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8. Unlimited loans

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    Just as Fran was starting her day's studies, her brother Charles also took a carriage and came to the villa in Auteuil again.  At this time, after two days of renovation, the villa has completely changed its appearance.  The pits beside the Atrium Avenue that he had seen when he first came here that day had been filled in, and the trees that had been transported had been placed in the pits, and carefully cut turf had been laid beside them.  The grassy scene suddenly overshadowed the original desolate and dilapidated scene, bringing vitality to the villa.  And when he stepped into the spacious mansion in the villa, the luxurious scene made him even more stunned.  The exterior of the mansion has been repainted, and inside, in those rooms, various styles of furniture are filled in different rooms, as if to show the different bedroom styles from all over the world.  In the spacious living room, the walls are dazzlingly hung with the most precious masterpieces of ancient great painters, as well as numerous collections of porcelain and clocks. The men's lounge is filled with billiard tables, cigars, chess and cards, etc.  Small objects, and the female guest's lounge is filled with embroidery from the East, with mysterious colors, grotesque patterns, and extremely precious textures at first glance.  Everything is so novel for the young man. Although the Treville Mansion where he grew up is quite good, it cannot be compared with this temporarily transformed residence.  This is just a place where he plans to live temporarily This Count of Monte Cristo is really rich to a frightening level.  With this inexplicable sigh, Charles walked into the reception room and saw the Count of Monte Cristo again.  Today, the count is still wearing a black jacket and white shirt, which is exquisite but simple. His eyes are wandering, and it is hard to tell what he is thinking.  I don¡¯t know why, but this count left a deep impression on Charles. Every time he met him, Charles would have a strange feeling in his heart.  It¡¯s not disgust, nor fear, but pure doubt, as if the person facing me is really someone from another world.  After seeing Ciel, he made a gesture happily.  "It's a pleasure to see you again, Charles." "Good morning, Count." Charles saluted him respectfully.  "Baron Danglars has made arrangements. I have time in these two days. Will you go there today?" "Why not?" the count replied with a smile, "I would be happy to visit this important man as soon as possible."  After His Majesty the Emperor ordered Charles to help the Count of Monte Cristo live in Paris as happily as possible, Charles certainly did not dare to neglect and served the count wholeheartedly.  Just when he left the Earl's residence last time, the Earl made a request - he hoped to visit a famous banker as soon as possible so that he could get enough cash to meet his expenses in Paris.  At that time, he told Charles that he planned to spend five million a year. Charles initially thought he was exaggerating or joking, but after seeing the renovations he made in the Villa Auteuil mansion, Charles was almost ready.  I believe it - I'm afraid it will cost hundreds of thousands just to renovate this house.  "If the earl had always spent money like this, then millions could really be spent.  Taking advantage of his family's connections, Charles quickly contacted Baron Danglars. When he heard that such a big customer came to his door, the Baron was surprised and had some doubts, so he decided to meet the count in person and weigh it up.  The quality of this big shot who wants to borrow millions.  Of course, the Count of Monte Cristo was very happy with this invitation. He quickly agreed and then asked Charles to take him to the house on a certain day.  Baron Danglars is one of the famous financiers in the empire. He usually has many things to do, so he is naturally very busy. If he wants to meet people, he has to spare some time. Today is a day when he happens to be free, so Charles is going to come and take the count with him.  Go visit together.  While the two people were talking, they walked out of the spacious mansion and came to the front courtyard. At this time, a carriage was already parked there, waiting for the earl to use it.  Under the guidance of the butler, Charles was about to get into the car with the Earl. Suddenly, at this moment, a carriage rushed in front of Charles and stopped.  Charles was shocked to find that the person sitting in the driver's seat was a black man.  This black man is tall, with no hair or beard on his head. His dark skin is shiny and muscular, and he looks like he has endless energy.  After seeing the earl and Charles, the black giant stepped down from the driver's position and came to the earl. He bowed deeply to the earl, his eyes full of respect and reverence.?, this submissive look is just like that of a dog, which is really incompatible with such a big body.  "This is my servant Ali." The Count of Monte Cristo seemed to see Charles' doubts, so he explained to Charles and made a gesture to signal the black man to raise his head, "Or to be precise, he is my slave.  " "Slave?" Charles became more and more confused.  "Yes, I bought him in exchange for my treasures." The count replied coldly, "This guy was caught wandering around the harem of the King of Tunisia. According to the law there, black people are not allowed to go to such a place.  So he was sentenced to have his tongue cut off on the first day, his hand cut off on the second day, and his head on the third day. I had long wanted to hire a mute to wait until his tongue was cut off.  After cutting it off, I went to the king and asked him to sell Ali to me for a beautiful double-barreled spear, because I knew he wanted such a gun very much. He hesitated for a while, because he wanted it very much.  But I also had an English scimitar, which could cut the king's Turkish sword to pieces. When I added this English scimitar to the lance, the king gave in and agreed.  Sparing his hands and head, there is only one condition: he is not allowed to set foot in Tunisia again. ""Poor guy!" After listening to Ali's tragic story, Charles couldn't help but blinked. "  You - you saved him, but you deliberately waited for his tongue to be cut off before saving him? " "Yes, although it seems a bit cruel, at least I saved his life, didn't I?  It's better than losing his life." The count showed no emotion and replied in an unusually cold tone, "I saved his life and then exchanged it for him, so he is my slave now. If I want him to live, he will.  "But I have to remind you, count, that since the Revolution, our country has abolished all forms of slavery. As long as he sets foot on French soil, he will die."  He is no longer your slave." Charles reminded the other party, "Maybe he was a slave in your place, but now he is free - I don't care about this poor man, but I hope you don't publicly promote slaves.  , otherwise it may bring you some trouble, and some people may use this to attack you. " "Oh, I forgot, we are not in Africa, there are laws here," the count said with a pale face.  A slightly mocking and contemptuous smile.  "There are so many people in this country who are deprived of food and clothing, hungry and cold, and the law cannot and does not want to control it. But when someone wants to serve the savior, the law has to step in again. How regrettable this is! Ali is him  He who voluntarily works for me and dedicates everything to me does not need any laws." Perhaps in order to prove something to Charles, the count muttered a few words to the big black man in Arabic that Charles could not understand.  Then Ali knelt down on one knee, raised his head and held the count's man in his arms.  This kind of obedient gesture, this kind of worship from the heart, is enough to prove how fanatically he obeys his master.  In a tall, strong, muscular, and explosive body, there seems to be endless energy. Who can imagine that this body is just a incomplete shell?  Not only the body, but also the spirit.  In this case, Ciel felt that there was no need to say anything.  At this moment, the carriage carriage opened again, and then a woman wearing a green and gold cloak stepped out of the carriage.  Although the light under the cloak was a little dim, Ciel quickly saw clearly that she was a very beautiful beauty.  She is tall, with gray-black hair and eyes, a regular oval face, a straight nose, red lips, and swaying eyes. The Greek-style clothing she is wearing makes her look forward to it.  But it has some oriental mysterious beauty.  Charles quickly woke up after a brief absence. After all, he had stayed in His Majesty the Emperor's court for so long. He had never seen such a beautiful woman. It was purely because her attire was a bit strange that he took a few more glances.  That¡¯s all.  Like the black man just now, as soon as she got out of the car, her eyes were completely focused on the Count of Monte Cristo, as if she had not seen the young man.  "Isn't this also your slave?" Charles asked uncomfortably.  "She is indeed my slave girl." The count replied in a low voice, but the way he looked at her was completely different from when he looked at Ali. "But at the same time, she is also my friend, daughter, and mistress. Her name is Heidi.  , I exchanged my treasure for it with the Ottoman Sultan." It seems that he doesn't want to meet Charles. This man's name is Hai.The woman just nodded to the count, and then stepped up the steps step by step under the escort of the black slave and entered the mansion.  As she passed by, the young man smelled the fragrance remaining in his nose, and for a moment he felt even more strange about the count.  This rich man from a foreign country can talk and laugh with rulers everywhere, has countless money, and has loyal servants by his side. He must have tasted all the enjoyment in the world.  ¡ª¡ªWho the hell is he?  Why has his grandfather never heard of this person before?  Could such a huge amount of wealth really appear out of thin air?  "Okay, let's go." While he was doubting, the Count of Monte Cristo had already stepped onto the carriage that was ready to go.  Soon, the carriage left the town of Auteuil, returned to Paris, and arrived at the mansion of Baron de Danglars.  