I Became a Plutocrat in World War I: Starting with Saving France

On the banks of the Seine River, the sunset slowly sank below the horizon amid the cooing of wood pigeons. In that instant, the sky suddenly darkened.

(The above picture is a wood pigeon, also known as the 'European pigeon', one of the common birds along the Seine River)

The villa in Wells was brightly lit, and the kitchen servants were busy. The head chef, sweating profusely, shouted towards the phone: "Where is the tuna?"

"It's on the incoming airplane, it should arrive in about half an hour!"

"Is it fresh?"

"Yes, it was just caught today!"

…

Two hours ago, they heard that Young Master Tijani was granted a day off, and tonight's dinner was to welcome him. However, they couldn't find fresh tuna anywhere in Paris, which was Tijani's favorite dish.

They had no choice but to hire a plane to transport it from a seaside city 200 kilometers away.

Finally, a plate of delicious "char-grilled fat" was promptly served to Tijani.

(Note: 'Fat' is the fattiest and most expensive part of the tuna's belly)

The chef's hard work was rewarded when Wells mentioned at the dinner table: "This was brought from Dunkirk, try it?"

"Thank you, Father!" Tijani cut a piece of fish and put it in his mouth, smiling as he praised: "Delicious, I like it very much!"

Wells nodded contentedly, raised his glass towards Tijani and said: "I am proud of you, Tijani, not just for your success on the battlefield, but because you have matured a lot."

"The battlefield is a place that tests a person." While chewing his food, Tijani replied: "But speaking of success, most of it belongs to Shire, I'm just..."

Tijani spread his hands: "I mostly follow his orders or plans."

There was no embarrassment on Tijani's face; instead, there was a sense of pride.

Tijani did not think it was shameful; if anyone wanted to compete with Shire or take credit for his accomplishments, they would be the world's biggest fool.

Wells appreciated Tijani's straightforwardness: "What you said might be true, but you becoming Shire's partner is not without reason."

Tijani raised an eyebrow: "You mean because of the shipyard?"

"No!" Wells laughed: "It's because of you, Tijani. You might not realize your own advantages, but Shire sees them."

Wells looked thoughtfully at his son. He had never noticed this advantage before; he even considered it a flaw: From a young age, Tijani, having all comforts in life, showed no interest in money or power, but was passionate about the "Art of War".

But now, Wells thought he was wrong.

Tijani did very well. One day, he might become an invincible General of France, or Shire's right-hand man.

This was also one of Wells' points of hesitation.

Taking a sip of wine, putting down the glass, Wells changed the subject and asked: "Tell me about Shire, is he as excellent as people say?"

When Shire was mentioned, Tijani became excited. He stopped his actions and looked at Wells: "He is even better than people say, Father. There are many things people don't know."

"Yes." Wells sighed: "Every success hides unknown dangers. People often only see the surface and ignore the process of obtaining it, which is the hardest part."

Tijani nodded: "That's true, but every time Shire can turn danger into safety. I'm very fortunate we stand by his side."

Wells' expression froze. He was silent for a moment before responding: "Yes, you are right."

However, Tijani understood his father, he immediately sensed something was wrong. His face gradually turned disappointed, and his tone became cold: "You don't intend to stand by Shire's side, do you?"

"No." Wells shook his head in denial: "I just haven't decided yet."

Tijani laughed: "Haven't decided? Let me think, it's been two or three months since you met Shire!"

Then Tijani understood. He coldly asked Wells: "Is it 'haven't decided,' or 'don't want to decide'?"

If it's "don't want to decide," then it's not a matter of time; no matter how long you think, it's still "haven't decided."

Wells did not deny it. He just calmly replied: "You will understand in the future if you were in my position..."

"I don't understand!" Tijani stood up, his tone excited: "Shire is the future, Father. He is everything. Can't you see that?"

Wells shook his head helplessly: "But if we 'decide,' we may have no future, Tijani. I also want to fully support Shire..."

"Then do it!"

"But I can't..."

"Because of interests, right? You only see interests, and short-term ones! Do you know what short-sightedness is? I see it!"

…

After speaking, Tijani pulled off his napkin and slammed it on the table, angrily turned and walked out the door, leaving Wells sitting quietly in his chair, staring at the full table of delicious food in a daze.

The relationship between them as father and son remained irreconcilable, always because of one problem or another.

…

At the police training base, Shire sat at the desk in the 105th Infantry Regiment command post, bored while looking at the instructions for using a gas mask.

After personally experiencing a series of problems with the gas mask, the 105th Infantry Regiment summarized a set of precautions:

Check the gas mask for damages before use, ensuring there are no cracks or tears.

Next, check its seal.

Correctly wear it and ensure the filter canister is new.

…

These seem simple, but each one has a bloody lesson behind it: In the counterattack at Ypres, the 105th Infantry Regiment lost more than 200 soldiers to gas, with at least half of these casualties due to reasons that shouldn't have occurred.

But it's easier said than done. In a resource-starved battlefield, sometimes even knowing the gas mask is damaged, it cannot be replaced.

They can only choose whether to wear it or not.

At this time, Tijani returned. When he saw Shire, he forced a smile and explained: "I couldn't leave the troops, so I came back."

"Really?" Shire questioned.

This excuse was too far-fetched. If he really couldn't leave the troops, he wouldn't have taken the day off.

Tijani didn't answer, sullenly returning to his desk, staring blankly for a while before pretending to busy himself with something from the drawer.

He didn't know how to handle this issue. On one side was his father, on the other was Shire. It seemed wrong to stand on either side.

"Let me guess." Shire spoke unexpectedly: "You argued with your father, because of me."

Tijani suddenly raised his head and looked at Shire: "You... you knew?"

"I also know your father cast an abstention vote, General." Shire said: "Remember the proposal to replace the military uniforms?"

Tijani froze, then nodded: "Yes, of course you know."