It was destined to be a busy day.
Joseph had just seen off the head of the intelligence bureau and glanced at the already dimming evening sky outside the window, ready to go for dinner when Eman came quickly with a bowed body and whispered, "Your Highness, Mr. Styler has returned."
"Styler?" Joseph paused for a moment before remembering, wasn't this the general manager of Lightning Company?
Compared to Mesmer, who always stayed in the shadows using a false identity, Styler was the public contractor for the London gas streetlight project, whose identity had been repeatedly verified by the British.
So, when Lightning Company blew up, he was immediately wanted by the British Government and had to hide in the Balkans all this time.
Over half a year had passed before he dared to return to France quietly to report back.
"Please invite him in," Joseph nodded. Styler was a man of merit; to sabotage the London gas streetlight project, he had even given up his family's business.
Styler followed Eman into the room, removed the low-pressing Phrygian cap from his head, and greeted the Crown Prince with a hand on his chest, "I'm very sorry for disturbing you so late, Your Royal Highness. But there are many British spies in Paris, so I could only leave after nightfall."
Joseph gestured towards the sofa, "Please, have a seat. You have made great contributions to France, Mr. Styler."
Styler quickly said, "Now my name is Dieter, Your Highness."
"You've worked hard," Joseph nodded sympathetically, "I have already suggested to His Majesty the King to award you the title of Baron Meimark. And, the King has agreed."
Styler's eyes widened; he stood up earnestly and bowed deeply, "I truly don't know how to express the gratitude I feel, Your Highness. May Jesus bless you forever."
No wonder he was so excited; this was a legitimate title, far from something that money could buy. His family's status was elevated!
"It's an honor you deserve," Joseph said with a smile, "But you might have to stay abroad for a few more years, and then you can use your original surname and return to Paris."
He was well aware that under the British policy of continental balance, war between England and France was inevitable. Then, who would care about a warrant from the British Government?
Even, the affairs of Lightning Company would become a joke to annoy the British.
Styler stood again and bowed, "Thank you so much, Your Highness. If that's the case, I will return to Greece to do business for a few more years."
He said, showing a smile, "My furniture business there is already starting to scale."
When Joseph heard this, he couldn't help but be intrigued, "You mean, in Greece?"
"Yes, Your Highness," Styler nodded, "I buy synthetic boards from Marseille and then hire Collins craftsmen to shape them into the style of furniture the Anatolians like. It's now being sold all the way to the Levant."
Currently, Greece is the territory of the Ottoman Empire, just across the Aegean Sea from Constantinople.
Joseph said, "I plan to establish a trading company in the Ottoman Empire, and it seems you would be the perfect general manager."
Styler immediately bowed, "I am willing to serve you, Your Highness."
"This is no ordinary company. It will have a lot of the latest steam paddle ships, and you must use them to monopolize Mediterranean trade. Even, extending north to the Black Sea."
Joseph then introduced the steamship to him and continued:
"In addition, you'll be responsible for purchasing large amounts of cotton and sugarcane from places like Syria and Egypt. Oh, the Ottoman Sultan has already promised a 70% priority purchase right for our country for these materials."
Styler had been all smiles when hearing about the steamship, but now he frowned, "Your Highness, if I may be blunt, such a promise may not be very binding."
"Yes, even the Egyptians might not obey the orders of Selim III."
After some thought, Styler nodded, "Your Highness, I will buy as much of the goods you want as possible back to the country."
"Do you have any plans?"
"Well, you know, the usual – wooing, bribing, forming alliances, the usual things behind business."
"Very good," Joseph smiled, "During this process, try to infiltrate Egypt as much as possible, especially keep an eye out for an Ottoman officer named Muhammad Ali.
"Oh, and, there will be a war there before long, so you better prepare in advance."
"Yes, Your Highness, I will not disappoint you."
Before long, the newly appointed general manager of the Eastern Mediterranean Trading Company got up to leave.
Joseph had wanted to invite him to the banquet, but considering that his identity could not be exposed, he could only abandon the idea and escorted him to the gates of the Palace of Versailles.
Styler bowed and backed away, about to turn when suddenly he remembered something and he stopped, saying, "Your Highness, I have always had a question, why did you name the company 'Lightning'?"
Initially, he had proposed several very elegant names, but the Crown Prince had insisted on using the odd word "Lightning."
Joseph smiled, "Because, lightning is slow. I wanted the London gas streetlight project to go as slow as lightning."
"Ah? But isn't lightning supposed to be very fast?"
"No, it's very slow."
"Because lightning is a sloth."[Note1]
In the western part of Poland.
Krakow, Tarnovsk Mountain.
In front of the office building of the Umyan Silver Mining Company, which held 80% of the silver mining rights here, the company's second manager Dupier quickly stepped out the door and boarded a carriage to Chebiny Town nearby.
Half an hour later, in a small building used for resting by steam engine technicians of a silver mine, Dupier shook his head to a middle-aged man dressed as a technician, "Captain Riber…"
*cough* The "technician" stopped him with a stern look, "It's Mr. Ferri."
"Oh, yes, I'm terribly sorry, Mr. Ferri," Dupier apologized quickly, continuing, "As you predicted, the board simply doesn't believe the Austrians will attack here. So, they also refused the proposal to let the miners receive military training twice a week."
Captain Riber, sent by the intelligence bureau to handle the defensive planning of Krakow, frowned and said, "I understand, but don't worry. The action department has already developed a contingency plan for this situation."
Indeed, Joseph had foreseen that the Poles wouldn't foresee the Austrians, so he had also developed a "Catfish Plan" for this eventuality.
"Do you need me to do anything?" Dupier asked.
Captain Riber nodded, "Yes, you're crucial; you might be kidnapped once."
[Note1]"Lightning" refers to a character in the movie "Zootopia"— a slow-moving sloth civil servant.