Eagle's Glory

However, he had to show his value in front of the earl, as well as his willingness to cooperate, so that the self-proclaimed supreme could hear his name through the earl.

The scale is not easy to grasp, but he is confident to give it a try.

Then, he looked at the earl with a smile on his face, his eyes full of flattery.

"My lord, what do you need me to do now? Please order directly."　　

102 counterparts

"My lord, what do you need me to do now? Tell me directly."

Because there are only two of them now, Bowang didn't hold back any more, and his expressions and tone were a little more flattering. If ordinary people put on such a look, it might be annoying, but Bowang has long since experienced in his career. He has practiced this skill to perfection, and he has just grasped the scale, which can make the other party feel his respect without being annoying.

This man with a simple and honest appearance is sparing no effort to show his affinity and wants to make a good impression in front of the Earl.

In Edmond Dantès' view, he was rather flattered.

He has become a nobleman, and has slowly adapted to his identity, but deep down in his heart, he has not completely shaken off the shadow of the little sailor in the past, and he has not yet adapted to the days of being treated with respect—especially, this Mr. Bowang is obviously an assistant to a big banker and a member of the social elite, which makes him feel a little guilty.

However, after all, he still had the guts to hide his guilty conscience with a stern face on purpose.

"Sir, you just said that I can have an advance account, so I want to know, what is the amount of this account?"

As soon as he heard the other party talking about money, Bowang immediately became more excited. Without thinking about it, he immediately replied to the other party, "Sir, we are a reputable and large-scale bank. We dare and can lend a lot. This point is well received by our customers—generally speaking, we offer 100 million yuan to important customers, which can be paid in advance and picked up whenever they arrive.”

"100 million?" This number immediately frightened Edmund.

Now that he has seen the world, the figure of 100 million francs will not scare him, but it can be "advance payment", that is to say, he can spend the money first and then repay the account. This is just an "important customer" That's all, there should be a lot of important customers like him, that is to say, the loan of Poncena Bank on this alone is already astronomical.

He couldn't help but secretly bewildered at the strength of this group of people.

However, Edmund's reaction made Bowan a little surprised. He thought that the number he proposed could not meet the needs of the earl, so he hesitated for a moment, and then added something in a low voice.

"Count, if you feel that 100 million is not enough, as Mr. Poncena's close assistant, I can provide you with special care. If you need a higher amount of funds, just tell me, and I will try my best to pay you." It will be done for you as quickly as possible.”

This time Edmond Dantès was even more surprised. He could clearly see that Mr. Bowan was more enthusiastic about him than his boss, and he even hinted that he could provide unlimited funds.

Poncena respected himself because of the affection of Prince Lucien back then, but why did Bowan do it?

He was flattering me—it took a moment for Edmund to realize that fact.

But as an aristocrat who traveled to Paris from Italy, is it really worth his favor?

Edmund immediately thought that this person should have discovered some clues from the behavior of his boss and himself just now, and might even guess that he is the agent sent by His Majesty to Paris.

And in just a short meeting, he seemed to have made a decision to please himself.

This guy is indeed a formidable person. During the meeting that lasted only ten minutes, he had already judged the situation clearly and made a decision... No wonder he was so valued by Poncena and became an important cadre in the bank.

However, Edmond Dantès did not dare to take it lightly. He had never met Bowang before, nor had any contact with him, so it is impossible to trust him now, let alone tell him the truth.

Since everyone is pretending to be confused at the beginning, let's continue to pretend to be confused.

"I'm inexplicably touched that you trust my financial strength so much." He showed a calm smile, maintaining due reserve.

If it weren't for the people behind you, who would trust your strength... Bowang was secretly amused in his heart, but on the surface he put on a look of fear and sincerity.

"You are a friend of His Royal Highness. He specially introduced you to our boss, which shows that he has a deep friendship with you. Prince Lucien is highly respected. I have been a well-known figure in France since I was a child, and I am full of admiration for him, so his Friends, we must receive the highest standard, and we must not be neglected."

Perhaps because he decided that this wasn’t explicit enough, he simply continued to increase, “Also, sir, my teenage years were spent in the empire era, and I still remember everything about the empire with great nostalgia. , I am full of admiration for the Bonaparte family, from this point of view, being able to help Prince Lucien is simply a great joy in my life, and it is enough to comfort me for the rest of my life."

