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"Your Excellency, the Chinese Empire and the Kingdom of France, we have a common enemy, a common interest. Therefore, in the next world pattern, our two countries should unite more closely. Only then will we be able to compete with the British and guarantee our interests! French Prime Minister Duke Dalmatia said. After the marriage between Princess Shylock of the Kingdom of Belgium and the Crown Prince of China was settled, the talks began in earnest. France hopes to get a range of advanced technologies from China.

"Of course, Your Excellency, we are allies. Although over the past few years, the Chinese Empire has repeatedly defeated the British. However, Britain is still the world hegemon. Neither France nor the Chinese Empire, if not united, were no match for the British. Lin Zihao said. There are two main reasons why the Chinese Empire was able to defeat the British, one is that the weapons and equipment are ahead of the British, and the other is that the two wars were fought almost exclusively at the doorstep of the Chinese Empire, and the British needed to cross half the world. This allowed the Chinese Empire to fight the British at ease. If these advantages were lost, it would not have been so easy for the Chinese Empire to defeat the British. Therefore, as Long Yufei said, the Chinese Empire needed a strong ally in Europe to contain the British. In this way, the Chinese Empire could confidently and boldly expand in other directions of the world.

"Haha, that's good. It's great that we can come to a consensus. Your Excellency the Foreign Secretary, now. The Kingdom of France needed the help of the Chinese Empire. The Duke of Dalmatia said with a smile.

"Your Excellency, if there is anything we can do to help, just ask. Don't you think that at the beginning of the establishment of the Chinese Empire, we also received a lot of help from the Kingdom of France? Lin Zihao said with a smile. Even now, there are quite a few French engineers working in the Chinese Empire, in addition. In the field of early education, among the major universities in the Chinese Empire, there are also many scholars from France. Before the elite of the Chinese Empire itself was cultivated. It is inseparable from the support and help of these French people.

"Your Excellency, Foreign Minister, we need the Chinese Empire's new steelmaking technology, large steam engine technology, train locomotive technology, and a full set of design drawings and new gunpowder technology for the Navy's 'Western Zhou-class' warships!" The Duke of Dalmatia proposed several techniques that were much needed in France.

Lin Zihao couldn't help frowning. Although he had expected it before. The French will ask for a lot. However, when the French Prime Minister, the Duke of Dalmatia, proposed these technologies, he couldn't help but scold the French in his heart for being too greedy. These technologies are highly secret to the Chinese Empire, and the reason why the Chinese Empire's industry and military strength have developed so rapidly has played a great role. Almost all of these technologies were developed by the scientists of the Chinese Empire under the leadership of His Majesty the Emperor, who spent countless financial resources and energy. Now the French want to take it all. It's not that easy. Of course, the Chinese Empire wanted to increase the power of France. It is inevitable to sell some advanced technology to France. It's just that if the French want to get these technologies for free, or at a low price, it's impossible. Previously, the Chinese Empire sold six 'Western Zhou-class' warships to the Kingdom of Spain, and it had already made a profit of 18 million Chinese dollars. Now that the French themselves have sent them to the door, there is no reason why the Chinese Empire should not slaughter them with a knife.

"Your Excellency Duke, these technologies are the most important technologies in the Empire, and they have always been kept under a high degree of secrecy. We have never sold these technologies to other countries, at most we have only sold finished products. Now, Your Excellency, the Empire can sell France a batch of steel, as well as the large steam engines and locomotives that France needs, as well as the 'Western Zhou-class' warships and new gunpowder. As for the transfer of technology, forget it! Lin Zihao said. If only the finished product was sold, then the business could go on forever, and the Chinese empire would be able to make a steady stream of profits from the French. Of course, the French are not stupid either, they will certainly not agree.

"No, no, Your Excellency the Foreign Secretary. What the Kingdom of France needs is these technologies, and France's own industrial strength is not weak, as long as we have access to the relevant technologies, we can also produce these products. Said the French Foreign Secretary, Count Molay.

"But, Your Excellency, these technologies are strictly forbidden to be exported, which makes us very difficult." Lin Zihao looked embarrassed.

