"In war, we should always leave room for luck and unforeseen accidents - of course, my personal view is that we should leave room for them not only in war, but at all times. Pen %Fun %Pavilion www.biquge.info"

"What?"

"Just a little sigh, Mr. Brown." Qin Lang gave a gentle smile to the middle-aged gentleman who was sitting across from him and knocked on the door of his room when he was about to leave New York. Of course, the smile was just a disguise, if it weren't for the fact that he knew who Brown was, and more importantly, who he represented, Qin Lang would have ordered the agents of the secret service to block him and call a few more police officers to get him away.

Needless to say, Qin Lang would do this, not for other reasons, but because Brown had chosen a completely wrong time for his visit - when he was about to head to the station to catch the train bound for Washington. To make matters worse, in Washington, a presidential aide and a senator prepared a secret gathering for him, and the invited guests included several key members of the Senate Foreign Affairs Committee, but he was unable to make it to the appointment.

It's just terrible.

Brown ruined his scheduled trip and asked him to explain to some important people why he didn't arrive in Washington on time.

He created a problem. Qin Lang hates trouble, and always looks for ways to avoid it—but there are times when he still needs to accept some troubles that he must accept, because they come from the big people who are qualified to cause him trouble, the true rulers of the United States.

Like Morgan, like Rockefeller, and of course Vanderbilt.

So Qin Lang didn't order his personal guard to block Brown, didn't call the police, but received him in the living room - Brown was William. K. Vanderbilt's lawyer, though only one of Vanderbilt's lawyers, was indeed a representative of the big man - so he could sabotage Qin Lang's scheduled itinerary and get him to explain to some important people why he didn't arrive in Washington on time.

Qin Lang calmly accepted the trouble caused by Brown, but he was puzzled, why would there be a Vanderbilt who caused him trouble?

"Can you tell me what you're here for, Mr. Brown?" He slowly turned an empty glass, pretending to nonchalantly bring up his doubts.

"Of course, Mr. Qin." Brown replied immediately, as if he was a little impatient—as if he was waiting for Qin Lang to ask that question. Yet, like all lawyers, he lacks the spirit of openness and honesty. "First of all, I must state that it was not Mr. Vanderbilt who ordered me to disturb you."

"Oh." Qin Lang's eyebrows raised slightly, imperceptibly. Not Vanderbilt? It looks like things are a little complicated......

"I represent the Duke and Duchess of Marlborough." Brown continued.

It's still Vanderbilt: the ninth, Duke of Marlborough, Charles. Richard. Spencer Churchill's wife's name was Consuella. Vanderbilt, is William. Vanderbilt's youngest daughter. Qin Lang was amused by the lawyer's little trick - of course, in his heart.

Then he laughed even more happily - still in his heart. The situation is clear, if there is anyone or anything that can link the Duke and Duchess of Marlborough to an arms dealer and mercenary chief, there is only one answer: Winston. Leonard. Spencer Churchill.

Only he can do it.

If you think about it, even though the Second Boer War preceded him by a few months in history, it was still possible that the future British Prime Minister would travel to southern Africa as a reporter for the Morning Post, and then be captured by the Boers there...... No, not likely, Churchill must have been caught by the Boers.

Otherwise, his cousin, another Churchill, would never have used his relationship with the Vanderbilt family to have a lawyer of the family visit a mercenary leader at an inappropriate time.

Qin Lang believed that he had found the purpose of Duke Marlborough.

It's not trouble, it's luck.

Qin Lang's fingers began to tap rhythmically on the armrest of the chair. "So," he leaned forward, "what does His Highness want me to do for him?" ”

He picked out the problem almost directly, but as if he didn't pay attention to his problem at all, the lawyer continued his professional game. "I'm sure you've heard that the Boers have captured Leddy Smith in the British colony of Natal, and their army is advancing towards Durban."

"Yes." Qin Lang shrugged. The capture of Ladysmith by the Boer army was no news - the German newspapers were vigorously touting this great victory, openly claiming that the Boer army had captured a British lieutenant general, without any regard for the feelings of the British - and it was clear that the second Kaiser Wilhelm, who was not in his right mind, was making the same mistakes he had made.

Of course, William's second question had nothing to do with the issue being discussed, so Qin Lang quickly threw it behind his brain, came back to his senses, and waited for the lawyer to continue his game.

"As far as I know, the Boers captured a large number of British soldiers at Ladysmith, including George Smith. Lieutenant General White. Brown lit himself a cigarette and continued, "But, in addition to this, there were many non-combatants, civilians and journalists who were taken prisoner by the Boers." ”

"Journalists?" Qin Lang blinked his eyes and laughed a little slyly, "It's Winston. Leonard. Mr. Spencer-Churchill? ”

"You've heard about it?" Brown was a little surprised: Winston. Churchill's capture by the Boers was still a secret, with the exception of the Duke and Duchess of Marlborough and the Morning Post, known only to a few high-ranking officials in the Cape Colony, as well as Admiral Buller of the expeditionary force, and even the Boers did not know that their captives included a member of the Spencer-Churchill family...... How did Qin Lang know?

"It so happened that I had seen Mr. Churchill's Chronicle of the Malakand's Field Army and had done some research on him out of my personal interest. And you just mentioned the Duke of Marlborough and his wife, and the British journalists among the Boer captives. So I connected the two and got this result. As if seeing Brown's doubts, Qin Lang made a simple explanation - but it was purely made up, he had never read "Malakand Field Army Documentary".