Like all bankers who have made a fortune, the baron's house was built very grandly, and he spared no effort to decorate his residence. The decoration in the living room is very dazzling, with gorgeous decorations everywhere, and it is as resplendent as  Just like the palace, even the ceiling is plated with gold to show off their wealth - these bankers use other people's money to get rich, so they have to spend money like water like water to show their strong strength and let others have the confidence to make money.  Give them your own money.  They stayed in the drawing room while the servant went to inform them.  Then, not long after, a burst of fast footsteps came from the door, and then a man in formal clothes walked in quickly.  "Are you the recently famous Count of Monte Cristo?" He first nodded to the introducer, Charles, and then looked at Monte Cristo and asked.  This man is wearing a blue coat with blue buttons, a white vest with a thick gold chain hanging on the vest, brown trousers, dark hair, dark and shiny hair, but on his face  The deep wrinkles show that his age and health are not optimistic. In short, although this man is obviously about fifty years old, he wants to make people think that he is not yet forty years old, but his energy is quite high.  Very full of energy, and there is that kind of burning greed in his eyes.  This man¡¯s eyes were sharp, alert and cunning, and even a bit treacherous. His lips were linear and quite thin, so that when they were closed, they were almost completely pressed into his mouth.  In short, his big and protruding cheekbones, his flat forehead, the back of his skull that is bigger than his ears, his big and vulgar ears, plus the sallow skin that may have been stained by gold coins,  It makes this person look extremely vulgar.  As soon as he saw the honor of Baron Danglars, Charles clearly felt that the earl's spirit suddenly became tense, and his originally calm demeanor suddenly became a bit sharp.  Logically speaking, it is normal to be serious when meeting such a big figure who can influence the French financial world. But for some reason, Charles felt that the Earl's attitude was more of ridicule than respect, as if he had discovered something.  Like the hunter of prey.  However, he still said nothing and stood quietly watching the interaction between the Count of Monte Cristo and Baron Danglars.  He could see that the baron's attitude towards the earl was somewhat provocative, perhaps because he was doubting the earl's identity.  "Yes, I am the Count of Monte Cristo." The count nodded coldly to the baron and sat down directly without extending his hand.  "You must be the famous banker and director of the Bank of France, Baron Danglars." Both of them were not too polite. They looked at each other for a moment, but neither one gave in.  Baron Tanglar¡¯s ??lips were tightly closed and his brows were slightly wrinkled. It had been a long time since he had been confronted like this head-on.  "Well, Your Excellency," he bowed and said dryly, "the reason why I am willing to take time to see you today is not only because of Marshal Treville's introduction, but also because I am here  I received a notice from Thomson French Bank in Rome the day before yesterday. "So, you have received the notice?" The Earl nodded slightly, "They finally sent it, I am afraid.  Because of their mistake, I suddenly have no money to spend So, Mr. Danglars, how much money have you prepared? "Of course it is not a problem to prepare money. I have plenty of funds in the bank," the baron said with a dry smile.  With a hint of sinisterness, he said, "But Earl, I need to clarify some small doubts - I invited you here today because I hope you can explain it." "Explanation? What do I need to explain?" The Earl seemed a little surprised, "Don't they?  Is it written clearly? I think this bank should be very serious about its work. How could this happen???Omission?  "No, they write French in a very standardized and fluent way, with clear words, which can be called a model." Danglars shook his head slightly, "But I admit that I didn't understand everything." Having said this, he reached out to touch his shirt.  "Yes, here it is! Well, this letter tells me that you can get unlimited loans in our bank, and they guarantee it for you." "Then tell me, where is the need for such a simple fact?  "Explanation, Your Excellency Baron?" The Count smiled doubtfully, "Isn't this very clear?" "Everything is clear, except that the word 'infinite' is difficult to grasp." The Baron was still smiling.  He smiled, but there was not much warmth in his smile, "We who work in finance have always been very sensitive to amounts, and the word unlimited makes me even more sensitive." "Then are you doubting Thomson French's guarantee ability?  "The count asked, "I always thought they were quite rich!" "No, that's not the case. In my opinion, Thomson French Bank is one of the most reputable banks in Italy," said Danglars.  An almost mocking smile replied, "I'm not talking about their credit or ability to fulfill their debts, but the word 'infinite'. They can't afford the responsibility of being unlimited." "Then you are saying, Tom  You can't provide the financial guarantee that the French Bank dares to provide, can you?" The Earl asked with a sneer, "You admit that you are not strong enough to meet the challenge of this bank, right?" The knight hates hearing from others.  Question your own honor, and what bankers hate most is to hear others question their own funds.  