It is not so easy to take advantage of the fire, and when it comes to the strategic security of the country, President Aguileo Pará Gómez does not dare to make a decision lightly.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Nino. If we can't guarantee the safety of the Panama region, we won't restart the canal project. ”

……

No agreement was reached, and Nino left with a frown. He was sure that President Aguileo Pará Gómez was tempted to negotiate the loan, but still refused to negotiate.

That's right, an interest-free loan of 100 million francs is not the bottom line of the French, it is just a bait thrown out. Regrettably, the Colombian government simply did not accept it.

Out of the presidential palace, Nino got into a luxurious carriage. He commanded the coachman, "Go to the French Embassy." ”

The experience had already taught him that the Colombian government would not have taken risks with them without official intervention.

Since tasting the sweetness of the Suez Canal, the French capital community has been interested in the canal, and after careful selection, the Panama Canal was finally selected.

Nino was the executor of the Panama Canal plan. He thought it would be easy to convince the Colombian government to reopen the Panama Canal in times of economic crisis, but he didn't expect to get even the authorization.

Now I have to turn to the government for help, and in the bottom of my heart, Nino does not want the French government to get involved, which means that there are more people who share the cake.

The outbreak of the economic crisis is a disaster for many people, but it is also a feast for capital for a very small number of people.

After eating at the banquet, I naturally need to digest it. Due to the lack of resources and the occasional march of the population, France is not actually suitable for investment, or the return on investment is too low.

Without the reparations of the Franco-Prussian War, the capital of France was undoubtedly more abundant, and the usury empire had emerged.

Loans are not issued indiscriminately, for example, the French financial community does not dare to lend money to those who dare to repay their debts.

There are too few high-quality customers, and excess capital has become a common problem in the British and French financial circles. The Panama Canal project is undoubtedly a good project, and the future of "money" is bright.

The French capitalists are not monolithic either, they have long been divided into factions. The relationships inside are intricate, and if the government doesn't intervene, they monopolize the project.

Now the French government needs to intervene, which means that the big nobles in the country and even the royal capital will also be involved, and everyone will share the benefits less.

Nino knows very well that the possibility of such a large project being monopolized is very small, and the French government will definitely need to escort it in the future.

This is similar to starting a business, the first to enter the project is the original shares, and the capital that comes in later belongs to financing.

The former only needs to invest a small amount of capital to get a large number of shares, while the latter must consider a premium if he wants to get shares.

There is no doubt that obtaining the canal authorization is the first appreciation of the company's value. Before that, this empty canal company was an empty shell.

……

French Minister Tom: "Mr. Nino, your plans are too whimsical. You don't know Colombia at all, the political situation in this country is very unstable.

Maybe you make an agreement with them today, and tomorrow you will change governments. I stayed here for three years, and there were thirteen coups d'état in Bogotá, three with three successes and ten failures.

Based on the history of Colombia, I made the statistics. From 1830 to the present, they have changed presidents thirty-one times, with an average of less than a year and a half in each government. ”

Nino shook his head: "Your Excellency, the change of government in Colombia has nothing to do with us, do they dare to deny that the contract signed with us is not successful?" ”

Nino has no interest in the volatile situation in Colombia. In this year, the situation in most South American countries is not very stable, but no matter how the government changes, no one dares to touch the interests of the great powers.

In his opinion, it is nothing more than Tom raising his own value, proving his importance, and wanting to share a share of the benefits.

French Minister Tom frowned: "Mr. Nino, it's not as simple as you think, maybe they don't dare to deny the predecessor's contract, but they can invalidate the content of the contract."

Without the cooperation of the local snakes, are you sure that the Panama Canal will be navigable? Do not forget about the Suez Canal, how much labor was used.

If you hire from outside, you should understand how much it will cost.

Moreover, the biggest problem is not the Colombian government, but the Austrians.

In recent years, Austria has infiltrated Colombia, especially Panama, where half of the population is German.

France was able to intimidate the Colombian government, but not the Austrians. If you can't deal with these problems, when you dig the canal, people will jump out and pick peaches.

All it takes is a coup d'état to turn Panama into an Austrian colony.

When the time comes, will you be able to maintain the dominance of your canal, on the territory of the Austrians? ”

Nino's face changed greatly, if the canal was really opened on the Austrian colony, let alone the dominance, whether the investment cost could be recovered was a question.

