"Are you crazy?!"
Finn Drost showed a rude expression for the first time, and looked at Katerina and others in confusion: "Citi Federal Bank has no requirements and is helping you for free, but you actually refuse?!"
"You heard my answer," Katerina said.
"But this is a loan with no additional terms and no interest! I don't know how many people are coveting it. You don't want it?" Finn Drost said eagerly: "Without our help, how can you defeat the noble faction? This The country is their plaything! You don’t want money... How can I go back and pay my dues?!"
Before coming to the Romanov Kingdom, the old man of the Drost family repeatedly warned him, and even gave him a death order, to lend out the money no matter what, to help Katerina ascend to the throne. Finn Droste thought this task was too simple and not challenging at all. After all, he came to visit with a lot of money and wanted to keep the money. Isn’t it simple?
Who doesn't love money?
Who doesn't need money?
But Katerina still refused, categorically and beyond doubt.
Looking at her firm eyes, Finn Drost was a little angry and wanted to say something, but the sudden pain in his belly made his expression change.
He held his stomach and glanced at the cabbage tea he had just drank, his expression extremely exciting.
"Mr. Droste, the bathroom is in the third room on the left when you go out." Butler Lu Jin reminded him.
Click!
Finn Drost rushed out of the door and went straight to the toilet.
"Uncle Hawke's inventions are still as strong as ever," Katerina said.
"Obviously he has a bad stomach..."
"Dad, why should we refuse his funding?"
Yunia looked away from the cabbage cake and asked curiously: "We are short of money now, wouldn't it be a good thing if someone is willing to help?"
"There is no such thing as a pie in the sky." Ma Wei touched his daughter's head and said softly: "Free is always the most expensive, and the price will be paid in places you don't know."
"Yunia doesn't understand..."
“If we accept funding from Citigroup Federal Bank, we can indeed relieve our urgent needs, but what about the future?”
Ma Wei fiddled with the pocket watch in his hand and explained slowly: "Such a large sum of money cannot appear out of thin air. Sooner or later, the matter of Citibank's financing of Her Highness Katerina's ascension to the throne will be exposed. At that time, if they propose What request, agree or reject?”
"If it is an unreasonable request, just refuse it!" Yunia said.
"Having said that, have you ever thought about it. In the eyes of the world, Citibank has helped us unconditionally, but when they asked for remuneration, they were rejected. Will Her Royal Highness Katerina be regarded as a treacherous person?" People? Even if she comes up with the terms she signed today, no one will believe her, because everyone knows that Citibank never does loss-making transactions. They are businessmen and capital, and the world has already clearly defined them."
Ma Wei said: "The scary thing is not the terms in black and white, but how others perceive you. If Her Royal Highness Katerina is regarded as a treacherous person, how can she stick to the truth? In the eyes of the world, she and King Paul I are the same. What's the difference? In time, when the Romanov Kingdom faces another crisis, who else will be willing to help a treacherous person? Today's greed will cost tomorrow's credibility."
"Furthermore, what Citi Federal Bank promises is to borrow money from Her Highness Katerina. This is a private contract. Once Her Highness Katerina, as the leader, agrees, will the subordinates who follow her regard Citi Federal Bank as Our own people? If even leaders accept gifts from others, what will their subordinates do? If they accept bribes from Citigroup Federal Bank, wouldn’t they become the next group of nobles?”
"The upper beam is not straight and the lower beam is crooked. This head cannot be opened."
Yunia opened her mouth in surprise: "In other words, the unconditional funding that Citibank agreed to later actually had more intentions?"
"That's right." Ma Wei nodded: "This is a gift from the devil. It seems to be free, but in fact the cost is greater and the loss is more! They want to corrode the will of Katerina, let her continue to borrow money, and fall. Go into the abyss, invisible, and eliminate the enemy of the future.”
"Father...I'm not as superficial as you think." Katerina couldn't help but say: "Of course I understand the stakes, but we do need money, otherwise the food will not last for a few days."
"As for the money, I'll figure it out."
"What can you do?"
Ma Wei smiled: "Disintegrate the enemy's alliance from within."
"Are you sure?" Katerina frowned: "Now that those nobles and the Wisdom Cult are wearing a pair of pants, it's not that easy to create a gap in their hearts."
"The nobles pursue profits, so they should start from the profit side. To do this, you need enough intelligence... You need the help of Fat Orange and Xiaohei."
Ma Wei suddenly remembered Fat Orange and Little Black. They had been out to collect the stray cats in Tyumen City for a day and a night, and they had not returned by the afternoon. Could something have happened?
No... I have to go back and take a look.
After bidding farewell to Duke Hawke, Ma Wei and others embarked on the return journey with dozens of kilograms of cabbage.
Finn Drost, who had just come out of the toilet, looked at the carriage that was going further away. Just as he was about to catch up, he felt severe pain in his stomach again, and it was more urgent and severe than the last time...
He had no choice but to jump into the field opposite the manor. A few minutes later, almost exhausted, he crawled out of the field and said feebly to the housekeeper Lu Jin: "I can't do it anymore... Please give it to me... Call a doctor...it will kill someone if it continues..."
"Those quack doctors should stop screaming." Butler Lu Jin helped him up and said, "I'll get you a cup of hot tea. You must not get dehydrated at this time. Just get over it."
"You are really...experienced..." Finn Drost said through gritted teeth.
....................................................
At 8 o'clock in the evening, Ma Wei and others returned to Tyumen City and found that many wooden frames had been erected on the street.
During the half-day they left, Laiwen, Christopher, and Salina recruited many workers, moved some wood from outside the city, and began to build a temporary wooden shed to protect them from wind and rain, which had already taken shape.
At this rate, Mawei estimated that the wooden shed would be erected tomorrow, and the wheat flour would be baked into bread and distributed to the refugees tomorrow morning at the latest.
"Message! Is Fat Orange and Little Hei back?"
Back at the church, Mawei immediately found the letter that was recording the names of the workers and asked about the situation of Fat Orange and Little Hei.
"No."
Lai Wen raised his head and exclaimed: "Yes, why haven't they come back yet? Nothing will happen to them!"
"Do you want me to send someone to find him?" Katerina asked.
"Do not bother."
Edward, who was out shopping, walked in from the door and said in a calm voice: "I saw them in the afternoon."
"where?"
"Not in the city." Edward said, "Fat Orange and Little Black took a group of cats into the forest outside. I don't know what they were doing. Maybe they were in a meeting."
