His Excellency the Count of Grandet

Fortunately, although Charles always felt that there was something wrong with Victor when he was alone with Victor, but when he was in front of others, Victor became aloof and cold, which was in line with people's consistent impression of him.

In front of this person were Madame Lemaire and Samuel at the dinner table.There would have been a Umega, but the boy had gone back to Paris for school a few days ago.With one less child and two more adults, there are more topics to talk about in an instant.

Mrs. Le Maire very much welcomed the arrival of these two gentlemen.Because she had received the news a long time ago, she had people prepare rich and exquisite food, which was almost comparable to the most advanced salon in Paris; she went to the wine cellar to get a bottle of red wine from 1795, and expressed her apology: "This wine is not the top Okay, but I think everyone can understand, right?"

1795 was a year of superb wine.But Château Lafite has changed owners several times in the past 20 years, and there are not many good wines left; in addition, the previous owners either drank or gave away, and there are even fewer remaining wines.So what she's saying is, it's not the best 1795, please don't mind Victor.

This is Charles's own internal translation.Although Mrs. Lemaire was referring to everyone, he was not naive enough to think that he and Victor were on the same level.As for Samuel, who sat diagonally opposite and was said to be Victor's friend, judging from his attitude towards Victor, he knew that it was impossible for him to have a higher status than Victor!

If you think so, you still have to express it verbally.Victor only nodded at this, and Charles took it up. "You are so kind," he said to Mrs. Lemaire, "I haven't thanked you for taking good care of me these days." I don't know whether it was intentional or not, but that thoughtfulness sounded better than other sounds heavier.

Although she thought she hadn't gone too far, Mrs. Le Maire had other intentions, so she couldn't help but feel a little guilty when she heard this sentence.She always thought that Charles was a young master with a good family education, good manners and well-behaved manners, and he was attracted by Victor because he was young and unrestrained.But now, maybe the Duke of Orleans didn't choose him on a whim?Isn't she careless?

"If there is anything I can do to help, please be sure to ask, dear madam." Charles continued to say, as if he didn't notice her slightly stiff face: "Although I doubt it, so It was me who was too self-indulgent.”

His tone and expression were sincere, and his maroon eyes were still gazing intently at Madame Lemaire with a usual smile.Normally, a woman should blush when a handsome young man looks at her like that; but for some reason, Mrs. Lemaire just felt a sudden chill rushing up from her back. "You're being polite," she said, trying not to show her mannerisms. "You're coming to your door yourself, and I'm not—would you mind having a few more drinks? I mean, at the wine In the cellar?"

Charles knew exactly what to do.He felt that Victor must have a part in this matter, but this did not affect his decision. "It's a great honor to have such trust from my wife; if that's the case, why would I refuse?"

Trust also sounds weird... Mrs. Lemaire gave a dry laugh, thanked her, and decisively changed the subject.

The two of them were talking before, and Samuel didn't take it seriously; when he heard this sentence, he realized that he held his breath unknowingly——

It should have been his job to invite Charles, but the fact that he was Mr. Van Leburg's agent had been kept secret, so he communicated with Mrs. Le Maire immediately after returning to the manor, and asked the latter to say This word.According to their expectations, Charles would not refuse, because Charles had no reason to refuse.

Now, things have developed as they expected.Charles nodded readily, nothing unusual at all... But did they overlook something?Always feel that something is not right?

As for Victor, he took in all the reactions of the three of them, but said nothing.

Is the bright paw also so subtle?But considering the strength comparison, it is indeed the most suitable scale.He really deserves to be the one he likes...

Thinking about the possible impact of Guillaume's return to Paris at this time, Victor smiled slightly.

In this way, no one's mind is on the big meal.After eating quietly for half an hour, Mrs. Lemaire watched the three put down their knives and forks one after another, and stood up first, leading them to the underground wine cellar.

The wine cellar of Château Lafite is very large, and anyone who comes to it for the first time will be amazed.

The pot-bellied wine barrels are all made of oak wood, with four tight black iron hoops on the body, and the five-arrow circle logo is engraved on the lid; Place it on a wooden stand and keep a certain angle of inclination.The space under the racks is used to promote air circulation, so that you can better control the temperature inside the wine cellar and get the desired wine.

In the room next to it is a shelf of wine bottles, full of beautiful things in eyes and different packaging.Because for the wine in preservation, it is best not to move when it can, so many bottles have accumulated dust for a long time.

The dusty casks and bottles, the crooked dippers and decanters, were in order and kept in their best condition.Charles had expected this.Lafite has always been famous for its large quantity and high quality. It is definitely not an easy task to achieve these two points at the same time. The most important thing is attitude and details.

Although, at this time, Lafite's wine cellar had no ring road or pillars, and the light could only rely on candles, which made the color of the earth wall on the side become a dull dark orange, which was smaller than the one he had entered in the future in his memory. Many are also much simpler; but compared with the level of the same period, Lafite is still the most refined one.

The rules of how to succeed, after years of precipitation and dynasties, have never changed.

