Eagle's Glory

Although his movements were a little nervous, he was also rigid. It was obvious that his wife usually taught him quite strictly.

Edmund also nodded kindly to him. "Maurice, good evening, you have a very powerful father, you will be proud of him in the future."

Edmund knew that the purpose of Bowan introducing his family to him was not just to please him, but also to show him that he was willing to gamble his family and life for the cause of the Bonaparte family.

The things he did before, if you look closely, there is a chance to be excused, that is, he can get rid of himself when things go wrong; but now, he led the earl to his house, and in front of his family He is the 'most honored guest', which also means that he has no way out for himself.

In a gambling game, this is the meaning of betting all your net worth.

If he wins, he will definitely become a celebrity in the eyes of His Majesty, with unrivaled political support in the financial world; if he loses, everything he has now will probably be wiped out.

It's amazing that a person who has a luxury house, a car, a wife and son still has such courage and determination!No wonder it got to where it is today so quickly.Edmund was silently speechless.

Edmund admired his decisive determination, and in a sense, he saw himself in Bowan again.

The identities and occupations of the two are completely different, but the confrontation with fate and the relentless determination have a spiritual resonance.

With the help of Morris as a "prop", Bowan and Edmund flattered each other and established a "personal relationship" with each other, but for the two of them, more important things were yet to come.

After exchanging pleasantries, Bowang asked his wife and son to retreat, and he brought Edmund to the study.

Now there are no other people, and the most core communication can be carried out.

"Mr. Earl, did you mention me to Your Majesty?" As soon as he sat down, Bowan asked the question he cared most about.

"Of course, sir." Edmund immediately relieved him of his worries, "I specifically mentioned you to His Majesty, and highlighted the help you have given me recently, and His Majesty also praised you in his reply letter. In spite of your loyalty and enthusiasm, he will never forget the help Mr. Bowen gave him."

After a pause, Edmund Dantès made a condition from His Majesty, "Your Majesty, as long as you continue to help us, then he is willing to canonize you as a nobleman and hopes to make you a director of the Bank of France, Assist His Majesty and his assistants to manage the country's financial order."

After hearing these words, Bowang was overjoyed.

He doesn't care about the title of nobility at all, but considering the issue of social status, he needs to get one for himself, even a baron is enough.

What really matters is the second half of the sentence, the leader of the Bonaparte family is willing to include him in his circle.

And that's all he's ever dreamed of.

"Although your majesty is not very old, everyone has heroism and generosity that ordinary people can't match. I have seen it now." After being excited for a while, Bowang sighed with emotion, "For a man like him He has given such grace to someone who has never seen it before, and what kind of courage he has! No wonder he can do a career that others can't do in a lifetime at a young age... God is really watching The Bonaparte family."

"That's natural." Edmund is also quite proud of the monarch he is loyal to, "Your Majesty dares to trust talented people and is willing to give them everything they want. He never asks about people's background and past, only looks at ability."

At this point, he changed the topic again, "However, sir, although the conditions offered by His Majesty are tempting, they are things that can only be fulfilled after the event is completed. We must do our best to make this come true now. You are right ?"

"That's natural!" Bowang nodded emphatically. He naturally knew this section, but he had to show gratitude in front of the earl, so as to show how loyal he was. "What orders does Your Majesty have from me?"

"Your Majesty knows that you are an important and valuable talent. He doesn't want you to take part in any major action, be in danger, and waste your talents in vain. He only needs you to try your best to create tension in the country."

"Create a tense atmosphere?" Bowang pondered for a moment, and then quickly realized, "Does he want our banks to tighten money?"

As one of the largest banks in China, Poncena Bank has been involved in the capital transactions of a large number of enterprises, covering almost all walks of life, and Bowang, as one of the top executives, knows it well.If Poncena Bank chooses to tighten its monetary policy, it is obvious that many companies will lose blood quickly and eventually their capital chain will be broken.

Moreover, in this era, because the currency belongs to the gold standard and is linked to precious metals, the currency issuance is limited, and the market generally faces the problem of insufficient currency supply (cash shortage).

In order to solve this problem, the economic and industrial circles have developed a complex bill system, and each enterprise can issue promissory notes and bonds, guarantee each other, and circulate in the form of currency.

As one of the largest and most credit-worthy banks, Bank of Poncena's bills are naturally in circulation in large quantities and have become the main source of cash flow for many companies.

This means that if Poncena Bank chooses to gradually shrink the scale of bill issuance, tighten monetary conditions and reduce loans, the market will face a huge impact in a short period of time, and may even cause a wave of bankruptcy.

