Quantum theory will not be easily accepted, because once quantum theory is established, Maxwell's classical theory will be placed in the position of questioning first. In this era, no one would dare to do such a thing, except Wang Yi himself. What's more important is that quantum theory is still just a conjecture and there is no real evidence to prove the existence of quantum. So Wang Yi's paper on quantum was not published outside the industrial laboratory, only the first article "Phempotent in Physics - Ether" was spread to Europe and the Americas. However, everyone in the industrial laboratory was curious about the reactions between the two places, how could it be so quiet. Wang Yi understood that a storm was brewing, and physicists were either contempt or were conducting verification experiments. A sensation would come soon.

Li Hongzhang was talking to Zhou Fu about the issue of food and salary of the Beiyang Navy, and then discussed Zuo Zongtang's actions in Xinjiang.

"I heard that Lord Zuo wants to use troops in Xinjiang again?" Zhou Fu suddenly mentioned.

Li Hongzhang sat in his seat and nodded slightly, "Wushan, why did you mention this matter?"

"Oh, that's right. Everyone knows that Lord Zuo is using troops in Xinjiang because he relies on the money raised by Hu Xueyan behind him. However, I recently heard that Hu Xueyan met a friend."

"Friend?" Li Hongzhang was puzzled and thought to himself that Hu Xueyan knew his friends, so he had nothing to do with us, but he also knew Zhou Fu's nature, so he naturally would not mention useless people.

"This person is the manager of Dashang Bank in Shanghai, Ding Xiaoyu."

"Ding Xiaoyu from Dashang Bank?" Li Hongzhang had never heard of it. "Which country's bank is this?"

Zhou Fu smiled and said, "Sir, this Dashang Bank is our bank in the Qing Dynasty. However, its real name should be Dashang Yinlu. It only has branches in Shanghai and Guangzhou. It is estimated that it has changed its name for a fashionable style."

Li Hongzhang knew about the silver furnace industry, "from Yingkou?"

Zhou Fu nodded and then whispered: "As the master said, the main store of this Da Shang silver furnace is indeed in Yingkou. According to the investigation of his subordinates, this Da Shang is not simple. The silver furnace is just one of the industries."

"Oh? There's something like this?"

"According to local people in Yingkou, the Dashang Silver Furnace is actually just a branch of the Dashang Group. The rest are Dashang Steel Factory, Dashang Tianlai Company, Dashang Glass Optics, Dashang Heavy Industry, Dashang Light Industry, Dashang Culture, Dashang Coal Chemical, Dashang Seals, Dashang Electrical, Dashang Shipbuilding... The most famous of them, even foreigners, is the Dashang Industrial Laboratory, which is said to be able to hold the current science of today."

These words surprised Li Hongzhang. Now he is the governor of Zhili and is also a close neighbor to Fengtian. Although he cannot control Fengtian, the Da Shang suddenly appeared...

"Da Shang Group? I don't know the person in charge behind this..."

"I also checked it, but I only know that this person is named Wang Yi. His origin is mysterious and there is little knowledge about the outside world. However, this person is enthusiastic about the Westernization Affairs and is very helpful to Fengtian."

Wang Yi and Li Hongzhang felt that he had heard of this name, but he just couldn't remember where he had heard it.

"Wushan mentioned this person today and didn't know why?"

"Sir, there are two main points when it comes to Dashang. The first is that Dashang Steel Factory itself can produce steel that is not inferior to foreigners, and the price is only 80% of the foreigners' price. If the freight is removed, it will be much cheaper. Our Jiangnan Manufacturing Bureau has been stopped for a while. The main reason is that the Qingliu in the court accused our ships of being expensive. If we can buy Dashang's steel, the price of our manufacturer's ships can be greatly reduced, so we will not have to worry about sales."

After hearing Zhou Fu say this, Li Hongzhang pondered for a moment, but did not express his opinion.

"What about the second point?"

"The second point is to find Dashang to cooperate in developing Kaiping Coal Mine!"

"Oh?" Li Hongzhang really didn't expect Zhou Fu to have such a proposal. "Why?"

In September of the second year of Guangxu, that is, in 1876, Li Hongzhang sent Tang Tingshu, the general manager of the China Merchants Corporation, to survey the area around Kaiping, Tangshan, and found that the place contained rich minerals and had excellent texture. After hearing this, Li Hongzhang sent Tang Tingshu to prepare for the work in August 1877, and drafted the "Articles of the Zhili Kaiping Mining Bureau" to promote the business.

"Sir, first, this Da Shang silver furnace has silver! It is better to use it for us than to keep it in them. After all, Da Shang is a Da Shang of the Qing Dynasty, and it is always easier to deal with than foreigners."

The subtext of this sentence is that it is easy to pack up or to pay off debts. Li Hongzhang nodded.

"Second, I heard that the coal mine machinery and equipment opened by Da Shang in Fushun can be produced by itself!"

"What happened?" This surprised Li Hongzhang.

Zhou Fu smiled and said, "Although the performance of machinery may not be as good as that of foreign machines, the price is really cheaper."

"Let me consider it." Li Hongzhang did not give the answer directly.

