Chapter 197: 196, Asia-europe Route Opens, United States Gold Reserve Act, Massive Gold Shopping Spree
December 31, 1933.
Three D.332 airplanes landed in Paris.
Fang Wen announced: “Rest in Paris for three days, and return to base after three days.”
Tomorrow’s New Year’s Day is an important holiday for Europeans.
This is a holiday for French pilots, so they can go home and reunite with their wife, children, girlfriend, and parents.
The French pilots happily left the airport, rushing home.
Instead, only Fang Wen was left alone.
Coming to Europe this time without Lin Shuiwang’s company felt a bit lonely.
Fortunately, Taishan Airlines now has an office at Paris Airport.
A slightly balding Chinese-mixed man waved from the side of the runway.
Fang Wen knew this person.
Fang Wen got off the airplane and smiled, asking: “Lin Baoluo, long time no see.”
“General Manager Fang, I am now the director of Taishan Airlines Paris Office.” Lin Baoluo replied with a smile.
Lin Baoluo was the helper Lin Shuiwang found when Fang Wen first came to Paris, France. His father was a Qing Dynasty overseas student, but unexpectedly, Lin Shuiwang had now pulled him into Taishan Airlines Overseas Company, making him the director of the Paris Office.
Under his lead, Fang Wen came to the Taishan Airlines office outside the airport.
There were only Lin Baoluo and one local French female staff member there for now.
Lin Baoluo introduced: “Her name is Marie, the office’s ticketing commissioner, responsible for answering the phone. I have already published ticket advertisements for the Asia-Europe flight taking off in four days in the newspaper and on the radio.”
“Anyone booking tickets?” Fang Wen asked.
“Yes, there are passengers along the way. It’s estimated that by takeoff time, there should be about 30% occupancy.”
30% occupancy is a bit low, mainly because Taishan Airlines has no reputation in Europe and relies entirely on demand, which is already pretty good.
Plus the scattered passengers from transfer airports along the way, it should be possible to reach 50% occupancy.
Fang Wen did not dwell on the occupancy issue. Currently, it’s a monopoly business, no fear of not making money.
After chatting with Lin Baoluo for a while, he went up to the second floor of the office.
The second floor is the pilot dormitory, used for Asia-Europe flight pilots to rest temporarily. It’s clean and tidy inside.
Fang Wen put down his canvas bag and lay on the bed to rest.
After a while, feeling bored, he thought he might as well go out for a stroll.
When busy, he always regretted not playing properly in a foreign country. Now truly relaxed, he didn’t know what to do in Paris?
He went downstairs and talked with Lin Baoluo.
“Paul, what fun places are there in Paris?”
“Lots. What do you want to do, General Manager?” Lin Baoluo asked.
“Anything. How about you be the tour guide and get a car.”
“Sure. Tonight is New Year’s Eve, everyone will be out on the streets, very lively. I have a friend with a good car, a 1932 Mark 301, that car is great.”
“Okay, borrow it for me, and we’ll drive it tonight.”
Lin Baoluo went out for a while and drove back a very stylish car.
Fang Wen took one look and knew it was a front-wheel-drive sedan. The styling looked good, but it only had two seats.
Generally, car companies produce two models: one ordinary type with two rows of seats, and one single-row sports car type.
This one was the sports car type, a very cool classic car even by future standards.
Fang Wen got directly into the car, beckoned Lin Baoluo to the co-pilot seat, and the car drove into the Paris street blocks.
Because it was New Year’s Eve, the streets were indeed very lively.
People walked on the streets, holding food and flowers.
Lin Baoluo explained: “They’re waiting for the 12 o’clock bell to ring, to celebrate the new year.”
“Which bell?”
“Notre Dame Cathedral bell tower, it rings every year.”
Fang Wen held the steering wheel with one hand and looked at his wristwatch with the other. By the street lights and signs outside, he saw it was now 11 o’clock.
He simply parked the car on the roadside and followed the crowd with Lin Baoluo.
Everyone arrived at St. Michael Square at the main gate of Notre Dame Cathedral. The square wasn’t large, packed with people all waiting.
A hunchbacked man in a cloak limped over toward the Notre Dame gate.
People made way, some shouting his name: “Quasimodo.”
Lin Baoluo explained: “That person is imitating the Hunchback of Notre Dame from Hugo’s novel. He’ll ring the bell tonight.”
