Chapter 382: Chapter 327: Visiting
Nikola Tesla, a Serbian, later became an American citizen.
Up to now, Tesla is one of the world's leading inventors, physicists, mechanical engineers, electrical engineers, and one of the top talents in scientific research.
Tesla, born on July 10, 1856, is now fifty-six years old but still dedicates himself to the front lines of scientific research.
Since Tesla won the war between direct current and alternating current, also known as the dispute with Edison, he has been considered America's greatest electrical engineer, highly recognized across the United States.
Throughout Tesla's decades-long research career, he owns a vast number of patents in areas such as alternating current systems, wireless radio systems, wireless energy transmission, ball lightning, turbines, amplified transmitters, particle beam weapons, solar energy engines, X-ray devices, electric energy meters, missile science, remote sensing technology, aircraft, cosmic rays, radar systems, and robots, all with significant research achievements.
In terms of scientific research, Tesla's greatness is unquestionable. His numerous patents could have brought Tesla vast wealth.
Tesla's inventions throughout his life are a testament to his selfless contributions to society. Although he devoted his life to continuous research and achieved about 1,000 (some say 700) patented inventions, he remained impoverished and financially strained in his later years.
Although many entrepreneurs exploited the love and talent of this genius scientist, deceiving him of his research achievements and honors, he still devoted his later years to research and invention for the sake of human happiness.
Of Tesla's many inventions, his various alternating current devices are the most beneficial to the public. In every corner of the world, economic development, scientific progress, and enjoyment of life all rely on the assistance of alternating current. The major power outages in the United States and Europe at the end of 2003 once plunged society and the economy into a state of paralysis.
As early as 1882, Tesla invented the world's first high-frequency alternating current machine and invented multiphase current and multiphase transmission technology in 1885.
After Edison invented direct current, electrical appliances were widely used, but at the same time, electricity costs were very high. Therefore, the business of supplying direct current became the most profitable business at that time.
In 1885, Tesla left Edison's company and met George Westinghouse, the head of Westinghouse Company, who supported him in officially introducing alternating current to society in 1888.
At the Columbia Exposition in May 1893, Tesla demonstrated alternating current lighting and became the winner of the "Current Wars." After that, Tesla obtained the right to undertake the design of the Niagara Hydroelectric Station.
Since then, alternating current has replaced direct current as the mainstream of power supply. Tesla owned the patent rights to alternating current, and at that time it was mandatory to pay Tesla a royalty of 2.5 US dollars for every horsepower of alternating current sold.
Under the drive of strong interests, a consortium at that time threatened Tesla to give up this patent right and intended to monopolize the profits. After several negotiations, Tesla decided to give up the patent rights in alternating current, on the condition that the patent for alternating current would be permanently open.
From then on, he tore up the patent for alternating current and lost the right to collect royalties. Since then, alternating current has no longer had a patent and has become a free invention.
If the invention of alternating current had not been offered for free use by all humankind, then every horsepower of alternating current would have brought him a "patent fee" of 2.5 US dollars, and he would have been the richest man in the world.
Tesla's peak period should have been from the 1880s, when he won the current war, to the end of the nineteenth century. During this time, Tesla was incredibly successful in the scientific research field, gaining the trust of a large number of American financial groups.
In 1900, with the arrival of the new century, Tesla started the construction plan of Wodencliffe Tower with 150,000 US dollars (more than half provided by the Morgan family).
At that time, the American media called Wodencliffe Tower Tesla's million-dollar building, showing how glorious Tesla was in that era.
However, the good times did not last long. In 1904, the US Patent Office revoked its previous judgment and awarded the patent rights for wireless radio to Guillermo Marconi.
This forced Tesla to become involved in a long-lasting struggle over patent rights, losing the support of American financial groups during this period and once again becoming an impoverished scientific researcher.
The withdrawal of American financial groups was certainly influenced by patent rights issues, but the central problem was that Tesla's current research efforts could not bring more profits to the financial groups.
Tesla might have researched wireless radio before Marconi, but in order to gain the continued financial support of the financial groups, he chose to temporarily conceal the successful development of wireless radio, using the funds of the financial groups to carry out his other research.
Such behavior, of course, could not be accepted by the American financial groups, and it was only natural for Tesla to be abandoned.
Currently, several years have passed since Tesla was abandoned by the American financial groups.
Although Tesla is still a well-known expert in the United States, his financial situation is very poor.
