章 23: Chapter 23: The Dream Battleship
Chapter 23: The Dream Battleship
Lamarck hesitated for a moment and then said to Joseph, "Your Highness, I feel obliged to remind you that setting up a pharmaceutical workshop might require an investment of fifty or sixty thousand livres. With only a 3% profit margin, it could take a very long time to recoup your costs."
Joseph smiled and shook his head. "That 3% is just a contingency fund for unexpected expenses. I'm not planning to make money from this medicine."
He wasn't trying to be a saint or throw money away; he had a well-thought-out business plan. Salicin, as a medicine, could save many lives, and selling it at a low price would be a good deed.
However, this substance wasn't just for reducing fevers; it was also an effective ingredient in skincare products. Even in the 21st century, salicylic acid, the oxidized form of salicin, was commonly added to acne treatment and skin rejuvenation products.
There's a famous saying in the modern world: "Whose money is the easiest to make? Women's and children's!"
With the right packaging and marketing, a skincare product containing salicin could easily sell for ten or more livres per bottle, and wealthy women would likely snap it up eagerly.
Lamarck responded, "Your Highness, you are truly remarkable. On behalf of the ordinary citizens of Paris, I thank you!"
Joseph waved off the praise. "It's nothing."
Eager to spread this miraculous drug throughout Paris, Lamarck suggested, "Your Highness, I know of a perfect location for the workshop. Perhaps you should take a look…"
Joseph thought for a moment. "Extracting salicin doesn't require very complex equipment. Building a workshop from scratch would be inefficient. It would be better to buy an existing pharmaceutical or chemical reagent company."
Emond, who had been listening quietly, suddenly spoke up. "Your Highness, may I make a suggestion?"
"Go ahead."
"I recall that there's a perfume workshop owned by the royal family that has been losing money for a long time. It's about to be sold. Perhaps it could meet your needs."
"You've been a great help!" Joseph nodded. "Do you remember the asking price?"
"I believe it was twenty-six thousand…"
Joseph didn't wait for him to finish. He suddenly slapped his forehead and said, "Since it's royal property, why should I pay for it? I'll just ask the Queen for it."
When Queen Marie heard that her son wanted to manufacture affordable medicine to help the common people, she immediately agreed and had her lawyer handle the paperwork. Within half an hour, the perfume workshop was officially transferred to the Prince.
Joseph had planned to visit the workshop himself, but a servant came to inform him that the Marquis de Castries was seeking an audience.
Reluctantly, Joseph handed the task of managing the workshop to Lamarck and headed to the reception room to meet with the Naval Minister.
In the spacious reception room, Castries bowed respectfully before getting straight to the point. "Your Highness, the Queen has asked me to discuss the matter of the new warships with you. I believe we absolutely should not reduce their numbers…"
Joseph smiled and interrupted him. "Marquis de Castries, may I ask why you want to build so many warships?"
"Of course, to deal with the British!" The Naval Minister's voice was as firm as steel. "To defeat their proud fleet, reclaim the colonies they took from us, and humiliate them just as they once humiliated my grandfather!"
Joseph nodded. "So, do you believe that even with full financial support for shipbuilding, you have a chance to defeat the British?"
Castries had prepared for this. "If we join forces with Spain and employ proper tactics, there is a chance!"
"The chance is very slim," Joseph said bluntly. "And when it comes to naval tactics, the British are superior to us."
Castries' expression darkened for a moment, but he stubbornly replied, "How will we know if we don't try?"
Joseph gestured for him to drink some tea, his expression calm. "What if the navy were equipped with warships that could exceed 20 knots, carry 25 42-pound cannons and 30 24-pound cannons, and were armored with iron?
"With these ships added to the current fleet, do you think you could defeat the British?"
Castries chuckled. "Your Highness, that's a fantasy. But if such ships existed, I could make the British wet their pants."
(End of Chapter)
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