Republic of China: Ace Pilot

Chapter 432 Private Banks in the 42830s, Loire Valley Châteaux

The second district the information broker mentioned is right over at the Ritz Hotel, which Fang Wen just left.

It's only 2 kilometers from the Café de Flore.

Immediately, Fang Wen asked Paul, the manager of the nearby Paris branch, to drive over. The intelligence broker led the way, while he followed in the company car.

We soon arrived at the Paris Stock Exchange, a street lined with banks and securities brokerage firms.

They went to a private bank that was named "Noble Financial Private Bank".

Although I had never heard of this bank before, its interior design and service were quite exquisite.

After negotiations by the intelligence broker, a manager came to receive Fang Wen and his group.

"Hello, Mr. Fang, I know who you are. Two hours ago, my colleagues and I had the privilege of seeing you land your plane on the Seine. I am happy to serve you."

Fang Wen shook hands with him, sat down, and asked, "I would like to obtain some special financial services."

"Sir, you must have your own channels and connections in Paris. You don't need to specifically look for someone, do you?" the manager asked.

If you don't go through a financial company, that's certainly possible.

But Fang Wen felt that in such matters, paying someone to do the job was far better than finding an acquaintance or going to their door himself.

After all, it was a transaction involving a large amount of money.

He replied, "If you are professional enough, I think it would be better for you to do it."

"Thank you." The manager gave a professional smile, straightened his collar, and sat up straight. "We are a professional private bank. Please allow me to introduce ourselves."

Through his introduction, Fang Wen gained an understanding of the company.

This is a long-established private bank that serves only high-end clients; its name is Noble Financial Private Bank.

We provide customized wealth management services to our clients.

We offer personalized investment portfolios based on each client's unique needs.

It covers stocks, bonds, art collection, and real estate investment.

In each of the four areas mentioned above, there are professional staff members in charge.

Their strengths extend beyond this; they possess an extensive international network and offer cross-border money transfers and overseas asset allocation planning services.

That's why they're popular with high-end clients.

In these turbulent times, even the wealthy in Paris need ways to diversify their risks.

Fang Wen was surprised by what the manager said.

Private banks, which will be commonplace in the future, have already emerged in this era, and their services are almost identical to those of the future.

That's not bad.

He then stated his needs.

“I want you to speak with the owners of Hispano-Suiza to discuss topics including the purchase of technology, production lines, joint ventures to build a branch factory, and equity investment.”

The manager took careful notes and asked, "Is this what you're asking for?"

“No, as long as they agree to part of it, that’s fine,” Fang Wen replied.

“Okay, I will communicate with the owners of Hispano-Suiza. We need to find them first. You will need to wait a day, and I will get back to you after a day. Please let me know how to contact you.”

“I live on a plane on the Seine River. You can come and see me anytime.”

"Okay, please wait for good news."

The manager politely escorted Fang Wen out.

Afterwards, Fang Wen bid farewell to the intelligence dealer and drove away.

The car pulled up to the Seine, and Fang Wen and his party got out.

Paul Lin brought his branch office employees over.

"General Manager, I've arranged the meals. You can dine on the Seine. Look over there."

He pointed to the river, where a small tour boat was moored next to the plane.

Smoke was billowing from the boat; it turned out to be a floating kitchen.

It's a pretty good way to eat, since open flames aren't allowed on airplanes, so this is a good way to enjoy French food.

Immediately afterwards, he, Gong Xiuneng, Zhao Junping, and Bai Yunfei went down to the riverbank to see what kind of food they could make there.

The four men boarded the ship. The tall chef on board took off his hat, revealing a bald head, and smiled, "Sir, do you remember me?"

"You?" Fang Wen looked at him. His powerful mental strength gave him an exceptional memory, and he instantly found information about this person from the corner of his memory.

It was a few years ago when I first came to Europe. At that time, I had no connections. In order to make contact with the executives of Falmont, I specially hosted a banquet in Paris to entertain Parisian business people.

At that time, apart from the Nationalist government's consulate in France taking the lead, everything else had to be handled by themselves.

The chefs and service staff were all hired from Chinese people in Paris.

Paul Lin, the current manager of the Paris branch, was also recruited by Lin Shuiwang back then.