The limping monster entered Notre Dame Cathedral, and everyone waited in anticipation.
At exactly 12 o’clock, the bell rang, and people cheered.
This excitement didn’t bring much emotional change to Fang Wen. In the future, it was more spectacular with fireworks, firecrackers, drones, and more, so this didn’t excite him.
It would be more fun to numb himself with alcohol.
He and Lin Baoluo got in the car and drove through the streets, looking for an all-night bar.
All were packed, everyone indulging tonight.
Just as Fang Wen thought there was nowhere to go tonight, the two arrived outside a tall, splendid building.
Cars were parked roadside there, and formally dressed people got out, showed invitation cards, and entered.
Lin Baoluo said: “General Manager, this is a high-end party, can’t go without an invitation.”
Fang Wen nodded but parked the car. He saw some acquaintances.
Falmang executives, and Emile Devatine.
He knew the former from purchasing F.220, the latter from ordering D.332 at his company. As business partners, Fang Wen felt he should go say hello.
He got out and walked over.
The others saw him too. Emile Devatine said in surprise: “Fang, how are you here? We were just talking about you.”
“Spending New Year’s Eve in Paris, but can’t find a bar to drink at.” Fang Wen replied.
They smiled; it was normal tonight.
They actively invited Fang Wen to join the banquet.
Thinking to experience Paris high society life, Fang Wen agreed. He told Lin Baoluo to wait outside and entered the building with the Falmang executives and Emile Devatine.
The banquet inside the building was held in the basement. After walking through the corridor, they could see the lively banquet site.
Here, upper-class people of different races gathered together.
Europeans in suits and leather shoes, Turks with round hats, dark-skinned black people in brocade robes, etc.
There were many people, but Fang Wen knew none of them. He strolled to the table by the wall, took a glass of wine and a plate of food, then looked for a quiet corner to fill his stomach first.
After eating a little, people came here too.
Two men in suits, holding wine cups, talking to themselves.
“Reduce investments in the United States as much as possible.”
“Why?”
“I have news, something big might happen.”
Fang Wen had investments in the United States and immediately became interested. The other wasn’t specifically trying to deceive him, so he wanted to hear what exactly it was.
He then focused his energy.
Although he couldn’t use mechanical perception, his current physical condition was still improved from before, and his hearing was much stronger.
He heard.
“On the issue of gold and currency, Roosevelt absolutely won’t stop his reforms. The US Government has no money now; they need a lot of currency to stimulate the economy and must cut the direct link between gold and currency.”
“How to cut it?”
“Mid-year this year, Roosevelt ordered US citizens to turn in all their gold coins and gold bars, stopping gold currency circulation. The Federal Reserve collected gold from the common people at 20.67 US dollars per ounce, quickly accumulating a large gold reserve. Thus, Americans can’t exchange gold directly for currency anymore, and the Federal Reserve, holding all the gold reserves, can print a lot of currency to issue.”
Fang Wen already knew these things, so on his US trip, he spent all his US dollars.
He was more curious about what news the other knew.
But that person just wouldn’t say.
After waiting for them to leave alone, Fang Wen got up and followed.
He saw the man mingling in the crowd, seemingly well-connected, but listening carefully, it was all the same: talking about US issues, then saying he had news but not specifying what.
Understood, this was a financial intelligence dealer, a type of intelligence dealer.
He seemed to want to sell the intelligence in his hands as something valuable.
Unfortunately, no one was willing to pay to buy it, leaving him very frustrated.
Finally, he gave up, took a glass of wine, and stayed alone in the corner.
Fang Wen walked over: “How much for that news?”
The man looked up in surprise and replied: “10,000 francs.”
No wonder no one wanted to buy it; about 2,600 US dollars, very expensive.
Fang Wen also thought it was too expensive and turned to leave.
The man hurriedly shouted: “Wait, we can negotiate the price.”
“2,000 francs.” Fang Wen replied. This was his bottom line; 500 US dollars, even if fake goods, he’d accept it.
Seeing Fang Wen so firm, the man thought he had to make a deal tonight and gritted his teeth to agree.
“Alright, give me the money, I’ll tell you.”
“No, tell first, then money.”
Fang Wen counted out 2,000 francs and showed them in front of the other.
Finally, the transaction was completed.
“End of January, a new Gold Act will pass. To control the national gold reserves, the Federal Reserve will raise the gold exchange price, possibly over 30 US dollars per ounce.”
