America's Road to Wealth

Chapter 474 Free Masons Guild
Affected by the North Atlantic warm current and westerly winds, London has a temperate maritime climate.

It is characterized by small temperature difference between the four seasons, cool in summer and warm in winter, humid air, rainy and foggy.

Like today, it was fine in the morning and at noon.

In the evening, in London in late spring and early summer, it began to drizzle again.

Bright glass in the Barbecoa restaurant.

It was also hit by raindrops, and was forced to hang a layer of frost-like raindrops.

It makes it look like frosted glass, with a hazy feeling.

In the warm dining room.

Abel retracted the wine glass he offered, and he looked at Howard Davis and William Boot.

Howard Davis is the head of the FSA, the No. 1 figure in the UK's financial regulator, and the chairman of the Royal Bank of Scotland.

William Bute is the first heir to the Marquess of Bute and is also the current general manager of British Coal Company.

Don't think that the British Coal Company is a coal mining company, and it also operates a large number of coal power plants.

It is an important part of the British power system.

In the parallel time and space, there are threats from environmentalists, and there are very cheap Maoxiong gas and oil to buy.

The British Coal Company has gradually closed a large number of coal-fired power plants and converted them to oil and gas power plants.

Later Mao Xiong turned against Europe and the United States, and Europe could no longer buy cheap oil and gas.

British Coal had to turn on closed coal-fired power plants.

Then something funny happened.

That is, in the process of switching back to coal power generation, the British discovered that there were no technical personnel related to coal power generation in their country...

The decline of old Europe is overall, and it cannot be covered up by Germany's strong economic development.

Among them, the old overlord Britain has fallen the fastest.

This kind of thing happening in the UK will only increase in the future.

In another 30 to 40 years at most, Europe will return to its global historical status in the Dark Middle Ages.

Today's game was not initiated by Abel, and he did not invite these two people to participate.

He was invited by William Boot.

It wasn't until Abel arrived that Howard Davis was there.

As for the reason why William Bute was able to invite Abel.

It is because the Bout family is now one of the largest clients of Smith Financial (UK).

From last year to the present, the Bout family has managed 15.68 billion pounds of funds at Smith Financial (UK).

As a major client, one of the largest LPs in the UK.

When Abel was free, he had no resistance to accepting his invitation.

Anyway, he is also one of the most influential local snakes in London.

Able was a little surprised that Howard Davis would show up.

Because the FSA just checked Smith Financial today.

Although nothing was found.

But at this time, the director of the FSA came to see him, no matter how you say it, it's not good.

If this is exposed, Abel and Smith Finance will be fine, at worst, they will be quiet for a while.

But Howard Davis is probably in trouble. He doesn't know whether the position of FSA can be secured.

Being polite has already been polite, drinking three rounds.

Abel wanted to see now what the two wanted to say to him.

Thinking of this, he was no longer polite.

Abel got straight to the point: "The Bute family is the aristocratic family I admire the most in England. Because you are very much like businessmen, you are of the same kind as us...Mr. Bute, the steak tonight is delicious, and it suits my taste very much. Thank you, but I still want to know, why are you looking for me?"

William Boot and Howard Davis were taken aback. The two Britons did not expect the Yankee to be so direct.

Change to their habits of the British Isles.

It is very rare for two or three hours not to be hypocritical before talking about business.

After drinking three glasses of wine like this and chatting for a few words, it is rare for us to get straight to the point.

"Uh...it's like this." William Boot seemed a little hesitant.

The fat man looked at the head of the FSA.

The latter nodded slightly to him.

Courage as if encouraged in Howard Davis.

Under the warm lighting of the Barbecoa restaurant, the first heir to the Marquess of Bout asked softly:
"Mr. Smith, I have a question for you."

"Please say."

"We want to know what you think of the royal family."

Hearing the fat man's question, Abel couldn't help raising his eyebrows.

He looked at William Boot and wondered what the problem was.

