"What can I give up my Italian interests in Austria?" Mussolini stared at Accardo, grabbed the text on the table with a puzzled expression, and read it carefully.

The content of the text is not insignificant, and there are many conditions given by Germany that Mussolini is very interested in. For example, Germany would recognize Italy's privileges in Ethiopia and, if necessary, help Italy control its African colonies. Once either Germany or Italy took control of the Suez Canal, the other country would recognize the control and allow the other to use it without compensation.

The point is that in another document, the Soviet Union has recognized Germany's control of Austria and Czechoslovakia, and has made restraint and tolerance for this control, although I don't know what method Germany used to force the Soviet Union to withdraw from this region, but this document also reflects Germany's long-term planning.

Since Germany has been preparing for a long time, it can be said that Germany is very well prepared on this issue, while France, Britain, Italy, and the United States can only deal with it passively, and there is no need to judge which is better or worse.

By the time he saw the third document, Mussolini was already a little numb to his own shock, and the British government, in order to provoke Germany's eastward ambitions, unilaterally recognized Germany's control of Austria and the Sudetenland in Czechoslovakia, on the condition that it was only a dispensable "notary fee".

Now, apart from Germany bargaining with the Siegfried Line on the French border, only Italy and the United States are the two world powers that have a say in Germany's eastward ambitions, and Mussolini now wonders if Germany is also working on the United States of America, which is far away across the ocean.

"Don't think about it, I've sent my personal envoy to the United States to meet President Roosevelt, who has just taken over a mess. Accardo seemed to see through Mussolini's mind at a glance, and said directly: "If nothing else happened, negotiations should have begun by now." ”

"The United States will not sit idly by and watch a once powerful hostile country rise. Mussolini frowned and said, "Don't forget that the United States once killed a lot of people in Germany." ”

Accardo laughed, and then retorted very casually: "You forget, the United States is not a party to the United States, it is not even an enemy to Germany, and believe me, I will not consider the folly of going to war with the United States for at least the next 30 years...... So, what reason do you think the United States has to refuse my cake?"

Hearing Accardo say this, Mussolini immediately asked, "What cake?"

"An alliance against a real enemy!" replied Accardo with a smile.

"The real enemy? you mean*?"

Accardo pointed to the stack of texts: "You better read it carefully and then talk about it, if I were you, it would definitely be a good deal to exchange the benefits of not saving zài for something real." ”

Mussolini frowned and flipped to the end of the stack, where an independent original bill lay quietly, with the words written on the cover. Mussolini's eyes lit up, and then he eagerly flipped through the contents.

The agreement consists of three main articles, a subsidiary protocol and a secret annex. The main elements were very simple: first, the States Parties agreed to exchange information on the activities of the Comintern and to cooperate closely, to agree and take the necessary preventive measures; second, to take preventive measures against "third countries threatened by the Comintern" or to jointly invite them to join the Agreement, and thirdly, to establish a standing committee on matters relating to the agreement.

The subsequent secret annex stipulated: first, that when one of the contracting parties was attacked or threatened by the Soviet Union, the other side could not take any action in favor of the Soviet Union and immediately negotiate measures to "protect the common interests";

And there is also a photo of the signed document behind this document, which is a secret contract between Germany and Japan, which has been signed and printed by both parties, and has officially entered into force.

"Look!" Accardo said with a smirk, "You have to promise, I promise you, you want to be safe, I will provide security, I have made my own efforts for peace with sincerity, and now the rest depends on the decision of the 'leader'." ”

"You're going to take the prime minister and the president alone, right?" Mussolini was silent for a long time, and suddenly a question that seemed inconsequential came to him.

However, Accardo understood Mussolini's words, so he nodded and replied: "I can ensure that this document and these secret agreements are fully implemented, and I can even exclude the envoy from going to Italy to negotiate the signing of a complete covenant between the two countries." ”

"If the United States finally gives up, then Italy will also remain neutral. Mussolini put the matter on someone else, but looked at the texts again.

......

