Two children once stole some fruit and dairy products from their homes and ran off to play in the wild. At that time, there was no way to preserve food, and they could do nothing but watch the leftover food spoil under the sun.
Later, the two boys entered middle school and remained close friends. One day, while walking along the edge of a frozen lake, the boy named Tudor suddenly asked, "Do you remember when we stole food from home to eat outside?" The other replied, "Of course I remember. It's just a pity that the leftovers all went bad!" Tudor pointed at the lake and asked, "Do you see that ice?" "There's ice everywhere here in winter—nothing special about it," the other said. Excitedly, Tudor said, "Why don't we collect this ice and ship it to sell at ports in the hot Caribbean?" His friend laughed and said, "Don't be silly! The ice would have melted into water by the time it got there!" But Tudor's eyes remained fixed on the ice covering the lake.
Several years later, in 1806, the 21-year-old Tudor approached his old friend again, hoping he would join him in an ice-selling business. But his friend refused once more and advised him to stop having such wild dreams. Eventually, with financial backing from others, Tudor spent ten thousand dollars to ship 130 tons of ice by boat to the sweltering island of Martinique.
From then on, over the next 15 years, Tudor expanded his ice business around the world. Wherever ships could sail, he met people's demands for chilled drinks, ice-preserved fruit, and refrigerated meat.
By 1858, Tudor had loaded 150,000 tons of ice onto 380 large ships, shipping it to over fifty countries and regions, including the United States, China, the Philippines, and Australia. Tudor thus became the "Ice King" of the world and a billionaire. Even greater than his personal success was his indirect contribution: years later, scientists drew inspiration from his methods and invented the refrigerator.
Meanwhile, the friend who had once mocked Tudor continued living an ordinary life. For he had failed to realize that although ice melts when exposed to heat, its true value can only be revealed in the hottest places.