novelSusiti Chapter 206 A Double "Surprise"
Chapter 206 A Double "Surprise"
The Royal Palace of Athens at night is brightly lit, as bright as day.
A grand celebratory banquet is being held here.
Melodious classical music filled the air as elegantly dressed guests strolled among the guests, their crystal glasses clinking and making a crisp sound.
After the day's shock, the atmosphere at the dinner party became somewhat subtle.
The old-school politicians gathered in a corner, their faces still grim, but they were still putting on a brave face.
"It's just a slightly better harvest, what's the big deal? It's a one-off deal!"
"That's right, how much output can agriculture generate? Can the country's financial hole be filled by selling a few kilograms of wheat?"
"Those bankers will still refuse to lend money after the banquet. Let's see what he does tomorrow!"
Their voices were deliberately lowered, yet they made sure that those around them could hear them, as if they were encouraging themselves and their companions.
Just then, the host of the banquet walked onto the small stage in the center of the hall.
As the music gradually subsided, everyone's attention turned to that direction.
"Ladies and gentlemen," the host's voice boomed, "now, please welcome Mr. Antonio Petalas, our most distinguished representative of Greek overseas businessmen, to give us a toast!"
applause.
Antonio Petaras, the "royal merchant" who was promoted by Constantine, strode onto the stage.
He was dressed in a well-tailored tuxedo, his hair neatly combed, but the genuine excitement on his face was impossible to hide.
He first bowed deeply to the main table where Constantine was.
Then, he raised his glass and faced all the guests.
"Your Highness, distinguished guests!"
Petaras's voice trembled slightly with excitement.
"Today, I stand here not on my own behalf, but on behalf of the millions of Greek expatriates around the world!"
"In the past, we, the wanderers far from our homeland, were filled with sorrow and helplessness every time we mentioned our motherland. We were rich, but our motherland was poor. We were strong, but our motherland was weak."
"It was His Highness Constantine! It was he who gave us hope again! He swept away the nation's deep-seated problems with swift and decisive action; he won the war with extraordinary wisdom; he returned the land to the peasants with his magnanimous heart!"
"Today, we see a rising Greece! A united Greece! A Greece full of hope!"
Petalas's voice suddenly rose.
"Your Highness's reforms have not only shown us the future of our motherland, but have also given all Greeks overseas a way home!"
He raised his glass high, his voice echoing throughout the hall.
"In gratitude to our motherland and to support His Highness's great cause, I, on behalf of the Global Federation of Greek Businessmen, hereby declare—"
He paused, and the entire hall was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.
"We will jointly donate to the 'Light of Hope' rural aid program and the 'National Education Fund'—"
"Three million drachmas!"
boom!
This number exploded in everyone's mind like a bombshell!
Three million drachmas!
This huge sum of money is enough to cover most of the fiscal deficit!
The last trace of color drained from the faces of those old-school politicians. Their mouths hung open, like ducks being choked, unable to utter a sound.
The foreign bankers' eyes lit up instantly!
What they saw was not a donation.
What they saw was the terrifyingly strong internal cohesion of the Greek nation!
If a country's government can receive such unreserved and substantial financial support from overseas Chinese, is there any doubt about its credibility and potential?
Petaras's voice echoed through the hall.
"We are willing to dedicate everything we have to the rise of our motherland!"
The thunderous applause lasted for a long time.
This massive injection of funds acted like a powerful stimulant, turning all doubts about the national treasury into a laughable joke.
However, the "surprises" Constantine brought to everyone were far from over.
Just as Petalas stepped off the stage and the atmosphere reached a climax, a disheveled royal guard strode into the hall, went straight to Constantine, and handed him a letter with a wax seal.
Constantine opened the letter, glanced at it, and a smile appeared on his lips.
He handed the letter to the host next to him.
"Read this special 'gift' to our guests."
The host took the letter, cleared his throat, and his face showed barely suppressed excitement.
"Ladies and gentlemen, this is a congratulatory telegram from Mr. Leonidas Capsalis, Chief Engineer of the Royal Greek Hydroelectric Power Station Project in the Agrafa Mountains!"
"A hydroelectric power station?"
"What is that?"
The guests looked at each other, many of them hearing the word for the first time.
Without explanation, the host began reading the letter aloud.
"Your Highness, on this National Harvest Festival, the entire team of 1,300 engineers and workers of the Agrafa Mountains extends our highest respect to you!"
"We are honored to report to you that, after overcoming numerous difficulties and obstacles, the main structure of the first phase of the hydropower station was successfully joined yesterday! It is expected to be officially connected to the grid and generate electricity in six months!"
By this point in the letter, the audience was still completely bewildered.
But what he said next made all the bankers jump up from their seats!
"...Based on precise calculations of future power generation and through arduous negotiations by your authorized commercial department, we have already signed ten-year long-term pre-sale contracts for power supply with Deutsche Electric, Aluminum, and Škoda Arms Factory of Austria-Hungary!"
"Enclosed with the letter is the first advance payment from Deutsche Bank. It represents a small gift from the stones and rivers of the Agrafa Mountains for this harvest festival!"
After the host finished speaking, he poured out a neatly folded check from the envelope.
He unfolded the checks, held them high, and faced all the guests.
The numbers above are clearly visible under the light.
——500,000 German marks!
If a bountiful harvest represents Greece's solid "present," then...
Therefore, the huge donations from overseas Chinese represent the strong "hearts and minds" of the Greek people.
This staggering check from the future hydroelectric power station is like a lightning bolt piercing the night sky, illuminating Greece's upcoming glorious "industrial future" to the whole world!
Agricultural foundation! Commercial capital! Industrial prospects!
Constantine used a celebration to perfectly connect these three most important elements of a powerful nation, forming an impeccable and dazzling closed loop showcasing national strength!
The entire banquet hall fell into a deathly silence.
Everyone was stunned and dizzy from the successive heavy blows.
Constantine slowly stood up.
He did not give any speech.
He simply raised his glass and calmly surveyed the room.
His gaze eventually fell on the German ambassador and the German bankers.
The Germans were looking at him with an almost fanatical gaze.
Constantine raised his glass and offered a toast in their direction.
He downed the glass of red wine in one gulp.
Setting down his wine glass, he turned around and gave a brief command to Alexandros Dimitriopoulos, who stood behind him like a shadow.
"Notify Metaxas to prepare to launch Project Sabre."
A grand celebration has come to an end.
But an even larger hunt targeting the Ottoman Empire has only just begun.