The Fox of France

Chapter 444: Profiting through Intermediaries

Early the next morning, the American envoy Andy Fred arrived at the "White Castle" manor, seeking an audience with Louis Bonaparte, the so-called invisible governor of Louisiana and chairman of the Louisiana Development Bank.

His carriage wound its way up the mountainous road before arriving at the estate's entrance. There, Andy Fred alighted from the carriage, walked to the entrance, and handed his business card to the gatekeeper. Shortly after, the gates opened, and a person dressed in a servant's attire indicated to Andy Fred that Mr. Bonaparte was awaiting him in the drawing room.

Andy Fred followed the servant into the manor, through a garden with a fountain, across a hall with marble floors, and then upstairs to a small sitting room on the second floor. A young man was waiting for him there.

"Good day, please take a seat. I am Louis Bonaparte, the chairman of the Louisiana Development Bank. I've heard you have some business to discuss with me," Louis said, knowing that Americans, or people from the New World, prefer to get straight to the point.

"That's correct. As you know, we've recently gone to war with Britain, who is also an enemy of your nation," Andy Fred began.

"No, Mr. Fred, you seem to be mistaken about a few things," Louis interjected, waving his finger to stop him, "Firstly, you may have misunderstood my position. I am the chairman of the Louisiana Development Bank, a businessman concerned solely with the growth of corporate wealth. That's my area of interest. While some might suggest my involvement in politics due to my brother, that is often incorrect. If there seems to be any political interference by me, it's likely a confusion between making money and politics.

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Moreover, even from a political standpoint, your statement has issues. First off, we do not consider Britain our enemy. France and Britain are currently at peace. Indeed, there have been some unpleasantness due to trade issues recently, but disputes among merchants are common between any two nations. If, and I say if, the British change their stance on trade issues tomorrow, acknowledging and respecting the principles of free trade and open ports, then we are undoubtedly friendly neighbors. Thus, you cannot view us as enemies of the British.

Of course, we are also undoubtedly friendly neighbors to the United States. So, we are willing to achieve a win-win situation through free trade. If you're here about trade, you've come to the right person. But if it's for any other purpose, perhaps you've mistaken your visit."

"Ah, Mr. Bonaparte, I indeed came to discuss trade issues," Andy Fred quickly said, "As you know, our country has been brutally invaded by the British. We need to purchase weapons, and we need to lease two cruisers from the Louisiana squadron."

"We have already had successful cooperation between our nations," Andy Fred said, referring to the U.S. government's lease of the "Free Trade" and "Common Market."

"It's different," Louis shook his head, "During that lease, your country and Britain were at peace, so leasing those ships to your country was fully in line with trade and wartime principles. But now, your country and Britain are at war. While regular arms trade, especially civilian arms, is one thing - given the long border between Louisiana and your country, smuggling and such activities are inevitable. So, a large-scale influx of French-made civilian weapons into your country wouldn't be too impactful.

But cruisers are a different matter. They can't be smuggled, and France can't lease ships to a nation at war. That would violate France's principle of maintaining peace. At least, we cannot directly lease cruisers to you," Louis explained, emphasizing "directly" for clarity.

The American's understanding wasn't an issue; they grasped the simple message.

"Mr. Bonaparte, does this mean, if intermediaries could be involved, such an agreement might be feasible?" Andy Fred quickly asked.

"I believe that's a viable solution," Louis replied, "At least, legally, there wouldn't be an issue."

"Thank you for your guidance," Andy Fred sincerely said, "Additionally, Mr. Bonaparte, who do you think would be a convenient intermediary?"

Andy Fred's question wasn't because the Americans couldn't find a suitable intermediary. It was clear there were opportunities for legal commission and profit in this process. Such benefits should naturally go to Louis, or rather, the Louisiana Development Bank. If one didn't understand this basic principle, the business deal was doomed.

"Ah, I think Saint-Domingue would be a good choice, don't you?" Louis answered.

Just a year ago, Saint-Domingue had achieved independence, officially becoming a "protectorate" of France, with Governor General Dussan Lucid

ur becoming the lifetime consul.

Although "independent," Saint-Domingue was still part of France's economic sphere and under French "protection," similar to how Bhutan is "protected" by India in modern times. Proposing the lease of cruisers from the mother country, which France would promptly agree to, posed no problem. After acquiring the French cruisers, Saint-Domingue's immediate sublease to the Americans would appear as a loophole exploited by a nation unfamiliar with international norms. After all, a bit of maneuvering by a black nation wasn't out of the ordinary, was it?

Of course, the process would involve "middlemen making a profit," but without such incentives, who would engage in this endeavor?

After agreeing on the principle matters, the rest was detail, not requiring high-level discussions like those with Louis. After a brief further conversation, Andy Fred took his leave.