Paris actually has two faces. One is the face of revelry and pleasure-seeking. It blooms at night. The gentlemen, ladies and wandering people on the streets either indulge in pleasure in theaters or balls, or wander around.
, greedily sucking the brilliant light, without caring about anything in the world.
The other appearance appears during the day. It is serious and rigid, cold and harsh, and everyone operates according to their position in the social machine.
Every morning, Paris is like a busy beehive, full of energy, with people rushing back and forth to complete seemingly never-ending tasks.
On this early summer morning, as usual, at eight o'clock in the morning, Jean-Antoine Poncena got off the carriage on time and came to the building of his bank.
This is a beautifully constructed five-story building. The building has been carefully designed. The facade is in golden and cherry red colors, and is divided by marble columns. There are also marble carvings between the columns and the windows. Although
It is not ostentatious, but it is somewhat solemn and seems to symbolize the rising new power class in this country.
Under the guidance of his secretary, Jean-Antoine Poncena quickly walked up to the top floor and came to his spacious office.
This office occupies half a floor, but the furnishings inside are not luxurious. There are cabinets for files and receipts everywhere, just like a library. In the middle is a walnut desk and a
From this large chair, you can see the Seine River and the Louvre in the distance through the window, and enjoy the view of Paris.
The building itself, as well as everything in it, as well as the "Poncena Bank" based on it, all belong to the old man Jean-Antoine Poncena.
He is very thin, and his face has become more stern due to his age, showing a rigid cyan color. Combined with the black clothes on his body, he is as cold and hard as marble.
He came to Paris by chance when he was in his thirties, and after more than 20 years of hard work, he has transformed from an unknown little shopkeeper in other provinces to the prestigious banker he is today.
Although he already has a fortune of tens of millions and has huge influence in the financial world, Jean-Antoine Poncena is still the same as before, dressed very simply, even a little shabby. He only wears casual clothes and never wears anything.
He rarely wears badges or medals and rarely participates in public activities. He even declined an invitation to hold a public office. This simple and humble attitude towards life has aroused the respect of others. Everyone said that there was a priest in the smoky exchange in Paris.
.
And he is indeed worthy of the nickname "Priest". He has always been known for his iron will. The rise and fall of public debts and the division and closing of debts cannot move him. He runs his business in an orderly manner and with a
An iron will maintains the stability of the money network he has woven with his own hands.
He lends money to enterprises, underwrites bonds, issues promissory notes, and has been involved in almost every business field. However, such a huge amount of business has not overwhelmed his spirit. Under the handling of him and his carefully selected subordinates, over the years,
There have been almost no mistakes in these businesses, and his promissory notes have always enjoyed a reputation of being extremely stable, and have become one of the benchmarks in the industry.
Although he is rarely known to the outside world because he lives a very low-key life, the reputation he has accumulated over the past few decades has earned him the respect of insiders, and he has the prestige of a "priest".
However, today the priest changed from his usual marble-like calmness and appeared uneasy.
The source of his uneasiness was a letter on his desk that he had received yesterday.
Based on his status, it stands to reason that it is impossible for ordinary letters to be delivered to him. Naturally, his secretary will handle it on his behalf. But yesterday, his secretary brought this letter to him. He just looked at the cover.
You knew this letter was unusual because it was signed with the name Lucien.
The name was ordinary, and there was no surname included, but Poncena had corresponded with Prince Lucien Bonaparte several times, so he understood that the prince had written specifically.
Jean-Antoine Poncenet remembered the favor that the prince had given him. If it hadn't been for his support back then, he would have been able to live his life in obscurity in a small town and would not have come to Paris to create what he is today.
career, so he was full of gratitude to Prince Lucien Bonaparte. He had written to the prince living in Rome many times before, but the prince rarely replied to him.
He quickly opened the envelope and quickly read the contents of the letter.
The content of the letter was quite ordinary, just an ordinary reminiscence and greetings. However, at the end of the letter, the prince told him that some of his friends might come to Paris recently, and if they asked him for help, he asked him to provide support as appropriate.
A few ordinary words stirred up huge waves in Ponsena's heart.
As a successful banker, although he seems to be reclusive, he always pays close attention to the news from all aspects and uses it as a basis for investment judgment. So of course he knows that the Bonaparte family is now under the leadership of the King of Rome.
He became active again, and his previous appearance near Strasbourg caused a huge stir, and even His Majesty the King was furious.
Against this background, Prince Lucien Bonaparte took the initiative to write a letter to himself and asked himself to take care of his "friends". It was impossible not to make him feel a heavy pressure.
Undoubtedly, he could burn the letter directly, and for his own safety, he should do so, but in the end Poncena did not do so and just put the letter on his desk.
On the one hand, this was due to Prince Lucien's kindness to him. He would always remember that without the prince's help, he would never have been able to get ahead;
On the other hand, in his heart, he vaguely felt that he should not offend the Bonaparte family too severely.
He has experienced too many storms in his life, and has witnessed the most bizarre and unpredictable political changes. Kings were guillotined, republics were established and destroyed, empires were established and destroyed. These scenes all left a deep impression on him.
, he naturally also knows that the status quo may not be stable.
Can the Bonaparte family achieve great things again? He doesn't know, but at least there is a probability. After all, what bizarre things have not happened in France over the years?
Therefore, after thinking about it, he decided to continue to wait and see what happened and see who Prince Lucien's "friend" really was.
He secretly gave an order to his cronies. If anyone asks to see him during this period, they must inform him.
According to the professional habits developed over decades, after sitting down, Poncena sat upright in the chair seriously, picked up a pen and prepared for today's work.