"...Don't look at so many wooden barrels, they have to be replaced every year." Mrs. Le Maire's voice was a little softer, not sure if it was because of the dimly lit environment. "This is also an expense that cannot be saved."

"You're right, ma'am." Samuel immediately agreed.The new growth of oak imparts a cocoa-like aroma to the wine, which is subtle, so it varies from person to person.It may seem inconsequential, but without this aroma, the wine would not be a good wine.

It was rare for Victor to agree directly. "I've already smelled that intoxicating aroma." He paused, and then said, "Ma'am, are you really trying to whet our appetite? You've said so much, why can't we have a taste of it? "

Madame Lemaire chuckled. "It's really not easy to see you in a hurry," she said, with a slightly teasing tone, "it's my honor to say it." Even so, she ordered the servants who followed to give They bring some wine that is aging.

In this day and age, anyone with some status or capital in the family is an expert in wine tasting; let alone the few present.Even if Shire changed his body, it would be enough to rely on the accumulation of future history in his memory to settle the matter.Because the wine itself was good, he only casually mentioned a few small details, but it was enough to hit the nail on the head.

Because the original owner's skills were all focused on eating, drinking and having fun, no one thought it was strange.Madame Lemaire finally forgot the coldness at the table before, thanked him with a smile on her face, and was going to get a few more bottles of wine.Samuel volunteered to help her find, after all, there are too many hoards.

As soon as the two left, the only servant who wanted to hold the candlestick for them also left.

Charles looked at the candles on the pedestals on either side of the cellar.Madame Le Maire's reasons for inviting him are somewhat unspoken, and now?

"It's just us after all," Victor said.

He was quiet and languid, but Charles couldn't help glancing at him.Well, as soon as the person left, he fell ill again!

Victor didn't know that Charles was complaining about him in his heart.He casually put the crystal cup in his hand aside, and leaned against the wall, not minding the dust that might stain his designer coat. "Actually, I just wanted to say that - when Guillaume returned to Paris, the first thing he did was to prepare to pay off your debts, right?"

Charles said nothing.Victor can speak the truth freely, but he can't - he's not at the point where he can say what he says and no one can argue with it.That being the case, it's better to listen to Victor's words before he thinks about countermeasures.But in response, he also put his glass on the stage to show his all ears.

A look of approval flashed in Victor's eyes.But the light is too low, it's not noticeable. "But I guess, no matter what Guillaume said at the beginning, in the end he only needs to repay the interest on those maturing bonds. Because those people don't know the details, and you have been in the limelight recently, you will definitely not let you pay it back immediately."

Charles looked at Victor and gestured please.

The candlelight illuminated Charles' handsome but expressionless face (always smiling in front of people), and Victor felt itchy.He temporarily suppressed this feeling, kept speaking at the same speed as before, and finished speaking.

"It's far more than that. If Guillaume and you both seem to be confident, those people will definitely rush to show their favor to you. As for the method, it can also be expected-the relationship formed by interests is the most reliable, isn't it? You don't need to speak , they themselves will come up with methods such as cutting interest rates, and it is more likely to increase investment.”

"If I'm not mistaken, the funding gap of Grandet's family is about 100 million francs. This is a big amount for one person, but it's much easier to spread it out. After all, there are never many people who want to climb up. Given Jaume's good standing in Parisian business circles, there is no difficulty."

"As long as you raise the money before October, there will be no problem with the fifteen thousand barrels of wine. How can you not buy wine if you have money? Who doesn't like gold?"

When he said this, Victor laughed.It's his usual way of laughing - it's okay at first glance, but you can find the disdain hidden in it carefully.

To exaggerate a little, to put it bluntly, this means: Stupid human beings!

But he was not done yet.

"Finally, at the end of the year, the duke's deposit will arrive at the account, and the full amount will be paid after the first delivery. These are all cash, gold coins of sufficient quality and quantity. As long as the wine you receive is at the right price, it will be paid with interest. Paying off the debt is for sure. But in terms of closing prices, I tend to believe you're ready for that."

Charles still didn't speak, because this was indeed his plan.

He is confident that he can hide most people, but a person who has only met him a few times can tell the whole story accurately!There are only a few details, but if the other party is thinking about it, it will be a matter of time before they are discovered!

"If you don't speak, I'll take it as your acquiescence." Victor said, the protracted ending sound produced a slight deep resonance in the relatively closed and dark space.

Charles really wanted to ask Victor, what is the benefit of exposing this.Of course, he didn't think that Victor was going to get in the way, because there was no need for Victor to make it so clear to him; but 100 million is not a big deal to a big investor like Victor, so it's over if everyone agrees?Is Victor just trying to show his brains?I've never heard of Victor having such a hobby...

But when Charles looked into Victor's eyes again, he found that his dark brown irises had almost turned black. It was unknown whether it was because of the backlight or some other reason.The streamer light flickering from the candle flame reflected in those eyes, but it was like a wild beast about to get out of its cage, and it was bound to win.