Bowan's words were full of emotion and emotion. Although it was impossible for Edmund to fully believe them, he also felt his closeness to the Bonaparte family.

Now the words have basically been made clear - he wants to provide investment for the business of His Majesty and the Bonaparte family.

What a bonus!When Edmund Dantès came here at the beginning, he only wanted to show his face first, and then slowly persuade Poncena later. Unexpectedly, although Poncena was hesitating as expected, he unexpectedly had a boo Wang took the initiative to jump out and asked for cooperation.

Life is full of surprises.

Of course, Edmond Dantès would not refuse such a harvest, and he believed that His Majesty would also be happy to get the help of a banker-although it is hard to say how much help Bowan can provide, at least there is already one The professionals are on their side.

"I am very grateful for your love for the Bonaparte family. People often say that you can see your sincerity in adversity. Now that the Bonaparte family has been forced to leave France, many people have been pouring on them in order to sell favors and glory. Dirty water, under such circumstances, there are still people who can remember the achievements it has made for the country, which is really commendable." Now that this is the case, Edmund simply picked his words a little more bluntly, "Although I am only Prince Lucien friends, but I also hope that their entire family will get the fair evaluation they deserve..."

With a smile on his face, he put his hand into his pocket, "Mr. Bowan, I am very satisfied with your respect for me. I have decided that Poncena Bank will be my designated institution for deposits and withdrawals. This is for you, I hope you can keep it safe."

While wondering, Bowang reached out and took the bag.

Then he opened it and found several gems inside.

As a veteran of the industry, just a few glances were enough to confirm that the gems were genuine and valuable.

These few gems alone are enough to prove the earl's net worth.

It can be seen that he is very well prepared - and this also proves that the young man has indeed invested in his cronies.

This also means that the earl is the key chess piece of the Bonaparte family, not even one of them.

Undoubtedly, if he informs now and kidnaps the earl, he will definitely get a large bounty from the kingdom government, but a mere bounty means nothing to him at all—he wants to invest, invest for his own future .

He immediately put away the bag, then picked up a pen and paper from his desk, and meticulously issued a receipt for the gemstones that the earl had deposited here.

"Count, your gems are very valuable. With this collateral, I believe that you have fully proved your strength. You can withdraw funds from us at will. I am willing to provide you with all services I can provide."

In fact, he didn't care about any "collateral", because compared to the funds he planned to provide, the collateral that the earl could provide was really nothing.

Of course, this is not the first time their bank has done this, they have been providing financial assistance - or sponsorship - to certain "key customers".

With such a scale of loans, there must be a lot of bad debts that cannot be recovered, but they still carry out this business. Part of these funds are "protection fees" and some are political investments, but in any case, this is a necessary cost. After all Only by making friends with important people can the bank be able to hold up a large enough protective umbrella so that it can be in every business.

In terms of trading, this must be a big loss, but strategically, this is a real money-making business.

Today's investment is decided by Bowang himself. He has made up his mind to meet the needs of that "client" at all costs.

From a young man in other provinces to today's bank executive, his history of struggle is a history of risky choices and perseverance. Because of this, he knows how precious the opportunities in life are.

This may be the best opportunity in his life to get in touch with the supreme power of the country, and he absolutely does not want to let it go.

Besides, what if it doesn't work out?He has done nothing more than cost the bank a great deal of money, which he is confident will be earned elsewhere.

Looking at Bowang's piercing eyes, Edmund Dantès also realized something in his heart.

"Then, it seems that there is no dispute between us. May we have a happy cooperation." So, he extended his hand to each other in a friendly manner.

"Happy cooperation." Bowang smiled all over his face, and then held the earl's hand tightly.

"It's a pity that we don't have wine glasses to celebrate here." After shaking hands, Bowan sighed slightly disappointed, "Count, if you are free in the future, can I invite you to my house as a guest? My wife will definitely be very happy We are happy to entertain a distinguished guest like you, where we can not only have a drink, but also talk about any business topic freely—”

Bowang took the initiative to invite the other party to his home, so he naturally wanted to make a personal relationship with the Earl.

Because he was so focused on his career, he got married very late. Now his only son, Morris, is only three years old, and he spends very little time with his wife and children. For him, family is just a place for him to rest after busy work.

