NOVPUBThe office door closed once again, and everyone exited. Two bank representatives, one stayed inside the room while the other stood guard at the door, seemingly forbidding anyone else from approaching and eavesdropping.
Baron Friedrich’s brow furrowed, clearly seeing this as a sign of distrust. However, considering the terrible situation he was in, he had no choice but to restrain his anger.
"Speak, what matter requires such secrecy? Let me be clear, if you’re aiming to take over the machinery factory, you’re wasting your time here.
The machinery factory is my child; no matter how destitute, I will not give it away. You, Paris Bank, do not have the right to take it from my hands!"
As Baron Friedrich spoke these words, he was full of confidence. Although the power of the Aristocratic Group had declined, they still wielded great influence over the French government.
Capitalists, despite their wealth, still did not have as much political clout as the Nobility.
Baron Friedrich, as one of the few successful businessmen among the Nobility, had a powerful network of contacts. Once mobilized, even finance groups would find themselves in a headache.
Given this backdrop, many coveted the machinery factory, yet very few dared to take action.
The middle-aged man gave an embarrassed smile: "Your Excellency, Baron, you worry too much. How could we dare to covet what is yours?
In the past week, the stock market has fallen continuously, and the market has reached the brink of collapse. I am here on behalf of Paris Bank to discuss with you how to weather this impending economic crisis."
There was no doubt that Paris Bank had also considered taking over the machinery factory but found it to be a tough bone to gnaw, the meat hidden within the crevices of the bone, difficult to gnaw without scraping one’s teeth.
Baron Friedrich rolled his eyes: "Enough, the old man still knows himself. If the economic crisis were up to me, I wouldn’t be worrying about money now."
Facing a massive wave of defaults, the machinery factory lacked cash flow, a fact well known in the capital market.
It was impossible to hide, and Baron Friedrich had no intention of pretending to be well-off nor thought he could fool those bloodsucking vampires at the bank.
The middle-aged man’s smile faded, and he spoke seriously: "Your Excellency, Baron, what I am about to discuss is of utmost importance. If you decide to listen, you must ensure that the contents of our conversation do not leak.
I can assure you, the following discussion will only benefit you and not harm you. Even the troubles you are facing now could be easily resolved."
It was a blatant provocation, but seeing the chance to solve his financial dilemma, Baron Friedrich decided to keep listening.
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As for confidentiality, that would depend on the nature of the news. If the interest was significant enough, secrecy was a joke.
"Speak then, if it will benefit me, then you needn’t worry about any leaks!"
The middle-aged man nodded and began slowly: "Your Excellency, Baron, you must have noticed. Currently, all European countries are experiencing varying degrees of overcapacity, with France suffering the greatest losses.
In the end, our industrial production costs are too high, unable to compete with the Anglo-Austrian two countries.
To solve the problem of industrial raw materials, we have made many efforts, but to little avail.
Primarily because the energy issue has not been resolved, we are forced to purchase coal at exorbitant prices from the international market, often facing insufficient supply, which negatively impacts all industries.
To address this problem, we hope the domestic industrial and commercial sectors can unite, exerting joint pressure on the Central Government to implement the Central Europe strategy as soon as possible.
Once the energy issue is resolved, the domestic industrial and commercial sectors will immediately see a resurgence.
By then, Your Excellency’s orders might be backlogged for years, and firms currently canceling contracts due to default will be pleading to pay off their balances to you."
To carry out the Central Europe strategy, mere talk won’t solve the problem; the French government will certainly need to expand its military preparations. The domestically unsold strategic materials will then be rapidly utilized.
If Austria intervenes and a great European war breaks out, the amount of strategic materials needed will be astronomical.
As an upstream machinery equipment manufacturing enterprise, Baron Friedrich’s machinery factory would naturally be a beneficiary.
While the stakes were high, Baron Friedrich’s brow remained tightly knit, and after a long silence, he finally spoke slowly: "You’re playing with fire, and one mishap could ruin the French Empire!"
As great as the potential benefits were, the accompanying risks were even greater. The French government’s Central Europe strategy had been considered an idealistic strategy since its inception.
From the era of Napoleon III to the present, over thirty years had passed since the plan was drafted, yet the French government had still not implemented it.
It wasn’t for lack of desire; in fact, successive French governments have wanted to achieve this grand strategy. The crux of the matter was a lack of strength.
Although France was powerful, it paled in comparison to the combined might of the other European countries. A misstep could ignite a renewed anti-French war, a potentially fatal outcome.
The middle-aged man shook his head: "Your Excellency, Baron, with high risk comes high reward. If we’re averse to taking risks, how can we hope to resolve the predicaments we currently face?
Moreover, now is the best opportunity to act. Britain and Russia are locked in battle in Central Asia, effectively containing each other. The only obstacle in our way at this moment is Austria.
If we miss this opportunity, once the British-Russian war comes to an end, our chances will be gone forever.
