Became a Hidden Magnate of The British Empire - Chapter 443

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A few months after the establishment of the independent Congo State.

A research institute under the James Group introduced the first inflatable rubber tire.

These rubber tires immediately began to be applied to wheeled transportation and brought about a tremendous revolution.

In particular, when new bicycles with crank chains and pneumatic rubber tires were combined, the popularity of bicycles began to soar tremendously.

Cars haven’t come out yet, and carriages are so expensive that people can’t afford to ride them.

Of course, the subway has started to be built, but London is the only place in the world where the subway runs.

Even within the British Empire, the only means of transportation to other cities were carriages and trains, so the development of the bicycle was a groundbreaking transportation revolution.

Although it was only a few months’ salary for the workers, it was a fully accessible price, unlike a horse-drawn carriage.

In addition, since bicycles using rubber tires and crank chains were released much faster than the original, the relative experience will be much greater.

In fact, rubber tires were used on bicycle wheels before.

However, it was made of real rubber with no air injected, so the cushioning effect was not as good as expected, and there were problems with price and durability.

However, the spread of rubber tires had a direct and indirect impact on urban infrastructure, and even led to greater changes than expected, including the enactment of related traffic laws.

It began to sell like hot cakes not only in Great Britain, but also in Europe and America, and began to influence not just bicycles but almost all industries that use wheels.

Here, I deliberately encouraged the media to arouse the possibility of this rubber.

[Black gold? Explosive increase in rubber demand! Stocks of companies are also rising all at once!]

[Not just tires! Amazing insulating properties of rubber! Demand is predicted to increase more than 20 times within 3 years]

[Rubber production has reached its limit, urgent need to develop new rubber production areas]

As these articles spread simultaneously in the United States of Canada and the British Empire, it was natural for other countries to pay attention to the potential of rubber.

In fact, rubber tires are now installed on all wheels in the world, and the development of the electric industry is already becoming a reality rather than a planned one.

In addition, as early automobiles received a lot of attention, a frenzy broke out with astute investors buying stocks of companies related to rubber production.

After all, no matter what era it is, money is what arouses people’s interest.

At this rate, I think it’s safe to say that the plan was a complete success.

And the fact that the plan was successful means that an environment was created in which King Leopold II had no choice but to roll around in pain.

I decided to wait patiently for him to contact me.

* * *

[Will black gold truly become gold? Rubber prices rise every day!]

Every day, every time he read a newspaper article published in a fuss-free manner, King Leopold II suppressed and suppressed his rising anger and sighed.

“What a piece of shit… this is what happens? why?”

“your majesty. “Is there anything that bothers you?”

“Ah…no, it’s not a big deal.”

Then, of course, I wanted to scream to make me feel better and not get angry, but the people around me didn’t know my real purpose.

Saying that you are annoyed that the price of rubber has risen so much doesn’t mean that you are a small person who is blinded by money.

“You have shown great interest in rubber these days.”

“Isn’t that so? There’s been a lot of talk going around lately that this is going to be a huge amount of money. There are many people who are worried because demand is increasing but supply is not keeping up with it, right?”

“yes.”

“Hmm… but… Hey, you know what? The independent state of the Congo has so many rubber trees that it is said that half of its territory is made up of rubber trees. Of course you understand, right? “Because you are the one who organized that information.”

Stanley quietly nodded at what King Leopold II said.

“yes. Congo can truly be said to be a producer of rubber.”

“If we produce and export rubber there, we can make a huge amount of money, right?”

“Of course I think so. But aren’t many of the rights to rubber in the Congo held by the British Empire?”

“Yeah, that’s the problem. But still, God hasn’t completely abandoned me.”

Leopold II clicked his tongue and looked at the agreement he had shared with Killian.

It’s a shame that they included this clause at the end. If it weren’t for it, I might have passed out and vomited blood from so much injustice.

Who would have imagined that rubber, which was thought to be an ordinary commodity, would become such a huge product.

Looking back now, it seems absurd that we were only thinking of leaving behind the goose that laid these golden eggs and selling it for ivory or copper.

If I had known that rubber was such a promising product, I would have done whatever it took to reject Killian’s offer.

“Damn, but I guess I should consider it a blessing among misfortunes, right? “Because we can buy back the rights… If we buy this, the Congolese association will be able to completely monopolize the rights to rubber production in Congo.”

“But would His Majesty Killian want to sell? “Nobody with a brain today would know that rubber is worth a lot of money.”

“I signed a contract, so I have to sell it. “Isn’t it stated here that it will be sold at a reasonable price?”

“As expected, you are retired. You are truly thorough. How in the world did you get the idea to consider this possibility and insert an exception clause…”

Although Stanley responded with genuine admiration, King Leopold II could not help but smile.

Strictly speaking, this was not a clause he had included, but rather an insurance policy that Killian had provided to reassure King Leopold II.

Still, in the end, should I consider it a good thing because it is a good thing?

‘That person, Killian, must regret it immensely. Even if he hadn’t been so kind to me as a big man, I would have been able to monopolize a huge amount of profit.’

Imagining Killian’s joy as the demand for rubber continues to rise, I still feel a little relief from the bitterness in my stomach.

It’s painful to know that you have to pay money to own the rights that you originally had, but how angry must it be for the person who has to sell them?

“good. The longer it takes, the more expensive it may be, so we need to get the rights back as quickly as possible. “Stanley, go tell your valet that I need to see the Foreign Secretary urgently.”

