Before World War I, how powerful the bankers were, look at the currency issuance rights of the world's major powers, such as Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Austria-Hungary, etc., all in the hands of the Luo family, and finally extended their tentacles to the United States on the other side of the ocean.

Gao Hongsheng is really a bit more than worth the loss of going against these bankers for a broken factory, but he has done everything, and he has no regret medicine for him, so he can only hope that others will not take him seriously.

He had no choice but to smile bitterly and say to Franz: "It's nothing, it just so happens that I have a little spare money, and it would be best if I can help you." ”

"No, little one, I still want to thank you here, although you took fifteen percent of the shares, I hope you don't sell those shares, and don't mortgage them to the bank, this is the advice of an old man to you." Franz exhorted with a smile.

"No problem, I'll hold it firmly in my hand, don't worry. I can guarantee it. ”

"Okay, no problem, let's talk about the Philippines. I would like you to renounce your intention to grow rubber in the Philippines, where rubber is suitable and you want to acquire a piece of land for rubber cultivation, but the Ambassador of Spain, knowing that you are a shareholder of the Škoda Arsenal, let me advise you to stop your incitement. Franz put away his smile and said sternly.

"Yes, but His Royal Highness the Emperor, you have forgotten the fact that Spain has declined, and he is no longer able to maintain its colonies, if we don't help them at this time, their overseas colonies will definitely be reduced to other people's lunches in the future, the Japanese, the Germans, the Americans, they are all peeking into Spain's territory, before Spain loses them, we should help Spain, so that Spain will suffer less losses, it is best for you to help me ask, How much does it cost to buy one of the islands in the Philippines? Of course, the island had to be big enough, otherwise I wouldn't even have a place to grow rubber. ”

Gao Hongsheng had no choice but to throw out his new theory and buy the Philippines from Spain to test Franz's reaction.

"How much can you come up with?" Franz was not angry with Gao Hongsheng's new mention, but was curious to know how rich he was.

"A few million pounds, the whole Philippine Islands is worth that price, there is no point in any more, my funds are invested anywhere, everyone will welcome it, but you know, I am Chinese, I hate the British and the French." Gao Hongsheng reported his assets as easily as possible, and at the same time explained why he had to make a place in the Philippines.

"Is there any basis for what you say? Japanese? And the Americans, who want to challenge Spain? Franz didn't mention the Germans, because Germany had already responded, but what he didn't know was that Germany had long coveted the Philippines, and if the Americans hadn't taken the lead, maybe the Philippines would have been German.

"Well, the Japanese have been financing the rebels in the Philippines, from weapons and ammunition to money. Americans, look at its Asian fleet, now they are parked in Xiangjiang, except for the Philippines, is it necessary for them to stay there? ”

"The Japanese they don't dare, but the Americans, the Americans." Franz was a little uncertain when he thought about whether the Americans would intervene in the Philippines, yes! The United States has no colonies in Asia to defend, so why should it form an Asian fleet to be stationed in Xiangjiang all year round?

"Don't you pay attention to the newspapers in the United States these days? The United States is very interested in Cuban affairs, and has sent warships to Cuba to protect its foreign nationals, which is a Spanish territory. Gao Hongsheng filled the fire again and said.

"Do you mean that the United States is going to do something to Spain?"

"That's right, the United States is ready, now it just needs an appropriate excuse, and the excuse can be made, whether it's in Cuba or in the Philippines, it's easy to find an excuse. Once the Americans declared war on Spain, our plan to acquire rubber plantations in the Philippines was lost.

The huge profits on rubber will make Americans discourage us from investing in the rubber raw material industry, you know, I am the person with the most rubber patents in the world.

As long as we have a stable raw material base, then we have the final say on the price of rubber products in the world, we can manipulate the entire rubber industry through the term and price of patent licensing, and at the same time use patent licensing to gradually penetrate into the relevant factories of various rubber industries, and the entire world's rubber industry will gradually monopolize in our hands.

Three to five years later, the rubber industry will generate at least hundreds of millions of pounds of profit every year, which is why we are building rubber plantations in the Philippines. ”

After listening to Gao Hongsheng's words, Franz was surprised by Gao Hongsheng's plan on the one hand, and on the other hand, he was also frightened by the huge profits of the rubber industry.

At the same time, he also fell into deep thought, sending troops to occupy the Philippines, what would the British, French, Germans, etc. think, what would happen if they bought the Philippines according to Gao Hongsheng's plan, and how to negotiate with Spain, these must be considered.

Seeing that Franz fell into deep thought, Gao Hongsheng thought for a while, organized his language, and said: "Now there are many monopolized industries in this world, steel, railways, ships, mines, petroleum, chemical and other industries have been monopolized by them, we can't put a foot in it, even if we rush in, it will only become their foundry, and create greater profits for them, but the rubber industry is different, this is an emerging industry, and I happen to have all kinds of technologies about rubber, At the same time, I also have the most patents, which is simply an opportunity given to me by God to dominate the world in the rubber industry. Now it's up to you to make up your mind to help us get a plantation in the Philippines. ”

It is impossible for no country to help you, Japan is so close to the Philippines but just looks at it and does not dare to do it, the main reason is that the British are worried that this dog will bite back when it is raised, and they will not agree to it to meddle in the Philippines at all.

At that time, Japan was a dog raised by Britain in Asia, just like a dog raised by the United States now, watching Russia staring at China, China sent it out to bite it if it was not honest and obedient, and the Russians did not take themselves seriously and let Japan fight with it. Britain will not dare to move if it does not agree, and it will have to pounce on whoever Britain asks it to bite, otherwise the fleet of the British Empire will be unkind to it.

Austria-Hungary is different, it is also one of the top six in Europe, one of the top eight in the world, it can look at the face of the British boss, or it can ignore the British at all, there are contradictions and interests intertwined between them, the Americans dare to occupy the Philippines, then it is much simpler for Austria-Hungary to buy the Philippines, and the Austro-Hungarian Emperor Franz is much closer to the Spanish royal family, which can be described as kinship, and now it is up to Franz to see if he has the guts.

The main point of German colonization of China during this period was that the expansion of economic territory was the only means they could avoid decline, and that colonies were the surest form of developing overseas sales markets and the best suppliers of raw materials. Industrialized countries must market their products and invest excess capital outside their economic zones.

Economically poor countries like Africa and the Philippines are no longer attractive to it, and countries like the Chinese Empire or the Ottoman Empire, which are densely populated and have the potential to develop into profitable sales markets, are the colonies that serve their interests.

As for raw material production areas like the Philippines, there is no attractiveness, and the current situation in Germany is not a lack of raw materials but a lack of sales of industrial products, and the Philippines cannot become a more suitable production area for selling industrial products than China, so Gao Hongsheng's failure can be imagined.

This is also the reason why he failed only after the complete failure of the German agitation.

Austria-Hungary is different, its industrial sales are not as urgent as Germany, and its territory is large enough, and at the same time the space for expansion is large enough, unlike Germany, which has been surrounded by foreign powers on all sides, and the expansion of the territory will affect the stability of Europe, which is impossible, its expansion space can only be a colony, forcing it to go out.

Austria-Hungary did not have so many troubles, and it was not a big problem to occupy or not to occupy an overseas colony, mainly to see whether there was a profit, as long as there was enough profit to occupy an overseas colony, there was no problem at all, and there was nothing to stop the pace of capital in the face of profits.