Creating an Industrial Empire in 19th Century Parallel World

As Poul and Jonathan left the New York Board of Transportation Building, the day's fading light painted the city in warm hues. The sun was setting, signaling the approach of twilight.

Walking down the grand staircase together, the two exchanged confident glances and smirked. Jonathan, eager to know what Poul thought, asked, "What do you think our odds are that the councilors will choose our proposal?"

Poul replied. "Our idea is definitely innovative, and they seemed interested. I think we're the only ones who presented a complete plan, from start to finish."

Jonathan nodded, his excitement tempered by reality. "That's true, but there are many factors they'll consider before making a decision. The most important is the cost. Fifty million dollars is a lot of money. But if they really want to improve New York's transportation system, then... they'll see the value in our proposal."

As they reached the bottom of the stairs, Jonathan raised his hand to hail a carriage. Poul quickly lowered it, saying, "I'll call the cab. You know they won't take us if they see you with an Albian." He raised his own hand, adding, "If the carriage stops, that means they'll take us."

Jonathan hummed in agreement, fully aware of Poul's new body background in this world. Seriously, whoever came up with the ranking system where silver-haired are an inferior race must have had some serious issues. Like their families must have not loved them.

As they waited for the cab, Jonathan couldn't help but think about the injustice of it all. Poul without a doubt, is one of the smartest men in the United States of Avalonia. Even if his invention were a copy of the original world, the fact that he can replicate it was a huge feat enough. But in this world and era, people were judged based on their appearance and background, not their skills. Though there are some people who weren't on board with the idea, there are just a few of them, and most of them are businessmen who only see the money.

The cab pulled up, and Poul quickly ushered Jonathan inside before climbing in himself. The driver didn't say anything about Poul's appearance, but Jonathan could sense the tension in the air. It was as if the driver was uncomfortable with the idea of an Albian riding in his cab.

"So, the electric locomotive, I already contacted John Morgan about the list of a locomotive manufacturing company that is about to fall. If we want to demonstrate the feasibility of the electric locomotive, we must acquire some assets soon. I already have one in mind, its name is Avonside Engine Company. They are a struggling business due to the fierce competition and coupled with bad decisions, the fate of their company is simply sealed. What do you say? Should we get it?"

"How much is the company?"

"Seven million dollars," Jonathan answered.

"Very well, complete the acquisition."

"I'll have Amelia prepare the necessary documents for the acquisition," Jonathan replied, a smile spreading across his face. It was clear that Poul was excited about the prospect of acquiring the Avonside Engine Company. This would be a crucial step towards making their electric locomotive a reality.

As the cab pulled up to the Fifth Avenue Hotel, Jonathan and Poul stepped out, ready to continue their work. They walked into the lobby and as they were about to get their keys to the reception desk, Jonathan felt a finger lightly tapping on his right shoulder.

Jonathan glanced over to his right shoulder but found no one.

"Here!" a feminine voice called teasingly, and Jonathan glanced over to his left shoulder. He gasped softly at the recognition.

"Caroline?"

"Caroline?" Poul heard Jonathan calling out a familiar name and turned to look at the person. There, he saw Caroline.

"Caroline? I didn't expect to see you here," Jonathan said.

"Are you following us?" Poul asked.

"No I'm not," Caroline shook her head. "The truth is, I knew that you are coming to New York, thanks to my former secretary telling me about it…" she trailed off, her tone somewhat melancholic. "Jonathan…why didn't you tell me that you are coming?"

She asked, pouting.

Jonathan felt a pang of guilt. He had been so focused on the proposal and the acquisition that he had forgotten about everything else.

"It slipped out of my mind, to be honest," Jonathan said, letting out a forced chuckle. "We were excited to propose our idea to the New York Board of Transportation."

"If you told me earlier, I could have helped you with the proposal. I know personally, some of the gentlemen there and I could have lobbied for your proposal," Caroline said, her expression serious. "But it's okay. We can catch up now. So how did it go?"

"It was amicable, Caroline," Poul interceded. "By looking at their eyes, there is a high percent chance that we might get the contract."

"You two are not really taking it slow huh?" Caroline chuckled.

"Well, you suggested such a huge opportunity to us, how can we ever ignore it?" Jonathan replied, a playful glint in his eye. "But we are still taking it one step at a time. We are thinking of acquiring a locomotive manufacturing company, the Avonside Engine Company, so that we can demonstrate the feasibility of the electric locomotive. And if all goes well, we can expand from there."

Caroline nodded, impressed. "That's ambitious, but it sounds like you guys have everything under control."

Poul smiled, "We're doing our best."

"Jonathan, Poul, I would love to continue this discussion over dinner," Caroline suggested. "The hotel has a lovely dining room, and I heard that they have a new chef who creates the most amazing dishes. Shall we?"

Jonathan and Poul exchanged a glance before nodding their agreement. "That sounds wonderful," Jonathan said, a smile spreading across his face.

Caroline led the way to the dining room, which was elegantly decorated with chandeliers and plush furnishings. They were escorted to a table by a waiter in a crisp white shirt and black pants, who handed them menus.

As they perused the menu, Caroline asked, "So, what are your plans for the future, besides the metro station and electric company business?"

"There is actually a lot and we have already mapped it out. For the electric company, we might start to dive into the business of coal mining, because you know, we are starting a coal-fired power plant and it requires a huge quantity of coal," Poul said.

"Also, we might start a steel manufacturing company to support the construction of the metro station. And as we all know, automobiles will soon make their debut somewhere in the world, so the value of oil is going to skyrocket, so we might as well start an oil company." Jonathan added.

"But that means going face-to-face with the robber barons, Carnegie and Rockefeller. Both of them are ruthless when it comes to business, do you think we can handle it?" Caroline asked, concern etched on her face.

"We're not afraid of a challenge," Poul replied, a determined look in his eye. "Besides, we have some tricks up our sleeves that will give us an edge over them."

Jonathan nodded in agreement. "They better watch out, as after getting into business for four years, we are finally understanding how the business world works."