Eagle's Glory

On the other hand, in his heart, he faintly felt that he shouldn't offend the Bonaparte family too much.

He has experienced too much wind and rain in his life, and he has witnessed the most bizarre and unpredictable political changes. The king went to the guillotine, the republic was established and fell, and the empire was established and destroyed. All these scenes were deeply impressive to him. , he naturally knew that the status quo might not be stable.

Can the Bonaparte family achieve greatness again?He didn't know, but at least there was a probability—after all, what weird things hadn't happened in France over the years?

Therefore, after thinking about it, he decided to continue to wait and see what happened, to see who the "friend" of Prince Lucien was.

He secretly gave an order to his cronies that if anyone asks to see him during this period, they must inform him.

According to the professional habits developed over the past few decades, after taking his seat, Poncena sat seriously in the chair, picked up a pen and prepared to complete today's work.

However, today is destined to be an unforgettable day for him. At this moment, his confidants knocked on the door and reported to him the news of the arrival of a visitor who claimed to be "Friend of Lucien".

Poncena froze for a moment, leaving a long scratch on the document.

It seems that nothing can be avoided after all... He smiled wryly in his heart.

He is nearly sixty years old, his body is getting weaker and weaker, and he has reached the age of retirement. He also has a large and prosperous family with several grandchildren.What he got right now is enough to satisfy him, what more does he need to hope for?

But he knows better that there are many things in the world that you can't just hide from if you want to.

Then, he put down his pen and ordered his men to bring the guest over.

In this way, Edmund Dantès, who was aliased as the Earl of Bellevue, walked leisurely into the office on the top floor of the Poncena Bank.

He was dressed very well today, in a cashmere shirt and a black tailcoat, in the fashion of Paris, with a cane in his hand and a jeweled ring on his finger.

He has always been a fast learner, and after all, he has been a big man in the Principality of Ioannina for several months, so he already has a bit of grandeur in his gestures, making people look like a nobleman.

After arriving here, he looked at the spacious office, and then set his sights on the banker behind the desk. At this time, the banker Poncena was also looking at him.

The man who had brought Edmund in saluted the old man and left the office, leaving them alone now.

After staring at each other for a moment, the old banker stood up, walked up to Edmond Dantès, and extended his hand to him.

"What should I call you? Are you really Lord Bellevue?"

"Out of respect for you, sir, I should declare my real title in front of you." Edmond Dantès was also honest and didn't want to play tricks with the other party, "I am the Count of Monte Cristo, as for my real name It is not convenient to disclose it to you at the moment."

"The Count of Monte Cristo..." The banker frowned, as if chewing on information. "I seem to have heard of it."

Then, his eyes lit up, as if he remembered something.

"The Principality of Ioannina seems to have the Count of Monte Cristo..."

"Your news is really well-informed." Edmund Dantès nodded generously and admitted his true identity.

The old man suddenly fell silent, staring blankly at Edmund, as if he was thinking about something.

"No doubt you could choose to arrest me and hand me over to the police for a reward, which you can easily do now--but Prince Lucien assures us that you are not such a person, and His Majesty believes that he personally Uncle's judgment." Edmond Dantès looked at the other party calmly, and then continued, "I don't think you would do such a thing."

Of course I won't do that... Poncena thought.

Not only out of gratitude to the prince, but also out of consideration for self-preservation—the Count of Monte Cristo is a confidant of the King of Rome, if he does this, in case the Bonaparte family is really restored someday Even if I had passed away at that time, I am afraid that my family members would not be able to escape the liquidation.

So, do nothing or help, there is absolutely no whistleblowing option.

From the sight of the old man, Edmund Dantès was also able to grasp his thoughts, at least he didn't notice any hostility from the other party.

At this moment, he suddenly realized his weight.

That's right, as long as someone is afraid of the Bonaparte family, they have to pay respect to themselves, because they are His Majesty's spokesperson... In an instant, he understood the horror of the word "power".

Even such a well-known banker has to be so afraid of himself.

He is in touch with power, and perhaps will have it later, and he must keep his wits about him lest he be corrupted by it.

