Leaving aside the Americans, who were locked in fierce battles both inside and outside the venue, Brazil and Peru had brought rubber and quinine, though their prices still made people gape.
In fact, with the Saint Andes Alliance in place, the South American nations had seen their profits rise markedly after taking control of rubber and quinine prices.
Thus, the South American nations were exceedingly confident at this time. What they did not know was that Britain and France were both attempting to cultivate quinine and rubber, and the British had even made some small breakthroughs in quinine cultivation.
In addition, the Brazilians had brought many varieties of rare plants and timber. The timber would be made into all manner of furniture, while even they themselves did not know what those rare plants could be used for, so their prices depended entirely on whether there was demand.
When Olga, under the pretext of decorating her garden, sought to purchase all of these rare plants, the Brazilian and Peruvian exhibitors did not hesitate in the slightest and immediately signed the contract.
In fact, the Austrian Empire had dispatched several expeditions to South America, some officially organized and others formed spontaneously by civilians.
After all, the pursuit of wealth, the pursuit of thrills, and the exploration of the unknown had always been human nature.
But Franz could only say that these people's exploratory achievements had been extremely limited, and their ranks were mixed with a great many swindlers and speculators.
There were dozens of rumors concerning immortality alone. Quite a few nobles and merchants within the Austrian Empire had even been tempted and acted upon them.
Franz turned a blind eye to it all. It was better for these people to spend their days chasing such intangible things than devising ways to