leave the office.

Thomas Edison sat alone in a chair, looking out the window.

As dusk fell in London, the gaslight began to illuminate the streets with a soft, yellowish glow.

The light wasn't bright enough, it wasn't even enough, and it flickered—but it had stood the test of time.

The same applies to direct current!

He told himself that.

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With the increasing number of visitors and continuous media coverage, the reputation of "Hillside Villas" has been completely established.

The wealthy in Paris sent business cards, letters, and invitations one after another, their tone increasingly urgent.

“We would like to invite Mr. Garnier and Mr. Sorel to dinner to discuss the renovation of the residence.”

“Our country villa needs a complete modern renovation, and the budget is not a problem.”

"Could the studio prioritize our design? We can pay extra for expedited service."

Charles Garnier's desk was piled high with letters of intent, far too many to handle.

At the same time, orders for "Sorel-Tesla Electric" came in like snowflakes.

It's not just light bulbs, not just wires, but the entire system: alternator sets, transformers, distribution cabinets, motors, water pumps...

Nikola Tesla had to urgently expand his team. In addition to bringing in three former colleagues from Budapest and recruiting five recent graduates from ETH Zurich—

He also poached six experienced electrical engineers from the Edison Electric Light Company in Paris. After trying them out, he couldn't help but comment:

"It must be said that Mr. Edison's company recruited the best engineers, who would be perfect fit for joining our 'Sorel-Tesla Electric'."

The laboratory's working hours have been extended to sixteen hours a day, with daily testing of new transformer winding methods, improvements to motor bearings, and the development of more durable heating wires.

Lionel told Tesla, "Money is not a problem. Buy whatever equipment you need; order whatever materials you need; hire whatever people you need."

I have only one request—to stabilize these things as soon as possible.

Tesla's voice was full of confidence: "In six months, efficiency can be improved by another 20 percent; in one year, costs can be reduced by another 30 percent."

"Then let's do it!"

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Paris, Palais Bourbon, National Assembly.

A special meeting on the “French electrification strategy” is being held, with more than one hundred members of parliament in attendance.

A member of parliament from Lille waved his hands: "Gentlemen! We cannot stand by and watch France fall behind in the electrical revolution! Alternating current technology has proven its superiority, and we must act quickly!"

Another member of parliament from Marseille chimed in: "Paris has a model project, but what about Lyon? What about Marseille? What about Bordeaux? Our cities also need modern lighting and water supply systems!"

A member of parliament from Nancy went even further: "This isn't just about city lighting. It's a national strategy! Electricity will be the energy of the future, just like coal and steam. Whoever controls the technology of electricity controls the next era!"

"I propose establishing a National Electrification Commission to coordinate the nation's power development!"

"Financial subsidies should be provided to encourage businesses and households to adopt electrical equipment!"

"Education is also very important! We need to establish electrical engineering programs in polytechnics to cultivate talent!"

The lawmakers became increasingly excited as they spoke, as if France could become a country entirely powered by electricity tomorrow.

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However, while others enjoyed the excitement, Lionel seemed rather downcast.

In late August 1883, the endless stream of visitors finally came to an end, and he officially moved into the "Hillside Villa".

However, Petty did not live to see that day – she ultimately chose to attend North London College for Girls in England.

Since they couldn't enter England themselves, Sophie and Alice took Patty to London so she could catch the "Michael Term" which started in September.

Coincidentally, Sophie could also sign a formal cooperation agreement with Dr. Joseph Swan; while Alice could scout locations for the establishment of the "Sorrell-Rorschach Typing School" in London.

So the huge villa became empty. Fortunately, Lionel quickly rallied and threw himself into new creative work, even summoning Debussy.

But before Lionel could finish speaking, Debussy covered his forehead and said, "Mr. Sorel, how is this work related to me?"

(End of second update. Goodnight everyone, thank you, and please vote with your monthly tickets.)
(End of this chapter)