I'm back in 1990

Chapter 1106: Three Stages of Technological Development

Just then, Su Jin's phone call with Huo Xinyuan ended. Upon learning that Huang Xiaochuan was looking for Tang Ruixuan, she quickly returned the phone to her.

"You two continue, we won't disturb you any longer." Tang Ruixuan smiled at Maowa, then left with Huang Ruiying.

On the way, Tang Ruixuan asked Huang Ruiying, "What does my uncle want with me?"

Huang Ruiying, that girl, is quite cunning: "I guess she's asking if you're in a relationship."

Hearing this, Tang Ruixuan scratched Huang Ruiying with a look of embarrassment and annoyance: "I'll teach you to talk nonsense."

Huang Ruiying was quick-witted and dodged in an instant. Although her scheme failed, she still smiled smugly.

After entering the house, the two went straight to the tea room on the first floor.

When Tang Ruixuan went inside, she saw her uncle teaching her cousin Huang Zeji how to make tea.

"Lapsang Souchong is best brewed at 90 to 95 degrees Celsius; it should not be brewed with boiling water."

Huang Ze nodded to indicate that he understood.

"Do you know why we use a gaiwan or a Yixing teapot for brewing?"

Huang Zeji shook his head.

"A gaiwan can truly preserve the original flavor of tea, while a Yixing teapot can absorb the smoky flavor of Lapsang Souchong produced by traditional methods, resulting in a mellow and full-bodied tea soup..."

At this moment, Huang Xiaochuan saw Tang Ruixuan and pointed to the seat next to Huang Zeji: "Sit down!"

"Okay!" Tang Ruixuan sat down next to her cousin.

Huang Ruiying was about to leave when her father called her back: "Come back, sit down and listen too."

Huang Ruiying pouted and sat down with a displeased look. She had no interest in tea at all. In her opinion, it was a simple matter of brewing some tea leaves, but she had to make it so complicated. It was just making trouble for herself.

Huang Xiaochuan continued to instruct his son on how to brew tea. After the tea was brewed, he tasted it and nodded in satisfaction.

"That's good, that's about 80% of my level. To improve further, I'll have to rely on practice makes perfect."

Huang Zeji was still very happy to receive his father's approval: "I understand!"

Huang Xiaochuan then asked the three children, "Do you know why we drink tea during business activities?"

All three shook their heads.

Huang Xiaochuan smiled and patiently explained the reasons to the three children: "In many business settings, drinking culture is an important business setting, but truly important business activities are not suitable to be discussed at a drinking table, because drinking too much at a drinking table can easily make people excited and lose control. But a tea table is different. It does not have such drawbacks. On the contrary, it can allow two or more parties to sit down quietly and have a few cups of tea, which makes it easier for people to let their guard down."

Seeing that the three children were listening with great interest, and even his own precious daughter was looking at him with a curious expression, Huang Xiaochuan's tendency to be a know-it-all kicked in again.

He continued patiently explaining to the three children: "So, brewing and drinking tea isn't about indulging in frivolous pursuits; rather, it's something that can be integrated into life, studies, and work. For example, warming the cup is like warming up a team, getting everyone in peak condition as quickly as possible. Adding tea leaves is like allocating resources—not too much, not too little. Pouring water is like executing a strategy—it requires a balance of urgency and moderation. Serving the tea is like seizing the right moment—neither too hasty nor too slow, preventing opportunities from slipping away. Dividing the tea is like distributing profits—it must be fair and equitable. Tasting the tea is like reflecting on your work afterwards, summarizing shortcomings..."

Find out the reason.

Huang Ruiying might still be a little confused by these words, but Tang Ruixuan understood them perfectly. The intelligent girl realized that her uncle was subtly guiding her while making and drinking tea.

Huang Xiaochuan then asked Tang Ruixuan about her recent research progress.

Tang Ruixuan explained to her uncle in as much detail as possible the research she was currently conducting, including the recent progress of Jinling Mingzhi, the company she invested in under her name and founded by Tong Hua. She also mentioned that she had invested more money in the past two years and, with her uncle's help, had introduced some new investors. This prevented Jinling Mingzhi from facing funding difficulties. However, it was still unknown when artificial intelligence could be put into practical use.

After listening, Huang Xiaochuan nodded and then said, "What you just said was based on the technical aspects, but today I want to have a good talk with you about the relationship between economic and technological development. If you just blindly focus on scientific research without understanding the laws of economic development, problems will inevitably arise sooner or later."

Upon hearing this, Tang Ruixuan immediately became extremely attentive. She might not believe what others said, but she would definitely believe what her uncle said. Who was her uncle? He was a world-renowned economist who also ran a vast business empire. Every word he spoke was undoubtedly insightful. How could an ordinary person have such an opportunity to receive private tutoring?

Huang Xiaochuan was about to speak again when he noticed that his daughter seemed distracted. He tapped the tea table impatiently: "Xiaoduo, listen carefully, don't get distracted."

"Oh!" Huang Ruiying responded reluctantly.

Huang Xiaochuan glanced at her and then ignored her, continuing, "I've summarized it into three stages. The first stage is called the infrastructure frenzy stage, the second stage is called the bubble bursting stage, and the third stage is the stage that benefits everyone."

Seeing that the three children still didn't quite understand, Huang Xiaochuan broke the topic down into more colloquial language.

"The first industrial revolution was brought about by the steam engine, as you all know. But what you don't know is that after the steam engine was invented, people discovered that transportation efficiency increased by tens or even hundreds of times, and it was also incredibly fast, something that horse-drawn carriages and oxcarts could not achieve."

So everyone in Britain went crazy, and a wave of investment in railways swept across the country. Parliament approved the construction of hundreds of railways in just a few years.

Capital poured in like crazy. Not only were the nobles buying railway stocks, but ordinary merchants and servants also invested their savings in railway stocks. At that time, the British believed that railways would definitely change the world. Indeed, their belief was correct, but things that can change the world do not necessarily make money immediately.

In their quest for territory, many railway companies have done some absurd things. For example, several companies have built several railways between the same two cities. In modern terms, this is called redundant construction and a waste of resources.

So in 1845, when interest rates rose, many railway companies' cash flow dried up, leading to widespread bankruptcies, a collapse in railway stock prices, and investors losing everything.

You might say that railways are very developed now, and high-speed rail has been around for many years. But you should know that the first batch of investors were all trapped in the past. On the contrary, we, the later generations, have enjoyed the benefits of technological development. This is what we call benefiting the whole people.

Following the stock market crash of railways that year, railway transportation costs began to decline significantly, leading to a period of even greater prosperity for British industry—a period historically known as the First Industrial Revolution.