Time came to a week later, Paris.
The September sun generously spilled onto the Champs-Élysées, plating the magnificent Palais de l'Industrie with a dazzling golden layer.
More than a month had passed since the opening of the International Electricity Exposition, and the people of Paris had long grown accustomed to the strange and novel inventions displayed here.
But today, a winding queue had formed early at the entrance of the Palais de l'Industrie, bustling with people, and the air was filled with anticipation and excitement far more intense than before.
Carriages, gentlemen, ladies, journalists, curious citizens… various people gathered here, filling the square in front of the Palais de l'Industrie to the brim.
They came only to witness firsthand the masterpiece of the inventor king and industrial magnate from the New World—Thomas Edison.
On the second floor of the Palais de l'Industrie, on a terrace overlooking the main exhibition hall entrance, Thomas Edison stood shoulder to shoulder with two influential figures from French politics and business.
Thomas Edison wore a black formal jacket, his bow tie meticulously tied, and his face was full of confident smiles.
Standing to his left was Charles Lafargue, the general manager of the "Paris Lighting and Gas Company."
Mr. Lafargue was about fifty years old, slightly plump, wearing a well-tailored grey striped suit, with a large signet ring on his finger.
He looked at the surging crowd downstairs, his eyes filled with the same curiosity as others, but also a hint of worry.
Electric light, this new thing, was it the gravedigger of his career, or a new source from which he could cooperate and share a piece of the pie?
To Edison's right was Henri de Villefort, the President of the Paris City Council.
The President carried himself with a reserved and proud air, a typical French bureaucratic demeanor, his grey temples neatly combed.
The matters he cared about were far more complex than Lafargue's:
Could this new technology win the hearts of Parisian citizens?
Could it create a brighter, more "progressive" image for the city?
Would it cause social unrest or opposition?
Of course, the considerable "consultant fees" Edison secretly promised made the President feel that appropriately promoting this "beneficial to the country and the people" endeavor was not objectionable.
President Villefort nodded slightly in appreciation:
"Look at the popularity, Mr. Edison.
Parisians are always passionate about new things, especially miracles from across the ocean."
Edison rubbed his chin with satisfaction:
"Mr. President, the streets of Paris will be lit as bright as day by electric lights in the future!
Today's exhibition is but a small step for me personally, but it will also be a giant leap for the lighting industry."
Then he turned to Lafargue:
"As for cost and reliability, Mr. Lafargue, my system is far more economical and stable than you imagine.
They come to see novelty today, but tomorrow, electric lights will become an indispensable sun in their lives.
Parisian nights should be as bright as day, and all of this will be achieved by my system.
The era of gas lamps is coming to an end; electric lights are the future!"
Lafargue smiled noncommittally, saying nothing in response.
He was rapidly calculating the cost comparison between gas and electricity, and how much share he could gain in this energy revolution if he cooperated.
Edison's promised patent usage royalties and shares in the joint company were indeed very tempting.
The hubbub in the exhibition hall downstairs suddenly grew louder, indicating that the demonstration time was approaching.
Thomas Edison nodded to his two companions:
"Gentlemen, please excuse me; it's time for me to show Paris 'another sun'."
Lafargue and Villefort exchanged glances, as if both recalled something—two years ago, someone else also announced bringing a new sun to France, but it turned out to be a disaster.
Only that person was from Britain.
Thomas Edison, of course, didn't know what they were thinking; he had already turned and walked down the stairs, leaving Lafargue and Villefort to continue standing high above, each with their own thoughts, observing below.
On the first floor, the main exhibition hall was crowded and stuffy.
In the center of the exhibition hall, a gigantic object was tightly covered by a huge black velvet cloth, revealing only vague cold contours of steel and its daunting, enormous volume.
People gathered around it, discussing animatedly, guessing what kind of spectacle lay beneath the cloth.
Among the crowd, Lionel Sorel and his companion Nikola Tesla were inconspicuous.
Lionel's gaze swept over the excited crowd and the covered giant object, but he did not push forward with them, and his expression was very calm.
Tesla, beside him, appeared more tense, a flame burning in his deep-set eyes on his pale face, as if he wanted to see through the black cloth and discover what his "idol" had created this time.
Lionel smiled and whispered to Tesla:
"Look at this scene, Nikola, Thomas Edison is indeed a genius at marketing.
He knows how to create suspense, how to stir people's emotions."
Unexpectedly, Nikola Tesla shook his head:
"The day after tomorrow, it will be our turn the day after tomorrow. Then, people will know what the true future is, and who the true genius is. However, I'm worried..."
Before he could finish, Lionel patted his shoulder and comforted him:
"Be patient, my friend.
Let Mr. Edison enjoy his moment in the spotlight; change needs groundwork—
It's just that before, others were always Mr. Edison's stepping stones."
Just then, the crowd automatically parted to form a passage, and Thomas Edison, surrounded by several assistants and exposition staff, strode confidently toward the giant object covered by the black cloth.
The noise gradually subsided, and all eyes focused on him.
Edison did not engage in much small talk; he knew that at this moment, action spoke louder than words.
He looked around, then abruptly waved his hand—his assistants simultaneously pulled with force, ripping off the huge black cloth.
