After more than two years, Claude finally returned to Lanhu City. But when it was dark not far from the city, Lieutenant Colonel Mason Hughes came up and asked Claude which home he wanted to return to. Claude thought for a while and decided to go to the Covenbelen Manor in the western suburbs first, which was his and Sheila's love nest. Sheila's real name is Sirilati Covenbelen. When Claude built this manor, he named it after Sheila's surname, which also meant that the manor was Sheila's private property.
In the first half of last year, he entrusted Sheila to escort the property collected in the Kingdom of Nasseri back to the overseas autonomous territories. After that, Sheila did not return to the Farea continent, but stayed in the manor to study the magic books collected by the royal family obtained from the Nasseri royal family. and scrolls. She was more casual and followed Claude to the eastern region of Farea for nearly a year. She wanted to return to her manor, so Claude had to let her return to the overseas autonomous territory in the name of escorting property.
After arriving at the manor, Sheila was pleasantly surprised. She was busy arranging for Claude and his party to eat, drink and wash themselves. She spent a warm night with Claude, which helped Claude eliminate the fatigue and fatigue from the long journey. However, Claude still got up early the next day. He was going to the military region headquarters today, and Colonel Boquear had been waiting for him for three days.
The remaining officers at the Dominion Military Region Headquarters were very excited when they discovered Claude's arrival. After all, the five giants in the Dominion Military Region had all gone to the mainland of the Kingdom, and no one dared to make the final decision on some matters. Just like this time when the eight colonies on the west coast expelled the trading firms and traders from the overseas autonomous territories, the remaining officers in the autonomous military regions did not know how to deal with it. Now that Claude is back, almost everyone feels that they have a backbone and their minds have calmed down.
After smiling and nodding in return to the remaining officers who saluted him, Claude returned to his office. This place has been cleaned and it's very clean with no dust. He stroked the tabletop and the back of the chair with his white-gloved hand, and found that the gloves were still as white as new. Claude nodded with satisfaction, took off his outer cloak and handed it to Mason Hughes, and gave a brief instruction: "Please ask the Military Intelligence Department Colonel Bockard comes..."
After Claude came back and arrived at the Patres military port, he sent a falcon message to the military region headquarters, asking them to notify Colonel Bockal of the Military Intelligence Department to wait for his arrival at the military region headquarters. He also asked the Military Intelligence Department and Colonel Bockal All information on the eight colonies on the west coast was prepared for his inquiry. Obviously, Claude was preparing to respond to the embargo imposed by the eight colonies on the west coast against the overseas dominions.
It's just that Claude didn't expect that he would stay in Port Patres for four more days and not return to Lanhu City immediately. The reason is simple. He and General Muriel, the admiral of the armored fleet, found Master Bird to discuss providing sixteen armored warships to the kingdom. Although there is already a plan to renovate and decorate the first-generation iron-clad battleship and deliver it to the kingdom, this requires on-site inspection to discuss what should be dismantled and how to decorate it into a new battleship. This alone took three days. time, and then was pulled by Master Bird to discuss technical issues for a day...
Although Claude's current level is far inferior to that of Master Gabbard, who is a master of technology, he has seen a lot of information from his past life just like a quick glance. Sometimes a casual remark can cause Master Bird and other technical staff to think deeply and realize something, so much so that Claude was pestered by Master Bird and others for another day before he finally ran back dripping with sweat.
After such a delay, Colonel Bockal waited for him at the military headquarters for three days in vain. So Claude kept sneezing for the past three days. It was obvious that Colonel Bockard, who had not arrived after waiting for him for three days, must be very resentful and was whispering to him behind his back...
Less than two minutes after the adjutant, Lieutenant Colonel Mason Hughes, left, Colonel Bockard burst into Claude's office with a large amount of information. That is to say, Colonel Bockar, who is Claude's young friend, behaves so naturally in front of Claude. Generally speaking, Claude has now become the marshal of the kingdom. When other officers see Claude, they all treat him with respect and stand straight. . In other words, Colonel Bockard doesn't care about Claude's rank, so he can do whatever he wants...