Now that he is in the UK, even if he doesn't think highly of the group of survivors, he certainly won't belittle the old lady and her family in front of the British.

Even in fact, except for the old lady.

He really doesn't think much of the other members of the Windsor family.

Of course, this refers to personal ability.

What he doesn't like is the personal ability of other members of the royal family except the old lady.

"Does it need to be said? This is a respectable, honorable, and long-established royal family. I also have great respect for Queen Elizabeth, just like any British person."

William Boot looked dissatisfied with his clichéd answer.

It's just that before the fat man opened his mouth, Howard Davis next to him interrupted first.

"Mr. Smith, that's not what we want to hear. You're one of the smartest people in the world, and I know you know what we mean."

Abel was silent.

Of course he understood a little bit.

The thing is very simple, William Boot and Howard Davis, can be regarded as one of the big names in London.

Two big figures, it is impossible to have nothing to do when you invite someone like yourself, just to ask your opinion on the British royal family, right?

There must be something wrong with them looking for themselves.

And Abel also knew that the high probability was related to money.

It's about money, and now I'm asking about my opinion of the British royal family.

The answer is actually not difficult to guess.

Seeing the silent Abel, Howard Davis smiled and motioned for William Boot to let him come.

Then the director of the FSA continued softly:
"We checked the genealogy of Mr. Smith. On September 1620, 9, your ancestor, Andrew Smith, took the Mayflower from Plymouth. After two months of ocean voyage, he arrived in what is now Massachusetts, USA Provincetown."

"At the beginning, Mr. Ander Smith was in the New World, continuing the work he was good at in England. He was one of the best blacksmiths in Provincetown at that time. The horseshoes he forged were very popular among the British immigrants at that time. Our welcome, which allowed him to save his first pot of gold."

"In 1750, Johnson Smith, the grandson of Mr. Ander Smith, took his family south to the present Miami..."

"Stop, Mr. Davis." Abel spoke, interrupting the long-winded Englishman.

These self-proclaimed gentlemen like to talk too much.

"As for the glory of my family's ancestors, there are also things recorded in the genealogy. I know better than you. You don't need to let me go over it again here."

Abel looked at Howard Davis, "Let's get to the point, sir."

Howard scratched his head and looked at William Boot.

The latter shrugged, and the fat man looked out the window.

Outside the window in the misty drizzle, there are many rock security staff.

The heir of the Marquis thought: This is indeed the insecure person in the legend. With so many bodyguards, he doesn't know how much he will be paid every month.

"Okay okay," Howard Davis said with a smile.

"Then I'll make a long story short. Let's talk about your ancestor, Mr. Ender Smith..."

Seeing Abel's impatient eyes, Howard Davis sped up his speech.

"Mr. Ender Smith, he is actually the illegitimate son of James Stuart and a blacksmith's daughter!"

Seeing Abel frowned, Howard Davis added:
"James Stuart, that is, James I. Ninth King of Scotland and first King of England and Ireland of the Stuart dynasty."

Abel didn't have any special feelings about the "shocking news" that Howard Davis broke out.

As mentioned earlier, the wasp group in the United States, traced back in the genealogy, is basically related to the British royal family.

Abe also knew that Ander Smith, the ancestor of the American Smith family, was the illegitimate son of King James I.

Here's what the genealogy says.

Abel is no stranger to the genealogy of the Smith family.

As for the Smith family, it is not really important whether they are really the illegitimate children of King James I.

Like the genealogy of the Bush family, it is recorded that the ancestor of the Bush family is the son of Charles II, an illegitimate son of a king...

Who can explain this kind of thing clearly?
There is also the genealogy of Morgan, saying that they are descendants of Charles I.

Rockefeller's genealogy, showing that they were descended from George III.

Then Smith is a descendant of James I, no big deal, right?

After the 20th century, every state in the United States that has made a fortune has somewhat inherited WASP families.

