Potsdam, Sanssouci Palace.
Sunlight streamed through the massive floor-to-ceiling windows, illuminating the Persian carpet-covered floor with vibrant life.
Even though there was no fire in the room, it did not feel cold.
Because the victory in the war made one's blood boil...
At this moment, the Emperor of the German Empire, William I, stood before a map of Europe that occupied half the wall.
His Imperial Majesty was dressed in a crisp Prussian military uniform, his hands clasped behind his back.
Having just completed the great cause of German unification, the Emperor carried an air of undisguised majesty and satisfaction.
The guard outside the door announced loudly:
"The Chancellor has arrived!"
Bismarck strode into the room, stopped five steps away from the Emperor, and bowed slightly.
"Your Majesty."
William I turned around and pointed to the velvet sofa nearby.
"You've arrived, Otto. Sit. Has the report from Frankfurt arrived? By the way, when can the Thiers government's first war indemnity installment be loaded? You know, we need money everywhere right now."
The Emperor sat on another sofa, his tone light.
Bismarck did not sit, maintaining his standing posture.
"The first installment of 500 million francs in gold has been counted and will arrive in Berlin by train next week, Your Majesty," Bismarck replied.
"However, I did not come today to talk about the Frenchmen's gold. I came to talk about how to spend it."
William I frowned.
"Spend it? Hasn't the army's re-equipment plan already been approved? Krupp is expanding production capacity. We need more heavy artillery to guard against Russia and the Austro-Hungarian Empire."
"Your Majesty, cannons can only hold existing territory," Bismarck said, stepping forward with a solemn expression.
"What will determine the fate of the Empire in the future is not the caliber of artillery, but the wires connecting factories and the telephone network that transmits military orders."
Bismarck took out the technical assessment report brought by Professor Wagner and handed it to the Emperor with both hands.
"This is a top-secret assessment from the Technical University of Berlin. We are five years behind the Americans in the fields of electricity and communications, and three years behind the British. If we do not catch up, our newly established empire will be relegated to a second-rate nation in terms of trade and industrial efficiency."
William I opened the report and glanced at the complex circuit diagrams. Although he could not understand the technology, he could understand the conclusion.
"The Americans are ahead?" The Emperor threw the report onto the coffee table. "Are you planning to use the indemnity to buy equipment in America?"
"No... buying equipment won't solve the fundamental problem. We need to buy the people who set the rules," Bismarck said, looking directly at the Emperor.
"Fellix Argyle of New York. He controls the largest electrical and telephone company in America. Intelligence shows that he is currently facing an antitrust investigation by President Grant of the United States. He is also under siege on Wall Street by British capital represented by Old Morgan."
Bismarck unveiled his core plan.
"Your Majesty... this is a rare window of opportunity. Argyle needs a retreat, or rather, a strategic depth that can be used to leverage Washington in return. I propose that the German Empire extend an olive branch to him."
"Then what shall I give him?" The Emperor's tone became serious.
"Franchise rights," Bismarck said decisively.
"For example, allow General Electric and AT&T to establish their European headquarters within the German Empire. Grant him a twenty-year tax exemption period. The imperial government will fund the purchase of his complete telephone exchange system and lay military and government-dedicated lines connecting Berlin, Munich, and Frankfurt."
"But in exchange, he must partially disclose the core technology patents for the power grid and communications to the Imperial Academy of Sciences. And he must build large-scale manufacturing plants in the Ruhr area and employ German workers."
William I stood up and paced back and forth in the room.
"Otto, are you sure?" The Emperor stopped and stared at Bismarck. "Let an American businessman lay a telephone network on German soil? Wouldn't that expose all of the Empire's military secrets to his eavesdropping?"
"He won't be able to eavesdrop, Your Majesty. Once the lines are laid, our own military personnel can be responsible for connecting and operating them. He only provides the equipment and technical standards," Bismarck explained calmly, needing to make this point clear.
"If we don't use his technology, we won't even have the opportunity to eavesdrop; we would only be able to rely on cavalry to deliver messages or use wired telegraphs."
The Emperor fell silent. He knew that Bismarck's strategic vision rarely went wrong.
