The sun never sets in America

Chapter 316 Nicaragua: Canal Shares

"Your Majesty, the British have a big appetite!!"

"They hope to obtain up to 40 percent equity upon completion and have first pass."

Hu Junding, who had just finished his talks with the British Minister, stood in a relatively private study room and reported this morning's talks to Liu Peng, who was reading.

The most important one is the British "Lion's Big Open", which wants to obtain 40% of the equity after subscription in one go. In Hu Junding's view, this is close to robbery.

After all, the Han State worked hard for five or six years, and both capital and labor were paid by the Han State. However, the British did not pay anything and only planned to eat ready-made products. This made Hu Junding and those who understood Officials inside were unhappy.

After all, it was naked robbery from any angle. Although the British proposed the acquisition at a 20% premium on the original price, even so, the Han Dynasty would lose money.

Liu Peng had no reaction after hearing this, as if he had known that the British would do this for a long time. After all, all the great powers of this era did this, and the same was true for the Han Dynasty. It was actually "expected" for the British to do this. It's not something particularly "out of the ordinary".

After all, in an era full of bandits, complaining about bandits will not do any good. Being a bandit is the key to survival.

"The British are shameless, but they have to pay anyway, so they won't rob you directly."

When Liu Peng said this, he even showed a proud expression, which made Hu Junding puzzled.

At this time, Liu Peng continued:

"Of course, the UK said it wanted 40%, but if we really gave it to them, it would make other countries think that we are afraid of them."

"In this case, since we are going to sell it, we might as well sell more and call the ministers from France, Austria, and Prussia."

"By the way, Americans should stop calling. After all, they are in America and do not have such transportation needs."

When Liu Peng said this, a "playful" smile appeared on his face.

"Yes, Your Majesty, I will do it now!!"

Hu Junding already understood what Liu Peng meant and agreed very happily.

When leaving, Liu Peng gave another instruction:

"Don't Americans often say that this canal is a public instrument of mankind? So this time we will show them what a public instrument is!!"

Hu Junding, who was about to go out, turned around and bowed to Liu Peng when he heard these words.

"Haha, what a public tool!!"

As soon as Hu Junding left, Liu Peng couldn't help laughing.
-

French Legation.

Bock, who was appointed to the French Legation in Han at the age of thirty-five, held a baronetship during the Napoleonic period. Since the restoration of the Napoleonic dynasty, the declining aristocracy of the entire Napoleonic period seemed to have found support, and they quickly united under Napoleon III. Around it, a new French ruling power formed.

And Bock is precisely the beneficiary of this. You must know that in any country, ministers stationed abroad are divided into hierarchies. Among them, ministers from small countries have the lowest status and are almost in exile.

The ministerial status of a large country like Han is the highest. After a few years of experience, they will basically be promoted when they return to their home country.

And Bock, who is only thirty-five years old and has been working as a doctor for two years, is a target of key cultivation. As long as he finishes this year and returns to France, he will stay for another two or three years. When the people above him retire, he will be the future French Foreign Minister. , basically it’s him.

Bock knew this very well, so he also hoped to make some "visible" contributions to the French Empire before being transferred back to his homeland.

But in the past few years, except for the signing of the new Sino-French trade treaty, he has basically made no outstanding achievements. Even he himself thought that the next days would be spent in "working for foreigners", but a major event that happened recently... It made him see the opportunity.

"Looking at the current attitude of the Americans, they want to make this matter bigger, preferably until the Han people can't bear the pressure,"

"The American minister just invited me to dinner, and I hope that the French Empire can be consistent with the next actions of the United States,"

Matrea, the French military attaché in Han Dynasty, was sitting on the sofa, drinking the coffee Bock had just made, and said in a "disdainful" tone.

Bok, who was opposite him, replied with a smile;

"The Americans hope that we will offend the Han Kingdom to achieve their own goals."

"Although what they say is tempting, America is not that important to France."

Bock was very clear about the intentions of the Americans. He simply hoped to use the pressure of all countries, or all powerful countries, to make the Han country retreat in spite of difficulties, so as to achieve his own goals.

"But what the Americans say is not unreasonable. If it succeeds, we can get a lot from this canal, including national and economic benefits."

Matrea was a little tempted by the Americans' proposal. After all, it was not a battle with the Han people on the battlefield, but a diplomatic "conflict."

For these old powers, this kind of thing is simply a common occurrence, something they can do without even thinking about it.

If you fail, it's nothing more than a stalemate in the relationship, but once you succeed, it's an incredible "achievement."

These people can be regarded as heroes of France.

However, Bock on the other side obviously did not agree with the other party's statement and directly refuted:

"This thing can't be successful. We can't bring the precious French fleet to America just for a canal."

"This will only make those damn Yankees and sly Brits cheaper."

Bock simply didn't think that the so-called diplomatic threat would make the Han Kingdom surrender. It would only be self-defeating and hurt everyone's relations. It is very likely that the originally signed trade treaty would be invalidated. For Bock, who desperately needed results to prove himself, It was a huge failure.

