Father of France

Chapter 169 The Hope of Chinese Businessmen

Koeman also understood the principle of adapting one's approach to the situation, so he started with the three essential elements of an ancient civilization, beginning with five thousand years of civilization history to bridge the gap between them.

But to Eckda and other Frenchmen, it seemed very strange; they had no idea what Corman was babbling about.

Because the rice trade in Saigon also involved dealing with the Chinese, they were not unfamiliar with simple daily conversations, but the topic of history and civilization was a bit beyond their comprehension.

This made Akda anxious, but she couldn't show it. Only after Coman finished his round of flattery and things seemed to be going well did she seize the opportunity to ask, "What is the judge saying?"

“Let’s admire our glorious five thousand years of history.” Koman took a moment to consider Aikeda’s feelings, while raising his teacup and nodding to Liao Gongpu.

"Huh?" Ekda opened her mouth, but ultimately chose to remain silent. When has France ever respected the history of other countries?
The Sphinx was bombarded by Napoleon with cannons; the Vietnamese emperor's jade seal was smashed by the French; and when there are any cultural relics in French Africa, the French army is often the first to arrive.

It can be said that among colonial empires, France's attitude was most similar to the policies once implemented by the major Eastern powers and Vietnam: forced assimilation and cultural transformation. In a more extreme sense, it could be described as shaving one's head and changing one's clothes.

By the late 19th century, France began to change its policy of destroying everything it saw, but this change essentially meant allowing things to exist. This was because the European environment had changed, and France's relative national power was declining. It began to be influenced by other countries; Britain was excavating ancient civilizations all over the world, and the Germans were particularly fond of ancient Greece.

Of course, European countries have not forgotten the great Eastern power either. British biologists summarized the Four Great Inventions, and British anthropologists summarized the Three Great Cuisines. They did not forget the great Eastern power.

However, the early European cult was Italian. The reason it circulated so widely in Europe five years ago is because it was summarized and disseminated by Italian missionaries. As the legitimate successor of the Roman Empire, Italy may not have been very influential when forming alliances, but it always had a lot of say when it was not involved in war.

Although in early archaeological work, Western explorers could not delve deep into the territory of the Eastern superpower as they had in the other three, and could not determine how long the history of the Eastern superpower was, the concept of five thousand years of history was still accepted.

Then Liang Qichao proposed the concept of the four ancient civilizations, which was widely accepted by various countries. The reason for this widespread acceptance was also due to their size, a factor that has always been important.

In the 21st century, whenever there is an aid project, Egypt begins its dialogue in the same way, praising the sincere help from the two ancient civilizations of China and Egypt, while Iraq, representing the Sumerian civilization, says something similar to Egypt.

However, some Egyptians and Iraqis are not very friendly towards each other, blaming each other for their colonial origins.

It's similar to India's belief that it holds a special position over Buddhist countries in Southeast Asia.

When India refers to the great Eastern powers, it often cites the ancient civilizations of China and India. However, ordinary Indians tend to look down on the ancient Egyptian and Sumerian civilizations.

Only a nation with strong national power can defy being defined; when a nation is not strong enough, its size itself becomes a form of national power.

Egypt and Iraq cannot support the ancient Egypt and Sumerian civilizations, and their Islamization has little to do with them. These two countries are simply far removed from the concept of national power, and their current size is not worth paying attention to.

“Mr. Liao, we attach great importance to the restoration of the Bangkok trading center, and we believe this is also what the Thai government and the King hope to see.” Through his illustrious history, Koman has at least won over Liao Gongpu’s non-dislike, and now we can get to the point: “We believe the European market also looks forward to Thailand’s role.”

Rice is indeed not mainstream in Europe, but to say that European countries completely disapprove of it is to overthink it; it's simply a matter of the proportion consumed.

Koman also heard Ava Gardner talk about school lunches in the United States now, with some schools offering rice as lunch. This is quite different from the American food Koman remembered, which was not far removed from drinking engine oil and eating lubricating oil. It can only be said that the transformation has just begun.

The "Chicken of Tomorrow" competition for fast-growing white-feathered chickens in the United States ended just a year ago. Now, even the United States emphasizes a balanced diet, so having rice available is perfectly reasonable.

With Liao Gongpu listening attentively, Koman expressed Louis Fuda's goodwill in wanting to help Bangkok revive its rice trading center, saying, "If Mr. Liao thinks this is beneficial to Thailand, then we are willing to have a good talk with our colleagues in the Thai government and business community."

Liao Gongpu was deeply moved after hearing this. A year had passed since the end of the World War, and Thailand, a nominally belligerent nation, was in dire economic straits. The war had caused hyperinflation, currency devaluation, and soaring prices, especially for basic necessities like rice, which were ridiculously expensive.