After a pause, Nino came to his senses and asked, "Austria has such a big influence here, why don't you see the Colombian government taking action?" ”

Tom, the French minister, shook his head: "It's not that the Colombian government didn't act, it's that the governments that took action were overthrown."

Within the Republic of Colombia, many warlords are now financed by Austria, and the government will be ousted if it dares to act rashly. ”

It is not only Austria that is supporting the younger brother, France is also supporting a spokesperson, but the Austrian Central American colonies are too close, and they occupy a dominant position by virtue of the advantage of distance.

The word "cooperation" flashed in Nino's mind. There was no way, Austria had too much influence on the ground, and if they cooperated, they would not be able to dominate the canal.

The financial capital behind the scenes is not only a canal, but also the benefits behind the canal.

If you control this golden waterway, you will control the economic lifeline of most of the Americas. At that time, French capital will be able to penetrate into many industries through the canal hub.

Whoever dares to refuse their investment is waiting to be put in small shoes! Any card on the canal can be devastating.

Especially for shipping companies, as long as they operate the Pacific route, there is simply no room for resistance.

The French financial community is playing the next big game, and if the plan succeeds, they will have the economic lifeblood of many countries in the Americas.

After a moment's hesitation, Nino promised, "Your Excellency, is there any way to solve our immediate problem?"

Rest assured, we won't let our friends suffer. When it happens, there is definitely a big reward. We have always believed that Your Excellency has the potential to become Foreign Minister of France. ”

This is the temptation of Ming Huanghuang, not only to give money, but also to support him to become foreign secretary.

The latter, of course, is just a blank check. The capital power behind Nino is indeed not small, but it has not yet reached the point where it can influence the appointment of foreign ministers in the government.

The so-called support is nothing more than to help build momentum and increase the success rate.

Tom was overjoyed, and immediately reacted, although the reward was rich, but this matter was not easy to do, and immediately told the truth:

"Mr. Nino, if we want the canal project to go smoothly, it is better to bring the Austrians together, for it will be difficult for us to accomplish this task on our own.

Of course, you can also find other partners. If the British are willing to do their best, our two countries may be able to complete the plan together, but the price will be greater. ”

Hearing this answer, Nino frowned, and his face instantly became ugly.

France lacked power in the Americas and could not compete with these two rivals.

Whether it is a joint development of the canal with Austria or with the British, the dominant power will not be in their hands.

If they can't get the dominant power, it's just the canal revenue dividends, although the rate of return is also good, but it's still not worth their trouble.

After being silent for a while, Nino: "Your Excellency, I must report to the country on this important matter, and the matter of cooperative development will be put on hold for the time being."

Now we need your help to get the authorization for the development of the canal from the Colombian government in the shortest possible time. ”

"There is no problem, it is my duty to cooperate with companies to act overseas and grab the maximum benefits for France." French Minister Tom replied

……

Leaving the embassy, Nino's mood became more complicated. As it stands, the original plan is not being realized, and now it is necessary to find a collaborator to share the pressure.

The most suitable for Britain and Austria were the first to be excluded, and there were not many partners left to choose from.

Spain is barely one, they have a lot of power in the Caribbean, but unfortunately the Spaniards have declined. The combination of France and Spain may not be able to deter Austria.

Moreover, there is also the political repercussions. When France and Spain stand together, all European countries will panic, and the first to be unable to resist it is probably the British.

The government could not risk the British and Austrian moves forward with the Panama Canal project, which has no chance of success without the support of the Paris government.

In addition, the only countries with greater influence in the Americas are the United States of America and the Confederate States of America.

If these two countries can be pulled, it seems that the plan can also be completed. However, this is not possible.

Today, there is a deep enmity between the Union and the United States. If the two governments dare to unite, they will be punished at home.

Internationally, the Confederates oppose whatever the United States supports; Conversely, if the Allied Powers support it, the United States will oppose it.

For the sake of political correctness, both sides oppose for the sake of opposition. Pulling one of them means standing on the opposite side of the other.

This is also what Britain, France and Austria need together, the governments of the North and the South are pitted against each other, and in addition to hatred, there are also three countries secretly promoting.

Besides, people are not stupid, you can join if you ask them to join. If you don't have enough benefits, don't even think about it.

There is no doubt that these benefits will need to be paid by the Canal Company, and diluted shares are inevitable.

This proportion is not low, and it even needs to give up some dominance. In essence, the Panama Canal project was designed to shear sheep from the Americas.

The more he thought about it, the more Nino felt a headache. As things stand, it's too difficult for them to take control of the Panama Canal.