Of course, since the banquet was for local Parisians, it couldn't be all Chinese, so a local French chef was also hired.

This is one of the two chefs we hired at that time.

Fang Wen smiled and said, "Julian, it's been a long time. You've gained weight; I remember you weren't like this back then."

Chef Julian relaxed: "Yes, I've gained a lot of weight in the past few years. I've been following you. You're the most successful person I've ever met. I often tell my son and daughter that as long as you have confidence, you can be like you. They never believed I knew you. You must give me an autograph this time so I can take it home and show it to them."

Several years have passed. Back then, Fang Wen was just an adventurous pilot flying across Asia and Europe, but now he has become a big businessman.

In Europe, newspapers also reported on his story; after all, such examples of ordinary people achieving success against all odds are very rare in this era.

Fang Wen smiled and nodded, then took out a small box and retrieved a thin gold card from it.

Those were custom-made personal business cards that represented his status and were quite valuable.

Out of encouragement for the chef's children, he signed his name on the back of his business card and wrote a sentence in French.

"Qui a une volonté, aura le moyen."

This is the French proverb "Where there's a will, there's a way."

Fang Wen handed the business card to the chef and said with a smile, "Could you prepare a sumptuous dinner for us? We're hungry."

The chef accepted the business card and put it in his breast pocket. He said happily, "Okay, sir. I've prepared a lot of food for you. Please wait by the plane, and we'll deliver it to you."

Fang Wen nodded and disembarked with Gong Xiuneng and the others.

The four returned to the plane and began discussing the Hispano-Suiza company.

Gong Xiuneng asked, "Why not just go directly to the company's boss? That way you wouldn't have to pay commission and you could communicate with them face-to-face."

Fang Wen shook his head: "It's a bit different here than where we are. They don't like to talk face-to-face. If I go to their door, I'll either be able to close the deal in one go, or I'll be kicked out. But if I go through an intermediary, it won't affect the relationship between the two parties. Even if the intermediary fails, I can find other ways to contact them."

Zhao Junping listened intently with wide eyes. As Fang Wen's secretary, the young man diligently learned all new knowledge, striving to do his job well.

Bai Yunfei, however, discussed it from a different perspective.

"What are you going to do if this company is unwilling to cooperate, unwilling to sell its technology, and doesn't even want your money?"

“That’s possible. They’ve run a company for decades; they’ll have an emotional attachment to it. If that’s the case, I’ll use some methods to ensure I get the technology back,” Fang Wen replied. He came this time determined to succeed; if soft tactics didn’t work, he’d have to resort to hard ones.

Bai Yunfei was stunned, but said nothing.

After all, in his view, if Fang Wen succeeded in what he was doing, it would be a good thing for China no matter what.

Not to mention, it was Fang Wenzhi who healed his injuries.

Just then, a waiter from the ship next to them came over and said at the cabin door, "Gentlemen, the food is ready. May we serve it?"

Fang Wen stood up and said to the soldiers of the Independent Regiment in the cabin, "Prepare for a meal. Go to the dining room and unfold the folding seats."

The 20 soldiers immediately went to the mess hall, pulled out the folding chairs that had been folded up on the wall, and unfolded them.

This creates 10 tables facing each other, accommodating up to 40 people for meals at the same time.

Then, blond-haired, blue-eyed foreigners carried plates of French food onto the plane and placed them on the tables.

The soldiers of the Independent Regiment, including Zhao Junping and Bai Yunfei, had never seen or eaten these kinds of foods before, and for a moment they didn't know how to proceed.

Fang Wen introduced with a smile: "Their dishes are served one after another, one plate after another. The first dish is an appetizer, which is called a frozen appetizer appetizer platter, and it is made with caviar. You eat it with a spoon."

Having eaten Western food, Gong Xiuneng picked up a spoon, scooped up a large spoonful of caviar, and put it in his mouth, setting an example for everyone.

Others followed suit and scooped it up and ate it as well.

The reactions vary from place to place.

Some soldiers frowned, while others showed expressions of pleasure.

People from different places have different feelings about caviar.

Zhao Junping, who hadn't eaten yet, asked curiously, "What does it taste like?"

The soldiers replied in a cacophony of voices:
"Each bead bursts open with a bite, filling your mouth with juice."

