His Excellency the Count of Grandet

Charles and Victor stayed in Nancy for a few days with a full schedule, and then Victor went back to Paris first.Shire explained to him the great benefits of electricity—substantially saving labor and coal; the efficiency increases, and it is more convenient and fast——

Just imagine, this is destined to become an epoch-making milestone!

Victor thus realized that earning 5000 million francs in one to three years was simply a conservative estimate of Charles.If a generator that matches Shire's description can be built, let alone double the profit, three times or even five times the profit is also possible, as long as they arrange the plan and things go well.

If you don't readjust your previous plan at this time, when are you waiting?Go back quickly and warm up the relationship with the French Academy of Sciences first!

And that's just a small part of Victor's job.The bigger part is that this kind of strong financial support has improved his status in that interest alliance in disguise, and can even change their side (the middle class front) against the royalists headed by the Earl of Artois. The situation of invisible confrontation——

No matter when it is, the capital in hand is strong, and the waist is strong!That being the case, shouldn't we firmly hold the advantages in our own hands and pay attention to Everbright intentionally?

Take the heir to the throne, for example.If they have enough strength to support a king who is more pro-middle class, why should they sit and watch a conservative and reactionary nobleman claim the restoration of the king and remain indifferent?The brain is simply missing a muscle, right?

Although the king's influence has been reduced now, it is always a product of the competition between various factions. His tendency in a sense represents the real power class of this country.A king who is not hostile to them will guide the domestic environment. Even if he cannot achieve the same response as before, at least he will not hold back people everywhere!

Charles didn't need to do it, but he knew it.In fact, he also said that he was very impatient to do this kind of thing, but Victor's presence undoubtedly solved a lot of troubles for him.

The benefits have already been manifested now——

If Victor didn't have such a huge halo as a member of Congress, a bank tycoon, and a popular man in front of the king, how could it be so easy to deal with the local government?It's impossible to say that there will be any small problems, even if they don't affect the overall situation, they are enough to worry.Not to mention that Victor can fully understand him and fully support his ambition to realize the industrialization of electricity...

Feeling his conscience, Charles had to admit that Victor was the most qualified and easiest investor he had ever met.For him before, he could wake up from a dream with a smile.But now there is a small problem, neither Victor's high-cold painting style nor Victor's molesting words, but—this investor is not only interested in his mind, but also in his whole person, the outright truth .

Break up?I can't bear it.If you change someone else's cooperation, you have to start all over again, and it is also very troublesome to run in.

Do not dismantle?You can't procrastinate and procrastinate until one day Victor can't bear it anymore and does something irreversible, right?

A partner is easy to find, but a good partner is not easy to find, so Charles chose an intermediate stance: He and Victor each took a step back and tried first.Because excluding conditions such as status and status, Victor still has an appetite for him; both appearance and figure belong to the category he can appreciate.A certain aspect of skills should be guaranteed, at least from the perspective of the previous hot spring...

Cough, that's a long way off.As for Victor's sleazy and bad personality from time to time... Charles said that as long as it is harmless, he has the right to treat it as the other party's bad taste.

All in all, Charles took out his scientific attitude of investment feasibility analysis and studied this matter over and over again, and finally felt that it was worth a try to develop a relationship with Victor.The reason is simple, the good outweighs the bad, that's it.

As a young man, you are so professional and draw inferences like this, does the teacher who taught you data analysis and decision-making models know?

With this mentality in mind, Charles did not go back until he finished all his work in Nancy.And when he passed Chalon on the road, he received a letter from Guillaume saying that Campang and his son had arrived in Eperna.

Alphonse, how dare you come!

Charles gritted his teeth in thought.Although he had settled with Victor, it didn't affect his desire to teach Alphonse a lesson.There were things he could say and things he couldn't say, and how could he make Alphonse understand that?

Antoine was terrified by his young master's request to speed up the carriage, and thought it was his illusion—how could it be possible that he could see murderous intent from his young master's always smiling face?

Apparently, Alphonse himself had this awareness.When the two pairs of father and son officially met, he looked calm, but in fact he kept avoiding Charles' sight.Guillaume talked with the old Mr. Compang about the ironworks, which was related to their family's arms business, but he didn't listen carefully——

By God, Charles laughed terribly!

