Lynn vs Marcel. Bloch had a general impression, and the frustrated entrepreneur, who had some fame in the French aviation industry, did not seem to approve of the English- and German-speaking Norwegian investor. During the conversation between the four of them, even though Lynn spoke English at a slow pace, he barely answered directly, except for Morten or Fremont to relay it in the middle. After a while, first the Mortens, then the Fremonts, withdrew from the conversation and went off to chat with other familiar guests. In this case, Lynn said slowly and clearly in English to the Frenchman, who seemed a little stubborn, "Monsieur Bloch, I hope that in due time we will have the opportunity to cooperate and help each other, and I wish you a pleasant and goodbye!" ”

After saying that, Lynn also took Dinah to move, and the Bloch couple turned to the other side, judging from this scene, the two sides are not conspiring with each other, and "looking forward to cooperation" is just a polite word. At this time, the number of guests in the hall increased considerably, and it seemed that there were about four or five hundred. As far as a masquerade party is concerned, such a scale is still quite impressive. Of course, it is known that in the heyday of the Habsburg dynasty, hundreds of royal families attended the annual New Year's ball, and in England and France at that time, the same grand banquets were common in high society.

With her eyes lingering in the middle of the hall, Lynn saw several of the main members of the Filippo family, with the hosts opting for the brightest colors for their clothing. The men wore shirts in the style of Napoleonic military uniforms, with stiff stand-up collars embroidered with ornate gold patterns and high-profile ribbons, as if they were high-ranking marshals or even king-level dignitaries; The intricacies of the women's jewelry pieces are completely glamorous to the eye, and as a typical clothing style of the era, they have their waists and breasts, and their faces are overly blushing, which is full of retro atmosphere.

Lynn's self-esteemed members of the Filippo family never thought of climbing into a relationship or using their power to facilitate industry in the first place, primarily because they were of French origin and had French roots, and they would remain inextricably linked regardless of which party was in power. As a typical World War II military fan, he had the worst impression of the belligerents of Italy and France, and by extension, he also had a worse feeling about the French and Italians, and was bullied during the war, and when the war was over, the French official enthusiasm for hunting down German war criminals was no worse than that of the Soviet Union, Britain or other countries.

With this in mind, Lynn turned her gaze to the periphery of the hall and paid attention to the entrepreneurs in Switzerland who are not dazzling at the moment, but their strength is not bad. The Courtlanders were already there, along with Caesars Defense's second Spanish shareholder and one of the legitimate investors in Thetermai. Álvarez, an intelligence officer loyal to Franco's regime. Despite the fall of the Third Reich, it is a miracle that the Spaniards, who had supported the Axis camp in almost every way during the war, except for their direct participation in the war, did not reneg on the private pact concluded between the heads of the two sides, which is not a small miracle in Lynn's view, after all, Franco himself left a wide impression on the historiography as ruthless and rudderless, and he was the only fascist scholar after the end of World War II, and extended this kind of talent reading regime for a full 30 years.

From the outset, Lynn was cautious about the sincerity and limits of the Spanish side's support, and advised her intelligence services to minimize their reliance on the Spanish side's false identities in their operations. However, during the Swiss event, the legal passport secretly provided by the Spanish official and the full support of the Semet arms company brought great convenience to Lynn's plan, prompting the "Caesars Defense Company" to complete the key link from preparation to establishment in a very short time.

As a cooperative investor, the superficial article still has to be done. Lynn greeted Courtland and Alvarez in a relaxed and natural way, making sure that there was nothing suspicious in their surroundings, and then continued to walk among the guests with Dinah. During the more than two months in Switzerland, the first half of the time was spent in Neiva, and many businessmen and entrepreneurs were met through various occasions, although there were few real cooperations, and a lot of valuable information could still be obtained through small talk. From the current environment and the topics discussed by these pragmatic industrial entrepreneurs, it is clear that the coming year will be a stage for new companies to emerge and old companies to seek recovery, so people are mostly talking about investment, borrowing and those once prominent names, including Europe's oldest gunsmith company, the legendary Mauser Company, and the German veteran military enterprise Walter Company, which made P38 pistols and G43 semi-automatic rifles. After the defeat of Germany, the factories of Mauser and Walter in Germany were taken over by the Allies, the former was deliberately sabotaged by the French [***] team, and the factory facilities were completely destroyed, while the machinery and equipment of the latter were handed over to the Soviets by the United States in accordance with the Potsdam Agreement, and all the usable ones were shipped to the hinterland of the Soviet Union for the reconstruction of industry.

Wanting to reforge the empire's military industry, Lynn knew that the seemingly declining companies of Mauser, Walter and Rheinmetall would still play a big role in the future, but in the special situation just after the end of the war, they were the target of a big move, and directly supporting these companies to rebuild would easily attract the attention of the allies. Therefore, Lynn's current strategy is to carefully contain these technicians who have been dispersed from the German [***] industrial enterprises, and those who are less famous or obscure can be placed in the "Caesars Defense Company", and those who have served as technical backbones in Mauser or Walter Company can be hired in a new disguise, and at their request find ways to help their families stranded in Germany to move to Switzerland or Spain.

