Transcendent Journey

Because of its superior livable environment, the “Leiden River Valley” has many large and small cities along the route.

However, except for the water city Nisk, which guards the entrance to the sea, and the Salt Lake Brandenburg, the county capital, has the most special status as the city of wealth located in the middle reaches of the valley “Golden Lion City”!

Although it is also called the City of Fortune, there are indeed many Chamber of Commerce and trading companies stationed here, but the main business has little to do with the most prosperous marine commerce and trade of this era.

It is actually a financial city dominated by big bankers!

Even the governor of Golden Lion City is the chairman of the board of directors of a company called “Netherlands Banking Group”. The garrison in the city also has little to do with the Kingdom. All are hired by the Banking Group. The elite private army.

It can be said that this “Netherlands Bank Group” has become the de facto ruler of this city, and it has received the tacit approval of the master of this country, the Royal Family Taylor!

And what is the origin of the “Netherlands Bank Group”? Why build a country within the kingdom of Tyrol?

Actually.

This is an international financial organization with a long history across various countries. Although its headquarters is located in the top three of the Tulip Alliance’s comprehensive national strength, the financial business has spread throughout the old continent.

Although the functions are still primordial, they are mainly based on currency exchange, purchasing and storage, lending, credit intermediary, and valuable item storage in various countries, but the volume is a well-deserved super Hegemon!

Not only ordinary citizens, businessmen, and dignitaries, but even the rulers of a country may be their debtors.

This is not a joke.

The powers of the rulers of dozens of countries in the old continent are large or small, and some have almost reached the level of the home world of the power set in one body like the ancient eastern countries.

Some of them have been squeezed by various domestic forces on their political and economic rights, leaving only a nominal co-ownership.

But the same thing is that under the Feudal System that has lasted for thousands of years, the monarch will never have the supreme right to increase taxes at will, like the Eastern emperor!

So, even the “Supreme” king Your Majesty is impossible to be short of money forever.

The country’s huge expenditures, especially war expenditures, military expenditures, and extremely risky ocean expeditions, as it should be by rights, are inseparable from the silhouette of a large bank group.

One come and go, the bank group mainly composed of a large number of big businessmen has become the creditor of the powerful kingdom. It seems that the wealthy and powerful country has also become the debtor of the private power!

And among the many debtors of the Dutch Banking Group, two have to be mentioned. The first one is the royal family of King Tyro, the owner of the land under his feet. This is also the way for the Banking Group to obtain autonomy. root cause.

And the second one is something that many people can’t even imagine, and they don’t even dare to think about it. That is the maritime hegemon of this era who suppresses the nations with extremely powerful military force——”Sirius Kingdom “!

Sit on the strongest invincible fleet of the great nautical era, and firmly control the southern continent and the most oily colony of the new continent with fortresses and naval bases all over the sea.

The most convenient trade route, the most fertile land, and the precious metal mine with the highest reserves are everything for Sirius.

For comparison, even if it is as strong as Falitis Kingdom, it is faintly the country with the strongest comprehensive national strength in the “Tulip Alliance”, and you can only pick up some soup and fruit belly behind Sirius.

Is such a Hegemon short of money? !

The answer is very positive: Yes!

Although the gold, silver and dividends of ocean trade from the new continent flowed to Sirius like a river, or the pockets of Sirius’ upper-class elites.

However, the overlord of this era of navigation is not so good.

The situation of Sirius Kingdom is worthy of the phrase “enemy on all sides”!

The battle for nautical dividends, the battle for faith, the battle for colonies, the battle for local expansion of the old continent, and the “emperor dream” of successive generations of kings, all these factors add up to make Sirius’s relationship with neighboring countries simply It is the same situation.

Sirius, who believes in “Fire of Eternal” on the land, fought with the traditional army power Sark Empire who believed in “Dawn and Morning Light”, and Heymar, the desert kingdom who believed in “Bright Starry Night”.

At sea and there is one third country covered with snow and ice all year round, and Atlant, who believes in the “breath of frost”, fights with the gradually developed Sark Empire navy, and believes in “kingdom and navigation Goddess.” Falitis fights against this newly emerging sea power.

One-on-one, he kneels and sings “Conquer” to any opponent who can beat him, but what will happen to a crowd of people beating others…

Sirius must maintain an outrageously large army at all times to deal with various wars. In recent years, it has reached the frenzied one of 20 draws.

Note that this is the total number of citizens including the elderly, children, women, etc., not the number of youth of the right age.

It can be said that Sirius has been violently armed, and is engaged in wars all the time.

Even as the country with the largest sea power, it does not even have a large-scale handicraft industry in China, let alone the steam industry that is currently in full swing on the continent.

From the perspective of industrial development, it has fallen behind others for a whole generation.