He married the daughter of a poor nobleman. On the one hand, it was to satisfy the vanity of this young man from other provinces after his success. When there is a big banquet, all kinds of social celebrities are entertained.

Although relying on the power of money, he has already attracted a large number of unwilling politicians and literati to support himself, but unfortunately, because of the poor family status, those real powerful families never come to the door (although many of them still owe money to the family) Bowang's money), this arrogant attitude has accumulated resentment in Bowang's heart, and it has also made him desperately eager to continue to advance on the social ladder.

He secretly vowed that one day he would wave the magic wand of money, and let those pretentious and famous families come to worship from home one after another, as respectfully as worshiping the God of Wealth.

He believed that he was able to do this, but he just lacked the right timing - and now, isn't it the timing?

Seeing Bowang's expectant eyes, Edmund Dantès certainly didn't want to dampen his enthusiasm, so he nodded immediately, "I'm very happy to visit you, sir. But..."

"Do you have any concerns or special preferences? Feel free to mention it." Bowang asked attentively.

"I've always disliked being ostentatious, and I don't even like being judged in front of others." Edmund Dantès replied.

"It's okay, don't worry, the living room of our house will be open only for you, and you can feel as comfortable as coming to your own home." Bowang immediately agreed. To be honest, this little eccentricity does not matter to him at all. Not a problem.

"Then I will accept your favor first." Edmond Dantès nodded.

Bowang still had a smile on his face, carefully flattering the Earl, but deep down, he had some vague thoughts, as if he felt something was wrong.

He has always had a good memory, and he is even more careful in business, so when he feels this way, he can't help but think hard.

Finally, he had a flash of inspiration and thought of a very important thing.

gem!

"Sir, can you answer a question for me?" Bowang said suddenly.

"Excuse me." Edmund was a little surprised but agreed.

"Have you or your friends sold gemstones in Paris before?" Bowang stared at the earl, and then asked cautiously, "To tell you the truth, there was a batch of gemstones in Paris before. The ones we have here are just as good, and have similar shades and workmanship...”

While observing Edmund's reaction, he continued, "These gems came from Tanglar Bank. I have to admit that he made a good deal and made a lot of money. I bought all of them. I gave a piece to my wife..."

Then, he looked at the count, as if asking if he had any special relationship with Tanglar, his colleague.

When he heard the name Tanglar, Edmund's heart suddenly trembled, and he finally pretended nothing happened.

"Your memory is indeed very admirable." He sneered, "Yes, we did sell gems at Tanglar before, but this person's personality is average, so we never cooperated again."

Hearing this answer, Bowang breathed a sigh of relief. After all, it is always a good thing to lose a peer to compete for "investment".

"That guy really has a small stomach and no courage. Although he looks smart, he can't do great things. That's all." He said with a little disdain, trying to make the other party continue to have a bad impression of Tanglar. "He compares us like a tadpole compares to a shark, and you are wise to choose us."

"That's true, I think so too." Edmund Dantès nodded, "Then if I want to know about Tanglar's business situation..."

"I can give you the details immediately, and I can do it in the future." Although he didn't know the earl's intention, Bowan replied with a big smile.　　

103, hate

"I can give you the details right away, and later."

Edmund Dantès did not expect Bowan to be so cooperative, but thinking about it carefully, colleagues have been enemies since ancient times, and it is normal for Bowan to hate Tanglar.

Seeing his disdain for Tanglar, he felt relieved.

Although the focus of his current actions is not revenge, but deep down in his heart he has never forgotten the original hatred for a second. He will not deliberately spend energy to find the flaws of his enemies, but if he has the opportunity, he will not spend any effort. He doesn't mind finding out about the reality of the enemies in private.

Only by knowing your enemies can you sting them more effectively, and he knew this truth well.

"Thank you for your care, Mr. Bowan, I will never forget the kindness you showed today." Edmond Dantès took the initiative to greet the other party, "I have no hostility towards Mr. Tanglar himself. , but because I have had business dealings with this bank before, I can't help but pay attention to him. You have said before that he has done a successful transaction. It is true, but the transaction conditions he gave are a bit too harsh. I I’ve always been dissatisfied with it.”

