Start 1861: I Just Inherited the Dutch Throne

After winning a future master of Dutch painting, William IV felt particularly comfortable. When he went shopping, he found that it seemed more interesting.

"Charlie, what's the celluloid yield like?"

"Currently, exports have begun while meeting domestic demand."

"How would countries react if we completely cut off supply?"

"In that case, various countries may launch corresponding sanctions against the Netherlands. For example, Sweden may cut off the supply of iron ore, and Prussia may even impose sanctions on our export products that pass through Prussia and Austria. Imposition of additional taxes.”

"Is that so? What if exports are reduced?"

"In that case, I think there will be less resistance from various countries, but it will also lead to a loss of trust in the Netherlands. Celluloid is now widely used in various countries. If it is difficult for that country to develop it, maybe other countries will jointly develop it and share the patent. The Netherlands has to steal the chicken but lose the rice."

"This will cause everyone to be evil and not benefit from it, right?"

"Yes, Your Majesty."

"It seems, then it seems that we can only win more markets as soon as possible to make quick money?"

"Only in this way can we quickly occupy the market and make others have no motivation to develop."

When William IV heard this, although he did not agree with it, he also admitted that this was the best way to deal with it at present.

Celluloid, also known as marble film, is the name of a synthetic resin. It is the oldest thermoplastic resin in the world. It is synthesized from raw materials such as nitrocellulose and camphor. It is mainly used to make statues similar to dolls. Because it can be easily molded, It was developed as a substitute for ivory.

It is the ancestor of plastic. It was discovered by Schönbein at the University of Basel in Switzerland in 1846 as a substitute for shellac.

Anyone who loves sports knows about billiards. In the mid-19th century, billiards was an entertainment activity for the rich and powerful people all over the world. However, with its popularity later, it became very popular in Europe and even the Americas.

Before 1857, billiard balls were made of ivory, which looked very elegant. However, as there are fewer and fewer elephants in Africa, the Netherlands, like other countries, has almost no access to elephant ivory for billiard balls.

This worried the boss of the billiards factory. The billiards market in the Netherlands is very large. It is a sport that almost all aristocrats and wealthy people participate in. It has also become a social place for these people to chat and socialize. Ordinary people can also participate. Be proud of it.

William IV happened to read this side of the news in the Dutch Handelsblatt.

Billiards has a much larger audience than the population of later generations, and there is no other form of entertainment. This has become the most popular sport in European countries.

So, with a thought in his mind, he went wild, and at the beginning of 1857, he used the reputation of the Ministry of Industry to place an advertisement in major newspapers in the Netherlands and other European countries, announcing: Who can invent a substitute for Anyone who uses ivory to make billiard balls can get 250,000 guilders (converted into 10,000 pounds).

It caused a sensation in Europe at the time. This was not a small sum of money at the time. You must know that the price of building a sixth-level sailing battleship is only this.

The Netherlands trades a level six sailing battleship for a different material?

No matter how many countries look at it, they all think there is something weird in it.

At the same time, there are more doubts about this action of the Dutch government and William IV at that time. Is this a technical expert who does not care about politics but only loves technology?

After hearing this discussion, William IV didn't care at all.

After a week of advertising, there was a saying that "there must be a brave man under a heavy reward." Although it is not completely true, it is indeed a bit stimulating.

In October 1857, in Rotterdam, the second largest city in the Netherlands, there was a man named John. He was a printer, but he was also very interested in billiards. So he thought hard day and night in order to invent a new material to replace ivory for making billiards. .

At first, he added natural resin shellac to the wood chips. The wood chips were lumped together and rolled into balls. They looked like ivory billiard balls, but they broke into pieces when touched.

I tried countless things in the following months, but I couldn't find a material that was both hard and non-brittle.

Hard work paid off. One day, he discovered that after dissolving nitrocellulose, the raw material for making gunpowder, in alcohol and then applying it to objects, it would form a transparent and strong film after drying.

He wanted to condense this membrane into balls, but failed again and again in experiments.

To say that John was really an indomitable person, he was not discouraged and continued to explore as always. Finally in October 1858, he discovered that when camphor was added to nitrocellulose, the nitrocellulose turned into a very flexible and durable material. Non-brittle material.

It can be made into products of various shapes under hot pressing, and can really be used to make billiard balls.

He named it celluloid, also called marble film.

He registered a patent with the newly established Patent Office of the Netherlands, received 250,000 Dutch guilders, and was appointed as an advisor to the Minister of Industry of the Netherlands.

At the same time, it is also enviable that he has received financing from the William Group established by Crown Prince William of the Netherlands in 1857. With the support of the group, he is ready to use his invention to obtain more benefits.

