As the calendar book was turned to the chapter of July, the land ushered in the height of summer. In recent times, the temperature has risen day by day, and the scorching heat has begun to test everyone.

Under the pressure of the summer heat, the people of Paris also rarely cut back on their feasts and entertainments, either living in seclusion or simply traveling to the countryside or abroad to escape the heat.

Yes, at this time of year, the vitality of nature becomes particularly attractive, the bright clear sky is blue, like a large piece of beautiful jade, only the white spots of small flowers as embellishments, the whole world is also shrouded in dazzling sunlight, the turbulent river flows quietly, in the sunlight with a little golden light.

Located on the outskirts of Paris, the Nagano Racecourse is surrounded by such green mountains and green waters, and every summer and autumn, large-scale horse races are held here, and the citizens and dignitaries of the city also flock to the city to have fun and relax, and by the way, bet on the race, which is a good pastime; Others are ambitious and hope to make a windfall.

However, the Charles, who is here today, does not belong to either of these two kinds of people—he has not come here for amusement or gambling, but to meet a man.

He was now sitting upright in the box of the racecourse, and next to him sat a middle-aged man, this middle-aged man was not tall, but his waist was quite large, his face was red, and he obviously lived a very comfortable life and neglected to maintain it. He was slightly bald, his brown hair was only around the perimeter, and his ruddy face was covered with smiles, which made his hooked nose look a little funny. The whole person looks quite rich, but from the smiling expression, you can always find a trace of cunning that can't be hidden.

The two men were not talking at this time, and the middle-aged man had been nervously looking at the center of the racecourse, looking at the horses that had already taken their places and were ready to start the race.

Not only him, but all eyes were focused on the boxes and the audience, and the atmosphere suddenly became tense, waiting for the final victory to belong.

"Bang!"

With the sound of this gun, the horses that had stopped at the edge of the run rushed forward like arrows from the string, and rushed to the far finish line with the wind.

The sound of horses' hooves rose and fell, beating on the ground like a drum, and for a moment it seemed to make the whole earth tremble.

And next to the runway, there was a tsunami of cheers. The stands were packed with spectators who had placed bets on the horses or were just coming to see a fresh look, and they were so attracted by the galloping horses that their passion had been aroused and they were all engaged in the enduring event, either shouting for a horse or making that hoarse scream that made the noise soar into the sky.

While the entire racecourse was immersed in thunderous cheers, the people in the boxes were equally infected, watching the horses gallop with the same nervousness.

The middle-aged man sitting next to Charles was now fully engaged in the game, his body had leaned forward, his mouth was muttering, his arms were waving vigorously, and his bulging eyes were almost like toads.

Charles didn't share the excitement that permeated the place, he just sat quietly and waited for the round to end.

Although Charles didn't understand why the other party wanted to meet at the hippodrome, Charles also knew that financiers had their own quirks, so he was able to understand and tolerate them.

This middle-aged man, named Du Taai, was a well-known financial broker, from humble beginnings, and at a young age he went to work in the city of Paris, first working in a bank, starting as a clerk at the lowest level, and with his talent and insatiable thirst for money, he finally became a well-known broker, specializing in processing

After making a name for himself, he chose to leave the bank and set up his own private firm, specializing in helping people deal with investment problems - and sometimes helping people deal with shady investments. After so many years of tempering, no one can question his professionalism, and his mind is also very clear, no matter who he is, he is tight-lipped about anyone, and over time he has also won the favor of many people by this, and made a fortune from it.

The Tréville family is one of his clients.

As an old marshal who had led troops for many years, the Marquis of Treville had a lot of loot that could not be seen in the light of day to be exchanged for cash, and for many years the Baron Tangral had been secretly selling and investing for him, and at the same time, the old Marquis also believed in the principle of not putting all his eggs in one basket, so he did not hand over all the affairs to the Baron Tangral, but scattered them to the others - Monsieur Dutaai was one of his agents.

