Wearing British clothes as a second-generation aristocrat

92. I disagree with this allocation.

Bexhill is only a few hours' journey from London, and after several hours of bumpy travel, Dugan finally arrived back in central London.

Upon arriving at the Guards Cavalry building, the sentries at the entrance already recognized the young brigadier general, and Lewis once again led the way.

"Major, what's the matter?" Dugan asked Lewis.

Lewis smiled slightly and said, "I don't know either. Let Lord Camden tell you himself!"

With no obstacles along the way, Dugan went straight to the office of Army Secretary Pratt.

Just like last time, Pratt was sitting behind his desk reviewing piles of documents.

"Please find a seat," Pratt said without looking up.

Dugan then pulled up a chair and sat down opposite Pratt.

Pratt approved a batch of proposals, and Lewis moved out of another batch.

It wasn't until Lewis moved out the third batch of documents that Pratt took off his glasses, rubbed his nose, and looked up at Dugan.

"Brandy? Whiskey?" Pratt asked.

"Whiskey, thank you," Dugan replied without hesitation.

Pratt gave Lewis a look, and Lewis immediately poured whiskey for Pratt and Dugan, then took three steps back before turning around, closing the door, and leaving.

Pratt pushed a document from his desk toward Dugan.

Dugan took it and glanced at it; it concerned the situation of French troops stationed in Hanover.

Pratt said, "As you know, our King comes from Hanover, but just last year, Napoleon's army completely annexed the entire territory of Hanover, which belonged directly to our esteemed King George III. Therefore, His Majesty has been deeply troubled by this matter and has repeatedly requested Parliament to approve the dispatch of troops to reclaim the lost territory of Hanover."

Dugan closed the file and continued to listen quietly.

"But Prime Minister Pitt Jr. has a much longer-term vision than the Royal Family," Pratt said, changing the subject. "At present, Britain has not yet completed its preparations for a full-scale war against France. The army is scattered, and the necessary supplies have not yet been replenished. Most importantly, the anti-French alliance that we have painstakingly built has not yet taken shape, and the European countries are still wavering. The Austrians, the Prussians, and the Russians are hesitating, observing, and doubting."

[At this point, I hope readers will remember our domain name: 10 ...

Dugan remained silent.

Pratt said, "But the dignity of the monarchy cannot be disregarded. His Majesty was even more furious after the French Senate announced on May 12 that Napoleon had been granted the title of Emperor of France."

Pratt said with a helpless expression, "To this end, Prime Minister Pitt Jr., together with the Navy and the Army, finalized a compromise to appease the Royal Family, while also testing the waters with the French, Austrians, Prussians, and Russians."

Pratt downed his drink in one gulp, then opened a drawer and took out a large cigar. "Want a smoke? A genuine Havana cigar."

"No, thank you, I don't smoke," Dugan politely shook his head.

Pratt chuckled and said, "Smoking, drinking, women—men always need a hobby!"

Pratt lit a cigar for himself, took a satisfying puff, and continued, "Therefore, the cabinet has decided to send your King's German Legion as the vanguard to cross the sea and attack Hanover, with the target being Cuxhaven, north of Hanover."

"Instead of rushing into a full-scale counter-offensive and recovering lost territory, the focus should be on securing strongholds, establishing a foothold, tying down French forces, and appeasing the exiled troops in Hanover. This would both give the King an explanation and drive a wedge into the continent in advance, laying the groundwork for a full-scale anti-French war later on."

Dugan then asked, "Just the German Legion?"

"Yes. So, as a soldier with combat experience, you should know what to do," Pratt said.

Dugan realized that this just meant to capture a point and annoy Napoleon.

Then Britain would not commit more troops, nor could it venture deep into the Hanoverian interior at will, otherwise it would be isolated and helpless.

"Is this an attempt to make the British army like cannonballs launched by the British navy?" Dugan quipped.

Pratt was taken aback at first, then laughed, "That's a very apt analogy."

Dugan asked, "So when do we leave?"

Pratt said, "Fifteen days later. Go back and tell those Germans this good news; they'll be very happy."