"Oh, it's Mr. Knatsky, a young talent from the north, and Mrs. Knatsky, who is as noble and charming as a princess!"

Ejen. Bernoulli, the merchant and industrial investor whom Baron Pat had introduced him to at the Smivante Racecourse in Neva, was shouting before the Lynns had even approached, and the atmosphere in the hall grew warm, and the people were talking gently and politely, a shouting that sounded a little ostentatious, but not so as not to attract the attention of the host and most of the guests.

For this kind of middle-aged man who focuses most of his attention on Dinah, Lynn didn't want to waste time entanglement, but the other party was so enthusiastic, and there were a few middle-aged gentlemen next to him who looked quite calm and capable, so he walked over with Dinah: "Hello, Mr. Bernoulli, long time no see!" ”

"Yes, I knew that Mr. and Mrs. Knatsky would not be absent from such a grand event. Well done to hear that you acquired two companies in Basel in quick succession and merged them to form a new military enterprise. "Eren. Bernoulli said excitedly, as if he had some merit in the business.

The first meeting was uneventful, and Lynn later learned from Baron Pat that the Bernoulli family also had a prominent history, but had been forced to leave Italy for the past few centuries due to repression by political opponents, and finally to France, and finally to Switzerland. After several generations of development, the family business has gradually grown, and the network has been divided into several branches. Ejen. Bernoulli belonged to the branch that developed in Basel, although he was not a leader, his family was quite rich, and he had done a few good speculative businesses before the outbreak of the war, at least in Basel he was a powerful investor.

"I'm just one of Caesars Defense's investors." Lynn clarified, and then replied: "Listening to Mr. Bernoulli say this, it seems that he also intends to switch to the military industry?" ”

Ejen. Bernoulli narrowed his eyes and smiled: "It seems that my brother is very well-informed!" But don't worry, what I'm ready to invest in is not an ordinary military industry like firearms and vehicles, but a really big investment in the promising aviation industry. ”

Although she couldn't make out where the eyes under the heavy eyelids were focused, Lynn was still very disgusted by the tone of the words and the content of the last sentence - it was a naked show-off! Yes, his nominal investment in Kaiser Industries is only equivalent to more than 400,000 pounds, which is indeed not a large amount of money in Basel, which gathers the Swiss industrial elite, and the empire he represents is also in a dying state, but its former majesty has terrified the whole world, and its dying fate is being saved by the efforts of Lynn and his companions. Someday, when it rises again, not to mention a Swiss entrepreneur, the entire Swiss industry will be just a mule!

Just when Lynn was preparing to fight back, Dinah, who was holding his arm, said in a tone that was not far away or flattering: "I think that the respected Monsieur Bernoulli is going to sow seeds in the marshes of France, and I hope that I will be able to reap a rich reward in the autumn!" ”

As soon as this statement came out, Ejen. Bernoulli seemed to have been slapped coldly, and his face suddenly froze with a smile on his face.

The three middle-aged gentlemen with quite temperament around were also surprised.

"After six years of war, Britain's aviation industry has reached an unprecedented scale and level, while the United States, a country that has never been attacked by a single bomb from beginning to end, has also achieved unprecedented energy efficiency under the stimulation of the war. Mr. Bernoulli may not have seen 2,000 four-engine bombers fly through the sky, nor did he think about how competitive the factories that made them would be in Europe and the world after the war. ”

Saying this softly, Dinah still had an intoxicating smile on her face. Lynn sees Erlen. Bernoulli's face turned from ruddy to gray, and although the whole person was still holding on, his inner spirit had been severely defeated.

At the end, Dinah said something that Lynn admired: "Money is not everything, especially not to fill a swamp in place of sand and stones." ”

Ejen. Bernoulli was completely stunned, he barely managed to squeeze out a smile, and said: "Mrs. Knatsky has a very unique vision, Mr. Knatsky, I really envy you to have such a talented and beautiful partner." ”

Lynn was even happier at this time than if he had beaten this guy with his fist, and he deliberately apologized and said, "Madame said nonsense, and I hope Mr. Bernoulli doesn't mind." ”

Ejen. Bernoulli shook his head repeatedly, and when he looked at his companions again, his expression was visibly guilty, and the faces of these gentlemen also looked angry. Obviously, they have all contributed their own investment this time.

After walking some distance, Lynn whispered to Dinah, "How did you just know that guy was investing in the French aviation industry?" ”

Dinah smiled softly, "I listened to Baron Pat when I was playing bridge last week!" ”

It dawned on Lynn that people don't bring female companions in formal business situations, and that she had spent a lot of energy on Caesar's defense recently, and had to entrust Dinah to the care of her companions when she was not at the residence. In the dead of winter, her usual activity with Mr. and Mrs. Andri, Madame Courtland, and Baron Pat was to stay indoors and play bridge, winning and losing in the tens of Swiss francs at most.

