1885, I came to save Greece

Chapter 207 The Cornerstone of Industry

The dazzling crystal chandeliers in the banquet hall, like a merciless sculptor, vividly etched the pallor and despair on the faces of every old-school politician.

They slumped like fish with their bones removed in the corner of the velvet sofa, their wine glasses having slipped from their hands and spilled onto the carpet, the crimson liquid spreading like dried blood.

"Three million drachmas... five hundred thousand German marks..."

Former Judge Hermes' lips moved as he repeatedly uttered the two numbers, each syllable like a heavy hammer blow, shattering his last shred of dignity.

His "bankruptcy theory" and his carefully crafted pessimistic prophecies have now become a huge joke in all of Athens.

An obese member of parliament, who had once echoed his sentiments and vehemently attacked the Crown Prince's financial policies, stood up and staggered away from the suffocating place. He had only taken two steps when he tripped over the carpet and fell to the ground with a thud.

No one helped him up.

The surrounding guests cast their gazes not with sympathy, but with cold mockery.

This grand celebration became the grandest and most humiliating funeral for these remnants of the old era.

The next day, the sun rose as usual.

Three resignation letters appeared silently on the royal desk.

Those members of parliament who once made the loudest noise in the legislature chose the most dignified way to exit the stage of history.

Constantine didn't look at the resignation letters; he casually tossed them into the fireplace. The flickering flames quickly engulfed the names, turning them into a wisp of insignificant smoke.

He had no interest in wasting any time on losers.

On the last day of the harvest festival, Syntagma Square in Athens was once again packed with people.

Constantine stood on the temporary, highest podium.

He was dressed in a simple military uniform, without any medals, and the sunlight shone on his shoulders, outlining his tall and straight profile.

The square was filled with Athenian citizens, farmers who had traveled from afar, excited expatriates, and foreign envoys and bankers with complex expressions.

All eyes were on him.

"My fellow countrymen!"

Constantine's voice, amplified by the loudspeaker, resonated clearly throughout every corner of the square.

"Today, standing here, the first people I want to thank are our farmers!"

He turned to a special area in the audience, where hundreds of peasant representatives from Thessaly sat. They were dressed in brand-new clothes, their faces showing both restraint and excitement.

"It is you who, with your sweat and toil, have irrigated this land, allowing us to witness a golden Greece! Your harvest is the most solid foundation of this nation! I promise you, as long as I live, no one will ever be able to take your land and its fruits away from you!"

Tears welled up in the farmers' eyes. They clapped loudly, and some even took off their hats and waved them vigorously at the podium.

"I also want to thank overseas Chinese around the world!"

Constantine's gaze fell upon the merchant delegation led by Antonio Petaras.

"When your motherland needed you most, you did not forget your mother's call. Your generosity is the passion and loyalty flowing in the blood of Greece! I assure you, every penny you spend will be used in the places that will make this country stronger!"

Petalas stood up excitedly and bowed deeply to Constantine. The overseas Chinese businessmen behind him erupted in applause.

"Finally, I would like to thank the engineers and workers who have dedicated themselves silently to the high mountains of Agrafa!"

"With your wisdom and your hands, you are illuminating an unprecedented and bright future for Greece! When the first kilowatt-hour of electricity is generated from your hands, all of Greece will cheer for you!"

He made no mention of his defeated political enemies, nor did he boast about his own achievements.

His gratitude was sincere and specific, clearly pointing out the three pillars that underpinned this victory: land, capital, and technology.

The atmosphere in the entire square was brought to an emotional climax by his progressively deeper expressions of gratitude.

Just as everyone was immersed in this warm and touching atmosphere, Constantine's tone suddenly became impassioned!

"However, gratitude is not the theme of our gathering today! Celebration is not our ultimate goal either!"

"Our food cannot remain just food forever! Our money cannot remain just money forever! Our electricity cannot be used merely to light a few lamps!"

"We must transform them into the roar of factories! into giant ocean liners! into steel and flames that defend our homeland!"

His voice, like a war drum, struck the hearts of everyone.

"I hereby declare!"

Constantine stretched out his right hand, pointed to the sky, and his voice resounded through the heavens.

"Based on the donations from overseas Chinese that arrived today, and all future revenue from the Agrafa Hydropower Station, a new fund will be established—"

"Royal Industrial Development Fund!"

"This fund will have only one mission: to build an industrial system of our own for Greece!"

There was a moment of silence in the square, then a thunderous roar of cheers erupted!

"industry!"

"Our own industry!"

Citizens and students alike used all their strength to shout out this word that ignited their passion.

Constantine didn't give them much time to cheer.

He silenced the square once again with a forceful downward gesture.

He knew that empty slogans couldn't fill an empty stomach. A concrete blueprint was what ignited everyone's confidence.

"The fund's first investment after its establishment will be used for two projects!"

Everyone held their breath and pricked up their ears.

The bankers even took out paper and pens, ready to take notes.

"First!" Constantine held up one finger. "We will build the first modern flour mill and the first large-scale cotton textile mill in the Kingdom of Greece, right next to the Thessaly Plain, our largest granary!"

This announcement instantly ignited the enthusiasm of farmers and businessmen.

"This means that our harvested wheat will no longer be cheap raw material, but bread that can be placed directly on tables throughout Europe! Our cotton will no longer be coarse wadding, but fine fabrics that can be sold all over the world!"

"We will transform our agricultural harvest into industrial products of several times, even dozens of times, greater value! We will create more wealth and tens of thousands of jobs on our own land!"

A complete industrial chain is clearly presented to everyone.

From land to factories to markets!

This is a tangible path to prosperity!

"second!"

Constantine extended a second finger, his gaze fixed on the distant port of Piraeus.

"We will use this money to expand the Piraeus shipyard! We will purchase the most advanced equipment and hire the best engineers! I want our 'Royal Merchants' to sail on steel merchant ships built by the Greeks themselves, carrying our goods to every corner of the world!"

"I also want our navy, sailing steel warships built by the Greeks themselves, to defend our vast coastline and our growing overseas interests!"

Agriculture! Industry! Commerce! Military!

These four most important elements of a powerful nation are perfectly linked together by these two seemingly simple projects.

A new Greece, self-sufficient, with a strong capacity for self-sufficiency and capable of radiating power outwards, its grand blueprint was presented to the world by Constantine in the clearest and most powerful way!

On the viewing platform, the Deutsche Bank representative had stopped taking notes.

He just stared intently at the young man on the podium, his eyes filled with shock and fervor.

He knew he was witnessing the birth of a miracle.

A regional power is rising with unstoppable momentum!

At the end of his speech, Constantine's voice had become slightly hoarse, but its power to penetrate people's hearts only grew stronger.

"My fellow countrymen! The harvest festival comes to an end today! But Greece's rise has only just begun!"

"Remember today! Remember these golden waves of wheat! Remember this clarion call of industry!"

"A brand new era has arrived!"

Long live Greece!

When he uttered his last words, the entire city of Athens erupted in jubilation.

"Constantine!"

"Constantine!"

People chanted his name wildly, their voices converging into an unprecedented torrent that soared into the sky.

The salute fired by the royal guards seemed so insignificant in the face of this thunderous roar.

At this moment, Constantine was not only a military commander, nor only a political reformer.

He became the irreplaceable chief architect in the hearts of all Greeks, leading the entire country toward prosperity and strength.