Descending On France 1780
Chapter 313 - 306 Misjudgment

Chapter 313: 306 Misjudgment

Balas immediately showed an expression of "Holy crap, how can someone make embezzlement sound so righteous and grandiose."

Even Anning, who was not good at reading people and played office politics horribly, clearly interpreted the meaning behind that expression.

He couldn’t help but reach for the bell on the table again.

Being a dictator has one thing in common with being a mad magnetic field enthusiast: you can bombard anyone you dislike.

But before Anning could ring the bell, Balas controlled his expression and then began to spout empty flattery: "How visionary! I’m willing to lend my strength to your foresight! I’ve heard that your company in Southern France has started adopting a shareholding system, like the East India Company?"

Despite the fact that he was currently confronting the boss of this phase, the mention of it still made Anning start to explain: "Yes, shareholding, as well as futures, these are all new things. They are running very well in the south and starting to show initial success!"

Originally, the world’s first modern futures exchange was listed in the United States in 1848, with a complete futures trading system only fully formed by 1865, becoming the "norm."

However, Anning transported this concept to this era directly.

After all, the global trading system had already taken shape in this era, and in France, one could enjoy coffee, tobacco, and cocoa transported from America.

So, the objective conditions for futures trading had already been established.

And also stocks, although Anning himself had accumulated much wealth, relative to the funds needed to complete the Industrial Revolution across France, it was but a drop in the bucket.

So, Anning thought about attracting the wealth of the new rich who had prospered during the great revolution to become the driving force for the Industrial Revolution.

This was the most important thing Anning was doing besides waging wars, or at least that’s what he believed.

Therefore, he boasted about it in front of everyone and then lured them to invest.

Even Balas was no exception.

**

Balas, seeing Anning enthusiastically explain his concept, showed a thoughtful expression.

As a notorious speculator from the era of the great revolution, Balas sharply realized the implications of what Frost was explaining now for amassing wealth.

Yes, Balas didn’t care about any Industrial Revolution. To him, the idea of "using machines to produce machines" was complete fantasy, just hallucinations of Frost.

After all, it was impossible for someone who hadn’t witnessed the paradigm shift of productivity brought by the Industrial Revolution to imagine its significance.

When Balas heard the term "industry," he thought of Italian glassblowing workshops and handcrafts in the Germanic states of Northern Germany.

The productivity of that stuff was just so-so. Maybe it could make a place rich beyond measure, but it certainly wouldn’t form a crushing advantage over an agricultural nation.

It’s not his fault. In fact, among those who often heard Frost talk about the idea of the Industrial Revolution, there were very few who could imagine that kind of overwhelming advantage, which is called "the limitations of historical figures."

Anyway, in Balas’s view, Frost was just looking for a reason to amass wealth and was doing so with very clever and bold methods. He even had the intention to scrape off the vested interests.

Vested interest Balas thought helplessly, what can I do? I can only be scraped, otherwise, I might lose my life.

Balas had already noticed Frost several times reaching for the bell on the desk.

Some people have a bell on their desk that, when rung, will have someone bring them a Coke, but not every bell on people’s desks is so kind.

After weighing his options, Balas decided to spend money to avoid disaster.

**

"Fantastic, Mr. Frost! Your idea is magnificent!" Balas started his flattery.

As a worldly man, Anning still felt quite good to be showered with flattery, even though he knew there were no good intentions behind it.

It was like using the Hardening Skill in a Pokemon duel, that sense of pleasure was beyond Anning’s control, wasn’t it?

Anning could only feel good while vigilantly watching Balas, waiting for what he would say next.

Balas said, "I’m willing to join your grand idea! I’ll contribute five hundred ounces of gold!"

Anning was shocked, 500 ounces of gold? 14 kilograms? A standard gold bar weighs about three-point-something ounces, and you’re telling me you’re putting out over a hundred gold bars all at once?

This is 1793! Balas, oh Balas, aren’t you being a bit too greedy? Believe it or not, I’m really tempted to establish an Anti-Corruption Bureau right now and send you to the guillotine.

Seeing the change in Anning’s expression, Balas asked nervously, "Is that not enough to meet the minimum investment requirement?"

Anning: "No."

Anning wanted to see if he could cough up another 500 ounces of gold.

Balas looked troubled: "I really can’t come up with more gold..."

At that time in France, the economy had not yet recovered from the collapse caused by the excessive issuance of paper money, only gold and silver were genuinely value-preserving equivalents.

The stability of the currency value would be something for much later.

After staring at Balas for a long time, Anning eventually shrugged: "Alright, five hundred ounces of gold is acceptable too. I must clarify that this is an investment with me, and in the future, you will receive dividends in proportion to it. You will make much more money here than your initial investment. Trust me, the Industrial Revolution is the general trend of the future."

What Anning talked about here was the actual, economic return.

Actually, investing in the Industrial Revolution at that time was like buying Bitcoin around the year 2000.

Although having to share dividends with Balas was quite distasteful for Anning, naturally, he had to honor his business commitments.

**

However, Balas interpreted the returns completely differently.

He thought Anning’s words meant "you have my political protection," so he was greatly relieved.

If he could have Frost’s protection, then no one in Paris could touch me, Paul Balas.

At this moment, Balas felt that the five hundred ounces of gold were well spent.

The rest was just to publicize the news. Yes, just Frost promising to protect him wasn’t enough; all of Paris had to know that he was under Frost’s protection.

The five hundred ounces of gold itself had promotional value.

Balas was already calculating how to spread the news.

Just at this moment, Frost spoke: "Is there anything else?"

"Nothing more, I will deliver the gold to the Royal Palace soon..."

"No no, send it to the Industrial Development Bank I set up. Then, goodbye, Mr. Balas."

"Goodbye." Balas bowed to Anning and left the room.

Moments later, he exited the Royal Palace and climbed into the carriage at the entrance.

Josephine, in the carriage, asked, "How did it go?"

"Frost is now our backup," said Balas contentedly, "though at a rather high price."