"Hey, that guy doesn't know about this kind of information."

"They all say that the French aviation industry is terrible and basically useless during the occupation, so whoever invests in it now is a big fool. I just felt that Bernoulli's tone was too hateful, embarrassing him once, and next time I will meet our quasi-security honest! ”

Dinah, who has always been mild-mannered, would also have such thoughts and act decisively, which really surprised Lynn, and he smiled and gave his wife a thumbs up. At this moment, Dinah's image is more intelligent and virtuous than ever.

However, Lynn felt that Pat and Andri's judgment of the French aviation industry was unfair, and the integration and utilization of French industry during the occupation of France by the Third Reich was not satisfactory, and this was one of the strategic mistakes criticized by later generations. It is fair to say that the collapse of France in 1940 in just a few weeks was largely due to the weakness, mediocrity and ultra-conservatism of those in power. Even if the British Expeditionary Force was not limited in number, the French Army and Air Force were still slightly stronger than the German [***] at the time, their best fighters were not inferior to the BF-109s, and their new tanks outnumbered the German Panzer Corps in quality and quantity, thanks to the French industry, which had not suffered heavy losses during World War I and was still growing in peacetime. In the summer of 1940, the German [***] team occupied the north of France and the entire west coast with lightning power, and France's military industry basically fell into the hands of the Germans. However, the blind self-confidence of the German leadership, the repressive rule imposed by the German army in the occupied territories, the passive resistance of the French workers and the destruction of the underground resistance groups, the inefficiency of French industry in 1940 and 1944 was extremely low, but this was destined to be an illusion. As a posterity, Lynn was well aware of France's post-war industrial achievements, and with her own efforts, in addition to nuclear bombs, they built their own nuclear-powered aircraft carriers, as well as state-of-the-art main battle tanks, fighter planes, and helicopters.

Because of this thought, Lynn suddenly realized that she had probably missed an important opportunity just now. Marcel. Bloch's arrogance, no-mindedness, and lack of words are the normal signs of a technical, pragmatic person, and he should not be denied his value based on subjective impressions. Know that at this turning point of the times, opportunities are fleeting.

The passionate music sounded, and the first ** of the masquerade party arrived. The entire hall is transformed into a dance hall, and with the exception of a few guests, people give their glasses to the waiters, put aside their calculations in conversation, and immerse themselves in the traditional large round dance. People greet their dance partners with traditional rituals – men bend their arms and women squat in skirts.

In the past, I had watched beautiful waltz music on TV, but Lynn's simple ballroom dancing learning did not help, and after more than two months of practice, she was still a clumsy ugly duckling. As for Dinah, she was already a professional dancer, and the regular waltz was a perfect match for her, and her charming appearance and tall and slender figure made her a beautiful white swan on such occasions.

"I think I might have a good talk with the French designer and entrepreneur just now, if everyone is not optimistic about the French aviation industry, we can reach a more lucrative industry at a smaller cost."

In the waltz, people only have to speak at a voice that doesn't affect others if they want to talk to their dance partners, and this is the first time Lynn has spoken to Dinah about a business issue.

Just now, although he also mocked Eren fiercely with an elegant gesture. Bernoulli, Dinah didn't object to Lynn at this time, she smiled and said, "Do what you think is right." ”

Lynn smiled and nodded.

When the tune changed, the guests exchanged dance partners in the natural direction. Next up for Lynn was a plump middle-aged noblewoman with a pair of breasts that were about to burst out, and her cheeks were bright red as she looked at the young and handsome "Dragoon Officer", and she kept throwing away her surname with her dancing eyes. For such a pretentious posture, Lynn felt a little numb and disgusting, and it was difficult to show it in public, so he had to pretend to think deeply, swing his limbs rigidly and numbly, and get through this short period with difficulty. When it came to the rhythm of the piece, he couldn't wait to turn around and change his dance partner. At this stage, an experienced man is able to use his dance to turn himself to the object of his choice – but not always succeed. When the dance music re-entered the rhythm, Lynn had no choice but to confront an older woman. Although her hair is gray and her face is full of traces of time, her movements are still light, her dancing posture is more elegant, and her weak chest wearing a pearl necklace is not as "dazzling" as the one just now. After the dance went smoothly, Lynn's mentality relaxed a little, and the elegant and dignified demeanor of the temporary dance partner also made him feel comfortable, his complexion gradually eased, and he took the initiative to smile at the dance point and signal to the other party. Changing her dance partner for the third time, Dinah was still the most sought-after target for the men in the neighborhood, and it was a little far away, Lynn reluctantly gave up her original attempt, and when she turned around, he caught a glimpse of Marcel. Bloch's wife, the slender lady with a very friendly smile, was probably in her early forties, judging by her appearance alone.

Lynn deliberately turned in that direction, the first time a few steps behind, and when he changed his partner again, he cut in and faced Mrs. Bloch.

(To be continued)