This is by no means an exaggeration, but has happened countless times in history.

With the development of capitalism, Western European countries have gradually entered the era of credit economy, and the invisible power of financial bankers is constantly expanding. In terms of status, financiers are still temporarily at a disadvantage, and the ancient feudal aristocracy is still popular in this country, but financiers actually have enough power to shake the country, and as time goes by, this power will become more and more powerful. Strong, and finally against the royal power.

Bowang is not a historian, he does not know what will happen in the future, but with his own ambition and instinctive political sense, he unintentionally participated in this trend that changed the face of the world, and happily became the first batch of trendsetters .

But now, his power is not enough, he is just a senior executive of Poncena Bank, not the owner of the bank, and he does not have the financial power he dreamed of.

To mess up the country's financial order and cause a wave of bankruptcy, he has no moral burden, but this is not something he can resolve with one word, he needs to use the boss to achieve it.

"I understand what Your Majesty means..." Bowang pondered for a moment, "I will try my best to convince my boss, my boss may not dare to be so radical, he has always been a moderate."

"So, what strategy do you have to impress him?" Edmund asked.

"It can't be without..." Bowang smiled slyly.　　

138, lectures and fads

"It can't be without..."

Mr. Bowan's words aroused the curiosity of Edmund Dantès. He had no words, but waited quietly for the other party to make up his mind.

When it comes to murder and arson, he is naturally an expert, but when it comes to playing with money and turning upside down in the stock exchange, even ten of him can't compare to Bowang.

His Majesty often warned him to be modest and to listen more to experts, and he always took this warning to heart.

Bowang didn't hold back, and immediately came up with his own idea.

"My boss is old, and he doesn't have much energy and ambition to further expand his business now. His biggest wish now is to retire safely, so that the family business he has accumulated in this half of his life can be safely passed on to his children and grandchildren. .”

"I can see that too." Edmund still remembered the scene when he took the letter of introduction from Prince Lucien to visit Mr. Poncena. That polite old man might have some kind of presence in Prince Lucien. He is grateful, but he is not enthusiastic about the cause of the Bonaparte family. That's why he introduced his capable subordinate Bowang to Edmund, which is tantamount to pushing all the troubles (and potential opportunities) to his trust right-hand man. "Then how are you going to subdue him?"

"Since he has this idea, his business thinking will inevitably tend to be conservative and he will not take risks. Recently, the domestic political turmoil has made him even more uneasy." At this point, Bowang looked at Ed again. Meng, smiled slyly, "I assure you, your appearance will make my boss not sleep well for the next few days."

Edmund just shrugged. He didn't care whether the banker slept well or not.

"He is already frightened now. As long as the situation gets worse, he will definitely decide to fully shrink the business. As long as His Majesty can create more tension in the country and cause commotion, I am sure to persuade him and let him in this situation. Shrink money, reduce external lending, and keep all cash in our own vaults," Bowang continued.

At this point, Edmund already understood Bowan's thinking.

Poncena is already a late old man, and his thinking tends to be conservative, so Bowang is going to take advantage of the situation and use the tense situation to persuade his boss to shrink his money, creating a trend in the market and fulfilling His Majesty's instructions in disguise. .

This is a good idea. Not only has the task been completed, but also Bowang can use this to hide himself behind the scenes without taking any responsibility. Edmund couldn't help but secretly admire the other party's method.

But in this case, the difficulty came to Edmund's side.

How to create tense atmosphere?How much tension can be created to scare Poncena into tightening money on a large scale despite fears of bankrupting a large number of businessmen?

These are unknowns.

Fortunately, he is not completely helpless.

Right now, His Majesty has already written a declaration to the whole French people, and it will be published in the near future. As long as this declaration can be quickly spread in France, it will undoubtedly be a shock bomb, enough to detonate the whole country public opinion

Moreover, unlike the last time they ventured back to the country, this time the Bonaparte family will clearly express their political demands, and even openly demand the overthrow of the current dynastic government in the name of "republic" and "civil rights".

Without a doubt, this is the tense air Bowan needs.

If at that time, I, the Marquis de Treville and other Bonapartists take the opportunity to add a few more fires, then the old banker Poncena must be flustered.

What Bowang is waiting for is such an opportunity, and he will definitely be able to persuade his boss to "wait and see the situation and cut the tail to survive".

Thinking of this, Edmund made up his mind.

These things cannot be told to Bowang. Although this guy is on his side now, he is not worthy of all trust. He cannot tell this guy His Majesty's core secrets.

