In the city of Brest Port, on a high ground overlooking the entire Brest Military Port, there is a retro-style villa in the English pastoral style.

On the third floor of the villa, in the study facing the port of Brest, a middle-aged gentleman with a Bret-esque beard, apparently well-trimmed, perfectly suited to a round face, sat behind a desk, scribbling something in a notebook.

In the city of Brest, the few Frenchmen who are familiar with this English villa with its large and beautiful gardens know that there lived an extremely wealthy British railway tycoon, whom they used to call the venerable Monsieur de Brasser.

The venerable Monsieur Blasse's full name should be Thomas Blasser, and if you happen to be a person who is familiar with the history of railways in nineteenth-century Europe and even the world, this name will find unusually familiar.

That's right, he was the British railway tycoon, or rather, the world railway tycoon, the eldest son of the elder Mr. Thomas Brasser.

Mr. Thomas Blasset, to be precise, should be the most successful railway tycoon in Europe in the nineteenth century, and indeed in the whole world, and note that this is not one of the world-class railway tycoons.

To give a simple example, by 1879 the family of Mr. Brasser Sr. owned one-third of the length of railways in England, three-quarters of the length of railways in France, more than 70% of the length of railways in Canada, Australia and South Africa, all the railways in India, and the construction of railways in the Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, Italy and Norway, which was largely monopolized by the railway empire of Mr. Brasser Sr.

It was because of the sudden outbreak of the European economic crisis two years ago that the old Mr. Brasse had slightly delayed the pace of madness, otherwise to the honor list of his legendary life would have been added the length of more than 5,000 miles of railways within Austria-Hungary.

Until at least 1900, the Brassay family controlled far more railroad miles than the American Vanderbilt.

In addition to being a world-famous railway tycoon, Mr. Brasser Sr. was a major construction contractor for many of the world's largest cities, and the water and sewerage systems he built for London in the first half of the 19th century were still in use in 2018, when Joey lived.

The construction of bridges, docks, waterworks, stations, viaducts and tunnels throughout Europe and the colonies of the British Empire was the strength of Mr. Brassier Sr.

In addition, in 1864, the submarine cable line across the two sides of the Atlantic Ocean was also laid by the submarine cable company under the old Mr. Brasse, so in the world telecommunications industry, the old Mr. Brasser also has a place.

The day-to-day management of Mr. Blasser, a super-business empire spanning the globe with more than 80,000 employees, is handled by him, a valet, and a cashier.

Please note: They do not have a permanent office or other office staff.

The elder Mr. Thomas Brassay is the only sun in the history of world railways in the nineteenth century.

So, if you talk about who was the most honored and prestigious of the railroad tycoons of the 19th century, forget the Vanderbilt family of the American Gilded Age.

At least before World War II, in the eyes of Europeans, these Americans were nothing more than a bunch of country relatives desperately trying to marry Europe's declining female aristocracy with a little money, and no American company in history had ever achieved commercial success in Europe.

For example, when Mr. Hiram Stevens Maxim first arrived in Europe, he was immediately reminded by the representative of Victor Corporation, "Sir, if you want to negotiate a successful business, please correct your bad accent first." ”

As the heir to Mr. Blatsé's business empire, Mr. Brazier's life history, like his father, Mr. Brazier's life history is equally dazzling.

The heir to the Brasser family is just one of Mr. Thomas-Brasser's many successful identities, and as the most important donor to the British Liberal Party, Mr. Brasser successfully ran for the British House of Commons at the age of 29, becoming Mr. Gladstone's most important supporter in the British Parliament.

In addition to being a successful business tycoon and a young political star, he is also a staff writer for a front-page column in The Telegraph, and has always been known in the British press for his sharp writing and serious articles.

In addition, because of his passion for naval equipment and strategy, Mr. Brasser is currently preparing for the publication of a series of professional naval illustrated books, the Brasser Naval Almanac (note 1), which includes all the ships of the existing European navies.

From September 1878, Mr. Thomas-Brasser made an agreement with the French government that the Brasé company would build a completely new railway construction in France from Paris to Brest via Le Mans.

In order to get a closer look at and understand the details of the French Atlantic Fleet, Monsieur de Brasser took the opportunity of building the railroad to place his residence in the port of Brest instead of Paris, where he lived more comfortably, so as to observe the main fleet of the French Navy in the port of Brest up close.