He cleverly hid his hatred under the premise of "dissatisfaction with the transaction". Although Bowan was sophisticated, he did easily believe this reason. The favorite minister, it is impossible to have any intersection with Tanglar, if there is any dissatisfaction, it can only come from this.

He was also happy to see that Tanglar had become an enemy of the Bonaparte family without knowing it. It would be even better if he could be severely sanctioned!

Thinking that Tanglar, that annoying ghost, might suffer a lot, his smile became more honest and gentle, and he looked like an old farmer with a good harvest.

And Edmund Dantès was also having other thoughts in his heart at this time.

If you can get Tanglar's financial information from Bowang, why can't you get other people's from him?For example...Fernan, the self-proclaimed Count Morcerf.

Thinking of this name, Edmund Dantès couldn't help feeling psychologically disgusted, and he managed to hide it.

Rationally, he shouldn't be asking a banker for information about a client right now, but as a human being, as a victim who was murdered and his family was ruined, after seeing a glimmer of light, he couldn't wait to know something.

"Count, what's the matter with you?" Bowan found that Edmund was a little lost, so he asked curiously.

"Mr. Bowan, do you know Count Morcerf?" Edmund calmed down, and then asked as calmly as possible.

To his surprise, Bowang, who had always been very calm, suddenly became very strange, as if he had heard something terrible.

"You know the count?" he asked aloud.

"No, I don't know him." Edmund had already thought of his resignation in a very short time, so he shook his head coldly, "But I have heard a story about this earl."

"What story?" Bowang asked curiously.

"So do you know the earl?" Edmund didn't answer his question immediately, but asked Bowan instead.

Bowang knew that if he wanted to satisfy his curiosity, he had to be honest first, so he didn't dodge and answered the other party directly. "To tell you the truth, Earl Morcerf is a friend of our family and often comes to our house as a guest. He is also an important customer of our bank."

"Your house is full of guests." Edmund commented coldly.

Bowang could hear the slight sarcasm in it, but he naturally didn't care about it, "I'll tell you, in our line of business, if we want to make our business bigger, we must have a network of relationships. The closer our relationship network is, The higher our social status is, and social status is our credit, no one will give us his money without credit. To tell you the truth, I have always deliberately made friends with high-class people, and Morcerf The earl happens to have this need, so we have always had a good relationship."

Edmund understood what the other party meant. Bowan was an upstart in the financial world and needed to be recognized by the upper class. Fernan, the "Count", was only obtained by rote pedigree, and was not accepted by the real famous family. I like it, so these two ambitious people got together in order to climb to a higher social status, which means "huddling together for warmth".

In this kind of friendship, there is an exchange of interests, but it is impossible to have a real friendship. Edmund also does not believe that Bowan will talk about feelings with others.

Just right!Just right!Bowang is close to Fernan, and he and Fernan have close financial contacts. Isn't this an excellent condition?If he wins Bowang over, he can spy on Fernand's most vital points in secret, and even if he wants to, he can easily bankrupt him.

Because of joy and excitement, Edmond Dantès' eyebrows trembled slightly, he wanted to see this scene so much!

"Count?" Seeing his appearance, Bowang couldn't help asking again, worried that something was wrong with him, "Are you all right?"

"I'm fine..." Edmond Dantès shook his head, "I'm just a little excited... Please forgive me."

"Is a person you don't know worth your excitement?" Bowan asked.

"You might as well listen to the story I want. It's actually very short." Edmund Dantès looked at Bowen, and then slowly went down, "Count Morcerf served in the Near East before, do you know?"

"Well, I know! When he was a guest at our house, he used to talk about his military career, but please understand that I don't care much about it, so I just remembered it all." Bowang replied with a smile . "He seems to have been an instructor for a certain governor, and he won the trust of the governor, and fought hard for him. Unfortunately, the career of that governor failed in the end..."

"He's only half right. Let me tell you the specific story." Edmund Dantès interrupted him coldly, "He did become the instructor of Ali Pasha of Ioannina, but he didn't Instead of being loyal to this pasha, he betrayed his benefactor! He led the Turkish army into the pasha's fortress, causing the pasha to lose his life, and he sold the pasha's granddaughter to the sultan as a slave , because of these achievements, he received a large bounty, presumably part of the money he saved with you came from this past incident."

Bowang listened to the story quietly, but kept thinking in his heart.