These chaotic international situations were not clear to Count Carnarvon and were not interested in, and his wish was to unite South Africa into a unified country and join the Commonwealth.

If he could replicate his success in Canada, he could earn the title of Marquis, so his attention was all on South Africa and he had little interest in other issues.

Li Fushou is not

As the owner of the Red Fort, if he wants to open up an unprecedented smooth road for millions of overseas Chinese, he must always pay attention to the international turmoil, and make every effort to find that opportunity, so as to open peace for future generations, seek benefits for the people, and find a path between the cracks for the family inheritance.

The Anglo-Boer War was a rare opportunity, taking advantage of London's lack of time to take care of it, Queensland could take advantage of the situation to unify the south, establish a unified country dominated by Chinese, and embark on a path that no one had ever walked before.

Therefore, if the second Anglo-Boer War could break out early, Li Fushou would not mind pushing it forward.

But I still don't appreciate participating in person.

Private talks with the Earl of Carnarfon did not yield substantial results, and it was agreed to continue close cooperation in Canada and South Africa, but given the strength of the Boer government, it was difficult to make further progress in the core mineral sector.

Li Fushou didn't care, this was originally a matter of having dates and not hitting two shots.

The British in Pretoria were red with envy for the abundance of gold and diamonds in the territories of the two Boer republics, and the war was about to be fought sooner or later, and he had patience to wait.

The two discussed the opening of branches in Johannesburg and the Kimberley at the South African branch of Huitong Bank (in Pretoria), and the Earl of Carnarfon said that it was extremely difficult, because the local Boer government was not only hostile to the exclusion of Queenslanders, but also to the exclusion of British capital, and considered both to be unscrupulous.

However, the Count of Carnarvon proposed a viable option;

He happened to have a Boer bank in his hands, called the National Bank of Eswatini, which was originally a small private bank in Eswatini, on the border with Mozambique in the far north of South Africa, with government licenses to operate in the two autonomous republics of the Transvaal and Orange, and was a ready-made white glove.

Boer banks are not unusual, and many Boer gold and diamond mine owners who have made a fortune are interested in dabbling in the business, but because they have no experience in the financial industry, most of them are small and in the early stages of development.

The Boers are obviously not good at operating in the financial field, and they have blinded the name of private banks, which are in fact nothing more than a mixture of money banks and pawnshops, and the water of the banks is far deeper than imagined, and a whole set of rigorous systems is needed to prevent financial risks and greed in the hearts of employees, which is not something that a group of Boer nouveau riche can play.

"Believe me, dear Lee, we can let the Pretoria branch of Huitong Bank come forward and secretly buy the National Bank of Eswatini with it as the main body, and then set up branches in the name of the National Bank of Eswatini in the two northern Boer republics to carry out financial business, and the Boer authorities will have no reason to obstruct it, which is a brilliant idea."

"It does sound appealing, but is the chairman of the bank still a Boer?"

"Yes, he is just a puppet on the surface, holding a negligible little equity, please rest assured...... I have the means to make him obedient, and this is not a problem, and I can swear in the name of the Count of Carnarfon that I will bear all the consequences arising therefrom, and of course, this article can be written in the merger contract. ”

"Of course I believe in your promise, Your Excellency Count Carnarvon, since there are ready-made channels to be used, then ...... Why not? Li Fushou roughly agreed with this arrangement, picked up the champagne glass on the table and took a sip, ready to end the topic.

Count Canafon obviously wanted to talk more deeply, so he smiled and said; "Your Excellency the Earl of Queensland, this kind of cooperation is beneficial to both of us and you, if I can, I want to determine the equity ratio of the two parties after the merger and acquisition, which is conducive to promoting the layout of bank outlets as soon as possible, I am very much looking forward to this."

"Uh...... OK. Li Fushou was obviously stunned for a moment, then understood what the other party meant, and nodded in agreement after only a little consideration.

There is an established set of procedures for bank mergers and acquisitions, which is nothing more than the two parties liquidating assets and capital, clarifying liabilities, and reaching an agreement on the relevant premium or discount, implementing their respective demands on the bank after the merger and acquisition in the negotiations, and finally initiating the equity proportion distribution procedure.

Now Count Carnarvon asked to talk about the equity ratio first, and the meaning of wanting benefits is very obvious, and the so-called National Bank of Eswatini is estimated to have no assets, even if there are a few business stores, it is not worth much, and the set of procedures for clearing assets and verifying capital can be directly omitted.

"Oh, forgive me for not thinking about this beforehand, then...... What percentage of the bank do you expect to be in the post-joint venture? Li Fushou asked directly.

He hadn't bargained directly with anyone for many years, and the Count of Carnaphon's proposal rekindled Li Fushou's interest.

Huitong Bank Pretoria Branch is a separate business entity, Huitong Bank occupies 82.63% of its shares, controls the bank through a controlling stake, mainly operates in Pretoria and nearby British towns, and obtains benefits through participating in several small and medium-sized gold mines, and makes a profit of about 50,000 or 60,000 pounds a year.

