Make France Great Again

Jerome Bonaparte paused and looked at Valerovsky, feeling a sense of unease in his heart.

Emile Pereire? Shouldn't he be in Paris? How did he end up coming here? Could something major have happened at the Industrial Bank involving Emile Pereire... But that shouldn't be the case!

Jerome Bonaparte believed that if there really were any operational issues at the Industrial Bank, his informants there would have conveyed the intelligence to him immediately. The exploitation of the California gold mines was the next priority only after a coup, and any slight mishap could lead to French capital facing a confrontation from New Continent capital.

With a perplexed mind, Jerome Bonaparte lifted his head and gazed at Valerovsky with his gray-blue eyes for a moment, then nodded and said in a habitual tone, "Understood, let Mr. Emil in!"

"Yes!"

Valerovsky followed Jerome Bonaparte's order and invited Emile Pereire into the study.

Watching Valerovsky's departing figure, Jerome Bonaparte got up from his blue-cushioned chair, walked across the Persian red carpet on the floor, and sat on the cushioned armchair to await Emile Pereire's arrival.

Before long, Valerovsky ushered in Emile Pereire, the president of the Industrial Bank, before Jerome Bonaparte.

"Your Majesty!" Emile Pereire, dressed in a pure black suit, with a top hat, and a leather briefcase under his arm, took off his hat and bowed politely to Jerome Bonaparte, saying, "Please forgive me for the intrusion during your vacation!"

"Have a seat and let's talk, Mr. Emil!" Jerome Bonaparte smiled and patted the white plush cushion beside him to indicate to Emile Pereire to sit down.

"Yes!" Emile Pereire nodded. Standing next to Emile Pereire, Valerovsky helped him place his top hat on the rack.

As Emile Pereire was about to speak, seated upright on the couch across from Jerome Bonaparte, Jerome Bonaparte's voice reached Emile Pereire's ears: "Mr. Valerovsky, two coffees!"

Only in private settings would Jerome Bonaparte prefer to address Valerovsky as cousin.

Of course, sometimes he couldn't help but mix it up.

"Yes!" responded Valerovsky, who quickly responded and walked out of the study with steady steps after placing Emile Pereire's top hat on the rack.

"Your Majesty, that is not necessary!" Emile Pereire showed a humble expression in response to Jerome Bonaparte's "courtesy."

"It's nothing!" Jerome Bonaparte responded with a rightful expression and quickly got to the point: "Mr. Emil, I'm not sure what brings you to me today?"

Emile Pereire opened the briefcase, and Jerome Bonaparte curiously peered at it. Since he was quite close to Emile Pereire, Jerome Bonaparte vaguely saw two sealed documents inside the briefcase.

"Your Majesty, this is the procurement plan for the iron mines in the Nancy area and the blast furnace complaint usage plan..." Emile Pereire presented the sealed documents to Jerome Bonaparte and said, "These were entrusted to me by my brother Isaac Pereire to deliver to you!"

Since Jerome Bonaparte's successive conversations at the Elysee Palace in 1849 with Eugène Schneider and Emile Pereire, Emile Pereire's brother, Isaac Pereire, and Eugène Schneider began working on the construction of the steel industries in Nancy and Strasbourg.

Due to the entrenched German land nobility in Alsace and Lorraine, the plan has not progressed as smoothly as planned.

But overall, it has been proceeding satisfactorily.

Jerome Bonaparte took the plan and set it aside, saying, "I'm not interested in the detailed data, I just want to know how far along the Nancy area has advanced?"

"Your Majesty, I have already reached agreements with the vast majority of the iron mine owners in the Lorraine region. They have agreed to supply us with iron ore! The blast furnace is expected to be fully operational by the end of the year..." Emile Pereire diligently clarified and explained to Jerome Bonaparte.

After listening to Emile Pereire, Jerome Bonaparte shook his head slightly and responded, "That is not enough! Just getting the cooperation of the Lorraine region is not enough. I need you to organize them and establish a civilian iron mining association. By then, the government will also have a reason to get involved."

After thinking for a moment, Emile Pereire tentatively asked, "Your Majesty, are you referring to something like the previous Northern Industrial Group?"

"Exactly!" Jerome Bonaparte nodded and said to Emile Pereire, "We must firmly hold the pricing power of iron ore in our hands!"