The status of the bigwigs in manufacturing, construction, politics, journalism and publishing is only a small part of the achievements of Mr. Brassier's great and illustrious life so far.

Anyone who succeeds is never a dull person to the perception of the outside world, especially Mr. Brasser, who has reached middle age and is at the peak of his mental and physical strength, has an almost intuitive reaction to any subtle changes in the world around him.

After all, whether in England or France, Christmas is definitely the most important day of the year for any family, but for the military, especially those who have been away from land for a long time and have ventured at sea, especially the sailors at the bottom, it is an incomparably luxurious thing to reunite with their families.

In order to relieve this depression and sorrow, the sailors could only vent their exuberant energy in the sound and lust of the anchorage during the limited time they had to stay at the shore, especially during the frequent Christmas holidays, in the home port of Brest, the officers and men of the French Atlantic Fleet had more money and leisure, and had more reason to linger among the bars and brothels of Brest.

Mr. Brasser, who was familiar with all the affairs of the Navy and had been in the port of Brest for more than a year, naturally knew where he should go to gather first-hand material for his new yearbook.

In terms of alcohol and women, it is not only the French navy that is so indulgent to sailors, but in fact the British Royal Navy, the German Navy, the American Navy, and so it can be said that this is the case for all countries with naval traditions in Europe and the United States, even if the Qing Navy goes to Nagasaki in the future.

Therefore, a captain who finds ten Fengyue women to fight in bed during the docking period is really not something to be fuss about in the eyes of the British and American naval leaders, even if you portray this kind of indiscretion as evidence that the British and American navies are not able to fight, but in the eyes of the British and American naval leaders, it is the captain's ability to be unstoppable.

How can a sailor who can't even conquer women and alcohol say that he is a man who can conquer the sea?!

But on the eve of the Christmas holiday, when all the places in Brest were about to make a lot of money, the French Navy suddenly began to order all the officers and soldiers in the base not to leave the barracks, and at the same time, the warships anchored at the anchorage, which were supposed to turn off their boilers and turn off their flames, were still emitting black smoke 24 hours a day, looking ready to sail at any time.

Even the Brest Fort Marine Barracks next to the military port had begun to distribute guns and live ammunition to soldiers, and according to some people from the town of Kegadio, across the Brest Bay from the military port, the shore batteries on the southern headland of Brest Bay had been stripped of their gun jackets and were preparing for battle.

Inside and outside the port of Brest, there is an unusual atmosphere.

The unusual behaviour of the French at Christmas in the port of Brest fell into the eyes of Mr. Blassert early.

Whether as a patriotic British parliamentarian or as a well-known naval observer, it was enough to give Mr. Brasser a keen premonition that something unusual was about to happen in the port of Brest.

Taking advantage of the geographical advantage of his villa, Monsieur de la Blaser specially arranged for several loyal servants to take turns observing the movements in the Brest military port day and night, even if he did not notice the "Triumph" that quietly left the harbor on the night of the 21st, but on the following two days, after making a daily count of the number of warships in the Brest military port, Mr. Brasser also immediately noticed that the pride of the French navy had mysteriously disappeared on Christmas Eve.

With the fleet of the Imperial Russian Navy sailing into the port of Brest in the early morning of Christmas Day, in a state of astonishment, and the sudden diplomatic statement of the French Foreign Ministry in a special newspaper issue, Monsieur de Brasser immediately understood the real reason why the French in the port of Brest had been so busy earlier.

The French and the Russians have joined forces, and the only point of reference is the Royal Navy.

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After the chaos of Christmas Eve and the tense preparations for war on Christmas Day, with the diplomatic statement of the relaxed attitude released by the British, the French and Russian navies in the Brest military port were slightly relieved, and then the French warships patrolling the Strait of La Manche sent back the exact news that the Plymouth Naval Base of the British Royal Navy was as calm as ever.

Judging from the news from all sides, the top admirals of the French and Russian navies were finally convinced that this adventure of the imperial Russian navy had succeeded!

As compensation for the failure of all the officers and men of the French Navy's Atlantic Fleet and base to celebrate Christmas Eve and Christmas, Vice Admiral Jorégéberg, the Supreme Commander of the French Navy, announced to all French naval officers and sailors that the Christmas holiday at the Brest military port would be extended for another five days, and that all the officers and men would be closed from the 26th.

