Writer 1879: Solitary Journey in France

Chapter 512 The Third Republic? It should be called a "usury empire"!
Lionel's taunts were like knives stabbing them in the heart; no one could bear it.

Prime Minister Frésiné's expression changed, while Army Minister Kosbrück slammed his fist on the table: "The dangerous direction is rebellion!"

Those people are blocking the national bank, blocking the stock exchange, inciting soldiers and police to defy orders! This isn't a demonstration; it's the prelude to a rebellion!

Lionel turned to him: "So they attacked the banks? Smashed the stock exchange? Robbed things? Killed people?"

Kosbrü stared wide-eyed: "Just because it's not happening now doesn't mean it won't happen later! It'll be too late once they build barricades and take up arms!"

Lionel shook his head: "Build barricades? I read in the newspaper that they only built a low wall, and it was made of paving stones."

Sitting at the very front were women, the elderly, and wounded soldiers. Is this what barricades look like?

Kosbru roared, "That's a tactic! They're trying to gain sympathy! They're trying to divide our ranks!"

Lionel countered, "Then why was your team divided?"

Kosbrü's face flushed red as he tried to stand up, but Fressine held him back.

Lionel continued, "I'll tell you the answer: because soldiers and police officers are human too!"
They also have pensions, families, and the fear of becoming the ones sitting on stones tomorrow.

Fressine looked at Lionel, sighed, and softened her tone: "Mr. Sorel, we are not here to argue about right and wrong, we are here to ask for your help."

If you simply go to the entrance of the Bank of France and the Paris Stock Exchange, say a few words to the citizens, urge them to calm down, and tell them to go home...

The government will immediately study solutions to the pension crisis, and we will give the public an explanation.

Lionel laughed: "Research? Confession? I've been hearing these words since last September."

When the Panama Canal bonds collapsed, you also talked about research and explanations. And what was the result?

"The 'United Corporation' went bankrupt, the directors ran away, and what have you come up with?"

Fressine's face darkened, and for a moment he didn't know what to say.

Jules Ferri then spoke up—he hadn't said a word until now, just looking at Lionel with a complicated expression.

He said casually, "Mr. Sorel, this should be our first formal meeting."

Lionel looked at him. Jules Ferry, the initiator of French educational reforms and the promoter of colonial wars.

Lionel had once supported him, but later broke with him, and the trial even directly contributed to the downfall of his cabinet.

Now that this person was sitting in front of him, Lionel felt a mix of emotions.

Jules Ferry did not try to persuade Lionel to go to the Bank of France, but instead talked about something else: "Paris is now on the edge of a cliff."

If the standoff outside the Bank of France and the Paris Stock Exchange gets out of control, if bloodshed occurs, you know what that means. Paris could descend into chaos again!

Lionel didn't say anything.

Jules Ferry stared intently at him: "You are a writer, but you are also a businessman; your business is in Paris, in France."

If Paris descends into chaos, what will happen to your business? Judging from your assets, you're already part of our social class.

A big capitalist? Maybe not yet, but he will be sooner or later. You have factories, companies, patents, and your typewriters and bicycles are sold in America.

You and we are actually in the same boat, you should…

Lionel interrupted him before he could finish, waving his hand and saying, "Don't say 'we.' You are you, and I am me."

He took two steps forward, looking at Jules Ferri, and also at Fressine and Cochebryu.

“You’re right. I have factories, companies, and patents, but I’ve basically spent all my money in France.”

The factories that produce typewriters and bicycles are all in Paris, where there are 500 workers, and behind each of them are 500 families!
The typewriter school has trained thousands of impoverished women, enabling them to earn money to support their families!

For my theater renovation project, I hired carpenters, plumbers, electricians, bricklayers… all local Parisians, no fewer than 200 in total!

You say I won't help you persuade the citizens? Well then, let me tell you—

"If it weren't for those workers and women still working, receiving wages, and supporting their families today, there would be even more people going to the Bank of France!"

Army Minister Koschbrü was about to lash out again, but Lionel didn't give him the chance.

He continued, "And what about the directors of those 'joint corporations' who ran away? What about the banks, big and small, in France? How many of them are willing to invest their money in France?"

You lent money to Russia, to the Ottomans, to Egypt, to every country that could pay high interest rates! How much was the total? No less than 300 billion francs!

What is France now? Is it the 'Third Republic'? No, France is turning into a 'usury empire' that feeds on people through finance!

That's too blunt and too harsh.

Fressine's face turned pale, Jules Ferri closed his eyes, and Koschbrück suddenly stood up.

Koschbrück pointed at Lionel: "How dare you! You're just a novelist, what do you know about national economics? What do you know about international finance?"
How can France maintain its trade balance, its national spending, and its credit rating if it doesn't lend money abroad?

Lionel looked at him: "So the way to maintain credit is to bankrupt the country's citizens? To make pensions worthless? To let bankers run away with the money?"

Koshbrück roared, "That's market risk! Investing always involves risk! They were greedy and wanted to earn high interest, who's to blame?"

Lionel laughed: "Greed? A retired teacher who uses his life savings to buy an annuity and wants to get a few more francs a month to supplement his income—is that greed?"
A widow used her husband's pension to buy bonds in hopes of sending her son to school—that's called greed.
A worker saves up for ten years through frugal living, wanting to open a small workshop—is that considered greed?

