After hearing Jerome Bonaparte's encouraging speech, no matter how many worries Field and William Thomson had in their hearts, they had to suppress them at the moment.
"Your Majesty, thank you for your trust in the Atlantic Telegraph Company!
I guarantee that all employees of the Atlantic Telegraph Company will live up to your trust and we will do our best to serve the French Empire!"
Field's face was filled with a warm and almost flattering smile, and his tone was particularly flattering when he spoke to Jerome Bonaparte.
Perhaps in order to make his loyalty more vivid, Field shouted loudly after finishing his flattering remarks, "Long live the Empire, long live Bonaparte!"
This gesture moved everyone in the venue. William Thomson, a consultant to the Atlantic Telegraph Company, wanted to burrow his head into the cracks of the ground.
William Thomson could understand the current predicament of his boss Field. The Atlantic Railway Company was already destitute on its books. If they lost such a high-quality customer as the French Emperor, they would have no choice but to go bankrupt.
Bankruptcy is simply more uncomfortable for the idealistic Field than killing him.
That's why Field did his best to accommodate the emperor's will.
However, despite this, William Thomson was still somewhat unable to accept Field's almost kneeling approach to continue the company's development.
After all, the owner of the Atlantic Telegraph Company was Field, not Mr. William Thomson.
When a person is in different positions, the choices he makes will also be different.
In the eyes of Jérôme Bonaparte, Field already possessed the basic elements of a successful entrepreneur.
For a successful entrepreneur, his first priority is not to maintain his so-called self-esteem, but to make every effort to keep the company running, no matter what method is used.
If it really reaches the point where it cannot maintain operations, then you should cut off the company's negative debt from yourself as quickly as possible so that you can plan for your next comeback.
Of course, many entrepreneurs cannot persist until the second step.
If they really get to the point where nothing can be done, they will immediately take away all the valuable bonds and stocks in their hands and flee to other countries anonymously.
It is a rare thing that Field can insist on running a company that is heavily in debt and prevent the company from going bankrupt immediately.
Jérôme Bonaparte still maintained an admiring attitude toward Field.
However, even if Jerome Bonaparte still admired Field, after seeing Field's flattering attitude in front of him, Jerome Bonaparte also silently complained in his heart, "Who said Europe is not humane and sophisticated?
I think these entrepreneurs all know how to deal with the world very well!"
"Mr. Field, don't say any more polite words!
France is still in the exploratory stage in the waters from Senegal to French Guiana, so we can put this telegraph construction aside for the time being.
Let’s talk about the telegraph route from France to Senegal first!” Jérôme Bonaparte hunched over and crossed his hands on his inner thighs, asking Field in a particularly serious tone, “I just want to know now,
How long will it take you to connect the telegraph line from mainland France to Senegal!"
When it came to business issues, Field immediately showed his unprecedented seriousness. He pointed to France on the map and asked Jérôme Bonaparte, "Your Majesty, I would like to ask whether the cable line needs to pass through Spain."
kingdom?"
Jérôme Bonaparte shook his head, then pointed his finger at Marseille, "I plan to start from Marseille, cross the Mediterranean to Algiers, and then continue building along the North African border to connect it to Rabat!"
Jérôme Bonaparte paused for a moment, then stopped at Rabat, the capital of the Moroccan protectorate, and finally followed the African coastline to Senegal, “Finally, he circled the African continent and arrived in Senegal!
I don’t know how long this plan will take!”
After listening to Jerome Bonaparte's plan, Field suddenly felt a burst of pressure. He originally thought that the journey from Senegal to French Guiana would be the most difficult part. Unexpectedly, it was no more difficult to reach Senegal from France than from Senegal.
French Guiana.
This cable needs to pass through at least three cities (Algiers, Oran, and Rabat) and adapt to different environmental climates. The two most difficult sections are from Marseille to Algiers and from Rabat to Senegal.
The former needs to cross the Western Mediterranean region, while the latter also needs to cross a small half of Africa.
After a while, Field responded to Jérôme Bonaparte, "Your Majesty, the Atlantic Telegraph Company has not yet tried to lay a telegraph in the Mediterranean. We may need some preparation time!"
