Black Corporation: Joseon

Chapter 448

Episode 448 Seo Yi (??) comes to Joseon. (5)

In the process of making various attempts, the material issue was the most important thing to solve, and the company worked hard to solve that problem together with the craftsmen.

“By the way, there is no problem with the steel…”

Hyang, who was sorting out the situation, looked slightly relieved as he tapped his fingers on the desk.

The manufacturing method of the craftsman who won the competition held by gathering craftsmen who could make steel in the early days of Gyeongjang was similar to the method of producing steel in the 20th and 21st centuries. (Note 1) Therefore,

constant improvement and improvement were made in the field and in Area 51. After repeated efforts, the quality and production of steel produced by Joseon became the best among the three Northeast Asian countries.

“The problem is that alloy steel is essential to make steam engines and other objects with better performance…”

To solve this problem, Hyang mobilized alchemists. However, the scent was still lacking.

“This alone is not enough. To get better results, you need furnaces and kilns that are more efficient or can withstand higher temperatures.”

Based on this awareness of the situation, Hyang worked with craftsmen to research new furnaces and kilns.

“No sir! Didn’t you say that the furnace you are using now is also highly efficient? But research into new furnaces and kilns!”

Of course, Kim, who was in charge of setting the next year’s budget every year, complained.

Meanwhile, what the incense focused on was a kiln that could withstand high temperatures.

“Since we cannot build an electric furnace, I must now build a kiln that can produce the highest temperature using resources that Joseon can stably use.”

In this way, test models of kilns that could operate at increasingly higher temperatures were created.

“The problem is that there is no measuring instrument that can precisely measure these temperatures…” While

Hyang was looking for something suitable to check the performance, what he found was carbide.

* * *

When I learned about the scented carbide, it was when I was making a living by opening a blacksmith shop in Yangsan in the 21st century. This was an item I found in a barn while helping an elderly woman at a nearby farm.

“Is this the carbide you’ve only heard about?”

Hyang was so curious that, like Gwangdeok, he immediately delved into carbide and started using it.

* * *

Thus, after many challenges and failures, a kiln capable of maintaining a high enough temperature to make carbide was completed.

And Hyang presented the carbide that came out as a result of the experiment to King Sejong.

“These days, Abama said that her eyes are blurry at night…”

Sejong was very satisfied when he saw the bright light of the carbide lamp made by modifying the existing glass lamp.

“How bright! And it’s amazing! “You can light a fire using ores that aren’t even coal!”

Sejong, who was admiring the brightly shining carbide lights, looked back at the scent.

“Can you mass produce this?”

“It is possible if we increase the number of palanquins…”

Hyang trailed off and looked back at Kim Jeom. From the moment Sejong mentioned mass production, Kim Jeom’s expression became complicated. Seeing Kim Jeom like that, Sejong secretly started to get lucky.

“Aren’t the oils and candles used in lamps very expensive?”

At that moment, Kim Jeom’s expression brightened and he answered right away.

“I will prepare funds to build a new kiln!”

And the officer who recorded this incident added the following.

– says the officer.

According to a rumor going around in the world, there are more than one top group waiting for Captain Kim to resign. It is rumored that his personal connections are his personal connections, but his management skills are considered the best in Joseon. The problem is that the boss never allows resignation.

As the quality and processing technology of steel gradually improved, and other related technologies gradually developed, all kinds of new products began to appear in Joseon.

* * *

“Prince, your iron horse is ready.”

“I was waiting.”

Upon receiving the interpreter’s notification, Henry and his party left the empty house.

“What is this?”

Henrik, who saw rickshaws lined up at the entrance of the empty house, asked the translator a question. The official answered Henry’s question with a smile.

“A distinguished guest of the country is here, so how can you meet him on foot? So I prepared a rickshaw.”

“Is this the rumored rickshaw?”

At the interpreter’s answer, Henrik’s eyes lit up and he looked at the rickshaw. It was an item that had been rumored to come from the Vatican.

“It’s an interesting structure.”

Henrik, who was examining the rickshaw, muttered with an expression of interest. The part that caught his eye was the axle of the rickshaw. A shaft and a chair were placed between two curved iron plates connected like a clam with its mouth closed. To put it simply, the axis was not directly attached to the passenger area, but was floating in the air.

“It’s so fun.”

Henrik sat on the chair muttering to himself and looked around the chair. In front of the chair was a pole that also served as a handle for getting on and off the chair and for hanging a lantern.

And the chair he was sitting on was covered with cleanly dyed cushions.

“We’re leaving!”

Following the interpreter’s shout, the rickshaws carrying Henry and his group began moving toward Cheolma Station.

While heading towards Cheolma Station, Henrique looked around again.

“Compared to the smell, the road is very clean.”

Unlike the foul smell that irritated the nose – the smell of Joseon’s intestines – the road was clean. Compared to the roads in Europe, which are full of all kinds of dirt, the roads in Joseon were completely dustless.

“Hmm…”

Henrik, who was looking at the clean road, looked at the Koreans walking on the road.

“The clothes are clean and the faces are clean.”

While looking at the neatly dressed Koreans walking around, Henrik muttered without realizing it.

“Ordinary people all walk around dressed cleanly, and there is not a speck of dust on the roads… Just how rich and powerful is this Joseon?”

