Chapter 671 Catfish Plan

Chapter 672 Catfish Plan

It's bound to be a busy day.

Joseph saw off the intelligence chief and glanced at the already drooping sunset outside the window. Just as he was about to have dinner, Eman came quickly, leaned over and whispered: "Your Highness, Mr. Styler is back."

"Style?" Joseph was stunned for a moment before he realized. Isn't this the general manager of Lightning Company?

Compared to Mesmer, who was always in the dark and used a false identity, Styler was the contractor on the surface of the London gas street lighting project, and his identity was repeatedly verified by the British.

So when the Lightning Company suffered a thunderstorm, he was immediately wanted by the British government and could only hide in the Balkans.

More than half a year passed before he dared to quietly return to France to resume his life.

"Please invite him in quickly." Joseph nodded. Styler was the hero. In order to sabotage the London gas street lighting project, he even gave up his original family business.

Styler followed Eman into the room, took off the Phrygian hat that was held low on his head, and saluted the Crown Prince with his chest: "I'm really sorry to bother you so late, Your Royal Highness the Crown Prince. . But there are many British spies in Paris, so I can only go out after it gets dark."

Joseph gestured to the sofa: "Please sit down. You have made great contributions to France, Mr. Styler."

Styler hurriedly said: "My name is Ditma now, Your Highness."

"Thank you for your hard work." Joseph nodded with emotion, "I have suggested to His Majesty the King that you be granted the title of Baron Maymac. And His Majesty has agreed."

Styler's eyes widened and he quickly stood up, stroking his chest and bowing very seriously: "I really don't know how to express my gratitude, Your Highness! May God bless you forever!"

No wonder he was so excited. This was a titled title, far beyond what you could buy with money. His family’s class has jumped up since then!

"This is an honor you deserve." Joseph smiled, "But you may have to stay abroad for a few years before you can use your original surname and return to Paris."

He knew very well that under Britain's continental balance policy, war would inevitably break out between Britain and France. Who will care about being wanted by the British government then?

Even the Lightning Company incident will be made into a joke to disgust the British.

Styler stood up and saluted again: "Thank you very much, Your Highness. In this case, I will go back to Greece and do business for a few more years."

He said with a confident smile: "My furniture business there has begun to take shape."

When Joseph heard this, he couldn't help but feel moved in his heart: "You mean, Greece?"

"Yes, Your Highness." Styler nodded, "I bought synthetic boards from Marseille, then hired Collins craftsmen to process them into furniture styles that Anatolians like. Now they have been sold to the Levant. "

At present, Greece is Ottoman territory, separated from Constantiniya by only the Aegean Sea.

Joseph said: "I am planning to set up a trading company in Ottoman, and now it seems that you can be the general manager."

Taylor immediately leaned forward and said, "I am willing to serve you, Your Highness."

"This is no ordinary company. It will have a large number of the latest steam paddle steamers, and you will try to use them to monopolize trade in the Mediterranean. Even, extending as far north as the Black Sea."

Joseph immediately introduced him to the steamship, and then continued:

"In addition, you are also responsible for purchasing large quantities of cotton and sugar cane from Syria, Egypt and other places. Oh, the Ottoman Sultan has promised that our country has 70% priority in purchasing these materials."

Styler smiled brightly when he heard about the steamship, but now he frowned and said: "Your Highness, with all due respect, this promise is probably not very binding."

"Yes, even Egyptians may not obey Selim III's orders."

Styler thought for a moment and nodded: "Your Highness, I will try my best to buy as much of the goods you want back into the country."

"What are your plans?"

"This... you know, solicitation, bribery, alliances, etc., these are the things behind business."

"Very good." Joseph smiled, "During this process, you have to penetrate into Egypt as much as possible, especially paying attention to a senior Ottoman officer named Muhammad Ali.

"By the way, a war will break out there soon, so you have to prepare in advance."

"Yes, Your Highness, I will not disappoint you."

Not long after, the new general manager of the "Eastern Mediterranean Trading Company" stood up and resigned.

Joseph wanted to invite him to the banquet, but considering that his identity was not visible to the public, he had to give up and sent him to the gate of the Palace of Versailles.

Styler bowed and backed away, and when he was about to turn around, he suddenly remembered something and stopped: "Your Highness, I have always had a question, why did you name that company 'Lightning'?"

At first, he proposed several very elegant names, but the Crown Prince insisted on using the weird word "Lightning".

Joseph smiled: "Because lightning is slow. I hope London's gas street light project can be as slow as lightning."

"Huh? Isn't lightning supposed to be fast?"

"No, it's slow."

"Why?"

"Because Lightning is a sloth." [Note 1]

"??"

…

Western Poland.

Krakow, Tarnovsk Hill.

In front of the office building of the Umyan Silver Mining Company, which owns 80% of the silver mining rights here, the company's second manager Depue walked out of the gate quickly, got on the carriage, and rushed to the nearby town of Chebinia.

Half an hour later, in a small building where the steam engine technicians of the silver mine rested, Depue shook his head and said to a middle-aged man dressed as a technician: "Captain Riber..."

"Ahem!" The "technician" stopped him with a stern look, "It's Mr. Ferry."

"Oh, yes, I'm sorry, Mr. Ferry." Depue nodded apologetically and continued, "As you expected, the board of directors did not believe that the Austrians would attack here. Therefore, they also rejected the proposal to let the miners receive military training twice a week."

Captain Riber, who was sent by the Intelligence Bureau to be in charge of the Krakow defense plan, frowned and said, "I know, but don't worry, the Operations Department has already formulated a response plan for this situation."

Yes, Joseph had considered before that the Poles might not be wary of the Austrians, so he also specially formulated a "Catfish Plan" for this purpose.

Depue asked, "Do you need me to do anything?"

Captain Rebel nodded, "Yes, you are very important and you may be kidnapped once."

[Note 1] "Lightning" is a character in the movie "Zootopia" - a slow-moving sloth civil servant.