"His Royal Highness is kind to me, I can't tell the truth, sir, if I do this, the reputation I have accumulated in my life will be wiped out-and for people in our business, reputation is everything." Silence After a while, Poncena spoke slowly, "However, Earl, I can probably guess the reason for your visit. What kind of help do you want me to provide?"

He hoped that the other party would ask him for money—because asking for money is the most trivial matter for him, and it is also the easiest to get rid of responsibility. However, to his disappointment, the count did not give an answer immediately. "I'm just here to visit his old friend on behalf of the prince, and I'll bring you His Majesty's greetings by the way... Please rest assured that he has no demands on you now."

If you don't want money, you'll be in trouble... Another sense of helplessness flashed through the old man's heart.

Now that I don't ask for anything from myself, it means that I will definitely have it in the future, and how to deal with that young man is really a headache.

It is true that he is grateful to Prince Lucien Bonaparte, but it is not necessary to say how much admiration he has for the Bonaparte family and the empire.

But in the current situation, since the other party did not make a request, it is difficult for him to show an attitude of rejecting him, and there is a letter from the prince.

"Thank you for your kindness, Your Royal Highness. I am in very good health, and so are my family members." While thinking about various thoughts in his mind, the old man replied in a low voice, "He asked me to take care of you in the letter, Mr. Earl, since the prince treats me with respect Well, then no matter who you are, I will try my best to take care of you, only in this way can I repay his kindness back then."

He stuck his words to "repayment" instead of "loyalty", and only said "do his best", which is already the most appropriate reply he can make under this situation.

"Thank you." Edmund Dantès didn't mean to force the other party, but just smiled lightly, "I'm new here, and I also need the support of a respected and famous social figure like you, so that I can make a living in Paris. It is famous and will live up to His Majesty's expectations."

The meaning behind these words of the Count of Monte Cristo made Poncena even more restless when he heard them. If he was 20 years younger, he would naturally be able to concentrate on coping with them—but now he is almost 60 years old, and the years have passed. Inevitably let his energy decline.

And on this kind of issue that concerns the life of the family and the future of the whole family, there can be no negligence.

The count has been watching the old man, he has a gentle smile, and that kind of calm demeanor has brought an inexplicable pressure to the old man.

So, he decided to call his best assistant over and let him deal with the excruciating situation with him.

He rang the bell cord on the desk, and soon a secretary opened the door and entered.

"Go and call Bowan." Poncena ordered in a low voice.　　

101, Bowang

After getting the order, the secretary quickly walked out the door, and not long after, he brought a person up from downstairs.

Edmund Dantès knew that he must be Mr. Poncena's confidant, so when this person came in, he deliberately looked at him.

To his surprise, this person is not the well-dressed, mercenary, arrogant and indifferent banker in the stereotype. On the contrary, he is about [-] years old, with a short and fat body, and his clothes always look out of place Fitted with a little baggy fit.

He always had a smile on his face. This smile made people feel friendly and enthusiastic. He looked very simple and honest, a bit like a simple farmer who had just entered the city.

And like the boss, his clothes are also simple, and only the smart eyes in his eyes can make people feel that this person is indeed doing a very important job.

As soon as he entered, he bowed to his boss.

"Sir, do you have any orders for me?"

Poncena did not answer him immediately, but first introduced this person to Edmond Dantès.

"This gentleman is my former apprentice, as well as my secretary and close assistant, Jacques-Louis Bowan, although he does not look very bright, but I have seen his keen eyesight and precise judgment over the years , and an indomitable will... I believe that in our line of work, he will have a great future, even surpassing my height."

Poncena introduced Edmond Dantès, and then he introduced Edmond to the people who came in, "Jacques, this is the Earl of Bellevue, who came from Parma, and he will be our important customer .”

Upon hearing Poncena's introduction, the original smile on the visitor's face became deeper, and he bowed again. Originally, he was a head shorter than Edmund, but now his head can only be as tall as Edmund's. Chest leveled, "Mr. Earl, nice to meet you!"

"Mr. Bowan, I am also very happy to meet you." Edmond Dantès also greeted the other party, and then he held out his hand.

Bowang immediately reached out and held his hand, looking flattered.

Edmund is not a person who judges people by appearance. Although this person does not seem to have much ability, since Poncena introduced him so solemnly, Edmund also believes that the other party must have extraordinary ability.