Over the years, Dutaai has quietly helped the Tréville family sell their stolen goods, manage their investments, and gain full trust, and today, Charles is ready to use that trust.

After learning that the Count of Monte Cristo was going to speculate on bonds, Charles naturally wanted to make a big deal out of it, and he was quite self-aware that the world of finance was incomparably mysterious, and he could not play it as a young man, so he needed to ask some experts to help.

In his opinion, Mr. Dutaai has all the advantages of an expert - professionalism, decisiveness, tight-tongued and clever people.

Therefore, he contacted Dutaai and tentatively said that he wanted to engage in bond speculation and needed the help of the other party.

Unexpectedly, Dutaai immediately replied to him, telling Charles that he was very willing to help him invest, and invited Charles to come to the racecourse for a reunion in the reply, so Charles ran over.

However, when he first came, although Mr. Dutaai warmly welcomed Charles, he did not mention the investment matter, but put all his interest on Marseille, and encouraged Charles to bet, saying that he had inside information and could basically win the prize.

Charles had no interest in horse racing or anything else, so he dismissed Mr. Dutaai's kindness and waited for the rest of the show.

In the midst of the deafening noise, the speeding horses neighed across the finish line one by one, and because they were so fast that they looked like black lightning bolts, making it difficult to see the riders.

But one thing is clear – that is, the ownership of the champion.

Among the horses that had already run fast enough, there was one horse that was particularly fast, and at the beginning of the phase of going head-to-head, it slowly passed for a short time, and then rode out of the dust, taking the lead with the advantage that everyone could see, and crossing the finish line first.

"Ha !!" Just as the horse had crossed the finish line, Dutaai stood up excitedly, then waved his hand sharply and shouted loudly. This strange cry startled Charles next to him.

"Look, sir, just as I said! It wins! After this shout, Dutaai, who had vented his passion a little, looked at Charles happily, "It's a shame that you didn't make a bet!" ”

"Congratulations, sir." Charles politely nodded to the other in congratulations, "So now, I think you should be in a better mood to help me, right?" ”

"Of course, I'm too happy to help you." Dutaai immediately replied with a smile, "You don't know, in fact, my bet is also divining for you, and since I won, then this is a good sign, your investment will definitely be very smooth, and you can definitely make a lot of money." ”

"Then I'll borrow your good words, I really didn't expect you to work part-time as an astrologer." Charles made a joke.

"Financiers and astrologers are not much different, they don't know where they are, but they can all convincingly convince others that they do." Dutaai shrugged his shoulders and gave him a joke in return, "I'm glad you still believe I know." ”

"Of course I believe you, sir, but I want you to be a little more reliable than an astrologer, a little stronger." Charles replied with a smile, "That's how I would dare to bet on you." ”

"Honestly, I'd rather you didn't gamble." Mr. Dutaai sat down again, snapped his fingers, beckoned the waiter with the tray next to him to bring the fruit, and then he took a piece of the sliced apple, put it directly in his mouth, and chewed it loudly, "If I were you, I would not devote my energy to speculation." ”

"It's not surprising that a broker who specializes in helping people engage in speculation actually swears to persuade customers not to speculate!" Charles was surprised.

"Those who do our business have to see who says what." Dutaai shook his throat, swallowed the apple scraps, and then said vaguely to Charles, "Your family is my big customer, and you have taken care of me over the years, and I should give you serious and honest advice, even if I don't want to repay the favor—and my honest advice is that you want to invest in bonds, which is a good thing, and people must learn how to make money!" But for a noble person like you, it is much more important to learn how to curry favor with Your Majesty and stabilize the power of the family than to learn how to bond well. ”

"I see what you mean, I'm just going to have fun." Charles froze for a moment, then replied. "After all, sometimes people have to try something new, you don't have to worry, I know what is more important to me."

