Chapter 23 – Holding Back the Times
Berlin Energy & Power Company.
Ernst had returned to Berlin. The military academy could run without him—the textbooks had been reviewed and edited by him personally. As long as the instructors followed the materials, there would be no major problems. But the Berlin Energy & Power Company needed his direct attention. Ernst had received word that the four-stroke engine had made a major breakthrough—the first prototype had been completed and was now waiting for inspection in the lab.
Before him stood a large and somewhat rough-looking machine: the world's first four-stroke engine.
"Start it up!" Ernst commanded.
Technicians filled the engine with fuel. One picked up a crank handle, took a solid stance, and began to rotate it with effort. The flywheel spun faster and faster.
"Click, click…"
Vroom—
A massive cloud of black smoke burst from the exhaust. As the piston moved up and down, the large flywheel rotated along with the shafts and gears. The lab filled with loud noise—but to Ernst's ears, it was a beautiful sound.
Lenoir, the engineer, and his assistant Benz smiled with pride. This was truly a revolutionary achievement in mechanical power—something destined for the history books.
After leaving the lab, Ernst turned to the team and said, "I'm very pleased with your success. This is a historic breakthrough. Your bonus this month will be doubled. Once we go into mass production, all contributors will receive a 20% stake in the technical profits."
After what he considered a generous offer, Ernst continued, "I'm satisfied with this prototype. But it's still too large and bulky. You need to keep refining it—improve component precision and shrink the size to make it suitable for smaller machines."
This was preparation for entering the future automobile market. Right now, steam engines and early internal combustion engines were mainly used in factories and ships, where space wasn't as much of an issue.
"No problem, boss," Lenoir replied confidently. Since Ernst had brought him on board—with ample funding and lab space—he had been able to realize ideas that had long seemed impossible.
The young assistant Benz had also proven himself. Although freshly graduated, he was highly capable, often offering insights that complemented Lenoir's work, and his hands-on skills were excellent. The rest of the team had also received solid technical education, making them well-equipped to understand and implement Lenoir's designs.
Though Lenoir preferred research, as general manager of the company, he could focus on R&D while staff from Hexingen Bank managed day-to-day operations. With these advantages, he was confident in speeding up development.
"As for production, don't rush it," Ernst said. "I plan to launch around 1870."
"Boss, isn't that a bit late?" Lenoir asked. "With just a bit more refinement, this engine could hit the market now."
Ernst knew the sooner they launched, the sooner they'd make money. But the four-stroke engine was too critical—it would reshape entire industries like automobiles. Historically, the first four-stroke engine came in 1876, created by Otto. Now it was only 1865.
As someone who had time-traveled, Ernst's biggest advantage was his knowledge of future developments. If he changed history too drastically, he might lose that edge. The four-stroke engine directly influenced major industries—what if its early release drastically rewrote history? Though Ernst had already altered many things, so far, the overall timeline remained intact. He wanted to keep it that way.
Even launching the engine five years earlier than history would still put him well ahead. So he chose to wait. But, of course, he didn't explain this to his team.
"Mr. Lenoir, it's part of our corporate strategy," Ernst said calmly. "Our market research shows that while the four-stroke engine improves efficiency, the current market still gets by fine with steam and two-stroke engines."
"I strongly believe in the future of the four-stroke engine. That's why I want to plan carefully—positioning ourselves across related industries. If this technology appears too early, we lose that advantage."
To reassure them, he added, "Don't worry—we hold the patent. No one can take the market from us. We're only delaying the launch to build a better future."
The team nodded, grasping the idea of "long-term investment." Still, Lenoir asked cautiously, "What if someone else develops a four-stroke engine first?"
"No need to worry," Ernst replied. "Even if they do, ours will be better—and we have the patent as a safety net. The market will still be ours."
To put their minds fully at ease, Ernst adopted a serious tone. "The real reason we're delaying this launch is because I have something even more revolutionary in mind. I want to use a compact, powerful engine to change how people travel."
He continued, "This engine gives us the opportunity. One day, we'll mount it on carriages. Since it runs on gasoline, let's call it an 'automobile.' Think about it—if cars become real, that will be another world-changing invention."
"Of course, this is just between us. Everyone here must sign a confidentiality agreement today. Our entire future strategy depends on this staying secret," Ernst emphasized.
…
On July 13, 1865, the world's first four-stroke engine was born. This would later be revealed in declassified files from the Hexingen Consortium. Some future critics would accuse Ernst of holding back human progress.
"If the four-stroke engine had come out earlier," they'd argue, "it would've changed the course of history. The Second Industrial Revolution would have exploded even faster."
Sensationalist media in the future even used headlines like:
"Shocking! This Man Was the Hidden Hand Preventing Humanity from Reaching Mars and the Stars Sooner!"
But that was all in the distant future. Ernst would never hear those voices.
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