CHAPTER 387: CHAPTER 381 PARIS HOUSING CRISIS

At a time when the ancient Ottoman Empire was preparing to continue its delaying tactics and mutual squabbles over the Russian Empire issue, Paris, more than two thousand kilometers away from Constantinople, was troubled by certain issues.

This trouble was different from the anxiety of the Ottoman Empire’s rulers over an uncertain future; Paris was troubled by its ever-changing transformations.

In over a year of the Seine Province City Government’s reorganization, narrow roads have been refurbished and widened; from Paris East Station to Concorde Square, thousands of buildings have been acquired at reasonable prices, demolished, and rebuilt;

Half of Paris was covered in gray-yellow dust all day. Once the dust settled, the Louvre Hotel, Paris Department Store, elevators, and the short-lived electric (arc) lamps... many products that only could appear in the industrial era suddenly stood in Paris as if overnight.

In this thousand-year-old Seine Province, the historical remnants (old neighborhoods) and new things (new streets) complement each other to jointly construct this ancient city, and old Paris once again radiated its inherent charm.

All of this stems from a desire to build a new Paris, a desire that prompted a revolution to arise, not initiated by anyone else but by the "King" who resided in the Seine Province City Hall, Governor Georges Ossman and Emperor Jerome Bonaparte, standing behind Baron Haussman.

Jerome Bonaparte and his governor wielded a magic wand named infrastructure, with a wave of the hand, narrow streets quickly widened to three times their original size, and old tubular apartments transformed into spanking new inns and hotels in an instant.

However, this magical transformation is based on the thousands of hidden proletariats beneath the illusion. In other words, those who truly built this city with their hands were not the Emperor and the governor but the workers and masons residing in Paris... the shivering proletariats hiding in the cellars.

The workers, once betrayed by Paris and expelled, were "invited" by contractors back to Paris to participate in its construction.

These individuals, later known as the pioneers of oxen and horses, are building Paris with their hands. Every night when silence falls, sparks can be seen from afar, the sound of pickaxes striking blue bricks could be heard, and they earned meager wages while inhaling harmful dust, unable to claim a single inch in this city.

The longing for housing tugged not only at the hearts of the workers of Paris but also at that of the Emperor residing in the Tuileries Palace.

On May 13, 1853, in the temperate maritime climate of Paris, gentle drizzle fell once more.

Dense raindrops, freed from the constraints of the clouds, playfully fell to the ground under the influence of gravity, composing a joyful melody for the rebirth of this city.

Amidst the haze, a figure emerged from Fontainebleau Palace, followed closely by a soldier in pale blue uniform.

The two set off from the Champs-Élysées under the cover of umbrellas, walking to its end, turning right, and then proceeding along the newly built Rivoli Street.

On this nearly 60-meter wide avenue, taking in the earthy fragrance from the green belt, feeling the slight dampness against his trouser leg, Jerome Bonaparte couldn’t help but quicken his pace, as did his adjutant, Edgar Ney, beside him.

They continued walking along Rivoli Street for nearly another 20 minutes when the rain started to ease, and Chatelet Square, along with Paris City Hall, appeared before them.

Jerome Bonaparte’s destination for this trip was Paris City Hall.

The Emperor had just stepped into the entrance of the City Hall when he heard the exclamations of surprise from the staff inside.

It was obvious; they were astonished by the Emperor’s "unannounced" arrival.

"Hello!" Jerome Bonaparte smiled and greeted the staff inside City Hall, gesturing with his hand to indicate quiet.

After a momentary surprise, the staff inside the hall quickly returned to their regular order.

Then, Jerome Bonaparte casually pointed out a fortunate clerk to guide him.

The clerk, excited, looked at Jerome Bonaparte, his lips trembling, unable to utter a word.

People around him cast looks of envy and jealousy.

Guided by the clerk, Jerome Bonaparte went up the stairs and soon reached the top floor of the Paris City Hall.

Walking along the carpeted corridor to the end, the door plaque indicating the governor’s office hung on the wall.

"Your Majesty, this is the place!" The clerk pointed at the door and respectfully said to Jerome Bonaparte.

"Thank you very much!" Jerome Bonaparte nodded, expressing his thanks to the clerk in front of him.

"No... no problem!" The clerk waved his hands helplessly, thinking it was simply a trifling matter.

"Alright! You can continue your work now!" Jerome Bonaparte replied to the scribe.

