I was a tycoon in World War I: Starting to save France

Chapter 30 What people want

They put on fresh bandages for Matthew, gave him a shot of morphine, and assigned a nurse to be on call.

In exchange, the Hebrew doctor gave Charles a long list of supplies and manpower needed by the field hospital:
The supplies include tents, beds, quilts, bandages, medical cotton, tourniquets, hemostatic powder, morphine, etc.

In addition to doctors and nurses, there are also cleaners, life caregivers, cooks, helpers...

Looking at these lists, Charles finally understood why the field hospital had collapsed. They were working almost like hanging a hundred-pound stone by a strand of hair.

Charles assigned Joseph to go to Paris to purchase supplies, and Deyoka volunteered to organize the manpower.

Although Joseph was reluctant to leave Matthew, he agreed without hesitation when he thought that these supplies were also urgently needed by Matthew.

"Don't worry, Master Charles!" Joseph said, "I will definitely bring all these supplies back. Nothing will be missing!"

Dejoka wrote Joseph a check for 100,000 francs and said, "You can drive my car. If the money is not enough, ask me again!"

"Thank you, Mr. Deyoka, thank you very much!" Joseph took the check with both hands, his eyes full of gratitude. He gently took off his hat to greet Deyoka and Charles, and gently patted Matthew's pale hand on the hospital bed.

"Don't worry, father!" Matthew comforted, "I'll be fine. Charles is with me!"

Joseph nodded, and then led the two people towards the Ford car.

"Wait!" Deyoka chased after him and said, "Take me to the town first. I'll find some help there!"

When Matthew and Charles were the only ones left in the tent, Matthew let out a long sigh. His smile instantly disappeared, replaced by a pale and powerless look: "I know they amputated my leg, Charles!"

Only in front of Charles would Matthew completely drop his disguise.

Charles was a little surprised. Joseph had been hiding this from Matthew, and he was worried that Matthew could not accept this reality.

Matthew smiled softly: "Of course I know, Charles, that's my leg, I can't feel it anymore!"

"So, you're pretending?" Charles asked, "to reassure your father?"

Matthew did not answer, his eyes were empty and a little sad: "Sometimes I wonder if it would be better if I died on the battlefield..."

"Is that what you think?" Charles looked at Matthew angrily: "You were defeated so easily?"

Matthew smiled bitterly, looking at Charles with contempt:

"You capitalists will never understand us poor people!"

"Do you know what they gave me for my leg? One hundred and thirty francs, Charles, one hundred and thirty francs for my leg!"

Matthew was talking about pensions. France gave 260 francs in pensions to soldiers killed in battle, and half that to the disabled.

"What can you do with 130 francs?" Matthew continued. "If you live frugally, it might be enough for two years. What about after that?"

Only then did Charles realize that Matthew was calculating the economic aspects. He was considering the lives of his father and his family. From this perspective, death is indeed better than disability. Death can bring more money and there are no "aftereffects", while disability not only means less money, but also many troubles afterwards.

"Matthew..."

"No!" Matthew stopped Charles from continuing with an angry look: "I don't need it, Charles!"

He seemed to be able to guess what Charles was going to say: "Come on, Matthew, come to my factory, I'll give you a job!"

He didn't need anyone's sympathy, even if that person was Charles.

Charles didn't say that.

He moved a stool and sat at the head of Matthew's bed, saying expressionlessly, "I won't pity you, Matthew! I look down on you!"

"What?" Matthew couldn't believe what he heard.

Charles told Matthew the truth: "I asked the Hebrew doctor, your leg didn't need to be amputated, but because of a shortage of manpower, they had to do this in order to have time to save other people..."

"What?" Matthew looked at Charles in disbelief: "They amputated... amputated my leg just because of this?" This would save a little time for the doctor, but it would mean a lifetime for Matthew.

Charles ignored Matthew's expression and continued:
"Do you know who made you like this?"

"It's the capitalists who are reluctant to spend money on field hospitals. If there were just a few more doctors, a little more medicine or manpower, your leg might not have ended up like this!"

Charles emphasized:
"They have ruined your life, and all you can think about is how you are going to live on 130 francs!"

"You want me to pity you and sympathize with you?"

"No, Matthew! I despise you!"

"They defeated you easily and thoroughly!"

Matthew gritted his teeth, cold sweat on his forehead: "But what can I do..."

"Stand up!" Charles interrupted Matthew and said firmly, "Fight them, settle accounts with them, and make them pay the price!"

Matthew was gasping for breath, the quilt in front of his chest rose and fell due to his rapid breathing, and beads of sweat the size of beans flowed down his pale face.

He looked very uncomfortable, but his originally dead eyes gradually began to flicker with light. At first it was just a few sparks, and soon it became brighter and brighter.

Feeling the movement behind him, Charles turned his head in confusion and found that many nurses and wounded people had gathered outside the tent, including the Hebrew doctor.

The tent had no soundproofing effect, and Charles' words had spread to the surroundings and were passed on by word of mouth among the wounded. Regardless of their injuries, they stood up one by one and gathered around Charles:
"Master Charles is right! They can't do this to us. They let us fight on the battlefield but are unwilling to give us the most basic medical care!"

"They are still enjoying their lives! They use the money they earn from exploiting us and enjoy themselves under our protection!"

"We've had enough! Master Charles, please lead us to settle accounts with those capitalists!"

"Yes, you are a capitalist with a conscience, and we are willing to follow you!"

……

Charles was frightened by them. What he said just now was more to arouse Matthew's fighting spirit, but he didn't expect that the wounded would be so aroused that they would immediately organize themselves to resist the capitalists.

This is a riot, and the capitalists will immediately mobilize troops to suppress it. This happened a lot during this period!

With their strength, doing so would almost be suicide.

Charles waved his hand and said:
"Listen to me, gentlemen!"

"The most urgent thing now is to heal our wounds. Only when we become stronger can we continue to fight the enemy!"

"We can't rush it, otherwise we will be the only ones who get hurt!"

……

The wounded were silent, they knew Charles was right.

However, these people will soon be homeless on the streets or even starve to death due to poverty, so what is there for them to fight for?
Ciel seemed to see through their thoughts and added:
"It just so happens that I bought a motorcycle factory, and most of the workers have left. If you are willing, you can come to work in my factory in the future!"

The wounded soldiers were surprised and happy, but also a little worried:

"But many of us are missing limbs..."

"Don't worry!" Charles said, "I will find a suitable position for you. Believe me, you are heroes of France and you don't deserve to be treated like this!"

The wounded were jubilant. They shed tears and endured the pain to pay tribute to Charles. In their eyes, Master Charles was simply a savior, including Matthew. The doctors and nurses were also moved to tears.

Only Charles knew that he did this not only for Matthew, and not only for the wounded.

No one knows the importance of people's hearts better than Charles. This is the key to fighting against capitalists!
The cheapest and most effective way to win people's hearts is to provide timely assistance rather than adding icing on the cake!
(End of this chapter)