Make France Great Again-Chapter 198: James Rothschild Surrenders

Upon hearing that it was the President’s order, Kalie quickly led Count Algou to the iron gate of the detention center where Baron James Rothschild was held.

"Mr. Earl, Baron James is inside!" Kalie whispered through the small window embedded in the iron gate to Count Algou.

Count Algou looked inside through the small window pointed by Kalie’s finger and saw James Rothschild, slightly hunched, inside the room.

At this moment, he was staring up at the only window of the detention center with his back to Count Algou.

After observing James Rothschild’s condition, Count Algou ordered Kalie to open the door.

Hearing the commotion outside, James Rothschild also turned away from the view outside the window to look at the iron gate.

The iron gate slowly opened, and the figures of Count Algou and Kalie appeared before James Rothschild.

With a sycophantic smile, Kalie bowed slightly and said to Count Algou, "Mr. Earl, please come in!"

Count Algou nodded politely, then said to Kalie in a casual tone, "Director Kalie, I need to speak with Baron James Rothschild privately. Please excuse us for a moment!"

Kalie wisely stepped back, and as he reached the door, he said, "Then I won’t disturb you!"

With that, Kalie left the detention center where James Rothschild was held, and the iron gate shut behind him.

Only Count Algou and James Rothschild remained in the room.

"Why have you come?" James Rothschild looked coldly at Count Algou.

"I’ve come to get you out!" Count Algou sat on the edge of the bed, gently pressing on the bed frame, "It seems you are in good health now!"

"Hmph!" James Rothschild grunted slightly, expressing his dissatisfaction with Count Algou.

"Baron, do you really intend to stay here forever?" Count Algou pointed out the window and asked with a smile, "Accompanied only by solitude?"

"Lord Algou, I believe the President wouldn’t release me without a reason!" Baron James Rothschild said seriously to Count Algou.

James Rothschild did not believe Jerome Bonaparte would let him go unconditionally.

"Mr. James, all you need to do is pay a price that’s trivial to you, and you can leave this prison immediately!" Count Algou reiterated, "Just a trivial price!"

"What price?" James Rothschild asked.

"Given the difficulties in France’s industrial transition... the President needs to genuinely ensure the employment of French workers..." Count Algou began with an extensive bureaucratic speech, introducing Jerome Bonaparte’s conditions, "The President hopes the Rothschild Bank can actively contribute and make a walking contribution to France’s employment."

Tsk! In the end, it’s all about money! Truly greedy!

With a derisive smile, James Rothschild retorted, "Please tell Mr. President that the Rothschild Bank was established to serve France, not as Mr. President’s wallet! Even if Mr. President detains me here, I won’t change anything!"

"Even if the bank is taken over?" Count Algou interjected unexpectedly.

James Rothschild, who had been calm, suddenly changed his expression: "Who? Who is going to take over our bank!"

"Who else? Of course, it’s Mr. President!" Count Algou knew that from the moment he mentioned the takeover of the bank, James Rothschild’s heart was thrown into disarray.

As a family bank with strong independence, the shares of the Rothschild family were firmly held among both direct and collateral branches of the Rothschilds. Only a few outsiders had part of the Rothschild Bank’s shares, and these shares posed no threat to the Rothschild family as a whole.

This gave James Rothschild the confidence that even if he was imprisoned, the Rothschild Bank wouldn’t fall under external control.

At worst, James Rothschild would only lose his position as the branch leader.

But once Jerome Bonaparte dispatched personnel to the Rothschild Bank, the bank’s independence would cease to exist.

That’s not even the most terrifying part, the more terrifying thing is...

"Mr. President is considering whether Rothschild Bank, acting as the protector of junk bonds, can still exist as an independent private bank!" Count Algou still wore a smile, "Mr. President is contemplating whether the government should invest in Rothschild Bank, turning it completely into a public-private partnership bank!"

"No! The government can’t do this!" James Rothschild looked slightly fierce and loudly protested the government’s "despicable" actions.

