＜ Secret meeting with a London banker. (4) >
Tutatattattata-!
A loud noise erupted once, and smoke rose from the barrel of the machine gun that was spewing fire.
German machine gun.
A demonstration of a machine gun made by DWM was taking place at the Madrid Large Shooting Range.
clap clap.
“The fire rate of the machine gun is good. Surely the infantry and the cavalry will be different.”
General Weiler applauded with satisfaction as he saw the results of the German machine gun at the large firing range. It was such a great result that even the cavalry could chew on it.
“……”
But none of the others at the shooting range could laugh like Whaler.
The employees of the German branch, including myself, had a bad complexion inside the large shooting range, which was stained with blood.
I wiped my face.
‘That’s right.’
It all started when General Weyler wanted to test the performance of the machine gun we introduced.
General Weyler sent his lieutenant to evacuate the nearby training ground, and brought in ten horses that had been wounded by the cavalry and were being treated.
“Even though it’s a wounded horse, it’s incapacitated in less than a minute, so you have to actually test it to know how well it performs.”
Purung-
There was a stream of blood on the floor of the large shooting range, and the corpses of shattered warhorses were rolling around.
General Whaler turned and looked at us.
“But if you want to arm 300,000 troops with this, your budget will be quite broken. Not only machine guns, but also rifles and ammunition.”
“…300 thousand people?”
“There are 280,000 in Cuba, 10,000 in Puerto Rico, and 50,000 in the Philippines. We have to arm a total of 340,000 troops, so that’s enough.”
Veyron glanced at me when I answered that General Weyler had 340,000 men.
The original expected number of troops was between 200,000 and 250,000. Only Cuban troops were assumed.
I whispered to Veyron.
‘Only 200,000 people sell.’
Selling more would be good only in terms of profits, but the US military is shredded like a meat grinder. We need to control the amount in moderation so that it can flow as we want.
But before we could even speak, General Whaler frowned.
“The nature of the Spanish Empire means that there are a lot of budgets allocated to the overseas department that oversees the colony. But I can’t come up with a budget estimate to arm 340,000 people.”
‘I guess.’
Even in Cuba right now, the independence fighters had taken away all the provinces and only the big cities were barely holding on to it.
In addition, most of Cuba’s plantations are now being wiped out by US capital infiltration.
In real time, the Spanish Empire was snowballing its deficit.
Veyron took a step forward.
“But, General. Think the other way around.”
“Hmm. Conversely?”
“Yes, if this machine gun can take the Cuban colonies away from the beasts of the United States, and if we can consolidate the influence of the Spanish Empire again, won’t we be able to regain the interests we lost in Cuba?”
“Oh.”
That’s right.
As Veyron scratched General Whaler’s itchy part, Wyler’s eyes lit up.
Before the United States got involved in Cuba, when Cuba’s independence forces were quiet, how much profit was taken from Cuba’s plantations and interests.
General Weyler was a man of that generation. I knew how sweet Cuban interests were.
“With this, not only Cuba, but also the Philippines, Puerto Rico, Morocco, and the Sahara can be conquered. It makes sense.”
Machine guns are expensive weapons.
This novel was posted at https://noblemtl.com
Our North American DWM plant uses conveyor belts. It is the essence of mechanical engineering, which usually takes up to a week to assemble a machine gun.
Even at the end of the 19th century, machine guns were not well distributed yet.
To arm 200,000 people with such machine guns, Hyundai Hanwha Group 1 and 2 are ridiculously broken.
‘But even counting Cuba’s interests alone, it is much higher than the purchase price of a machine gun.’
In 1854, the purchase price of Cuba offered by the US State Department to the White House was 150 million dollars.
4.5 trillion won in Hyundai Hanwha.
Based on the size of the U.S. economy at the time, it was an amount with an influence of about 30 to 100 trillion won.
‘You just have to roll your eyes. With a few trillions of investment in military power, you can earn close to 100 trillion won in profits, but if you add the Philippines to this, a huge amount will come out.’
“Hmm…..”
General Weyler began weighing the machine gun and the colony with a serious face.
It was clear that the temptation to pay it back was raging inside. As evidence of that, General Weyler’s eyes were busy spinning.
‘Can I help you with a little selection?’
“Director Veyron.”
“Something.”
“Listen for a moment.”
When I urged Veyron with a look that looked urgent, Veyron, who was playing the person in charge, also lent me an ear with a puzzled expression.
– First of all, don’t ask why, and act that looks impatient. I suggest that we take a break in three minutes.
“……!!!”
Veyron’s face quickly grew serious. After a few seconds, even a cold sweat began to trickle down his forehead.
When Veyron, whose face was already pure white, made an anxious-looking face, he looked as pale as a real walking corpse.
“……”
General Weyler glanced at Veyron’s pale complexion. If this is the case, the message that we are impatient would have been delivered.