In fact, Qin Lang had not read any of Churchill's books, including the Memoirs of the Second World War, which won the Dynamite Literature Award.

But Brown didn't know that. Qin Lang's explanation seemed quite reasonable, logical, and in line with the shrewdness he had always shown, so he accepted this explanation and did not continue to study his problem.

Brown turned his attention back to the Duke of Marlborough's commission. "Now that you have guessed, Mr. Qin, I can tell you frankly that His Royal Highness the Duke hopes that you will be able to free Mr. Churchill from the Boer prisoner of war camp. You should know what a serious trouble it would be if the Boers found out the identity of Mr. Churchill. ”

A nuisance indeed. Qin Lang partially acknowledged Brown's statement and did not see it as a bluff alarmist: there is no doubt that if Winston. Churchill's tragic death in a Boer prisoner-of-war camp would have meant a dramatic change in the history of the twentieth century.

Of course, even if this speculation comes true, it will still not be a serious trouble. There can also be no doubt that history has changed markedly, gradually, and more rapidly, out of its original trajectory and into something entirely different - and perhaps Britain did not need Mr. Churchill to lead it through the Second World War; Perhaps there will be no World War II at all.

In the new trajectory, Winston. Churchill's role became obscure, uncertain, and his importance diminished.

However, Qin Lang still decided to accept Duke Marlborough's request: first, it was a business; Second, it is an investment.

Not only to invest in Mr. Churchill, but also to British aristocrats, American relatives of the Duchess of Marlborough, and Randolph. Mrs. Churchill's American relative, Winston. Churchill's mother, Jeanne. Jerome is a millionaire and one of the founders of the New York Times. Jerome's daughter - and that meant bringing him closer to America's financial and political aristocracy.

A very suitable investment project to rescue Winston. Churchill, why not?

"I am more than happy to help His Royal Highness the Duke." Qin Lang smiled and replied very formally.

"On behalf of His Royal Highness the Duke and his wife, I would like to express my sincerest gratitude to you, Mr. Qin." Brown's tone became official, too.

"You're welcome." Qin Lang continued, and smiled again, "However, Mr. Brown, you must understand that freedom is not a ...... without a price."

"Of course, Mr. Qin." Brown nodded, and said, "His Royal Highness has decided to pay twenty-five thousand pounds for the rescue operation carried out by your mercenaries, and the Morning Post will provide another five thousand pounds." ”

That is, thirty thousand pounds.

Too little. Although it was only a small-scale military operation - there should not be more than a platoon of mercenaries involved in the rescue of Mr. Churchill, otherwise it would have messed things up - Qin Lang still thought that Brown's figure was lower than he expected: to be fair and reasonable, would the future Prime Minister of the British Empire be worth only 30,000 pounds?

He's worth at least ...... One hundred thousand pounds. This is the bare minimum.

"Thirty thousand pounds." Qin Lang continued to rhythmically tap on the armrest of the chair and began to bargain, "Mr. Brown, you must understand that sending a force to the territory of a hostile country to find and rescue a prisoner of war with a special status from a heavily guarded prisoner of war camp is an extremely difficult job, and if there is a slight mistake, my troops will be completely wiped out, causing me to suffer huge losses. ”

Brown listened quietly, not looking surprised at all. Of course, the fact that everyone knows that thirty thousand pounds is not convincing enough compared to the difficulty of the task. So the Duchess sent a lawyer instead of her butler here to discuss the business.

Only a lawyer had a chance to convince Qin Lang to accept the number given by His Royal Highness the Duke...... But it's just a chance, and it's not very likely.

Because one of the most critical negotiation conditions, the cost, it has been locked up and cannot be changed. "I understand, and understand, your difficulties, Mr. Qin." When it was his turn to speak, Brown put on a look of regret, "But, I'm sorry, £30,000 is the maximum payment for His Royal Highness the Duke and the Morning Post......"

That's true. Qin Lang thought to himself. The lawyer was not lying, and the Duke of Marlborough and the Morning Post could only come up with this little money: His Royal Highness was in fact a poor man with a title of nobility, and the twenty-five thousand pounds he was going to pay was actually obtained by the Duchess from her father, and William. Vanderbilt obviously couldn't have paid more for one of his son-in-law's cousins.

Thirty thousand pounds, Mr. Churchill's relatives and friends can only come up with so much - Qin Lang did not consider Randolph. Mrs. Churchill. Although her father was a famous millionaire, she herself was an equally famous loser: as it is known, Leonard Brown. When Jerome died, he left his daughter with an annuity of ten thousand gold pounds a year, but Mrs. Churchill quickly exhausted it all, and created herself a huge debt of tens of thousands of pounds - she could not be counted on at all.

The situation seems to be a little bad. However, there is always a solution to the problem, especially those where it is easy to find a scapegoat.

"Yes, I know that His Royal Highness the Duke has some financial difficulties. However, Mr. Brown," Qin Lang hinted almost explicitly, "I personally believe that the British Government and the Colonial Government of Natal should bear some responsibility for Mr. Churchill's misfortune, after all, the glorious British Army failed to provide good security for the British citizens of Ladysmith and did not do its duty." ”

The lawyer understood what he meant. "I will convey your opinion to His Royal Highness the Duke. It will take some time, though. ”

"It's not a problem, it will take time for my troops to go to southern Africa as well." Qin Lang said.

So, Brown nodded. "I'll give you an answer as soon as possible, Mr. Qin."

Qin Lang smiled. "I'll wait for good news from you in Washington, Mr. Brown." (To be continued.) )