The Fox of France

Chapter 294: Renovations

Early the next morning, Robson, the manager of the Hanseatic Trading Company in Paris, had just boarded a light carriage on his way to the company when he heard a newsboy's cry, "Come and see, come and see, the 'Moulin Rouge' is undergoing renovations and will be closed for two weeks. Earthquake in Turkey, countless casualties. The First Consul receives the envoy from Santo Domingo..."

Robson couldn't care less about the earthquake in Turkey. It probably affected a fair number of Turks, Arabs, or other people, but that had nothing to do with him. He and the Hanseatic Trading Company's reach didn't extend that far, and they had no business in Turkey whatsoever. Who cared if they perished?

As for Santo Domingo, it was somewhat related to him. The coffee he enjoyed came from Santo Domingo. However, the coffee and sugar trade was mostly controlled by French, Spanish, or British companies. The Hanseatic Trading Company couldn't get a foothold in this business, so, in reality, it didn't concern him much. Nevertheless, if the First Consul could receive the envoy from Santo Domingo, it meant that the two sides weren't breaking ties yet, and that meant Robson could continue to enjoy his coffee. That was a silver lining.

But the fact that the "Moulin Rouge" would be closed for two weeks was a different story. He had already made plans to host some "friends" from the business there in a few days, and now he might have to make alternative arrangements.

With these thoughts in mind, Robson called out, "Newsboy, newsboy, give me a newspaper with the news about the 'Moulin Rouge' closing for renovations."

The news of the upcoming two-week closure of the "Moulin Rouge" immediately drew widespread attention. Many people even began to worry. They weren't concerned about the possibility of the "Moulin Rouge" pulling a scheme like some unscrupulous clubs, using the excuse of renovations to disappear with their members' money and set up shop in the New World. If such a thing happened to the "Moulin Rouge," they'd be delighted because they were all in the same business. However, they knew how profitable the "Moulin Rouge" was, and it would be foolish to do anything that could jeopardize their income.

What they were concerned about was how the "Moulin Rouge" would be renovated and whether they would be able to keep up with it after the renovations. The "Moulin Rouge" was now the trendsetter in all of Paris, if not all of France, and even all of Europe. While the Austrian, British, and Russian royal families openly scoffed at the "Moulin Rouge" style, calling it "decadent and corrupt," rumors had it that whenever the "Moulin Rouge" introduced a new fashion, you'd see a similar style in Austrian and British courts a week later, an exact replica in the Sultan's palace in Turkey three weeks later, and a nearly identical outfit in St. Petersburg five to six weeks later.

Apart from fashion, the architectural style of the "Moulin Rouge" was also an object of imitation throughout Europe. Despite the upper echelons of European society outwardly disparaging the "Moulin Rouge" style, they couldn't help but be influenced by it in their new construction projects and renovations of old palaces. Even if they tried to imitate it, they couldn't really measure up to the "Moulin Rouge," but even a little imitation could help them maintain an edge over their competition.

"The renovation of the 'Moulin Rouge' will cost a fortune. I had just made some money, and I had plans... now it seems I might have to put everything into this project! That darn 'Moulin Rouge,' why can't it just make money without these extravagant renovations? It's like it's trying to rob me!" Cadreus, who was also trying to expand his business on Montmartre Hill, cursed vehemently upon reading the news.

He owned a nightclub called "Royal Gems." Of course, it couldn't compare to the "Moulin Rouge" in terms of business, but it brought in a decent monthly income. After covering the daily operating expenses and settling matters with people on both sides of the law, he was left with a good sum of money. Cadreus had been planning to buy a small estate in his native Italy by the autumn of this year, and then he could flaunt his wealth in front of his acquaintances. However, now it seemed that this pleasant dream would have to be postponed.

Like Cadreus, the other nightclub owners were nervously watching the "Moulin Rouge's" actions, using their connections to find out what exactly the "Moulin Rouge" was up to. They were also trying to gather funds quickly so that they could keep up with the "Moulin Rouge's" pace when the renovations were complete.

