Chapter 16: A Fortune Made in Upsets

"The Queen asking Parliament for more funding proves there's a problem with her income sources…"

"Due to the agreement between the Queen and the Government to pay income tax, coupled with the increasing expenses of the Royal Family members, the Queen, as the head of the household, is facing a very embarrassing financial crisis…"

"Over the past decade, the Queen's private expenses have increased by £15 million annually, adding a considerable burden to the Royal Family. It's important to note that since 1993, the Royal Family's income has sharply decreased, and Government subsidies have also been cut simultaneously…"

"The Queen's Sandringham House suffered heavy losses last year due to the foot-and-mouth disease crisis, leading to a deficit for the first time in many years, and it has yet to turn a profit. Her stock holdings have also depreciated by over £12 million due to the global economic downturn, further worsening the Queen's financial situation…"

Arthur set down the newspaper, falling into deep thought. Just as London celebrated the Queen's Golden Jubilee, commemorating her 50th anniversary on the throne, The Independent had suddenly published a detailed report. It meticulously listed figures to explain that the Royal Family was facing a financial crisis due to the global economic downturn and continuously increasing expenditures.

The Royal Family's spokesperson immediately denied the report, stating their financial situation was robust and the report entirely alarmist. However, in Arthur's opinion, even if the Royal Family's situation wasn't as severe as depicted, it would still be affected by the global economic downturn. Perhaps this was why the Royal Family hadn't explicitly supported his family earlier; after all, "even the landlord's family has no surplus grain left…"

By June 5th, through his recent investments, Arthur's capital had swelled from an initial £100,000 to over £5 million – a massive profit! As mentioned before, this FIFA World Cup was characterized by frequent "upsets," perhaps even the most in World Cup history. Precisely because of this, upsets correlated with much higher odds than normal match results, a fact Arthur keenly exploited. For example, Argentina didn't even make it out of the group stage in this World Cup. Equally tragic was Portugal; besides their poor performance and losing their first match to the USA, they were also unlucky enough to be grouped with South Korea. Heh heh, those who know, know.

Of course, while his capital had ballooned to £5 million through betting, it also meant that continuing to bet with such large amounts would become very conspicuous. To maintain discretion, Arthur even began to divide his funds: one portion remained spread across various betting points in London, while another crossed the Channel to France for wagering. Fortunately, with the Eurostar high-speed train, crossing to France took little time, which was highly convenient.

Furthermore, at this stage, besides changing his strategy to bet less frequently and instead focus on matches with exceptionally high odds, Arthur also planned to use £2 million from his current funds in the coming days to pay the inheritance tax, complete the process of inheriting the family, and thus officially obtain the Duke title and control of the family trust fund. This step was crucial. Beyond the change in status and the ability to control more assets, the various resources he could access would also be far richer than at present.

The reason for this decision was a realization Arthur had during this period: the initial reports about the Duke of Devonshire Family's financial crisis had first appeared in a tabloid. This strongly suggested that some force, perhaps similar to Viscount Bute, whom he had encountered earlier, harbored various intentions regarding some of his family's assets.

However, for such reports to later appear in many influential newspapers was certainly not something ordinary, powerful nobles or wealthy merchants could achieve. Arthur had a strong suspicion: there were more powerful forces involved.

For example, the British Prime Minister. The current Prime Minister was Tony Blair, from the Labour Party, and after his successful re-election, he was at the peak of his power. The Labour Party's background also indicated his attitude towards the British aristocracy: he was determined to weaken them. In 1999, Blair reformed the House of Lords, which was primarily composed of nobles, abolishing the qualifications of over 600 hereditary peers and retaining only 92 hereditary members. It could be argued that the House of Lords, already largely devoid of real power, became even more ceremonial.

Therefore, at this time, a slight influence to amplify the rumors of the Duke of Devonshire Family's financial crisis, thereby causing them to encounter more obstacles in debt resolution, and ultimately possibly leading to the decline of this ducal family, was indeed a highly probable outcome. After all, the potential demise of an influential British ducal family would certainly be something the other party would be pleased to see.

Of course, these were all just Arthur's speculations. But one thing he could be sure of was that in the process of resolving his family's financial crisis, even if he didn't encounter direct resistance from the Government, he certainly wouldn't receive any support. This was also why he decided to pay the inheritance tax as soon as possible and complete the family inheritance procedures. He did not want any further complications to arise from delays in this matter.

"Young Master Arthur, this is an invitation someone sent today."

Taking the uniquely styled invitation from Ramos, Arthur opened it and learned it was for a banquet, signed by Viscount Bute. Sure enough, the other party had started to act.

It could be said that the "Queen's Golden Jubilee" celebration, along with some recent reports about the Royal Family, had also inadvertently helped Arthur attract public attention. In London, news about the Royal Family was naturally more appealing to readers, so after that, reports about the Duke of Devonshire's Family almost disappeared from the headlines.

It was at this precise moment that Viscount Bute sent him an invitation, likely to his London residence. Clearly, the other party's objective this time was still the plot of land near King's Cross Station where his family's gas holder was located. This made Arthur a little curious: what kind of terms would the other party offer this time? It seemed the answer would soon be revealed.