Watching Colonel Bockal put down the documents in his hands on his desk, he turned around and went to the wine cabinet to find some good wine to taste. Claude could only shake his head, knowing that there was nothing he could do about Bock'ar's stupid scoundrel. Tapping the wine glass in front of him with the dip pen in his hand, Claude said: "It's a pity, Boa, that you didn't follow me back to the kingdom's homeland to fight this time, otherwise the rank of a general and the title of hereditary baron of the kingdom would not be able to escape you. of."
This time the two regiments went on an expedition. Colonel Bokoar did not go with them. Instead, he stayed in the overseas autonomous territories and was responsible for the smuggling business of the eight colonies on the west coast, as well as the underground transactions of the Buffalo Trading Company. In addition, he also owned the commercial trade with the Nikancha people. manage. Anyway, Colonel Bockal said that he likes doing business and does not like going to the battlefield, so the military region headquarters gave him all the commercial and trade matters that cannot be publicly announced to the outside world...
"You know, Claude, I'm not interested in those." Bockar finally found a bottle of fruit wine that satisfied him, took a cup, opened the lid and drank it himself: "In fact, our family is I am very satisfied with the living environment in the overseas dominions and do not want to return to the Kingdom. My father was full of sorrow when he left. Now, he is full of energy and is working hard to develop connections and connections for the family business in the overseas dominions."
Claude didn't mind that his teenage friend called him by his first name. He pulled out a book and looked through it: "By the way, the eight-nation West Coast colony has imposed a trade ban on our overseas autonomous territories for four months. So, what's the situation there now?"
Bockaar drank the fruit wine in the cup, put the cup on the coffee table, and walked towards the desk with a straight face. He knew very well that what Claude wanted to discuss with him next was business.
"How should I put it? It's very strict, very strict. There are about 20,000 to 30,000 people who are punished just for carrying prohibited items. Most of them are small traders who walk around the streets. They are not smugglers, but they are just from The smugglers took the goods to sell, but were caught by the patrols, and then they were in bad luck. Let's put it this way, now as long as pedestrians are carrying goods produced in our Dominion, they will be arrested as soon as they are discovered.
For the local officials of the eight colonies on the west coast, this ban on trade in our Dominion is actually a good opportunity to make money. Prisoners caught were first fined and then sentenced to hard labor. Those who don't have money will be sentenced to a few more years, and those who have money will see how much they pay. The more money they give, the lighter the sentence. If they are fed, they even only need to be locked up in the patrol cell for one night before they can be released. "Bok'ar sat down on the chair in front of the desk.
Claude pointed to the fruit wine and cup on the coffee table: "You can bring it here, and we can chat while drinking. When you finish drinking, go and get another bottle."
Bockaar shook his head: "Today we are going to talk about business, we will drink later."
"Okay." Claude nodded: "Then tell me, what exactly is this ban on trade? Which country took the lead?"
Bockar found a blue-covered folder from a pile of information on the desk and handed it to Claude: "In fact, as we analyzed, the eight colonies on the west coast are affected by the daily commodities and products produced by our autonomous territory. The smuggling of various goods has turned them into dumping grounds for goods from our overseas dominions.
Just like the branches of the commercial banks in our Dominion that opened in the eight colonies on the west coast, even if they abide by the law and pay taxes on time, they have actually touched the colonial profits of the eight countries in the southern Farea continent. The trading houses in the Dominion pay higher prices for the products there than the merchants in their kingdom. The goods we sell are cheaper and of better quality than the merchants in their kingdom. Moreover, the trading houses we open there can freely exchange banknotes... . ..
Since our overseas autonomous territories defeated the Kingdom of Hicks in the last colonial war and annihilated more than ten of its standing legions, although the eight colonies on the west coast were dissatisfied with us dumping goods to them, they were only paying lip service. It was just a protest, and they did not dare to use force or issue war threats against our autonomous territory. They can only increase the types of prohibited transactions and customs inspections on goods exported from our Dominion.
