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Volume One Chapter 512 Infinite and Limited

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    Zhou Liwen took a look and continued walking forward. He couldn't help but stop after taking a few steps.  He turned back to the study and hesitated for a moment, then turned around and walked over. "Mr. Earl." At the half-open door of the study, Zhou Liwen knocked lightly on the door a few times. Seeing that Earl Herbert didn't seem to hear him, he couldn't help but shout  Twice.  ??Slowly turning around, he saw it was Zhou Liwen. Earl Herbert was slightly startled at first, and then asked Zhou Liwen what was wrong with his eyes.  "Are you okay?" Zhou Liwen took a few steps into the study and asked softly: "Where is Mr. Hans? Why isn't he here?" Looking around, in his impression, if Earl Herbert was in ancient times,  When it comes to the castle, Old Hans is usually by his side. This is why he felt strange when he saw Old Hans but not Earl Herbert yesterday and asked about it.  Now, Earl Herbert's condition is obviously abnormal. Where has old Hans, the old butler and friend, gone?  "Sir" At this moment, Old Hans' voice suddenly appeared at the door. When he looked up, wasn't the man standing outside the study none other than Old Hans?  But the strange thing is that the old Hans's hands are not empty, nor is he carrying the tea tray with his white-gloved hands as usual. In his hand, there is an exquisite wooden box, which looks very old, although it is a little far away.  , but Zhou Liwen could still clearly see that the pattern engraved on it was a general on horseback fighting. "Give me the thing." Earl Herbert said in a hoarse voice.  Old Hans walked into the study, but he looked at Zhou Liwen first. Zhou Liwen understood what the other party meant and knew that he was not suitable to appear here. They had something to talk about, so he hurriedly said goodbye and left quickly.  After leaving the study and coming to the hall, Zhou Liwen had no idea of ??going for a walk for a while.  He found a chair and sat down, picked up the book he had put aside and flipped through it at will. However, he flipped through it for a long time but didn't read a single word. He was still thinking about Earl Herbert's unusual demeanor just now and the antique.  wooden box.  In fact, this is just curiosity. Everyone is curious. Although Zhou Liwen would not ask the other party's privacy directly, he could not hide his curiosity, and even secretly guessed what happened.  ?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????¡­  "Mr. Zhou, the earl would like to invite you to sit in the study. I don't know if it is convenient for you." Old Hans said to Zhou Liwen apologetically.  "The Earl invites me to the study?" This sentence rang in Zhou Liwen's heart. Zhou Liwen didn't know why Earl Herbert suddenly invited him to the study.  However, if the host invites you, the etiquette you should have as a guest is a must.  Zhou Liwen nodded slightly and asked politely, "Will you please not disturb me?"  After waiting for a definite reply, he readily accepted the invitation.  Coming to the study from the hall again, Earl Herbert was still sitting on the chair in front of him, and the antique wooden box was placed on the table not far from his hand.  "Mr. Zhou" Seeing Zhou Liwen's arrival, Earl Herbert stood up slightly and made a greeting gesture. Of course, Zhou Liwen would not wait for the old man to stand up, and quickly stepped forward to stop him.  After greeting him, he sat down on the empty chair next to him.  "Or black coffee?" "Black coffee" Earl Herbert smiled and nodded slightly to Old Hans beside him. Old Hans turned around and left the study. Not long after, he came in with two cups of black coffee.  After putting down the black coffee, Old Hans exited the study room and closed the door to the study room.  After Old Hans left, Earl Herbert first picked up the coffee and took a sip, then put down the coffee in his hand and looked at Zhou Liwen.  "Mr. Zhou, you are a world-famous rich man. It is an honor for the Schiller family to come to Europe for vacation and stay at my castle. If there is any lack of hospitality, please forgive me, Mr. Zhou." "You're welcome, Earl.  , I am very happy here, and your family¡¯s castle gives me an unprecedented sense of history. Living in this place, I can feel the glorious history of the Schiller family for hundreds of years, you and your ancestors.  They are all very remarkable people." Zhou Liwen smiled modestly and replied sincerely.  "Thank you for your compliment. I am very honored to receive your praise." A smile appeared on Earl Herbert's face. A traditional and stubborn old man like him attaches great importance to the glory of his family. Zhou Liwen's words are simply  It got to his heart.  After talking about some family history, Earl Herbert also told Zhou Liwen about the construction of this castle.  During World War II, this castle was almost destroyed by the war. Thanks to the protection of his grandfather, the old count, the castle has survived to this day.  These topics lasted nearly half an hour. Although Zhou Liwen listened with a smile, he felt a little puzzled in his heart.  Could it be that Earl Herbert invited me here to find him?Isn¡¯t it okay for you to talk about these past events?  But Zhou Liwen didn¡¯t have to wait long, and the final answer was soon revealed.  "It seems that Mr. Zhou likes this place very much?" Earl Herbert asked tentatively.  "Yes, I like it very much. In fact, I have always liked things with history. You know, I am Chinese. China is an ancient country with a history of five thousand years. We should look at and feel history with awe.  Get close to them." Zhou Liwen did not hide his preference for this old castle. Moreover, as he said, although Zhou Liwen did not collect antiques, he had a strong preference for old houses with historical value.  