Holy Roman Empire-Chapter 1027 - 41, Military Parade

Chapter 1027: Chapter 41, Military Parade

I have to admit, Revilla chose a good timing. The Vienna Government was preoccupied with organizing military parades, and the emergence of a few extra investment companies hardly caught anyone’s attention.

Similar financing events had happened before, but they were usually undertaken by public companies. As long as there were no issues with the project, approval would not be stalled.

As a professional in finance, Revilla was an expert in this field. Procedures were indeed in place, but he was essentially selling dog meat under the guise of sheep’s meat.

Even the contract of 70 million was meticulously prepared. The purpose was to scam, a trick they’ve done before with domestic commercial banks in Spain.

Although the newspapers in Vienna had reported it, in those days, information dissemination was inconvenient, so Vienna’s newspapers couldn’t reach the whole world.

Therefore, at the financing meeting in Vienna, everything proceeded as usual. Risks and returns were laid out plainly, take it or leave it.

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The real money-making was happening elsewhere—from Moscow in the east, to Stockholm in the north, to London in the west, and even faraway North America—they were all targets of Revilla.

Such a huge scam couldn’t have been pulled off by Revilla alone, so sharing the profits was essential.

Without the help of Jewish brethren worldwide, Revilla’s plan couldn’t have continued. Of course, most people didn’t yet know they were part of a scam.

Many thought this was a revolutionary business model, and numerous Jewish capitalists who participated also bought shares.

According to Revilla’s business blueprint, the funds raised would definitely exceed Spain’s loans; the surplus was to be continually reinvested.

We must remember that this was the last phase of the economic crisis, when assets were cheapest and most ripe for a takeover.

If they could survive this toughest period, what followed would be a windfall. Such engagements were, however, usually left to large consortia and tycoons.

Ordinary people, limited by funds, couldn’t accurately time the market to buy at its lowest, and if they entered too early, they wouldn’t last until the crisis was over.

But it was different when everyone united—thousands of middle and small capitalists together possessed wealth no less than any consortium.

Having such a cash flow, they could definitely get a piece of the action in the buying frenzy. As investors, they were the shareholders of this new consortium.

Just as the economic crisis had barely ended and the public’s panic hadn’t yet subsided, people were afraid to invest.

Keeping money in the bank was no solution; not only did current accounts earn no interest, but they also carried a handling fee; though fixed deposits offered a small interest, it was genuinely fixed, and early withdrawals were not allowed.

Keeping large amounts of cash at home posed security risks, so the wealthy were also troubled.

Everyone had one thought: if only there were an investment channel that could offer steady and substantial returns.

Using a needs-driven scam, a trick still popular in the 21st century, was even more irresistible in the 19th century.

Everyone knew that Spain was financially troubled, which is why it resorted to borrowing. Yet, to say that the Spanish Government would go bankrupt would make many jump up to contradict.

Despite its decline, in the eyes of ordinary people, Spain was still regarded as the world’s fourth-highest power just behind England, Russia, and Shinra.

It still possessed fertile colonies and centuries of wealth accumulated by its Colonial Empire. As long as it could breathe through this temporary difficulty, the future would improve.

Moreover, if it went bankrupt, wouldn’t there still be collateral?

Just replace a few terms from the loan agreements guaranteed by the Vienna Government and signed between Spain and several major Shinra commercial banks, and the risk reduced immediately.

How could ordinary people unaware of the internal dealings distinguish the real from the fake? Even if someone discovered problems, the people around them would only dumb them down.

“A crowd halves the IQ.”

While those attending the presentations never numbered in the thousands, a good story alone could do the job of dumbing down.

Even if the audience comprised highly intelligent individuals, a few shills could be planted. Once some started investing, others were close to being duped.

It wasn’t about recouping their funds thirty years later; results were seen just a month after investment. Even with doubts, many still took a gamble.

Whether they could resist the allure of observed profits was an unknown. After all, the scam had just begun, and it was a long way from being wound up.

It wasn’t just ordinary people; even Revilla himself was immersed in this beautifully crafted story.

In theory, as long as the Spanish Government didn’t collapse financially and the investment company’s cash flow didn’t break, this scam could continue long-term.

First, using the investments of early investors to loan to the Spanish Government; then, using the investments of those who came later to distribute interest dividends to the earlier investors.

The excess funds could still be invested. Given the initial abundance of funds, there was room to make substantial acquisitions boldly.

If the economy recovered quickly enough, the low-priced assets purchased now would soon appreciate in value.

As long as profits came in fast enough, managing interest dividends wouldn’t be a problem. In a worst-case scenario, the interest dividends to investors could be gradually reduced later to decouple the risk of a cash flow breakdown.

If the plan succeeded, then Revilla wouldn’t be a swindler, but a great entrepreneur, becoming a master in capital operations, revered by future generations.

