Raising funds

The process of producing new machinery was tedious and complex. To understand these blueprints, Varro often took his technical team on trips to visit members of the Royal Society.

Time flew by, and it was soon early January 1611.

As night fell, Varro returned to the machine factory.

The employees had already left work one after another, leaving only two night watchmen and a sheepdog in the huge factory area.

He handed the worker a banknote. "Go to Wild Olive Restaurant and order a meal. Same as always, any extra change is yours."

While waiting for his meal to be delivered, Varro reviewed the recent situation at the factory.

"Anastasia has repurchased 15% of the shares, bringing her total holdings to 60%, giving her absolute control. With the canal project underway, a steady stream of orders will flood the factory, which should generate substantial profits."

Throughout his adolescence, Varro aspired to join the army and fight, emulating the achievements of Vitus the Great.

Now a businessman, he doesn't reject his new identity, but he still feels regretful. Eight years of hard work at the Military Academy have rendered most of his knowledge useless.

"Your meal is here, sir."

A worker brought in a food box containing pan-fried lamb chops, oysters, and fresh greenhouse-grown vegetables.

Outside the window, the wind and snow howled. Varro took out his cutlery and ate the solitary yet sumptuous dinner alone.

According to tradition, he and Anastasia should not see each other frequently before their formal marriage.

With his wedding date approaching, he has been staying at the factory these days.

"By the way, I'm going to take her to the emperor's tomb tomorrow. Isn't she cold going out in this weather?"

Historically, most Eastern Roman Empire were buried in the Church of the Holy Apostles, while the remaining emperors were buried in the Pantokrator Monastery or other monasteries.

Vitus disliked crowded and noisy places, so he chose a location for his mausoleum in the northwest suburbs of Constantinople, not far from the military cemetery.

On January 10th, light snow was falling.

Varro and Anastasia's carriage stopped at the foot of the hill, and the two walked up the hill to visit the unassuming mausoleum.

A clergyman was sweeping snow on the steps when he reminded the young couple, both wearing fur coats, "Watch your step, don't slip."

The two climbed the steps to the top, where Anastasia placed a bouquet of vibrant plum blossoms before Agnes's grave and murmured to herself for a long time.

Varro's gaze shifted to the hillside not far away, where countless tombstones stretched down the slope, covered in a blanket of white snow.

Suddenly, he remembered the crushing defeat of last autumn. Many of his comrades had died in the cold, desolate wilderness, their bodies left to be pecked at by ravens.

"This defeat cannot be blamed on us," Varro muttered to himself.

Both sides used flintlock muskets, and their weaponry was roughly equal; the biggest factor determining the outcome was numbers.

This time, Ryazan's main offensive was directed at the middle reaches of the Don River, and he mobilized more than 100,000 troops.

After mobilization, the Eastern Roman Empire expanded its total military strength to 400,000, but these forces were dispersed in different directions.

There are 120,000 troops along the Balkans border, 100,000 in Armenia, and less than 70,000 on the Northern Black Sea Coast. The remaining Army is scattered in Anatolia, the Levant, and North Africa to deal with the increasingly volatile situation.

Outnumbered, how can we fight this battle?

This is not a military issue at all; it's more like a Finance crisis.

The ongoing natural disasters severely damaged Finance revenue, leaving the Central Administration without the funds to recruit more troops. The front lines were forced into a defensive posture, pinning their hopes on...

Wear down the enemy before launching a counterattack.

Varro desperately hoped that next spring the Central Administration would send more troops to reinforce the Northern Black Sea Coast.

If the Tarol region is lost, coal prices will skyrocket, and most of the factories in Constantinople will likely go out of business.

Hey, what are you thinking about?

Anastasia walked over and waved her hand in front of Varro's eyes a few times.

The two returned to the carriage hand in hand, Anastasia produced a guest list. "The wedding is next week. Do you have any names to add?"

"That's all for now. However, I plan to have the chef prepare a few extra tables, so that the guests won't be left without a place to sit."

Varro was right; the number of guests on the wedding day was so large that the church hall was almost completely packed.

Many guests came uninvited, mainly because of his new identity: a second-class Court attendant and a director of the Southern Canal Company.

Court attendants held low ranks, yet they had close access to the core of power.

Now, Varro enjoys the emperor's deep trust and his influence surpasses that of most of the other attendants; everyone treats him as a mid-to-high-ranking bureaucrat.