Similarly, in order to celebrate the great success of this adventurous voyage, hailed as the rising star of the Imperial Russian Navy, and transferred from the weak Black Sea Fleet to the Baltic Fleet for this mission, the young Interim Rear Admiral Stepan Ospovich Makarov also announced that the Russian officers and men of the Baltic Task Force would enjoy the same holidays as their French friends in addition to the gold coins they deserved.

Thus, the military port of Brest on December 26, 1879 was jubilant, as were the bars, brothels and underground casinos around the military port.

In the corner of the windmill bar, famous for its wild striptease erotic performances, but the most popular entertainment venue in the Brest military port, the sailors on the Triumph were drinking and partying with two new Russian friends.

Sitting opposite Sergeant Sébastian and the Frenchmen were Sergeant Berech Bondevich Petrov of the ironclad ship St. Peter the Great, and Sergeant Henri Radevich Leglis, two Russian ancestors who immigrated from Le Havre to St. Petersburg during the French Revolution, so the two Russian sailors were of French descent who spoke fluent French.

In the nineteenth century, people who were willing to sail on a boat can be said to be hot-blooded men who like to challenge unknown fate and fight the wind and waves on the sea, and the tradition of the navy is to replace water with wine as an ancient tradition of daily drinks when sailing, so when blood collides with alcohol, the French who are good at chatting and the Russians who are good at drinking are naturally the topic drifting farther and farther.

No matter how far the topic is, it can't run away from the two themes of heroes and beauties, and after everyone has touted each other, of course, it is a Christmas miracle of the Imperial Russian Navy, which is completely worthy of special mention, Denis from Le Havre is familiar with introducing the special services of the windmill bar, and the generous Parisian Pierre is ready to buy the last round of expensive cognac for everyone at the table, and then he is about to go straight to the windmill bar on the third floor of the gentle village.

"Distinguished gentlemen, for the sake of the great friendship between France and Russia, allow me to have a drink!" A standard Parisian accent rang in everyone's ears.

The invitation came from a middle-aged man wearing a taffeta-silk kilet-style waistcoat and white shirt, black trousers, shaggy curly hair, and a round face with a Brett beard, smiling at the crowd.

Pierre, whose eyes fell on the middle-aged man's gold-blue silk vest, involuntarily whistled in his mouth, and then said playfully, "Yo, it turned out to be a master from Paris!" ”

"Oh, Grande Champagne cognac!" Renel, a native of Nantes, stared at the two bottles of wine in the middle-aged man's hand with a shiny eye, and asked greedily, "Dear sir, if I'm not mistaken, this is an aged cognac from Château Chantello, are you going to invite us for such a valuable wine?!" ”

"Why not, respected warriors deserve the best cognac!" The middle-aged man smiled and handed Renel the two bottles of brandy in his hand, while the accent changed from the standard Parisian pronunciation to the charming and sexy Toulouse accent.

The middle-aged man's Toulouse accent immediately aroused the favor of Denis and Renel, who were not surprised, and immediately opened the two bottles of precious brandy and immediately poured a full glass for everyone present.

With the exception of Parisian narcissists, who are obsessed with their own accents, all French countrymen hate the so-called "Tête de chien" accent.

"The lord of the seventh district?" Sergeant Sergeant Sebastian held his wine glass, looked at the middle-aged man opposite, and asked meaningfully.

The 7th arrondissement of Paris is home to several departments of the French government, and the meaning behind Sergeant Sébastian's words is to ask the middle-aged man if he is a hated French government bureaucrat.

"No, I live in the Pantheon district." The middle-aged man explained with a smile in a standard Parisian accent.

"Shhhhh.....h ”

The 5th arrondissement of Paris, also known as the Pantheon district, is known for its cultural, artistic and academic scene, and the Parisians who live here are often referred to as the decent people of Paris.

Mellow spirits are the easiest to draw into the relationship between people, and if one glass is not enough, then have another one.

Soon the wine was full, and the middle-aged man also bluntly stated his purpose for inviting wine.

"Gentlemen, it just so happened that I overheard your heroic stories by the side, and my newspaper and I were very interested in it." The middle-aged man smiled and skillfully took out a stack of cash from his arms, "Of course, the more wonderful and true the story, the more worthy of the corresponding reward." ”

Note 1: The world's earliest naval almanac, if it were not for the unexpected death of Mr. Brassier, it would certainly be the best naval publication and defense yearbook in the world, in fact, Jane's naval series is a cheap version of the "Brasser Naval Almanac", and now a set of original Brassier almanacs costs at least more than 5 figures of euros.