“Are you going to send the Minister to London?”

“no. This is strictly my personal business, so I have to go even if it’s inconvenient. Besides, it wouldn’t be good if the details of the contract with Killian became known to the council.”

If they say there is something to discuss about the investment money deposited in the independent state of the Congo, they can do something about it.

It is unusual for the king of a country to visit the same country in such a short period of time, but this is a problem that needs to be resolved as quickly as possible.

There was no way a thorough-minded person like Killian would overlook the development potential of the rubber industry, so we had to make a schedule as quickly as possible.

I was wondering what would happen if that person turned around now, but fortunately, Killian wasn’t that stupid.

As Leopold II wished, the meeting was decided at the earliest possible time, just 15 days later, and Leopold II crossed the Strait of Dover again.

The great greed that moves the world has finally reached London again.

* * *

“What do you mean?”

“I mean it literally, Your Majesty.”

King Leopold II looked at me with an expression of resentment on his face, but I blinked my eyes without moving anything.

“Surely your Majesty didn’t make a pact with me? “It’s exactly what it says in the contract here.”

“Sure. I am not denying the contents of the contract. By the way, has Your Majesty decided to produce rubber in the Congo?”

“of course. Previously, it was said that there would be overproduction, but now it is different. “Isn’t it a natural choice to try to find a new supplier in a market that is clearly experiencing excessive demand?”

“Yes, I think that’s natural too.”

“If rubber production brings in huge profits, Congo’s indigenous people will also be able to enjoy these benefits together. “Everyone will shed tears of joy as they taste the benefits of civilization that we enjoy.”

You will cry tears of sadness because your wrists and arms are cut off, you human being.

Your skill at spouting off things that you don’t really want to say is superb.

“But then, wouldn’t it be okay to go into rubber production first and then negotiate with me slowly? “I had no idea this was so urgent that you had to come to London so quickly.”

“Oh, that’s it…”

Of course you can guess why.

If I was in a situation where I was on one leg, it would be difficult to treat the natives like slaves, so I would have definitely tried to monopolize all authority for myself.

If he had his way and I found out about the contract between King Leopold II and the people of Congo, it would be a big problem.

“···So, the actual rubber production is planned to be done through the Congolese association. However, I thought that if the rights were divided, things could get complicated in various ways, including legal issues and communication issues, so I tried to deal with this first.”

“okay. I also understand Your Majesty’s difficulties. Since I also signed a contract, I should naturally transfer my authority to Your Majesty, right? “I have to sell the authority quickly so that His Majesty can proceed with the business quickly and the Congolese people will also benefit.”

“Thank you for your understanding.”

“Then let’s see… If you say the right price is about 5 million pounds, would that be enough?”

King Leopold II’s face, which had been smiling, suddenly hardened.

“Ah…500,000 pounds?”

“No, no. £500,000 doesn’t make sense. “I think 5 million pounds is cheap.”

“Ah, no, how on earth do you calculate that 5 million pounds is cheap!”

He raised his voice and belatedly realized that he had made a mistake, cleared his throat and lowered his head.

“sorry. You’re so excited. But 5 million pounds is a really ridiculous price.”

“Is that so? “I think I made a cool-headed calculation.”

In today’s world, one pound is worth approximately $5. And by my modern standards, almost five million pounds is almost trillions of dollars.

Considering the difference in overall economic size between the current era and modern times, wouldn’t it actually be necessary to multiply this by more than 10 times to roughly achieve balance?

So, no matter how much he is the king of a country, he cannot help but roll his eyes.

“Please tell me the basis for that calculation.”

“It’s simple. The rubber industry will continue to grow in the future, and if this trend continues, it will easily generate profits of tens of millions of pounds, assuming it lasts for about 30 years. So 5 million pounds is cheap. In fact, I think it’s okay to ask for 10 million pounds.”

“…There is no guarantee that the industry will continue to grow, is there?”

“It can’t be. As your Majesty may have heard, interesting things called automobiles have been on the market recently. I think this will eventually grow to the point where it completely replaces horse-drawn carriages. “At that time, the demand for this rubber will rise even further, right?”

Leopold II could not refute anything and kept his mouth shut.

“5 million…5 million pounds….”

Leopold II wiped his sweat with a handkerchief and continued to think about whether he could raise this money.

In fact, he could have raised 10 million pounds, but he did not do so because he believed that Leopold II would not be able to raise that much money.

Even if you are trying to erase a debt, you must realistically present an amount that you believe the other party can repay.

Five million pounds is a lot of money, but if the money is siphoned from the Congo, it will take less than 10 years to repay it all and turn into a surplus.

“You’re not going to tell me to pay 5 million pounds in one lump sum, are you?”

“of course. How could I possibly have such a lack of conscience? “It doesn’t matter if you divide the payment over 20 years.”

“Then I will do it.”

A simple calculation means that in 20 years, you only need to pay 250,000 pounds per year. Although that was a ridiculously large amount, it was not at a level that could not be afforded.

Leopold II smiled awkwardly and quickly signed the contract, afraid that I might say something else.

I haven’t finished explaining this yet. Why are you in such a hurry? Why wait a little more calmly?

I chuckled, picked up a pen, and signed my name next to King Leopold II’s name.

The Congo natives were fooled because they couldn’t read, but those people, who can clearly read, have stepped into the gateway to hell.

Well, what can you do anyway?

If the Congo natives suffered because they were ignorant, they suffered for the same reason, so I hope they don’t feel too unfair about it.