"We're just a bunch of unlucky folks who ran into a tiger in the forest, and the 'Moulin Rouge' is that terrifying tiger. Every time that big tiger moves, we have to run for our lives, and anyone left behind dies. Our way of survival is to make sure we run faster than the others. So, running a nightclub on Montmartre Hill, although very profitable, is also exceptionally tough. You have to keep one eye open even when you're sleeping, always keeping a close watch on the 'Moulin Rouge.' That's been my way of survival for so many years." It's said that a guy who also owned a nightclub passed on this wisdom to his son when he entrusted him with his business.

But to find out the secrets of how the "Moulin Rouge" was planning to renovate before its reopening was not an easy task. Not because information was hard to come by, but because there was just too much of it.

In fact, every time the "Moulin Rouge" made a move, there were rumors flying left and right. Some of the rumors were obviously unreliable, but others sounded quite plausible. However, those who tried to act on these rumors often found themselves running in the wrong direction, far from being on the same track as the "Moulin Rouge."

But ignoring these rumors entirely wasn't an option either, as some of them were actually true. Being prepared at least allowed you to get a head start.

This time, there were all sorts of rumors and predictions about the "Moulin Rouge's" renovation, but no one rushed ahead. Instead, they were busy contacting manufacturers of gold leaf, crystal products, and mirrors. This led to a noticeable increase in the prices of these products in the futures market.

Some even attempted to infiltrate the "Moulin Rouge" during its renovation, but they ended up failing disgracefully. After all, the "Moulin Rouge" was not just an ordinary gold mine; it was also a secret stronghold of the "Ministry of Truth." If such a place were easily infiltrated and secrets revealed, the "Ministry of Truth" would have a good laugh alongside the "Public Security Bureau."

However, there was one thing that couldn't be kept secret, and that was the observation that a thick power cable had been brought into the "Moulin Rouge. So, it was clear that the renovations of the "Moulin Rouge" were closely related to electricity.

This gave rise to a new set of rumors. Some said the "Moulin Rouge" was going to build a large fountain, while others claimed it was preparing a massive electric stage that could rise and rotate. There were even rumors about the "Moulin Rouge" using electric machines for the dancers. Although most of these rumors were likely unreliable, one thing was certain: the "Moulin Rouge's" renovation was strongly connected to electricity.

Some people also noticed that the "Elysium Palace" had begun closed renovations and had brought in a similarly thick power cable. However, getting information about the "Elysium Palace" was even more difficult than finding out about the "Moulin Rouge."

With all these speculations, time passed gradually, and the high fabric curtains surrounding the "Moulin Rouge" were removed, revealing the renovated "Moulin Rouge" to everyone.

"It doesn't seem like there's much of a change, does it?" Many people asked in confusion.

Indeed, the exterior of the "Moulin Rouge" appeared mostly unchanged. The most prominent feature was still the enormous red windmill. The only difference was that the red windmill had been adorned with glass decorations along its edges. In the evening sunlight, these decorations refracted a faint red light.

In the small square in front of the "Moulin Rouge," there was indeed a newly added fountain. At the center of the fountain was a marble sculpture of Prince Paris of Troy and Queen Helen of Sparta in an amorous encounter, surrounded by a ring of smaller fountains.

Apart from the fact that the water from the small fountains didn't scatter but rather formed small bubbles, the fountain didn't seem particularly remarkable.

In addition to this, on the ground near the main building of the "Moulin Rouge" and by the red windmill, there were stone-like objects. However, they had a thick, transparent glass surface facing the "Moulin Rouge" and the red windmill, and upon closer inspection, one could see that they contained glass bottles-like objects inside. These "stones" were actually made of iron but were painted to look like stone. They had several holes on their surface, though it wasn't clear what they were for.

But by this time, there was no need to rush for information because in just one more hour, the "Moulin Rouge" would be reopening.