Chương 20: Products
"Alright, I believe it's done," Li Ming smiled as he looked at the cups containing the separated liquids. Each cup had a distinct color: slightly yellowish, pale yellow, light yellow, yellow, dark brown, and black.
The two individuals who had assisted them in maintaining the fire were completely exhausted, their bodies drenched in sweat from the intense heat.
Meanwhile, Li Xuan and Li Ming carefully examined the liquids in the cups.
"What are these liquids, Li Ming?" Li Xuan inquired. She never expected that a black crude oil could be separated into so many different components. While the total amount remained the same, separating the oil like this would maximize their usage and profits.
"Let me explain starting with this cup," Li Ming pointed to the one containing the slightly yellowish liquid. "This is gasoline, commonly used as a fuel due to its high flammability. The next one is kerosene, also known as paraffin oil. It's a combustible liquid used for heating or lighting, such as street lamps. Unlike before, with this purified liquid, there will be no residues left behind, resulting in less maintenance."
Li Xuan enthusiastically nodded in agreement, fully understanding the benefits.
Li Ming continued, "Moving on, we have diesel fuel. It's similar to gasoline, but it's less flammable and has different uses. Unfortunately, for now, both gasoline and diesel fuel are not ready for use. The yellow liquid here is lubricating oil. Its purpose should be familiar to you, although you've been using it without the grease."
Li Xuan recalled their previous experiences and nodded in recognition.
Li Ming went on, "The dark brown liquid is fuel oil. It can be used as a fuel source for boilers or furnaces. Lastly, we have asphalt, the black liquid that is often left behind. It is commonly used in road construction."
Li Xuan interjected with a realization, "Ah! That's right. Whenever we examine the lamps, we find black greases that need to be cleaned. This must be it."
Li Ming hadn't asked everything to Eyses, so he continued, "Unfortunately, the equipment we have is traditional and cannot capture petroleum gas. Otherwise, we could utilize it to fuel the distillation process. That's the direction we should aim for – creating a sustainable system that generates substantial profit."
Li Ming's words enticed Li Xuan, who was well aware of her clan's focus on profits. Her eyes sparkled with excitement as she asked, "What should we do next? I will do my best to provide everything necessary."
Li Ming smiled awkwardly and replied, "Take it easy for now. I would suggest hiring more craftsmen since we will need to construct several facilities. But remember, this is not a task that can be completed in just a day or two. We need to create a sustainable long-term plan, including storage for all these liquids. Additionally, although it may not be a perfect replacement, we can utilize fuel oil temporarily."
Li Xuan sought clarification by picking up the cup containing kerosene and comparing it to the bottle of crude oil. "If we use this crude oil to light up a lamp, it means we are burning the kerosene, correct?"
Li Ming nodded. "Yes, that's correct. As you can see, the quantity matches. However, by separating them, we can harness the advantages of each individual fraction instead of wasting them. This will provide greater benefits."
Li Xuan's mind raced as she looked at the cups on the tray. She muttered to herself, "We used to purchase a gallon of oil for fifty silver coins to fuel the lamps and for lubrication. But what if we separate them and sell the kerosene and lubricating oil separately? That alone could double our earnings. In fact, we could introduce these as new products and slightly increase the price. Each fraction will last as long as the fifty silver coins' worth of oil, and there are even more potential products..."
Li Xuan gasped, realizing she had underestimated Li Ming's potential. While they had agreed to split the crude oil and cover the workers' wages, the costs would not significantly impact the profits they could gain from the various fractions.
She even considered acquiring crude oil from the market or other cities to refine it in their own facilities. However, that might appear as if they were taking advantage of Li Ming. It would be more advantageous to involve him, strengthening their bond. After all, Li Ming had mentioned that gasoline, fuel oil, petroleum gas, and diesel fuel were currently unusable. By keeping him in their midst, they could explore other possibilities.
Li Xuan asked, "Li Ming, may I borrow these cups for a while? Or do you need them for something?"
"Well, I would like to measure them so we can roughly calculate how much we can obtain from the reserves and plan for their storage. But sure, you can take them. Just be careful not to spill anything," Li Ming replied.
"I understand." Li Xuan's eyes shone with excitement. She placed the cups on the tray, intending to bring them to her father. Of course, she couldn't forget about Li Ming. "Let me guide you back to your room."
"Sure," Li Ming nodded, picking up the distillation tools for future use.
"Please clean up everything here," Li Xuan instructed the workers before leaving the area. She was elated with the results, to the point where sleep might elude her tonight due to excitement. And all of this progress was thanks to Li Ming's expertise.
Unbeknownst to her, she had unwittingly fallen into a trap commonly known as the greed trap. She had underestimated the wealth that oil could bring. Meanwhile, Li Ming would devise a plan to build an oil empire to fulfill his mission.
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