Since France is a country lacking coal, with its iron mines at the front line, this causes the price of iron ore in the Lorraine region to far exceed that in the Prussian region.

Even with slight governmental regulation, if left unchecked, the iron ore in the Lorraine region will inevitably further squeeze industrial profits.

By that time, I fear no capitalist will be willing to invest large sums of money into the industry.

Just like the United Fruit Company in America later controlled the prices of fruits in Central America, he too must control the internal prices of France's iron mines to make capital profitable, thus driving the cycle.

The only difference is, while the United Fruit Company's power comes from its shareholders, the power of the "Iron Ore Federation" will only come from the President.

The foundation of the former's power is not as solid as the latter's.

"Yes, Your Majesty!" Emile Pereire responded.

At this moment, Valerovsky came in holding a silver tray, which had a steaming coffee pot and two cups decorated with blue and white patterns on it.

Valerovsky placed the coffee pot and cups on the mahogany table in front of the two, poured a cup of coffee for Jerome Bonaparte and Emile Pereire respectively, and stood gracefully by the sofa, waiting for Jerome Bonaparte's command.

Jerome Bonaparte picked up the steaming cup of coffee, took a sip, and continued to ask, "Mr. Emil, is there anything else? You can say it all at once!"

"It's like this!" Emile Pereire took another document from his briefcase, "This is the income and expenditure of the Industrial Bank, as well as our progress in the American gold mines!"

Stroking the document in his hands that was as thick as half of a textbook from the future, a trace of annoyance flashed across Jerome Bonaparte's face. He didn't need so-called data; he needed Emile Pereire to explain what was actually happening.

"Mr. Emil, do you need any help in the American mining district?" Jerome Bonaparte asked Emile Pereire directly.

"It's like this! Our manpower in the mining area has been decreasing, and many Germans are unwilling to work for us!" Emile Pereire said in a low voice tinged with a hint of weakness to Jerome Bonaparte: "Due to the significant amount of gold there, a lot of manpower is needed... So I hope to bring some people from France to California for mining!"

"Short of manpower?" Jerome Bonaparte got up and began pacing, sometimes nodding, sometimes shaking his head, murmuring Emile Pereire's words to himself.

Amid Emile Pereire's slightly anxious expression, Jerome Bonaparte finally stopped his steps. He turned his gaze to Emile Pereire and asked sternly, "How many do you need?"

Jerome Bonaparte's inquiry allowed Emile Pereire's hanging heart to finally settle. He quickly said to Jerome Bonaparte, "About a thousand people!"

"A thousand people!" Jerome Bonaparte's expression changed slightly. After pondering for a moment, he said, "This is not a small number! If mishandled, it might lead to a scandal!"

If Jerome Bonaparte had the choice, he would certainly dispatch a group of prisoners from the jails to California under the guise of redemption.

But once he did that, he would likely face various scandals.

The opposition would criticize him for attempting to restore the slave system and might even draw connections to the Emperor by citing references.

"We must proceed gently!" Jerome Bonaparte muttered to himself.

At this moment, a sudden inspiration flashed through Jerome Bonaparte's mind, and he suddenly thought of a way to achieve both goals.

"We can issue a lottery!" Jerome Bonaparte said to Emile Pereire: "The lottery can be named 'Gold Bar Lottery,' priced at 1 franc each. We can claim that anyone who buys the lottery has the chance to go to the New Continent, and part of the funds will be used to build Worker Villages. This way, we can avoid the lottery risk while sending dreams-laden gold diggers to the New Continent. Isn't that a win-win solution?"

According to the constitution of the Second Republic: aside from lotteries with the purpose of relief, no one can issue lotteries.

"You are right!" Emile Pereire complimented, not having thought about using the lottery to attract the French to the New Continent before, but the issuance of the lottery required the President's consent.

"There are quite a few opportunities to get rich in the New Continent, I hope they cherish them well!" Jerome Bonaparte sat down again and said.

"Indeed! I believe they will be grateful for your kindness!" Emile Pereire echoed.

The two, knowing each other's tacit understanding, ignored the mortality rate in the western New Continent when they used the lottery to coax the proletariat to the New Continent.

After all, in the 19th century, anything could happen unexpectedly; perhaps they could create a place for themselves in the New Continent.

The "Gold Bar Lottery" plan, jointly drafted by Jerome Bonaparte and Emile Pereire, was completed in two days.