Charles could clearly see that the corners of the Baron's mouth twitched, as if he was about to get angry.  "You are wrong, Your Excellency!" After a moment, the banker, who had suppressed his anger, straightened his body and replied with an arrogant air, "Although I dare not say that I have unlimited money, my  The assets are better than Thomson French Bank, I am sure of this. " "Then what are you afraid of?" The Earl seemed to be helpless and spread his hands.  "Please set a practical limit for your infinity, and then I will see if I should agree to it." Baron Danglars replied coldly, "Sorry, due to the professional needs of this line of work, I must be a  Prudent man, I can't let myself be burdened with unmeasured obligations. Tell me, how much do you plan to withdraw? " "Oh, really," Monte Cristo shook his head, "the reason why I want an 'unlimited' loan.  The guarantee is precisely because I don¡¯t know how much money I have to spend.¡± Although his attitude was polite, it was full of ridicule, almost to the point of being rude, and it was completely pretentious.  The Count of Monte Cristo is just the opposite. He has the most gentle smile in the world. He seems straightforward but has a sinister meaning.  "Yes, you born rich are always like this. You have a lot of wealth, and your only worry is how to spend it You spend money like water but never plan to restrain it. Unlike us, we always have so much investment to do.  "The banker looked at the count and pondered, "Is one million enough?" "What should I use one million for?" The count immediately laughed with disdain, "Sir, if I just want to start from  If you want one million here, I don't need to issue a guarantee for such a trivial amount. I only carry one million in my wallet or jewelry box." Monte Cristo said.  At the same time, he took out a small box containing business cards from his pocket, and took out from the box two coupons with a face value of five hundred thousand francs payable on demand. These were issued from the French treasury.  It was no different from cash. In other words, he really had one million francs with him - hundreds of kilograms of gold.  Even bankers who are accustomed to the world can¡¯t help but raise their heads in shock and stare blankly at the Count of Monte Cristo.  Then, he suddenly turned his gaze and looked at Ciel, who was sitting silently next to him.  He seemed to want to ask, "Is this man crazy?" But all Charles could do was to shrug slightly, indicating that he didn't know who the Earl was.  Neither of them knew whether the count was a madman, but they both knew that a man who could always take out a million francs in his pocket, even if he was a madman, was still a god of wealth.  "The count told me before that he spends about five million a year." "Five million" Baron Danglars was no longer surprised now, but looked thoughtful.  "Can you spend five million a year?" "Isn't that strange?" the count interjected.  "No, it's not surprising, I can spend ten million or more a year." The Baron has alreadyHe came to his senses and looked at the earl calmly, "But I thought only the legendary King Solomon could do it for people who spent five million purely for consumption. I didn't expect to see him alive today." "I hope.  You shouldn't be too surprised." The Count leaned slightly, "If you are not willing to bear this pressure, I have two letters here, the same as the one I wrote to you.  One from the Bank of Escles to the Rothschild family, and another from the Barings Bank in London to the Baron de Beauvin, both of whom are your distinguished colleagues Now, Your Excellency, you have only to say a word, and I will  I will send my loan authorization letters to those two banks so that I can avoid disturbing you any more." "No, count, I accept your challenge." The baron stood up with a stern expression.  , like a swordsman facing a strong opponent, "Five million a year? I can do it without any pressure." "Then, I thank you for your generosity." The Earl also stood up and spoke very politely.  The baron saluted.  ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ After signing the contract, the Count of Monte Cristo left the mansion of Baron de Danglars. He did not return empty-handed, but was already in the hands of this big banker.  Received a loan of five million francs a year.  Five million francs, this number makes even Charles feel dizzy, but for these two people, it doesn't seem to be a big amount.  However, after the count left, the baron still looked serious, as if he had encountered some fatal problem.  "Mr. de Treville, please believe that I am not afraid of a prodigal who can spend five million, but I am still afraid now. Do you know why?" In his living room, he faced  Ciel, who stayed behind, said.  "Why?" Charles was a little confused.  "I work in finance, I love this industry, and I am willing to spend my whole life to love it." The Baron looked ahead coldly, "So I am collecting information about the richest people in Europe all the time.  I have made a detailed investigation report on all the rich people in Europe who have enough wealth. I have a whole archive of their assets, life stories, and even life hobbies. " "I guess there is no such person.  Count?" Charles asked.  "Yes, no" the baron clenched his hands, "I must know what happened."
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