American Journey

In the age of imperialism, the embassies of the great powers also doubled as intelligence-gathering posts. After seeing Nino off, Minister Tom became busy reviewing the relevant intelligence files.

There was no helping it. France had limited interests in Colombia, and Colombia ranked very low in its diplomatic priorities.

Serving as minister here basically meant muddling through life and waiting for death. After so long, Minister Tom had fallen into the same rut. Intelligence was still being gathered, but whether he read it depended entirely on his mood.

Now that they wanted to obtain the Panama Canal development rights from the Colombian government, how could they not first learn about their weaknesses?

As the seconds ticked by, Tom gained a general understanding of Colombia's recent affairs.

As for detailed intelligence, unfortunately, the embassy's budget was limited and it lacked the means to conduct an in-depth investigation. The intelligence they had gathered was, in fact, little different from what could be found in newspapers.

Setting down the documents in his hand, Minister Tom knitted his brows. Clearly, the material before him was not what he wanted.

"Disifu, find the intelligence on Austria's activities in Colombia, as well as anything related to the Panama Canal project."

Secretary Disifu answered unhurriedly, "Your Excellency, the embassy only has intelligence on Austrian activities. The Panama Canal project is not within our intelligence-gathering scope.

"If necessary, we can obtain the materials publicly released by the Colombian government within a week. Investigating deeper information will require additional funding."

Minister Tom's face darkened. The French government was wealthy, but the French embassy in Colombia was poor.

That was apparent from the embassy's staffing. There were fewer than ten people in total, including a cleaner, a cook, and two guards.

Communications were inconvenient in this era, and foreign ministers