Unlike when he first arrived in Suez, Henrik became increasingly withdrawn.

And when he arrived at Cheolma Station and saw the rumored iron horse, Henry almost collapsed because his legs gave out.

Chick! Chwiik!

A huge iron block made of expensive steel stood spewing out black smoke. And behind the steel monster were luxuriously decorated carriages.

“You can climb up here.”

“I understand.”

Henry got on the train and looked around intently.

They said it was a carriage for VIPs and the interior was luxurious. There were large chairs with comfortable cushions spread out, and there were tables of appropriate size between the chairs.

Sigh!

After a while, the iron horse departed with a loud whistle sound. Henrik and his companions looked at the scenery outside the window and made exclamations of exclamation.

“It’s faster than I thought!”

The group, who were admiring the iron horse they were riding for the first time in their lives, came to their senses after some time and began to exchange opinions.

“On my way to ride this iron horse, I saw that all Koreans were clean.”

The aides and the captain all nodded at Henry’s point.

“That’s right. “Except for that unidentifiable odor, the people and the streets were clean.”

“It’s not just about cleanliness. “The men’s beards all looked different.”

“you’re right!”

“It seemed like a lot of effort went into it!”

“It’s a beard…”

“It’s not just that. “If you look at the men I met in the empty house, most of them, excluding the slaves, had scent on their bodies!”

Henrik’s face became increasingly somber as he recalled the faces of the men he had seen on the street. Even common people, not nobles, take care of their beards and spray perfume? This meant that even ordinary people had ample financial resources.

In the end, Henrik swore.

“This damn country was truly a scary country…”

* * *

The technology that Hyang developed when he got involved was not just related to heavy and long-standing things.

Rather, there were more ‘light, light and simple’ items that paid more attention to fragrance.

Among such small objects, there were those that were most influenced by the development of steel processing technology, and that was blades, especially razor blades.

Regardless of whether in the East or the West, men have had to pay attention to managing their beards since ancient times. The reason was not simply a matter of fashion, but also directly related to the issue of hygiene.

This was also the case in Joseon. Regardless of whether they were high or low, men in Joseon had to take care of their beards when they started growing.

Joseon men trimmed their beards with scissors and knives. However, scissors were cumbersome to use and knives were dangerous.

As the number of hair salons increased and competition intensified, the number of establishments that even provided shaving services increased. However, conversations like this popped up in places where the blades were not managed properly.

“Are you going to shave off my beard or cut off my hair?”

This was the same in the palace. The eunuch who trimmed the king’s beard was the person whom the king trusted most.

In this situation, through continued technological advancement, a razor blade was born that was as thin as paper but had elasticity and could maintain an extremely sharp blade when sharpened.

And Hyang used this iron plate to make a safety razor blade. After several attempts, Hyang was able to create a safety razor blade and razor that he liked, and he cheered.

“at las! “I can push it all away!”

And when Kim Jeom saw the prototype made by Hyang – Razor Blade Mian Water (??? Skin Lotion) – he immediately rolled up his sleeves. (Note 2)

“How much budget do you need?”

‘That razor blade is a great product, but I’m sure the eye water will sell well! This definitely pays off!’

“And this too…”

Seeing Kim Jeom’s reaction, Hyang took out a pair of scissors. Kim Jeom, who saw the scissors boasting shiny blades unlike any scissors he had seen before, immediately responded.

“I’ll add this too!”

Hyang was internally delighted at Kim Jeom’s refreshing answer.

‘As expected, Captain Kim! I realized the value of scissors!’

Hyang, who knew that the scissors favored by hairdressers and barbers in 21st century hair salons and Lee Yongwon start at at least a few hundred and that most of them are made in Japan, could not pass up the scissors.

‘If you start now and build awareness for at least a few hundred years, you will create a wall that will never fall down!’

And as this thin blade was created, Hyang smiled in remorse.

“I can finally release the one I’ve been holding back for so long!”

What the scent had been sitting on for a while was a pencil.

* * *

When graphite was discovered, the scent immediately reminded me of pencil.

After several trials and errors, Hyang created a usable pencil and soon found himself in trouble.

“The problem is that paper is an expensive product… There is also the inconvenience of sharpening and the problem of erasing…”

Hyanghyang, who was thinking about the various problems that came with the pencil, soon sorted them out one by one.

“For paper, it will be a matter of time because we are mass producing yellow paper, and for erasers… this is also a matter of time. If you can’t decide, you can find something that can be used as an eraser or just erase it with saliva. The problem is sharpening the pencil. Substitutes such as brushes and gold pencils are already holding up well, but if there is the inconvenience of having to sharpen them with a knife every time, they won’t sell… Why would a mechanical pencil come out? “There needs to be a pencil sharpener that can be easily sharpened…”

Thanks to this, only a small number of prototypes of pencils were available until the pencil sharpener was released.

And the birth of the razor blade also brought about the birth of the pencil sharpener, and the pencil also came to light.

* * *

Note 1) Research on the operation method of stone-type steel mills. Shin Kyung-hwan, Kim Kwon-il, Choi Young-min. Outdoor Archeology No. 22 (2015.03)

Note 2) If you look at the folk paintings of Kim Hong-do and Shin Yun-bok, you can surprisingly often see noble men shaving off their beards.