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Chapter 32: The Idea of Starting a Factory—Fructose!
🕑 Added 2024-11-28 15:21:28 +0000 UTC"My dear, I understand your concerns. Rest assured, as long as you don’t reveal anything, the existence of this diamond will remain known only to the two of us," Josh explained with a reassuring smile in response to Margaret’s worries.
After all, this gem had been sitting in the treasure vault of the Dragon Queen, Daenerys, in another world just ten minutes ago. There was no way anyone in this world could have seen it before.
The aluminum jewelry and finely cut diamond pieces Josh had previously gifted to Daenerys had inspired her with a lucrative new business venture. In return, she provided Josh with a vast collection of jewels, primarily raw diamonds.
As on Earth, diamonds were classified as gemstones in Westeros but weren’t particularly popular. The reason wasn’t their abundance but the sheer difficulty of polishing diamonds with ancient technology. It made mass production impossible, though diamonds were easily used for cutting metals.
However, this pink diamond had not initially been part of Daenerys’ trade offerings. Such an exceptional stone, despite its challenging craftsmanship, was among the finest treasures in Westeros. Its soft pink hue was one of Daenerys' favorites, so it had been locked away in her private vault of prized possessions.
But Daenerys had made the mistake of promising Josh he could choose one item from her vault. And that was that.
By now, Daenerys was probably sulking in a corner of her palace, drawing angry circles on the floor.
"Are you sure?" Margaret’s doubt only deepened at Josh’s explanation. How could such a priceless diamond exist with only the two of them knowing about it?
"Trust me, nothing will happen. Look at how perfectly it suits you," Josh said, holding the diamond against Margaret’s ample chest.
At that moment, Josh’s eyes were glued to the sight. The pink diamond, glowing under the dim yellow bedside lamp, cast a radiant glow on Margaret’s fair skin, creating a scene of unparalleled beauty.
Margaret, startled by Josh’s sudden and fiery gaze, barely had time to let out a small cry before being pushed down onto the bed.
Diamond? To hell with the diamond!
As the mattress springs endured the strain of their movements, the once-admired pink diamond was gradually pushed closer to the edge of the bed by the bouncing. Finally, with a soft "thud," it fell to the floor, landing safely on the wooden planks below.
It was fortunate the floor was wood. Had it been tiled, this precious gem might have met its untimely demise less than thirty minutes after arriving in this world.
"You want to start a sugar factory, an aluminum alloy plant, and a craft goods company?" Margaret asked as she toyed with the diamond in her hands, still basking in the afterglow of their recent activities. "The alloy plant and craft goods factory seem doable, but a sugar factory? Isn’t it hard to source raw materials these days?"
Margaret didn’t object to Josh’s business plans in the slightest. After all, the factories he wanted to set up weren’t large-scale and wouldn’t require much money—likely just tens of thousands. That was a drop in the bucket for Margaret, who had recently received a substantial insurance payout following Tony Wendis’ death.
In fact, if Josh wanted more money, she’d gladly provide it. Even if he lost every cent, she wouldn’t mind.
Especially after receiving the diamond Josh had just gifted her. Even if it were cut into smaller pieces and sold, its value would far exceed her current net worth.
But, as she had pointed out, the sugar factory posed a problem. Starting an aluminum alloy plant or a craft goods factory was relatively straightforward. Despite wartime economic conditions, aluminum—a key material for aviation—was not entirely restricted in the U.S. because the country imported most of its bauxite from Brazil, which was unaffected by the war. While aluminum products were rationed, raw materials were not, and the government would even encourage such production. Any output would likely be purchased by the military, ensuring no losses.
The craft goods factory, focusing on items like glassware and inexpensive diamond crafts, wasn’t tied to the war effort and posed no issues.
The sugar factory, however, was a different story.
At this time, sugar production primarily relied on sugarcane and sugar beets. Corn syrup and fructose, though known, had limited production due to underdeveloped technology, making them more expensive than regular sugar.
Additionally, sugarcane and sugar beets were seasonal crops. With Pacific trade routes disrupted by the war, Southeast Asian sugarcane imports had stopped. Domestic supplies were allocated to large companies, leaving smaller factories like Josh’s without raw materials unless he had connections.
What Margaret didn’t know was that Josh never intended to source raw materials from this world. His supply would come from Westeros.
Daenerys’ interest in sugar wasn’t because Westeros lacked it entirely but because the continent didn’t have refined sugar production technology. Josh could import raw sugar from Westeros, refine it here, and sell it back to Daenerys—or on the domestic market—for enormous profits.
This plan wasn’t without risks. If the U.S. government discovered the anomaly of producing large quantities of sugar without raw materials, questions would arise.
But Josh’s ultimate goal wasn’t even traditional sugar. He was focused on introducing something revolutionary for the era: high-fructose corn syrup.
"Have you heard of fructose? What if I told you I had a way to extract sugar sweeter than cane sugar and cheaper to produce—from cornstarch?" Josh asked, his voice filled with intrigue as he addressed Margaret’s doubts.
