Father of France

Chapter 164 One Billion Dollars
"According to feedback from the foreign legion in Java, the supplies provided by Boss Gu are satisfactory," Coman mumbled, taking a bite of twice-cooked pork. "We should adapt to local customs when in different geographical areas. The only pity now is that we need some northern-style food."

"Sir, why is that? Northern cuisine is not commonly seen on the embankment." Gu Qing had heard Koman mention the promotion of Northern cuisine many times, but he didn't understand.

The only time Koman ever felt hungry in his past life was when he crossed the Yangtze River. Actually, it was also because he lacked life experience. He ordered food according to the same price standards as back home, and the result? He was starving.

It was like going back to the pre-liberation era; this was the first time since he became an adult that he had fallen below 100 pounds. But that wasn't the important issue; it was simply a matter of prices.

“In France’s overseas departments in North Africa, sorghum is a major staple food because it is relatively drought-resistant. We are still developing these overseas departments. The climate is similar to that of your northern country, while equatorial Africa is more similar to your southern region and Saigon.”

As Koman spoke, he seemed to remember something. During his recent free time, he took out a list of handicrafts he had collected and placed it in front of Gu Qing, saying, "This is a list compiled by the Paris side of the handicrafts your country has participated in at the World Expos, as well as the categories of the Imperial Workshops obtained by the embassy in China through your government. You have one year left."

The handicrafts from the Imperial Workshops that Coman presented comprised thirteen major categories, including enamel, jade, porcelain, gold, mounting, embroidery, and more, as well as over one hundred subcategories such as carving and inlay.

Gu Qing glanced at him once, then looked at Koman again as if she saw something indescribable. "Sir, isn't that right? Don't you think so?"

"Do you think I'm plundering your country's technology?" Koman said what Gu Qing wanted to say but dared not, explaining in front of the other party's expression that this was the meaning, "Don't use the word 'plunder' to describe people. I will offer them a price and give them the choice. This is not mandatory. However, as for staying in the country, given the current situation, the risk is still quite high."

Although the War of Liberation was not particularly intense in the history of this major Eastern country, it was still enough to make many artisans unable to survive.

The analogy of making an atomic bomb less profitable than selling tea eggs might not be entirely accurate, but filling one's stomach is certainly the top priority. Where is business in times of war?
“Mr. Gu, we won’t sever the tradition of your country’s handicrafts. It’s just that France needs this kind of handicraft to shape things.” Coleman put down his clean chopsticks and said with a smile, “Maybe in the future you will thank me. There are examples, such as the elk, which is an animal that has become extinct in your country.”

In the words of Tencent Games, this means that the money isn't actually being spent by you; it's just being there for you in a different way.

It's okay to be confused for a while, as long as you follow Koman's instructions in the end. However, in order to make Gu Qing feel less guilty, he explained the impact of the war on the handicraft industry.

The decline of handicrafts under the rule of the Kuomintang was closely related to the fact that they had never established a stable and secure rule. Everywhere was dominated by warlords; who had time to study these things? Of course, the War of Resistance against Japan was also an important factor.

Once this civil war is over, there will likely be even fewer artisans left. Finally, Koeman emphasized that working for another country is not necessarily a bad thing; it might even offer a brighter future.

"Sir, you're joking." Gu Qing felt a little better; at least Koman hadn't spoken disparagingly of his people's craftsmanship.

“When I tell the truth, people always think I’m just trying to comfort them,” Coman said, half-laughing and half-crying. “The DuPont family in America were watchmakers under the Bourbon dynasty before they immigrated to America. Doesn’t that illustrate the point? France provides shelter to these artisans, allowing them to live in peace. If one day your country remembers and wants these artisans to return, I won’t stop them.”

He certainly wouldn't stop it; it's most likely something that will happen decades from now.

Koman was engrossed in conversation and directly discussed with Gu Qing the possibility of holding a sword-forging competition in the capital, as well as various competitions in the Imperial Workshops. The first-place winner would naturally receive a prize and a legal immigration quota for their entire family.

“The wealthy overseas Chinese in your embankment and I will each contribute half, so you definitely won’t lose out,” Coman said confidently. “As for the government relations, I can handle that through the ambassador to China. Oh, and the chef is included too.”

Algeria and the Northwest have similar climates, and it's true that sorghum is one of the staple crops in North Africa because it's relatively drought-resistant. The military will certainly reduce its cultivation to a level that doesn't affect food self-sufficiency, but sorghum will still be grown in semi-arid areas where wheat cannot be grown.

Speaking of North Africa, there's also the issue of desertification control, which is something that can't be solved right now. At least, there's definitely nothing to discuss with Chiang Kai-shek, since he can't even reach the Northwest. It would be more appropriate to discuss this issue with the new China in the future.

