Marvel Magic Case Files

Chapter 1349 Financial Products (First Update)

Contrary to popular belief, the Emperor was not indifferent to life. His education at Kamar-Taj and his past experiences instilled in him a profound appreciation for life, rather than viewing it as an asset. The same was true of Regent Victor von Doom. Even with his ruthless nature, he consistently followed the teachings of the Sorcerer Supreme, never betraying the value of any life—even if the idea that all men are created equal is a lie, and even if his own experiences showed that not everyone in the world values ​​the lives of others, and that the lives of those in power always seem far more precious than those of ordinary people.

For example, regarding the lives of his father and Duchess Vladimir, even after attending school at Kamar-Taj, he still followed the teachings of the High Priestess—many years ago, the superstitious Vladimir heard of a doctor in a certain village who specialized in curing terminal illnesses, so he ordered his servants to find the doctor. This doctor was Viktor von Dum's father. The duke's servants demanded that his father cure the duchess, even though his father repeatedly refused and claimed that he was powerless. However, the duke's servants still insisted that his father mount his horse and go to the castle, otherwise the servants would whip or shoot the then young Viktor von Dum, and their village would be affected and driven away, falling back into a life of wandering with hunger and hardship.

Without a doubt, the Vladimir family was the source of most of the suffering in Viktor von Dum's early life.

His father froze to death in the snowy mountains, his mother was forced to use black magic and lost her soul—these and many other sufferings can be traced back to the previous ruling family of Latvinia. This psychological wound, left on Viktor von Doom in his childhood, took a long time to heal. However, just as he was about to forget the past, fate played another cruel trick, dragging him into utter despair. Few are as resilient as he was; otherwise, he wouldn't have sought out Kamar-Taj to learn from the Sorcerer Supreme how to use his talents and abilities. Viktor's only moment of emotional breakdown occurred when the Emperor led his army to attack the capital and won. He demanded the execution of all members of the Vladimir family without due process, including the Vladimir woman captured by the Prophet. However, the Emperor disagreed with the Regent's actions until the Regent regained his composure and agreed to a public trial, using the blood of the Duke of Vladimir to establish the rule of law and civilization in Latvinia.

The argument took place in a secret room, known only to Constantine. Victoria Hand, the current Minister of Defense Intelligence and Field Marshal of the Ministry of Justice, was then in charge of battlefield intelligence. Her role gave her some insight into the Vladimir family, but she was equally unaware that the Regent and Emperor's initial cooperation was far less seamless than it is now. The other cabinet members were naturally oblivious. After all, the Emperor had chosen them precisely because they were easy to manipulate, especially those from the administrative departments who had risen through the ranks from the provinces. Their minds were so fertile, perfectly capable of disseminating materialistic theories that were currently quite revolutionary for Europe. These men would never object; their greatest strength was not ability but attitude, which was for the best, as the Emperor could not afford the cost of internal discord and political infighting. True talent was still being cultivated. The Regent had already selected many ambitious young officials and was now assigning them heavy responsibilities to hone their skills.

After all, the emperor cannot leave himself to handle official business forever, and cabinet officials who only know how to obey will eventually be replaced.

"The Latvian government will support the EEC (European Community), not a particular institution or action, but its concept and conventions." The Regent spoke confidently to the EU Commissioner in his office in the Parliament building, seemingly oblivious to the Hungarian parliamentarian soundly asleep and reeking of stench a few dozen meters away. "You must understand," he continued, "the Emperor's support for the EEC doesn't mean he believes all of humanity should value a shared future for mankind. The EEC is a good example. For instance, food circulation has reduced hunger in Europe… As a participant in international trade, I believe Hungary's debt can be resolved."

"Oh! I see." The EU commissioner leaned back in his chair. "As far as I know, the United States is making a series of setbacks in its strategy of exporting agricultural products to Africa because French farmers are too hardworking. As you know, there are a large number of black people in France."

"Then I believe there will be many people harvesting the crops." Regent Viktor von Dum nodded knowingly. The importation of French agricultural products into Latvia was a done deal; it was a trade in which Hungarian foreign debt was used to purchase French agricultural products. The International Monetary Fund would certainly not let this opportunity pass, after all, they had long believed that the Hungarian province's foreign debt would never be recovered. As for the sanctions proposed by the United States, the EU could still choose to resist, but Viktor von Dum knew that such resistance could not last long. Many European companies had relocated due to Latvia's first expansionist war, and the EU desperately needed money at this moment. "I believe we have reached a consensus."

"Yes, it was a pleasure talking with you, Your Excellency," the EU Commissioner said with a smile. "It's clear that modern media often over-exaggerates and sensationalizes. I will pass your request on to the Committee, and they will surely recognize your wisdom."

“Please call me Viktor; we don’t need to be so formal.” Viktor von Dum smiled back, which warmed the EU Commissioner’s heart. He poured the Commissioner a glass of sherry. “The media always exaggerates, portraying the La Balkan Federation as hell. The media never sees how much we’ve accomplished; they only focus on the smallest mistakes.”

"Yes, sir." These words resonated deeply with the Commissioner. If it weren't for those fourth-ownership media outlets, he wouldn't have been kicked out of Whitehall and ended up working as a commissioner in the EU. "But I think this situation should improve. Welcome to our side, Regent. I believe this is the first step towards improving the image of the Balkan Federation."

"Of course, of course," the Regent said with a smile, raising his glass. "I won't be stingy with my friends."

"I have the utmost faith in the wisdom you have demonstrated in political affairs." The commissioner nodded, raising his glass as well. "Cheers, to our future. However... the Dutch side has some objections."

"I've heard that Dutch farmers are protesting a proposal from a radical environmental party?" the Regent said. "Perhaps raising agricultural product prices could help a lot. Dutch agricultural products are worth the price, don't you think?"

"This is an excellent suggestion. I believe the Balkan Federation has demonstrated its commitment to fulfilling the responsibilities of the European Community, and the Commission will certainly be aware of the Balkan Federation's stance."

"Very good. I am confident that you will receive a warm welcome from the crew on the private jet."

"Thank you so much."

After the EU commissioner and the IMF commissioner left, the regent sent a message to the emperor. The gist of it was that the problems in the Netherlands were gradually being resolved, and he would, in the coming period, continuously incite the extremist tendencies of Dutch agricultural parties, arranging for people to escalate the conflict—for example, organizing protests on social media, throwing Molotov cocktails, and arranging actors to pose as the wounded—to force the Dutch government to accept his proposed conditions in a short time. Even if these conditions meant a significant increase in the prices of Dutch agricultural products in the Balkans, according to Victor von Dum's research, most of those products had domestic substitutes, and Dutch agricultural products would completely lose their market advantage after the price increase. However, for the Dutch government, a policy to stabilize public sentiment was the most urgent need. As for what might happen next, even if some people realized it, it wouldn't become a real obstacle to trade, since the United States wouldn't import large quantities of Dutch dairy products.

"Looks like we'll have to buy some Dutch cheese." The Emperor flipped through the data panel, then turned to the witch and said, "This will be the best investment product right now."

Please vote for me!

(End of this chapter)