In 1859, he established a celluloid factory in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. In addition to producing billiard balls, it was also used as windshields for carriages. He renamed celluloid plastic, thus creating the first plastic industry.

On May 10, 1860, William Group also began to use plastic patents to produce fake ivory and billiard balls. In October of the same year, it also used plastic to manufacture boxes, buttons, rulers, table tennis balls, spectacle frames, etc.

At the end of the same year, European countries began to follow Dutch businessmen to bring goods, and plastic products began to become popular in Europe and the Americas, quickly occupying the global market, and thus establishing the Netherlands as the most advanced country in the field of plastics industry.

It is precisely because of the plastics industry that the Netherlands' national GDP has grown rapidly in recent years, and its per capita GDP is even comparable to that of the United Kingdom, the largest developed country.

"The market in the Far East is so huge and the distance is so long. Your Majesty, our transportation is unsustainable. Do you think?"

"Then build a large plastics factory in Jakarta, East India. It is close to the huge market and closer to the rubber production base. It will kill two birds with one stone."

William IV said: "The plastics industry is currently the most advanced industry in the Netherlands. The current product is only one of several small uses of plastics. Plastics have greater uses. Therefore, the current investment of William Group is too cautious and should increase research and development efforts. .

And the Falcon program should be carried out globally. I have a list here with approximate addresses and names. The Royal Dutch Intelligence Agency and the Dutch International Intelligence Agency will work together to launch a talent poaching operation for the above people. Remember, if these people cannot become The talents of the Netherlands, then let them never become the future opponents of the Netherlands. "

Different from those street markets in the Eastern world, here in Amsterdam, the mainstream is still shops. However, on the streets of Amsterdam, the people here are more diverse. It is not that there are fewer people in the busy streets of Eastern cities, but more importantly, there are no If you have been to Amsterdam, you will never imagine how charming it is.

As a later generation, William IV never expected that a city could be so beautiful.

"Charlie, do you think there is any other city in the Netherlands that can compare to Amsterdam?"

Sitting in the beverage shop and drinking the rough juice brought by the boss, William IV asked Charlie, who was also sitting next to him.

Before Aragorn could answer, the shop owner got there first.

"This gentleman asked a good question, and his accent sounded very much like Amsterdam. He must be new to the world. Hehe, that friend didn't know what his answer was, but I knew that there were two The place is not bad at all compared to here.”

Before Aragorn could answer, the boss got there first.

"Two?" William IV became interested, "Which two are they?"

This doesn't look like a typical Dutch character.

The character of Southern Europeans is enthusiastic, optimistic, and unrestrained; the British are reserved; the Prussians are old-fashioned; while the Dutch are practical, and generally do not have the taboo of inquiring into other people's private affairs.

Now, this person is getting involved like this. Authentic Dutch people rarely take such initiative.

This man is obviously Dutch, but his personality is more like that of a Latino who grew up in the United States or Southern Europe.

"The Hague is such a new city on the coast of the Netherlands that once you meet it, you will fall in love with it." The boss said, and then he was afraid that William IV would not believe it, so he explained: "The Hague is really beautiful, and life in The Hague is leisurely and authentic. , not dreamy but peaceful. I especially like to see the afterglow of the setting sun falling like water drops on every corner of the city.

Watching the whole city gradually darken, I prefer to get up early and go to the small restaurants on the street. I love Chinese food from breakfast to late night snacks, eating hot chocolate and various kinds of bread all day long, and enthusiastic Chatting at the next table, taking their pleasure as your own.

I also like to carry my luggage and walk without boredom along the low-lying fields and green fields of The Hague. Every time I go there, I deeply remember every smiling face around me, because they are so sincere, and for this reason, it is known as Everyone agrees that the Netherlands is the best place to live if you have money.”

Speaking of this, the smile on the boss's face became even bigger.

"Looking at the tone of your words just now, it sounds very literary and artistic. But boss, you said The Hague is so vivid. I'm curious. Which city do you think is the second city? It actually makes it worthy of you. Put it in front of Amsterdam and The Hague, and you won’t be able to live up to your name by then.”

In addition to the two of them, there were other guests within 100 meters of the surrounding area. Among them, the person who asked the question just now was a middle-aged guest less than ten meters away from him.

William IV looked over, and after seeing the other party, he smiled and nodded to him.

William IV and Charles were also interested.

Amsterdam's canal belt, ancient buildings and boat tours only ranked third. As for The Hague, which ranked second, William IV wanted to enjoy the second place's style recently.

As for number one, why didn’t he know that there was such a beautiful place in the Netherlands?

So, he looked at Charlie next to him. Charlie shrugged, indicating that he couldn't guess the answer.

(Chapter One,

Chapter 1: Thank you to my book friends and friends for their rewards. There is another chapter, in Code Words.