Chapter 67 Minister's Route
March 2, 1867.
St. Petersburg.
Cross, the judgment expert of the Hechingen Consortium, is bargaining with Count Sergei (a fictional character), a close confidant of Tsar Alexander II.
"Your Excellency Earl Sergey, is the news about your country's intention to sell the Alaska region really reliable?"
Cross still cautiously asked Earl Sergey for confirmation. After all, this is a big deal, and it must not be sloppy.
"With my identity and status, I don't have the kind of careful thinking to play with you. In fact, before, some ministers proposed to His Majesty to sell the Alaska region. Some even wanted to get in touch with the US government and let them take over the Alaska territory. "Count Sergey said seriously.
"Now Alaska is already a burden of the empire, and it is also facing the threat of the British, so there is a voice to sell the Alaska region."
Hearing this, Cross knew that the news was almost over, so he asked: "Mr. Sergey, is your country no longer expanding to the Americas?"
Cross's words were very rude, but Sergey, who had already taken the money, didn't care at all.
Explained: "Since the Crimean War, the empire has embarked on the road of reform, reform! That will cost money, and now our focus is on Central Asia, and we currently have no energy to develop the American colonies. In order to manage and develop the Alaska colony, not to mention not being able to make a profit, but also often losing money, and the economic situation of the empire in the past two years has not been good, and some people have long wanted to sell Alaska for cash."
Cross said: "Yes, our Hexingen consortium has the intention to purchase your country's Alaska colony."
"Of course it's okay, but if you want to use me to lead the bridge, it's a lot of hard work...you understand!" Sergey counted money with his fingers.
"Your Excellency Earl Sergey, if you can conclude this deal for us, we will never forget the friendship of our friends." Cross said hastily.
As he spoke, he quietly handed a check for 20,000 rubles to Sergey.
"This is just a meeting ceremony, a small gesture, not a respect!".
Looking at the check in his hand, he counted the amount, and Sergey was quite satisfied.
He asked: "What kind of effect do you want? I can find some friends to help, but the reward can't be low!"
Cross tentatively tentatively said: "Your Excellency Earl Sergey, do you think it is possible to buy Alaska with a few million rubles."
"This is absolutely impossible! You must know that the area of Alaska is more than one million square kilometers. Even rich Americans can't get Alaska without spending millions of dollars." Sergey said firmly .
"What is the psychological expectation of your country?" Cross asked.
Sergey thought for a while, and stretched out a finger.
"Ten million dollars!" Cross suppressed the shock in his heart, the Russians really dared to think.
In the past two years, I heard from Russian fur traders that the fur business in Alaska is not doing well now, so what is the value?
If the company hadn't sent him here to discuss business, Cross didn't want to buy this large snow field in his own mind.
"Your Excellency Earl Sergey, in fact, you and I know very well that although Alaska has a large area, it is actually a piece of snow with little use value. Its value is not worth ten million dollars at all." Cross said to Xie Ergay said.
"And our consortium wants to buy this land, and there is no urgent need, so the price should not be too high."
Sergey asked curiously: "Then why did you buy such a large piece of land with no economic value?"
Sergey also knows that the Alaska colony is now a completely rotten land. Not to mention that there is no output, but it costs the empire a lot of money every year to maintain its sovereignty over Alaska. Now Russia is busy looking for a bad guy to buy Alaska, but At present, only the Hexingen Consortium is actively contacting the empire.
Cross pretended to be helpless and explained to Sergey: "It's just a little idea of the boss himself. He once told us that if something can't be done, don't force it." Cross said calmly.
"Mr. Cross, I don't really understand why someone would buy such a piece of wasteland? Does your boss have any quirks?" Sergey asked curiously.
"I am dissatisfied with you, Mr. Sergey, our boss does have a hobby, this is just our guess!"
Cross said to Sergey mysteriously, "It is said that he also took a piece of land in Africa for colonization, but what about that place in Africa! I believe you also know something about it. Apart from tropical diseases, there are also terrifying natural disasters. In terms of environment, he actually started planting there in a whimsical way, and even recruited immigrants from other places at a loss. To be honest, the local aborigines are the most suitable labor force.
"It doesn't look like something a smart businessman can do." Cross said.
All in all, our boss is a weirdo, and he was taken advantage of. If you miss this village, you won’t have this store. If you don’t cherish us, we won’t serve you.
"Mr. Cross, it's not that I don't want to help your company, but that the price given by your country is really too low, so our country will naturally choose Americans to buy the Alaska region." Sergey and Cross said.
Didn’t you say that when you received the money? Cross groaned in his heart.
However, Ernst had already expected this aspect. If he wanted these Russians to contribute, he had to hang them with profit. Imagine that in his previous life, in order to get the money to sell Alaska, Russia, which has always been greedy, would rely on bribing the United States. It is a bit of a sense of joy that the officials can only get the money back when they come. (There is also a version that Russia did not get any money, but the possibility is small.)
So Ernst chose the route of bribing the Russian minister this time. I can’t offer a better price than the Americans, but can I bribe the Russian minister!
As for whether the United States has the same idea, it should not. After all, Americans have opposed the purchase of Alaska in the majority in history, so they are unlikely to be so active.
So Ernst, Cross and others ordered: "This time when I go to Russia, don't touch the Alaska issue head-on, but complete it by bribing those ministers from the side."
So Cross said: "Your Excellency Earl Sergey, as long as you can persuade your government to sell the Alaska colony to us, we will provide you with a reward of 300,000 rubles, provided that it cannot exceed 15 million rubles. , you can reduce the purchase price by 1 million rubles for us, and we are willing to pay an extra 100,000 rubles each time..."
Sergey's eyes were shining brightly, and a greedy expression overflowed from his eyes involuntarily.
"Your Excellency Cross, if you had stated the conditions earlier, there would be no such trouble, don't worry! Leave the rest to me, and your company must be satisfied."
For Sergey this is no different from picking up money.
(end of this chapter)