"The amount of money you need to use is already more than the level of trying fresh." Dutaai shook his head, seemingly disagreeing with Charles's explanation, "The funds you wish to use have basically reached all the amount of money your family has paid with me, Master Treville, this is definitely not a joke, I know that you are a very, very good young man, a pillar of the future of the Empire, but—without your grandfather's handwritten consent, I would not have been able to subscribe as you wished, please understand." ”

"I can understand your painstaking efforts, and I am even very grateful that you treat our family's assets so seriously-" Charles thanked the other party sincerely, but still insisted on his opinion, "However, I still insist that I make an investment, and in a few days I will send my grandfather's handwritten consent form." ”

"Oh!" Charles's answer caused Dutaai to open his mouth in surprise.

Originally, when he heard about Charles's investment intentions, he thought that this was just a reckless move by a young man who didn't know the sky, so he advised Charles not to play so big, but he didn't expect that he would be able to invite the Marquis of Treville.

This old marshal is not a simple person, he has always acted calmly and spicy, he actually agreed with his grandson's opinion, and made such a large investment, then it shows at least two things-

1, Charles has gained the complete trust of his grandfather, and now he is not only the legal heir, but has begun to take over his grandfather's business steadily.

2, he is very confident in this investment, and definitely thinks that he can win, so he can say that the old marshal recognizes himself.

Either of these points was significant, and he felt that he needed to re-weigh Charles de Treville.

"If you can really get the permission of the old marshal, then I have nothing to say, and I will fully cooperate with you." After pondering for a long time, Dutaai finally raised his head and looked at Charles, "But such a large investment, it's really not a joke, I hope you can be mentally prepared accordingly - I have been in this industry for many years, I have seen all kinds of strange things, no matter how sure I can make a sure profit and not lose money, I think there is still a risk......"

"I naturally know the risks, you just do what I say, I will bear all the risks, even if I lose, I will never let you bear any responsibility." Charles answered him dryly.

"Alright, let's get into the details." Dutaai looked away at the attendants next to him and waved them away.

After the idlers had walked out, he looked at Charles again, "Sir, let me ask you one more thing, did you listen to the advice of Baron Tangral or those close to him, so you are ready to make this investment?" ”

"Why do you think that?" Charles did not respond directly, but asked the other person rhetorically.

"Although the bond market is very deep, there are not many secrets for an insider like me...... It's no secret that the Spanish bonds you're going to invest in are now being traded by Baron Tangral's family, at least I know the details. Dutaai looked at Charles earnestly, as if making a last-ditch effort to admonish him, "I don't know what influenced you to invest in this so sincerely, but if you want me to make a specific judgment about this investment, it is - pit, big pit, big pit." ”

"You seem to have a bad impression of Baron Tangral?" Charles remained unhurried and continued to ask the other party.

"Yes, I don't have a good impression of him, a decent person like me, and I know the details of this guy, so how can I still have a good impression of him? Sir, it's just the two of us, so I'm not afraid of offending anyone, and I'll tell you the truth - it doesn't look like it, but he's actually a big liar, and he's the real thing. Dutaai looked at Charles with a serious face, and his voice lowered unconsciously, "For many years, he has been playing the trick of controlling bonds, using his fame to trick others into investing, and coaxing how many innocent investors to go bankrupt because of him...... Spanish bonds, I think it's the same thing, so if you're going to invest because of his agitation and inducements, you can stop now and take advantage of everything. ”

After saying that, Dutaai stopped, secretly watching the reaction of the young man opposite.

Strange to say, he didn't see the resentment of annoyance and anger on the young man's face, nor did he see the happiness of the rest of his life after the catastrophe, but saw a rather playful smile slowly appear on the other person's face.

"So that's what you think of Baron Tangral, huh? Then I can rest assured that you will not influence your actions because of your blind trust in him. Charles reached out and picked up a piece of apple from the tray, put it in his mouth and chewed it heavily, letting the sweet juice moisten his throat, "Don't worry, I may not know as much about Baron Tangral as you do, but I know very well that he is a liar......"