As he walked out of the War Department building, Dugan let out a long sigh of relief. "Looks like we're finally going to have to confront the French."

Dugan even started imagining himself fighting against various French marshals and then facing the ultimate boss, Napoleon.

"Young Master," Aldo called out, pulling Dugan back to reality from his reverie.

"What is it?" Dugan asked.

"We haven't been in touch with that American engineer for a long time," Aldo reminded him.

"Now that you mention it, it has indeed been a long time. Fulton even said he would send the contract to Bakershill." Dugan then remembered his investment of £200.

"Let's go to the Soho Machinery Factory."

Aldo immediately turned the carriage around and headed straight for the Soho steam engine manufacturing plant on the outskirts of London.

The Soho Machine Factory was bustling with activity as Fulton's steamship conversion project was completed after a period of overtime work.

Outside the workshop, a brand-new steamship rests quietly on the water's edge.

The old and cumbersome Newcomen steam engine was completely dismantled, and the interior was replaced with a double-acting condensing steam engine that Watt had tailored and improved. The steam pipes were also rearranged and made more organized.

The hull has been finely adjusted for counterweight, with smooth and clean lines. Two huge paddle wheels are symmetrically installed on both sides of the middle of the hull, completely exposed and extremely eye-catching.

The wheel axle is parallel to the hull and is directly connected to the steam engine crankshaft via a connecting rod, rather than a complex gear system. The lower edge of the paddle wheel is below the waterline, and the upper edge is about 8 feet (about 2.44 meters) above the deck.

When Dugan entered the shipyard, Fulton and his assistant, along with Watt Jr. and Matthew C., were doing final checks on the ship, all dressed in workers' overalls.

After about a month of renovations, this steamship, which was about to revolutionize the world, was finally fully completed.

Hearing footsteps behind him, Fulton turned around. The moment he saw Dugan, his eyes lit up, and he rushed forward to greet him: "Mr. Dugan, you've arrived!"

"Is the renovation complete?" Dugan's gaze fell on the brand-new steamship, and he looked at Fulton with a half-smile.

"Completely finished!" Fulton nodded emphatically, his tone full of joy and confidence. "Mr. Watt personally completed the adjustments, and all issues related to power, range, and stability have been resolved."

Watt Jr., who was standing nearby, also said, "Our steam engine is a perfect match for this ship. There will be no problem with the sea trial. This will be the world's first steamship with real commercial value."

"Congratulations, Mr. Fulton," Dugan said, still with a half-smile. "You are about to go down in history."

Seeing Dugan's expression, Fulton suddenly realized that a month had passed and he had not kept his promise to send the contract to Bakershill when Dugan left.

So, despite the success of the experiment, Dugan, as the investor, made many polite remarks, but no joy was visible on his face.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Dugan." Fulton hurriedly ran into the office, took out a neatly bound contract, and solemnly handed it to Dugan with both hands. "Mr. Dugan, this is the cooperation agreement I have drafted. Please take a look."

Dugan took the contract and began to skim through it.

The contract terms are clear and well-organized, with a clear division of rights and responsibilities, and detailed annotations of core contents such as project ownership, R&D rights, and subsequent revenue distribution.

In the profit distribution section, the proportions are clearly stated in black and white: Dugan will receive two-thirds of all future revenue and profits from the project, and Fulton will receive one-third.

"Hmm?" Dugan hummed in response and looked up at Fulton.

Before Dugan could ask, Fulton explained, "This percentage is the result of my careful consideration. You fully funded the modification and research, materials and consumables, and labor costs. Your substantial investment of two hundred pounds was crucial to the success of the experiment. I only contributed my technology and blueprints, so I should only receive 30% of the profits."

In this era of capital supremacy, it is an ironclad rule in the business world that the party that invests the majority of the profits.

Even Watt Jr. and Matthew nodded in agreement.

They felt that Fulton's contract was fair and just, and perfectly in line with current business rules.

But after Dugan finished reading it, he shook his head and threw the contract back to Fulton, saying, "I don't agree to this arrangement."