Although our economy has appeared to recover well in recent years, compared to other European countries, our growth rate is near the bottom."
As time goes on, this situation will only get worse. If we take action now, we still have a chance of succeeding, but the longer we wait, the lower our chances become.
In fact, we should have taken action during the Prusso-Russian War in 1880. Unfortunately, due to some people’s hesitations, a golden opportunity was wasted.
Looking purely at the comparison of strengths, 1880 was indeed the year with the highest success rate for France to challenge the European order.
Then, with the sound of gunfire from the Paris Revolution, the economy of France suffered a severe blow and only now has it recovered.
Regrettably, that was not the end of the matter, but just the beginning of a disaster. With an economic crisis looming, if measures are not taken to overcome the crisis, the French economy will be hit hard again.
In the grand scheme of history, ten years is hardly worth mentioning. But for France, these wasted ten years were a decade of falling completely behind economically.
More than a decade ago, France’s domestic economy had already surpassed that of The British Isles, but now it has been overtaken by the British again.
Compared with Austria, the gap in economic strength is even wider. If things go on like this, perhaps in the next decade, the difference between the two will no longer be counted in percentage points, but in multiples.
In those days, people greatly underestimated the importance of the economy, and the economic share in the calculation of national power was minuscule.
Relying on the prestige left over from the Napoleonic Era and after years of government propaganda, in everyone’s subconscious France is still the world’s number one military power on land and the second on sea, and ordinary citizens do not feel the pressure.
However, it’s different for finance groups, they are the most sensitive to the economy. Economic prosperity means more money, and if the economy remains disadvantaged for a long time, the gap between their strength and that of the Anglo-Austrian capitalists will gradually widen.
Whether for long-term development or short-term interests, finance groups have the need to promote a Central European strategy.
Lobbying Baron Friedrich is mainly because the capital sees the value in his network of connections, which can influence government decisions to some extent.
These things cannot be bought with money alone. Even now, the spokespersons for the French finance group in politics do not carry much weight.
They might influence some minor decisions, but to promote a Central European strategy, they must seek the support of the nobility.
"Sigh!"
After sighing, Baron Friedrich closed his eyes, embroiled in an intense internal struggle.
The more he knew, the more troubled he became. The current state of France could not be hidden from these elites. The deeper his understanding, the harder it was for Baron Friedrich to make a decision.
Seeing Baron Friedrich hesitate, the middle-aged man added, "As long as your Excellency is willing to push for a Central European strategy, whether it is successful or not, the bank’s loans can be postponed until next year.
If the Central European strategy passes in the government, we can also provide another loan to the machinery factory."
"The bank’s loans," not just "Paris Bank’s loans," Baron Friedrich understood the implication very clearly; it meant that several of France’s major finance groups were jointly promoting this plan.
Unlike the nobility, which is tied to France, if the Empire collapses, everyone’s good days are over.
The capitalists always have a lot of room to choose. Even if they lose the gamble, they can still withdraw and develop in other countries.
It’s just that they would need to start from scratch, and the costs would be higher. Unless necessary, everyone would not easily give up on France.
Baron Friedrich said sarcastically, "You are very generous indeed! Alright, I know what to do now. I have another meeting to attend, so I won’t keep you any longer."
Despite the rude treatment, the middle-aged man wasn’t annoyed; knowing that the matter was settled, he left the office with a polite smile on his face.
All along, Baron Friedrich never asked for the middle-aged man’s name or identity. Not because he was arrogant, but because there was really no need to care about a minor figure.
Making decisions for the government and pushing for a Central European strategy involves sensitive matters. Important figures would never expose themselves; those who came out to do the networking were all dispensable pawns.
If the plan succeeds, well and good, but if it fails and attracts the hostility of the French government, these pawns would be ready-made scapegoats.
After looking out the window for a long time, Baron Friedrich finally picked up the telephone line, took out the phone book, and began to make calls...
...
It was not only Baron Friedrich who was being lobbied; since the outbreak of the stock market crash, capitalists had begun to conspire behind the scenes.
It began with the industrial and commercial sectors, followed by members of parliament and government officials, setting the stage for a massive public relations campaign.
Unbeknownst to all, public opinion in France also began to change. Experts and scholars attributed a series of problems, such as the stock market crash, the unemployment wave, and low worker benefits, to the manipulation of coal prices by the Prussian and German nations.
In summary, the narrative became: The despicable Prussia and Germany, by raising the export price of coal, plundered the wealth of France.
Of course, some street tabloids also casually implicated John Bull, as Britannia was the world’s number one coal-exporting country at the time.
These were minor issues, as the conflict between England and France didn’t start overnight, and it didn’t matter to record one more grievance.
Under the principle of picking on the soft ones, experts and scholars swiftly chose to turn a blind eye, only demanding the government to take tough measures against Prussia and Germany to prevent national wealth from flowing out.