This is the case in Shanghai, and it is also the case in France. Even the manor he purchased in the United States is quite old.  Earl Herbert smiled and nodded, and then said something that surprised Zhou Liwen.  "Mr. Zhou, if I plan to sell it, do you have any intention to buy it?" "Sell it?" Zhou Liwen was stunned for a moment. After reacting, he looked at Count Herbert in stunned silence, and then asked after a while: "  Earl, did I hear you correctly? You said you want to sell this castle?" "That's right." Earl Herbert nodded in confirmation. He looked around with sad eyes and sighed: "I'm here.  I was born here, grew up here, experienced my childhood, boyhood and youth, and then grew old here. Before, I always thought that I would die here like my grandfather, maybe one sunny afternoon.  , sitting on the rocking chair in the room, just sleeping forever But I was wrong. I didn't realize until today that I was wrong. This wish can no longer be realized "Speaking of this, Earl Herbert.  With sparkling green eyes, he slowly shook his head, and then showed a determined expression: "Mr. Zhou, you are a world-famous rich man, money should not be a problem to you. The value of this castle is  4.36 million euros, of course including the land around the castle. If you are willing to buy it, I can sell it to you for 41 million euros and give you the furniture in the castle as a thank you. I only have one condition,  That means the funds must be received within a month. Do you accept it?" Zhou Liwen was speechless for a moment. He never thought that Earl Herbert would sell the castle.  Although they didn't get along for long, he was very clear about Count Herbert's feelings for this castle. Rather than saying that this castle was owned by him, it was better to say that it was the history and testimony of the Schiller family. Likewise,  It is also where his faith and spiritual sustenance lie in this life.  It is very strange to sell such an item. Unless Earl Herbert encounters unsolvable troubles, he would do so. Thinking of what Old Hans said to him yesterday, Zhou Living suddenly fell silent.  After a long time, he began to say to Count Herbert: "Count, I do not deny my love for this castle, and the price you offered is also very sincere, let alone 41 million euros. Such a castle with a long history  If you meet someone who likes such a perfectly preserved castle with history and culture, even 660,000 euros is not an exaggeration. " "Haha, those who can afford it may not be the best owner or suitable thing for it.  It must be owned by the right person. Do you think Arab tycoons and Russian oil tycoons who don't take money seriously are qualified to live in my castle? Mr. Zhou, 41 million?  Euro, if you agree, this place will belong to you." Earl Herbert said word for word. It seemed that he had indeed encountered a problem, but the pride of the nobles made him choose this painful decision.  Zhou Liwen, maybe this is Zhou Liwen's luck.  "If you really want to sell, I certainly won't refuse." Zhou Liwen replied. Earl Herbert looked happy for a moment, but Zhou Liwen continued: "However, I also have a condition." "Please tell me.  " Zhou Liwen said: "Before buying it, I want to ask you a question, that is why you made such a decision. As a member of an ancient family with traditional pride, Earl, I respect your choice, but I hope you will do the same.  Can you tell me the truth, have you encountered difficulties?" Earl Herbert did not answer immediately, but looked at Zhou Liwen who was looking at him, as if he was looking for something in the other person's expression.  After a while, he nodded slightly and said calmly: "You are right, I, or the Schiller family, have encountered difficulties, so I must sell it." "Is it a matter of money?" Earl Herbert  After hesitating for a moment, he finally nodded.  "Maybe I'm a little presumptuous, but I still want to ask what happened?" Zhou Liwen asked with concern.  "Mr. Zhou, this has nothing to do with you." Earl Herbert seemed not to want to mention this matter, and his tone became a little stiff.  Zhou Liwen smiled and said: "Earl, there is a proverb in China, which is that a gentleman does not take away what others like. This sentence means that a person with high moral standards will not take away what others like.You will never take away what the other person likes from their hands.  Although I cannot be called a gentleman, I have always believed that I am not a person without a moral bottom line.  I have said that I like your castle very much, and spending 41 million euros is not a big deal in terms of my wealth. However, as a former guest, or a friend who has known me recently, no matter whether I will own this place in the future,  But I still want to figure out what's going on.  Otherwise, even if I get it, I won't really own it.  ¡± The last words Zhou Liwen said seemed to be contradictory, but Earl Herbert understood the meaning. Zhou Liwen told him that if he didn¡¯t understand the truth, it would be a knot in his mind.  Zhou Liwen, a master for a generation, still cannot mentally own the castle. ¡°You are a gentleman.  "Earl Herbert said that the word gentleman is spoken in Chinese. Although the pronunciation is very strange, it is still standard. Count Herbert cannot refuse Zhou Liwen's request, not to mention that this matter cannot be hidden for long, even if  If he didn't say anything today, it would be easy for him to investigate as Zhou Liwen. Thinking of this, Earl Herbert sighed and finally told the truth. It turned out that Earl Herbert was already facing bankruptcy.  Yesterday morning he received news that an insurance company he owned had suffered a huge loss, and this loss was enough to put the Schiller family in crisis. This insurance company has a history of a hundred years in Germany and even Europe.  