"Little brother, congratulations on getting married."

Andrei and his wife came over warmly to congratulate Varro and Anastasia.

Although Andrei had recently kicked Varro out of the house, the two maintained a brotherly and respectful demeanor in public.

He gave a wink, and a servant behind him came over carrying a tray with a ruby necklace on a red cushion. It was quite valuable.

In the past, Andrei certainly wouldn't have spent that money.

Now that Varro has become the emperor's confidant, Andrei, considering his future prospects, decides to ease tensions with his brother.

After the church ceremony, the groom's family hosted a wedding banquet at the residence of the Despot in Tripoli, with Andrei covering all expenses.

This move greatly surprised those who knew him.

Is this the kind of generosity Andrei, the "miser"? It's not like him at all.

During the banquet, a palace official went through the motions, and Andrei sensed the emperor's trust in his younger brother, feeling rather helpless.

Why can't it be me?

Regardless, the wedding banquet was an extremely successful event.

Varro was genuinely grateful to the emperor.

The day after the wedding, as he moved back to his wife's house, he was still talking about the Southern Canal.

Fundraising for the canal is about to begin. The company plans to issue three million shares to raise thirty million gold coins. Each share costs ten gold coins, and shareholders with more than one hundred shares will have voting rights at the shareholders' meeting.

Currently, the royal family has invested 1.5 million to subscribe for half of the shares.

Prime Minister Labeo sold state-owned mines and land, barely managing to scrape together 4.5 million to subscribe for 15% of the shares.

The remaining 80% of the shares will be raised through a public offering.

As a representative of the royal family, Varro should have purchased some shares to send a signal to the outside world that he was optimistic about the project.

On the other hand, the couple felt that the canal had a promising profit potential.

After the canal was completed, shipping between Europe and Asia no longer needed to detour around the southern tip of Africa, saving a great deal of time and costs. Merchant ships from the Eastern Roman Empire, the House of Habsburg, and Italy would all use this route.

Anastasia's total net worth was approximately 300,000, but she could only come up with less than 20,000.

Varro's assets consisted mostly of shares in the Nile River Railway, and he had 40,000 in bank deposits.

They discussed it all morning and decided to buy 5,000 shares, totaling 50,000 gold coins.

Suddenly, Anastasia thought of something, "Will the Nile River Railway Company's stock price fall after the canal opens?"

The Nile River Railway Company owns two railways with a total length of over 500 kilometers.

The first route begins in Suez, travels north across the desert, and arrives at the northern port of Pelusium.

The second route runs westward from Suez, connecting Cairo and Alexandria, passing through the most prosperous region of the delta.

Varro scratched his head. "There's nothing I can do, the news spread too fast. I wanted to sell my shares, but it was too late. However, the railroad company's financial report is very good, the stock price will recover in a while."

He flipped through a large stack of newspapers on the coffee table:

Authoritative newspapers such as Roman Monthly, Il Golden Horn News, and Rome Investor widely published news about the Southern Canal.

"We expect the company to raise the initial ten million yuan by spring, at which point we'll head south."

Two weeks later, the first fundraising meeting was held at the Sea of Marmara Hotel in the southeast of the city of Constantinople.

The civil servant who chaired the meeting was Joseph, a mid-level civil servant under the Minister of Industry.

In the fifteen years following his university graduation, he participated in numerous projects, including railways, dams, and bridges, accumulating extensive construction experience. As a result, he gained the appreciation of the Prime Minister and was appointed as the project leader.

This time, Joseph booked the entire luxury hotel and invited over three hundred dignitaries and wealthy businessmen.

"Ladies and gentlemen, recall more than a century ago, when Vitus the Great personally led an army of tens of thousands, defeated the Mamluk within six months, and reclaimed the territory lost for eight centuries to Rome..."

Joseph was short and stout, with a mustache, black-rimmed glasses, and a plain black overcoat. Perhaps because he had spent a lot of time on the construction site, his voice was unusually loud. Varro was sitting very close to him and always had the urge to cover his ears.

According to Joseph's estimates, after the canal opened, at least two thousand merchant ships would pass through each year, providing a huge amount of toll revenue.

On the other hand, Eastern Roman Empire merchant ships could enter the Indian Ocean in large numbers, which would not only expand markets but also obtain cheaper raw materials, bringing incalculable potential benefits.

After the speech, the factory owners enthusiastically spoke up, requesting to subscribe to different shares.

