Chapter 318: Everyone Coming for the Airship
After London and Rome, the scenes were much like those in Los Angeles, USA. A large number of media, curious crowds, meaningfully observant capitalists, and serious military personnel and other groups formed a mass of tens of thousands of people, all gathered to watch the Dawn airship.
Every time the Dawn airship reached a new location, it immediately became the center of attention, even the focal point of the entire country, widely reported by local media.
It's no exaggeration to say that this global voyage plan made many European and American media outlets substantial profits, and many small newspapers on the brink of bankruptcy found a new lease of life.
According to estimates, over 700,000 people from all over the world came to see the airship, and more than 5 million people followed the global voyage.
Australasia's airship instantly became the world's most famous technological product. People began to make it their lifelong goal to board the airship and travel around the world.
On May 21, 1912, after a month and ten days, the Dawn airship returned over Sydney's skies, receiving a warm welcome from thousands of Australasian citizens.
This was the first time Australasia had taken the lead in the global voyage; it was the people of Australasia, with the airship they created, that completed the first-ever successful circumnavigation.
By this time, Sydney's suburbs were packed with people. Media outlets from around the world surrounded the area, along with tourists and officials.
Everyone knew that if the global voyage succeeded, Sydney would temporarily become the most dazzling city in the world.
To obtain the first news of the airship's circumnavigation, foreign media had to come to Sydney. This was also good news for Arthur, as the consumption level in Sydney had increased significantly in the past month. These foreign media outlets and tourists brought substantial GDP contributions to the city.
As the Dawn airship landed on the outskirts, with the wind and dust trailing behind it, a prepared band began to play cheerful music to celebrate this monumental occasion.
Not long after, the airship's doors opened, with attendants first stepping out, followed by the passengers, and finally, the pilots and Theodor, the head of the aviation laboratory.
"Ladies and gentlemen, you've all completed a great moment. On behalf of the Royal Family and the Government of Australasia, I extend my congratulations and encouragement, and I present you with a commemorative badge," Arthur said with a smile from the platform he had set up.
The commemorative item for the global voyage was a gold-and-silver badge. The front of the badge featured an image of the Dawn airship, and the back bore the inscription: "This badge commemorates the circumnavigation voyage of the AU-3 airship, codename Dawn, launched on April 10, 1912, by Australasia. The voyage lasted one month and eleven days, completing on May 21, 1912."
The total weight of this badge was around 100 grams, with the gold content exceeding 30%, approximately 30 grams. Based on the current value of gold and silver, the cost of this badge was estimated to be over ten pounds, which was equivalent to several months of salary for an average Australasian worker.
Of course, the symbolic value of such an item far surpassed its actual cost. When considering its significance, the value for Australasians—and especially for certain individuals—could be several times, even dozens of times greater.
For the people of Australasia, this badge held extraordinary commemorative significance. In addition to marking the global voyage, it was personally presented by Arthur, adding immeasurable value to it.
While for passengers who had paid thousands of pounds for their tickets, a badge costing under ten pounds might seem insignificant, the craftsmanship was exquisite and the symbolic value immense, so the passengers who received the commemorative badges were quite pleased.
Australasia naturally invited all passengers from the airship to attend a celebratory banquet that evening. The passengers had no reason to refuse, as a grand and free banquet was too good an opportunity to miss.
For some capitalists, the most important task at the banquet was to inquire about Australasia's airship company, making the banquet essential for them.
Once everyone had temporarily left, Arthur turned to Theodor, smiling, and said, "Well done, Theodor. You have completed a historic event for Australasia. You are a hero for the entire country!"
Although the airships produced by the aviation laboratory had already proven to be reliable, this was the first-ever long-distance global voyage, and there were certainly risks involved.
As the head of the aviation laboratory, Theodor was personally responsible for the global voyage, taking the risk of potentially losing his life in the air to carry out a mission that brought immense prestige to Australasia. His contributions could not be overstated.
"It's my duty to serve His Majesty and the nation. Besides, the performance of the Dawn airship is trustworthy. Our journey felt more like a sponsored trip," Theodor replied respectfully.
"Alright, take a few days to rest! After tonight's banquet, I approve a three-day vacation for you and all the operators. After three days, I'm afraid the aviation laboratory will have even more demanding tasks. The need for airships is only going to increase," Arthur patted Theodor on the shoulder, saying.
Arthur was well aware of the actions of European and American capitalists and knew exactly why they had come to Sydney.
In truth, this was a good thing for both Arthur and Australasia. The more airships were sold, the more profit Arthur would make, and the more it would push European and American nations into a deep pit.
Imagine, several years later, when airships developed by various countries for bombing or strategic purposes filled the skies. If Australasia's airplanes appeared overhead, they would easily crush and annihilate those airships, making Europe and America's embarrassment unimaginable.
Currently, the most advanced AU-3 airship, based on the sales price, would yield a profit of at least 20,000 pounds per unit for Arthur.
This profit was enough for Australasia to manufacture one plane, or with the profit from dozens of airships, even build a super-dreadnought.
That evening, the celebratory banquet was grand, with high-ranking government officials, the Royal Family, businessmen, capitalists, famous media outlets from around the world, all the passengers from the airship, operators, attendants, and more, all invited.
Arthur briefly attended the banquet, but didn't overshadow the event. After encouraging the crowd, he handed over the celebration to Theodor and the aviation laboratory.
Once Arthur and the high-ranking officials left, the once solemn banquet turned more relaxed. People began chatting and laughing, as if the social hierarchy had dissolved.
"Theodor, do you think the airship like Dawn could be sold abroad to promote the global aviation industry?" someone asked, seizing the opportunity when Theodor appeared in a good mood.
"Well, that's a question," Theodor pretended to think for a moment, and when everyone turned to him, waiting for his answer, he continued, "As you can see, our AU-3 airship truly has the ability to circumnavigate the globe. Even without scheduled stops, it can travel for over 15,000 kilometers, or at least half a month, carrying fewer than 40 passengers. Without exaggeration, this airship can directly reach any place in Europe or America within just half a month."
"This means that the airship has tremendous strategic value. Technically speaking, the relevant technology needs to be kept strictly confidential."
Though it was already clear that the airship didn't need to be confidential, Theodor wasn't about to reveal everything to these capitalists.
According to Arthur's instructions, these capitalists needed to beg Australasia to sell the airships, not the other way around. That way, the benefits could be maximized, and these greedy capitalists would be controlled.
Seeing many people's disappointed expressions, Theodor slowly continued, "However, the situation is not without hope."
"Theodor, what do you mean?" someone asked boldly.
"Besides its immense military strategic value, this airship also has a crucial role in the aviation industry. Its impact on human progress and daily life is also vital. As for these factors, His Majesty specifically instructed me that if the airship is to be used for non-military purposes, we can sell the AU-3 model abroad," Theodor teased the crowd before starting to explain.
After hearing Theodor's words, many people in the room sighed in relief. After all, not many had come for military purposes, and who would foolishly purchase an airship from Australasia for military use, except for a few countries with particularly close ties to Australasia?
The U.S. military had already made two plans: encourage domestic capitalists to buy airships from Australasia and see if they could acquire a few for research purposes, while also starting a major airship research program. The U.S. military didn't believe that with the full strength of the United States, they couldn't catch up with Australasia's development in airships within five years.
(End of Chapter)
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