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Chapter 1352: The Grand World Expo

Chapter 1352: The Grand World Expo

If they had to compensate according to the investment agreement, Bern Canton would immediately go bankrupt.

And those noble legislators rooted in Bern would suffer heavy losses, possibly even going bankrupt alongside it.

At the same time, opposition political forces would undoubtedly use this incident to launch a purge against them, such as the Liberal citizen organizations.

A knock on the door broke the silence in the hall.

Without permission, someone disregarded the rules and barged in.

The Canton President was about to erupt in anger when he saw that the newcomer was the manager of Ahrens Bank. He suppressed his fury and asked, "What can I do for you?"

Ahrens Bank was the largest bank in the Bern region, and the financial backer behind several influential legislators.

The bank manager gave him a hurried nod, then went directly to Baron Fred, a senior legislator, and whispered anxiously, "The bank is facing a run! You must find a solution as soon as possible!"

It turned out that Ahrens Bank had also invested millions of francs in the railway project. After news of the project's troubles spread, people feared the bank would collapse and began lining up to withdraw their deposits.

Fred was alarmed. He quickly asked, "How long can it last?"

The bank manager glanced at the surrounding legislators, his face grim. "At this rate, half a month at most."

Fred hastily took a group of legislators to deal with the bank run, and the parliamentary discussion was thus interrupted.

Count Erlach, the Vice Chairman, had no ties to the bank and was preparing to go home when an official approached him, bowing respectfully. "Your Excellency, Count, the Milan Ministry of Foreign Affairs has sent a diplomatic note, demanding that we properly handle the investment losses of Milan City Bank."

Count Erlach immediately felt a headache coming on.

He was responsible for the canton's foreign affairs, but it was currently impossible to come up with 1.87 million francs to compensate Milan's bank—they had previously invested 750,000 francs.

Yet Milan, for Switzerland, was a powerful nation they absolutely could not afford to offend.

Just as he was at his wits' end, another official handed him a document, bowing slightly. "Your Excellency, Count, this is the list of our exhibits for next month's Karlsruhe World Expo. Please sign it."

"The World Expo?" Count Erlach's eyes lit up. He waved his hand at the previous official. "Look, I need to lead the delegation to the World Expo. For the Milan matter, please find Mr. Joachim."

Before he even finished speaking, he scurried out of the parliamentary hall, muttering to himself, "What a mess, I need to find a way to hide..."

That afternoon, Count Erlach hurriedly took a carriage to Lausanne.

Although taking this route was a detour, once inside France, there was a developed Rail Transit System. Upon reaching Lorraine, he would be able to board a train. Thus, the overall journey would be slightly faster than going directly from northern Switzerland to Baden.

Of course, more importantly, he first needed to pick someone up in Morez.

A week later.

North of Morez.

On the swiftly moving rail carriage, a voluptuous figure pressed tightly against Count Erlach, speaking in a sugary voice, "My dear, Baden is truly too far. I had to go to great lengths to prevent my husband from growing suspicious."

The Vice Chairman immediately revealed a doting smile.

One of his greatest achievements in life was having a French mistress, especially one from a minor noble family. This gave him considerable prestige within the entire Bern Parliament.

He took out a pearl necklace and draped it around her neck. "Oh, my dear Dorian, this is a gift for you. Do you like it?"

The woman kissed him on the cheek, her smile growing even sweeter. "Of course I like it! My goodness, it's beautiful! How much does it cost?"

"Five thousand Batzen," the Vice Chairman declared with a grand gesture. "Not too expensive."

He then remembered the railway project's default and sighed inwardly, 'I probably won't be able to afford such expensive gifts for Dorian in the future.'

The two continued their affectionate journey for over ten more days before finally arriving in Karlsruhe.

Count Erlach first settled his mistress, then made his way to the Baden Royal Palace to meet with the Swiss officials attending the World Expo. Karl Friedrich placed great importance on this World Expo, so he had the venue set up directly in the Royal Palace square.

He watched with a relaxed expression as servants arranged boxes of cocoa, cheese, silk, and exquisite timepieces on the Swiss exhibition stand, but then he noticed that most of the other officials were frowning.

He pulled aside a Zurich Canton official, with whom he had a good personal relationship, and questioned him closely. Only then did he learn that in the less than twenty days since he left, Switzerland had descended into chaos.

Several banks, having invested in the railway project, faced runs, dragging their investors and workshops into crisis alongside them.

Zurich had already suffered war damage, and now its finances were on the verge of collapse. Large numbers of citizens began demonstrating around the parliament building.

Count Erlach had initially thought Bern's situation was stable, but the next day he received news that Liberals in Vaud and Jura Cantons were using the incident to rally locals, form their own assemblies, and even recruit armies.

Regions like Vaud and Jura were not among Switzerland's thirteen cantons, but rather "subsidiary cantons" under Bern's rule, akin to colonies.

If these areas erupted in rebellion, Bern Canton would face immense trouble.

Count Erlach, however, smiled as he gazed at the streetscape of Karlsruhe, stretching his arms. "Enjoy this last holiday while you can."

He knew perfectly well that with such a massive mess, his political career was undoubtedly ruined. He had no intention of returning to Switzerland for the rest of his life, deciding instead to settle in Baden. While not as prosperous as France, it was absolutely like paradise compared to Switzerland.

Two days later, the World Expo officially opened.

The Baden government had poured all its resources into hosting this grand event. Karlsruhe was filled with jubilant crowds, and the sounds of various musical instruments were incessant.

The Royal Palace, moreover, was adorned with ribbons and flowers.

Even though a single ticket cost as much as four francs, five to six thousand people still flocked into the expo venue. Many citizens also climbed trees outside the Royal Palace, craning their necks to peer inside.

King Karl Friedrich of Baden delivered the opening speech, followed by an address from the French Minister of Industry.

Count Erlach and his mistress were squeezed into a corner, overhearing people nearby discussing, "The scale of this event is truly immense. Even the British have come."

"Apparently, France sent two ministers, which shows how much importance they place on it."

"Why does the French pavilion remain closed, I wonder?"

"Perhaps there are too many exhibits, and they haven't finished arranging them yet."

At ten o'clock in the morning, with a booming salute of cannons, the World Expo opened for general viewing.

People had an entire month to admire the incredibly precious exhibits, or those representing the most advanced technologies, brought by nations from around the world.

Count Erlach and his mistress walked past the steam-powered Cotton Gin, transported all the way from America, listening to the not-quite-fluent French of an American official:

"This machine can do the work of eighty laborers, and it hardly makes any mistakes!"