Chapter 1329: Rapid Development
The final match of the current World Cup was being held at the Paris New District Stadium, with the French team facing off against the Milan team.
The stadium, originally designed for 20,000 spectators, somehow crammed in over 27,000 people. The thunderous roar could be faintly heard even 1.5 kilometers away in the city center.
In the front row of the VIP section on the south side, Joseph, clutching a small fleur-de-lis flag, intently watched the players fiercely battling for the ball. While the tactics and techniques of contemporary football might be rudimentary, the intensity far surpassed that of future games, always stirring the spectators' blood.
Indeed, for the players on the field, it was blood that was often spilled.
As France's number 10 executed a brilliant dribble, followed by a lob shot into the net, a wave of cheers erupted once more from the stands.
The scoreboards, several over 10 meters tall, at the four corners of the stadium immediately changed simultaneously to—5:0.
With only four minutes left in the match, the French team had essentially secured the championship of the first truly global football tournament.
Soon, the referee's whistle blew.
The French players immediately embraced in jubilant celebration, then lined up in a row along the south side of the stands and bowed—their Crown Prince sat right there.
Soon, he would personally present this trophy to the players of the French team.
As for autographed footballs and jerseys from the champion team, they were no longer a rarity for him now; it seemed some of the original thrill had diminished.
Prince Charles enthusiastically approached the wooden platform in front of the stadium, delivered a routine opening speech, then announced in a loud voice:
"The winner of this World Cup's 'Fair Play Award' is—the Santo Domingo team!"
The unfortunate Santo Domingo team, mostly composed of Black players, didn't dare to get physical with the white players from European teams on the field. Consequently, they received the fewest cards of all teams, making the Fair Play Award absolutely well-deserved.
"The winner of the 'Best Player Award' is—France's number ten, Baron Brasseur!"
"The winner of the 'Golden Boot Award' is..."
Brode, seated on the west side of the stands, listened to each award being announced, his face growing longer with every word.
He had bet 100 Francs on the Netherlands to win the championship, but they were eliminated in the second round. He had also bet incorrectly on awards like Best Player, Golden Boot, and Golden Ball, losing nearly 300 Francs in total.
After Prince Charles announced the final award, the "Golden Glove Award," Brode began to wail in agony: "It really is 'a gambler in youth, a beggar in old age'..."
Of course, smiles never truly vanish; they simply transfer from one face to another.
For instance, Joseph was quite pleased at the moment. According to a report submitted last night by the French Ministry of Civil Affairs, the gambling revenue from this World Cup had reached an astonishing 2.7 million Francs—the World Cup Committee had granted the official gambling authorization to the Ministry of Civil Affairs.
This meant that from this single aspect alone, after deducting all investments for hosting the World Cup, a net profit of 1.6 million Francs was still made. Revenues from tickets and other sources had yet to be tallied, but in any case, the surplus was certainly substantial.
Just then, Walsh's servant squeezed through, holding a still-ink-scented copy of the Sports Gazette. "Master, the 'other awards' have been announced."
Brode snatched the newspaper, his eyes immediately finding "Best Courage Award – Ricardo Vitti of Parma" and "Golden Shovel Award – Henryk Krzysztof of Poland" at the bottom of the front page.
He instantly 'recovered full health,' embracing his cousin beside him with excitement. "Haha, I knew it, that big Pole had some moves, it really was him!
"Look, I won a whole 40 Francs! France truly is my lucky place!"
The so-called "Best Courage Award" was given to the most "heroic and fearless" player in all the matches—specifically in terms of fighting.
As for the "Golden Shovel Award," it was for the most spectacular sliding tackle—the one that inflicted the most damage on an opponent.
These less-reputable awards could only be announced in newspapers, yet their betting odds were even higher than those for "Best Player" and similar accolades.
Meanwhile, Joseph, having contentedly presented the World Cup trophy, had just returned to Versailles Palace when he saw Theresa, the Minister of Transportation, waiting outside his room.
Upon seeing the Crown Prince return, Theresa quickly stepped forward and bowed. "Your Highness, congratulations! I heard the French team won the championship."
"Yes, an overwhelming victory," Joseph said with a smiling nod, then added with a touch of surprise, "You didn't go to see the match?"
Theresa replied, "You know, there's just too much to do with the 'Foreign Railway Investment Plan.' Besides, I don't really understand football."
Once inside, he immediately produced a document and handed it to Joseph. "Your Highness, there are so many countries applying to build railways... Which route should we prioritize, in your opinion?"
This World Cup had made dignitaries from various countries aware of the power of railways. Currently, only Britain and France possessed large-scale railway construction technology in all of Europe. However, Britain lacked trains, and no one could guarantee whether their railway technology would be compatible with French trains.
Thus, there was essentially only one choice—to have France assist in railway construction.
During this period, Theresa's home was practically besieged by high-ranking officials from various countries, putting the humble Minister of Transportation in an extremely difficult position.
Whether it was the Crown Prince's brother-in-law, Prince Ludovico of Parma, or Theodor, the King of the powerful German state of Bavaria, or the major financier Menotti, the President of Milan, he couldn't easily refuse any of them.
So, he had no choice but to seek the Crown Prince's decision.
Joseph reviewed the Ministry of Transportation's railway plans.
The Western route would run north from Namur to Amsterdam in the Netherlands. The advantage of this line was connecting with the wealthy Netherlands.
The Central route would follow the already completed Trier line, passing through Cologne to Nassau and Paderborn. Its advantage was linking to the coal-producing region of Westphalia, with future potential to extend further north to Prussia.
The Eastern route would connect Baden to Württemberg, Bavaria, and finally to Saxony. Its advantage was piercing through the heart of Germany, greatly enhancing France's strategic control over the region. However, this line was also the longest, and the countries along its path were not particularly affluent.
The Southern route would stretch from Nice to Northern Italy, passing through Milan or Parma, ultimately connecting to Mantua Fortress. The Italian states along this line were relatively wealthy, and it could later be extended further north, directly threatening southern Austria.
Theresa remarked from the side, "Your Highness, Milan and Genoa have stated they can invest 12 million Francs in the railway, and raise another 7 million within five years.
"Nassau and Hesse are willing to invest 10 million Francs...
"Bavaria, though only offering 4 million Francs, can provide 1,000 laborers..."
Joseph, also finding it difficult to choose, asked, "How much funding can we commit right now?"
"The Ministry of Finance can allocate 23 million Francs, Your Highness."
Joseph sighed. This amount of money would only be enough to build one route, and not even the longest Eastern route at that.
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