After Transmigration: Building a Kingdom in Turbulent Times

"How could it be all messed up? This was personally written by Fu Tinghan."

Upon hearing it was Fu Tinghan’s formula, Zhao Hu immediately sat up to read it carefully. He didn’t understand it on the first go, so he read it a second time, then furrowed his brows and looked at Guo Pu, "Do you think I can make it?"

"Which step can’t you do?"

"First of all, I can’t do this forging. He’s using a hydropower forging machine, and all the hydropower forging machines in this world are in Fu Tinghan’s hands. Where could I find one for you? And the firing process that follows, just look at this—does it make sense? This temperature can melt steel. If I had such a furnace, what couldn’t I make money from? Why would I resort to making just a lamp?"

He asked Guo Pu, "Is this really just a lamp?"

Guo Pu: "...It’s just a lamp."

Zhao Hu furrowed his brows, "What does it look like? Is its design more attractive than the two palace lanterns I hung at my residence’s gate during the Lantern Festival?"

Guo Pu: ...How could he explain that a tungsten filament lamp is just a loop? It’s like a wire twisted into a circle, but it emits light, and it’s bright light. Although it genuinely doesn’t look as good as a palace lantern, it’s bright, and it doesn’t need lamp oil. If you wrap it around a house once, twice, or even many times, doesn’t it make the whole house glow?

This is a result even palace lanterns can’t achieve.

Moreover, the light emitted by the tungsten filament is white!

Guo Pu tried to persuade Zhao Hu.

However, Zhao Hu was a shrewd businessman. He turned down Guo Pu, but he was very interested in the hand-cranked generator and the radio station.

"I’ve long wanted these two things. If I had them, and supplied them to all my managers across different regions, wouldn’t I instantly know what each place lacks, and then I could transfer goods accordingly..." Zhao Hu said, "Business, you see, is all about buying low and selling high. The price, apart from the inherent value of the goods, depends on how scarce they are. The more scarce, the higher the price!"

If he had these things and others didn’t, couldn’t he make waves in the business world?

Just like Zhao Hanzhang. Zhao Hu thought she could defeat the Xiongnu and recover Jiangnan, credited greatly to the radio station.

Zhao Hu grabbed Guo Pu and said, "How about we do this business together?"

Guo Pu: "I can’t make generators and radio stations, don’t think about it."

"You may not, but Ting Han can," Zhao Hu said, "You’re on good terms with him. Talk to him. A man should have some money in his hands, or doing anything becomes inconvenient."

"Look at Third Lady. She complains about money shortages 360 days a year, yet as her husband, he’s of no help. If he’s willing, he gives us the formula, or he has the weapons workshop make the items, I’ll sell them, we’ll split the profits fifty-fifty. A set of radio and generator, I can give him half a million; selling ten sets would net him five million. By then, whenever Third Lady cries poor, he could just take her to the vault, open the door, and let the mountain of money piled up to the ceiling slide down, wouldn’t that be beautiful?"

Guo Pu: ...

Seeing Zhao Hu completely uninterested in tungsten filament, Guo Pu couldn’t be bothered to linger. He stood up with a cold expression and said arrogantly, "I don’t know about his interests, but I have no interest at all!"

He was only interested in the tungsten filament lamp now!

Guo Pu turned and left.

Zhao Hu was filled with regret. Why was this business in Fu Tinghan’s hands, making it so hard to do?

Zhao Hu stayed at home, keeping an eye on the managers as they calculated accounts for two days. Once everything was tallied and the money was stored in the treasury, he finally stepped out the door.

As soon as he stepped out, he sensed that something was off in the air. The common folk were still foolishly merry, but once he reached the restaurants, he could feel an unusual atmosphere.

Although everyone was still eating and drinking, they were not solely focused on eating and drinking. Occasionally, some would lean in close to whisper a few words.

Zhao Hu frowned and called over the shopkeeper of the restaurant, "What are they talking about?"

The shopkeeper glanced downward and whispered, "They’re guessing if the Great General will kill Imperial Censor Xun."

"Xun Zu? How did he offend our Third Lady again?"

The shopkeeper lowered his voice, "Grand Tutor Xun was assassinated during disaster relief, and Imperial Censor Xun directly accused the Great General of sending people to do it. The Great General then invited Imperial Censor Xun to fetch back Grand Tutor Xun, assuring his safe return."

Zhao Hu’s head was spinning, "What a mess. Who did you hear this from?"

"That’s what everyone outside is saying. People are speculating whether the Great General will take the opportunity to kill both Xun Family brothers. If they both die, the Little Emperor would really be like a glutinous rice ball, wouldn’t the Great General then be free to mold him as he wishes?"

Zhao Hu grumbled, "He’s already molding him as he wishes, no need to go to such trouble. So where are Xun Zu and his party now?"

"Someone calculated the journey; it would take at least three more days for them to return. With Grand Tutor Xun injured, they would have to travel slowly. Besides, who knows what may delay them on the road?"