"Bowan, I have a very important task for you." After the two exchanged pleasantries, Poncena looked at his assistant seriously, "I told you before, Lucien Bonaparte The prince is my benefactor in the past, and he has greatly favored me, and this Mr. Earl is a friend whom the prince personally introduced to me in a letter. He hopes that we can help this newcomer in Paris... Since this is His Royal Highness's wish, then I think I am duty-bound."

"Sir, your wish is my obligation." Bowang replied very humbly, "I am also very happy to have the opportunity to repay your kindness and do my part."

"That's good." Poncena nodded lightly, "Bowang, I know, you have never let me down, so this time I still have high hopes for you. I usually have too many things to ask I'm busy, and I'm getting old and have no energy, so from now on, I want you to be in charge of our bank's business dealings with the Earl."

Bowang was about to agree, but he felt a different meaning from the tone of the boss.

Although the two partners are 40 to 20 years older, they have worked together for almost 20 years. In the past [-] years, Bowang has been by the boss's side, and has been taught by his words and deeds. Knows well.

He knew that the boss was a serious and rigid person, not even a duke or prince could move him, but today he obviously seemed a little worried about gains and losses.

Moreover, they are a big bank, and the customers they serve include princes and nobles. Why should they care about a foreign earl?

So he quickly guessed that the earl might not be as simple as "a friend of His Royal Highness the Prince".

He secretly winked at the boss, and at this moment Poncena just blinked slightly.

In this quiet moment, Bowang suddenly understood - this earl must have been sent by the Bonaparte family!

He came to this conclusion in an instant.

Of course, this conclusion made him feel a little flustered, but years of work had trained him to remain calm no matter what the situation was, so he just flashed a glance at the boss briefly, and pretended to be completely indifferent. We coped with it.

The tacit understanding cultivated over the years allowed them to complete a large amount of information exchange in just two glances, of course Edmond Dantès was ignorant of this.

Bowang looked at Edmund again, and then continued with a smile, "Mr. Earl, since my boss has told me to cooperate with you, I will follow your orders from now on. No matter what you want to do, just follow me." I will try my best to cooperate with you, and we can also open an advance account for you in advance, so that you can withdraw funds from us when you need it for your expenses—"

"You are serious." Seeing the other party's respectful expression, Edmund Dantès quickly waved his hand, "I am just a foreigner who came here to see the world, and I don't need you to treat me so seriously. , although Paris is prosperous, it is like a maze to me, I just ask you to take care of it from now on."

"To be honest, although I have lived here for decades, I don't understand Paris as much as you do." Bowan replied with a smile, "We only care about lending and collecting money, and we don't understand those salons and affairs. If you're interested, we're afraid there's nothing we can do to help."

Bowan's answer made Edmund laugh.

"To tell you the truth, I also have a little bit of reverie about this. If I can really meet some kind of romantic encounter here, it will be a worthwhile trip!"

Of course, what he said was just to deal with the situation. For him, he can't take care of himself after completing His Majesty's task, so he has no leisure to have some romantic affairs-besides, in his current situation, in order to avoid being recognized, he has to attend public occasions. The fewer times the better.

"I can't guarantee that you will get what you want, but I can assure you that you already have the most reliable and sharpest weapon in love - money." Bowang replied, "Although everyone says that money can't buy Come to love, but in Paris, as long as you ask enough, there will naturally be a lot of beauties who will give you simulated love, and I think it's almost the same in comparison."

"I didn't expect you to be a poet lying on the ledger!" Edmund Dantès teased the other party.

"Putting any line to the extreme is almost like writing poetry." Bowang smiled, showing a little pride, "In this city, many people are obsessed with carnival, but for me, the books Those jumping numbers are my entertainment, even my life."

"It's really respectable." Edmond Dantès couldn't help admiring the other party, "But I can also understand that I also love my career."

After speaking, the two of them shook hands again, and each had the impression that "this person is not an ordinary person".

Poncena had been watching the two of them talking, and after they shook hands again, he spoke again.

