The next afternoon, Lionel and Alice appeared punctually outside the "Delaroche Notary Office."
Pushing open the door, Lionel was surprised to find that the usual rustle of quill pens scratching across paper had been replaced by a rhythmic "clack" sound.
The young clerk, Justin, sat upright, intently staring at a typewriter in front of him, clumsily tapping key after key.
The paper roller of the typewriter was directly in front of him, allowing him to see every word he typed.
With each tap, the "carriage" beneath the paper roller moved slightly to the left, taking the roller with it.
When the carriage reached the end, the "return bell" would give a "ding" sound as a prompt.
At this point, Justin would push the carriage back to the beginning of the line, and the paper roller would then scroll down one line.
Alice's eyes lit up:
"A new typewriter? Has it been invented already?"
Hearing the commotion, Delaroche also emerged from his office:
"Ah! Lionel! Miss Rocher! Welcome, welcome!"
The seasoned notary no longer had his previous aloofness when greeting Lionel; he was now like an old friend.
He glanced at Justin, who was practicing typing:
"This is the latest prototype, brought back yesterday from the 'Ognia Sewing Machine Factory.'
Our firm has a large volume of copying, which is perfect for high-intensity testing of the machine and for identifying any issues. The patent application is also underway..."
Lionel nodded:
"Is this the only one? If there are more, send one to my place."
Then, Delaroche led the two into his office, with Alice following nervously behind Lionel.
After the three were seated, Mr. Delaroche cut straight to the chase:
"Lionel briefly mentioned a 'Typing Cooperative' in his letter. He said this was your idea, Miss Rocher?"
Lionel smiled and looked at Alice.
Alice took a deep breath and began to speak.
Initially, her voice trembled slightly, but as she delved deeper into her explanation, her tone became increasingly smooth, and her eyes gleamed with confidence.
She described in detail the current operating model, the workflow, income, and the difficulties they were currently facing...
Mr. Delaroche listened with extreme focus, occasionally asking key questions:
"What is the average charge per page?"
"What is the approximate proportion of paper and ink costs?"
"Are current arrangements verbal or are there any simple receipts?"
"What is the attitude of these women's husbands towards this?"
...
Alice answered each question in detail.
When he heard that these housewives could earn more than skilled male workers through typewriters, Delaroche openly expressed his surprise and admiration.
He couldn't help but praise her:
"Excellent! Miss Rocher, you have inadvertently pioneered a whole new business model!
This is not only a charitable act but also a highly promising business!"
He stood up and began to pace his office:
"You see, the 'Typing Cooperative' solves two key problems—
First, it has found the most vivid and convincing use case for our new typewriter, which will open up a huge market!
We no longer have to vaguely promote that it's faster and clearer than handwriting; instead, we prove its value with tangible income!
Second, it proves that ordinary women, after simple training, can completely handle this work and earn a substantial income!"
He turned to Lionel:
"Imagine, not just on Mouffetard Street, but in every district of Paris, in Lyon, in Marseille, in Bordeaux...
How many shops, firms, and government agencies require a large amount of document copying and organization?
If we can establish a network, one 'Typing Cooperative' after another, what a massive market that would be!"
Lionel nodded:
"So, Alice came to you hoping for professional guidance.
This loose form of mutual assistance is clearly no longer adequate for development needs."
Mr. Delaroche sat back in his chair, resuming the rigorous demeanor of a notary:
"I suggest first registering and establishing a sole proprietorship, an 'individual enterprise'..."
After half an hour of detailed explanation, Alice finally understood the entire process.
Lionel, meanwhile, noticed that at this time in France, the procedures for business registration were already very similar to later times, and some processes were even simpler.
Mr. Delaroche concluded:
"Lionel, I will prepare a detailed proposal for you as soon as possible..."
However, Lionel interrupted him, pointing to Alice beside him:
"No, Delaroche, give it directly to Alice.
She is the initiator of this venture, and all future decisions should be led by her. At most, I will offer suggestions."
The office fell silent for a moment.
A clear flicker of surprise crossed Mr. Delaroche's face.
He looked at Lionel, then at a somewhat flustered Alice.
In his understanding, Lionel should naturally be the one to make the final decision.
Alice subconsciously looked at Lionel, wanting to say something, but seeing Lionel's calm expression, she finally nodded heavily.
Mr. Delaroche quickly composed himself:
"I understand. Miss Rocher, then, I will prepare the preliminary proposal within three days.
Please spare some time to visit again, and we will discuss it in detail together. Please also feel free to tell me any thoughts or requirements you have."
Alice's heart was pounding.
She took a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down:
"Okay, Mr. Delaroche."
Delaroche sincerely said, "Very good!" this time.
With the main business settled, the atmosphere became much more relaxed.
Delaroche took out two contracts from a drawer and handed them to Lionel:
"This is the purchase contract for 21B Baker Street, sold for 980 pounds.
And here is Mrs. Mary Jenkins' rental agreement, 1 pound per week, which she offsets with her services of maintaining, cleaning the house, and looking after the residents."
Lionel took the contracts, glanced at them briefly, and handed them back to Delaroche:
"Very good, buying that place now is definitely worth it."
Delaroche placed the contracts back in the drawer and continued:
"Oh, and one more thing—the bicycle samples are also ready.
You'll need to personally visit the Faubourg Saint-Antoine for inspection."
Lionel became interested:
"Oh? Which factory did you find?"
Mr. Delaroche took out his business card holder and looked through it:
"The name is a bit strange, it's called 'Peugeot'..."
Lionel let out an "hmm," not reacting immediately.
Then he explained:
"This company started in Montbéliard; their pepper mills and coffee grinders are very popular, I have some at home.
Last year, they opened a small factory in the Faubourg Saint-Antoine, apparently wanting to shift their focus to Paris, and they can produce springs and chains.
The person in charge is named Armand, a very dynamic young man; I had a good chat with him..."
Lionel was stunned for a few seconds, then almost burst out laughing—Peugeot? Isn't that Peugeot!
He suppressed his smile and nodded:
"I remember now, their pepper mills are indeed very famous. Good, I will definitely go!"
Delaroche flipped through his desk calendar:
"How about the last day of August, 10 AM, if you have no other commitments."
He then handed Lionel a piece of paper with the address written on it.
Lionel took the note, stood up, and shook hands with Delaroche:
"Okay, I'll be there on time."
(End of chapter)