"Buzz..."
A suppressed gasp erupted from the crowd—what appeared before everyone was a colossal, jaw-dropping steel behemoth!
The steel components gleamed with a cold light under the gas lamps, and the complex coils and iron core structures revealed the power of the industrial age; the entire machine weighed at least tens of tons!
Even more shocking was the giant, towering lighthouse composed of thousands of incandescent lamps, layered one upon another, above the generator, like a sleeping god of light awaiting to be awakened by electricity.
Even the Parisians, who prided themselves on being well-informed and seasoned, were deeply shaken by this gigantic machine filled with the beauty of industrial power.
They had seen electric lights, yes, when Lionel Sorel's "Thunderstorm" was staged at the Comédie-Française, electric lights were cleverly used to create breathtaking stage effects, and the Comédie-Française itself became one of the first public buildings in Paris to widely adopt electric lighting.
But those lights were scattered in different corners of the theater.
This massive lighthouse, with its enormous volume, brought a completely different impact, almost capable of eliciting a primal worship from everyone who saw it in this era.
Edison stood before his masterpiece, his voice booming:
"Ladies and gentlemen! Welcome to the future of electricity!
This machine before you, weighing twenty-seven tons, is the largest and most powerful generator in the world!
And the twelve hundred lamps above it will prove to you—
Electric lights are no longer novelty toys; they are capable of illuminating an entire city!"
He paused, savoring the silence and anticipation he had created.
"Now, behold!"
Edison turned, faced the generator control panel, took a deep breath, and then, with his own hands, solemnly closed the giant electrical switch!
"Click!"
After a crisp closing sound, there was a brief, almost suffocating silence.
Immediately after—
"Whoosh!"
As if a thousand miniature suns were born simultaneously!
The thousand incandescent lamps on the giant electric lighthouse lit up at the same instant, emitting an incredibly brilliant, stable, and even relentless light!
The light was so intense that nearby spectators instinctively covered their eyes with their hands, feeling as if another sun had truly appeared in their vision.
The entire exhibition hall was illuminated in exquisite detail by this sudden artificial daylight, even the dust floating in the air was clearly visible.
The surrounding gas lamps, in its presence, suddenly seemed dim and yellowish, like old people on their last legs.
A few seconds later, people adjusted to the intense light, and gasps of amazement, cheers, and applause surged like a tide, merging into one.
They were completely conquered by this magnificent sight, their faces etched with disbelief and fervor.
This was not just lighting; this was a miracle, a glorious victory of human power harnessing the forces of nature!
Lionel squinted at the radiant lighthouse and whispered,
"It is indeed spectacular. Parisians have seen electric lights before, Yablochkov's electric candles, the lights in our theater...
But such a concentrated display, on such a scale, creates an unparalleled psychological impact."
Tesla responded in a low voice:
"Direct current has too many limitations. The line loss for power supply on this scale will be astronomical. Waste, immense waste!"
On stage, Edison raised a hand to signal for quiet, a victorious smile beaming on his face.
He announced loudly:
"This is not just a demonstration! To prove the unparalleled reliability of my incandescent lamps, this lamp column will remain lit here, in the Palais de l'Industrie, for 5 continuous days!"
Another gasp erupted from the crowd—continuous?
5 days?
This meant Edison's light bulbs possessed a durability unmatched by previous light bulbs!
It's important to know that most electric lights publicly demonstrated in the past had a lifespan of around 600 hours, but this was on the condition that they "rested" for at least 12 hours after every 6 to 8 hours of illumination.
So, if only used for evening lighting, how long would these electric lights need before being replaced?
Therefore, this was not only a visual shock but also a powerful declaration of the technology's reliability!
Greatly improved durability meant greatly reduced costs, which was the key for electric lights to spread from theaters and wealthy people's villas to every street and alley and every household!
If this was true, then the last technical obstacle for electric lights to replace gas lamps seemed to have also been cleared.
General Manager Lafargue watched this scene from the second floor, his face changing—if the durability of the light bulbs was truly as Edison claimed, then the cost advantage of gas lamps would be completely gone.
He had to re-evaluate the terms of cooperation with Edison.
President Villefort, however, showed a more satisfied smile, because the public's reaction was positive, even fervent.
This new technology seemed to have great potential, capable of both enhancing political achievements and bringing actual benefits.
He seemed to already see the glorious sight of Paris's boulevards lit by electric lights, and the ensuing praise.
Edison continued his speech on stage, describing a beautiful future after the popularization of electric lights, his voice full of infectiousness and persuasiveness.
Below the stage, thunderous applause lasted for a long time.
Lionel tugged at Tesla,
"Let's go, Nikola, let him enjoy his victory, our battlefield is the day after tomorrow.
Then, people will see that lighting a light bulb is just the beginning; how to transmit and use electricity more efficiently and economically is the real key."
Tesla took a final look at the radiant direct current system, took a deep breath, nodded, and followed Lionel, turning and squeezing out of the crowd still immersed in excitement and wonder.
Inside the Palais de l'Industrie, Edison's "artificial sun" continued to emit light and heat, seemingly announcing the dawn of a new era, which was about to begin.
(End of Chapter)