"Bowang, you know why I asked you to take care of these things. You are the person I trust the most, and you are also my very promising successor. I am old and there are many things that are difficult to handle by myself, so I leave it to you. ——In the past few years, I have never asked you about the tasks I handed over to you. I let you do it, and it is the same this time. I believe that you know what is beneficial to our bank and yourself, and you also believe that , you manage to get everything right. I wish you two good luck with each other."

After finishing speaking, he made a gesture to signal the two to leave first, and he was going to deal with his official duties.

Bowang listened quietly, knowing exactly what the boss meant.

The boss is old, a little timid, and doesn't know how to deal with the relationship with the Bonaparte family, so he left these matters to himself.

Truth be told, anyone in his position would have a headache and a dilemma.

Why didn't the boss tell the truth?He was afraid that once the restoration of the Bonaparte family was successful, he would be liquidated, but if he really participated in it, wouldn't he be in danger?

So, he called himself over, regarded his "closest assistant" as a firewall, and asked himself to be responsible for related matters, that is, he left this difficult problem to himself.

In this way, whether he offends the Bonaparte family or the Bourbon royal family, he has no direct relationship with him. He is just serving a foreign "client".

Bowang is not chilled by the boss's actions. He has been in this industry for so many years, and he has seen countless more chilling things. This trivial matter is nothing.

He took this incident more as a "test". If he passed this difficult test, the boss would admit that he was his best successor.

Yes, as the boss said, he is old and his energy is declining day by day, and none of his children can inherit the existing business. He has stated several times before that after he retires, he will choose to The bank is managed by someone he trusts, and his family only needs to get the corresponding annual dividends and dividends from it.

In addition to Bowang, there are two or three qualified competitors, but if I complete the boss's most difficult test, then I will become the best successor without any dispute, and when the time comes, I will get the best successor from the boss. Taking over the office, or even changing the name of the bank to Bowan Bank is not a dream.

Bowang will always remember that he is the son of a helpless and carefree small businessman from other provinces. He came to Paris alone to work hard in the chaotic situation, and got the insight of his boss. status.

But he is not satisfied, because he has not climbed to the top of his career.

He witnessed with his own eyes that the boss handles hundreds of millions of funds every year, flowing in the direction he designated, making some people rich and rich, and making some people bankrupt. In the past, what hundreds of thousands of troops could do in the past is now sitting alone in the office It can be done here - this is the age.

He believes that the power of money is omnipotent, and he believes even more in his ability to control this power.

What he tirelessly pursues is this power itself—not for the luxury and prosperity brought by money, but for money itself.

He doesn't believe in all the creeds, precepts and religions in the world, but only believes in himself. He vows to swallow everything, even surpass the achievements of the boss, and truly become a living god of wealth and an uncrowned king.

Obviously, he still has a long way to go to achieve that goal, but his physical strength contains boundless energy and courage, driving him unswervingly in that direction.

Today, he sees an opportunity in a crisis.

Bowang is a pure banker who never cares about politics. He also scoffs at the sayings like "the power of the king is granted by God", but he absolutely does not reject politics. On the contrary, he knows that politics is the biggest source of money and the decision Determinant of money flow.

So instead he wanted to get involved with politics.

However, he was born as a commoner, and under the rule of the Bourbon royal family, he is destined not to be able to talk with the court or those famous families on an equal footing, and he knows this very well.

But what if France changes regime again?What if you come to a new regime that does not exclude civilians so much?Everything will naturally be very different.

The old Poncena, his heart is exhausted, he only wants to retire safely, so he only sees the crisis; but the ambitious Bowen, just when a person is most energetic, he sees the real opportunity from it.

If the Bonaparte family really returns, and if he has made great contributions in the middle, then maybe he will be able to get involved with the supreme power of this country, and that means that he will truly achieve his goal.

From this point of view, this "Earl of Bellevue" is an excellent gift from the goddess of luck.

He knew that he was gambling and was facing huge risks, but in order to realize his dream, he was willing to gamble—just like the young man who dared to venture into the land of France.

When the profit is large enough, no amount of loss can deter ambitious gamblers.

While turning these thoughts in his mind, Bowang led the earl to his office with a blank expression, and then closed the door carefully.

The boss didn't directly identify the other party in front of him, so he can't reveal it now, he must remain "unaware".