Chapter 572: Courtesy Demands Reciprocity
Chapter 573: Courtesy Demands Reciprocity
"It is a great honor to receive your recognition!" Calonne quickly rose and bowed.
"Please, have a seat," Joseph gestured to him, continuing, "Based on your contributions, I will petition Her Majesty the Queen to appoint you as a special advisor to the Minister of Trade."
Calonne was immediately overjoyed. After the previous embezzlement scandal, it had been difficult for him to re-enter the bureaucratic system. He never imagined that after spending less than a month in Austria, his nightmare would actually come to an end!
Although the so-called special advisor was an inconspicuous position, it was a good start. As long as he diligently served His Royal Highness the Crown Prince from now on, he might even rise to a mid-level official before his soul departed for heaven.
In truth, the reward Joseph gave him this time was already understated.
One must remember that Calonne, as the orchestrator of the Austrian operation, had uncovered crucial clues regarding the fraudulent orders, saving France at least tens of millions of francs in losses. If the potential wave of factory bankruptcies were included, his contributions would be even greater.
Therefore, Joseph decided to reinstate him.
Moreover, this incident showed that he had considerable talent in trade and fraud, and Joseph happened to have a new task for him. Giving him a position would also facilitate his work.
After Calonne profusely expressed his gratitude and loyalty, Joseph looked towards Mesmer, who was standing by the door:
"Please come in as well, Monsieur Mesmer."
The latter hastily smoothed his clothes, stepped forward quickly, and then bowed with impeccable court etiquette:
"Ah, it is a great honor to be summoned by Your Royal Highness, the esteemed Crown Prince! Your good name spreads far and wide under the gaze of the Lord..."
"Cough!" Joseph raised a hand to interrupt his gushing praises, then turned to Fouché, who was beside him, "Monsieur Fouché, how much time does he have left on his sentence?"
"Thirty-five years, Your Highness."
Joseph nodded: "In view of Monsieur Mesmer's undeniable assistance to Viscount Calonne, I will recommend to the Supreme Court that his sentence be reduced by twenty years, and that he continue to assist Viscount Calonne in his work."
Mesmer immediately bowed exaggeratedly and profusely, words of gratitude spilling out like a torrent.
Joseph had to interrupt him again, then said to Calonne: "Regarding this fraudulent order scheme, we absolutely cannot let it go unpunished."
He then gestured to Fouché: "Please explain to them the Intelligence Bureau's recent investigation findings."
"Yes, Your Highness."
Fouché bowed slightly and looked at Calonne and the impostor: "The Intelligence Bureau investigated Klestil, the mastermind behind this scheme and the second vice-president of the Vienna Chamber of Commerce. However, on the very day you left Austria, he was found murdered on the outskirts of Vienna.
"This was clearly to silence him.
"At the same time, we discovered that his financial situation was dire, with his companies on the verge of bankruptcy. Therefore, he could never have produced the deposit required to initiate the fraud."
Calonne nodded slightly: "The first deposit, plus the money 'to cover the remaining payment' later, amounted to tens of millions of francs. Even if his business had been thriving, he wouldn't have had that much money."
"Indeed," Fouché said. "All of this indicates that Klestil was being directed by someone else."
"Who is that cursed fellow?"
"I cannot confirm that yet. However, many clues point in a clear direction. For example, the Duke of Leeds suddenly traveled to Vienna for tourism, and shortly after, the fraudulent order scheme emerged.
"Eyewitnesses also reported seeing Klestil visit the Duke of Leeds' residence multiple times. This was the only high-ranking individual he interacted with during that period, apart from handling his debts.
"Most importantly, Klestil's subordinate, Erwin Lunnar—oh, we apprehended him with the help of the Grand Duchess of Tuscany—confessed that the vast majority of the funds he received were in Pound Sterling. Even among the deposits received by French companies, a significant portion was paid in Pound Sterling."
Calonne narrowed his eyes: 'It seems Osborne must be behind this.'
The Duke of Leeds' full name was Francis Godolphin Osborne.
"To be precise, it should be the British Parliament," Joseph corrected. "The Duke of Leeds himself could not possibly produce tens of millions of francs. Moreover, the British government currently has a motive to do this."
He did not tell Calonne about Britain's new policy of Continental Balance. The fake orders were clearly the 'opening gambit' of an economic war against France.
Calonne recalled the Crown Prince's earlier words and immediately lowered his voice: "So, you intend to retaliate against the British?"
"Precisely," Joseph nodded. "Previously, to disrupt the construction of Gas Streetlights in London, I employed some simple methods.
"But now, it seems necessary to expand these methods to teach the British a profound lesson.
"I hope you can carry out this operation. And, of course, bring your assistant, Monsieur Mesmer."
Monsieur Steller, the general manager of Lightning Company, was merely a business expert. While he could secure the contract for London's Gas Streetlights project, attempting anything more would stretch his capabilities thin.
And after Joseph witnessed Mesmer's brilliant "performance" in Austria, he believed the opportunity was ripe.
Courtesy demands reciprocity. The British had already initiated an economic war, and now it was France's turn to make a move.
"It is my greatest honor to serve you!" Calonne immediately bowed. "So, what do you intend for us to do?"
"Lightning Company—oh, that's the company that undertook the construction of London's Gas Streetlights—was actually sent by me," Joseph said. "And it already has considerable influence in London. Once you arrive in Britain, this is what you will do..."
He then looked at Mesmer: "As for you, you will continue to play the role you are familiar with—a wealthy merchant, assisting Viscount Calonne with..."
Mesmer was truly a super genius in the art of deception, and he immediately offered several improvements to the Crown Prince's plan.
"Excellent, proceed as you've outlined," Joseph nodded with satisfaction. "If you successfully execute this mission, I will request His Majesty the King to grant you a letter of pardon."
"Thank you, Your Highness! Even if it costs me my life, I will certainly fulfill your command!"
...
Austria.
Eastern suburbs of Vienna.
Lord Grenville stepped out of his carriage, bowed to the Duke of Leeds who was waiting by the roadside, and then said with a faint smile:
"I've heard that your progress here hasn't been very smooth."
The latter hung his head and replied:
"I told you long ago, that Dutchman named Hope's plan reeked like a month-old fish! It cost us five hundred thousand pounds sterling, and we gained nothing!"
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