As the economy continued to grow, a distinctive financial street gradually took shape around the Vienna Securities Exchange Center.
One-third of the Holy Roman Empire's banks, 45 percent of its securities firms, and countless other financial companies were gathered here.
It could be said that any financial enterprise with even a little strength had established a foothold here. The truly powerful ones occupied an entire building by themselves.
Of course, the powerful were a minority anywhere. Owning an office building in this inch-of-land-inch-of-gold financial district—even renting one—was beyond the reach of ordinary enterprises.
It was not merely a matter of money. There were wealthy people everywhere here, and everyone knew one another's background. Putting on airs would only make one look like an idiot.
With unease in his heart, Ababonel hurried into the Newfoundland Building and made his way to Appel Commercial Bank, where he worked.
As an old-fashioned commercial bank in Germany, Appel Commercial Bank had failed to keep up with the tide of the times due to poor management. Instead, battered by its competitors, it had declined with every passing day.
Especially during the stock market crash a year ago, Appel Commercial Bank had made a misjudgment and accumulated a large number of bad debts on its books.
Appel Commercial Bank, on the brink of bankruptcy, had quietly changed hands. As a newly hired employee after the bank's change of ownership, Ababonel had received his superior's "high regard" from the very moment he entered society.
But now, Ababonel did not want this sort of "high regard" in the slightest. Extending a loan to the Spanish Government was thrilling just to think about.
It was not that Ababonel was being unduly modest; Appel Commercial Bank's strength was simply limited. A loan of seventy million Divine Shield—drain Appel Commercial Bank