Creating an Industrial Empire in 19th Century Parallel World - Chapter 280: The Anticipated News

With Richards gone and Amelia sharing something important, his focus shifted to her.

“So what was the news, Amelia? Let me guess, is the House of Saud terminating their agreement with us?”

Amelia looked down somberly and responded, “You are correct, Poul. They have given us a reason. Granting us exclusive rights to mine the oil fields in the territory of Saudi Arabia would be detrimental to the economic development of the nation. They believed that they would be under our control by giving us full control of their oil reserves. But that is not the worst part. They negotiated with the British Empire, spearheaded by King Alexander, and reached an agreement. Saudi Arabia has just allowed the British to mine their oil reserves, and we are being kicked out of the oil field that we discovered.”

“Son of a…” Poul couldn’t contain the anger that surged through him. In an instant, he slammed his hand down on the table, producing a loud bang that startled Amelia slightly. The force of his frustration reverberated through the room, echoing his disappointment and outrage.

Amelia’s eyes widened as she watched Poul’s outburst, recognizing the gravity of the situation. She had rarely seen him lose his composure to such an extent.

Poul took a deep breath, his voice seething with restrained fury. “I fucking knew it…that Alexander would do something like this. Ah…

Shit…I want to punch him in the face, if he was standing in front of me, I would have delivered a blow that would make him regret his actions.”

Amelia quickly stepped forward and placed a soothing hand on Poul’s shoulder, her touch radiating calming energy. She knew she had to diffuse the mounting anger before it consumed him entirely.

“Now…now, Poul. This is unbecoming of you. You have anticipated this would happen so calm down and allow us to talk rationally,” Amelia urged, her voice gentle but firm.

Poul’s breathing gradually slowed as he absorbed Amelia’s words. He realized that losing his temper wouldn’t serve their cause; it would only hinder their ability to find a solution.

“Okay, I’m calm down…I’m calm down…Amelia,” Poul reassured.

“Good,” Amelia smiled warmly.

“But I’m still going to punch him should fate present the opportunity,” Poul added with a hint of determination in his voice.

Amelia sighed, knowing that Poul’s anger was deeply rooted in their shared frustrations.

“Well if this is going to help, then I won’t stop you. Should Alexander come before you, you can do whatever you want. But for now, we have to settle this. First, the House of Saud. They are obliged to follow our agreement as we are bound by a contract. There is a clause in the contract that should either one party back out, they must inform first the other party within a specified timeframe,” Amelia explained and continued. “But they didn’t inform us, so the exclusive contract is still in effect. But I’m sure that His Majesty Saud would do everything, with the help of his new friend, the British, to try and invalidate our agreement. That’s where we will exploit it.”

“Based on your confident voice, I assume that you already came up with a plan huh?” Poul mused. “You have piqued my interest. What is it?”

“It’s simple, Poul. If they want to terminate an agreement with us so badly, then they’ll have to do it by paying us a substantial amount of money. I’m talking about tens of millions here. It may be their country but we have the claim. Their country’s constitution was not formalized when we found those oil reserves so technically, it’s ours.”

“And if they refuse to pay?” Poul asked despite knowing what would be the repercussions if the Saud refused to pay. But, he wanted to hear it from Amelia.

“If they don’t then, we have the legal rights to defend it, Mr. Nielsen. You can deploy your private military company in the region and ensure that our claim is protected. Not to mention, the United States would be backing us on this one. The government already knows the value of oil to the economy and industry, and they won’t let such a blatant disregard for contracts go unnoticed,” Amelia explained confidently.

“This is getting exciting,” Poul chortled, his frustration giving way to a newfound sense of determination. “But first, I want to speak with the Ambassador of Saudi Arabia. Can you get him to come here to Pittsburgh in two days?”

Amelia nodded, understanding the importance of Poul’s request. “Consider it done, Poul. I’ll reach out to the Ambassador and arrange a meeting here in Pittsburgh.

“Thank you.”

As Amelia set the wheels in motion, Poul focused on preparing for the upcoming meeting. He discussed with his friends in the government like the current President of the United States, business partners like Jonathan, Caroline, and Morgan, and lastly, his company’s legal firm who drafted the contract which was then signed by him and His Highness Saud.

Two days later, the Ambassador of Saudi Arabia arrived in Pittsburgh, ready to meet with Poul. He scanned his appearance, wearing a traditional Arabian dress, a white thobe, with a flowing robe and a ghutra, a white head covering held in place by an agal.

“Welcome, Ambassador. Please, have a seat,” Poul said, gesturing towards the empty chair at the head of the table.

The Ambassador nodded appreciatively and gracefully took his seat.

“Now, let’s cut to the chase, Mr. Ambassador. I believe you know who I am. I’m the person whom the leader of your country has engaged in an agreement with me. Now, I heard the news that he is backing down in favor of the British and I don’t like that. So you tell him once you are back in Washington that if he wants to terminate the agreement, he’ll have to pay 80 million dollars as compensation for breaching the contract,” Poul stated firmly.

“Mr. Nielsen, I have reviewed the issue my country is facing with you, but I don’t think His Highness would be able to pay what you are asking. And besides, it was our land, you have no right on it.”

“I beg to differ, Mr. Ambassador,” Poul interrupted with a steely gaze. “The oil reserves were discovered by our company, under the terms of an agreement signed by His Highness Saud himself. We have a legally binding contract that grants us exclusive rights to mine those reserves. Whether it was your land or not when the reserves were found is irrelevant. The fact remains that we invested heavily in exploring and developing those fields, and we expect to be compensated accordingly.”

“Compensated? 80 million dollars? I don’t think that the oil field you found is worth that much. Our country has made a new agreement with the British Empire, which will benefit us greatly. Your demands are unreasonable.”

“I understand that your country has made a new agreement with the British, but that does not absolve you of the obligations outlined in our contract,” Poul countered. “You say my demands are unreasonable but what if I told you that Your Highness’s advisors and ministers found it reasonable?”

“I’m not talking about that, I’m talking about the money you want us to pay. It’s unreasonable.”

“Well, he should have thought about that. Let me repeat myself, Mr. Ambassador. If he wants to terminate the agreement, pay us that amount, or else we will be obliged to protect the oil fields that we discovered and rights that were given to us to prospect oil in your country.”

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