After listening to Natsuki's words, Johnson was obviously not surprised, he said sincerely: "We can fully understand His Highness's position, please believe that the United States' determination to abide by neutrality will never waver, and our IMM is an American company, which will inevitably follow the government's position and will never be affected by certain political factors in the international arms deal." Pen @ fun @ pavilion wWw. ｂｉｑUｇE。 info It is up to us to represent the high-speed torpedo boats in the market outside of Germany, which is definitely safer and more reliable than those aggressive, unfriendly guys. ”

"But your offer can't reach my psychological bottom line." Natsuki hinted that he could make concessions, which was in line with the "drunken talk" he had on the night of the sprint victory.

Johnson put away his smile and said very seriously tentatively: "We think it's worth as much as a standard second-class cruiser." ”

At the cost of the time, a 3 to 4,000 ton 2nd class cruiser was worth about 300,000 pounds.

Natsuki shook his head decisively: "If our Emperor Majesty were to make the decision, he would never give up the best high-speed speedboat in the world today for the sake of a second-class cruiser." ”

Johnson then said in the tone of a philosopher: "My Royal Highness, I have no disrespect in the slightest—in our time, industrial technology is developing faster than at any other time, and in a few months some clever men will build speedboats of similar performance—and sometimes the value of a thing is more than the time it appears." ”

Even with the design belt, the Kraken didn't cost more than £30,000, and the timing of the championship did add a lot of value to it. The vision of a shrewd businessman coincides with Natsuki, but it also makes Natsuki feel that it is difficult for him to take advantage of this person.

"Your Excellency's words are very interesting, and I think I will seriously consider your proposal." Natsuki's meaning at the end of the conversation was obvious.

Johnson hurriedly said: "If it is convenient for His Highness, we can choose another time to discuss in detail, at any time and place." ”

Natsuki deliberately showed some impatience: "If you have any intention of cooperating, I will send someone to contact you." It's a pleasure to meet you here, Mr. Johansen. ”

"It's Johnson, Michelle. Johnson, Your Highness. The American corrected with a little embarrassment, "My address and phone number are on the business card, ready to serve you." ”

Nodding politely to the other party, Natsuki turned around without hesitation and walked towards Princess Louise, who was waiting for him not far away.

"The Americans are paying £300,000 for our rowing skills."

In the past, Louise would have widened her eyes and exclaimed, "That's a lot of money," but this time she followed her brother to England, and she had a new assessment of the concept of money.

"That's a little short of your expectations." She said lightly, "There should still be room for price increases!" ”

Natsuki said: "I didn't continue to talk about it -- Americans are not ideal trading partners. Now there are a lot of people who want to get it, and we can be completely patient with the picking. ”

People who have lived in the palace since childhood usually don't have a clear, clear business concept in their heads. Louise was tempted to say something, but found herself unable to offer any opinion or advice on the matter, so that there was a rare silence between the two. At this time, the Duke of Hill appeared, dressed in a gorgeous white military uniform, with a golden ribbon and Victoria Cross on his chest, and his big eyes under his thick eyebrows were like a lighthouse at night.

"His Royal Highness Prince Joachim and Princess Louise of Prussia, welcome two distinguished guests to England."

"Oh, His Royal Highness the Duke of Hill." Natsuki quickly stretched out his right hand. The British pay attention to gentlemanly etiquette, but they are not keen on shaking hands, thinking that it is enough for acquaintances to shake hands only once in their lives, plus some other factors, the handshake posture of the two is very concise, and they let go of their hands almost immediately after shaking them.

The Duke of Hill's kiss to Princess Louise is also on point.

"It is necessary for me to apologize to the two Highnesses for the reckless faux pass of Anne and Charlotte."

Apologizing without saying why, Duke Hill's words can be seen as a strict obedience to hierarchical notions. The Duke is of course the second royal title in England after the Prince, but his eldest son was only a Marquis before inheriting the Duke title, and the wife and daughter of the Marquis could only be honored as Mrs. and Miss, and did not have any titles. Making a pact between an untitled man and a prince of high status is indeed a reckless and disrespectful act in the eyes of the old-fashioned.

With a verbal apology, Duke Hill put his feet together, straightened his upper body, and bowed his head slightly to Natsuki - in response to the courtesy, Natsuki also bowed his head with his feet together and his chest straight.