Gold is going to surge!
Fang Wen was stunned, gave the money to the other, and had no interest in staying.
He left the banquet, got in the car, drove back to the office, and then used the office’s telegraph machine to send a telegram to New York across the Atlantic.
Paris and New York have a six-hour time difference, meaning at 12:20 a.m. January 1 in Paris, it’s 6:20 p.m. in New York, United States.
They haven’t had New Year’s Eve yet.
At this time in New York, the streets were just starting to liven up.
Indiana had just finished dinner on the street with his wife and two children.
They planned to stroll the department store on Fifth Avenue, watch a movie, then celebrate New Year’s as a family.
This was the happiest time for Indiana in recent years, no need to worry about missions and danger, life rhythm much more relaxed.
Relatively speaking, the FBI was more suitable for him than the Office of Strategic Services.
The family entered the mall, strolling leisurely, but Indiana saw his subordinate waving from afar.
That was the agent left on duty; was there something today?
He told his wife to watch the children and walked over.
The agent said lowly: “Boss, a telegram came on a special frequency; I recorded it.”
Special frequencies involved some FBI informants. In this era, telegrams were a very confidential contact method.
These special frequencies might involve munitions, drug trafficking, smuggling, etc., inner lines; only Indiana in this position knew the true ciphertext content.
When Indiana took the Morse code table, the tension in his heart naturally vanished.
It wasn’t an inner line in trouble, but that Eastern old friend.
He looked at the ciphertext and translated it skillfully.
【Today learned in Europe that the Federal Reserve will raise the gold acquisition price. Unsure if the news is accurate; please check.】
【Also, happy new year to you.】
Indiana calmly burned the Morse code table and instructed his subordinate: “Got it, go back.”
Telegram sent, Fang Wen went to sleep; after all, such intelligence couldn’t be confirmed immediately.
For the next three-day holiday, he waited at home.
On January 2, the telegram reply came.
【Reportedly, Congress may review a《 Gold Reserve Act》, gold acquisition price will rise sharply, while prohibiting private gold hoarding and gold export.】
After reading the telegram message, Fang Wen was excited.
Good grief, something big is coming.
He had to calculate.
The Federal Reserve’s current gold exchange price is 20 US dollars per ounce.
If it rises to 30 US dollars per ounce, the batch of gold from the northeast would increase by a third in value.
Just that wouldn’t excite him so much; after the gold exchange price surges, it would last a long time, and gold could be shipped to the United States anytime for exchange.
If more gold could be received before end of January, the more acquired, the more earned.
So, from now until the act passes on January 31, it’s money-grabbing time.
He must return immediately, hold a meeting, explain this, and make arrangements.
On January 4, three D.332 airplanes took off, eagerly returning to China.
Two days later, the airplanes arrived at Shanghai Airport; the first batch of passengers disembarked happily.
After briefly instructing the French pilots, Fang Wen immediately got off the airplane and gathered everyone in his small circle for a meeting.
Because the matter was very urgent and important, everyone had to attend.
Fang Wen sent Pan Jiafeng to Xiangxi Airport to pick up Fang Shouxin, Shunzi, and William.
He himself went to Yangon to pick up Huo Duanyang.
Once everyone arrived, the meeting began.
Fang Wen, personally presiding over the meeting, got straight to the point.
“This meeting is a bit rushed, time is tight, so no beating around the bush. One topic: how to acquire as much gold as possible in less than a month.”
Everyone was stunned.
Shunzi was straightforward: “General Manager, don’t we have a lot of gold stored in the south? Still need to acquire more?”
“Yes, those aren’t enough; the more the better.” Seeing everyone’s confusion, Fang Wen explained the reason: “This secret I brought back from Europe has an expiration of January 31. Before then, we acquire a lot of gold; afterward, gold price will rise at least 30%.”
Shopkeeper Liu, the chief accountant, was most sensitive to this and immediately asked: “A short rise, or sustained above 30%?”
“Sustained. Americans want gold, the more the better. With gold, they can print more banknotes to solve their problems. Few know this now; if we succeed, we’ll have money to expand the company and do more.” Fang Wen voiced his thoughts and the real reason.
Everyone began discussing how to acquire gold.
China has always been a major gold reserve holder, with gold hidden among the people. The question is how to acquire large amounts from the private sector?
This business can only be done before end of January; after that, the National Government will rush to do this big business.