In addition, the goods that our Dominion actually sells to them through normal channels are not prohibited goods that they prohibit entry, so they have no excuse to cut off business dealings with us. However, our Dominion Trading Company opens branches to the eight colonies on the west coast regardless of When purchasing local products or selling self-produced goods, we must pay taxes and fees in accordance with regulations, so that the local officials in these colonies cannot catch our trading company.
The main reason is that smugglers in various colonies are rampant, and all daily necessities produced in our autonomous territory are smuggled there. Compared with the goods shipped from the oceans of the eight colonies from their respective countries, the goods produced by our autonomous territory are more competitive in terms of price, quality, and style. Ultimately, the eight colonies on the west coast cannot sell goods from their respective home countries. Commodities, warehouses are filled with these slow-moving products.
A merchant in the United Kingdom of the Fox Islands went bankrupt and committed suicide overboard. After the incident broke out, the merchants of the United Kingdom of the Fox Islands complained to their own king, and then the king sent special envoys to visit the remaining seven southern countries to unify their positions, and then decided to implement the ban on trade in our overseas autonomous territories in the eight west coast colonies. , strictly prohibit smuggling transactions, and no longer let their colonies become a dumping ground for goods from our overseas autonomous territories... "
Claude opened the blue-covered folder. Inside was a relatively thick personnel file. Each page contained a person's information, recording which colony the person came from, name, age, family members, personal assets, and purchase channels. and sales performance and other information. Claude looked at it for a while, flipped through a few pages and put the blue-covered folder on the desk: "Are these the smugglers you selected? They are all Nikancha people..."
"No, they are not Nikancha people." Bokhar shook his head and said: "If they hear you call them Nikancha people, then they will ask you for a life-and-death duel. Say to them, Nikancha people are an insult. Their name, they call themselves Pamigal..."
"Pamigal people? Is there any difference? They are all mixed races..." Claude disagreed.
"Although they are all mixed race, their skin color is lighter than that of the Nikancha people." After saying so much, Bockaar began to feel thirsty, so he got up and went to the coffee table to get the bottle of fruit wine and cup he had opened. Come over: "The West Coast is different from our overseas autonomous territories. The colonies there have a history of more than two hundred years. The Nikancha people have been mixed many times, and it is normal for their skin color to become lighter. In addition, after long-term training, many lazy habits have also has been changed.
At the same time, the quality of these Pamigar people is better than that of the Nikancha people. At least they can study and work hard to make money, and like us, they have a strong sense of responsibility for their families. If you have some contact with them, you will find that they are indeed not the same race as the Nikancha people. Just as their native language calls themselves Pamigal people, the meaning of Pamigal people is civilized, honest, reputable and people who are not afraid of hardships. "
"Are they all from Pamigal?" Claude pointed to the blue-covered folder.
Bockal took a few sips of the fruit wine, put down the glass and shook his head: "No, the Pamigar people are just a type of people they call themselves. More than two hundred years of colonial history have allowed them to recognize the identity of their colonial country, and at the same time they have inherited historical conflicts and disputes between nations.
For example, these mixed-race people in several colonies of the United Kingdom of Fox Islands call themselves the Blue Storks, which means darlings of the sea and warriors in the wind and waves. They are good at fishing and diving in the sea.
The mixed-race people in the colony of the Kingdom of Resniya call themselves Rusmans, which means herders, or cattle herders. The mixed-race people in the Principality of Leliolo call themselves Gibbigoths, which means runners, people who chase the light. They worship the god of fire. Only the mixed-race people from the Kingdom of Morosik and the Principality of Federo claim to be Pamigals.
In addition, the mixed-race people in the Principality of Vasiliko, the Kingdom of Carmenline and the Opsaro City-State Alliance have several names, unlike the mixed-race people in the colonies of those five countries who have a unified racial name.