The largest contributor was Nikephoros, the Despot of Cyprus, who easily contributed 1.5 million to purchase the same share as the royal family.

The Despot's gaze fell upon Varro.

"Good nephew, your uncle is just showing you support. No need to thank me, we both belong to the Palaiologos family, it's only right that we help each other."

Given the emperor's poor relationship with the Despot, Varro did not reply.

After a brief lull, representatives from the two largest banks spoke.

Di Maggio Bank subscribed for half a stake.

"Lupotaz United Bank subscribed for half of the shares."

The traditional aristocracy, who relied on land rent for their livelihood, remained indifferent.

The opening of the canal meant that more Africa and Eastern goods would flood into the country, driving down the prices of grain and other raw materials, which would actually harm the profits of the nobles' estates.

At 5 p. m., the fundraising meeting concluded successfully, with the company raising a total of 13 million Hyperpyron.

Fundraising has progressed faster than Joseph expected, and he plans to officially start construction in the summer.

During dinner, the powerful and wealthy chatted as they ate, exchanging recent news and information.

"This year's extreme cold has had the greatest impact on Wallachia and the Moesia Plain. The winter wheat seedlings are unlikely to survive, and next year's yield may be reduced, or even completely lost!"

"The climate is getting worse," Varro worried, fearing that rising food prices would increase the burden on citizens' lives.

Nowadays, it has become common practice for employees to carry one or two pieces of coal in their pockets after get off work to take home as fuel.

Yesterday, he checked the factory's accounts and found that 20% of the employees had already received advances on their salaries to pay for medical expenses or buy winter clothes.

Faced with such extreme weather, Varro had no choice but to temporarily accept the situation.

"Sir, please make way." A servant from the inn pushed a roasted camel into the hall on a cart, attracting everyone's attention.

The guests were well-informed and knew that roasted camel tasted mediocre, like roasted Wild Boar and roasted deer—a showy dish that wasn't very tasty—so they left it to sit in the center of the venue.

Influenced by his wife, Varro has recently developed a liking for France cuisine.

He focused his attention on Burgundy snails, foie gras, and fresh vegetables grown in greenhouses.

Snail meat has an earthy taste and a softer texture than river snails. When cooking, the chef adds butter and minced garlic to mask the earthy taste, giving it a rich milky and garlicky flavor.

"It tastes great; we should teach our family chef how to make it."

After a satisfying meal, Varro rode home in a carriage, gazing out the window at the snow-covered streets and the dim glow of the Gas Streetlight.

As the carriage passed Theodosius Square, its speed suddenly slowed. A group of workers had gathered at the side entrance of the church; they had just finished work and were rushing to attend a literacy class organized by the church.

Purely manual labor does not require literacy.

However, if workers want to become skilled workers and technicians, they need to be able to read the slogans, blueprints, and machine instructions posted inside the factory; literacy is an essential skill.

The current Patriarch of Constantinople encourages churches to break with tradition and offer literacy classes for one or two hours in the evenings, not for profit. In his view, running literacy schools and providing relief to the poor are means of maintaining influence among the underprivileged.

Bang!

A muffled thud came from the street to the south. The workers assumed it was broken glass or some other noise and didn't pay much attention.

Inside the carriage, Varro instinctively reached for his waist, as if he had returned to the battlefield of last year.

Where did the gunshots come from?

He spent more than ten years in the Military Academy and the army, and was so familiar with the sound of gunfire that he could even tell it was a flintlock pistol and that the shooting location was in a street about 100 meters to the south.

He patted the carriage, signaling the driver to leave the area as soon as possible; he estimated that the surrounding area would be cordoned off soon.

Alright.

Soon, whistles sounded from the nearby streets as agents in black overcoats ran through the snowstorm.

A few minutes later, the sound of rapid hoofbeats came from the distance; mounted police had been dispatched.

Gang conflict, or assassination?

Varro did not believe the assassination attempt was directed at him.

Upon careful consideration, he realized that his only enemy was Trevi, who wouldn't dare hire someone to kill him.

Even if the assassination succeeded, he couldn't afford the consequences.

Varro was no ordinary man; he was a member of the royal family, the younger brother of the Imperial Clan, the nephew of Despot Hereditary Nobility, and a second-class Court attendant.

Especially with his last identity, if he killed himself, the emperor would definitely use the intelligence department to investigate. This was no joke; the entire Trevi family and even their backers would be implicated.