According to information from the Royal Security Intelligence Agency, Tesla is now visiting Australasia, likely to visit his sister Miyaka.
Since Tesla has never married, his three surviving sisters, Miyaka, Angelina, and Marieka, are his only remaining relatives.
Tesla's three sisters originally lived in Serbia, but due to the previous war in Serbia and the current chaotic situation in the Balkan Peninsula, Tesla's eldest brother-in-law decided to take the entire family to the far-off Australasia to escape the disaster.
Actually, when Miyaka and her husband were discussing where to flee, they might have considered Tesla's residence in the United States.
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But when Miyaka learned of Tesla's poor conditions in the United States and that he had a debt of tens of thousands of dollars, she decisively abandoned the idea of going to the United States.
At present, Miyaka's family lives in a village on the outskirts of Sydney. Because the family has not yet decided to settle permanently in Australasia, they naturally cannot obtain land allocated by the Australasian government. Currently, they are simply renting from a farmer in the village.
On October 3, 1912, after instructing the Royal Security Intelligence Agency to investigate all of Tesla's background, Arthur set out with sufficient preparation, a team of guards, and intelligence personnel from the Royal Security Intelligence Agency to head to the village where Miyaka and Tesla were staying.
In fact, although Tesla's current financial situation is very poor, the old saying that "too much debt does not oppress the body" holds true. Whether it is the cost of ocean-going tickets or hotel stays, Tesla can bear it.
Arthur chose this day to visit because Tesla would be visiting his sister, which meant that Tesla would be in the village where Miaka was located.
Arthur's goal was simple: to win over this extraordinary man and have him work and research loyally for him.
But merely trying to win over Tesla might fail, as he had seen much of the world and experienced the glory of his peak years, so he would not be easy to win over.
If Tesla were with his sister Miaka, it would mean that Tesla also had a weakness that could be exploited.
For Tesla, who had lived for 56 years without a companion, his three sisters were not only the only family members who were still alive but also one of the few emotional attachments he had.
What do refugees like Miaka, who fled from the Balkans, need most? Only money and safety.
What could make these refugees travel halfway across the world to Australasia? Apart from avoiding wars and disasters that could threaten their lives, it would probably be poverty and hunger.
About an hour later, Arthur finally arrived at the village on the outskirts of Sydney.
The so-called outskirts of Sydney were actually the outermost part of the Capital Territory, almost adjacent to New South Wales State in the north.
Since the Capital Territory was an administrative region divided from New South Wales State, there were always some villages on the border between the two.
Undoubtedly, the city center and harbor of Sydney were the core areas of the Capital Territory, while New South Wales State's core region had already shifted north to Newcastle.
This caused the development of the areas adjacent to the two state-level administrative regions to be not so smooth. It was fortunate that they were still located in the southeastern corner of the continent, the core area of Australasia, so it was still acceptable.
For the villagers living here, apart from a small proportion who stayed in the village for agricultural labor, most of them had gone to work in factories or businesses in Sydney or nearby cities.
Factory wages were several times higher than what they could earn from agriculture, which is why most of the villagers chose to work in factories.
Because of these reasons, there were many vacant houses in these villages, which were occasionally rented to immigrants coming to Australasia.
Some immigrants' nationality checks could take several months or even half a year, which meant they were not yet eligible for various welfare benefits in Australasia during this period.
Although they could get work that provided enough food, living in the city seemed impossible.
That was the case for Miaka and her family. Without Australasian citizenship, they could only rent a house on the outskirts of Sydney and live in a village.
However, this environment was still acceptable for Eastern European refugees like Miaka.
After all, the situation in Eastern Europe might not be any better than in Australasia. At least in terms of job opportunities and salary, the factories in Australasia would be better.
About half an hour before Arthur arrived at the village, the roads around it had already been controlled by his guards.
There were also many Security Intelligence Bureau personnel scattered throughout the village, whose sole mission was to ensure Arthur's safety under any circumstances.
Times had changed, and Arthur took his personal safety very seriously.
It should be noted that all firearms could be lethal if they hit a vital spot, proving the universal truth that in the face of firearms, everyone is equal.
Throughout history and into the future, countless assassinations targeting national rulers and royal family members have taken place, and Arthur would not be careless.
In Australasia, Arthur's safety ranked even higher than national development.
Currently, the peaceful coexistence of the three major immigrant groups in Australasia was essential, and Arthur's prestige among these three groups played a crucial role.