"I understand." After a long silence, Edmund nodded, "Mr. Bowan, I will do my best. Once you think the time is right, please serve Mr. Poncena as soon as possible."

"It's not just our bank." Bowang shook his head, "Although we are not the leading bank, we are still very important in the market. In other words, we are an indicator. Many small and medium-sized banks' business strategies are based on us. In bad times, if we tighten monetary policy at any cost, many people will follow suit, and eventually confidence in the market will be shattered, which is a disastrous result for our financial markets."

Bowan was rather vague, but Edmund understood him at once.

The so-called "credit", the most important thing is credit and confidence. Confidence is an unclear thing, and it can be manipulated in a sense. People have a herd mentality. When the situation is turbulent, if there is a large If the banks tighten their money even if they do not make money, it is likely to destroy the confidence of the market in a short period of time.

After the wave of bankruptcy, in order to maintain the safety of their own loans, other banks will also actively or passively tighten their money, which will further cause a shortage of cash in the market, so the crisis will become bigger and bigger, and it will be as difficult to contain as a snowball .

This is like a tuning fork resonance. Once confidence collapses, both borrowers and lenders of credit will step on each other, and then fall into a vicious circle as panic spreads, eventually making the crisis difficult to contain.

Everyone says "no wind, no waves", but in the world of credit, crises can arise and disappear out of thin air. This is the magic power of "money power".

Of course, the real model is not so simple, but the result of multi-party games, because there are not a few large credit institutions with the right to speak. Although the Poncena Bank is huge, it cannot cover the sky with one hand. It can set off a trend but cannot control it. The trend, even difficult to grasp the direction of the trend

In the case of its tightening monetary conditions, if other large banks decide to stabilize the market and expand credit in large quantities, instead of creating a crisis, Poncena Bank will cause heavy losses to itself and rob a large number of customers.

Therefore, it is necessary to create enough crisis to make other banks lose confidence like Poncena, and dare not come out to stabilize the overall situation, but instead follow along to disrupt the market and make the crisis deeper. This is what Bowang means.

Edmund didn't want to ask more about how to do it. Anyway, that was Bowan's job. He just needed to create enough political tension as much as possible.

"Mr. Bowan, I believe in your ability." Edmund said to the other party sincerely, "You can definitely create a crisis big enough to put everyone in the market at risk. But... there is another problem that His Majesty now hopes Disturbing the French market, but if he realizes his long-cherished wish and returns to France, his position will inevitably change. At that time, he will hope that the country will return to normal as soon as possible. I know this is contradictory, and I know it is not easy to achieve , but Mr. Bowang, will you be able to restore the situation as soon as possible?"

"It depends on how much trust and authorization I can get. If His Majesty can give me enough resources and space to act, I am sure that I will soon calm down the crisis we created, and... not only that!" When this question came up, Bowang immediately got excited.

He stood up, and as if a member of Congress was giving a speech, he continued to talk to Edmund, "There is no doubt, Mr. Earl, that such a crisis is a disaster. Many people will go bankrupt, and perhaps many more People shoot their own temples with pistols; however, from another perspective, this is also a good thing, and it is necessary! Over the past ten years, our country has got rid of wars and ushered in a period of peaceful development. The industry is full of waste, but this kind of prosperity is based on chaos and disorder, which is neither stable nor sustainable. I dare to assert that even if we do not take the initiative to create a wave, a wave of bankruptcy will be imminent!

Why?Because the financial order in our country is too chaotic, hundreds of large, medium and small institutions gathered in Paris, and some people even rented a small shop and dared to call themselves a bank, and dared to absorb deposits and issue promissory notes. What kind of nonsense is this?Because of this chaos and disorder, our country's already insufficient funds have been wasted for nothing, and the places that really need to use the money have fallen into symptoms of cash thirst, and in the end nothing can be done.Therefore, if there is a tide to sweep away these banks that are not worthy of being called banks, and let the funds gather in the hands of those institutions that are truly powerful and capable, it will be extremely beneficial to the future development of our country. I think this is also true. It will enable the competitiveness of various industries in our country to be maintained above other countries for a long time. "

Then, Bowan took a step and paced in the small study room, talking endlessly, constantly explaining his thoughts to Edmund Dantès, and listing data from time to time to prove his opinion.

Edmond Dantès was a little confused, but judging from Mr. Bowan's demeanor and the radiant passion, he knew that this guy was telling the truth.

He was also infected.

Although the other party's three words are all about money, and all considerations are based on money, and his body smells like money, but he is a man who really loves his career and is willing to spend his whole life on it.