For James Rothschild, the so-called public-private partnership meant that the Rothschild Clan completely lost control over the France Branch.

The state only needs to use a small amount, perhaps not even a penny, to take over Rothschild Bank.

No one understands French banking better than James Rothschild.

Once the government has the idea of nationalization, whether it’s the traditional allies of the Rothschild Clan or their long-time enemies, they would generously help the government to complete restructuring.

It is even said that those so-called allies would ruthlessly stab the Rothschild Clan at a critical moment.

"Mr. James! Recently, the fluctuations in the bonds held by the Rothschild Clan have severely affected trading on the Paris Stock Exchange. The President seriously doubts whether Rothschild Bank can still exist as a private bank!" Count Algou responded slowly.

"No, the Rothschild Bank’s business has always been profitable!" James Rothschild quickly refuted.

Having long acted as a secondary dealer of Austrian bonds, James Rothschild certainly knew what those so-called inferior bonds were all about.

Although those bonds have problems to some extent, the Rothschild Bank has not been dragged down by them; they still hold a large number of high-quality bonds.

"Mr. James!" Count Algou shook his head and then sighed, "Haven’t you understood yet? It’s not you who decides the profits and losses of the bank, but the government!"

James Rothschild sat silently in the chair, raised his head, and said word by word, "The parliament will never allow the President’s actions!"

"Parliament?" Count Algou laughed heartily, then solemnly said, "Now they can only shiver tremblingly in the Bourbon Palace, gesticulating at the government. Paris is already under martial law! Anyone who obstructs the President’s actions will become a traitor to France! The parliament is busy appeasing as it is! Do you still expect those guys from such a parliament?"

After the crackdown and the President’s "assassination," the Parisians generally sympathized with this iron-fisted President, and the state of martial law passed smoothly without resistance from the Parisians.

Before James Rothschild could recover, Count Algou spoke again to James Rothschild, "Besides, a public-private partnership does not need the parliament; Minister Achille Fuld is more than happy to contribute to France!"

Count Algou’s naked threat made James Rothschild somewhat annoyed, "Mr. Earl, do you mean to become the President’s lackey?"

"Mr. James, I will forever follow the victor and enjoy the pleasures of victory together!!" Count Algou revealed a cunning smile.

Count Algou had no qualms about being a lackey; in his view, whether it’s the Bourbons, the Orleans, or Napoleon, they cannot do without these loyal bankers to the country.

Since that’s the case, why dwell on being a loyal and filial son to a single family?

Even if his appointment as President of the Bank of France was by Louis Philippe, he had no obligation to be loyal to Louis Philippe.

In terms of banker ethics, James Rothschild’s principles were evidently much higher than those of Count Algou.

Even if his confrontation with the President was only to stabilize his own financial authority.

"Oh, Mr. James, here’s a letter. The President asked me to pass it to you!" Count Algou placed the letter on the desk.

James Rothschild looked at Count Algou with confusion.

"Mr. James, I don’t know the contents of the letter either! The President said you’d better see it for yourself!" Count Algou shook his head, responding to James Rothschild.

James Rothschild immediately opened the envelope, unfolded the letter, and began reading it.

After a while, having finished reading, James Rothschild’s face turned ashen, and he gritted his teeth, saying, "Leonel!"

The letter’s content was about James Rothschild’s "dear" nephew in Britain, Lionel Rothschild. In the letter, Lionel Rothschild decisively sold out James Rothschild’s request for help. He hoped Jerome Bonaparte would not "trouble" his uncle James Rothschild too much, considering the past in London.

Only then did James Rothschild realize that Lionel in London was not willing to follow France’s lead.

So it seems, the Frankfurt and Vienna sides probably...

Thinking of this, James Rothschild’s heart sank to the bottom.

Is the division inevitable for any powerful family?

Amid internal and external troubles, James Rothschild showed a bitter smile.

"What are the conditions of Mr. President?" James Rothschild lowered the proud head of a financial dictator, understanding that he was no match for the tyrant.

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