"Yes, Your Majesty!" The scribe hurriedly saluted Jerome Bonaparte before leaving.

Standing at the door of the governor’s office, Jerome Bonaparte had a mischievous smile on his lips. He sidestepped and retreated a step, signaling Edgar Ney to knock on the door.

Following Jerome Bonaparte’s order, Edgar Ney knocked on Governor Ossman’s door. After a moment, Governor Ossman’s voice came from inside: "Who is it?"

"Don’t tell him!" Jerome Bonaparte quietly instructed Brigadier General Edgar Ney beside him.

Looking at the playful Emperor, Edgar Ney could only comply: "Your Excellency Governor, there is an important document that requires your signature!"

"Then bring it in!" Ossman’s voice came out again.

Jerome Bonaparte signaled Edgar Ney to wait at the door while he cautiously pushed open the governor’s office door without making a sound.

Looking through the door, Georges Ossman was fully concentrated, busy amending something. Behind him was a panoramic map of Paris, with many locations marked in red, some of which had been renovated, while others were either under renovation or planned for future work.

"Your Excellency Ossman, your document!" Jerome Bonaparte said in a disguised voice to Georges Ossman.

"Just put it there!" Without looking up, Ossman pointed to the sofa beside him, indicating for Jerome Bonaparte to place the document there.

Jerome Bonaparte tiptoed to Georges Ossman’s side. Standing on the left, he noticed a more detailed map of the districts on the left bank of the Seine River in Ossman’s hand. Many districts were also marked in red, indicating areas likely about to start construction.

Just as Jerome Bonaparte tilted his head to check the contents of the map, Ossman looked up impatiently and started saying, "Didn’t I ask you to..." Halfway through his sentence, he suddenly realized that the person in front of him was the Emperor.

"Your Ma... Majesty!" The surprise caught Georges Ossman off guard and somewhat frightened him. However, he was relieved afterward, thankful he hadn’t said anything inappropriate.

"Hmm!" Jerome Bonaparte gently nodded to Ossman and then, pointing to the red marks on the map, asked, "Are these the streets to be demolished?"

Ossman quickly stood up to offer Jerome Bonaparte a seat, and Jerome Bonaparte also sat down unceremoniously.

"Correct!" Baron Haussmann pointed to the city district and replied to Jerome Bonaparte, "The Saint Michel District centered around the Luxembourg Palace is the focus of this renovation!"

"Saint Michel, Saint Michel..." Jerome Bonaparte mumbled softly, tapping the governor’s desk with no particular rhythm.

"Your Majesty... the renovation of the Saint Michel District will enhance the appearance of Paris!" Georges Ossman cautiously explained to Jerome Bonaparte, fearing that Jerome Bonaparte would veto his proposal.

Dealing with those stubborn city council members had already exhausted him. If the Emperor did not support him, the renovation plan for the Saint Michel District would be completely aborted.

"How much funding do you plan to use to acquire these streets?" Jerome Bonaparte asked Georges Ossman, pointing to the areas marked in red on the map.

"The City Hall has already allocated 40 million francs for the renovation of the Saint Michel District!" Ossman quickly responded to Jerome Bonaparte.

"What about personnel resettlement and asset evaluation?" Jerome Bonaparte asked once more.

"The City Government plans to dispatch public officials to assess assets in the areas that need renovation before construction begins! Compensation will be provided according to the asset valuation," Baron Haussmann continued.

"Since you mentioned asset evaluation, how do you plan to prevent a series of issues during asset evaluation? For example, what if a homeowner inflates the prices of goods in the house, and what year’s pricing will be used for property assessment?" Jerome Bonaparte inquired of Georges Ossman one by one.

In Jerome Bonaparte’s previous world, these issues were always significant problems, especially the problem of inflated quotations.

So much so that it led to the derivation of the term "demolition second generation" on the internet later on.

Georges Ossman opened his mouth, unable to say a word; then he reluctantly responded, "That was my oversight!"

"Without research, you have no right to speak! I hope that when you’re undertaking urban redevelopment, you first understand the exact prices of the properties to be renovated! Otherwise, the demolition may very well bankrupt the government’s finances. To cover the losses, the government will have to recover through various taxes, and those who benefit from the urban renovation will also recoup their losses by passing on rental costs.

At that time, the whole of Paris could become our biggest opposition!"