When there was silence for about 3 minutes like that.
“……Take a break for a while.”
“I will.”
Veyron suggested a break.
***
bang-
Arms merchants from Germany went into the locker room of the large shooting range set up as a temporary meeting room, saying they had something to discuss.
General Whaler looked at their backs with a heavy expression on their faces.
“aide. Those arms dealers from Germany look suspicious to you, don’t they?”
“Yes?”
“He gave me sweet lures and gave me reasons to buy a machine gun. But their faces look full of impatience.”
“That’s questionable.”
If the Spaniards were convinced that they had no choice but to buy machine guns, it would not be an attitude. It could only be seen that there was something bad about the machine gun, or that their company had a change.
However, the defect of the machine gun was verified by the test fire just before.
‘Maybe this…’
I think you can beat the price of a machine gun.
“Lieutenant, make sure no one enters this large shooting range. Don’t ask why.”
“Yes.”
The adjutant quickly began to instruct the soldiers guarding the large firing range.
While they controlled access to the firing range, General Whaler walked into the locker room. Since the regent Maria of the Spanish royal family is of Austrian descent, General Weyler also spoke German, but he understood it somewhat.
You can understand the approximate flow of the conversation.
sh-
General Weyler put his ear to the locker room door and began to eavesdrop on what was being said inside.
– Director Veyron, we need to expedite our machine gun inventory. If you keep it in the warehouse in Hamburg, it will cost you more to store it.
– …I know. But the US Army refused to bid for our German machine gun. To use a gatling gun over this good thing, I would die of frustration.
‘The US Army refused to bid for machine guns?’
After the sinking of the Maine, relations between the United States and Spain had deteriorated. Military officials from overseas are predicting that war will break out around April.
A war broke out with the United States, and the United States Army uses Gatling guns, while our Spanish Army fights with the latest German machine guns?
Weiler’s ears were persuaded.
‘Besides, the US Army has been castrated for disarmament. The Spanish Empire can mobilize 340,000 soldiers, while the US can only mobilize 70,000.’
They said machine guns, which were to be delivered to the US Army, were piled up in large quantities in a port warehouse in Hamburg, Germany.
‘By the way, I remember that the foreign minister was discussing investment in the colony with Barclays Bank today.’
Apparently, when I met the foreign minister yesterday, the minister took a deep breath and said: The backlash in Cuba made it more difficult to raise funds.
‘If only I could buy this machine gun, wouldn’t I be able to convince Barclays Bank to invest in the colony? Maybe even buying a machine gun.’
A circuit of hope began to revolve in Weiler’s head.
“great.”
He removed his ears from the locker room and walked to the lieutenant who was standing at the entrance to the large shooting range.
Whaler beckoned, and the lieutenant rushed to him.
“Deputy, go to the office of the foreign minister right now and deliver my message.”
“Yes? Do you have a schedule with Barclays Bank today?”
“It’s a story we all know.”
whisper whisper.
As Whaler whispered to the assistant, the assistant’s face came to life.
“Can you tell me?”
“Yes! I will tell you right away!”
After saluting vigorously, the aide ran straight to the foreign office building.
Whaler looked up at the back of the disappearing lieutenant and raised the corners of his mouth.
“The year of the Spanish Empire has not yet set.”
***
“Went.”
When the infamous disappeared outside the locker room, Veyron and I, who were talking in a serious voice, stopped talking.
It was quite a daunting task to flutter even the poor German in the acting, which is not a special skill.
I turned the back of my stiff neck.
“Huh, having to act like this is really hard to make a living.”
“Haha, do you think the desired result will come out? I’ll untie your neck.”
“You look fine…?”
“Because this field is my specialty. By the way, I’m also somewhat good at massage.”
Veyron smiled and rolled up his arms.
Just as he was about to release my neck, I heard the voice of Whaler’s lieutenant outside the door.
– Yes! We’ll deliver it right away!
At that loud voice, we looked at each other and smiled bitterly.
Is your reaction faster than expected?
“I asked.”
rather good
The more you switch to the bait, the higher the chance of success of the trap.
Now that Whaler took the bait, all you need to do is be nice to the Barclays.
***
The Office of Foreign Affairs in Madrid, Spain.
Minister’s Office.
“Hmm.”
flutter-
Barclays executives turned the paper over with serious faces. We received investment proposals from Cuba and the Philippines, but the situation was as serious as we thought.
The capital of the province has long been handed over to the Cuban rebels, and most of the assets remaining in the city are American capital.
“Even if you are going to give me a loan, you will have to apply a substantial interest rate. Of course, that’s when we can give you a loan.”
“Is that so……”
The foreign minister’s face darkened.
“Even if we take care of the city capital as a profit for the Spanish Empire, the risk is too great as long as relations with the United States deteriorate.”
