Chapter 151: In France
Before heading to Paris, Tom meticulously prepared and rehearsed for quite a while. In truth, his rhetoric was quite clumsy – if he'd run into seasoned pros, it wouldn't have worked at all. But Tom's target was the young Alfonso XII, and the conversation among adults has some effect in spurring on those passionate youths.
Meanwhile, having just fled Spain for Paris with young Alfonso, Queen Isabel II was understandably anxious. At least in Paris she had no fear of being hauled to the guillotine by an enraged Spanish populace.
Anyway, the United States currently held a pariah status in Europe—blaming random events on them was never wrong.
…
While Tom headed to Paris, Ernst himself was not idle. He was inspecting corporate developments in Marseille, France. Of course, it wasn't necessary for Ernst personally to go talk to the Spanish royal family. Merely sending a representative was already conspicuous enough. Besides the French and those Spanish exiles, almost no other force at this time was sympathetic to the Spanish monarchy's fate, let alone willing to support it.
Though the money Hechingen offered wasn't much, it was definitely unique. Everyone else wanted a chunk of wealth from Isabel II, who was known for her extravagance and had taken quite a few valuables when she fled the Spanish royal palace. Furthermore, the Bourbon family still had its faction in France, so many used the cry of "Restore the Throne" to get onto the mother and son's payroll. Isabel II herself was still proclaiming she was Queen of Spain, even reaching out to her old foe, the Carlist faction, and offering financial support. Though they rejected her, it proves she still had money to spare.
Marseille, second only to Paris in importance within France, was commercially prosperous. The Hechingen consortium set up its French branch here to oversee operations in the country. For the consortium, Germany and Austria-Hungary are top-tier markets, while France and Eastern Europe are second tier. Eastern Europe may have a larger population, but lacks France's purchasing power – and the French, who excel at leisure, are prime clients of the consortium.
To connect with the French market, the consortium's factories in Austria-Hungary rely on the Mediterranean shipping route; they handle everything west from Trieste to the Mediterranean. Meanwhile, the factories in Germany primarily serve the Eastern European (i.e., Russian) market. As for the Ottoman and Middle Eastern regions, Ernst hopes eventually to branch out from East Africa – though for now, East Africa isn't set up for that. So any trade with Ottoman territories and North Africa goes through those factories in Austria-Hungary.
Marseille is indeed splendid among European cities, a genuine international metropolis in this era. Even Napoleon III had a palace here. Ernst arrived in Marseille by ship from Austria-Hungary, accompanied by a large retinue of guards and staff, disembarking at the city's port. This trip was merely a starting point; Ernst aimed to revive the House of Hechingen's ties with former associates in France. He would end in Paris and then travel back to Hechingen by rail.
"Your Highness, we have booked your hotel for tonight. You must be tired from the journey. Would you like to rest first?" The local Hechingen consortium representative, Carrell, asked respectfully.
"No need. Let's go to the office first and check on the French branch's performance this year. I feel perfectly awake," Ernst replied.
"Very well, Your Highness. One moment, though – you have quite a large party, and we didn't have enough carriages ready. We beg your pardon," Carrell said.
"That's all right, go get them," Ernst agreed.
It was inevitable. Ernst brought seventy to eighty bodyguards alone, plus a group of experts, without specifying details ahead of time to the Marseille staff. Frankly, seeing so many people gathered, outsiders might think some major figure had arrived.
Ernst, with his vast estates, dared not take risks. He's no "Invincible Man" immune to assassination. Although Hechingen appears to have no particular enemies, Ernst won't place his fate in mere "maybe." His security detail is top-notch in Europe. For this trip, ten uniformed members of the House Guards carried firearms – a formality already cleared with the French government. That's the privilege of a German princely rank. While Hechingen had been subsumed by Prussia, its monarchy's official entitlements remained. As long as they could pay them, the royal household guards stayed.
Beyond the palace guard, there were fifty or sixty plainclothes security staff in suits – "unofficial" protectors forming the largest group, typically standing around Ernst in full view, each in tailored attire looking like an elite of the era. Then there were about ten undercover agents, moving out of immediate sight to monitor for suspicious individuals or hazards. They might roam a hundred meters away, blending with crowds disguised as French locals or foreign tourists.
…
Before long, the motorcade reached the consortium's branch office in Marseille. Ernst's professional team began auditing accounts and performance. They found no major issues. Minor discrepancies were easily explained, and Ernst was quite satisfied with this surprise inspection.
"Carrell, you've done very well so far. Keep it up. You and all the staff here mustn't slacken. France is a key market for our consortium, so remember the principle that 'customers are our livelihood.' By keeping them satisfied, our products can expand further. Hechingen's brand is rooted in quality, so more people will trust us," he said.
Because Germany isn't unified yet, regulation is lax, and the place is known for "knockoff" goods. German industrial goods have no better reputation than American ones, so the consortium seldom tags "German" on its consumer goods, focusing instead on product differentiation. High-end fields like electricity or machinery – where the consortium's edge is obvious – can carry "Made in Germany," but for mainstream items, they highlight uniqueness. Their local business outlets shape the public's impression of the brand.
Still, counterfeit goods can't be avoided. Many small European workshops can replicate the logo overnight for sale. That's where the consortium's own stores come in: if customers buy from them, it's presumably the real thing. They're "officially certified," sourcing straight from Hechingen factories. Each item is assigned a number for authenticity, and to discourage any store from cheating. The consortium offers a reporting mechanism that can bring the whistleblower a nice reward. So managers hardly dare attempt fraud in these official outlets.
Through official channels, the consortium also provides after-sales service, winning it a decent reputation. The downside is that opening new stores is slower; each one might require direct investment. But Hechingen's in it for the long term, so effort is acceptable. And with such broad coverage in product lines, the consortium can offer an array of exclusive items, plus they might sell other companies' goods as well. Basically, a one-stop "supermarket."
Currently, such "supermarkets" exist only in larger cities across Europe. Smaller towns have yet to see them. Ernst has essentially taken lessons from his prior life to create Hechingen's commercial outlets as places where customers can interact with the merchandise, skipping the middlemen and paying at the counter. If other brands want to get shelf space, that's fine, as long as they meet Hechingen's standards.
These commercial outlets don't share a single brand across Europe. Each country gets a localized name. In France, Hechingen's store chain is dubbed "Magasins du Bord de Seine," to make the French think it's local. People associate it with Paris, and thus fewer suspect it's a "German brand." Meanwhile, in Germany and Austria-Hungary, the name "Hechingen" is used – for Ernst regards those states as a single entity.
The bigger the city, the more prosperous it is, the larger Hechingen's "supermarket," with more goods and services. Relying on the consortium's unique supply chains, these outlets flourish across Europe. Even in Russia or Germany, you might see "Seine Riverside" shops. People assume it's a French label, with Paris's romance as a natural brand advantage. Hechingen is already preparing to expand into Britain, so a few outlets will appear there soon.
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