Extraordinary Voyage Chapter 275: Netherlands Bank Group
Because of the superior livable environment in the "Leiden Valley", there are many large and small cities along the line.
But in addition to the water city of Nisk, which guards the entrance to the sea, and the capital of Salt Lake County, Brandenburg, the most special status is the city of wealth located in the middle reaches of the valley, "Golden Lion City"!
Although it is called the City of Fortune, there are indeed many chambers of commerce and trading companies here, but the main business has little to do with the most prosperous marine business and trade of this era.
It is actually a financial city dominated by big bankers!
Even the governor of the Golden Lion City is served by the chairman of the board of directors of a company called the "Netherlands Banking Group". The garrison in the city also has little to do with the kingdom. They are all elite private troops hired by the Banking Group. .
It can be said that this "Netherlands Bank Group" has become the de facto ruler of this city, and it has received the tacit approval of the master of this country, the Royal Family Taylor!
And what is the origin of the "Netherlands Bank Group"? Why build a country within the kingdom of Tyrol?
Actually.
This is an international financial organization with a long history spanning various countries. Although its headquarters is located in the Tyrolean Kingdom, which ranks among the top three in terms of comprehensive national strength of the Tulip Alliance, its financial business has spread throughout the Old Continent.
Although the functions are still a bit primitive, they are mainly based on currency exchange, purchasing and storage, lending, credit intermediary, and storage of valuables in various countries, but the volume is a well-deserved super giant!
Not only ordinary citizens, businessmen, and dignitaries, but even the rulers of a country may be their debtors.
This is not a joke.
The powers of the rulers of dozens of countries in the Old Continent are large or small, and some have almost reached the level of the home world where the powers of the ancient eastern countries are integrated.
Some of them have been squeezed by various domestic forces on their political and economic rights, leaving only a nominal co-ownership.
But the same thing is that under the enfeoffment system that has lasted for thousands of years, the monarch will never have the supreme right to increase taxes at will, like the Eastern emperor!
Therefore, even the relatively "supreme" King, his Majesty can never be short of money.
The country’s huge expenditures, especially war expenditures, military expenditures, and extremely risky ocean expeditions, are of course inseparable from the presence of large banks.
One come and go, the bank group mainly composed of a large number of big businessmen turned out to be the creditors of the powerful kingdom. It seems that the wealthy and powerful countries have also become debtors of private power!
And among the many debtors of the Dutch Banking Group, two have to be mentioned. The first is the royal family of King Tyro, the owner of this land under his feet. This is also the fundamental reason why the Banking Group can obtain autonomy.
The second one is something that many people can't even imagine, and they don't even dare to think about it. That is the maritime hegemon of this era who suppressed the nations with extremely powerful force-the "Kingdom of Hilius"!
Sit on the strongest invincible fleet of the Great Navigation Era, and firmly control the most abundant colonies of the Southern Continent and the New World with fortresses and naval bases all over the sea.
The most convenient trade route, the most fertile land, and the highest reserves of precious metal mines are everything for Hilius.
To make a comparison, even if it is as strong as the Kingdom of Falitis, it is faintly the country with the strongest comprehensive national power in the "Tulip Alliance", and you can only pick up some soup and fruit belly behind Hilius. .
Such a Big Mac is short of money? !
The answer is very positive: Yes!
The gold, silver, and the dividends of ocean trade in the New World flowed to Hilius like a river, or the pockets of Hilius’ upper-class dignitaries.
However, the overlord of this era of great navigation is not so good to be.
The situation of the Kingdom of Sirius is worthy of the phrase "enemy on all sides"!
The battle for nautical dividends, beliefs, colonies, indigenous expansion in the Old World, and the "Emperor Dream" of successive generations of kings, all these factors add up to make the relationship between Hilius and neighboring countries simply in force. Same as water and fire.
Hilius, who believes in "eternal fire" on the land, fought with the traditional army power Sack Empire who believed in "Dawn and Morning Light", and Heimaar, the desert kingdom who believed in "Bright Starry Night".
At sea and one third of the land is covered with snow and ice all year round. Atlanta, who believes in the "breath of frost", fights against the gradually developing Sark Empire navy, and believes in the "goddess of kingship and navigation." Falettis fights against this new sea power.
One-to-one, he kneels and sings "Conquer" to any opponent who can beat him, but what is the consequence of a group of people beating a group of others...
Hilius must maintain an outrageously large army at all times to deal with all kinds of wars. In recent years, it has reached the frenzied one of 20 draws.
Note that this is the total number of citizens including the elderly, children, women, etc., not the number of youth of the right age.
It can be said that Hilius has been militant, and is engaged in wars all the time.
Even as the country with the largest sea power, it does not even have a large-scale handicraft industry in China, let alone the steam industry that is currently in full swing on the mainland.
