Ivan's father, Sergei, was a petty hoodlum in Moscow in his youth, struggling in the streets for years. When the red flag of the Kremlin was lowered, he was selling counterfeit alcohol on the black market. [This text is available for the fastest, error-free reading on mobile devices.]
In his view, the Mikhail family's wealth consisted solely of Siberian oil, and there was nothing else to boast about. Being a nouveau riche, he naturally looked down upon those decadent nobles, believing they had nothing but the glory of their coats of arms and were no match for his own immense wealth.
However, reality eventually taught him a lesson. He recalled an instance where he was competing with a European count family in business. Both sides had roughly the same amount of leverage and benefits to offer the mayor of Moscow. This was when some additional maneuvering was necessary.
So while Sergei was still using the old trick of hosting a banquet for the mayor, the count discovered from the family tree that the mayor's family had intermarried with his own family hundreds of years ago, and according to seniority, the count should call the mayor "uncle".
So the count started from this point and successfully secured the deal. In the mayor's view, with similar interests, having a count's descendant was clearly more prestigious than associating with a nouveau riche, so the winner was obvious.
From that moment on, Sergei never looked down on those long-established families again, nor did he naively believe that nobles had nothing but glory, and that their wealth was invisible. He began to show them respect, especially after he discovered that British Prime Minister Cameron was actually a direct descendant of King William IV…
Now he felt it was time to pass on this life lesson to his son. Sergei said, “You must remember, nobles by blood are not to be trifled with because they have many relatives, and any one of them might stab you in the back. Nobles by power are also not to be trifled with because their businesses have been around for hundreds of years. Nobody knows what traps they have up their sleeves. Just like this incident, if Morgan hadn’t forced them, who would have known that the Duanmu family had such a powerful card? So these people are not to be trifled with.”
Ivan nodded, seemingly understanding, then asked his father, "What kind of noble family do we belong to? Are we noble by blood or by power?"
Sergei gave a wry smile and patted his son's hair. "In the current management council, Windsor and Saudi are nobles by blood. Duanmu and Morgan are nobles by power. As for our family... we are nothing, just nouveau riche."
Ivan was deeply saddened.
...
...
After Duanmu Ci had completely settled things in Chicago, he sent his old butler to handle some follow-up matters, and then casually sent a group email to inform those who had gone on strike that their wonderful weekend holiday was over and to hurry back to business. With the reopening of The Magniient, all the turmoil subsided.
Ordinary people are forgetful; there are always new topics in the world to distract them, such as some Hollywood actress having some intriguing photos circulated...
The main players have all quit. Those who jumped in to play minor roles naturally couldn't keep up the act either; supporting characters can't carry a big show. Critics began to shift their focus, criticizing the government's ineffective market intervention, and the media started reporting gossip. The fertile ground for stirring up trouble disappeared. Those schemers who wanted to hide behind the scenes and fuel the flames had no choice but to lie low and wait for the next opportunity…
The storm has passed.
After the voting ended, Duanmu Ci also went to Monaco, this time by helicopter. The storm in the Mediterranean had finally subsided, fishing boats and yachts began to set sail, and golden sunlight bathed the beaches of Monaco, where tourists ran along the shore with surfboards. Everything was beautiful.
Duanmu Ci's visit to Monaco is to attend the next management meeting, which can be seen as announcing the arrival of a new era for the Rare club.
The consolidated management would have significantly more authority, and each family would receive more power. However, Duanmu Ci wasn't too concerned; he was more worried about why this year's caviar wasn't as good as last year's, and even the supply of white truffles was somewhat scarce. Could it be that Morgan had embezzled the membership fees?
This was obviously a joke; Morgan's actions were far more shameful than anything else.
Duanmu Ci glanced around the Rare Club and left, as it was a rather meaningless appearance anyway; even a seasoned veteran like Flander didn't bother to show up. Before leaving, Duanmu Ci remarked, "The egg brandy was good today; let's have it at the next management meeting," and then his appearance was complete.
Dinner was at the Monaco Palace. The young Prince Albert was very interested in this legendary "man who defeated Morgan," and even invited him to a performance at the Monte Carlo Opera House after the dinner. He then enthusiastically introduced the history of the building to his distinguished guest in the royal box.
Duanmu Ci listened with a polite smile, even though he already knew the building by heart. He had first visited here in the 19th century when the famous French actress Sarah Bernhardt performed here, and the back rows were filled with dignitaries.
Although Duanmu Ci had visited Monaco many times before and had a good relationship with the Prince of Monaco, that was a matter of the "previous generation." After Duanmu Ci resumed using his original name, he had no real interaction with the newly enthroned Prince, only nodding to him when they met at the Rare Club. However, this time, they watched "Romeo and Juliet" together, which naturally brought them much closer.
Albert ate a piece of shortbread and said, "I'm getting married to a princess next year. If Mr. Duanmu has the time, please be sure to come and attend the ceremony."
"Yes, Your Highness," Duanmu Ci said. "May I ask which noble family the future princess will be from?"
Albert laughed, "She's not the daughter of a nobleman. She's last year's European diving champion, and she has a fantastic figure! I'll introduce her to you sometime. She also has a younger sister."
Duanmu Ci, "..." Okay, he roughly knew what kind of person this prince was...
He slept in the Monaco Palace that night, and Duanmu Ci learned from the drunken prince why he had been so attentive to him...
Albert's great-grandfather, Prince Charles III of Monaco, was an extreme figure, both praised and criticized. Upon ascending the throne, he ceded 80% of his kingdom to the French. I recall that year, to resolve a financial crisis, he mortgaged his royal palace to Duanmu Ci for 250 years… and indeed, 250…
In other words, this palace could be Duanmu Ci's whenever he wanted, and he had almost forgotten about it.
So at breakfast the next day, Duanmu Ci said to Albert, "From now on, this palace belongs entirely to you."
Then he left Monaco. (To be continued.)
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