March 2, 1867.

Saint petersburg.

Cross, the expert judge of the Heshingen consortium, is bargaining with Count Sergei (a fictional character), a close confidant of Tsar Alexander II.

"Your Excellency Count Sergei, is the news really reliable about your country's intention to sell the Alaska region?"

Cross still cautiously asked Count Sergei for confirmation, after all, this is a big deal, and there is no room for sloppiness.

"With my status and status, I don't have this kind of careful thinking to play tricks on you, in fact, before that, some ministers proposed to His Majesty to sell the Alaska region, and some even wanted to get in touch with the U.S. government and let them take over the Alaska territory." Count Sergei said solemnly.

"Now that Alaska is a burden to the empire and faces the threat of the British, there is a voice to sell the Alaska region."

Hearing this, Cross knew that the news was almost over, so he asked: "Mr. Sergey, is your country no longer expanding into the Americas?" ”

Kroos's words were rude, but Sergei, who had already taken the money, didn't care at all.

Explained: "Since the Crimean War, the empire has embarked on the path of reform, reform! That costs money, and now our focus is on Central Asia, and we don't have the energy to develop the American colonies at present, plus in order to manage and develop the Alaska colony, we can't make a profit, not to mention, we have to lose money from time to time, and the empire's economic situation in the past two years has not been good, and some people have long wanted to sell Alaska for cash. ”

Cross replied, "That's right, our Black Singen Consortium is interested in buying your Alaska colony. ”

"Of course it's fine, but it's hard work to get the bridge through me...... You know! Sergey made a gesture with his fingers to count the money.

"Your Excellency Count Sergei, if you can make this deal for us, we will not forget the friendship of our friends." Cross hurriedly said.

As he spoke, he quietly handed a check for 20,000 rubles to Sergey.

"It's just a greeting gift, a little care, not a tribute!".

looked at the check in his hand and counted the amount, Sergei was quite satisfied.

He asked, "What kind of effect do you want?" I can get some friends to help me, but it can't be low! ”

Cross cautiously probed: "Your Excellency Count Sergei, do you think there is a possibility to buy Alaska for a few million rubles?" ”

"It's absolutely impossible! You must know that the area of Alaska is more than a million square kilometers, and even rich Americans cannot get Alaska without spending a few million dollars. Sergei said in a firm tone.

"What is your country's psychological expectations?" Cross asked.

Sergei pondered for a moment and held out a finger.

"Ten million dollars!" Cross held back the shock in his heart, the Russians dared to think.

Cross also did a survey, the so-called Alaska is actually a snowy field, although the area is large, there is no food, there is no minerals, and the Russians have developed the fur business in Alaska.

In the past two years, I have heard from Russian fur traders that the fur business in Alaska is not doing well now, so what is the value?

If the company hadn't sent himself here to discuss business, Cross wouldn't have wanted to buy this large snowfield in his own mind.

"Your Excellency Count Sergei, in fact, you and I know very well that although Alaska is very large, it is actually just a piece of snow with no use value. He's not worth $10 million at all. Cross said to Sergei.

"And if our consortium wants to buy this land, there is no urgent need, so the price cannot be too high."

Sergei asked curiously: "Then what are you buying such a large piece of white land with no economic value?" ”

Sergei also knows that the Alaska colony is now a complete rotten land, not to mention that there is no output, that is, it spends a lot of financial resources of the empire every year in order to maintain sovereignty over the Alaska region, and now Russia is busy buying Alaska, but at present, only the Heshingen consortium is actively contacting the empire.

Kross pretended to be helpless and explained to Sergei: "It's just a little idea of the boss himself, he told us that if you can't do it, you don't have to force it." Cross said quietly.

"Mr. Cross, I don't really understand how anyone would buy such a piece of wasteland. Does the boss have any quirks? Sergei asked curiously.

"I'm not sorry you said, Mr. Sergei, our boss does have a hobby, it's just our speculation!"

Cross said mysteriously to Sergei, "It is said that he also received a piece of land in Africa for colonization, but what about Africa!" I believe Your Excellency also understands that in addition to tropical diseases, there is also a terrible natural environment, and he has whimsically engaged in planting there, and he has also recruited immigrants from other places at a loss. ”

"It doesn't look like the work of a shrewd businessman." Cross said.

All in all, our boss is a strange man, wronged, if you miss this village, you won't have this store, if you don't cherish us, we won't serve.

"Mr. Cross, it's not that I don't want to help your company, but the price given by your country is really too low, so my country will naturally choose Americans to buy the Alaska region." Sergey and Cross said.

That's not what you said when you collected money? Cross complained in his heart.

However, in this regard, Ernst had already expected that if he wanted these Russians to contribute, he would have to hang them with benefits, and imagine that in his previous life, in order to get the money from the sale of Alaska, Russia, which had always been greedy, had to bribe American officials to get the money back. (There are also versions that Russia didn't get a penny, but it's unlikely.) ）

Therefore, Ernst chose the route of bribing the Russian minister this time, and I can't pay a better price than the Americans, but can I buy the Russian minister!

As for whether the United States has the same idea, it should not be, after all, the Americans have historically had a majority opposition to the purchase of Arras blessings, so it is unlikely that they will be so positive.

So Ernst, Cross and others ordered: "This time I went to Russia, not to run into the Alaska problem head-on, but to do it by bribing those ministers from the side." ”

So Cross said: "Your Excellency, Count Sergei, as long as you can convince your government to sell the Alaska colony to us, we will pay you 300,000 rubles, provided that it does not exceed 15 million rubles, and if on this basis, you can reduce the purchase price by 1 million rubles, we are willing to pay an additional 100,000 rubles each time......"

Sergei's eyes lit up, and a greedy look involuntarily overflowed from his eyes.

"Your Excellency Cross, if you had said the conditions earlier, why would there be such trouble, don't worry! I'll take care of the rest, and I'll be sure to satisfy your company. ”

For Sergey, this is no different from picking up money.