From the perspective of industrial development, it has fallen behind others by a whole generation.
However, his ruler obviously didn't care.
In addition, according to the gossip, because the stalls are too large, the gold and silver shipped back to China from the New World each year may not be enough for one-fifth of the military expenditure.
Those gold and silver may only be heated in the treasury of Hilius, and they have become the interest in the pocket of the "Netherlands Bank Group"...
At this time.
Located in the resplendent palace-like city hall, it is also the mainland headquarters of the "Netherlands Bank Group".
In the largest meeting room.
A huge long conference table made of a whole red hemlock is placed in the middle of the conference room.
If you take such a red hemlock with the best core material, it is enough to be processed into the "drug" of a first-class battleship, but here it is just made into an ordinary table.
Just looking at this table, a scent of money came to my face.
At this time, around this long table, sixteen directors of the banking consortium or their agents have all been gathered.
Among them are handsome middle-aged aristocrats, big-bellied businessmen, elegant ladies, wise old people, and fledgling young people... But regardless of age or appearance, the expressions on their faces All are consistent.
Look at all beings! Who is it for me!
Of course they have reason to be arrogant.
Because the gem buttons on their sleeves are worth a house; because of the signature of the mainland dignitaries in their hands; because they hold the economic lifeline of more than one country; because they decide in a word The future of countless people...
They may not be nobles, but they are better than nobles. Not necessarily a king, but really better than some kings!
Crack——
The mahogany carved wooden door inlaid with gold was gently closed by the guard.
Slap! Snapped!
Sitting on the high-back chair of the main seat, a gray-haired but vigorous old man patted his palms gently, attracting all the attention.
"Sir and ladies, I must have heard about the current situation of the Leiden Valley from various sources.
The topic of the plenary meeting of the board of directors this time is very simple, that is, how our ‘Netherlands Banking Group’ should respond in the next storm.
Does anyone want to share their opinion? "
The first on the right side of the long table, a director who wears a snow-white silk shirt and black formal jacket, and a big belly took the lead to speak:
"Mr. Chairman! With all due respect, we have the tightest underground vault and the most robust security in the league.
Even a third-tier knight, Mr. Grace, and two powerful formal wizards sit here all year round!
There is no need for us to get involved in the dispute between the Kingdom of Tyrol or the Tulip and the pirate king.
After all, they are all customers of the bank group, aren’t they? "
The wealth is moving, and a large number of golden lions smashed past, even the unattainable steel-bone knights and mysterious and dangerous wizards in the eyes of others have to bend over to them.
Actually, there is far more than one Tier 3 combat force in the "Netherlands Bank Group".
Beside him, another young man who was so pale that he could see the blue blood vessels clearly also echoed:
"Yes, Mr. Huggins is a very generous client. One of the'ocean treasures' he entrusted to us a year ago is still on the second floor of the underground vault.
I still remember that after paying three times the storage fee, this powerful third-order transcendent only wanted to take a look outside the gate of the underground vault.
After I gave him a brief introduction, he was also full of praise for our security measures. He said bluntly that Tier 4 titles may not be able to be broken in a short time. "
As a young man representing his elderly father’s first business after joining the banking group, he was really impressed by the Pirate King.
The old man presiding over the meeting slightly nodded and looked around everyone in the meeting:
"Anyone else wants to speak besides Mr. Swift and Mr. Durangel Jr.?"
The third director on the left, the graceful lady in a burgundy dress, gently shook the peacock feather fan:
"Mr. Chairman, in fact, many of the distinguished gentlemen present here have business dealings with the Pirate King. Even the "Elberta" Chamber of Commerce, which is only doing serious business, has also done slave trade with him in the Wind Strait.
I don’t think this pirate king would be so unwise to let down so many people’s friendship with him! "
Seeing that most of the others in this room are gently nodding and agreeing~IndoMTL.com~The old man himself doesn't think there will be any problems, so he concluded:
"Then I will now announce the final resolution of the board of directors. We will not interfere with the dispute between the Pirate King and Tulip.
But the kingdom’s face is still to be given, allowing Tulip’s mobile troops to be stationed in Golden Lion City.
By the way, please inform the Bishop Jasper of the Golden Dome Cathedral and join us in the defense during this period of time.
Before this matter is over, it is strictly forbidden for our private soldiers to leave the city and intervene in the conflicts of others.
That's it. "
The daily management of the "Netherlands Banking Group" is the responsibility of a four-member committee elected by the board of directors. The chairman of the four-member committee also serves as the governor of the "Golden Lion City".
The words of Mr. Joel Theodore, an old man with military, political, and financial power, are the final word!
It also determines the general tone of the defense policy of Golden Lion City for a period of time in the future.