He has quite a reputation. This business was inherited from his grandfather's father, his great-grandfather. After so many years of operation, the Schiller family is responsible for the management as the major shareholder, and its chairman is Count Herbert.  The eldest son. The insurance company has been operating for so many years. Although its scale is not very large, it is considered a good one in the world¡¯s insurance industry due to its good reputation and good reputation. It can also bring a good financial return to the Schiller family every year.  . But there is a problem, that is, the nature of this insurance company is different from that of today¡¯s companies. In Europe a hundred years ago, many companies did not exist as limited liability companies. Some ancient companies and enterprises, in order to reflect its strength and operators  They often exist as unlimited liability companies. This is also a special feature of some old companies in Europe. There are many such unlimited liability companies throughout Europe, and most of them have been around for hundreds of years and have a long history and reputation.  Companies in good operating condition, and most of these companies are related to the banking and insurance industries. Earl Herbert's Insurance Company falls into this category. Although there is only one word difference between a limited liability company and an unlimited liability company, the company's  The nature is completely different. Apart from the differences in some terms, the biggest difference is in the words limited liability and unlimited liability. If a company is not managed well and causes huge losses, if it is a limited liability company, then it is at most a company.  As a result of bankruptcy, the operator or share owner only loses all the investment in the company, and has no involvement in other personal property. But the unlimited liability company is different. In this case, since the liability is  Unlimited, that is to say, no matter how much the company loses, the operator or stock owner will not only lose everything in the company, but also pay compensation with all the assets under their name to make up for these losses, and it will not end until all losses are paid.  As an unlimited liability company, Earl Herbert's insurance company would have to extend its unlimited liability to all the property of the Schiller family in the event of a huge business loss. Like this time, because only a huge amount of insurance was issued.  The problem caused the insurance company to pay a huge amount of insurance money to its customers. According to the current situation of the insurance company, it was simply unable to pay so much money. In desperation, in order to save the insurance company, Earl Herbert could only use  The castle was sold as a means of raising funds to tide over the difficulties.  "Is there no other way?" Zhou Liwen did not expect that such a company actually existed in Europe. Although as a businessman, he knew that there was such a thing as an unlimited liability company, but knowing that it was one thing to register such a company  It's another thing, at least Zhou Liwen wouldn't be like this.  But who would have thought that the insurance company under Earl Herbert's name is actually an unlimited liability company, and since it is an insurance company, it is natural to pay insurance after an accident occurs, but this time the amount is too large, Earl Herbert took  Just don¡¯t pay this amount.  Earl Herbert shook his head slowly and pointed to the antique wooden box placed aside: "In order to maintain this castle, the Schiller family has not saved much over the years. Here are the documents of the castle. Now  Under such circumstances, the problem can only be solved by selling it. "How much was the total loss?" Zhou Liwen asked.  "-260,000 euros." Earl Herbert smiled bitterly, and then explained that of course it is impossible for his family to pay all this money. According to the regulations of an unlimited liability company, it is divided among the shareholders according to the proportion of their shares.  Although the Schiller family is the operator and the major shareholder, according to the apportionment results, apart from the 100.86 million euros that the company can pay, HeEarl Matt also shared 4.56 million euros, and the remaining portion was borne by other shareholders.  The castle was sold for 41 million euros, plus some pieces were pieced together from other places, and the 4.56 million euros was barely enough.  But in this case, the Schiller family will definitely fall into ruin, and it is even possible that it will decline from a European aristocratic family to an ordinary family.  Zhou Liwen was also shocked when he heard the amount mentioned by Earl Herbert - 260,000 euros. According to the current exchange rate, it was close to 400 million US dollars. He did not expect that Earl Herbert's insurance company could actually take it.  With such a large insurance business, are you worried about problems when you first take the order?  After asking, Earl Herbert looked at Zhou Liwen with a strange look, and then told him that this insurance policy was actually related to Zhou Liwen's motherland, which was China.  In fact, the reason why their insurance company accepted this order was because the insurance was for China's satellite launch, but unfortunately, the satellite launch failed.  What¡¯s even more depressing is that this insurance was not purchased directly from the Chinese government, but through a Chinese insurance company. In other words, the other party passed all the responsibility to Earl Herbert¡¯s insurance company.  If nothing happens to him, there will be no problem. If something happens, everyone will lose nothing except them.  (I¡¯m going out today, so I¡¯m sending you a big chapter, asking for votes and recommendations!)
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