However, his ruler obviously didn’t care.

In addition, according to the gossip, because the stalls are too large, the gold and silver shipped back to China from the new continent may not be enough for one-fifth of the military expenditure each year.

Those gold and silver may only be warmed up in Sirius’ treasury, and they have become interest in the pockets of the “Netherlands Bank Consortium”…

At this time.

Located in the gold and jade in glorious splendor, the palace-like city hall is also the headquarters of the continent of the “Netherlands Bank Group”.

In the largest Conference Hall.

A huge long conference table made of a whole red hemlock is placed in the middle of the Conference Hall.

If you take such a red hemlock with the best core material, it is enough to be processed into a Level 1 battleship’s “drug”, but here it is just made into a common Tong’s desk.

Just looking at this table, the taste of money assaults the senses.

At this time, around this long table, sixteen directors of the banking group or their agents have all been gathered.

Among them are handsome middle-aged aristocrats, big-bellied businessmen, noble ladies with grace, wise old people, and youngsters who are fledgling… But regardless of age or appearance, their faces The looks are the same.

I look down upon all beings! Who is it for me!

Of course they have reason to be arrogant.

Because the gem buttons on their sleeves are worth the same as a house; because of the signature of the continent nobleman on the IOU; because they hold the economic lifeline of more than one country; because of their A word determines the future of countless people…

They may not be aristocrats, but they are better than aristocrats. Not necessarily a king, but really better than some kings!

Crack——

The mahogany carved wooden door inlaid with gold was gently closed by the guard.

pa! pa!

Sitting on the high-back chair in the main seat, a hair grey-white but energetic old man gently patted his palms, attracting all attention.

“Sir and ladies, you must have heard about the current situation of the Leiden Valley from various channels.

The topic of the board meeting at this time is very simple , Is how our’Netherlands Banking Group’ should respond in the next storm.

Who would like to say my opinion?”

The right side of the long table First, a director who wore a white silk shirt and black formal jacket and had a pot belly took the lead to speak: “Mr. Chairman! Forgive me to speak bluntly, we have the most rigorous underground vault and the most sound in the league Security.

There is even a third-rank Great Knight Mr. Grace and two powerful formal wizards sitting here all the year round!

We don’t need to mix with the Kingdom of Tyrol at all. Or the dispute between Tulip and the pirate king.

After all, they are all customers of the bank group, aren’t they?”

The wealth is moving, and a large number of Golden Lions smashed in, even if The Great Knight of Steel Muscles Iron Bones and the mysterious and dangerous wizard in the eyes of others have to bend over to them.

In fact, there is far more than one third rank battle strength in the “Netherlands Bank Group”.

The youngster beside him who looks pale and can see the blue blood vessels clearly also echoes:

“Yes, Mr. Huggins is A very generous customer, one of the “ocean secret treasures” he entrusted us to keep a year ago is still in the second layer of the underground vault.

Up to now, I still remember that he paid three times the storage fee. , This powerful third-rank transcender just wanted to be able to take a look outside the gate of the underground vault.

After I gave him a brief introduction, he was also full of praise for our security measures. It may not be able to break in a short time.”

As the youngster representative of the elderly father’s first business after joining the banking group, he was really impressed by the Pirate King.

The old man who presided over the meeting was slightly nodded and looked around everyone in the meeting:

“Who else wants to speak besides Mr. Swift and Mr. Durangel? Is it?”

The third director on the left, the noble lady who wore a long wine red dress, gently shook the peacock feather fan:

“Chairman Sir, in fact, many of the distinguished gentlemen present here have business dealings with the Pirate King. Even if we only do serious business in the “Elberta” Chamber of Commerce, we have also done slave transactions with him on the Wind Strait.

I don’t think this pirate mister Wang would be so unwise to live up to so many people’s friendship with him!”

Seeing that most of the others in this room nodded gently and agreed. The old man himself didn’t think there would be any problems, so he concluded:

“Then I will announce the final resolution of the board of directors. The dispute between the Pirate King and Tulip will not be interfered by the Dutch Banking Group. .

But the kingdom’s face is still to be given, allowing Tulip’s mobile units to be stationed in Golden Lion City.

By the way, let us know the Jasper bishop of Golden Peak cathedral and join us. Just do a good job of assisting defense for this period of time.

Before this matter is over, it is strictly forbidden for our private soldiers to leave the city and intervene in the conflicts of others.

Let’s do it.

The daily management of the “Netherlands Banking Group” is the responsibility of a four-member committee elected by the board of directors. The chairman of the four-member committee also serves as the governor of the “Golden Lion City”.

The words of Mr. Joel Theodore, an old man with military, political, and financial power, are the final word!

It also determines the general tone of the defense policy of Golden Lion City for a period of time in the future.