Koman wasted a little time discussing Chinese food and artisans, but that didn't stop him from eating. It was getting late, and he was preparing to return to his apartment when Gu Qing politely asked him to stay, "Are you worried that Ms. Ava might be concerned?"

“She’s sick, her throat hurts,” Koman said seriously. “She was a big star, but now that she’s in Saigon, she can only rely on me. I need to go back as soon as possible.”

Gu Qing paused for a moment, then whispered something to the restaurant waiter. After a while, the waiter reappeared with several bottles of ointment. Gu Qing explained, "This loquat syrup might be helpful for Ms. Ava's condition."

"Thank you." Koeman's eyes lit up as he took the bottle to express his gratitude. After leaving the restaurant and getting into his car to return to the city center, he suddenly took out one of the bottles and said to Lefebvre, "Find someone to come out and drink this stuff." After thinking it over, Koeman still felt it was better to be cautious. What if it was some hidden patriot who insisted on coming out to die with the imperialist representative? That would be too much of a loss.

Even if he doesn't drink, he'll still feel guilty if something happens to Ava Gardner.

Fortunately, this experiment did not have any consequences, so Ava Gardner can drink it now.

Lefebvre watched as Coman solemnly took out his diary and wrote down two Chinese words: loquat syrup and wind essential oil.

He didn't recognize the hieroglyphs, but he was impressed and exclaimed, "Sir, you can master such an ancient script!"

“Not all of them are mastered. I can’t master the Egyptian and Sumerian ones,” Koman replied, feigning modesty. “The main reason is that these scripts are still in use, while dead scripts can only be mastered by professional scholars.”

Speaking of which, Koman recalls that the Sumerian civilization has always been the target of pseudo-historians, with the latest attack claiming that Mesopotamia was underwater during the Sumerian period? Therefore, the Sumerian civilization did not exist.

He wasn't against questioning, but with Coman's limited knowledge, Baghdad's elevation was indeed not high, only about 30 meters. Was there any geological evidence of sea-level drop within the last 10,000 years?
It's impossible that only the sea level in Mesopotamia changed while other places remained unchanged, considering that the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean are not geographically isolated.

If Baghdad, the center of Sumerian civilization, was underwater within the last 10,000 years, other tectonic plates should provide corroborating evidence; it should be over 30 meters, not 3 or 5 meters.

If you think this number is small, then you're underestimating Coman, because he's still waiting for the arrival of American offshore drilling platforms, and the oil field was discovered in an area only fifty meters deep.

Eva Gardner waited listlessly for Koman, not even having a chance to complain that her sore throat was the result of Koman talking back, before Koman pried open her childish mouth and poured a mouthful of loquat syrup into her mouth.

"What did you force-feed me?" Ava Gardner finally managed to break free, licked her lips, and said, "It tasted pretty good, much better now."

“It’s a type of traditional Chinese medicine.” When Koman saw that a woman of equal status to his wife also said it was effective, a smile finally appeared on his face.

"People from Standard Oil and Kerr-Mage in New Jersey have already set off; they'll be here by plane and it won't take too long."

Ava Gardner whispered, "They must be here for the oil field they found. I heard that oil companies are now valued at more than ten times their profits. If they are valued like that, you and I could live a good life without doing anything."

Ava Gardner was clearly blinded by the astronomical market value. Just a year ago, she was a $300-a-week vase actress at MGM, waiting for more audition opportunities.

It hasn't been long since she was seduced by a French man, and she's already reached this level.

At this moment, Ava Gardner's mental state was similar to that of the protagonist in Mark Twain's million-pound note novel.

In 1946, the rise of automobile culture in the United States led to an explosive growth in demand for oil. The oil industry was a pillar of the economy at the time and was highly favored by investors. Valuations of American companies fluctuated between ten and fifteen times their earnings, but for high-growth sectors such as oil, automobiles, and chemicals, the P/E ratios could be even higher.

The fact that this offshore oil field is newly discovered makes it even more attractive to investors. If it can reach an annual production of ten million tons and is listed as a wholly American company, this new oil company could potentially be valued at a billion dollars just based on this one oil field.

If Corman were a businessman, he could easily sell the oil field to the United States and become a billionaire overnight.

"There is such a thing as patriotism in this world." A billion dollars was right in front of Koeman, but he remained unmoved. "Half of Africa belongs to France. Do you know how much mineral and oil is underground? Don't be so short-sighted. What is a billion dollars? The consumption of more than 40 million people in France for more than half a year is on this oil well. That is more important than a billion dollars."

(End of this chapter)