You will find that the ancestors of these American WASP giants are either kings or queens, and almost all of them are princes and princes.

None of them are ordinary people.

Howard Davis made this point out, and Abel really felt a bit long-winded.

"I know all of this. It's in my family tree. Mr. Davis, what I want to say now is—if you're a fan of genealogy, I can send you a copy when I get back to America. But Right now, I don't have time to discuss my family tree with you here."

Most of the genealogies of wealthy families in the United States are semi-public.

It is difficult for ordinary people to search, but it is easy for people with connections to find them.

Regardless of whether this kind of thing is true or false, the rich and powerful are not afraid of outsiders knowing.

They hope that the more people they know, the better, because even if it is fake, it will gradually become true.

In Western society where the theory of blood is deeply ingrained, who doesn't want their ancestors to be honorable figures, masters of others?

The king's son is the king, and the king's grandson is the prime minister or chief commander.

The king's descendants became capitalists, and continued to rule ordinary people in another image.

This is a very common perception in Western society.

Europeans, even Neon and Han Chinese.

In these places, they really believe in the fact that "dragons give birth to dragons and phoenixes, and sons born to mice can make holes", and they subconsciously maintain it.

Seeing that Abel is really not interested in this topic.

Americans, Howard thought, were just boring.

"Okay. The last thing I want to say to you, Mr. Smith, is that as a descendant of the former British royal family, what do you think of the current royal family?"

"Haha..." Abel chuckled and made a joke, "Mr. Davis and Mr. Bute, don't tell me what kind of restorers of the Stuart dynasty you are. Then you want me to The descendants of James I overthrew the Windsor Dynasty and restored the Stuart Dynasty?"

"Eh..." Howard Davis broke out in a cold sweat, "That's not what it means..."

It has been so many years since the Stuart dynasty fell, and later it also experienced the Hanoverian dynasty, the Saxe-Coburg-Gotha dynasty, and finally the current Windsor dynasty.

If there are any bullshit restorers, then the first two should be restored first.

"Mr. Davis." William Boot, who said a few words in front of him, remained silent and had been quietly observing Abel and the bodyguards, "Say it straight, I believe Mr. Smith will understand."

Abel looked at the fat man, then at the director of the FSA, and nodded slightly.

"Hey - okay."

Howard Davis sighed, feeling bored talking to Americans again.

"Mr. Smith, I have several new funds in my name, and I want to hand them over to Smith Financial."

Abel stared at Howard Davis, but he didn't speak.

This old guy, like the Bout family, has had money on Smith Financial (UK) since last year.

This time Abel asked Jess to use the money to go long on British ITV stocks.

A large part of it is the money of Howard and the Bout family.

Only those scattered, hard-to-monitor holster companies are Smith's own.

So this time, half of Smith Financial's gains in British ITV stocks will make them a lot of money.

Now the old guy said that he still has money that he wants to entrust to himself.

I said a lot of long-winded things about the British royal family before.

Abel, who knew the identity behind this person, had already vaguely guessed who the funds Howard Davis said belonged to.

What is the identity behind Howard Davis?
In addition to being the director of the FSA, he is also the chairman of the Royal Bank of Scotland!
The ingredients of the Royal Bank of Scotland, from the word royal in its name, know that it is related to the Windsor family.

At the same time, the current Royal Bank of Scotland, which was originally just a regional bank, is headquartered in Edinburgh, England.

In the past, many Britons regarded it as the bank of Scotland.

But two years ago, in 2000, the Royal Bank of Scotland and the National Bank of Westminster merged to form the current Royal Bank of Scotland.

再说一说西敏寺银行的历史，其历史可以追溯到十七世纪。在1968年3月18日，它由三家著名的英国银行合并而成，并于1970年1月1日正式营业。

It used to be one of the largest and best capitalized banking groups in the world.

Of the three banks that merged to form it back then, two of them carried the title "Royal".

It's obvious enough.

