Barlow has been very unlucky lately, because everyone knows that he has offended the third person in Belgium, and of course there are only three real people in Belgium, the first is King Leopold III, the second is Crown Prince Boshean, and the third is naturally our Albert. No one dared to patronize his intelligence business anymore, and even if Barlow was alive and well in Brussels, he would not escape the fate of starving to death one day.

Of course, things will always turn around when you are most unlucky, just as a person who is lucky cannot go for too long, and likewise bad luck cannot be unlucky for too long. Just when Barlow was at a loss, Albert came to the door.

"Your Highness Albert, you want me to work for your company?" Barlow was slightly surprised, one was the disregard for Albert, he didn't expect that not only did people not beat the water dogs, but also gave him a job, although he was used to being a big boss before, and he didn't like to be called around, but he was not stupid enough to say no to the royal family with real power. The second is that he always feels that there is a conspiracy in it, could it be a carrot and stick policy?

For a well-honed old fox like Barlow, Albert could only use unconventional means to submit, thinking of this, he smiled and said, "Yes, I want to hire Mr. Barlow to come to my Belgian Strategic Resources Cooperation Company as an assistant manager, I wonder if Mr. Barlow is willing?" ”

"Ahem, you mean the Belgian Strategic Resources Partnership? Is it the company that rescued the hostages from the mafia? Barlow's hands trembled a little, this is a hidden army, and they are all highly trained paramilitary operatives, such a talent team will cause a dogfish effect in that underground society.

Albert had already seen through the old fox's thoughts, so he simply said it directly and broke this guy's thoughts, "Mr. Barlow, your main business in the company is to win a large security business for the company, and I mean that you use your connections and means to seek military contracting services in war zones around the world, of course, it is up to me to decide whether the paramilitary operators will eventually take over the business and participate in the operation." ”

Albert's words are obvious, that is, you have the right to fight for a large business, but you do not have the right to transfer the team privately, which is just the right to be careful with Barlow.

Albert had come to seek out Barlow because of his connections and intelligence work, so that the multifaceted guy was best suited to become an agent for Belgium's covert expansion. Of course, so far Albert's economic strength has not been able to support a decent proxy war between countries, and can only start some small-scale conflicts. Of course, the accumulation of wealth by capitalists is always sinful, and after the rise of African national movements and the fall of one country after another into civil strife, Barlow's agent status can walk well in Africa, as long as the price is high, Belgium is willing to provide arms sales and civilian military assistance to help them destroy the enemy.

"Mr. Barlow, I've said all the good things, and the reason why you are still standing here and talking to me is because I need someone like you, by the way, just like you. Because of people like Mr. Barlow, I think there is more than one in Belgium. The second is that because I am in a good mood today, Mr. Barlow can still talk to me lively. If you don't put away your little thinking and continue to bargain with me, I'm sorry, I think you'll have a hard time getting along in Belgium. ”

At the end, Albert gently covered the coffee on the table with the lid of the cup, and muttered to himself, "It's game over, come out and mix, sooner or later you have to pay it back." I don't like to get it personal, but what if some of your Belgian enemies do it with the tacit consent of the government? ”

"Okay, I promise you, I'll promise everything." Barlow, who had been silent since just now, finally let out a hysterical roar, and his spirit was tortured for more than ten days, and even the strong-willed guy would collapse, "But you have to promise me that I will not be hurt in any way." ”

Albert clapped his hands, lifted the lid again, and took a slow sip of coffee before he said slowly, "I can assure you that no one in Belgium dares to touch you." ”

The old fox Barlow finally sat down, but the unspoken subtext of Albert was, "I can't guarantee that you won't be missing arms and legs when you're out of Belgium."

After conquering this old fox, Albert has no reason to stay here any longer, his recent time is precious, so precious that it would be a waste of time to stay for another minute, "Pack up and get ready to go to work the day after tomorrow, I have prepared the office for you." Of course, if you don't like my arrangement, find yourself a place where I can reach you 24 hours a day. ”

Albert's categorical cuts made him feel like he was about to catch up with Bismarck, Germany's iron-blooded chancellor. When he went out, Tianyan asked, "Is this the rhythm of streamlining administration and delegating power, I hired a professional manager for the North Industries Company a while ago, and now I have this guy named Barlow in charge of the security orders of the Strategic Resource Cooperation Company." What the hell are you planning, Albert? ”

Albert asked curiously, "Aren't our minds synchronized?" Don't you know what chess pieces I'm playing? ”

Tianyan regrettably said in his mind that he didn't know.

"First of all, I can't be a leader in all aspects of the Belgian Strategic Resources Cooperation Company, especially when I have more and more industries, I must learn to streamline administration and delegate power, and the same is true for NORINCO. As long as I grasp the general direction of a company's development, the rest will be taken care of by the people below, I am not a cold-blooded dictatorship. ”

"Secondly, my attention should be shifted from business to politics, because next year in 1948 the first Berlin crisis will break out, and this crisis may also spread to the Belgian border, so I have to do something to the detriment of others and self-interest in this time."

Tianyan glanced at him, "What's the matter?" Isn't the lesson from last time enough? Next time, I can't guarantee that the Soviets won't shoot you directly with Simonov anti-tank guns. ”

The first Berlin crisis, which lasted from 24 June 1948 to 12 May 1949, was the first major international crisis of the Cold War and caused the first casualties.

The Berlin crisis was an international crisis caused by the Soviet Union's blockade of the Western occupation zone's access to West Berlin. According to the agreement between the Soviet Union, the United States, the United Kingdom, and France during World War II, the four countries occupied Germany and Berlin. Berlin is located in the Soviet-occupied zone, East Berlin is occupied by the Soviet Union, and West Berlin is occupied by the United States, Britain and France. In order to support the dual-occupation zone, the United States and Britain stabilized the chaotic post-war German economic market to counter the Soviet Union. On 18 June 1948, a monetary reform was introduced in the occupied western territories with the issuance of the "B" mark. The Soviet Union responded by issuing the "D" mark in East Berlin on June 22 and serving as the currency of the whole of Berlin. On the 23rd, the West ordered the introduction of the "B" mark into Berlin's West End. The international situation was tense all the time.

On June 24, the Soviet Union cut off land and water communications between the occupied areas and Berlin, and the Western countries imposed air transport supplies on West Berlin, and the blockade lost its practical significance. After a long struggle, a compromise was reached in May 1949, with the Soviet Union making major concessions. On 12 May, the lockdown ended, and the "Berlin crisis" gradually eased. Although the situation in Berlin was tense, neither side was determined to move towards the conflict, but to resolve the crisis through negotiations.

From February to June 1948, the United States, Britain, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg convened a meeting of foreign ministers in London and put forward the so-called "London Proposal", which stated that the French-occupied German and Anglo-American occupied areas coordinated economic policies, jointly controlled foreign trade, and jointly formulated a constitution to establish a West German state and rejuvenate Europe with West Germany as the center. This proposal greatly stimulated the Soviet Union and laid the groundwork for the subsequent conflict.

The result of this event was the direct division of Germany into West and East Germany.

"So I hope that this crisis in Berlin will not be like the riots in Ukraine, where the blessings of the Orthodox priests alone will not be able to withstand the attack of the 'dictator' bullets with Motorov cocktails and Macedonian phalanxes, and the resistance groups in East Berlin need weapons, well, weapons against Stalin's tyranny. I guess the Holy Grail can come in handy now. Albert said thoughtfully.