A luxurious Mercedes-Benz stopped in front of a gorgeous iron gate, two servants in ceremonial clothes elegantly pushed open the iron gate, and the car started again, slowly driving towards the magnificent castle in the courtyard.

At the main entrance of the castle, the car slowed down again, and a man who looked to be about 50 years old stepped forward and helped open the door as the car stopped. And the woman who got out of the car made everyone present gasp.

As if all the beauty in the world was integrated into that face, this woman used her existence to explain the true meaning of the word "alluring the country and the city", and by virtue of her beauty alone, she overwhelmed the dozen or so wealthy businessmen and officials in front of her.

"Miss Mercedes, it's been a hard journey. Inside please. The butler bent lower and whispered.

"I'm sorry to keep you waiting. Mercedes walked into the room with a smile, nodding to the crowd waiting for her as she walked: "I decided to go and inspect the preservation of Ford's equipment, after all, the acquisition of Ford Motor Company is one of the purposes of my visit." ”

"Miss Mercedes, the White Lanhua Group, or the gentleman from Germany, will really help the United States out of its predicament?" asked the old man, who thought he was on crutches, as he accompanied Mercedes into the house.

"Of course, if the United States helps Germany to win on the issue of territorial disputes, it supports Germany's hardline attitude on international * issues. Then the White Lanhua Group will help add at least 300,000 jobs in the United States. Mercedes said with a smile, she smiled, it seemed that the temperature in the room was much warmer, and several young officials and businessmen began to tear the tie around their necks and swallow a mouthful of saliva at the same time.

The old man nodded: "There is no doubt that the United States has always supported all countries on the issue of international production. And the fact that the United States did not participate after the war is enough proof of our sincerity to Germany. ”

Talking and talking, the group has come to the hall of the castle, Mercedes found a sofa very casually and sat down, the old man also casually ordered a drink, so the people with identity or identity hard enough all found a place to sit down, and the rest of the people stood in groups of three or five.

The old man did not wait for Mercedes to speak, and then said to himself: "But President Roosevelt and some guys in Congress are very uneasy about Germany's territorial claims, and they hope that I can help persuade that gentleman to give up his excessive demands, and the United States will make appropriate compensation, wouldn't it be better for everyone to be happy?"

"In my fiancé's eyes, there is no compromise. Head of the Morgan family. Mercedes's eyes drooped slightly: "I believe you know very well what we need most, and I believe that you have the ability to convince the honorable President Roosevelt and get Congress to change its mind." ”

"What about the benefits?" asked old Morgan very casually.

"Coca-Cola Company has a 3% stake. Mercedes said with a smile. But no one noticed, her hands were gently squeezed together. And only she knows that her palms are already full of sweat. Negotiating with the head of the Morgan consortium is not an easy task.

After waiting for about a minute, when Mercedes was about to shout out 5% of the shares, the other party spoke first.

"Deal!" Old Morgan smiled triumphantly: "Young man, your concentration is really good, if you don't panic a little, you may even save these thirty percent of the shares." ”

"My fiancé said that it would be better to make a friend of the head of the Morgan family. Mercedes stood up, but did not stretch out his sweaty hand: "I wait for the good news from the head of the Morgan family." ”

......

Walking out of the castle and getting into the car, Mercedes looked out the window at the scenery and gently ordered the driver: "Send a telegram to Accardo, saying that I failed, did not complete the plan as planned, and lost 30% of the shares of Coca-Cola." ”

"Miss, is the other party so difficult to deal with?" the driver asked as he drove.

"More powerful than I thought, or not so unique in terms of world situation, but in terms of business, he is much better than me. Mercedes sighed and said, "My father trained me to do business, and I think I know business theory, but in the end, I underestimated these gods of business warfare." ”

However, Accardo, who was far away in Berlin, laughed after seeing the Mercedes telegram: "As my fiancée, compared to Austria and the Sudetenland region of Czechoslovakia, isn't 30% of Coca-Cola's shares much cheaper?"

There was another sentence he held in his heart, and no one heard it: once the war starts, those can't be taken away!