Battlefield Priest's Diary

Chapter 141 A small accident

When the full moon rose high in the sky, the two girls fell asleep, and the younger daughter, Anna, was still clutching the storybook in her sleep.

De Gaulle stroked his daughter's forehead, stood up, and walked downstairs, his eyes regaining their resolve.

The situation is not yet beyond repair; he still has responsibilities to fulfill.

A knock sounded at the door, and a servant came to announce it.

“Sir, a Mr. John Verric has come to visit you. He says he wants to talk to you about Miss.”

"Please ask him to wait in the reception room for a moment, I'll be right down."

De Gaulle straightened his military uniform and walked slowly toward the living room.

John Verwick was the liaison officer for the British Expeditionary Force. He was not only a major general but also the 6th Lord Gore.

Two weeks after their first exchange, he established an independent communication channel with the Expeditionary Force. This channel deliberately bypassed the French Army Ministry, which made de Gaulle feel vaguely uneasy.

The fact that the other party would visit at this time, and use their daughter's illness as an excuse, clearly indicates that they are trying to avoid being seen by outsiders.

Inside the reception room, two guests were already waiting. The one in the lead, Major General John Verrick, was not wearing a military uniform but instead wore a gold collar pin with the Gore family crest, indicating that he was visiting in a private manner rather than on official business.

The other person was shorter and seemed to be intentionally or unintentionally moving closer to dimly lit areas.

A few minutes later, the waiter served tea and refreshments, bowed slightly, and took his leave. The Irish gentleman even politely told the waiter that the tea and refreshments were very delicious.

As soon as the door closed, Major General Verick's face turned serious.

"Mr. de Gaulle, according to our reliable intelligence, your government is likely to face a major political upheaval in the near future."

"Time is tight, so I'll keep it short."

Major General Verick paused, then looked at the tall, thin man with utmost seriousness. "If your government ultimately chooses to surrender to the German army, Mr. Charles, what will your choice be?"

hiss!
With almost no euphemisms or probing questions, the other party bluntly laid bare the terrible future before them.

The room fell silent. The tall, thin man didn't immediately accuse the other party of fabricating the story, because recent events had given him a vague sense of foreseeing this possibility.

A minute later, de Gaulle said in a deep voice, "Your Excellency, I can tell you very clearly that France may have lost a battle, but it has certainly not lost the war. If a so-called government declares surrender, then it means that it is no longer suitable to lead the French people."

After a brief period of deliberation, de Gaulle directly revealed his bottom line.

This is actually very risky, but time is the most precious thing right now.

Fortunately, his choice was not wrong.

“Very good, Mr. Charles, this is the premise for us to continue our exchanges.” The major general clasped his hands to his chest. “If the French government surrenders, Britain needs a Frenchman who will continue to fight. After observing for some time, I have recommended you to the Prime Minister.”

"why me?"

"It is your consistent performance that has led us to judge you as a staunch resister and a trustworthy ally."

"Time is running out for us to keep testing the waters, so we are willing to take this risk. If you are truly willing to shoulder this enormous responsibility, we promise to allocate the resources of the expeditionary force to you."

The major general extended his hand to the tall man, saying, "Then, may I trust you, Mr. de Gaulle?"

The next moment, their hands clasped together.

Later in the living room, the two discussed the details of their collaboration:
"We will provide you with a series of support measures, including intelligence, experts, and strategic materials." "According to our intelligence, you will soon be transferred to command the 4th Armored Division. We will fully cooperate with you to gain more power and establish greater prestige within the army, thereby helping you to reach a higher position."

“My identity makes it inconvenient for me to come often, so Professor Campbell will contact you on our behalf.” The major general stood up and introduced the short man beside him. “We will announce to the outside world that Professor Campbell is here to treat Miss Anna’s illness, so he can come every day.”

"This professor is..."

"His codename is Professor, an outstanding agent of Mi6."

"We've arranged for another person on the front lines, codenamed 'Priest,' who will be responsible for providing you with all operational support."

"Operational support? Your Excellency, please forgive my bluntness, but how much can an intelligence officer help me on a battlefield where tens of thousands of people are fighting?" De Gaulle was somewhat dismissive of this, even thinking that the British were doing something unnecessary.

Major General Verick said seriously, "Mr. Charles, please do not underestimate intelligence personnel. A top agent can completely replace the role of a division in special circumstances. At least this time, our intelligence agency knew about the German breakthrough of the Sedan Line an hour earlier than yours."

“This agent is an excellent staff officer who is responsible for providing you with real-time battlefield intelligence and can even offer you strategic options. If you have any other requests, you can also make them directly to him, and he will relay them to London through independent intelligence channels,” Major General Verick said solemnly.

Seeing the other party's attitude, de Gaulle also began to take this agent seriously.

"Do you have any photos?" the Frenchman asked.

“I’m sorry, but for absolute secrecy, we don’t keep any of his personal information, including photos, except at MI6 headquarters.” Major General Verick shrugged.

"Then how do I contact him? Especially in a place like a battlefield, won't something unexpected happen?"

“Of course there are contact points. We'll confirm them using information only you know.” Major General Verick said, taking out a pencil and writing something on a piece of paper.
"Rest assured, this is a top-notch intelligence officer with extensive battlefield experience. There will be no accidents."
-
Qin Hao sensed that something unexpected had happened.

His "spawn point" appears to have been shelled.

He regained consciousness in a badly damaged village church.

Standing up amidst the ruins, the rising black smoke indicated that the area had recently been shelled, with the damage suggesting it was from a large-caliber artillery piece of at least 120mm.

With one hand outstretched, Odin cawed and flew into the sky. After so much time working together, the man and the raven had become very in sync.

It kept circling high in the sky, emitting a not-too-rapid cry, which indicated that no threatening enemies were seen nearby.

Was he hit by a stray bullet by accident? Qin Hao wondered.

Click~
The faint sound of pebbles falling rang in Qin Hao's ears, and his nerves instantly tensed. He drew a small cross-shaped knife, concealed it in his palm, and walked towards the source of the sound.

Beneath a pile of rubble lay a mangled, bloody body.

They cleared away the rubble and pulled the person out, only to find that the person had already died.

Beneath this body was a telegraph machine, and there were pencil marks on the paper indicating that it had just been recorded.

"Important person... rendezvous... mission..."

Pala la la~
The sound of pages turning filled the air, and words appeared.

The saint uses his eyes to pierce through the fog and guide the lost traveler forward.

[The Wizard of Oz Objective: Assist in the successful relocation of key figures]

(End of this chapter)