Speaking of Shipbuilding Corporation, it is one of the few foreign business companies that have been run successfully. Without Wang Yi's intervention, Naid and Charlie Fama's Qichang Foreign Company became the industry of China Merchants in 1876. It was not easy for Chinese people to move into a company this year. As soon as the Shipbuilding Corporation was established, the foreigners' Taikoo, Jardine and Qichang formed a price alliance, hoping to squeeze the Shipbuilding Corporation out of the low freight rate. Li Hongzhang used the raising of official funds, allocated grain and transported official goods, and fought back, causing the originally loss-making China Merchants Corporation to turn losses into profits. As a result, Qichang was run and bankrupt, and Tai

Gu He and Yihe had to sign a price-to-price contract with Shipbuilding Merchants three times in 1877, 1883, 1889. Chinese and foreign shipping companies jointly agreed on unified prices on various waterways and determined water foot revenue and source distribution plans, which also broke the foreign monopoly in China's shipping industry. However, because of Wang Yi's rebirth, Qichang has become a holding subsidiary of Dashang, mainly operating various businesses under Dashang and Tai'an Grain and Oil. They did not hook up with Taikoo and Yihe to run the China Merchants Merchants Merchants Merchants, which was an indirect help. Of course, if this helps, Shipbuilding Merchants Merchants has lost its former scale.

Li Hongzhang was very moved by this matter. Later, he asked his other people's opinions, and everyone agreed with it. However, Tang Tingshu, the general manager of the Steel Merchants Bureau, was a little worried. After all, he was in charge of Kaiping Mining Bureau in the future. If there was any trouble, he would also be implicated. So he asked Li Hongzhang to go to Yingkou to see the actual situation of the Da Shang.

Tang Tingshu, whose courtesy name was Jianshi, and his pseudonym was Jingxing and Jingxin. He was from Tangjia Village, Xiangshan County, Guangdong Province (now Tangjiawan Town, Zhuhai). He was originally a comprador of Jardine Wong Foreign Company, but later joined the Steel Merchants Corporation and became the chief office. In 1876, he was commissioned by Li Hongzhang to prepare for the Kaiping Coal Mine. Someone once commented: "Tang and Xu were famous for their reputation as the Beiyang. Tang was tenacious and outstanding, especially those who later became the Westernization Movement." It can be seen that this person has unique features in doing business and engaging in Westernization Movement.

Wang Yi received a call from Li Yuzhen, general manager of Yingkou Dashang Silver Lumber while running the company.

"Chairman, recently contacted us in Shanghai's Steamship Merchants Agency and hopes to cooperate with us for some projects. What do you mean?"

"Li Hongzhang's Steamship Merchants Group?"

"That's right!"

"Who is here?"

"I heard that it is Tang Tingshu, the general manager of the Steam Merchants Corporation, and Xu Run."

Wang Yiyi heard this, what a guy, two great gods!

Needless to say, Tang Tingshu is only good at running the Shipbuilding Merchants Association, but his reputation is not inferior to Tang Tingshu at all. He is the tea king in modern China, the real estate king, the earliest founder of China's insurance company, and his subordinates have also invested in many minerals.

"Why did you suddenly get in touch with us?" Wang Yi thought for a while before asking.

"I heard from Ding Xiaoyu of the Shanghai Branch that this matter has something to do with Zhou Fu, Zhou Wushan, the first aide under Li Hongzhang." Li Yuzhen replied.

"They don't just have to talk, are they?"

Li Yuzhen was also confused and said, "I don't know much about the specifics, but I heard that it came for the Kaiping Mining Bureau."

"Kaiping Mining Bureau?" Wang Yi had a good understanding of it and was somewhat sure in his heart. "Since you are coming, come! Go to entertain them and find out their purpose first."

"I understand, chairman."

Because of this era, Wang Yi has known some of the most famous figures in this era. Li Hongzhang is of course no exception. If someone had mentioned Tang Tingshu and Xu Run to Wang Yi in the past, he would probably have never heard of it.

However, Wang Yi only paid a little attention to the arrival of these two people, because he still has more important things to do now.

Industrial laboratory, machinery department attached to the work shed.

"Mr. Wang, you are here." A German man in his forties greeted respectfully.

Wang nodded.

"How is Yannik ready?"

"Everything is ready!"

"Then start!"

Yannik is the head of the large-scale business machine tool project. His main research projects are the application of electric machine tools and the new material tungsten steel in machine tools. Wang Yi attaches great importance to machine tools. More than half of the researchers in the Department of Machinery are engaged in related research. However, because of the variety of machine tools, it seems that some people are still insufficient.

Today, Wang Yi looked at four new equipment, electric lathes, planers, milling machines and boring machines.

After the harsh sound, the effect of the experiment was far beyond Wang Yi's expectations, and the researchers cheered, which was the result of their hard work.

"The joint use of chief engineers, electric machine tools and tungsten steel has greatly improved the processing accuracy of these four machine tools compared to expired steam machines."

"You all did a good job!" Wang Yi was also very happy. "Don't worry, I will let Dashang Heavy Industry and Dashang Light Industry come tomorrow. Your research will receive share returns from the two companies."

Everyone cheered, and even Yanik, who was so rigorous and dull, showed a happy smile, but then he was a little frowning.

"Sir, can I make a request to you?"

Wang Yi was stunned and said, "Please tell me."

"That's right, my wife and children are still in Karlsruhe, sir, can I take them to the Qing Dynasty?"

"Of course, why not?" Wang Yi was puzzled.

"I wanted to take them over before, but Dashang did not accept our children's school, which was really inconvenient for us."

"Nayanik, do you mean?"

"Can he be allowed to enter the affiliated primary school? Anyway, I heard that the children in it all learn Chinese, British and German."
Chapter completed!