As the largest commercial bank in the UK, the Royal Bank of Scotland actually has a close relationship with Windsor.

Windsor is very rich, not to mention the money on the surface, this part is as high as tens of billions of pounds.

Mainly real estate, various palaces, jewelry and so on.

And the various private trusts in private are actually the bulk of Wensha's wealth.

On the bright side, the long coastline, the British luxury street that foreigners must visit, and the profits of the manor, etc., are visible on the bright side. Every year, the income flows to the private account of the royal family. .

After so many years, not many people know how much the money is, and what industry and direction it will be invested in.

The Duke of Westminster is the richest man in Britain.

Who is the real richest man in the UK? In fact, you know everything you should know.

It's just that people know how to belittle themselves, and they know what it means when the water is full.

Otherwise, do you really think that just the little credit Elizabeth made during World War II gave her such a huge influence?

In the end, it was her wealth that really made the old lady influential.

Howard Davis has already said that.

Abel took a light breath and looked directly at him, "How much is the total amount of funds?"

"Five billion pounds. Can Mr Smith take it?"

Abel shrugged and replied with a smile: "The more the better."

Howard Davis didn't ink, and said with a smile: "Can I sign the contract tomorrow?"

"no problem."

Seeing Abel being so forthright, Howard Davis laughed.

This very long-winded British old man also rarely became cheerful.

"She wants to see you very much, would love to see you. When are you free, Mr. Smith?"

"at any time."

"Oh, that's really nice." Howard Davis laughed very freely.

The old guy changed from his previous babble, the chairman of the Royal Bank of Scotland directly picked up the wine glass on the table and drank the remaining wine in one gulp.

"I'm leaving. Go and tell her about it, Mr. Smith. Good-bye. But I'm sure we'll see each other soon."

"Goodbye."

Howard Davis seemed to have become a lot more decisive and left directly.

William Boot also quickly stood up, gave Abel a flattering smile, and followed the pace of Howard Davis.

The drizzle was hazy, and the figures of the two quickly disappeared outside the Barbecoa restaurant.

Abel sat where he was, didn't leave immediately, and didn't move extra.

After ten minutes.

Edward came in and nodded to Abel.

After confirming that it was safe, Abel got up and walked outside the Barbecoa restaurant.

Stepping through the gate of the restaurant, Lincoln and Johnson opened two big umbrellas and covered Abel in front of the Cadillac monster car.

After getting into the car, Abel snapped his fingers.

"Snapped--"

Without him talking, Edward in the passenger seat immediately handed over a satellite phone.

Abel took it and dialed a number without hesitation.

The phone was not connected right away, obviously not in the owner's hands.

It automatically hangs up after ringing for a few minutes.

Abel held the satellite phone and waited quietly.

After 10 minutes, it sure enough rang.

Abel connected directly, and the gentle voice of little Laura's grandfather came from inside.

"Good afternoon... oh no, you're in London now. It's evening in London at this time. Good evening, dear Abel."

"Good afternoon, Herbert."

Abel knew where it was, and it was still day and afternoon.

Because of the time difference, London is 5 hours ahead of Texas.

It's 8pm in London and it's around 3pm in Texas.

"I have something to ask you."

"what's up?"

"You told me before that the right-hand lord of the English free stonemasons has been the English woman for nearly ten years, right?"

There was a pause, and then Herbert's voice continued.

"To be precise, she has been the president of the British Free Stonemasons since she came to power. How do you ask this?"

"Hey, she's going to put some money in my hands. Wants to see me."

"Tsk tsk..." Herbert's laughter sounded: "Congratulations, dear. You now enjoy the same treatment as Morgan, Rockefeller, and Rothschild."

"Do you think I should see her?"

"Why not? It's 2002, not 1902. She is not as powerless as her predecessors, except she is extremely rich."

"All right. Thank you, Herbert. I see."

"Happy to answer your questions, my child."

　466 is released, if you haven't seen it, you can go and see it
　
(End of this chapter)