Creating an Industrial Empire in 19th Century Parallel World

As Poul sauntered out of Walter's office, he noticed his executive secretary, Amelia, walking towards him with a pale expression.

"Mr. Nielsen," Amelia uttered. "There's someone who would like to see you."

Poul raised an eyebrow. "What's wrong? And why do you look so pale?"

Amelia took a deep breath before responding. "It was Mr. Russell."

"Russell? What is he doing here?" Poul asked, his tone reflecting his irritation.

"He didn't say, he just demanded to see you. I told him you were busy working on a project, but he insisted."

Poul sighed. "Since he didn't arrange for an appointment, tell him he can wait in the lobby until five o'clock this afternoon."

"But won't that infuriate him?" Amelia asked, concerned.

Poul shrugged. "It might, but I won't be dictated to by someone who can't follow basic protocol. I'll attend to my business according to my schedule. He should be glad I'm giving him any of my precious time."

"Very well, Mr. Nielsen," Amelia said, making a note on her tablet. "I'll inform Mr. Russell he can meet you at five o'clock in the afternoon. Perhaps I can get him something to drink and eat while he waits?"

"Do whatever you like," Poul said, glancing at his watch. "I was about to visit our air brake company, but now that Russell is in the lobby, I can't leave. I'll have to visit them tomorrow instead."

With that, Poul turned on his heel and headed back to his office, leaving Amelia to deal with Mr. Russell's displeasure.

***

Seven hours later, in Poul's office. The elevator chimed as its metal door opened, revealing Mr. Russell and Amelia stepping out.

Poul looked up to see the two walking towards his desk, he was wearing the same face he had worn when they were facing in the court, a face of displeasure. The man, who was hailed as the wizard of Menlo Park, accused him of stealing his ideas even though he wasn't.

That event surely turned their relationship into bitterness, and Poul could feel the tension in the air as Mr. Russell approached him.

"Mr. Nielsen," Russell greeted him curtly.

"Mr. Russell," Poul acknowledged, keeping his expression neutral. "I'm sorry if you have to wait for me for seven hours. You know, we have things in order and there is no free schedule in between where I can entertain you."

"It doesn't matter, as long as I get to talk to you," Russell said.

"If that is so, what are you doing here then?" Poul propped up his elbows on the desk, looking at Russell expectantly.

"I'm here to terminate our license agreement. Your direct current motor is becoming a burden to us financially as the raw materials needed to make one is getting expensive, add the low sales of it, and I determined that it is no longer profitable for us to continue our partnership," Russell said, his voice cold and calculated.

Poul raised an eyebrow, surprised by the sudden termination of their agreement.

"Is that really what's happening, Mr. Russell. Because based on the last royalty payment you made to us, it was around three hundred thousand dollars, that's thousands of horsepower of electric motors sold. I don't think it's not profitable. Why don't you be honest with me and tell me what you really want."

"Well, if it's what you want then my team and I have improved the design of your direct current electric motor and we plan to market it under our own brand name," Russell said, his eyes narrowing with a hint of challenge. "We believe that our design improvements will make it even more attractive to customers, and we're confident that we can make a profit on our own."

Poul leaned back in his chair, feeling a mix of anger and disappointment at Russell's betrayal. "I see. So you want to steal my intellectual property and profit from it yourself?"

"Not steal, Mr. Nielsen," Russell said with a smile that Poul found unsettling. "I believe the license agreement we had only covered the original design of the motor. My team and I have made significant improvements, which means we have a new design that we can patent and market under our own name."

Poul shook his head in disbelief. "You're twisting words to justify your actions. You know very well that your improvements were based on my original design. I won't stand for this, Mr. Russell. You're not only breaking our agreement, but you're also stealing from me."

Russell's smile faded, replaced by a scowl. "I think you're mistaken, Mr. Nielsen. We have followed the terms of our agreement and we have every right to develop and market our own improved version of the motor. If you choose to take legal action, we're ready to defend ourselves in court."

At this point, Poul sighed. "You know, going to a court is a hassle, so I don't want us going there again. Not to mention the cost of it was steep enough that it can make any industrialist widen their eyes."

"So does that mean that we have an agreement?" Russell asked.

"No but I will add some conditions," Poul said, twiddling his pen thoughtfully. "I'll agree to terminate our partnership, but under the condition that you purchase the patent from us in a fair amount."

Russell's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Purchase the patent? That's quite a demand, Mr. Nielsen."

"It's not a demand, it's a negotiation," Poul countered. "If you want to use my intellectual property, then you have to pay for it. I won't let you profit from my hard work without compensating me for it."

Russell hummed in thought, considering Poul's offer. "And what would be a fair amount, in your opinion?"

"I'm going to discuss it with my partner first, he's one call away so you won't wait for long. Do you mind if I take a call?"

Russell shook his head, gesturing for Poul to go ahead with his call. Poul quickly dialed the number of the telephone on the fifth floor and it rang.

"Hello, this is Nielsen speaking. Get me, Axelsen, on the telephone."

The voice on the other end of the line responded, "One moment please, Mr. Nielsen." Poul tapped his foot impatiently as he waited for Axelsen to pick up the phone.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Axelsen's voice could be heard on the line. "Hello Poul, what can I do for you?"

"Axelsen, we have a bit of a situation down here. Russell and I are in the middle of a disagreement over our motor design. I've proposed that we terminate our partnership and that he purchases the patent from us at a fair amount. What do you think?"

"Wait, Russell is there? Why didn't you inform me?"

Of course, Poul couldn't answer that question when the person they are talking about is in front of him. "I'm thinking one hundred thousand dollars. That seems like a reasonable price right?"

"I mean that's short but you are the one who did all of the work designing and building the motor, so what your decision will be, I'll back it up."

"Fine, one hundred thousand it is then," Poul said before hanging up the phone.

He looked up to Russell once more and spoke. "So, my partner agreed to one hundred thousand dollars. Are you going to bite?"

Russell raised an eyebrow, considering Poul's offer once more. He knew that paying such a high amount for the patent was not ideal, but he also understood the value of Poul's design.

After a few moments of silence, Russell let out a sigh. "Alright, I'll agree to your terms. One hundred thousand dollars it is."

Poul nodded, satisfied with the outcome. "Great, I'll have our lawyers draw up the necessary paperwork for the termination of our partnership and the purchase of the patent."

Russell nodded in agreement. "I'll have my legal team review the documents and we'll get everything settled as soon as possible."

With that, the two men shook hands, signaling the end of their partnership. For Poul, it's best that they cut ties with Russell as the relationship is no longer beneficial to their company.