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

Chapter 64 Recruit Registration
The next morning, just as it was getting light, Laurent drove his car and waited downstairs of Charles's house. He was ordered to pick up Charles to report.

This was an unprecedented high-standard treatment. A major was sent to pick up the new recruits, and the order was given personally by the city defense commander Gallieni.

Gallieni certainly had his explanation for this: "Laurent has always been in charge of the confidentiality of the motorcycle factory. I cannot let these capitalists have any chance to leak industrial secrets. Therefore, Laurent will follow him everywhere in the future!"

Needless to say, their real intention was, of course, not wanting any defense loopholes to be created that would allow the traditional aristocrats to take advantage.

Djokovic helped Charles carry his luggage into the car. Camille looked at Charles reluctantly, as if Charles was not going to Paris, which was more than ten kilometers away, but to England, on the other side of the English Channel.

(Note: The French call the English Channel the English Channel. Thanks to Armand Capet for reminding me.)

"Don't worry, Mom!" Charles comforted her, "I can come back anytime. I heard they will give me the freedom to take care of the factory!"

Sometimes the decisions made by the parliament spread very quickly. Before the military even gave the order, the news had already reached Charles.

Camille nodded silently. Although Djokovic and Charles said everything was fine, she always felt something was wrong. Perhaps this was the sixth sense of being a mother.

Before he knew it, more and more people gathered around, coming to see Charles off.

"Master Charles, take this croissant with you on the road!"

"Poor kid, he's going to be a soldier at only 17!"

"Protect yourself, kid!"

……

Some even cursed the capitalists:
"Those damned capitalists, they don't send their own children to the army, but they ask Charles to join the army!"

"Charles isn't even an adult, and their kids are living a life of luxury."

"They don't care about that, they just exploit us!"

……

"Charles!" Matthew came over from behind the crowd, leaning on two crutches under his elbows, step by step. His face was still pale, but a confident smile hung on the corners of his mouth.

"Matthew!" Charles looked at him in surprise. "I didn't know you were able to get out of bed!"

"Of course!" Matthew tilted his head pretending to be relaxed: "It's just a minor injury, I'm recovering well!"

When Matthew came closer, he stood on one leg and leaned his crutch against his body. He reached out and straightened Charles' collar, and said gratefully, "Thanks to you, Charles!"

"You're not the kind of person who would say that!" Charles replied with a smile.

"People change!" Matthew smiled sadly: "Just like before, I thought I was going to join the army, and I imagined you would come to see me off, but in the end it was you who went to join the army..."

"It's okay!" Charles knew that he was thinking about his amputated leg again.

Matthew nodded silently, with a hint of melancholy in his eyes. Before coming here, he had made up his mind to appear strong, but he was always out of control.

"See you soon!"

"See you soon!"

Charles hugged a few people, said goodbye to Camille, and then got into the car.

Amid the rumbling sound of the engine, Charles kept waving goodbye to his family and friends behind him. As they got farther and farther away, his eyes became wet unconsciously.

This is very strange. It is only a dozen kilometers away, and Charles can even go home every day, but he still feels sad.

Charles remembered a story about lion cubs he had read in a book. In order for them to survive independently, the lioness would reluctantly drive the cubs out of the house when they grew up.

Although Ciel was not driven out, he seemed to be going through the same process.

Charles suddenly felt a little lonely and a little scared. He didn't know what was waiting for him. Charles didn't notice that Francis was standing in his pajamas on the top of the villa on the side of the road. He was smoking a pipe in silence, looking at the car passing by and going away. He hesitated for a while before returning to the house and dialing the phone:
"Yes, he went to Paris!"

"I heard that his tractor factory is already producing new tanks, and the progress is very fast."

"We should have prepared earlier!"

After hanging up the phone, Francis sat alone in the chair in a daze. Somewhere in his heart, there seemed to be a little reluctance and hesitation.

But in just a moment, his eyes turned cold, and he gritted his teeth and muttered to himself: "You forced me to do this. You want to destroy everything I have, so you have to pay the price!"

……

Paris Defense Headquarters.

The headquarters was located next to the police station in the 4th arrondissement of Paris. The reason for this was that it could command the army and the police at the same time, one for external defense and the other for internal security, all of which were under the responsibility of Gallieni.

But this is only one of the reasons.

The 4th arrondissement of Paris also has the city hall that allows Paris to function normally and a hospital that is urgently needed during wartime. The Seine River runs through the 4th arrondissement, and there are two islands in the river that are easy to defend and difficult to attack.

Gallieni set up his headquarters here in preparation for the fall of Paris. He planned to use the facilities and special terrain of the 4th district to make a final stand against the Germans.

Fortunately, this did not happen.

Laurent drove the car along Boulevard Saint-Antoine and finally stopped in front of the headquarters.

The two guards standing at the door stood at attention immediately, but Charles could still feel that the guards were deserting their duty. Although they remained motionless in military posture, they tried to look at Charles from the side.

They must have heard that Charles was going to serve as a staff officer at the headquarters, and they were filled with curiosity to see what kind of person this legendary Charles was.

Perhaps it was his self-esteem that made Charles a little worried that they would be disappointed.

The first floor is the communications department, with calls ringing one after another and many communications soldiers in military uniforms walking back and forth.

When Charles came in, their voices paused for a moment, the signalman's pace slowed down, and all their eyes were focused on Charles.

There is admiration, envy, and of course jealousy.

A signalman bravely walked up to Charles and held out his hand: "You are Master Charles, right? Welcome!"

"Thank you!" Charles replied, looking a little reserved. He was a little intimidated by the room full of soldiers.

Laurent took Charles up the stairs with ease. He took out his pocket watch to check the time, then turned back and said, "General Gallieni always gets up at eight o'clock. There are still twenty minutes left. We can wait..."

Before Laurent could finish his words, he found General Gallieni standing at the stairs. He was wearing a faded military uniform, and his trousers, which should have been bright red, were now a little pink. He had a pistol hanging on his belt, and looked quite imposing.

An unconscious smile appeared on his lips when he saw Ciel.

"General, you..."

Laurent was stunned for a moment, then he understood that the general had broken his decades-long habit and came here to meet Charles.

Gallieni wanted to go up to Charles and put his arm around his shoulders, saying cheerfully, "Welcome, little one! I've finally got you here!"

However, the headquarters had no secrets from the capitalists, and many people even took it for granted that leaking intelligence was "making extra money."

Gallieni could only frown and say sarcastically: "Look who's here, great savior of France, we are waiting for you to teach us how to fight!"

Several people nearby laughed in unison; they understood Gallieni's tone.

But they didn't see that Gallieni gave Charles a look, as if to say, I am telling the truth, Charles, you are the true savior of France!
(End of this chapter)