However, today was destined to be an unforgettable day for him. At this moment, his confidants knocked on the door and reported to him the news of the arrival of a visitor who claimed to be "Lucien's friend".
Poncena was so stunned that he left a long scratch on the document.
It seems that everything cannot be avoided after all... He smiled bitterly in his heart.
He is nearly sixty years old, his body is getting weaker, and he has reached the age of retirement. He also has a large and prosperous family with several grandchildren. Everything he has now is enough to satisfy him.
What else do you need to hope for?
But he knows better that there are many things in the world that cannot be avoided just because you want to.
Then he put down his pen and ordered his men to bring the guest over.
In this way, Edmond Dantès, who used the pseudonym Count Bellivet, walked leisurely into the office on the top floor of the Poncena Bank.
He was dressed extremely delicately today, wearing a cashmere shirt and a black tuxedo according to Parisian fashion. He held a cane in his hand and a gemstone ring on his finger.
He has always been a quick learner, and after all, he has been a big shot in the Principality of Ioannina for several months, so he already has a bit of grandeur and nobility in his movements, making him look like a noble lord.
After arriving here, he looked around at the spacious office, and then set his sights on the banker behind the desk. At this time, banker Poncena was also looking at him.
The person who brought Edmund in saluted the old man and exited the office. Now they were the only two people here.
After a moment of looking at each other, the old banker stood up, then took the initiative to walk up to Edmond Dantès and stretched out his hand to him.
"What shall I call you? Are you really Count Bellevue?"
"Out of respect for you, Your Excellency, I should declare my real title in front of you." Edmond Dantès also spoke honestly and did not want to play tricks on the other party. "I am the Count of Monte Cristo. As for my real name
It is not convenient to disclose it to you at the moment."
"The Count of Monte Cristo..." The banker frowned, as if chewing the information. "I think I've heard of it."
Then, his eyes lit up, as if he remembered something.
"There seems to be a Count of Monte Cristo in the Principality of Ioannina..."
"You are indeed well informed." Edmond Dantès nodded generously and admitted his true identity.
The old man suddenly fell silent and looked at Edmund blankly, seeming to be thinking about something.
"There is no doubt that you can choose to arrest me and hand me over to the police in exchange for a reward. You can easily do this now. But Prince Lucien assures us that you are absolutely not such a person, and His Majesty believes that his uncle's
Judgment." Edmond Dantès looked at the other party calmly, and then continued, "I think you will never do such a thing."
Of course I won't do this... Poncena thought to himself.
Not only out of repayment to the prince, but also out of consideration for his own preservation. The Count of Monte Cristo is a confidant and favorite of the King of Rome. If he does this, what if the Bonaparte family is really restored one day?
Even if I had passed away at that time, I was afraid that my family would not be able to escape the liquidation.
So, either ignore it or provide help. There is absolutely no option to tell the truth.
From the old man's sight, Edmond Dantès was also able to grasp his thoughts, at least he did not notice any hostility on the other side.
At this moment, he suddenly realized his own weight.
Yes, as long as someone is afraid of the Bonaparte family, they must pay three respects to themselves, because they are His Majesty's spokesperson... In an instant, he understood the horror of the word "power".
Even such a well-known banker has to be so afraid of himself.
He is coming into contact with power, and may have power in the future, and he must remain conscious at all times lest he be corrupted by it.
"His Royal Highness is kind to me. I can't tell the truth. Sir, if I do this, the reputation I have accumulated throughout my life will be in vain. And for people in our line of work, credibility is everything." After a moment of silence.
, Poncena spoke slowly, "However, Count, I can probably guess your purpose of coming. What kind of help do you want me to provide?"
He hoped that the other party would ask for money from him because asking for money was the most insignificant thing for him, and it was also the easiest to get rid of responsibility. However, to his disappointment, the earl did not give an answer immediately. "I just came to visit on behalf of the prince.
He is just an old friend of his, and I am bringing you His Majesty's greetings by the way... Please rest assured that he has no demands from you now."
If you don't want money, it will be troublesome... The old man felt helpless again.
If you don't have any demands on yourself now, that means you will definitely have them in the future, and how to deal with that young man is really a headache for you.
It is indeed true that he was grateful to Prince Lucien Bonaparte, but it is not necessarily true to say how much respect he has for the Bonaparte family and the empire.
But in the current situation, since the other party has not made any request, it is difficult for me to refuse him, and there is a letter from the prince.
"Thank you, His Royal Highness, for your love. I am in very good health, and so are my family members." While running through various thoughts in his mind, the old man replied in a low voice, "He asked me to take care of you in the letter, Mr. Earl, since the prince has so much interest in me."
Well, no matter who you are, I will try my best to take care of you. Only in this way can I repay his kindness back then."
He focused on "repaying gratitude" instead of "loyalty" and only said "try your best". This was the most appropriate reply he could make in this situation.
"Thank you." Edmond Dantès did not mean to force the other party, but just smiled lightly, "I am new here, and I need the support of a respected and well-known social figure like you, so that I can make a name for myself in Paris.
Come and live up to His Majesty's expectations."
The meaning behind these words of the Count of Monte Cristo made Poncena even more uneasy after hearing it. If he were twenty years younger, he would naturally be able to concentrate on dealing with it. But now he is almost sixty years old, and the years
Inevitably, his energy waned.
And when it comes to this kind of issue, which is related to the life and future of the whole family, there can be no negligence.
The count had been watching the old man. His gentle smile and his calm demeanor brought an inexplicable pressure to the old man.
Therefore, he decided to call his most capable assistant over and let him deal with the excruciating scene with him.
He rang the bell on the desk, and soon a secretary opened the door and came in.
"Go and fetch Bowen." Ponsena ordered in a low voice.