Time Smuggling Starting from the Year 2000 - Chapter 86

Chapter 86
The Great Depression (Part Five)
Ford hardly used his own office, but today, he formally invited Huang Xuan into it . They were to meet two hours later . Huang Xuan himself suggested it .
While Ford was patrolling the workshop, Huang Xuan made use of the remaining 30 cents he had to buy 20 sheets of drawing paper and 2 pencils . He sat under an eave and spread them out . Rolin, while complaining, turned these blank pieces of paper into completed diagrams . The carbon powder seemed to be dancing in the air as they lined up in seemingly agreed upon positions, before landing on the paper according to Rolin's findings .
Carbon was easily absorbed . Rolin only had to ensure each particle landed in the right position on the paper . The diagrams were completed very quickly, akin to photocopying . However, this still consumed a significant amount of energy because it was a different plane .
Rolin concluded that this method consumed far less energy than if he were to control Huang Xuan's body . The difference in mass alone was extreme, not to mention the efficiency .
As expected, the complex design of the engine could not be captured in just ten diagrams . They definitely wouldn't suffice if they were meant to aid in manufacturing the engines .
However, they were only to be used for negotiation .
Huang Xuan rolled up the diagrams and lifted his head . He made his way to Ford's office .
Besides Edsel, many other high-ranking executives had gathered in the office . After old Ford had stepped down, they had spent loads of money to acquire shares in the company . Ford became a family business through and through . Despite this, Edsel only needed to consult his father when he made major decisions . In fact, he had to consult his father .
The office was 200 square meters huge . As he walked in, Huang Xuan kept silent . He laid out the diagrams which he had held in his hand onto the round table in the center of the office . The diagrams were mere outlines and were lacking in detail compared to the diagrams used in manufacturing .
There were seven people present in total . After Huang Xuan sat down, everyone else surrounded the round table . With grave expressions, they flipped through each diagram .
"This design is pretty good," Kent, the creative director of Ford, said as he spread his arms . To Edsel, he said, "But we already have similar designs . We don't have to spend money on these . "
Huang Xuan pursed his lips . Similar designs? Ford still had to spend a year and a half on those "similar designs" . He laid back comfortably on the sofa and sipped on his coffee . Still, he didn't say a word .
Edsel too remained silent . He knew the circumstances of his factory better than anyone else . On the other hand, the rest of the people in the room broke into a discussion . Yet, everyone knew full well that old Ford was the real decision maker . When it came to the direction in which Ford was headed, Henry Ford remained in control . He had not passed down sufficient authority to his son in that respect .
"Is this your design?' Edsel asked, mildly curious .
"Of course," Huang Xuan answered . His gaze did not falter .
It was common for people to design industrial products in the 20th century . This was how Honda and Ford started out . It was very similar to how a programmer completed a software in the second half of the 20th century .
Edsel gave him a look of appreciation . As the saying went, great minds think alike . This held true even though the great minds belonged to different planes .
The V8 was probably going to be the last piece of inheritance that Edsel received in his lifetime .
Huang Xuan felt a surge of pity . However, this remarkable and wealthy young man was to perish in an accident . According to the guardian, this kind of fate was impossible to change because the buffer zone had ways to adjust itself to any alterations . If avoiding the accident caused too much of a change in the buffer zone' energy, he could well be struck by lighting .
　


The people sitting across from Huang Xuan began to discuss in hushed tones . On the other hand, Ford's sales manager, Steven, attempted to cozy up to him . He asked, "Have you applied for a patent yet? Such a perfect design could very well be stolen . "
Huang Xuan smiled . Nonchalantly, he replied, "As long as you are willing to pay, you can keep the designs . Then, whatever you want to apply for is up to you . "
This surprised him . Kent glanced at Ford and frowned, trying to signal to him with his eyes . These men were used to applying for patents for everything that they did . Huang Xuan's way of doing things confused them . Perhaps they didn't even have to spend money . Apart from Huang Xuan, everyone else was thinking this .
He had thought about this before, but he didn't know what else he could do . Besides his own identity being a problem, the speed that the United States Patent and Trademark Office worked was an issue as well . The wait for a patent would give him time to travel back and forth between two planes umpteen times . Moreover, he hadn't expected to gain much money from Ford . This was 1931, a modern society . There were far too many ways to earn money — ways that were more effective and faster than selling patents .

