Preheating

After Mr. Messier proposed that they would compensate for the loss of low-priced tickets with the price of tickets for the high-end luxury carriages reserved for the wealthy, the media's interest shifted to the level of luxury and pricing of the luxury carriages.

In an interview with Businessman's Daily, Mr. Messier gave a general overview of the luxury carriages, describing them as "flying palaces." Regarding the pricing of the luxury carriage seats, Messier stated that it remains a small amount that is not a problem for the wealthy.

"After all, compared to a carriage, a train can carry more people at once. So although our train costs much more to build than the ultra-luxurious carriage Louis XVI used when he tried to escape Paris, the average cost per seat is not more than his carriage—of course, both the speed and comfort far surpass his carriage. If he hadn't ridden that kind of carriage back then, but our train instead, he would have escaped long ago—well, plus this line has been operating for a long time, so the average cost isn't that high."

Furthermore, the first train to the Free Palace holds special commemorative significance as it was the world's first passenger train, so ticket sales were limited. All ordinary tickets on this train will be donated to students in Paris primary and secondary schools to allow them to experience the wonders of science and technology. Seats in the luxury carriages will be auctioned off. All proceeds from the auction will be donated to France education, because children are our future!

As you know, we have always believed that with great power comes great responsibility. Many of us have earned money and become wealthy through our own efforts. But we must be grateful and know that our success today is not only due to our personal efforts but also to the help of the entire historical process. Without the collective efforts of the France people, we would not be where we are today. Therefore, we wealthy people should know how to be grateful and give back to society. Therefore, I call on all wealthy people in France to stand up and support us with concrete actions..."

Following the interview, newspapers quickly shifted their focus to the auction. Driven by the newspapers, people began discussing how much the seats would fetch and which wealthy individuals would be willing to donate generously to charity.

Although the auction has not yet started, Paris's wealthiest individuals, especially those who are publicly known, have been expressing their strong interest in philanthropy one after another. This includes many of these wealthy individuals whose reputations are not particularly good to begin with.

For example, Mr. Bovan, who is often denigrated as a vampire, said that he has always been very concerned about trains and charity, so he would definitely participate in this auction as a way of fulfilling his social responsibility.

For example, Genet, who is scornfully called "France's biggest pimp" by many, also stated that supporting charity is the responsibility of the wealthy who have become rich first. In addition, "many of my employees are also very interested in trains," so he is determined to make a fortune at this auction. His statement makes one wonder what a sight it would be like to see all his employees boarding the train.

Of course, the most surprising person was Mr. Grandet, the executive director of Lorraine Steel Company.

As Lorraine Steel rose to prominence, the company also attracted increasing attention. Although not the largest shareholder, Mr. Grandet, the executive director in charge of Lorraine Steel's day-to-day operations, naturally attracted attention, and one of his characteristics became widely known: stinginess.

Mr. Grandet's wealth is well-known; after all, Lorraine Steel is one of the most profitable companies in all of Europe. For its managing director to claim he's broke is like Trump saying he could inject disinfectant intravenously—absolutely a joke. (Whether it's true or not, if Trump says so, then it is.)

Even with all his wealth, everyone knew how frugal Monsieur Grandet was. He always owned only four sets of clothes, two for hot weather and two for cold weather, and all of them were the most cost-effective (Grandet's definition of cost-effectiveness was the minimum quotient when dividing the cost of clothing by the expected duration of use). Furthermore, Monsieur Grandet couldn't even afford a carriage, insisting on walking to work until he was nearly kidnapped again, at which point he finally got his own carriage. However, the carriage was incredibly rudimentary, and to save money, Monsieur Grandet didn't even hire a coachman—he learned to drive himself.

Some people even made up this joke about Mr. Grandet:

Monsieur Grandet arrived at the café, sat down, and ordered a coffee. The waiter came over and asked, "Sir, would you like sugar in your coffee?"

Grandet said, "Give me a cup, plain and full."

So the waiter brought over unsweetened coffee. Grandet took a sip, making room for the sugar cube, before calling out to the waiter, "Give me a sugar cube!"

This anecdote is, of course, not true, because Mr. Grandet never went to coffee shops. Anyone who knew Mr. Grandet knows that he didn't drink alcohol, coffee, or tea; he only drank water.

That's why some reporters went to ask Grandet if he would participate in the auction, expecting an answer like, "What? Spend money on a luxurious seat? No, that's insane! Charity? What does that have to do with me? You want me to pay? Unless you get Robespierre to bring the guillotine himself... Yes, I won't participate, I absolutely won't participate!"

However, this is exactly how Mr. Grandet answered:

"Regarding this matter, I've actually already contacted Messier. He told me that any of us can check the accounts at any time to see if he's misused the money. Since that's the case, I think the money should be used where it's truly useful. Therefore, this event is a completely charitable fundraising event, and I think charity is very meaningful. Of course, I'm willing to participate, although I have absolutely no interest in sitting in those luxurious chairs. Besides, Messier is too cunning; he's giving me free advertising. He should pay me for it..."