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I Became a Tycoon During World War I - Chapter 204
🕑 Added 2025-05-14 17:04:01 +0000 UTCChapter 204: I Didn’t Expect This Outcome
Gallieni stood at the podium in the House of Commons, delivering his speech with righteous indignation:
“Gentlemen, I don't know how to put this into words.”
“Your industrial property is protected by property laws, but the troops trained in the army are not.”
“Charles trained these troops, and he achieved victory on the battlefield with them, yet he has been excluded.”
“This will have a very negative impact on the army. Everyone will wonder, if they work hard for the troops, will they too end up being excluded like Charles?”
Immediately, some members of parliament began to shout:
“But this is the army! The army belongs to the nation, not to anyone!”
“If Charles trained them, then Charles should command them. Over time, Charles would control this army!”
“We cannot let that happen. The trainer and the commander should be separate!”
…
The members made some valid points. In fact, this was the usual military practice.
For example, promotions for mid- and senior-ranking officers usually did not result in them staying with the same unit. Instead, they would be reassigned to a different one to face new environments and new subordinates.
The purpose of this was to prevent commanders from developing their own influence by staying too long in one unit.
However, Gallieni was well-prepared. He had anticipated that the members would say such things. Calmly, he responded:
“The key issue is not this, gentlemen!”
“The key issue is that the troops Charles trained can only be used by him. He is able to achieve victory with them, while they would fail completely in anyone else's hands!”
“Now is wartime. I believe we should concentrate all our efforts on dealing with the enemy, rather than wasting these troops as if they were expendable!”
Wells and others immediately stood to support him:
“Gallieni is right! Look at what is happening on the battlefield! Joffre is losing the war, and he is using Charles' troops!”
“Those troops should be under Charles' command, until someone else learns his tactics!”
“If Joffre wants to use those troops, at the very least, he should learn how to use them. I suggest he asks Charles to be his teacher!”
Laughter erupted in the meeting room. The members supporting Joffre looked embarrassed. The defeat on the battlefield was undeniable, while Charles seemed to always achieve victory.
At this point, Grévy stood up and calmly asked Gallieni at the podium:
“General, allow me to express some doubts. Is now really the right time to discuss this matter?”
“There are over forty thousand troops trapped in Cape Town. I believe we should focus on how to rescue them!”
Gallieni inwardly cursed.
This was a question he could not avoid, and it was difficult to answer. Grévy had positioned himself on the moral high ground, while Gallieni and Charles were holding the lives of over forty thousand men hostage to pressure the parliament!
…
On the train to Cape Town, Charles was discussing the battle plan with Browning and Estigny.
“Our target is Rhodes!” Charles pointed to the map and said, “The terrain here is flat, perfect for tank breakthroughs. The Germans have deployed two artillery battalions there, but they are only 77mm field guns!”
Charles turned to Browning and said, “You know how to deal with them!”
“Yes, of course!” Browning nodded confidently.
Estigny’s expression was a little strange. “Sir, are we only breaking through from one flank? That means we have to travel the entire distance!”
“Yes!” Charles nodded.
“But the 'Mark I' tank needs to change its tracks after thirty kilometers,” Estigny reminded him. “The full distance is at least twenty-five kilometers. This is almost the maximum; the 'Mark I' may not make it back!”
Thirty kilometers was the result of tests on flat ground, and the battlefield conditions would be much harsher. With combat on top of that, traveling the full twenty-five kilometers and completing the mission was almost impossible.
Charles responded: “We won’t bring them back. They’ll be left to the Germans. Our goal is to save the men!”
…
“Charles would, of course, prioritize the rescue,” Gallieni replied. “The problem is, given the current situation, he cannot carry out the rescue plan!”
Grévy continued to press: “May I know the reason? Unless this is also a military secret!”
“No, of course not.” Gallieni smiled lightly. “The situation is critical. Charles believes that in order to rescue the trapped troops, he must have absolute command, even overriding the supreme commander. Can you do that?”
A murmur ran through the room. This implied that even Joffre would have to obey Charles' command, which was basically impossible.
In truth, Gallieni was just rambling. He knew that every minute this meaningless discussion continued, Charles' preparation time increased by a minute.
The others were fooled by Gallieni, but Grévy remained alert. He asked, his face expressionless:
“But what does this have to do with today’s agenda?”
“If, as you say, General, we should be discussing the issue of command.”
“But that’s not the case. What we are discussing now is Charles' conditions!”
Armand seized the moment to stir the crowd:
“Yes, there’s only one truth. Charles has exploited this situation.”
“He’s using the lives of over forty thousand French soldiers as leverage to gain control of the army.”
“Do you know what it means to control the army? It’s the foundation of a dictator!”
The room erupted in uproar. Even Wells could not refute it. These right-wing members had hit the nail on the head. They were indeed compromising with Charles.
…
After discussing the battle plan, Charles got off the train at the town of Moric. Major Laurent’s car was already waiting for him there.
Laurent had brought two cars, one with guards and the other carrying a radio communications team. He was concerned there might be urgent situations on the front line that needed attention.
As the car neared Paris, Charles received a telegram reporting that the troops had arrived at Rhodes.
Charles nodded and ordered: “Reply to the message: Tell the general that the troops have arrived safely!”
…
In the House of Commons, Gallieni was starting to look somewhat flustered under the pressure of the members’ questioning.
Wells and the others had initially thought this wouldn’t be difficult, but they hadn’t expected it to escalate to the level of “dictatorship.” They fell silent, no longer daring to speak.
The meeting room was filled with the sound of the right-wing members shouting and jeering.
At this moment, a messenger quickly entered the room and whispered something into Gallieni’s ear.
Gallieni immediately breathed a sigh of relief. He straightened his chest, shot a cold glance at Grévy and Armand, and said with heavy sarcasm:
“Gentlemen, Charles' troops have arrived at Rhodes, and he will soon begin the rescue operation!”
“I’m terribly sorry! The reason we did this is because we discovered that some people in the parliament were directly providing intelligence to the Germans.”
“And Charles, from the moment I stood here, has already launched his rescue operation.”
“Now, is there still anyone who doubts his intentions?”
The entire room fell silent.
Wells, who had been anxious earlier, also let out a sigh of relief and exchanged glances with a few other members.
Grévy was stunned. He had thought this was a good opportunity to bring Charles down, but he never expected this to be the outcome!
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