He shook his head: "No, it's not greed, it's trust—they trust that the state-issued pensions are stable enough, and they trust that the government will regulate the banks' behavior."

So you just tell them, 'Sorry, market risks, you're out of luck'? And the directors of the 'United Corporation' ran off to London that very day?

Who among you can guarantee that the important figures who frequented this palace, especially ministers like yourself, were completely unaware of this? I suspect many of you had just sold off all your bonds and stocks before the 'United Corporation' faced its payment crisis!

Kosbrü was panting heavily, his hand on the sword at his waist, almost wanting to draw it on the spot.

Prime Minister Fresine quickly stood up and pressed down on his arm—killing Lionel at the Bourbon Palace would likely have far worse consequences than the mob storming in.

Lionel turned to Fressine: “Mr. Prime Minister, you asked me to go to the entrance of the Bank of France and the Paris Stock Exchange to appease the citizens—what did I say when I went there?”
Saying, "Everyone go home, the government will look into it"? You've been saying that for six months, does anyone believe you?

Fressine opened his mouth, but no words came out.

Lionel continued, "Or should I say, 'Everyone, stay calm and obey the law'? They've been very calm! No smashing, no looting, no attacking the police."

They even seated the women and elderly at the front, just to prevent the conflict from escalating! How else can they remain calm? Kneel down and beg you?

He stepped back and looked at the three men: "I will go to the Bank of France, but not to let you escape the punishment you deserve."

This crisis was something you allowed to happen; you deserve it. I won't lie to people who have already lost everything for your sake.

The office was silent, the fire in the fireplace crackled, and the night outside the window was as dark as ink.

Kosbrüt could no longer contain himself. He broke free from Fressine, drew his sword, and pointed it at Lionel.

His voice was hoarse from shouting: "Traitor! You are the mastermind behind this movement! Your book, 'The Old Man and the Sea,' is a declaration of incitement to rebellion!"

Those slogans, those posters, they were all your work!

Lionel glanced at the sword in his hand and shrugged indifferently: "Then order my arrest now."

Is the charge 'inciting rebellion with a novel'? Or 'using a shark as a metaphor for the government'? Whatever you prefer.

Anyway, the prosecutor's office is still holding onto another indictment against me; I've been waiting for it for almost a year.

Kosbrü's eyes reddened, and he was about to call for the guards, but Jules Ferry stood up: "Enough!"

He looked at Kosbru and said, "Put your sword away."

Kosbrü glared at him: "Ferry! Did you hear what he said? He's mocking us! He's provoking us!"

Jules Ferry waved his hand: "If you arrest him now, what will happen to Paris tomorrow? Will those three thousand people disperse? Or will they storm the police station demanding his release?"

What will tomorrow's newspapers say? "Government Arrests Lionel Sorel"—dare you look at that headline?

Kosbrü's hand trembled, and the tip of his sword drooped.

Jules Ferri turned to Lionel and stared at him for a long time, his gaze so complex that Lionel couldn't decipher it.

Finally, he asked, "Can you really bear to see Paris descend into chaos? You may not have witnessed what happened twelve years ago, but you should know—"

Barricades, street fighting, artillery fire, bloodshed… Paris could be destroyed again. Can you really bear to do that?

Lionel didn't answer immediately, but walked to the window and drew back the heavy curtains.

Outside the window is the courtyard of the Palais Bourbon, and in the distance, the rooftops of Paris. In the night, a few lights twinkle.

He knew what Jules Ferry was talking about: the Paris Commune in 1871, street fighting, repression, and death.

He had read historical records and heard Maupassant and others say that it was a bloody spring when Paris was almost destroyed.

He turned back to Jules Ferry: "I can't bear it. But the key to solving the problem has always been in your hands."

You're just pretending not to see it!

After saying that, he stopped looking at them and turned to walk towards the door.

Fressine tried to call out to him, but Jules Ferri shook his head.

Only after Lionel's footsteps had completely disappeared did Koschbrück huff and puff, "The key to solving the problem has always been in our hands? These writers just love to make things complicated!"

Jules Ferri shook his head: "No, he's right."

Kosbrü was somewhat taken aback, but Prime Minister Fresine nodded first, then sighed and shook his head.

Kosbrü suddenly realized something, and his face flushed red: "He means... he means, to satisfy the demands of those mobs? How is that possible!"

At that moment, the secretary entered the office and presented a new briefing.

The report stated that the citizens who occupied the Bank of France and the Paris Stock Exchange, as well as the military and police surrounding them, had begun to rest, and the singing, slogans, and drumbeats could no longer be heard.

Fressine breathed a sigh of relief: "It seems there won't be any major problems tonight, let's get some rest."

But Jules Ferri frowned, and Fressine asked, "What's wrong?"

Jules Ferry said, "I've been thinking about something Sorel just said..."

"Which one?"

"'I will go to the Bank of France...'"

Frésiné and Cochebrück were both stunned. What would happen if Lionel went to the Bank of France at this moment?
Kosbrü shouted, "Quick! Go and bring the carriage back!"

(Second update complete. Extra updates will begin tomorrow!)

(End of this chapter)