Chapter 172: The Sin of the Celebration
Walking on the streets of Athens, everyone I met, regardless of gender, was smiling. It was only a few days before the opening of the Olympic Games. As a newly born country that had just gained independence from the Ottoman Empire, the Greeks throughout the country highly respected this grand ceremony that originated in ancient Greece.
Moreover, the marathon race originated from the victory of the ancient Greek coalition over the Persian army. Considering the relationship between Greece and the Ottoman Empire, it has a different political meaning in the minds of ordinary people, and there are greater expectations for the upcoming Olympics.
Sheffield has just arrived in Greece. In fact, this Olympics is somewhat different from the previous ones. As a member of the Olympic Council, Sheffield must at least make some contributions to the international event. For example, some American countries can participate in the competition, such as Honduras, Guatemala, Panama and other countries that just make up the numbers.
Red flowers need green leaves to match. Let the athletes of these countries be more embarrassed, so as to show our wisdom and bravery. Who doesn't want to see their own country's athletes soar? As for how embarrassing the competitors of other countries are, they should be so embarrassing, and it is only right to use them to set off the protagonist.
Perhaps because of the increase in the number of participating American countries, this Olympics has added a more international flavor compared to the one in the parallel universe. This also made the small Kingdom of Greece feel a little bit like being the recipient of tributes from all nations, and it pretended to be humble and polite.
"If these Greeks knew of my other important purpose, would they turn against me on the spot?" Sheffield still had a smile on his face after the confusing communication with a young Greek lady. He turned around and got on the carriage, which led to a Mediterranean-style attic where guests were waiting.
Evelyn forced herself to move her head away from Sheffield's shoulder. There was still some fatigue on her pretty face. The long sea life was a torment for her, a lady who had never been abroad.
“Are you still not feeling well… How about…” Swallowing back the words of drinking some hot water, Sheffield gently comforted Evelin, “Take a rest when you get there.”
“I’m sorry, boss. I haven’t been feeling well these past few days.” Evelin said shyly, apologizing for not being able to perform worthy of her salary.
"It's okay!" Sheffield sighed inwardly. It was indeed quite inconvenient. He wanted to experience the treatment of his boss at sea, but it was too hasty. He wanted to make things right after he got ashore, but it just happened that he was inconvenienced. You said that it would be fine if you just opened your legs early. Why did you have to think so much? Wouldn't it be inconvenient to finish the job early?
Of course, doing so might bring another inconvenient consequence, but wouldn't that only appear a few months later? By then, he would have returned home, so what else would happen? Looking ahead and behind brought such a bad consequence, and Sheffield made up his mind not to fall into the second pit twice.
Nodding to the servant who came to greet him, and asking his bodyguard and secretary to wait downstairs, Sheffield went straight up the stairs to the second floor where the windows were open.
"Dear William Pasha, it's a pleasure to meet you!" A man who looked no different from a Greek when he saw Sheffield coming, stretched out his hand happily, full of apologies for not welcoming him in person, and was polite and respectful.
"How are you, Grand Vizier?" Sheffield also had a smile on his face. Although it was the first time they met, they seemed to have known each other for a long time and there was no sense of strangeness at all.
"Very good, the Grand Vizier ordered me to convey my respect to William Pasha and express my admiration for the good relations that Pasha's grandfather has maintained with the empire until now." Ayobayan nodded repeatedly and greeted with Ottoman etiquette.
Sheffield was not surprised at all that the Ottomans could hide among the Greeks. The so-called Ottomans in the Ottoman Empire were only Turks in culture. They were not the Turks in Chinese history. Turks were a very broad concept, covering a large area from the Caucasus to the Mongolian Plateau. The place where the Ottomans started was out of sight of the Tang Dynasty, so there was no rumor that they were beaten by the Tang Dynasty and moved westward.
Moreover, in terms of blood relationship, the later generations of Turks are not much different from the native ethnic genes of the Eastern Mediterranean. The Ottomans originated from the small population of the Turks, which had long been swallowed up. As long as a Turk can speak Greek, no one can recognize him once he takes off his clothes.
Just like the Mongols, the Mongols' language is related to the Xianbei, but when comparing their genes with the tombs dug up during the Xiongnu period, the chromosomes are not much different. They can be considered the descendants of the Xiongnu.
"The Grand Vizier also wants to invite the Pasha to Istanbul for a visit." Ayobayan smiled cautiously and expressed the greetings of the Ottoman Grand Vizier.
"If I have time, I will definitely go." Sheffield nodded and agreed, "United Company has always attached great importance to its friendship with Osman, and this has been proven over time."
