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Chapter 1274 Farewell 2
Thinking of that time, Cohen felt his nose sore. In the past twenty years, he has grown from a young man to an old man in Batavia, working diligently and carefully to protect the interests of the company. Even though the Emperor of the Ming Dynasty expressed his intention to recruit him many times, he never betrayed the company.

I had planned to work hard to get a representative position before retirement, which would be considered a class leap. But I didn't expect that I was still an insignificant worker in the eyes of the company's top management, and my reasonable suggestions were ignored, so I worked for nothing all my life.

If I had known this, I would have come to Ming Dynasty. Look at the Silva couple, Xiong Sanba, and Tang Ruowang. They are all Europeans, but they have made great success in Ming Dynasty. Not only did they become high-ranking officials, but they also built up a considerable fortune. If they were in Europe, they would be lords at the very least. Not only did they win in this life, but they also paved a good way for their children.

"Then you didn't meet a master! Now I am no longer capable, and even the palace can hardly win easily. Putting aside the physical factor, the key is that the opponent is too weak. You will never improve if you always play with a group of people with ulterior motives and deliberately lose. If you want to be strong, you must have a good opponent and constantly sum up experience and lessons from failure.

You stay for a few more days, and I will organize some experts to come to the palace to compete. This time, we will be partners. You are tall and have long arms, and you will be responsible for the backcourt, while I will create offensive opportunities in front of the net. How about we start practicing now! First, find the feeling of cooperation, so as not to be beaten by those guys from the General Staff as soon as you go on the court! "

Hong Tao seemed to be talking about the ball, but in fact he was reminding Cohen that he followed the wrong person. At the same time, he also stopped him from leaving Beijing early, to see if he could force the truth out of him.

The reason why he spent so much effort and still didn't give up was that he wanted to recruit this person for his own use. He had no shortage of people in the military, and he didn't need foreign aid in domestic affairs for the time being, but there was still a big gap in the diplomatic field.

Due to the cultural gap between the East and the West, no matter how hard the people of the Ming Dynasty tried, it was difficult to adapt to the European way of thinking in a short period of time, and misunderstandings often occurred when discussing things with them.

Another war is about to break out. Regardless of victory or defeat, war serves politics. After the war, a new situation must be determined through negotiations. This work is sometimes more important than fighting a war.

The Silvas did have the ability to do this, but they were old, and long-distance travel plus verbal battles were very physically and mentally exhausting. Xiong Sanba and Tang Ruowang were both practical people, who could handle their profession but were not good at talking, and had no political talent.

The most suitable candidate was the governor of the East India Company. In terms of management, he was alone overseas, not only protecting the foundation, but also expanding the sphere of influence in the Spice Islands. He followed the example of the Ming Empire, supporting and encouraging local natives to build farms and grow cash crops, with remarkable results.

In terms of politics, the East India Company, which has military and diplomatic power, is definitely not a commercial company, but a national system. In this system, Cohen not only thrives but also reaps many rewards. Although there are some factors of his deliberate connivance, his ability is also obvious to all.

In addition, this guy is no stranger to the military. The Governor of Batavia himself is a position that combines military and political power. Even though the East India Company has not had the opportunity to demonstrate its military strength in Asian waters in recent years, it is not easy to govern the natives of the Spice Islands with more than 1000 mercenaries.

The most valuable thing is that Cohen understands Asia and the Ming Empire and is willing to understand Eastern culture. This is very important in dealing with Europeans and has the potential to become a bridge of communication between the two sides.

"Uh... this..." Seeing that the emperor was so decisive and even invited masters to the palace for a competition, the smile on Cohen's face immediately turned into a bitter smile. He couldn't agree, but he didn't dare to refuse.

"Why are you taking more and more time? You are not required to participate in the talks. Do you have other official duties?" The emperor was really unhappy. He had already spoken the truth, but you ended up putting on an expression of being forced and helpless. You deserve death!
"Your Majesty, I am here to say goodbye, not to return to Batavia, but to Amsterdam. I have resigned from the post of Governor of Batavia, and according to regulations I should return to the headquarters as soon as possible to perform my duties to the Council." Seeing that he could not fool the other party, Cohen had to tell the truth, but he still did not tell the whole truth and did not mention the reason for his resignation.

"Resignation... Have I ever received any memorial to this effect?" Now it was Hong Tao's turn to perform. With a look of confusion and surprise on his face, he turned his head and glanced at Wang Chengen.

"The Imperial Household Department and the Ministry of Public Security have never received similar memorials!" Wang Chengen cooperated very well, with a firm tone and a determined expression.

"Then how can you resign? Without my order, it will not count even if the Prince of Orange approves it. Don't forget that Batavia exists with the tacit consent of the Ming Empire. Without this premise, the East India Company will not be able to move forward in Asia.

If you want to resign, you can write a memorial to explain your reasons clearly, and then go back and wait for my approval. But I can tell you the result now, and you have to work hard until you find a suitable candidate!"

With Wang Chengen's endorsement, Hong Tao immediately adopted a businesslike attitude. Moreover, his words were extremely overbearing and unreasonable, as if the Dutch East India Company was just a small vendor in the eyes of the Ming Empire, and could be driven away at will.

"…Your Majesty is deliberately making things difficult for me. Do you know something?"

As expected of a professional punching bag who had been bullied for nearly twenty years, after hearing the emperor's words, Cohen did not dwell on whether they were reasonable or not. Instead, he tried hard to think about the tone and expression, and finally came to a conclusion that it seemed he had been fooled again!

"I'll give you a question. If a governor who has served overseas for 20 years resigns because of a disagreement with me, and soon after I am defeated in the war, and the outcome is exactly what the governor said, do you think this governor will be commended or killed?"

The play was over, the audience understood, and Hong Tao stopped pretending. But he couldn't tell how he knew it, and that wasn't the point. The key was how things would develop in the future and whether it would backfire.

"...I have not done anything beyond my authority, nor have I done anything that would harm the interests of the company!" Cohen must have understood, but he was unwilling to admit it and was still resisting verbally.

"The reality is that the company has suffered huge losses, and the top management will definitely not take the responsibility. At this time, someone is needed to take the blame. From my perspective, your height, weight and size are just right. If the top management of the East India Company also has the same opinion as me, who do you think will object at that time?"

But this kind of excuse is as childish as a child in front of Hong Tao. When you are needed, no one will mention it, even if it harms the company's interests, as long as you create more profits. When you are not needed, even if you are a model worker and a March 8th Red Flag Bearer, everyone will criticize you.

Whether someone is wrong or not, whether he is a bad guy or not, is not determined by his behavior but by his voice. What does voice depend on? Strength. An executive who abandons the company at a critical moment has neither strength nor voice. The only thing he has is the value of being a scapegoat. Who else can be punished if not you? Can the shareholders or the prince be held responsible?
(End of this chapter)