"And I'm sure there's a British element to it."

Bock mentioned the British, and the sarcasm flashed across his face.

The same is true for Matrea on the opposite side. After all, the French are famous for their "opinions" on the British.

"British people, haven't the British people directly asked the Han people for them recently?"

Matrea was very surprised as to why there were also British people here. After all, according to the current "well-known" information, the Han people had talked with the British many times. If there was no trick in this, who would believe it! !

"Yes, I want a fart!!"

Bock said a "foul word" directly in French, and then replied in a sarcastic tone:

"That's how the British do things. They like to play vague things. I'm sure that the so-called joint pressure is just an added bargaining chip for them to gain benefits from the Han people."

"The Americans just gave it a push. Maybe even now, those stupid Americans still think that the British are in the same boat as them."

Bock made fun of Britain and the United States without mercy.

Matrea frowned and asked: "If this is the case, wouldn't it mean that all the benefits have been taken by the British? What else do we have?"

"Haha, look, those Han people are not that stupid to be so easily threatened by the so-called British Empire!!"

Bock lit a Chinese-made cigarette. The word "Yangtze River" was written on the cigarette box. Because this kind of cigarette is imported from Cuba, it is very popular with people like Bock who are very picky about taste.

Matrea was about to say something when he was interrupted by the sound of guards outside.

"Mr. Minister, there is an invitation sent from the Han cabinet."

When the invitation with the dragon pattern was delivered to Bock, Matrea was still drinking tea. After seeing the invitation, he kept looking in Bock's direction as if he had seen a ghost.

Bock gave a few instructions, and then began to prepare the dress.

"I said, how did you know that the Han people would come??"

After waiting for a long time, Matrea couldn't bear it anymore and asked.

Bock, who was applying hair oil, applied the shiny hair oil to his curly hair. While styling it, he uttered:

"I said, they are not fools!!"

Matrea wanted to ask something else, but finally shut up.

.............................................

Xijing Hotel, the most famous high-end hotel in Han Dynasty, once again has tight security. Even the waiters who go out have to go through at least three security checks and body searches.

When horse-drawn carriages with national flags from various countries stopped at the entrance of the hotel, the guards who had been prepared immediately ran over to open the door.

In the back kitchen of the hotel, exquisite dishes are being heated.

For a special gathering like this, the food is prepared in advance and there is no time to redo it.

When everyone arrived, the protagonist Hu Junding also arrived on time. Except for director Liu Peng and a certain villain country, everyone basically arrived.

In the audience, the ministers from various countries applauded appropriately after Hu Junding arrived.

Among them, the British minister's photo was the most perfunctory. After all, this kind of public gathering is something the British don't like to see.

After all, as long as you throw it under the sun, everything will turn out to be true. "Welcome everyone, I represent..."

clap clap clap! !

Hu Junding on the stage said a "Welcome Speech" that was neither salty nor bland. Under the stage, the sparse applause was like the waves of life. Just as he was about to take off, he landed!

"The Nicaragua Canal is a charity activity launched by Han to solve global transportation problems..."

"We will make our fair share of the world's economies..."

Listening to Hu Junding's "shameless" speech on the stage, the ministers present were not disturbed at all. After all, even if they were allowed to speak on the stage, it would still be the same.

After all, it’s hard to open your mouth and say that I built this canal just for money and to control the East-West trade channel.

If you really say that, they won’t do it! !

After the "trash talk" was finished, Hu Junding changed his tone and said in a "sincere" tone: "We plan to spend more than one billion yuan on the entire Nicaragua Canal project and take more than six years to build..."

"For this great project, our country has almost paid a huge price, but as His Majesty the Emperor said: everything is for all mankind!!"

If what I just said was considered shameless, then this sentence made many people present feel sick. Damn it, I have never seen anyone so shameless.

Hu Junding on the stage continued:

"In order to ensure the success of the canal development, we hope to conduct a financing. This time we invite everyone to come, just for this matter."

Wow! !

After saying this, things really started to get lively down there.

Compared with other "enthusiasm", the British Minister was not so happy. After all, these people are all competitors.

"In order to ensure the progress of the project, we hope to raise 500 million yuan..."

Wow! !

There was another burst of "fun", but at this time, many countries backed down. After all, if there were too many, they would have no way to explain to the country.

After all, for many countries, something like the canal is a relatively high-risk project. Even now, some people are still talking about building a canal in Egypt. The canal has just started, but no one believes it at all.

After all, unreliable "investments" like the canal are something that many countries that do not have strong financial resources should try their best to avoid.

Of course, some people retreat, and others move forward, such as France.

French Minister Bock directly said on the spot that financing issues could be discussed.

This is also the first country that hopes to join the canal project. Seeing this, even if the British are unwilling, they can only follow suit and offer funds! !

