Chapter 328: A Visit
Nikola Tesla, a Serb who later acquired American citizenship, is, to this day, one of the most famous inventors, physicists, mechanical engineers, and electrical engineers in the world—one of the top talents in the field of scientific research.
Born on July 10, 1856, Tesla is now 56 years old but continues to be at the forefront of research and development.
Since Tesla won the War of Currents, the dispute with Edison over direct current (DC) and alternating current (AC), he has been considered America's greatest electrical engineer, receiving recognition from all sectors of society.
Throughout Tesla's decades of research, he has accumulated a vast number of patents in areas such as AC systems, radio systems, wireless energy transmission, ball lightning, turbines, amplifying transmitters, particle beam weapons, solar engines, X-ray equipment, electrical meters, missile science, remote sensing technology, aircraft, cosmic rays, radar systems, and robotics.
In the field of scientific research, Tesla's greatness is undeniable. His numerous patents could have brought him endless wealth.
Tesla's inventions in his lifetime are a testament to his selfless contributions to society. Though he devoted his life to constant research and obtained around 1,000 patents (some say 700 inventions), in his later years, he lived in poverty, struggling financially. Even though many entrepreneurs exploited this genius scientist's kindness and talent, stealing his research achievements and honors, he continued to work and invent in the hopes of benefiting humanity.
Among Tesla's many inventions, the most beneficial to the public were his various AC motors. The development of global trade, scientific progress, and life enjoyment all rely heavily on alternating current. The massive blackouts in the U.S. and Europe at the end of 2003 paralyzed society and the economy. As early as 1882, Tesla invented the world's first high-frequency AC motor, and in 1885, he invented the polyphase current and polyphase transmission technology.
After Edison's invention of DC, electrical appliances became widespread, but the cost of electricity was exorbitant. As a result, selling DC electricity became the most profitable business of the time. In 1885, Tesla left Edison's company and met George Westinghouse, the head of the Westinghouse company. With his support, Tesla brought AC to society in 1888. At the 1893 Columbian Exposition in May, Tesla demonstrated AC lighting and became the winner of the "War of Currents." Later, Tesla secured the contract to design the electrical power system for the Niagara Falls Hydroelectric Power Station.
From then on, alternating current replaced direct current as the mainstream power source. Tesla, holding the patent for AC, required a royalty of $2.50 per horsepower for every AC motor sold at the time. Driven by powerful financial interests, a syndicate forced Tesla to abandon the patent and intended to monopolize the profits. After extensive negotiations, Tesla decided to relinquish his patent rights to AC, under the condition that the AC patent would be permanently made public. Thus, he tore up the AC patent, losing the right to collect royalties. From then on, AC became a free invention for all. Had Tesla not offered the AC patent to humanity for free, every horsepower of AC sold would have earned him $2.50 in royalties, making him the wealthiest person in the world.
Tesla's peak years were likely in the 1880s to the end of the 19th century, after winning the War of Currents. During this period, Tesla was incredibly successful in the scientific community, gaining the trust of many American syndicates.
In 1900, with the arrival of the new century, Tesla, with $150,000 (over half provided by the Morgan family), began the construction of the Wardenclyffe Tower. At that time, American media dubbed the tower Tesla's "million-dollar building," demonstrating how glorious Tesla was in this era.
However, this good fortune did not last long. In 1904, the U.S. Patent Office overturned its previous decision and awarded the patent for radio to Guglielmo Marconi. This forced Tesla into a long-standing patent dispute. During this period, Tesla also lost the support of American financial syndicates, and once again became a penniless researcher.
The withdrawal of financial support from the American syndicates was certainly influenced by the patent dispute, but the fundamental issue was that Tesla's current research did not bring the syndicates enough profit.
Tesla might have invented radio before Marconi, but in order to maintain continued financial support from the syndicates, he chose to temporarily hide the news of his success in radio research, using the syndicate's funds for his other projects. This action was naturally unacceptable to the American syndicates, and it was only logical that Tesla was abandoned.
It has been several years since Tesla was abandoned by the American syndicates. Although Tesla remains a renowned expert in the U.S., his financial situation has become dire.
According to information from the Royal Security and Intelligence Bureau, Tesla's visit to Australasia appears to be to visit his sister, Miaka.
