Building the First Industrial Empire in Another World

Chapter 84: The Product Testing

"We expand."

Hollen repeated the words under his breath as if testing them.

Outside the office window, another wagon rolled through the gates of Helmarte Soap Works. Workers immediately descended upon it, unloading barrels of olive oil and crates of imported fragrances. The factory grounds remained as busy as ever, but for the first time in a long while, Ernest’s attention wasn’t on soap or steam engines.

It was on four wooden boxes sitting in another building entirely.

The older man noticed the direction of his gaze.

"You’re smiling again."

"I told you, I don’t have a smile."

"You do. And it usually costs me money."

Ernest laughed and stood up. "Come on."

"Where are we going?"

"The testing area."

Hollen blinked.

"You built a testing area?"

"Of course I did."

At this point, the forge owner wasn’t even surprised anymore.

The two left the office and crossed the factory grounds. Workers greeted them as they passed. Several supervisors paused to hand over reports, which Ernest accepted before giving brief instructions. Even after three years, the young man still somehow knew what was happening in every corner of the industrial complex.

Eventually, they arrived at a smaller brick building standing behind one of the warehouses.

Unlike the production halls, this structure was quiet.

No line shafts.

No rotating machinery.

No shouting workers.

Above the entrance hung a freshly painted sign.

Product Development and Testing Laboratory.

Hollen stared at it.

"You named it."

"Everything important deserves a name."

The older man sighed.

"You really are building an empire."

Ernest simply smiled and pushed open the door.

The interior resembled a cross between a workshop and an alchemist’s laboratory.

Shelves lined the walls.

Glass bottles.

Clay jars.

Metal containers.

Bundles of herbs.

Fragrant oils.

Dried flowers.

Charcoal powders.

Various chemicals and ingredients sat carefully labeled on wooden shelves.

Several tables occupied the center of the room, each covered with papers and experimental samples.

And sitting neatly upon one table were four wooden boxes.

Ernest walked directly toward them.

"They arrived this morning."

Hollen looked interested now.

"The products?"

"The first production samples."

He opened the first box.

Inside sat several small ceramic bottles sealed with cork stoppers. The liquid within had a pale golden color.

The moment he removed the cork, a pleasant herbal fragrance filled the room.

Hollen blinked.

"That smells... nice."

"Shampoo."

The older man leaned closer and sniffed again.

"It smells cleaner than soap."

"That was the idea."

He uncorked another bottle.

This one carried a faint floral scent.

"Conditioner."

The third box contained small clay jars filled with white paste.

"Toothpaste."

Finally, the fourth contained small cylindrical sticks wrapped in wax paper.

"Deodorant."

Hollen stared at the table.

Then at Ernest.

Then back at the table.

"You really made all of these?"

"I had help from the laboratory workers."

"But you invented them."

"Essentially."

The forge owner slowly sat down.

There were times when he forgot that the person sitting across from him was fourteen years old.

This was one of those times.

Ernest picked up one of the shampoo bottles.

"Let’s begin."

"Begin what?"

"The demonstration."

Hollen looked alarmed.

"I’m not drinking anything."

"Why would you drink shampoo?"

"You’ve created four strange products with stranger names. I don’t know your intentions."

The young businessman laughed.

"You’re impossible."

Several laboratory workers who had been quietly organizing shelves burst into laughter.

One of them quickly covered his mouth.

Ernest ignored them.

"Come with me."

They moved into another room connected to the laboratory.

It resembled a small washroom.

A basin occupied one side.

Several pitchers of water stood nearby.

Towels hung from hooks.

Hollen looked around suspiciously.

"What exactly is happening?"

Ernest picked up a shampoo bottle.

"Sit."

"Why?"

"I’m washing your hair."

Silence.

"No."

"Why not?"

"Because I don’t trust you."

Another burst of laughter escaped from the laboratory.

Ernest pinched the bridge of his nose.

"You trust me with millions of riels."

"Yes."

"You trust me to build steam engines."

"Yes."

"You trust me to run four factories."

"Yes."

"But not shampoo?"

"Exactly."

The room erupted into laughter again.

Even Ernest couldn’t help smiling.

Eventually, Hollen sighed and sat down.

"If I become bald, I’m blaming you."

"You were already heading in that direction."

The older man looked offended.

Ernest poured water over his hair.

Then he applied a small amount of shampoo.

Immediately, Hollen frowned.

"That’s... strange."

"What?"

"It feels different."

Soap usually left the hair stiff almost immediately.

This didn’t.

Instead, the liquid spread easily.

As Ernest worked it through his hair, small bubbles formed.

The older man blinked.

"Why is it foaming so much?"

"Because it’s supposed to."

A few moments later, Ernest rinsed it.

Then he reached for the second bottle.

"Now the conditioner."

"The what?"

"The thing I literally introduced five minutes ago."

He applied it.

Waited.

Then rinsed again.

Finally, he handed Hollen a towel.

The forge owner dried his hair.

Then paused.

His expression became strange.

He touched his hair.

Touched it again.

Then again.

Everyone watched.

"What?"

Hollen looked at Ernest.

"My hair feels... softer."

"That’s the point."

He touched it again.

"And cleaner."

"Also the point."

Another touch.

"It doesn’t feel dry."

"That’s literally why I invented it."

The older man looked genuinely stunned.

He had washed his hair with soap his entire life.

Everyone had.

This was different.

Completely different.

One of the laboratory workers approached cautiously.

"May I?"

Hollen nodded.

The man touched his hair.

Then blinked.

"It really is softer."

Another worker touched it.

Then another.

The room suddenly became a group investigation into Hollen’s hair.

"Stop touching me."

Nobody listened.

Eventually, Ernest opened one of the clay jars.

"Now for toothpaste."

Everyone turned.

He placed a small amount onto a cloth and began demonstrating.

The workers watched with fascination.

When he finished, he smiled.

"You use this every day."

One worker frowned.

"To clean teeth?"

"Yes."

"People clean teeth?"

Ernest stared at him.

"Please tell me you clean your teeth."

"I... rinse with water."

The young businessman looked horrified.

Several others looked equally guilty.

Hollen slowly raised a hand.

"I also rinse with water."

Ernest closed his eyes.

For several seconds, he simply stood there.

Then he sighed.

"I have so much work to do."

The room burst into laughter.

By the time they returned to the main laboratory, Hollen was still touching his hair.

Every few moments.

Again.

And again.

Finally, Ernest looked at him.

"Are you finished?"

"No."

"You’ve touched your hair twelve times."

"It still feels strange."

He touched it once more.

Then he looked at the table containing the products.

A slow smile spread across his face.

"Oh no."

"What?"

"I know that look."

"I don’t have a look."

"You absolutely do."

The older man pointed toward the boxes.

"These are going to make us another fortune, aren’t they?"

Ernest looked at the four products.

Shampoo.

Conditioner.

Toothpaste.

Deodorant.

Products so ordinary in his previous world that nobody even thought about them.

Here?

They didn’t exist.

Not yet.

A slow smile appeared on his face.

Hollen groaned.

"Gods help me."

Because after three years of knowing Ernest Teucher, he had learned something undeniable.

Whenever Ernest smiled like that...

Another industry was about to be born.