Chapter 566

Chapter 567 “Luxury Lineup”

Fouche leaned forward again and continued: "With all due respect, Your Highness, investigating this matter requires very high professional requirements in the fields of trade, economics, and contracts. If the Intelligence Department comes to investigate, it may take three months or even longer." ”

Mirabeau immediately said anxiously: "This takes too long, and a large number of orders will be defaulted!"

Fouche looked at Joseph: "Your Highness, if you allow one person to assist the Intelligence Bureau, I believe this time will be shortened by half."

"Oh? Who is it?"

"Viscount Caronne," Fouche said, "He is a top expert in economics and trade, and is extremely familiar with all kinds of shady operations... Oh, please believe that I am complimenting him sincerely.

"As far as I know, he went to Lorraine to "treat his waist discomfort" at the beginning of the year. He has not returned to Paris yet, so he can go to Germany nearby."

Joseph nodded slightly. As the former Minister of Finance, there is no doubt about Carlona's professional ability. At the same time, he has accumulated rich illegal experience through a large amount of corruption and bribery.

At the same time, he is also relatively loyal to the royal family, so this job can really be left to him.

As for his going to Lorraine, it was probably because he purchased some properties there during his exile and needed to take care of them regularly.

"Okay, I will write to him and ask him to help you investigate."

"Thank you, Your Highness."

Fouche paused and said with some hesitation: "Your Highness, if I can call another person, maybe the investigation can be completed within a month."

Joseph breathed a sigh of relief: "You should finish your sentence at once. Who is he?"

"Franz Anton Mesmer."

"Huh? What does he do?"

Mirabeau on the side coughed slightly and said awkwardly: "Ahem, Your Highness, that is a damn liar."

"Yes, he is a liar." Fouche nodded, "But he is also a doctor of medicine and a genius."

As he briefly described Mesmer's experience, Joseph gradually remembered this figure - the so-called founder of hypnotherapy, a deceiver who deceived kings and beggars.

Seven years ago, Mesmer came to Paris from Vienna and claimed to have invented a "magnetic therapy theory" that could cure all diseases.

According to his theory, there is a magnetic field circulating inside the human body. If the circulation process is blocked, people will get sick. He can use a magnetic iron rod to adjust the magnetic field and thereby cure diseases.

Later, he found it troublesome and simply said that he was a "magnetic person" and could perform treatment with his hands.

Because of his superb "acting skills" and eloquent speech, many people have been tricked into believing in his "magnetic therapy".

Soon, his clinic became a gathering place for sick nobles.

But Mesmer was not satisfied. In order to treat more patients, he asked the nobles to sit around the large wooden barrel and said that he had injected magnetism into the water and the patients would be cured after sitting for a while.

Then he turned his attention to civilians.

Because the number of patients he could treat alone was limited, he began to accept apprentices, claiming that apprentices could also obtain their own magnetism.

As a result, more than 400 "magnetic therapy doctors" appeared in Paris in a short period of time, making millions of livres for Mesmer.

Until he treated Louis XVI.

His Majesty the King, with his meticulous logical analysis ability as a "scientist and engineer", believed that this matter was not very scientific, so he organized a group of experts including Lavoisier, Leroy, Franklin and other great scholars to verify the authenticity of magnetic therapy. .

With such a luxurious lineup, Mesmer's scam was finally exposed and he was thrown into prison.

However, many people insist that they were cured by Mesmer. After research, scholars found that they were relieved of their pain due to psychological suggestions. Eventually hypnotherapy was developed from this, but that's a story for another day.

Fouche's selection of this person can be regarded as a very "professional counterpart".

Mesmer is an Austrian who is very familiar with the local area and is also good at deception. It is a perfect match with Kalona's expertise.

"Okay, you can go to the first prison and take him out now." Joseph said.

…

Austria.

In an inconspicuous hut in the northern suburbs of Vienna, Kalona repeatedly flipped through the information in front of him and frowned at the Intelligence Bureau official beside him: "Regardless of the legality, scale, and operating conditions of these companies, or the negotiation of orders, Judging from the signing process, there were no problems.

"The price of the goods on the order and the delivery date are also very reasonable. There should be no bribery..."

It's no wonder that as the president of the Vienna Chamber of Commerce, Kleistier has rich experience in trade, so he naturally manages the situation flawlessly.

"All deposits have been paid in full." Kalona said, picking up the newspaper next to him and looking at GG above, "Even the goods they ordered in France are already being promoted. From my professional point of view, These are indeed normal trades.

"Perhaps His Royal Highness the Crown Prince really guessed wrong this time?"

Mesmer, who had deep eyes and looked like a scholar, suddenly whispered: "Lord Viscount, I think if we can't find any flaws in the evidence, we might as well just throw them away..."

Carlona rolled his eyes at the liar. He was also defrauded of tens of thousands of livres by "magnetic therapy".

"What a joke. If you don't rely on evidence, how can you rely on deception?" He mocked, "Okay, you go and try to deceive those people's trust and let them tell you, 'Yes, actually I have a conspiracy.'"

Mesmer lowered his head and said carefully: "You misunderstood. What I want to say is that instead of collecting evidence, we will go directly to those companies to have a 'real' meeting."

"What are you talking about?"

"My original theory, ah, was magnetic therapy. Even the academicians of the Academy of Sciences could not find the problem." Mesmer said, "But then Mr. Lavoisier asked me to treat blindfolded patients, and he was not allowed to When I spoke out, my secret was revealed immediately.”

"so what?"

"We might as well pretend to be a buyer, a very wealthy big buyer, and go deal with the companies that place orders. And then..."

Carlona and the intelligence agency officials couldn't help but look at each other after hearing this, and both nodded in surprise.

Three days later.

"Viscount Plummer" from Erdenberg rode in a luxury carriage and brought a dozen followers with him to the Mannhart Trading Company, the leather bag company of Baron Graz.

Mesmer pretended to be Viscount Plummer with great style. From the moment he walked in, he kept giving rewards to all the workers and servants he met.

When he saw Graz, he immediately said that people in his hometown were very interested in French goods and wanted to buy all the French goods in Graz, and he could sign the contract now - he only saw GG in the newspaper. Found it.

Graz refused without hesitation.

It's not that he doesn't want to make more money, it's just that for such a large transaction, the other party will definitely have many employees involved and have a lot of contact with his warehouse, store, management, and even the driver.

Under such circumstances, no matter how flawless his design is, there is no way to ensure that there will be no mistakes.