Interestingly, the Principality of Leriolo and the Opsaro City-State Alliance have a long history of grievances. In history, the two countries have fought seven wars, which are called the Seven Hundred Years' War in history books. The people of the two countries were hostile to each other, and as a result, the mixed-race people in the colonies also inherited this grudge. Both sides looked down on the other...
The Kingdom of Resnia and the Kingdom of Kamanlane also had three territorial conflicts in the colonies. As a result, the Rusmans in the colony of the Kingdom of Resnia extremely hated Dolamana and Marcha in the colony of the Kingdom of Kamenlane. Lin people.
It is said that the Malcharin people of the Kingdom of Kamanlane once broke into the colony of the Kingdom of Resnia, burned, killed and looted, causing a massacre that killed tens of thousands of Rusmans. Then the Rusmans in the colony of the Kingdom of Resnia retaliated, but they found the wrong target and pressed the Doramana people to the ground and rubbed them. So the three ethnic groups formed a deadly feud. ... ..."
"It's very complicated..." Claude sighed.
"That's true." Bockal nodded in agreement and poured himself another glass of fruit wine: "Actually, I personally think that many of the conflicts between various ethnic groups are caused by colonists deliberately instigating them. If you look carefully, they are actually of the same race. Just like the colonists contemptuously called them all Nikancha people.
The smuggler candidates in this blue folder are all well-known and responsive guys in the eight colonies on the west coast. They are rich and powerful, and have a high local reputation. Except for their different skin color, there is no difference between them and us. The most important thing is that they are more ambitious and hope to liberate their own nation through independent establishment...
The eight colonies on the west coast adopted a relatively discriminatory attitude towards these mixed ethnic groups. Just like Tezzinger Nora Taganem on the first page. When he was young, his biological father sent him back to the Kingdom of Morosik to study. However, he suffered discrimination because of his skin color and finally dropped out of school and ran back. . His father was a minor nobleman, and after his death he inherited all the property and titles.
He was also considered a local celebrity in the colony of the Kingdom of Morosik, but he was nicknamed the Half-blood Baron. He was sometimes called the Bastard Baron and was deeply ostracized. Therefore, he wanted to establish an independent Pamigal country, so he started smuggling to make money, intending to organize private armed forces. He once asked me whether the Dominion could support his nation-building plan, hoping that we would provide him with weapons and send military instructors so that he could form an armed force capable of destroying colonial garrisons... "
"Are all the smugglers in this folder such careerists?" Claude asked.
"Some are, some are not." Bolonik thought for a while and replied: "Tazsingh Nora Taghanem was the only smuggler who asked me about the establishment of an independent country. I didn't really know him at that time. I could politely refuse, but later I sent someone to secretly investigate his life experience and personal experience, and found that he was the most suitable candidate, so I ranked him on the first page.
Some of the latter candidates were due to personal grievances, some were due to family feuds, and some were ambitious adventurers. I'm not sure where they will end up. But what can be confirmed is that they are all mixed race, deeply disgusted with the current situation of the colony, and all have dreams of changing the world.
That's why I selected them all to be candidates for this wildfire plan. I believe that if we provide them with weapons and military assistance, they will be able to set off a wave of national liberation and independent nation-building in the eight colonies on the west coast. Even if they don't succeed, these eight countries are too busy to take care of themselves and no longer have the ability to impose any ban on trade in our autonomous territories. "
Claude stood up, walked around the office, lowered his head and thought for a while, and then said to Bockaar: "You will be responsible for this wildfire plan. I will put Blovik's Wolf Fang Special The brigade is assigned to you to cooperate with your work and be responsible for protecting your safety.
I can provide you with all the armament, funding and personnel needs you need, but I don't want this wildfire plan to shine for just a moment. I hope to see the colonies on the west coast truly liberated and established as independent countries. That would be the most beneficial to our Dominion... "