Chapter 159: The Greedy Dusseau-Audufort

"Napoleon, I'm not just someone who only cares about appearances. The reason I'm so concerned is simply because Jobs is my good friend, nothing more," Roland said. He wasn't a child; he could see through Napoleon's implications. He wasn't someone who was solely interested in beauty.

"Oh, really? But to be honest, you're not young anymore; it's time for you to settle down," Napoleon said.

Roland was now 21 years old, a grown man. But as far as Napoleon knew, Roland had never been linked romantically to any girl, except perhaps for last night.

So Napoleon couldn't help but entertain the thought of finding a wife for Roland. After all, in Napoleon's eyes, his nephew was exceptional. Such a fine young man naturally needed a good woman.

"I'm not in a rush to get married. Compared to that, I'm more concerned about my new cannons," Roland said.

Although Roland wasn't a monk and could be attracted to pretty girls, there were many things demanding his attention now. Both domestically and internationally, France faced numerous enemies. In such circumstances, Roland had to exert all his efforts to expand his influence. This made him feel like he was always running on a treadmill, unable to stop. With so much on his plate, Roland didn't have the time or inclination to find a suitable girl for himself.

"Alright, I know you're busy. But you should still think about this matter. Don't let your parents worry. Okay, take care of yourself and get well soon. I'll take care of the rest," Napoleon said, patting Roland's shoulder.

Then Napoleon left; he had many other things to attend to.

...

Tonight, Paris was destined not to be quiet. The struggle between Roland and Veron overreaching was seen by many as just jealousy and rivalry between youngsters. No one could have imagined that this incident would become a catalyst igniting the whole of Paris.

At night, inside a luxurious villa in Paris. The Mayor of Paris, Dussaut-Audufort, was at home tasting red wine with his brother.

It was a famous French wine, priced at 15,000 francs per bottle, while the Mayor's monthly salary was only 3,000 francs. It was quite a stretch for him to afford such wine with his salary.

At this moment, Pierre Audufort stood by the window of the luxurious villa, gazing at the beautiful scenery ahead. He slowly rotated the wine glass in his hand, causing the wine inside to shine even more brightly.

"How about it? Isn't my house impressive? You can see all the scenery inside Paris from here," Pierre Audufort said proudly. Such a luxurious house was not something everyone could afford.

"Not bad, indeed. Such a house must come with a hefty price tag," Dussaut-Audufort inquired. He was the Mayor of Paris. Although he held power, he didn't have many opportunities to make money.

His brother was a businessman, but not a legitimate one. Under the protection of his brother Dussaut-Audufort, he had engaged in illegal activities such as smuggling goods for personal gain, especially in recent years with France constantly at war with various countries. He had made a fortune by profiteering from wartime supplies.

"Of course. This house is luxurious in layout and excellently located. It's not cheap at all. Let me tell you, I spent a whopping 1 million francs to buy this house," Pierre Audufort said. Although he was wealthy, 1 million francs was still a significant amount. If it weren't for his upcoming plans, he wouldn't have spent so much money on a house.

"That's expensive! A house like this, I doubt I'll ever be able to afford it in my lifetime," Dussaut-Audufort shook his head. With a monthly salary of only 3000 francs, he could never afford such a house even if he worked hard all his life.

"Do you want it? How about I give this house to you?" suddenly Pierre Audufort spoke up.

"That's not a funny joke," Dussaut-Audufort responded.

"Big brother, why would I lie to you? I'm serious," Pierre Audufort turned to look at his brother, his face full of sincerity.

"What are you up to?" Hearing his brother's words, Dussaut-Audufort became alert.

As brothers, he knew exactly what kind of person his younger brother was. He was someone who wouldn't do anything without a profit. Would he really be so generous as to give such a luxurious house to him for nothing? Definitely not. He must have something in mind and needed his help.

"We're brothers. What's wrong with me, as a brother, giving you a house?" Pierre Audufort said sincerely.

"If you don't spill the beans about what this is all about, then I'm outta here," Dussaut-Audufort said, not believing a word of his brother's nonsense.

"Don't... don't leave! Actually, I do need your help with something," Pierre Audufort hurriedly grabbed his brother as he saw him about to leave.

"Hmph, I knew it. Spit it out, what's the matter?" Dussaut-Audufort sneered, asking.

"Big brother, do you still remember the matter I told you about the armaments factory last time?" Pierre Audufort immediately put on a fawning smile and addressed Dussaut-Audufort.

"Hmm, of course I remember. You even bribed people from the police station to arrest the owner of that factory. What exactly are you up to?" Dussaut-Audufort asked.

"Big brother, don't you understand? What I want is that armaments factory," Pierre Audufort said.

"The armaments factory is what you want? Even if I'm the Mayor of Paris, I can't just hand over the factory to you," Dussaut-Audufort said. He knew that Pierre Audufort had called him over for a reason today, but what Dussaut-Audufort didn't expect was that his brother had set his sights on an armaments factory in Paris.

Running an armaments factory was not something just anyone could do.

"Ah, big brother, you still don't trust me. I've already investigated thoroughly. The owner of this armaments factory is Jewish. Although I don't know what means he used, he managed to open an armaments factory in Paris. But I believe that with a few methods, we can drive him away," Pierre Audufort said. He certainly knew what his big brother was concerned about, but he wasn't a fool. Before taking action, he naturally had to investigate thoroughly.

"Really?" Dussaut-Audufort asked.

"Really. Big brother, trust me. We're brothers, why would I lie to you? There's nothing in it for me," Pierre Audufort waved his hand and said.

"Big brother, just help me out here. This factory is very important to me. Big brother, do you know? The French government just ordered over 100,000 rifles from this factory. That's nearly 80 million francs worth of business. As long as I can take over this factory and secure this order, we won't have to worry for the rest of our lives. We could lie in a pile of money and count it every day,"

"It's a big deal, I need to think about it," Dussaut-Audufort hesitated. Although he was a high-ranking official in the city of Paris, there was no shortage of officials in France, and if things went wrong, not only would he fail to acquire the armaments factory, but he might also end up implicated himself.

"Big brother, don't hesitate anymore. This is 80 million francs we're talking about. How about this, big brother? After this is done, I'll split it with you. No, I'll give you 60%. Sixty percent is 48 million," seeing Dussaut-Audufort hesitate again, Pierre Audufort reluctantly pulled out his trump card. He just couldn't believe that his brother wouldn't be swayed by such a huge profit.

"Sixty percent? That's 48 million francs. I'm afraid I'd have to earn for hundreds of years to make that much," Dussaut-Audufort's breathing became tight even though he had always maintained a poker face.

Money moves people's hearts, and in the face of such a large sum of money, anyone would probably find it hard to resist.

"Alright, I'll handle this matter." In the end, Dussaut-Audufort couldn't resist the temptation of money. He decided to help his brother seize the armaments factory. With his power, it shouldn't be difficult to accomplish this. Moreover, the other party was a Jew, so there shouldn't be much influence in Paris.