"Your Excellency, Foreign Secretary, we will not ask for your technology in vain, the Kingdom of France will pay a sufficient price." Said the Duke of Dalmatia. Although France has begun to decline, its economic strength is still among the top in the world. France's fiscal revenues this year are expected to reach 13 billion francs, which is about 53 million pounds sterling when converted into pounds, which is not much less than Britain's fiscal revenues if colonial revenues are not counted. As long as the conditions proposed by the Chinese are not too outrageous, France can buy them completely.

"Well, Your Excellency the Duke, the Empire can sell these technologies to France. However, you also need to understand that these technologies are something that we have invested heavily in. If France were to buy these technologies, they had to compensate the Reich adequately and promise not to pass them on to other countries. Lin Zihao said.

The Duke of Dalmatia and the Count of Morais nodded, and they could understand this. If France had owned these technologies and the Chinese Empire wanted to buy them, France would definitely not have agreed. Even if he had to agree, he would definitely offer a sky-high price that the Chinese Empire could not accept.

"First, the new steelmaking technology, which was invented by the engineers of His Majesty and the Empire, is called the 'converter steelmaking method', and each steelmaking furnace can smelt two tons of steel per day, which is far ahead of the old-fashioned crucible steelmaking in terms of efficiency and cost. If France wanted to buy it, the Reich could sell France fifty converters for two hundred thousand pounds each. On this basis, the relevant technology can be sold to France for five million pounds. Lin Zihao said.

The Duke of Dalmatia frowned, according to the price offered by Lin Zihao, fifty converters, the total price is as high as 10 million pounds, plus the five million pounds for the purchase of technology, the total price will be 15 million pounds. That's almost 30 percent of France's annual revenue. Such a price, it is outrageous.

"Your Excellency the Foreign Secretary, such a price is too high! Although France urgently needs this technology, it is also unacceptable to France at such a price. Said the French Foreign Secretary, Count Molay.

"So, what price can France accept?" Lin Zihao asked.

"100,000 pounds per converter, 10 units purchased by France. In the case of technology, it was transferred to France for a million pounds. Said the Duke of Dalmatia. In this case, the total price of the deal is only two million pounds, which is almost acceptable to the French government.

"No, Your Excellency, the Empire can't be promised. For the sake of the friendship between China and France, we can lower the price a little. Eighteen thousand pounds per converter, forty converters were purchased, and we transferred the technology to France for four million pounds. Lin Zihao said.

The two sides had a fierce argument on this aspect, Lin Zihao regarded France as the wronged leader, and although the French urgently needed the steelmaking technology of the Chinese Empire, they were unwilling to be the wronged leader. The two sides bargained for a long time before an agreement was finally reached.

The Chinese Empire sold thirty converters to France for £150,000 each, and transferred the technology to France for £3 million. France can produce its own converters, but only for domestic use, if they cannot be sold abroad. The total price of the deal is £7.5 million.

Large steam engines are widely used, not only in industry, but also in naval warships. France wanted to buy the technology of the Chinese Empire, and the Chinese Empire did not want to sell it very much. For this, the French only came up with a high price. In the end, a deal was reached for a total of five million pounds, and the Chinese Empire sold fifty large steam engines and related technology to France.

As for train locomotive technology, the price is a little cheaper. After the sale of fifty units, the Chinese Empire transferred technology to France free of charge for a total value of one million pounds.

The previous three technologies are all civilian technologies, although in the final analysis, these technologies are for military services, but after all, there is no direct relationship. The latter two technologies, the new gunpowder and the 'Western Zhou-class' battleship, are different. With the acquisition of these two technologies, France's military strength can be directly improved. Therefore, it is not so easy for France to obtain these two technologies from China.

"Your Excellency, new gunpowder technology, the empire can be transferred to France. However, France needs to pay five million pounds for this! Lin Zihao said.

"No, Your Excellency the Foreign Secretary, five million pounds is too expensive." The Duke of Dalmatia's head shook like a rattle.

"Your Excellency Duke, this price is not expensive at all. The key to why our rifles and artillery have a longer range and greater power than the British is that our gunpowder is more powerful. If France could make such gunpowder, the French army would be ahead of the whole of Europe in terms of combat power. In this way, the price is very cost-effective. "Lin Zihao's current appearance is as if he is a profiteer. (To be continued......)