"How much money do you need? How long? How many people? How long of cables? How many ships?" Jerome Bonaparte blurted out and asked Field, "If you need warships, I can also ask the Mediterranean Fleet to fully cooperate with you.
action."
Looking at Jérôme Bonaparte who showed no intention of bargaining throughout the whole process, Field felt for the first time what it meant to be wealthy.
When he was building enough cables to cross the Atlantic Ocean, Field could be said to beg his grandparents to spend all the money he had on hand on the production of cables.
If it were not for the support given by the British and American governments in the later period, Field would not even have a ship.
After all, no ordinary ship can fit a 3,000-kilometer cable.
It was thanks to Britain's free contribution of large ships that more than 3,000 kilometers of cables could be launched into the water.
Of course, the support from Britain and the United States is limited to this.
There is no way to compare it with France!
After Field carefully considered the original cost of building a cable across Britain and the United States, he cautiously quoted a price to Jérôme Bonaparte.
"Your Majesty, it costs about 200,000 pounds (5 million francs) to travel from France to Senegal, which includes a 4,000-kilometer-long cable..."
Field slowly explained the approximate cost to Jerome Bonaparte, and Jerome Bonaparte and Louis Feldbe quietly listened to Field's quotation.
After Field reported all the prices, he added with a hint of uneasiness, "This is just my rough estimate. The actual price may be lower than this!"
However, the specific price needs to be calculated in detail!
As long as your majesty can give me a few days, I can calculate more accurate figures for you!"
Jerome Bonaparte shook his head after hearing this and said: "Mr. Field, price is not an issue!
I wonder how long it will take you to complete the telegraph line to Cernega!"
After thinking for a while, Field responded to Jerome Bonaparte, "If the imperial government can cooperate properly and we can lay three lines from both sides at the same time, the laying time will be greatly shortened!
This is how the telegraph was laid from Newfoundland to Ireland!”
Jérôme Bonaparte turned his attention to Louis Feldbou, "General Feldboo, what do you think?"
"Your Majesty, the Governor's Palace of Seneghe is willing to support all actions of the empire!"
Louis Feldbub naturally understood that building a telegraph connecting Senegal and the Empire was beneficial and harmless, so he naturally supported it with a clear attitude.
"Yes!" Jerome Bonaparte nodded and replied to Field, "I am willing to support your strategy of jointly laying three routes!
However, you must expand a charter!
There is also the time required for each route, so that I can communicate with the governors of other regions and ask them to fully cooperate with your work!"
"yes!"
Field immediately agreed to the conditions proposed by Jerome Bonaparte, and said that it would only take a week or so for him to let Jerome Bonaparte see the detailed laying process.
"Okay! I believe you!" Jerome Bonaparte smiled and shook hands with Field, then turned to Burbasky and gave an order, "Mr. Burbasky, could you please run for me?"
"
Burbasky immediately stood up and replied to Jerome Bonaparte in a loud voice, "Your Majesty, please give me your orders!"
"Please convey my order to Basilio, saying that Norinco will continue to invest an additional 5 million yuan in the Atlantic Telegraph Company!" Jerome Bonaparte said while holding out five fingers.
After hearing that the emperor wanted to invest an additional 5 million yuan in the Atlantic Telegraph Company, Field's lips trembled unconsciously.
Later, Jerome Bonaparte smiled at Field and responded, "Mr. Field, I hope you and your company will not disappoint me!"
"Your Majesty, I promise you that the Atlantic Telegraph Company will not let you down!" Field repeated to the sponsor in front of him again.
"By the way, I have another suggestion here! I don't know if you are willing to listen to it!" Jerome Bonaparte seemed to have thought of something and continued to say to Field.
"Your Majesty, please speak!" Field said respectfully.
"Since you have taken over the route from France to French Guiana, isn't it too narrow-minded to call you the Atlantic Telegraph Company?
How about changing the name to Universal Telegraph Company, which would be more in line with your company!" Jérôme Bonaparte suggested.
"Global Telegraph Company?" After thinking carefully for a moment, Field replied immediately, "Your Majesty, just do as you say!"
In this way, a new telegraph trust was slowly established with the intervention of Jérôme Bonaparte.
At this moment, Field did not realize that his destiny had been quietly changed by the emperor.