"You know? If you know why, why stick to investing? Dutaai's eyes widened in astonishment.

After a moment, he seemed to think of something, and his eyes suddenly lit up, "Could it be...... You have caught the sore foot of Baron Tangral and are going to take advantage of this opportunity to snatch a deal from his hands? ”

"Yes and no." Charles gave him a completely vague answer, "Anyway, don't worry, since I dare to invest so much, then I must have my confidence, I will not put my wealth on someone's kindness, let alone take risks easily." ”

"That's right......" Dutaai sighed.

He didn't expect that he would be able to get such an answer from this young man.

Could it be that Baron Tangral, who has always been meticulous, has really left a fatal negligence somewhere, giving people room to attack themselves?

Is this possible?

The startled Dutaai lowered his head in thought, but Charles did not make a sound to disturb him, and for a moment the box fell into a strange silence.

"If that's the case, then I'm relieved, I hope you can ......" After a long time, Dutaai seemed to think of something.

But his words were interrupted by a soft sound coming from the doorway.

"Knock, knock, knock."

Why, did Dutaai invite someone else to come here for the party? Or did someone break into the box? Charles's heart suddenly had some suspicion.

He quickly denied the idea of Dutaai's invitation, because at the same time as the knock on the door, Dutaai's face suddenly turned ugly.

He wanted to say something, but the door was still ringing insistently.

Each sound made Dutaai's face even more ugly.

"Who's coming?" Charles couldn't help but ask.

Dutaai's expression was cloudy, and he didn't answer, only to give him an apologetic smile in the end. "Wait for me."

With that as he said that, he got up straight from his seat and walked to the door.

Who is it that makes this veteran of the rivers and lakes afraid to become like this?

The door opened, and soon Dutaai walked back in front of the Charles.

"Mr. Treyville, I would like to introduce you to the person who has brought me and you a good omen today." His face no longer had the gloom he had just haze, but a professional smirk. "The winning horse is his."

"Huh?" Charles was still a little ignorant.

What does horse racing have to do with me?

This doubt of his was quickly solved by the comer himself.

This is a tall young man, dressed in a well-cut and delicate coat, wearing a thin black and blue tie, and a royal blue waistcoat, fair skin, and gray hair is also very delicately combed, looking like a well-known playboy in Paris.

He wore a ring on the middle finger of his right hand, and the blue diamond on the ring was shining with a slender thin light, which was worth a lot of money at first sight.

All in all, it must have cost the owner a lot of money, and it did make the owner look personable, as if he were attending the grandest ball in the social world.

A friendly smile immediately appeared on his face as he saw Charles, and he nodded to Charles, "It's a pleasure to meet you here, Mr. Treville." Let me introduce myself, I am ...... Maurice de Beauwon. ”

"I know you, sir." Charles quickly recovered from his initial surprise and replied in a dull voice.

Although he is very calm on the surface, he is overturning the river and the sea inside.

Maurice de Beauvan, like his appearance, was a famous playboy in Paris, who lived a lavish life and had a reputation in the social world.

However, for Charles, he himself was insignificant, the point was that his father, Baron de Beauvan, was a well-known banker, with deep pockets, and had served the Empire for many years, even more than Baron Tangral.

However, the key question is not here, the key question is......

Why did Dutaai know him?

He turned his head to look at Dutaai, who had been working for his family in obscurity for many years, and suddenly seemed a little strange.

This guy, when did any Baron de Beauwin get there? And how deep is the relationship with them? It looks like they're definitely not new to each other.

Charles, who had been in the court for many years, now had suspicions that came almost instinctively, and this suspicion was becoming especially fierce at this moment.

When he thought of some shady careers in his own private and thought that he was well guarded, but he was always under the noses of others, he felt a little inexplicably uncomfortable and even a little angry.

"Don't look at him like that, sir." Maurice de Beauwin sat down in Mr. Dutaai's place just now, and then continued to smile and look at Shire, "We have nothing but kindness to you, I swear. ”