Thailand's rice exports are now only a fraction of what they were before. The government implements a rice rationing system, but supplies are insufficient, and the black market is rampant. Ordinary citizens and farmers alike are struggling to obtain enough food.

At this time, Thailand was also in a state of neglect and isolation, with ordinary people seeing no hope. Koeman knew that this difficult period would not last long. Soon after the civil war in the major Eastern power ended, the United States recognized the value of Thailand as a country that had maintained a neutral position when Britain and France were dividing up spheres of influence.

Koman had only recently become aware of Thailand's difficult times, but the Thai people were unaware that they were struggling to afford three meals a day, paying exorbitant prices for basic necessities on the black market with a constantly depreciating baht. Wage increases were far outpaced by soaring prices.

Therefore, Koman's arrival at this time helped the Thai government resume rice trade and exports, and in terms of image, he was almost like God, saving the Thai people from suffering.

"Distinguished guest, I have this good news to share with my friends," Liao Gongpu said solemnly to Koman, suppressing his excitement.

“Very good, I believe Mr. Liao is a reliable person.” Coman then changed the subject. Since they were at a restaurant, how could they not order food? “Give me a plate of stir-fried beef noodles and a plate of fried rice. As for the rest, Mr. Liao is the local host, so he definitely knows him better than I do.”

"Judge Coleman is clearly an expert," Liao Gongpu said with a smile, then ordered the restaurant's signature Cantonese dishes and said, "Tell the chefs to show their true skills and not to try to fool us."

Upon hearing "expert," Koeman glanced at the Louis Fida employees, including Ekda, and said, "Did you hear that? I'm an expert."

Aikeda and the others immediately sensed that Koman seemed very comfortable discussing business at the dinner table, chatting enthusiastically with the Chinese businessman in front of him, and laughing heartily from time to time.

"I need to inform some friends, and we also need to go see the Prime Minister together. Mr. Coman may have to wait a few days." After the meal, Liao Gongpu followed Coman and others out of the restaurant, repeatedly promising that he would do everything possible to cooperate with France to reopen international trade channels.

"I believe that with France's help, this goal can be easily achieved. We have a long-established and powerful grain company," Koeman said with a smile and a nod.

After saying that, Koman switched to French and said to Ekda, "Louis Fida should consider giving me a salary. You should reimburse me for all the expenses I incurred during this trip to Thailand, including the support provided by the military."

Although Corman was arguably the richest man in France in terms of dollars after his involvement in the Franco-American oil exploration project, that money nominally belonged to Eva Gardner and was not actually his.

Moreover, he used his resources wisely, saving where he could and spending where he could. He truly devoted himself to Louis-Frieden and, of course, to his own bright future. Even Napoleon did not make as many contributions as he did.

Investment is definitely necessary. This is no longer the era when Britain and France were grabbing land everywhere. Louis Fida should also try its best to show sincerity. It all depends on the final negotiation results.

If they could negotiate a certain share of the francs, that would be ideal. Koman felt it wouldn't be as difficult as he'd imagined. The francs did have some issues, but compared to the Thai baht, they were no problem at all.

Under the Bretton Woods system, any currency had value as long as it had gold reserves.

Swallowing the thought of reimbursing Coman's travel expenses, Ekda couldn't help but smile bitterly, "Judge, your American woman could be the richest woman in France, why would she care about our company's money?"

“One thing at a time, remember to prepare an investment of three billion francs.” Koeman replied without any hesitation, “Before the war, Thailand’s rice exports fluctuated around 1.5 million tons. Even if France didn’t absorb all of it, it would absorb the majority. After the war, many European countries faced food supply difficulties. If we can weather this storm and even make a profit, it will greatly contribute to France’s rise.”

"Three billion francs?" That's more than twenty million US dollars at the official exchange rate, which still made Ekda gasp. He didn't know if Louis Fida could withstand it. "Your Honor, our company may not have that capability."

"Who are you, you're a candle!" Koeman scolded, exasperated. "Did you have your head operated on and moved to your ass? In the difficult post-war period, being one step ahead determines the future food supply. I saved your company's life. Is three billion francs a lot? Did I ask for a single extra franc from beginning to end?"

"What kind of time is this to be calculating such petty gains?" Koman spat out his words before changing the subject, "I'll help you with part of it. Just tell headquarters that. I really don't know how your company has been able to exist for over a hundred years."

After his meeting with Koman, Liao Gongpu immediately issued a call to action, gathering wealthy Chinese to join forces and seize the opportunity presented by the resumption of rice exports. Soon, Chen Bichen, Wu Banchao, Zheng Wulou, and Xie Yichu all accepted the invitation to meet with Liao Gongpu. Rice exports accounted for almost two-thirds of Thailand's pre-war trade, making it a truly deserving pillar industry.

Despite the problems with rice exports, everyone is doing well, and even Thai banks rely on rice trade as their core business.

(End of this chapter)