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Chapter 183: The Scapegoat

Over the next half month, two British technicians successively resigned, then followed Ludot, arriving in France by ship. Along with them came six textile workers and their families.

The loom and technicians were subsequently sent to Versailles. There, the "Lifetime Honorary President of the French Engineering and Technology Association" and King Louis XVI of France would personally undertake the task of disassembling and replicating the machine.

Originally, Joseph wanted Murdoch to be in charge of the replication, but considering Murdoch was currently developing the High-Pressure Steam Engine, and the Royal Workshop in Versailles had more precision machining equipment, he ultimately decided to entrust this important task to his father.

Initially, Louis XVI was somewhat displeased when he saw that the new research task wasn't the promised new Rifle. But after Joseph explained the immense profits of the British textile industry and the automatic loom's significance to it, His Majesty the King immediately rolled up his sleeves and dedicated himself wholeheartedly to France's industrial development, proceeding without hesitation.

However, the shortage of research and development talent also gave Joseph a sense of crisis.

In all of France, only the King's small team and the highly paid British recruits possessed engineering research and development capabilities. Yet, so many French mathematicians and physicists were unable to contribute effectively, which was illogical.

The root cause was the underdeveloped national research and development system.

On his way back to Paris, Joseph gazed out the carriage window. He pondered whether he should truly establish the French Engineering and Technology Association and perhaps create something like a "Royal Award for Scientific Progress" to stimulate the pace of engineering research and development.

...

Before he could even feel pleased, he saw the bold headline on the newspaper handed to him by the butler: "Assassins of Necker Caught on the Spot, Currently Under Interrogation."

Marquis de Ludo immediately felt dizzy, slowly collapsing onto the sofa. He gritted his teeth and muttered to himself, 'That idiot Bouvalandard... always bragging about his influence in the underworld, and the assassins he hired turned out to be such useless failures!'

In truth, Bouvalandard couldn't really be blamed. The assassins he found were absolutely top-notch, but the Police Intelligence Bureau had deployed over 80 agents to shadow Necker from a distance, controlling everything within 250 meters of him. Unless the assassins could fly, there was no way they could have escaped.

Joseph knew that the banking magnates, having suffered heavy losses due to the Necker case, would surely hate Necker to the bone. So he intentionally leaked Necker's whereabouts and had the Police Intelligence Bureau agents escorting him cooperate.

The Royal Family had indeed pardoned Necker, but if the Banking Guild wanted him dead, there was nothing anyone could do.

Moreover, the assassins were caught red-handed at the scene. With the murder weapon and all evidence present, and the motive extremely clear, anyone wishing to concoct a conspiracy theory would have no grounds to start.

Of course, if Marquis de Ludo and his associates were truly deep schemers and didn't make a move, Joseph wouldn't be in a hurry. After all, Comte de Kaunitz was clearly a man whose temper outweighed his brains. He'd just send agents to spread rumors and provoke him a few times; Joseph doubted he could restrain himself.

Marquis de Ludo stared at the newspaper in his hands, then abruptly stood up. He instructed his butler to prepare the carriage to rush to Comte de Kaunitz's home.

Two hours later, a gathering of banking magnates convened, all with troubled expressions. They had actually learned about the assassins' capture several days prior, but, unfortunately, their "strategist" Marquis de Ludo wasn't in France, so they could only wait.

Marquis de Ludo surveyed the five men before him. He stated gravely, "Although Necker has been exiled, he was still the former Minister of Finance, so this matter will be extremely serious!"

"What are we going to do?"

Marquis de Ludo's eyes glinted menacingly. "Bouvalandard found the assassins, so he'll have to take the fall for all the charges!"

Everyone was startled. They then realized that Bouvalandard wasn't present today.

After a moment, the men all sighed helplessly, tacitly agreeing to Marquis de Ludo's plan.

...

Switzerland.

Frauenfeld, on the Murg River.

Count Segur idly toyed with the cup before him. He had no interest whatsoever in the black tea inside. The quality of the tea leaves was so poor that even his servants at home wouldn't drink it.

"These dawdling Swiss..." He pulled out his watch and glanced at it, deciding to go and press the Swiss Confederation Council again.

He had been in this godforsaken mountainous place for a week now. Although the Swiss treated him, the Special Envoy of a great nation, with utmost respect, they had yet to give him a satisfactory answer.

His assistant, seeing him about to leave, quickly followed. "Count, are we still heading to the council hall?"

"Yes." Count Segur put on his hat and frowned, saying, "I don't want to stay here another day. There's no decent tea, not even drinkable coffee..."

His assistant pushed open the door for him. "What can be done? Their federal assembly can't decide anything; they can only keep consulting the cantonal councils. Or perhaps, we should visit Schwyz Canton."

Segur shot him a dismissive look. "I represent His Majesty, the great King of France, how can I stoop to negotiate with a mere cantonal council?"

Several Swiss servants busied themselves calling over the carriage and setting up the wooden steps for Count Segur. The Count boarded, grumbling: "This poor, pathetic country doesn't even have a capital, can you imagine? No capital!

"Good heavens, why did I take on this thankless task? That Denaro Bank had better come up with those 7 million livres, or there will be trouble..."

Indeed, his trip to Switzerland was precisely to demand the extradition of the Denaro Bank shareholders who had fled after committing crimes, and to urge the bank to hand over the stolen funds and fines involved in the case.

The carriage traveled along the rugged mountain roads. Every now and then, the two Swiss servants 'hanging' onto the back of the carriage would have to jump down and help push to successfully ascend the steep slopes.

As Count Segur arrived before the yellowish-gray, two-story building of the Swiss Council Hall, a short, square-faced middle-aged man walked out to meet him. Upon seeing him, the man quickly tipped his hat in greeting. "Ah, esteemed Count Segur, I was just coming to find you. There's finally news from Schwyz Canton."

Segur recognized the man as Fuller, a member of the Swiss Confederation Council. He immediately said with some delight: "Have the two fugitives been apprehended? What about the stolen funds?"

Fuller invited him into the council hall, then gave a dry laugh. "The individuals haven't been caught yet, but the Schwyz cantonal council has already seized Denaro Bank. However, the bank's accounts show less than 4 million livres, and more than half of that consists of loans which will take some time to recover..."

Count Segur's face immediately darkened. He stood tall and stared at Fuller, declaring: "I formally notify you, on behalf of His Majesty the King, that Switzerland must pay all stolen funds and fines to the French Reserve Bank within three months."