"At the same time, I take the liberty of inviting His Royal Highness the Prince and the Princess to deign to be guests at Hill Manor, and it would be an honour for them and the entire family if they could agree." The Duke of Hill's words were extremely aristocratic and decent, but when he extended the invitation, there was no humility or trepidation in his expression and tone. As a senior general of the British Royal Navy, the Duke of Hill has always maintained a proud posture, and his words are sonorous and powerful, as if to remind Natsuki that although the German royal family is noble, the relationship between Britain and Germany has deteriorated day by day in recent years.

Natsuki understood what he said, and he had seen Duke Hill and Crown Prince George talking separately from a distance, and the invitation of the German royal family to Hill Manor must have been announced. In this season of spring heart, it is normal for young boys and girls to have a good impression of each other, but when the identity background of both parties is extraordinary, people have to be cautious.

The reason why I decided to accept such a not very warm invitation was to get to know Charlotte further. Hill, Natsuki also had a very important intention, that is, to understand the degree of resistance of the traditional British aristocracy to Germany, which had to do with the color of the blueprint he sketched for the German navy - whether he had to fight to the death with the British navy, or whether he only needed to win a decisive naval victory, and then he could induce Britain to withdraw from the war on relatively lenient terms of peace, which would be two very different paths, leading to two very different ends.

After receiving Natsuki's affirmative reply, Duke Hill's tone was still polite: "I wonder if it is convenient for the two Highnesses to go there in the near future?" ”

"It's just a few days when I'm free, otherwise I'm afraid I'll have to wait until summer." Natsuki said.

"So, is it appropriate to arrange for the two Highnesses to leave tomorrow or the day after tomorrow?"

"There are still some important things to deal with tomorrow, and the day after tomorrow is more appropriate."

"In that case, I will send a car to the hotel to wait for me the morning after tomorrow, what do your highnesses think?"

Natsuki asked Louise for advice again with his gaze, and then said, "Then I will ask His Royal Highness the Duke to arrange it!" ”

Just like Natsuki's previous attitude towards the American businessman, the Duke nodded lukewarmly, and then turned to leave.

Living in people's ardent respect and admiration for a long time, suddenly facing this rather reluctant face, there will inevitably be a gap in the inner senses, and Natsuki has no reason to be happy, and his mentality will not be unbalanced. If Kaiser Wilhelm II or Crown Prince Wilhelm had been replaced, he would have been annoyed and angry at such a situation, and would not hesitate to vent his dissatisfaction in sharp and caustic language - the vassals would have listened to it, and if outsiders were present, there would have been another diplomatic incident, and the balance of great powers in Bismarck's era had gradually drifted away from Germany in this "open-mouthed" and "open-mindedness......

The next day, Natsuki and Louise visit the British Empire Museum, which he calls "something important." Outside, money can buy almost everything people want, but here, money loses its purchasing power, because almost every piece of the collection is a priceless treasure with a rich cultural and historical heritage. Coming with different eyes and perspectives, some people appreciate the magic of different cultures, some people are obsessed with the splendor of treasures and antiques, and some people quietly meditate and understand the source of the power of the world's empires - no country or emperor has been able to collect this priceless treasure house as vast as the sea throughout the ages, only the myth of the sun never setting can create such a miracle.

In the Oriental Gallery, which is full of Chinese elements, Xia Shu stays much longer than any other hall. In the eyes of others, the Prussian prince's curiosity and yearning for oriental culture were the same as those of his father, and no one knows how much he was surging in the face of these strange and familiar collections. Sadly, even if he were to one day dismantle the traditional hegemony of the British Empire and force the British to return these treasures to their rightful owners, they would inevitably be lost before those countries truly rose.

When he returned to the hotel at the end of the visit, Natsuki unsurprisingly received several invitations from the waiter, including Austrians, Italians, Spaniards, and even Russians. It seems that there is no inevitable relationship between the speed of the dissemination of business information and the level of development of information technology, and the "drunken words" have become an open secret in the circle, and this is also the result that Xia Shu painstakingly wants to obtain. He used his skillful skill to get away with the invitations, and wrote back to the senders of the invitations, informing them that he had no time to attend appointments in the near future, and that if the opportunity coincided, he might meet them in person before leaving England.

(End of chapter)