Such a small size is not worthy of Li Fushou's attention, and he even has little to say about Huitong Bank, which makes millions of pounds a year, let alone a South African branch.

However, it is clear that the South African branch has the greatest potential for development, because the whole of South Africa produces tens of millions of pounds worth of gold every year, and most of it is located in the territory of the two Boer republics.

Comparatively

The Seoul branch in Mozambique has a much less promising development potential, with no more than 100,000 ounces of gold produced annually in the Zambezi River basin, which determines that its development ceiling is so high...... Can we talk about something else?

The Earl of Canafon, apparently aware of the huge stakes, himself held 8.5 per cent of the shares in the South African branch, but he wanted more.

Li Fushou said, "How much do you expect?" "It's meaningful, and it's not just a casual remark.

After careful consideration, the Count of Canafon replied cautiously; "Considering the facilities I have made for banks in South Africa, and the potential for great value Eswatini National Bank, I think 26 per cent is an appropriate percentage, of course...... You can also reduce it somewhat, say 22%......"

"No, 26 percent is a good percentage, and I think so." Li Fushou waved his hand angrily and directly settled down.

Anyone with a discerning eye can see that being able to get a piece of the gold rush worth tens of millions of pounds, the South African branch has unlimited money, which is really golden and charming.

Li Fushou is not a qualified big capitalist, what he values is not a little money, but the Earl of Carnarvon, who has great influence in Pretoria, is closely tied to interests and the South African rulers, so that no matter how the situation develops, Queensland will be the final winner.

Buying an admission pass with a 17.5% stake, he thinks it's worth it.

The Earl of Queensland's generosity made a hint of excitement appear on the Earl of Carnarvon's face, and he said in a grateful tone; "Lee, I finally know why Queensland has grown so strong, and your generosity and undeniable charisma of personality infect me, it is more precious than gold.

Rest assured, I will complete the secret M&A transaction as quickly as possible, and mobilize the forces of local British businessmen in Johannesburg and Kimberley to secure as much business as possible for the National Bank of Eswatini.

Don't hide it from you

In spite of the Boers' efforts to squeeze out and suppress them, the British merchants were still outstanding, and they were able to account for 13 percent of the annual gold mine trade, and we could get a considerable share of the market from them, which I am confident in.

Your efforts will be rewarded handsomely, and this is a solemn promise from the Count of Canafon. ”

"Your Excellency the Count of Canafon, I am very excited about this, and I am pleased that we have further strengthened our relationship, and it will not be long before Mozambique will be able to send large quantities of dried fruits and agricultural products to Pretoria, which will be beneficial to both sides."

"Your people can have direct access to my men, I guess it's just a small matter."

"Hahaha...... Good. ”

The two sides looked at each other and laughed, and the atmosphere seemed extremely harmonious.

Mozambique's abundant cashew nuts are inconspicuous at first glance and need to be cultivated by the market, through the cultivation of people's consumption habits year after year, the market will slowly become bigger, and they will like and get used to eating cashew nuts, which is a long-term process that will benefit future generations for countless years.

The British in South Africa are accustomed to eating cashew nuts, so when they return to the UK, they will still bring this habit back and subtly influence the people around them.

Li Fushou firmly believes that cashew nut products will one day surpass the gold mine produced in South Africa, this is because of the product strength of Mozambique cashew nuts themselves, the original cashew nuts fried by Chinese immigrants, spiced cashew nuts or salt and pepper cashew nuts are very delicious, and they are very suitable for sharing at afternoon tea.

After the two sides have negotiated

The Count of Canafon and his entourage did not stay long in Seoul before returning to Pretoria, South Africa, a week later.

Having been in South Africa for a long time, the beautiful scenery of Mozambique does not attract him in the slightest, and he can't wait to push the National Bank of Eswatini to do a big job, which is all glittering money!

In particular, in Johannesburg's concentrated gold mining region, banks not only take on storage, exchange and lending, but also buy sands and gold ore, which are the most lucrative businesses.

as everyone knows

Gold ore is mixed in hard rock, the grade is different, it is difficult to refine into high-purity gold, most small and medium-sized gold mines do not have this ability, even if they use their own equipment to refine, the loss is high, and it is difficult to refine completely, which provides the possibility of gold ore trading.

Powerful large and medium-sized gold mines and banks are involved in this transaction, and the National Bank of Eswatini is precisely qualified to enter, and now with the well-established system and rich human resources support of Huitong Bank, it will definitely be able to grab a big piece of fat under the watchful eye of wolves.

In addition, banks generally carry out gold and sand exchange business for scattered customers, and anyone who can produce gold and sand of varying purity can exchange the equivalent of pounds sterling from the bank.

As for whether it is equivalent or not, it is up to the bank to decide.

The Sands, which is worth 100 pounds, can be assessed at 50 pounds, which is already considered very conscientious, after all, the bank is not a good hall, and it is very dark to start.

This kind of banking that is commonplace in Johannesburg is rare to see anywhere else in the world, and it can be considered a South African specialty.