The "Leiden Valley" has many large and small cities along the route because of its superior livable environment.

But in addition to the water city of Nisk, which guards the entrance to the sea, and the capital of Salt Lake County, Brandenburg, the most special status is the city of wealth located in the middle reaches of the river valley "Golden Lion City"!

Although it is called the city of wealth, there are indeed many chambers of commerce and trading companies stationed here, but the main business has little to do with the most prosperous marine business and trade of this era.

It is actually a financial city dominated by big bankers!

Even the governor of the Golden Lion City is served by the chairman of the board of directors of a company called the "Netherlands Banking Corps." The garrison in the city has little to do with the kingdom. They are all elite private troops hired by the banking group.

It can be said that this "Netherlands Bank Group" has become the de facto ruler of this city, and it has received the tacit approval of the master of this country, the Royal Family Tyrol!

And what is the origin of the "Netherlands Bank Group"? And why should a nation within a nation be built within the Kingdom of Tyrol?

Actually.

This is an international financial organization with a long history across various countries. Although its headquarters is located in the Tyrolean Kingdom, which ranks among the top three in terms of comprehensive national strength of the Tulip Union, its financial business has spread throughout the Old Continent.

Although the functions are still somewhat primitive, they are mainly based on currency exchange, purchasing and storage, lending, credit intermediary, and storage of valuables in various countries, but the volume is a well-deserved super giant!

Not only ordinary citizens, businessmen, and dignitaries, but even the rulers of a country may be their debtors.

This is not a joke.

The powers of the rulers of dozens of countries in the Old Continent are large or small, and some have almost reached the level of the home world where the powers of the ancient eastern countries are integrated.

Some have been squeezed by various domestic forces on political and economic rights, leaving only a nominal co-ownership.

But the same thing is that under the enfeoffment system that has lasted for thousands of years, the monarch will never have the supreme right to increase taxes at will, like the Eastern emperor!

Therefore, even the relatively "supreme" King, his Majesty can never be short of money.

The country's huge expenditures, especially war expenditures, military expenditures, and extremely risky ocean expeditions, are of course inseparable from the large banks.

After two things, the bank group mainly composed of a large number of big businessmen turned out to be the creditors of the powerful kingdom. It seems that the wealthy and powerful countries have also become debtors of private power!

Among the many debtors of the Dutch bank group, two have to be mentioned. The first is the royal family of King Tyro, the owner of the land under his feet. This is also the fundamental reason why the bank group can obtain autonomy.

And the second one is something that many people can't even imagine, and they don't even dare to think about it. That is the maritime hegemon of this era, who suppressed the countries with extreme force-the "Kingdom of Hilius"!

Sitting on the strongest invincible fleet of the great nautical era, with fortresses and naval bases all over the sea, it firmly controls the most abundant colonies in the Southern Continent and the New World.

The most convenient trade route, the most fertile land, and the highest reserves of precious metal mines are everything for Sirius.

To make a comparison, even if it is as strong as the Kingdom of Falitis, and faintly as the country with the strongest overall national strength in the "Tulip Alliance", it can only pick up some soup and fruit belly behind Hilius.

Such a Big Mac would be short of money? !

The answer is very positive: Yes!

The gold, silver, and the dividends of ocean trade in the New World flowed to Hilius like a river, or the pockets of Hilius' upper-class dignitaries.

However, the overlord of this era of great navigation is not so easy to be.

The situation of the Kingdom of Hilius is worthy of the phrase "enemy on all sides"!

The battle for nautical dividends, beliefs, colonies, indigenous expansion in the Old World, and the "Emperor Dream" of successive generations of kings all add up to make the relationship between Hilius and neighboring countries almost the same.

Hilius, who believed in the "eternal fire" on land, fought with the traditional army power of the Sark Empire, which believed in the "breaking dawn", and the desert kingdom of Heymar, who believed in the "bright starry night".

At sea and one-third of the country is covered with snow and ice all year round. Atlant, who believes in the "breath of frost", fights with the gradually developing Sark Empire navy, and Falti, who believes in "the goddess of kingship and navigation". Sri Lanka, the newly-increased maritime power, fights.

One-on-one, he kneels and sings "Conquer" to any opponent who can beat him, but the consequences of beating a group of others...

Hillius must maintain an outrageously large army at all times to deal with all kinds of wars. In recent years, it has reached the frenzied one of 20 draws.

Note that this is the total number of citizens including the elderly, children, women, etc., not the number of youth of the right age.

It can be said that Hilius has been militant, and is engaged in wars all the time.

Even as the country with the largest sea power, it does not even have a large-scale handicraft industry in the country, let alone the steam industry that is currently in full swing on the mainland.

