Having clearly understood his situation, Hans spoke frankly and generously:
"Oh, you Charles, if you had told me earlier that you controlled all the coal in Pittsburgh, I would have immediately come running to hand over my ironworks to you!"
"Hahaha... it's not too late now." Charles nodded with a smile.
"Alright, no problem. My ironworks will merge with yours. From now on, I will only be responsible for promoting weapons and steel, working as your employee." Hans extended his hand.
"Hans! Don't worry, you will never regret your decision today." Charles also firmly grasped the other's hand.
Thus, the number of ironworks needing to be relocated became two.
Charles hadn't yet returned to Scarlet Manor in the suburbs, but he realized he had to consider a choice he had long been prepared for: whether to focus on developing industries in Pittsburgh or on managing his political future in Philadelphia.
He had already decided to base himself on Pittsburgh's industrial strength, like the Rothschild family, and operate from behind the scenes. However, his political connections in Philadelphia hadn't fully developed yet. If he abandoned them now, the most likely outcome would be that his enterprise would become an ordinary business susceptible to suppression at any time.
After a day of observation, Charles had found that due to the acceleration of the Pittsburgh development plan, many engineering projects had reached a critical juncture. Leaving now could very likely render all his initial investments useless.
Before going to Philadelphia, he had originally only wanted to gain a little political status to reduce trouble for his business in Pittsburgh. Who would have thought that after arriving in Philadelphia, his performance and the reaction of the Philadelphians unexpectedly aligned with his development? Now, the political gains he had achieved in Philadelphia far exceeded his industrial profits in Pittsburgh.
But now, he couldn't pursue both, so he had to make a choice: which one to prioritize.
Undoubtedly, personally overseeing the development of Pittsburgh's industries was a very stable path, and it suited his nature of enjoying comfort. However, it was foreseeable that due to a lack of a good external environment, coupled with the critical issue of manpower that would constrain future development, the prospects of this path to wealth were very limited.
On the other hand, if he prioritized his political future and continued to pursue official positions, with the good atmosphere that had already formed, it would be very easy to secure a place in the upper echelons of American politics. However, due to America's national strength itself, this status was honestly not much to boast about, and it might even be inferior to that of an influential entrepreneur.
Leaving aside these practical factors, even his inner feelings made it difficult for him to choose.
If he were to follow his long-held wish, it would, of course, be to make a small fortune, then live contentedly as a rich old man, raising his children and grandchildren until old age. But every person, especially every man, has a fantasy of becoming a superior. When the opportunity to become a superior is directly presented before them, no one can immediately refuse such an opportunity.
If there were such an opportunity: he would usually live in Pittsburgh, manage his industries when he was free, and enjoy life in his manor when he was tired. At certain fixed times each year, he would go to Philadelphia to attend the assembly, chat idly with historical figures and founding fathers, and remain connected with high society—that would be perfect.
Unfortunately, such a goal was too difficult to achieve. Industry and politics are not automated machines that can continue to work for you without supervision. In either endeavor, even a slight neglect would lead to all previous efforts being wasted, resulting in a terrible loss.
So, Charles spent the entire night in thought and worry.
"Sir! There are several sirs outside who wish to see you!"
Early the next morning, while Charles was still indecisive and unable to make a choice, Greenspan, the busy man, came in to report to Charles.
"Oh, who are they? Didn't I meet everyone yesterday?" Charles was quite annoyed and somewhat reluctant to see those greedy fellows from the town.
"They are several wealthy sirs from Philadelphia. You've met them a few times there. They just happened to be in Pittsburgh recently and heard you were back, so they wanted to pay their respects." Greenspan replied in a deep voice.
"Wealthy sirs from Philadelphia?" Charles nodded, smiling, "Then please invite them in. Also, you are now a respectable tax officer. From now on, leave these announcements to others. You should focus on the bank and tax matters! Especially the bank. Once those accountants from Scarlet Manor arrive, get it up and running as soon as possible."
"Yes, sir!" Greenspan humbly responded and withdrew.
Soon, a group of three people was invited in by Greenspan.
Charles noticed that although these men were wealthy sirs from Philadelphia, they were not the ones he had partnered with to buy land. However, they hadn't lied; they had indeed met him a few times. Since they were only minor wealthy sirs, they weren't qualified to participate in such a large project, so they had only met when delivering gifts.
"Hello! Respected Councilor Charles!"
"Good morning, sirs!"
Both sides exchanged greetings.
"It was too crowded during the day today, so we didn't want to disturb Councilor Charles. We could only trouble you again tonight." The leader-like figure among the three smiled and pulled out a money bag.
Charles immediately felt uncomfortable upon seeing it.
These people were both his business partners and, to some extent, his benefactors. Although their social status at this time was far from comparable to that of Southern plantation owners, Charles, with his modern mindset, had always treated these wealthy sirs with great courtesy.
In Philadelphia, because he was short on money, he not only accepted gifts but also didn't mind receiving cash directly. However, he was not short on money now, and he was in Pittsburgh, his "hometown," which supported his position in the Continental Congress. For these people to openly bribe him like this was a bit too bold.
"Ahem!" Charles cleared his throat and did not accept the money. Instead, he sternly said with a serious face, "As a representative of Pittsburgh, I am responsible for Pittsburgh's affairs. Since you sirs are in Pittsburgh, just state your difficulties directly."
"Uh..." The wealthy sirs were stunned.
They wondered inwardly: How did this vampire change his habits? Wasn't he accepting all gifts without refusal back in Philadelphia? He especially liked gold coins; those who gave gold coins received better treatment than those who gave other items of equal value. If no gifts were offered, he couldn't even be seen. But today, he claimed to be a representative of Pittsburgh and seemed to imply he wouldn't accept gifts. Could it be that he thought the gift was too small?
The faces of the wealthy sirs changed, unsure what to say next.
"What exactly is the matter? Just say it!" Charles urged impatiently.
These merchants and wealthy sirs simply couldn't be dealt with amicably. When they needed something from you, they would humbly beg you to agree. But as soon as you finished, they would immediately act as if they had never asked you for anything. If the tables turned and you needed something from them, without corresponding compensation, they would certainly turn hostile and deny any acquaintance.
"Hehe! It's like this, honored Councilor Charles. We were ignorant before and didn't know about your plan to cooperate with the wealthy sirs of Philadelphia to develop Pittsburgh, missing out on an opportunity to get rich. This time, we specifically came to Pittsburgh to see if there were any remaining opportunities. Unfortunately, although other wealthy sirs bought a lot of land, their development plans are already full, and they are completely unwilling to sell or divide a portion..."
"How can there be no land? Didn't the Pennsylvania Assembly sell a lot of land later? If you can't find it in Pittsburgh, just buy it directly from the Pennsylvania Assembly." Charles interrupted somewhat impatiently.
Although he knew that the land the Pennsylvania Assembly sold later was mainly in Ohio, not in Pittsburgh, and did not belong to Pennsylvania, it was completely considered illegal land sales. However, the Continental Congress also took a portion of the land sale revenue, and Ohio would eventually be conquered by America, so there was no need to worry that the land purchase contracts would not be recognized.
"Hehe! Councilor Charles, we are not like those other land buyers. Every penny we spend must be spent with peace of mind. To be honest with you, we came here this time specifically to look at the land over there. It's just that, as you may already know, while we saw large tracts of undeveloped land with development potential there, we also saw natives!"