After all, for the British Empire, any place that might become a key point must be included. After all, this is the direction of British map interests.

When the banquet was over, only the French Minister Bock stayed. As for the British Minister who had been "going through the back door", he rushed back to the embassy urgently and sent an "inquiry" telegram to the country.

Compared with the "happy conversation" between Han and France, other countries had different intentions.

Among them, Prussia is the most eager to join this project to "boost national strength", but the current economy of the Kingdom of Prussia is not that good, so it can only be a bystander.

As for Austria, they both want to go in but don't want to go in. After all, for Austria, which currently has serious internal disputes, they cannot bear the local consequences if such a large-scale external investment fails.

(Hungarian problem)

As for other small European countries, they have no chance to participate in such a project. In fact, the purpose of inviting them to come is to make up the numbers! !

When the news came back to London, it was still late at night, but Queen Victoria, who received the telegram, urgently summoned Johnson to the palace.

"His Majesty……"

"Mr. Prime Minister!!"

After a few pleasantries, Johnson, who was pulled up from the bed, steeled himself and said to Queen Victoria:

"Your Majesty, actually I think we can definitely join in."

"Why??"

Queen Victoria asked Johnson.

"Your Majesty, Napoleon III has been very close to Egypt recently. They want to build a strait around the Cape of Good Hope. You should also know that."

Queen Victoria frowned, she knew exactly what that "bastard" Napoleon III was trying to do.

"Your Majesty, the French are trying to unite with the Egyptians to bypass our maritime system, and even use the so-called Suez Canal to break the British Empire's dominance of the oceans."

"I think it's the same reason why the French want to join the Han-dominated Nicaragua Canal this time. The arrogant Napoleon is fulfilling his uncle's unfinished dream of becoming the European hegemon."

After saying this, the corners of Johnson's mouth raised slightly, and he looked very disdainful of what the French had done. In his opinion, all the efforts of the French were in vain. This era was still the era of the British Empire. Napoleon had not changed. Even if he has become the so-called third emperor, it is impossible to change.

"But Napoleon III, what if he succeeds? If the French and those Egyptians who cheat on others really build the so-called canal, then if they are allowed to control the Nicaragua Canal, will the world still belong to the British Empire??"

Queen Victoria's views were completely different from Johnson's. In her eyes, France was still Britain's biggest threat in Europe. Especially after Tsarist Russia was defeated by Han, suppressing France has been Britain's established policy in recent years. As a national policy, they even prepared more than 100 million pounds of low-interest loans for Russia to accelerate Russia's recovery from a practical level.

"That's why we should join in. After all, only by joining can we know what the French are doing."

Johnson shrugged at the Queen.

Queen Victoria did not agree immediately, but paced back and forth a few times, then turned around and ordered:

"Ronnie, I will write a letter to the Emperor of Han. I think he will understand what we mean and what the British Empire means."

Queen Victoria's tone was "plain" like a small thing.

Johnson took a look and then agreed:

"Yes, I understand."

When Johnson left Buckingham Palace under night, it was already three o'clock in the morning, and only a few hours before dawn.

Queen Victoria just watched him leave quietly, and finally fixed her eyes on the map of Egypt behind her.

…………

Swish! !

A treaty that was more than ten pages thick and extremely complicated was signed by Liu Yu and the British and French ministers opposite.

When everything was over, Liu Yu took the initiative to shake hands with the two of them:

"Thanks for the support!!"

The two people opposite had different expressions. Among them, French Minister Bock was very happy. After all, such a treaty was enough for him to gain a foothold in France.

The British Minister was different. When answering, he always looked at Liu Yu and finally said directly:

"Your Royal Highness, we would like you to visit London. This is a request from Queen Victoria."

When Liu Yu heard this, his expression was a little unnatural, but he quickly recovered and answered with a "formulaic" smile:

“Of course, it’s my pleasure!!”

Bock on the side also appropriately initiated an invitation to Liu Yu to visit Paris, and Liu Yu also accepted it.

But after waiting for the two of them to leave, Liu Yu immediately drove towards the palace in a car.

A few days later, news that Britain and France had invested 200 million and 300 million yuan each in the Nicaragua Canal was announced on a small page of Xijing Daily.

According to the published information, Han Guo occupies 55% of the shares and has absolute controlling rights.

The UK and France accounted for 20% and 25% respectively, with France's premium being the highest.

After the announcement of this treaty, the first people who could not sit still were the Americans who wanted to "conquer" the Han Kingdom.

In the words of the US Secretary of State:

"All inter-American treaties that the United States is not a party to are illegal and inconsistent with the Four-Power Treaty!!"

Of course, this is all just a cry. In fact, the Americans know very well that their goal has been achieved.

After all, it doesn’t matter whether the Nicaragua Canal belongs to Han. What matters is that it cannot be completely controlled by Han. The more chaotic the situation is, the more room for maneuver the United States will have at some point in the future.

　Monthly ticket rush

　　

　

(End of this chapter)