"That Argyle. What kind of businessman is he?" the Emperor asked with curiosity.
"In my opinion, he is a wolf without a stance, Your Majesty. During the Civil War, he sold guns to the Union Army; during the Franco-Prussian War, he sold weapons to France, and also to the Empire," Bismarck gave what he considered the most precise evaluation.
"He doesn't care who is the emperor or who is the president. He only cares about profit and absolute market control. For such a person, as long as we give him enough meat, he will bite the throats of the British for us."
William I walked to the map, his gaze falling on the location of Berlin.
"Then... what will Grant think? If we openly woo a business oligarch he is currently investigating, will Washington file a diplomatic protest?"
"Then let them protest," Bismarck sneered disdainfully. At this stage, there were basically few in Europe who looked up to the United States of America.
"America would not dare to go to war with the Empire. Moreover, this could just happen to help Argyle increase his bargaining chips against Grant. At least... he will be grateful to us."
The Emperor turned around and took a deep breath.
"Then who will go to negotiate? The ambassador to America?"
"No... this matter cannot go through official diplomatic channels. It is too conspicuous," Bismarck shook his head.
"I plan to send Ludwig Fischer. He is the Empire's secret financial agent on Wall Street, ostensibly a scattered merchant doing import and export trade. He knows how to deal with those capital oligarchs."
William I nodded, having made up his mind.
"Very well, Otto, go ahead and do it. Tell that American that the gates of the German Empire are open to him. As long as he can make the factories in Berlin run faster than those in Sheffield, the Black Eagle of Prussia will not mind stamping his contract."
"As you command, Your Majesty," Bismarck bowed deeply.
One hour later...
After returning to the Prime Minister's residence, Bismarck immediately called for a telegraph operator.
"Send a secret telegram to Fischer in New York, highest priority."
"Tell him to bring the sincerity of the German Empire. Then go and knock on the door of the Empire State Building. At all costs, bring the technology and European business under Fellix Argyle to Berlin. And solemnly tell Argyle that even if Washington cannot accommodate him, Berlin has reserved a place for the Argyle Family."
A secret line across the Atlantic Ocean, under the manipulation of the newborn European hegemon, quietly connected to Felix, who was in the center of the storm.
Events far away on the European continent did not affect Felix's itinerary.
Early morning in New York, Grand Central Station.
Platform 6 was completely sealed off by members of Vanguard Security, and ordinary passengers were blocked far outside the cordon.
A private special train, consisting of five all-black carriages bearing the logo of a bald eagle clutching lightning bolts and rice ears, was docked on the tracks. The locomotive puffed thick white steam, emitting a low, wheezing sound.
Felix, wearing a black cashmere coat, stepped onto the carriage by treading on the iron step.
Secretary Frost and the head of the Intelligence Department, Timmy, followed closely behind.
The luxury inside the carriage was in no way inferior to the office in the Empire State Building. The floor was covered with thick Turkish carpets, and the windows were draped with dark red velvet curtains. In the center sat a mahogany long table fixed to the floor.
Felix walked to the head seat and sat down, then took off his coat and threw it on the sofa next to him.
"Drive."
Felix ordered the train conductor standing at the carriage door.
The conductor immediately blew the whistle, and the steam locomotive let out a long blast.
The wheels rubbed against the tracks, emitting a heavy clicking sound.
The special train slowly pulled out of the station, accelerating towards Washington D.C. in the south.
Beside the long table, Frost opened his briefcase and took out a stack of documents.
"Boss, an hour before we departed, Stanton sent the latest report on the bank run."
Frost handed a data report to Felix.
Felix took the report and glanced at it.
"Is the United Trust Bank's capital pool in New York still holding on?" Felix asked, sounding slightly annoyed.
"Yes, Boss."
Timmy sat down opposite him, his brows furrowed.
"Old Morgan has tapped into the Treasury Department's discount window. Previously, when our fifty men went to crash the market with twelve million dollars in notes, that old fox Nathaniel paid them out directly with federal gold bricks. When the retail investors outside saw the gold bricks, the run on the bank stopped immediately. Instead, the reputation of the United Trust Bank has been boosted."
