Volume 4: The World of Great Conflict Chapter 0402 Cooperation
Time soon came to the fourth day, which was also the day when Nan Yi and Catherine agreed to talk again.
It was almost noon when Nan Yi arrived at Boleyn Castle. As soon as he entered the castle, he saw old Matthew directing a group of workers to tend the flower garden.
Seeing Nan Yi, Old Matthew came up to greet him, "Mr. Adam, the Earl is waiting for you in the study. I'll take you there."
"Sir Matthew , no need, just continue with your work, I can go there by myself."
Matthew paused and said, "That's fine. The Earl is in the third room on the left on the second floor."
Nan Yi nodded and walked into the castle.
He went upstairs and found the study. The door was not closed. Through the door, Nan Yi could see Catherine sitting at the desk, holding a book in her hands, looking very peaceful.
Nan Yi knocked on the door to remind Catherine that he was there.
Catherine looked up at Nan Yi and made an inviting gesture. Nan Yi walked into the study and sat in the chair opposite her.
"Did you see it when you came here?"
“Yes.”
"I've been living a comfortable life these past few days. I don't have to worry about money as soon as I open my eyes. I also bought some white beluga caviar, which I haven't had for a long time. It tastes delicious, just like I remember it."
Catherine put the book on the desk and said, "Adam, the five hundred thousand pounds you left behind is Pandora, which has released the demon that I have locked in the abyss and indulged in luxury and pleasure."
"It's human nature. Who doesn't enjoy pleasure? Only a few people are willing to mix dirt and sand into delicious food to prevent themselves from eating too good a meal ."
"Right, the weather is nice today, would you like to walk outside with me?"
"Of course, I'd love to."
Nan Yi and Catherine walked out of the castle, came to the edge of the moat, and then strolled along the river.
"Did you see what book I was reading in the study just now?" Catherine stopped and tucked her wind-blown hair behind her ears.
"Yes, Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte."
Nan Yi nodded.
"I have read this book countless times, and I used to imagine myself being like the heroine Jane."
"Do you mean that she found a lover to whom she could devote all her heart, or that she was not content with the status quo, was unwilling to be humiliated, and had the courage to fight?"
“I think both.”
"Then why didn't you learn from her? Can't you let go of the family's honor?"
“I used to think that I didn’t do the same as Jane because I couldn’t let go of my family’s past glory, but these few days I realized that I was actually afraid of poverty and hunger.
In the past two years, I often went out and went to the East District. I saw the lives of the poor. I couldn't stand that kind of life. Even for just one day, it would drive me crazy.
In the past two years, I have often had nightmares. I dreamed that I was driven out of Boleyn Castle, that I was standing on the street to pick up customers, and that I wanted to commit suicide again and again, but was rescued again and again. "
Nan Yi hugged Catherine's arms and patted them gently with his hands, "Don't think too much, and don't scare yourself. With me here, your life won't be so unbearable."
Catherine was born almost at the end, instead of climbing up from hell step by step and going through all kinds of hardships. She was smart and could imagine how difficult poverty and hunger were, but she was also fragile inside and did not have the courage to try.
This is also the reason why some wealthy people who fail in business, even though they can still live a middle-class life after stripping away their assets, still choose to jump off buildings, because they cannot accept their downgrade in class and their quality of life.
What I can’t accept even more is that the perspective switches from looking down to looking straight at will, and now I can only look up.
"Thanks."
Catherine did not take Nan Yi's hand away, nor did she show any intimate behavior. She just turned her head and looked at Nan Yi and asked, "Do you need me to intervene in your investment because it will be detrimental to the Great Eagle Empire?"
"No, it will only be disadvantageous to some people. Taking into account the over-issued currency, the money of a country is still relatively fixed. A piece of cake was originally shared by five people, but now with me, it becomes shared by six people, and the original five people will get less.
At this time, what would the original five people do?
They would privately connect with each other and look for commonalities between them. Let's not talk about the subtle similarities for now. From a big perspective, the five of them are white, all of them are insiders of the Great Eagle Empire, and I am the only yellow person, a foreigner.
Needless to say, the five of them will first work together to drive me, the outsider, away, and they can discuss the rest.
If I compete with these five, whose side will Downing Street stand on? And whose side will the civilians of Eagle Country stand on? "
"It's mainly civilians, right? For Downing Street, capital has no borders, as long as the capital pays taxes here."
"To be more precise, it should be civilians who have nothing to do with me. I am an outsider, so my salary must be higher than that of local companies, and the employees who serve me can get more benefits.
Once national justice and patriotism are exploited by capital, their sacredness will be distorted.
But no matter whether it has changed its nature, it is indeed very useful, especially when domestic capital is fighting against foreign capital at home.
Catherine, do you believe that one day "patriotism" will become a code for wealth? Some capitalists will cling to these two words, tie patriotism to their own products, and desperately market patriotism to consumers, in fact, just to fatten their own pockets. "
"I know this. There have been such cases decades ago. The patriotic marketing you mentioned can play a huge role in the media industry."
"Is that so?" Nan Yi nodded and said, "Now you should understand why I want to cooperate with you, right?"
“Are you going to enter a relatively sensitive industry?”
"No, I want to reap the dividends of Eagle Country's privatization. These dividends are reserved for Eagle Country's local capital, so I need you."
"So, I am important?"
"Haha, I guess so, but it's not that I can't do without you. With you, it's more like icing on the cake." Nan Yi certainly understood why Catherine asked this. This would be the capital for asking for a higher price in the future.
"Adam, we should clarify my shares today."
"It's not clear yet. How much shares you will get depends on how much of a role you can play. If you only play a nominal role, then of course you can only get the smallest share; if you can provide great help to our business, you can naturally get more shares."
"What if I just lend you my life?"
“1%.”
"Can I understand it this way? In our business, I can have the real say?"
"Yes, it all depends on your ability. If you play a vital role in our business, the upper limit of your shares will not be 5%, but 25%, or even more. However, are you confident that your contribution can be compared with hundreds of millions of dollars of capital?"
"Who knows? As long as you don't erase my contribution, maybe one day the role I play will become a key factor in the success of our business." Catherine said confidently.
"If it's as you said, that would be the best. You can rest assured that I only look at how much I can get. This amount is an absolute number, not how many shares I own."
"It's a pleasure working with you." Catherine extended her right hand.
“It’s been a pleasure working with you.”