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By masking a capital scam with a business façade, Revilla burst with the passion of an entrepreneur, exuding the air of a successful person wherever he went.

Not only did they cheat the investors, but the company employees were also so utterly confused that many of them drained their savings to join this supposed path to riches.

Investors saw “employee shareholding” as a typical sign of confidence. They felt compelled to substantially increase their investments, or else they would only get the leftovers.

Since the second half of 1895, the great capital operation mentor, Revilla, had started his global “lecture tour.”

He was not only cheating investors but also actively recruiting talents from all walks of life, preparing to make a big splash.

So much so that Adler, who was in the know, doubted himself deeply. How could he merely be an entrepreneur and not a scammer?

…

The capital game continued, and the parade for the third anniversary of the Holy Roman Empire had already begun. Franz, mounted on a tall white horse, started the inspection of the military with a group of people.

There was no waving, for with his horse riding skills, if he were to let go of the reins, one couldn’t predict what accident might occur.

Besides, as the Emperor, he did not need to appear approachable during a parade; maintaining his majesty was sufficient.

In fact, Franz would have preferred to inspect the troops from his epoch-making automobile rather than ride a horse.

Yet, given the knightly traditions of the Holy Roman Empire and the Habsburg dynasty being a leader among them, he had to opt for horseback to highlight the martial spirit.

With the Emperor still able to inspect the troops on horseback at over sixty years of age, what more needed to be said?

It was noticeable that the high government officials were all absent. Not because they did not wish to visit, but because their bodies genuinely couldn’t handle the strain.

Just because 65-year-old Franz could manage a horseback parade didn’t mean the octogenarian Cabinet high officials could do the same.

Any mishap would transform the solemn ceremony into a farce, which Franz absolutely could not tolerate, thus he directly ordered senior officials to rest backstage.

With the Cabinet high officials merely observing, other government officers naturally had to follow suit and watch from the sidelines. It was simply a matter of rank not being high enough.

Hence, the 1895 parade turned into a spectacle dominated by the military. Behind the royal family members, those who followed were all generals and marshals.

After a round of inspection, dragging his slightly fatigued body back to the fortifications, Franz slowly said, “Begin!”

The salute of cannons rang out, and the flag guard, raising the dual eagle flag, started the performance first.

Marching in tight formation, each movement was precise to the centimeter. Viewed from the side, they formed a straight line, the soldiers’ expressions solemn and spirited, full of fighting spirit.

The flag-raising ceremony started, with the national anthem playing, and except for the Emperor and Empress who remained seated calmly, everyone else had already stood up, watching the national flag being hoisted slowly.

Frankly speaking, Franz did not enjoy these ceremonies, but he had to admit, they were indeed necessary.

Glancing over the crowd, everyone looked solemn, gazing as the flag was slowly raised; probably only he, the Emperor, was left looking around.

It should be known the cameras were running, and an indecorous scene captured would forever tarnish his image.

Of course, this did not include Franz. As a successful and celebrated old Emperor, any action of his would be interpretatively aided by observers.

If others looked around, it would be called “looking here and there unsurely”; if the Emperor looked around, it would be considered inspecting the whole area.

Once the national flag was hoisted, the troops formed a square and started marching towards Vienna Palace Square. Thankfully, Franz had expanded the palace while also enlarging the square; otherwise, they couldn’t have held such a grand parade.

Looking far away, one could see a square formation marching in perfect step, heads held high, full of vigor.

The first to come was the Tri-Service Honor Guard, followed by the army square, the navy square, the air force square, the Confederation Military Square…

Then came the mighty armored square, tank square, and artillery square. They exuded an inherent dominance that, from a distance, was intimidating to behold.

Lastly, the stunning air echelon flew overhead. Representing the air force, these fighter jets, although introduced late, ended quickly.

Airships had already been phased out of the core air force, now replaced by airplanes. Embodying perfection, a hundred fighter jets comprised the air force’s heritage displayed in the parade.

Unfortunately, their flying speed was too fast; circling the square three full loops took only a few minutes. Before one could clearly see, they had already returned to their base.

Regarding aerial stunts, one could only think about them; Franz hadn’t lived enough yet and didn’t plan on tempting fate. Despite the air force’s reassurance of safety, the cautious Emperor still curtailed their desire to perform.

In fact, for Franz to allow planes to fly overhead already took a lot of courage. There was no choice, aviation accidents were too common these days.

Taking the Holy Roman Empire’s air force as an example, if there wasn’t at least one flight accident each year, then it would be considered a loss for Franz.

Adhering to a safety-first policy, Franz never traveled by airplane and also prohibited any flights over his head.

This ban was clearly superfluous; no fool dared to fly over the Emperor’s head, as that would mean disrespect to the Emperor, a guaranteed severe crime.

Just like the parade, the performing aircraft kept a considerable distance from the great Emperor. They were careful not to be misunderstood as standing over the Emperor’s head.

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