Edsel said nothing for a moment . Then, "Mr . Xuan, maybe we need to discuss . . . "
"Mr . Ford," Huang Xuan said as he rose to his feet . He had finished his cup of coffee . "Of course you can discuss . But I'll only give you a day . Tomorrow night, I'm flying to New York . "
"It's impossible to finish in one day," the sales manager exclaimed . "We have to verify and compare similar designs . Before we looked at your completed diagrams, we didn't know we had to make so many adjustments to our manufacturing line . We also have to assess how practical your design is . You know that, after all, this is one man's design . A lot more work must be done . . . "
"That's enough . " Huang Xuan was getting slightly impatient . He continued, "Tonight, I'll stay in Elis Hotel, which is nearby . I'll be there until noon tomorrow . If you really want these designs, deliver the cash to me by then . After that, you can do whatever work you need to do . If you're not interested, I can bring the diagrams to other companies . You can bring bodyguards — as many as you want . All I want is to see the cash . Understand?"
Edsel was unsatisfied . He replied, "We can't decide on the design and manufacture of a car that easily . . . "
"That's your problem . " All the time and effort spent on learning English finally paid off . Huang Xuan bit his tongue as he said, "If you want it, bring the cash . I want USD$100,000 . That's unbelievably cheap, isn't it?"


USD$100,000 in 1931 was equivalent to about USD$1,000,000 today . The current American President, Hoover, earned USD$75,000 a year . Only 18 years later, after the second world war, would Truman earn USD$100,000 . To ordinary Americans, a monthly salary of USD$200 was already considered to be high . That was the amount one earned to support a family of ten . As for the middle-class . . . There was a name for it that the Chinese used — it was a "budding" class . It could be said that Ford's T-type car had pushed them out of the budding stage . If this was true, then one of the hallmarks of the budding stage, the T-type car, would only cost USD$260 .
However, when approached from another point of view, USD$100,000 was still a huge sum . It was more than what hundreds of people earned in a year combined . Given the state of the US's economy during the Great Depression, where a goat only cost USD$1, it was hardly surprising that USD$100,000 was considered an immense amount .
Of course, such sums were always considered immense when looked at from a poor man's perspective . Ford earned an annual profit of about USD$30 million . When it paused production of the A-type car for half a year during the Great Depression, it incurred losses of more than USD$15 million . The costs of researching and developing the V8 added up to far more than USD$3 million .
USD$100,000 sounded tempting to Edsel Ford .
When Huang Xuan stepped out of the office, they immediately broke into a discussion . Steven, who had ten years of experience in sales, was supportive of buying Huang Xuan's designs . As long as it satisfied more than 80% of the design requirements, he thought it was worth it .
Kentley rebutted, "How can we tell, from the diagrams, that the design satisfies 80% of the requirements?"
Steven could not give him an answer . After all, his expertise did not lie in producing cars . Bloom, who was seated next to him, added, "It will be difficult for us to fork out USD$100,000 without prior arrangements being made . Moreover, people who insist on cash payment are always a little suspicious," by this, he meant to imply that Huang Xuan was likely a thief .
By 1931, the Americans' trust in the banks had fallen to zero . In another two years, in 1933, large banks would have caused the dignitaries of Wall Street to go bankrupt . However, wealthy businessmen did not share the same distrust of those banks . Instead, they needed banks more than ordinary people . On the other hand, only poor people were concerned with being paid in cash .
Edsel listened to them in silence . He was planning to consult old Ford that evening . Before that, however, he needed to understand both sides of the argument .
From the bottom of his heart, Edsel knew that he wanted to buy the designs . Despite the fact that they were in the midst of the Great Depression, the A-type cars were still selling well . However, the advantage that technology brought was fading away . The Asian's design matched Ford's manufacturing capabilities, and there weren't many adaptations that had to be made . They would likely be able to begin production immediately . If there was nothing wrong with the design itself, USD$100,000 was nothing .


The discussion died down as Edsel put down the cup of coffee in his hand . He had a stern expression as he said, "Bloom, think of a way to withdraw USD$100,000 in cash . Inform the bank that we need it by 9 am tomorrow . "
"Alright . "
"Mr . Brown?"
"Yes . " Brown was a rugged west-side man . His skin was rough, and his eyes were full of soul .
Edsel moved to adjust his cap . "Inform your men to be on standby . "
Brown nodded in response . Edsel turned to Kent and said, "Look for a few professional designers . Perhaps we can assess this young man's skill on the spot . "
"OK . "
After giving two more orders, Edsel finally relaxed . He leaned back in his seat and said, "I'll consider this once more . Tomorrow morning, I'll inform you all of my conclusion . "
Everybody present knew that the so-called "discussion" was really a consultation with Edsel's wife and father . They were used to this . Only Brown expressed suspicion, "Mr . Ford, maybe they stole these diagrams . We might then find ourselves in a lawsuit . "
"Who cares? We bought it with money," Steven replied .