From the perspective of industrial development, it has fallen behind others for a whole generation.

However, his ruler obviously didn't care.

In addition, according to the gossip, because the stalls are too large, the gold and silver shipped back to China from the New World may not be enough for one-fifth of the military expenditure.

Those gold and silver may only be heated in the treasury of Hilius, and they have become the interest in the pocket of the "Netherlands Bank Group"...

at this time.

Located in the resplendent palace-like city hall, it is also the mainland headquarters of the "Netherlands Bank Group".

In the largest conference room.

A huge long conference table made of a whole red hemlock is placed in the middle of the conference room.

If such a red hemlock with the best core material is taken, it is enough to be processed into the "drug" of a first-class battleship, but here it is only made into an ordinary table.

Just looking at this table, a scent of money came over.

At this time, around this long table, sixteen directors of the banking consortium or their agents have all been gathered.

Among them are handsome middle-aged aristocrats, big-bellied businessmen, elegant ladies, wise old men, and fledgling young people... But regardless of age or appearance, their faces are always the same. of.

Disregard all beings! Give me someone!

They certainly have reason to be arrogant.

Because of the gem buttons on their sleeves that are worth a house; because of the signature of the mainland dignitaries in their hands; because they hold the economic lifeline of more than one country; because their word determines countless people the future of...

Their status is not necessarily aristocratic, but better than aristocratic. Not necessarily a king, but really better than some kings!

Click——

The gilded mahogany carved wooden door was gently closed by the guard.

Snapped! Snapped!

Sitting on the high-back chair of the main seat, a gray-haired but vigorous old man patted his palms gently, attracting all the attention.

"Sir and ladies, I must have heard about the current situation of the Leiden Valley from various sources.

The topic of the plenary meeting of the board of directors this time is very simple. It is how our ‘Netherlands Banking Group’ should respond in the following storm.

Does anyone want to say something about their views? "

First on the right side of the long table, a director who wore a white silk shirt and black formal jacket, and a big belly, spoke first:

"Mr. Chairman! With all due respect, we have the tightest underground vault and the most complete security in the league.

There is even a third-tier knight, Mr. Grace, and two powerful formal wizards sitting here all year round!

There is no need for us to get involved in the dispute between the Kingdom of Tyrol or Tulip and the pirate king.

After all, they are all customers of the bank group, aren't they? "

The wealth is touching, and a large number of golden lions smashed past, even the unattainable steel-bone knights and mysterious and dangerous wizards in the eyes of others have to bend over to them.

In fact, there is far more than one Tier 3 combat force in the "Netherlands Bank Group".

Next to him, another young man who was so pale that he could see the blue blood vessels clearly also echoed:

"Yes, Mr. Huggins is a very generous client. One of the'ocean treasures' he entrusted to us a year ago is still on the second floor of the underground vault.

Until now, I still remember that after paying three times the storage fee, this powerful third-order transcendent only wanted to take a look outside the gate of the underground vault.

After I gave him a brief introduction, he was also full of praise for our security measures, bluntly saying that Tier 4 titles may not be able to be broken in a short time. "

As a young man representing his elderly father's first business after joining the banking group, he was really impressed by the Pirate King.

The old man presiding over the meeting nodded slightly and looked around all the people in the meeting:

"Anyone else wants to speak besides Mr. Swift and Mr. Durangel Jr.?"

The third director on the left, the graceful lady in a burgundy dress, gently shook the peacock feather fan:

"Mr. Chairman, in fact, many of the distinguished gentlemen present here have business dealings with the Pirate King. Even the ‘Elberta’ Chamber of Commerce, which is only doing serious business, has done a slave trade with him in the Wind Strait.

I don’t think this pirate king would be so unwise to let down so many people’s friendship with him! "

Seeing that most of the others in this room nodded slightly in agreement, UU read www.uukānshu. The com old man himself did not think there would be any problems, so he concluded:

"Then I will now announce the final resolution of the board of directors. Our ‘Netherlands Banking Group’ will not interfere in the dispute between the Pirate King and Tulip.

But the kingdom’s face still has to be given, allowing Tulip’s mobile troops to station in Golden Lion City.

By the way, please inform the Bishop Jasper of the Golden Dome Cathedral and join us in the defense during this time.

Before this matter is over, it is strictly forbidden for our private soldiers to leave the city and intervene in the conflicts of others.

So be it. "

The daily management of the "Netherlands Banking Group" is the responsibility of a four-member committee elected by the board of directors. The chairman of the four-member committee also serves as the governor of the "Golden Lion City".

The words of Mr. Joel Theodore, an old man with military, political, and financial power, are the final word!

It also determines the general tone of the Golden Lion City's defense policy in the future.