"It's salty and tastes a bit fishy."

"It's not fishy, ​​it's fresh and delicious."

Fang Wen said, "Alright, people from the mainland probably aren't used to this cold dish. No problem, let's serve the hot dishes."

Then, the main course was served.

The first main course was a typical French Burgundy dish: beef stew in red wine.

It suited everyone's taste, and everyone enjoyed it immensely.

I finished eating in a few bites, but I still didn't feel full.

Everyone was wondering why the portions of French food were so small.

Fang Wen explained, "That's how they do it. They want to have a sense of ritual when they eat. After one course is finished, another course is served. This is a continuation of the aristocratic style of the past, and people have gradually come to regard it as a dining habit. Don't worry about not being full, there will be more to come."

Then another main dish was served: lobster cooked in butter.

Many soldiers who had never seen such large lobsters before ate the big chunks of lobster meat, regardless of whether they liked it or not.

Then, dessert was served, along with soup.

With an extra baguette as a main dish, no one complained of not being full.

After dinner, the dining boat was moored on the riverbank, and the chefs and staff disembarked and left.

As darkness fell, the only remaining sight on the deserted riverbank was the Xuanming-type seaplane with its lights on.

That night, apart from curious passersby stopping to watch, no one came to disturb them.

The night passed just like that, and the next morning there was still no news from the private bank.

The person finally arrived after lunch.

It was the same manager, carrying a briefcase, negotiating with the plainclothes soldiers guarding the riverbank.

Upon seeing his inscription, the soldiers were instructed to let him in.

The manager stepped through the cabin door, looked around the interior of the aircraft, and exclaimed in surprise, "Is this your private car?"

Fang Wen beckoned the other person over to sit down.

After he sat down, he spoke: "I don't need a private car. As a pilot, I will often fly various different aircraft. To be honest, it would be a waste to provide me with a plane, and I might only use it once in a long while."

The manager nodded: "That's right, you really don't need it. I've already spoken with the owners of Hispano-Suiza. Currently, the company's shares are held by two families, whose grandfather was also the founder of Hispano-Suiza. I made your request, and they responded."

As he spoke, he turned to the next page: "They refused to sell the technology, production lines, and the partnership to build a branch factory, but agreed to equity investment, offering you 10% of new shares at a price per share."

Fang Wen interrupted, "Stop. What I want is their aircraft engine technology, not just shares."

The manager said with difficulty, "These two families are very firm in their stance. They can offer you high-interest loans or give you 10% equity with priority in dividends. Apart from that, they refuse any asset sales and don't want you to have a say on the board."

Fang Wen's expression turned cold upon hearing this.

The terms offered by the other party were completely useless; he would not lend money to Hispano-Suiza Company just because of some interest.

How can I get the other party to sell their technology?

Could it be because their status wasn't high enough, since the Soviet Union had clearly obtained the license for their aircraft engine technology?

It seems that I need to have a direct contact with the other party.

Fang Wen spoke up: "Could you arrange a meeting? I'd like to speak with them."

“No problem. One of them is having a wedding at the Château de Chambord. It’s a public party, and if you want to go, I can ask their family in Paris to let you attend.”

"Okay. The sooner the better."

"I'll make arrangements right away."

The manager left, and returned two hours later.

“The Earl of Leigh has agreed. He welcomes your arrival and says you can fly directly there in this plane. Chambord Castle is right on the Loire River.”

"Can we go now?" Fang Wen asked.

"can."

"Let's go then."

"But I'm not ready yet."

"No need. If all goes well, we can go today and come back today."

"Ok."

The manager agreed, and he was full of envy for Fang Wen's lifestyle of being able to go wherever he wanted.

Immediately, the pedals were retracted, the soldiers returned to the cabin, Gong Xiuneng also untied the cable, retrieved the anchor from the riverbed, and closed the cabin door.

The engine started, and with a roar, the plane turned around, gradually accelerated over the river, and flew into the sky.

The plane flew 150 kilometers southwest of Paris and arrived at the Loire River.

There are many castles along the riverbank, all built by kings and nobles before the French Revolution.

One of the beautiful castles was Fang Wen's destination.

(Château de Chambord on the Loire River)
(End of this chapter)