Having never married, Tesla's remaining family consists of three sisters: Miaka, Angelina, and Mareka. These three sisters are Tesla's only remaining relatives.
Originally, Tesla's three sisters lived in Serbia, but due to the recent wars in Serbia and the currently unstable situation in the Balkans, Miaka's husband decided to move the entire family to Australasia, more than 10,000 kilometers away, to escape the war.
In fact, when Miaka and her husband were discussing where to flee, they had considered the U.S. as a possible destination. However, when Miaka learned that Tesla was not only living poorly in the U.S. but also had debts amounting to tens of thousands of dollars, she decisively abandoned the idea of moving to America.
Currently, Miaka's family lives in a village on the outskirts of Sydney. Since they had not yet decided to permanently settle in Australasia, they had not been granted land by the Australasian government. They are currently renting a home from a local farmer in the village.
On October 3, 1912, after instructing the Royal Security and Intelligence Bureau to investigate Tesla's background, Arthur, with full preparation, along with a team of guards and intelligence officers, set out for the village where Miaka and Tesla were located.
In reality, although Tesla's financial situation is quite poor, as the saying goes, "debt does not break a man," whether it's for a transatlantic ship ticket or hotel costs, Tesla can still manage to bear the expenses.
Arthur chose this day to visit because Tesla was scheduled to visit his sister that very day. This meant Tesla would be in the village where Miaka lived.
Arthur's goal was simple: to recruit this extraordinary man and have him work and research for him with full loyalty.
However, merely recruiting Tesla might not succeed, since Tesla had already seen much of the world and enjoyed the height of his success. It wouldn't be so easy to win him over.
If Tesla was with his sister Miaka, it indicated Tesla also had a weakness that could be exploited.
For a man like Tesla, who had lived alone for 56 years, his three sisters, now the only surviving family members, were the few people he had emotional ties to.
As for Miaka, a refugee from the Balkans, what was she most in need of? It was money and safety.
The reason these refugees traveled all the way to Australasia was likely not only to escape life-threatening wars but also because of poverty and hunger.
About an hour later, Arthur finally arrived at the village on the outskirts of Sydney.
This so-called "outskirts" actually refers to the outermost area of the Capital Territory, bordering New South Wales.
Since the Capital Territory was carved from New South Wales, many villages are located along the boundary of the two administrative regions.
The core areas of the Capital Territory are Sydney's city center and the harbor, while the core of New South Wales has shifted further north to Newcastle.
This has led to uneven development in the areas where the two regions meet, but as Australasia's southeasternmost corner, the region is still relatively developed.
Most of the villagers, except for a few working in agriculture, had moved to Sydney or nearby cities to work in factories or businesses. The wages in the factories were many times higher than those in agriculture, making it the preferred option for most villagers.
For these reasons, there were many vacant homes in the village, occasionally rented out to immigrants who had arrived in Australasia.
Some immigrants' nationality reviews took months or even half a year, which meant they couldn't enjoy the benefits of the Australasian government during this period. Although they could find enough work to make a living, living in the city seemed out of reach.
Miaka's family was one such case, not having obtained Australasian citizenship, and could only rent a house in the village on the outskirts of Sydney.
For Miaka, a refugee from Eastern Europe, this environment was acceptable. After all, conditions in Eastern Europe were not necessarily better than in Australasia. At least in the factories of Australasia, there were better work opportunities and wages.
Half an hour before Arthur's arrival, the main roads around the village were already under the control of Arthur's guards.
Within the village, numerous Royal Security and Intelligence Bureau personnel were scattered, with the sole task of ensuring Arthur's safety at all costs.
In these times, Arthur took his personal safety very seriously.
It's well known that modern firearms can kill with a single shot to a vital spot. This truth implies that no matter how high one's status or wealth, in the face of modern weapons, everyone is equal.
Throughout history, there have been countless attempts on the lives of rulers and royal family members, so Arthur remained vigilant and cautious at all times.
Arthur's safety was of the utmost importance in Australasia, even more so than the country's development.
The peaceful coexistence of the three major immigrant groups in Australasia is crucial to maintaining the reputation of these groups. Arthur's reputation among them plays a pivotal role.
(End of Chapter)
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