This spirit is quite respectable.

So Edmund was not impatient, but quietly listened to Bowang's "lecture". After an unknown amount of time, Bowang finally stopped.

"To sum up, a terrible wave is certainly a disaster, but to some extent it also breeds new opportunities, but it is not easy to seize this opportunity. It requires a strong leader and some shrewd and capable people. Assistants to assist the leader, only in this way can we turn the crisis into motivation, let us usher in a truly stable period of prosperity, so that those poor people who died in the storm will not die in vain."

He finished at last, and looked at Edmund expectantly.

Although Bowang didn't know it clearly, Edmund could tell that Bowang was constantly recommending himself to be His Majesty's advisor and assistant.

He didn't know what His Majesty would think, and he couldn't make a decision for His Majesty now, but he was willing to convey his opinion for Mr. Bowan, so that His Majesty could listen to the views of this "professional".

Maybe give him a chance to try it out?Edmund whispered inwardly.

"Sir, I don't know whether you are right or wrong, and I don't dare to judge rashly, but I can assure you that I will tell His Majesty exactly what you have said to me today."

Edmund looked at the other party and solemnly made a promise, "From my personal opinion, I think His Majesty should appreciate your courage."

Bowang grinned so much that his mouth could not be concealed, and his eyes were full of pride. He was only proud of this one thing in his life, and he didn't pay attention to other things at all.

"I wait for the good news, count. If I can, I will prepare for it now."

After a pause, he seemed to remember something again, and his eyes began to change.

"By the way, do you want the Tanglars bankrupt?"

This name instantly destroyed Edmund's original good mood, and his eyes immediately became extremely stern.

"You want the truth? Then I tell you, I don't just want him bankrupt, sir."

It seems that the count and Tanglar really have a grudge, Bowan thought, he had already shown it last time.

It didn't matter to him that Bowan didn't ask the count why he had an enmity with Tanglars.

What really mattered was that he wanted to please the Count.

So, why not use it as an excuse... Anyway, that boy Tanglar has a bad reputation, and no one cares if he collapses.

"We can make him bankrupt, and it's not difficult to do." Bowang laughed immediately, "Sir, you may not know that Tanglar is very greedy, and his business methods are also very aggressive. The loan has far exceeded the amount of capital he owns, and he just relies on tricks and interbank lending to maintain his turnover. He thinks he is very smart, and no one can see that he is playing such a trick, but he is wrong, his money transactions We all knew the situation, we knew he was playing with fire, but we just didn't bother to pay attention to him before."

Edmund waited quietly for his next words.

"If you are patient, I can start accepting the promissory notes he issued now, without making a fuss, and no one will find out." Bowan continued, "He can continue to play tricks, but when the tide comes, With money tightening in the market, it will not be so easy for him to find funds to pay the promissory notes when they come due, and he will technically be bankrupt and bankrupt. He will lose his bank, his mansion, his wife and daughter, his Everything accumulated over the years..."

Edmund couldn't bear it any longer, and yelled at Bowan loudly.

"So, what are you waiting for? Go for it!"

"Yes, count." Bowan bowed to him with a smile on his face.　　

139, the unknown

When Edmund Dantès returned to his mansion, it was already late at night. Although he was physically exhausted, his heart was full of excitement.

From Bowan, he got something beyond his expectations, and even seemed to have learned a lesson.

False experts like to put on airs and pack themselves with a lot of esoteric and obscure nouns to make others confused; however, Bowen can explain profound things in simple terms, and let him understand the financial situation in France even without any knowledge of banks in simple language. The market environment, and the resources and consequences of various practices.

Have to, Bowang is a real expert.

This is an extremely powerful talent, and it is a great fortune to have his cooperation. Even if the two of them have no personal relationship, Edmond Dantès is willing to use his reputation as a guarantee to recommend Bowang to His Majesty.

There is no doubt that Bowen is not loyal to His Majesty, but so what?Just be able to play to his ability.

His Majesty wants to mess up the domestic financial market now, and he needs to stabilize the financial market after he comes to China. Both of these require professionals to do it for him. Bowang is the best candidate now.

As for his ambition... give money and fame, what can't you give?

With excitement, in the middle of the night, Edmund wrote a letter overnight, explaining Bowang's proposal and plan in detail, and prepared to send it to His Majesty in a particularly urgent manner for his reference.

There is no time to wait, and these measures should be completed as soon as possible.

And this plan also needs the cooperation of people in the country.

So the next day, Edmund set off again to visit the Marquis de Treville.