“If we can win the war with America-.”
“Then I would appreciate it if you could tell us after presenting the evidence that there is a chance of victory in the war.”
“…..!!!”
As the Barclays executives cut off coldly, the foreign minister’s countenance darkened even more.
A solid basis for winning the war with the United States. There could be no such thing right now.
Even if you do, the number of heads you can mobilize is superior?
‘The executives at Barclays knew that much for a long time. There must be a more solid reason than that.’
Hurup-
The foreign minister felt his stomach churn and emptied the teacup.
‘It would be nice if a way to win the war suddenly fell from the sky.’
smart.
At that moment, an urgent knock was heard from the door of the minister’s office. The foreign minister frowned.
“Now we are having important negotiations with the distinguished guests, who dares to knock!!!”
After the enraged minister’s messenger, a cheery reply came from behind the door.
– Wow, General Weiller has sent a messenger as a messenger!
“General Whaler?”
The anger of the foreign minister has subsided.
If it was General Weiler, he would have been the former Governor-General of Cuba. He knew he was negotiating with Barclays Bank today.
‘If you still send a messenger…’
The minister opened his eyes for a moment and looked at the door of the minister’s office. And I asked the Barclays executives for forgiveness.
“I’m sorry, but may I hear the emergency report for a moment?”
“Yes, it doesn’t matter.”
With the approval of Barclays Bank, the minister brought the messenger into the minister’s office.
“Emergency?”
“Can you lend me your ear for a moment?”
“…I see.”
The minister lent his ear with a sullen face.
But as the messenger began to whisper in his ear, the minister’s face widened, and his eyes began to come alive.
“Is that really true?”
“Yes, I didn’t have time to cross-validate it, but they say it is very likely to be true.”
“Okay then.”
In the current situation, cross-validation is a luxury.
If Barclays Bank does not work, they have to go to other banks in other countries to transfuse funds, but now the Spanish Empire has little time left.
In addition, if the German head office employee said that, it was highly likely to be true.
The minister returned to the negotiating table.
“sorry. A little late.”
“no. As long as we can negotiate well, it doesn’t matter. So, did you bring any useful evidence for this negotiation?”
“Are you okay with the testimony?”
“Yeah, it doesn’t matter because we’re going to cross-validate anyway. However, if it is false, it can result in significant disadvantages. Please be mindful.”
great.
The minister was heartbroken at the positive response from Barclays Bank. With this, the Great Spanish Empire will be able to rise again.
The minister began to unravel Whaler’s messages he had just heard from the messenger.
***
“It makes sense. If the US Army refused to bid for the machine gun, then the Spanish Empire, which is clearly outnumbered, has a chance to win.”
“Is that right?”
“But you’ll have to get a loan from the bank to pay for the machine gun. Let’s talk for a while.”
As Barclays executives started talking among themselves, the foreign minister waited with sweat on his hands.
After the conversation, they offered conditions.
“If what the Minister said is proven, I have decided that the Spanish Empire has a chance to win. I would like to bet Havana, the Cuban capital, as collateral for 25% interest.”
“yes?”
Havana as collateral for 25% interest?
The foreign minister’s expression twisted.
‘Are these guys crazy?’
They seem to be mistaken for the East India Company that conquered India. No matter how much the Spanish Empire is going downhill, this is not it.
“Sorry, but Havana is too harsh with 25% interest as collateral.”
“Hmm. Then, at 20% of interest, we incorporated the Havana Naval Port and pledged a 50.1% stake as collateral.”
robbers.
I plan to lower it gradually after singing it unusually high. Who are the financiers of the British Empire? There were no evil guys.
“That is too high.”
“Hmm……”
Barclays executives grunted with serious expressions on their faces. His voice was too low to be heard, but at least he didn’t look like he was going to ruin the deal.
“…Then, we will negotiate the collateral later, and lend it at 15% interest. I thought that we would not suffer any loss if the Spanish Imperial Army was armed immediately.”
“Thank you-”
“only.”
Barclays put one condition on it.
“I wish we could put some special drugs on our side. It’s not a huge deal, and you don’t have to worry about it as it’s a ‘minor’ insurance in case the Spanish Empire fails to pay properly.”
“That, then.”
The minister’s face brightened at the positive tone of Barclays’ side.
“Yes, I will lend you.”
“Gam, thank you!!!”
The foreign minister shook hands with Barclays in excitement.
With this, the Spanish Empire could not be eliminated from the ranks of great powers. As soon as Barclays’ funds come in, the Spanish Imperial Army will be re-armed with powerful weapons, and will be able to protect the colonies of their homeland from the beasts of the United States.
‘The Spanish Empire will never fall.’
So the minister firmly believed.
Missing the strange smiles on the lips of the Barclays executives.
……I got it.
＜ Secret meeting with a London banker. (4) > end