This is probably an animal's instinctive reaction when encountering a natural enemy, because in fact, not many people can figure out his true intentions from Charles' expression.

But at the same time, Alphonse thought, if he hadn't been unable to withstand Victor's cliché skills, Charles would not have treated him like this—after all, Charles had emphasized in every possible way when he was in London that he had nothing to do with Faraday beyond the scope of being a friend idea.

But it looks really suspicious!A voice spoke in Alphonse's head.

That was also Charles' own business.Another voice answered dryly.

If Mr. Lafitte wants to know, he can't offend him... The first voice tried to continue arguing, but its momentum obviously weakened.

Yes, Mr. Lafitte cannot be offended, but can Charles?The second voice was colder.

As a result of the battle between heaven and man in his mind, Alphonse especially didn't want to see Charles, or dared not.In fact, he was aware of this when he was in Paris, and immediately dismissed his idea of ​​going to Eperna; but he couldn't explain the reason, and his father Jacques certainly didn't agree, so he had to go on the road together bitterly.

Forget it, extending the head is also a knife, retracting the head is also a knife, early death and early life!

Therefore, when the two pairs of father and son finished their business and it was their turn to chat and reminisce about the old days, Alphonse confronted Charles with a fearless aura similar to sacrificing his life to blow up a bunker. "I didn't make it in time for your birthday," he said boldly, and handed the gift box he had prepared to Charles, "I wanted to send it to you, but my father said that since he was coming, I would give it by hand, which seemed more sincere .”

Charles glanced at him with a half-smile. "Did you miss it because you were too busy?"

Alphonse originally hoped that his gesture of goodwill would give him some impression points, but he now knew that his plan had been seen through by Charles.What do you mean by being too busy?What can he do?Isn't it really implying something?

"I..." He opened his mouth a few times, and then decided to just be honest. "I just went to the exchange with my father a few times, but I happened to meet Mr. Lafitte one time. He asked about our itinerary in the UK, and I told him."

The corner of Charles' mouth pressed down slightly.Looks particularly unhappy because of the angle. "Michael is included in the itinerary, I can understand. But the relationship..."

Before he could finish, Alphonse hurriedly added: "I didn't say that on purpose, I really didn't! It's just that Mr. Lafitte's eyesight is too sharp, I only showed a little wrong tone, and then..." He bowed his head a little ashamedly.

Afterwards, the whole set came out, and Charles added the second half of the sentence in his heart, but his expression softened a little.Alphonse can deal with ordinary people, but compared with a big-tailed wolf like Victor, his skills are still far behind, so PK is not surprising. "Okay, I got it." He didn't say any more, but reached for the gift box that Alphonse had been holding all the time: "What's inside?"

Alphonse raised his head sharply, and remained frozen with his hands raised in front of his chest.This is over?Charles is so easy to talk to?He was scaring himself before?

Charles opened the lid of the box and saw that there was still a layer of packaging inside. He couldn't help raising his eyes and glanced at Alphonse. He happened to see this expression and couldn't help being amused. "What's the matter?" He deliberately said with a tiger face, "You think I'm too nice to you?"

"No no no!" Alphonse shook his head like a rattle.He's not shaking M, how could he expect worse development? "I just, just..."

"No just," Charles interrupted him, his tone lowered, "but there will be no next time either."

Alphonse understood immediately. "Of course not!" He also knew that he couldn't beat Victor in a head-to-head confrontation, so wouldn't it be okay for him to hide from Victor in the future? "Don't worry about that, Charles!"

From this attitude and tone, Charles saw the possible countermeasures that Alphonse had come up with, and could not help but snort softly.But to be honest, this method is already the best; even if he wants to train Alphonse to become a saw-jawed gourd at a certain time, it will not be so fast.

But the other party's attitude of pleading guilty and the still cautious look in his eyes made Charles think of another aspect, a problem he almost forgot. "In this case, if you promise me one more request, I will completely forgive you this time, how about it?" He asked with a slightly drawn-out tone, feeling like a big bad wolf who kidnapped Little Red Riding Hood.

"What request?" Alphonse's first reaction was not to bargain, but the specific content.

Charles smiled. "When it's time to know, you'll know."

Looking at this expression, Alphonse suddenly felt that he thought he jumped out of a fire pit, but actually jumped into a bigger fire pit!