Felix threw the report onto the table and sneered.
"Perhaps Old Morgan thinks he has won, using the money of the American taxpayers to block bullets for his foreign-owned bank."
Felix tapped his fingers on the table.
"But he forgot, money borrowed from the national treasury must be repaid. And the special memorandum from the Treasury Department is not an omnipotent God."
Felix turned to look at Frost.
"Send word to Hayes and Stanton, do not stop acquiring their commercial paper. We will buy as much as they issue. I don't believe he can handle a second or third run on the bank just by borrowing money from the national treasury. Push their debt ratio to the limit."
"Understood." Frost took notes.
Timmy looked at Felix, a hint of worry in his eyes.
"Boss, will there be any issues with us going to Washington D.C. this time? After all, President Grant's attitude in the telegram was very tough. Although Ackerman's antitrust report was suppressed by vice president Clark in his drawer, if Grant insists on issuing a presidential executive order to force an investigation, we will be in a very passive position legally."
"Pfft~ He won't dare to sign it."
Felix leaned back in his chair, watching the New York farmland flying by outside the train window.
"Grant is someone who cares about face. He asked me to go to Washington D.C. in person in the telegram just to find a way out for himself. He wants to prove to Congress and his cabinet that he is still the master of this country. The Argyle Family still obeys the summons of The White House."
Felix turned his head and stared deeply at Timmy.
"But remember, Timmy. In political negotiations, the more you show that you care about those legal provisions, the more politicians will use the law to suppress you. You must show your cards and let him know the price of burning bridges."
"I am not going there this time to explain to him that General Electric does not have a monopoly, but to show him the ledger."
Felix pointed to another briefcase in Frost's hand.
"Inside that is the budget for all the campaign funds the Republican Party needs in the swing states for next year's midterm elections. As well as the estimate of how much tax revenue would be cut off in Boston and Philadelphia if the Metropolitan Trading Company goes on strike. I want to slam these numbers onto Grant's desk and let him choose."
"Either choose a meaningless antitrust report without legal support, or choose his presidential seat for a second term."
The special train sped along the tracks.
It crossed Delaware and entered the territory of Maryland.
The stove in the carriage was burning brightly.
Felix closed his eyes, mentally rehearsing every step of the next move.
Not only against Grant, but also against Old Morgan hiding behind Washington.
In the evening.
The special train slowed down and slowly entered the Baltimore and Potomac Railroad Station in Washington D.C.
The platform was filled with a heavy smell of coal smoke and steam.
The station was bustling with people, but the area where the special train docked had been cleared in advance.
After the train stopped, the carriage door opened.
Felix put on his coat and stepped off the pedal, his leather boots stepping onto the bluestone platform.
In the white mist in front of the platform stood a woman wearing a dark blue velvet coat, with a wide-brimmed hat with a veil on her head.
Anna Clark.
In her hand, she was holding a two-year-old boy wearing a custom-made small suit.
Caesar's eyes were dark and bright, curiously staring at the man walking out of the steel beast puffing steam.
Felix stopped.
Anna looked at Felix.
"You finally came."
Anna's voice was very soft, but it clearly reached Felix's ears.
Felix walked up to her.
He looked down at Caesar who was clutching Anna's skirt tightly.
The child did not cry, but stared at him with an extremely stubborn look.
"The little guy has grown taller."
Felix slowly reached out and ruffled Caesar's hair.
Caesar dodged a little but didn't avoid it, he could only hum.
Felix withdrew his hand and looked at Anna.
"The air in Washington is too murky."
Felix adjusted the collar of his coat.
"It seems I need to come and clean up the garbage here, and by the way, drain the water out of that old soldier's brain."
"The carriage is waiting outside. Going straight to the Clark estate, or to the hotel?" Anna asked.
"No need, go straight to The White House."
Felix's tone was flat, but it revealed absolute dominance.
"Now?" Anna was a little surprised.
"At this time, Grant should be having dinner with someone."
"Then let him put down his knife and fork."
Felix passed Anna and strode towards the exit of the train station.
"I don't have the habit of wasting time in New York, and it's the same in Washington."