When the Sheffield family was dealing with the Ottoman Grand Vizier, they followed the principle of non-interference in the internal affairs of other countries. In fact, they did not have the strength to do so. If a company wanted to interfere with the prime minister of another country, it was beyond the ability of the joint company. Moreover, the United States of America is now a younger brother among the imperialist powers, and it has just been humiliated by the British Empire.
If Great Britain had not set its sights on South Africa, the United States would still be hung in the air by Great Britain, and it would be very uncomfortable to be unsatisfied. It would be better to let Great Britain press it to the ground and rub it hard.
The status of the United States of America in the eyes of Britain, France and Germany may not be as good as that of the current Ottoman Empire. After all, their ancestors were rich. At their peak, they overwhelmed Europe, Asia and Africa, almost forcing European countries to death, and had formed a semi-encirclement. If Portugal and Spain had not opened up new routes and found the New World to absorb energy and turn defeat into victory, the victory of the two religions might have been decided.
It is basically impossible for the United States to do something against the Ottoman Empire. Moreover, the Grand Vizier changes too frequently. The old imperialists are very close to the Ottoman Empire, and the United States cannot squeeze in at all.
While the entire Greek population was preparing for the Olympic Games, a guest who had come from afar across the Atlantic Ocean was chatting and laughing with their arch-enemy, bursting into laughter from time to time.
Persian carpets, Iraqi handicrafts, and many other things can be talked about. The Balkan War is still a long way off, and the current Ottoman Empire legacy is still quite rich. Many territories are in the hands of the Ottomans, whether nominally or actually controlled.
There are still many things that Sheffield can discuss with the other party. Just like compared with Britain, France and Germany, the United States is a younger brother, but when facing Spain, Italy and so on, it is not impossible to go up and compete with them.
This is also to find a way out for the company's operations. If the Republicans come to power in the general election, high tariffs are bound to come, because the United States is rich in resources and has the conditions to develop behind closed doors. It is not a small country with a small territory that resorts to high tariffs, because insufficient resources to support development is almost tantamount to suicide.
But this is not necessarily good for the Sheffield family. Once the cage is closed, everyone will fight each other and blood will be shed. He must find a gap to breathe. Osman, a yesterday's flower, has value at this time. In fact, the family's smuggling industry, the important transit point in Europe is the Ottoman Empire.
At present, the Ottoman Empire is in a clear decline, and its relations with Europe are certainly unfavorable. It is impossible for it to protect its national industry with high tariffs. It can learn from the Ottoman Empire and reduce similar tariffs.
Sheffield understood this move, which was similar to the later Republic's operation of dumping steel from Vietnam to the United States. So contacting the Ottoman Grand Vizier's confidant was an early preparation for the upcoming unknown, just in case it came in handy.
He was not here to do nothing, but for the development of the company, he was going to talk to Osman, who was also oppressed by imperialism. The result of this negotiation was satisfactory.
"I don't know. Does Pasha still need more labor to enrich the construction of the farm?" Ayobayan mentioned another question and looked at Sheffield with anticipation.
Sheffield's expression became serious. He didn't expect the other party to raise this question on his own initiative. He asked calmly, "What is your clan origin?"
"Armenians? This is good for us. These Armenians do not accept the rule of the empire and are more compatible with the American environment. If we don't want Armenians, just like before, Serbia, Bulgaria, and Romania are all fine." Ayobayan lowered his voice and said, "Greeks are also good. The men can be used for work, and the women are also very beautiful."
"Well, you can't say that. Immigration has driven the development of the United States. They voluntarily immigrate, so we can't reject them!" Sheffield said dryly and cryptically. He turned around and forgot about the xenophobic wave he led. "Okay, for the sake of friendship with the Grand Vizier, I accept it with reluctance. The number of people should not exceed 30,000 within a year. They must be between 20 and 30 years old, and there must be slightly more women than men."
"The Pasha has helped the Grand Vizier again this time. Don't worry, we will build a good transit station. The tariffs of the Ottoman Empire and the United States have always been low!" Ayobayan breathed a sigh of relief. He finally completed the instructions of the big man.
"What kind of pasha am I? I don't even have a piece of land, even a county, it's all sand." Sheffield sighed, "Speaking of which, our family has always had a good relationship with the Grand Viziers of all generations, and we never refuse their requests. Can't we be more practical? How about letting our family run our transit station in the Persian Gulf? Isn't that great?"
"Kuwait? I am willing to make suggestions to the Grand Vizier on behalf of the Pasha." Ayobayan immediately assured.
"No, I'm going to pay real money to buy it. I'm not a British robber." Sheffield stretched out his finger and shook it, indicating that he was not the same kind of person as the shameless British, although his family also immigrated from the UK.
(End of this chapter)
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