I'm the Dauphin in France

Chapter 672 Catfish Plan
This is bound to be a busy day.

Joseph saw the intelligence chief off, looked out the window at the already low sunset, and was about to go to dinner when Emmanuel came quickly, leaned over and whispered, "Your Highness, Mr. Styler is back."

"Styler?" Joseph was stunned for a moment before he reacted. Isn't this the general manager of Lightning Company?

Compared to Mesmer, who always stayed in the dark and used a fake identity, Styler was the official contractor of the London gas streetlight project, and his identity had been repeatedly verified by the British.

So when Lightning Company collapsed, he was immediately wanted by the British government and had to hide in the Balkans.

More than half a year had passed before he dared to quietly return to France to report.

"Please invite him in." Joseph nodded. Styler was a hero. In order to destroy the London gas streetlight project, he even gave up his original family business.

Stelle followed Emman into the house, took off the Phrygian hat that was pulled down low on his head, and saluted the Crown Prince. "I am very sorry to bother you so late at night, Your Highness. But there are many British spies in Paris, so I can only go out after dark."

Joseph gestured to the sofa. "Please take a seat. You have made a great contribution to France, Mr. Styler."

Styler hurriedly said, "My name is Dietmar now, Your Highness."

"Thank you for your hard work." Joseph nodded with emotion, "I have suggested to His Majesty the King that you be conferred the title of Baron of Memark. And His Majesty has agreed."

Styler's eyes widened, and he stood up quickly, touching his chest and bowing very seriously: "I really don't know how to express my gratitude, Your Highness! May God bless you forever!"

No wonder he was so excited. This was a titled peerage, far superior to the peerages that were bought with money. His family had since moved up a social ladder!

"This is an honor you deserve," Joseph smiled, "but you may have to stay abroad for a few years, then you can use your original surname and return to Paris."

He knew very well that under Britain's continental balance policy, war between Britain and France would inevitably break out. Who would care about the British government's wanted warrant at that time?

Even the affairs of Lightning Company were made into jokes to disgust the British.

Styler stood up and saluted again: "Thank you very much, Your Highness. In this case, I will return to Greece and do business for a few more years."

He said with a confident smile: "My furniture business there has begun to take shape."

Joseph was moved when he heard this: "You mean, Greece?"

"Yes, Your Highness." Styler nodded. "I bought the plywood from Marseilles and hired Corinthian craftsmen to process it into the furniture style that the Anatolians like. Now it has been sold to the Levant."

At present, Greece is Ottoman territory, separated from Constantinië only by the Aegean Sea.

Joseph said, "I am planning to set up a trading company in Ottoman Empire. Now it seems that you can be the general manager."

Styler immediately bowed and said, "I am willing to serve you, Your Highness."

"This is no ordinary company. It will own a large number of the latest steam paddle steamers, and you should try to use them to monopolize the Mediterranean trade. Even, extend it northward to the Black Sea."

Joseph then introduced him to the steamboat, and then continued:
"In addition, you will be responsible for purchasing large quantities of cotton and sugarcane from Syria, Egypt and other places. Oh, the Ottoman Sultan has promised that our country has the priority to purchase 70% of these materials."

Styler smiled when he heard about the steamship, but now he frowned and said, "Your Highness, with all due respect, I'm afraid this promise is not very binding."

"Yes, even the Egyptians would not necessarily obey Selim III's orders."

Styler thought for a moment and nodded: "Your Highness, I will buy as many goods as possible back to the country."

"What's your plan?" "This... you know, bribery, alliances, and the like. Business is all about these things."

"Very good." Joseph smiled, "In the process, you should try to infiltrate Egypt, especially pay attention to a senior Ottoman officer named Muhammad Ali.

"By the way, a war will break out there soon. You must prepare in advance."

"Yes, Your Highness, I will definitely not let you down."

Soon, the new general manager of "East Mediterranean Trading Company" stood up and left.

Joseph originally wanted to invite him to the banquet, but considering his shameful identity, he had to give up and sent him to the gate of the Palace of Versailles.

Styler bowed and stepped back. Just as he was about to turn around, he suddenly remembered something and stopped and said, "Your Highness, I have always wondered why you named that company 'Lightning'?"

At the beginning, he proposed several very elegant names, but the prince insisted on using the strange word "lightning".

Joseph smiled and said, "Because lightning is slow. I hope the London gas streetlight project can be as slow as lightning."

"Huh? Isn't lightning supposed to be fast?"

"No, it's slow."

"why?"

"Because Lightning is a sloth."[1]

"??"

……

Western Poland.

Krakow, Tarnovskoe Hill.

In front of the office building of the Umyan Silver Mining Company, which owns 80% of the silver mining rights here, the company's second manager Depue walked out of the door quickly, got on a carriage, and rushed to the nearby town of Chebinia.

Half an hour later, in a small building where the steam engine technicians of the silver mine rested, Depue shook his head and said to a middle-aged man dressed as a technician: "Captain Ribel..."

"Ah!" The "technician" stopped him with a stern look, "It's Mr. Ferri."

"Oh, yes, I'm sorry, Mr. Ferri." Depue nodded apologetically and continued, "As you expected, the board of directors did not believe that the Austrians would attack here. Therefore, they also rejected the proposal to let the miners receive military training twice a week."

Captain Riber, who was sent by the Intelligence Bureau to be in charge of the Krakow defense plan, frowned and said, "I see, but don't worry. The Operations Department has already formulated a response plan for this situation."

Yes, Joseph had previously considered that the Poles would most likely not be wary of the Austrians, so he also specially formulated a "catfish plan" for this purpose.

Depue asked, "Do you need me to do anything?"

Captain Riber nodded: "Yes, you are critical and may be kidnapped once."

[Note 1] "Lightning" is a character in the movie "Zootopia" - a slow-moving sloth civil servant.

(End of this chapter)