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Chapter 670 - 670 5 The Embryo of the Industrial Revolution_2

670: Chapter 5, The Embryo of the Industrial Revolution_2 670: Chapter 5, The Embryo of the Industrial Revolution_2 The war had run its course, leaving everyone with a pile of surplus weapons and equipment, the impending arms market was bound to slump.

Deprived of lucrative arms trade, the mines and arms dealers who previously expanded production capacities would be faced with a tough decision – either drastically reducing capacity or transforming their industry.

An answer that was clear at a glance, Hudson couldn’t believe that others couldn’t see it.

He could foresee that as the market plunged into depression, the arms tycoons from the kingdom would flood into the civilian market.

The kingdom’s domestic market had nothing worth fighting for.

There was an unspoken agreement among them all – everyone managed their affairs within their own spheres of influence, predatory pricing beyond one’s boundaries was an unsound strategy.

The major market in the north was the prime target for all.

If not for maritime trade, the Alpha Kingdom’s merchants could have made a fortune.

Unfortunately, the sea route to the prairies had already been opened during the war.

Having lost the advantage of monopoly, the easy profits were out of the question.

The newly formed nations could all rely on their own support channels, and excessively priced goods would not be purchased.

Even Hudson, aware of the impending fierce competition and possessing a certain cost advantage, wouldn’t foolishly engage in a price war.

Developing the iron and steel industry was principally for the sake of making money, not for seizing the market or becoming the top steel tycoon on the continent, he understood this distinction well enough.

“My Lord, do we really need to cut production?

Recently, we’ve received numerous orders, especially from the major merchant guilds, all making impressive offers.

With our current production capacity, the orders could extend into next year.”

A confused Mr.

Laiha asked.

From a blacksmith to a project lead, Mr.

Laiha’s abilities and perspectives were evidently lagging behind.

He was allowed to continue in his position not only because of his performance in managing production issues, but also because his ancestors had been the loyal blacksmiths of the Koslow Family.

“They have only paid the minimum deposits.

It’s not just us who have received such bulks of orders.

Who could we sell all these goods to?

Although iron products have a relatively long shelf life, the cost of long-term storage is not low.

Once it exceeds the market capacity, it could easily trigger a market crash.

Wait and see, there will either be a large scale breach of contracts or a second price slaughtering.

This abnormal skyrocketing in procurement is bound not to last long.

Mr.

Laiha, these problems will be dealt with by the sales department, you don’t have to worry about it.”

Hudson originally wanted to broaden Laiha’s horizons through learning, but his snow-white hair directly dismissed this notion.

When it comes to cultivating talent, younger generations should be the target.

It’s better not to disturb those who are at an age where they could retire at any time.

Deep down, Hudson felt an intense resentment towards the major merchant guilds.

He once regarded these folks as “friends”, yet they did not hesitate to trick even their “friends”.

He knew everyone had made a fortune from their previous collaboration.

Even though Hudson took a large chunk of the profit, he had made significant contributions.

Without Hudson’s cooperation, no matter how well-planned the major guilds were, they would not have gained such huge profits.

Clearly, those guys became addicted to the game.

After exploiting the nobles of the Alpha Kingdom, they targeted the arms tycoons who had made a fortune during the war.

Utilizing the massive development of the prairies, they deliberately created the illusion of “massive demand”, and recklessly placed orders everywhere, just waiting for others to be hooked.

Had the plot not been so familiar, Hudson would have been deceived as well.

After all, under normal circumstances, there are rarely any breaches of contracts once deposits are made.

Despite being aware of the problem, Hudson naturally would not join in, though it didn’t prevent him from watching his competitors jump in.

As a competitor, not kicking someone while they’re down could still be considered as some sort of integrity, actively warning others about the trap was out of the question.

Moreover, even if warned, the other parties may not appreciate it.

Worst-case scenario, it might even attract more enmity and create unnecessary trouble.

Given these circumstances, Hudson received orders cheerfully while extending the production time as much as possible, also making sure to request a deposit on the side.

Business breaches were never problematic.

As long as the production speed was slow enough, even if a breach of contract occurred, he would be able to handle the produced goods.

If it could, incidentally, hinder a competitor, it would be even better.

After all, the iron and steel industry was a capital-intensive industry that severely tested your financial ability.

It couldn’t be said that without money production was impossible, but an iron and steel giant lacking capital would undoubtedly be disadvantaged in the long run.

After many years of development, humanity was in fact on the brink of an industrial revolution.

However, the explosive scientific technology didn’t resemble the typical steam engine revolution, but rather a magical industrial revolution.

In Hudson’s view, with the unique political system on the Continent of Aslante, the most effective way to spur an industrial revolution was through war.

Conservative nobles were only willing to invest in one research field – military.

Scientific breakthroughs that could improve military prowess were always the easiest to actualize.