I Became a Tycoon During World War I: Saving France from the Start

Chapter 69: The Uniform Effect

Charles returned to town early on the third morning. This was part of Gallieni's decision, made to implement the National Assembly's request: "Allow Charles a flexible environment so he has the time and conditions necessary to continue inventing new equipment."

As a result, Charles was given a unique schedule of two days on duty, followed by one day of leave back home. During wartime, soldiers could only dream of such a schedule, as leave usually required significant merits, bribes, or a willingness to lose a limb.

Laurent dropped Charles off at his doorstep and promptly drove off to his own duties. His work revolved around Charles's location: in Paris, he acted as Charles's driver and guard; in Lavaz, he was responsible for factory security and the safeguarding of military secrets.

It was around nine in the morning. A warm sun cast a lazy glow across the town, like a fine layer of sand scattered over the ground. Entering his house, Charles found it empty. Deyoka was absent, which was expected—at this time, he would be at the factory. But Camille…

Charles suddenly realized he didn't actually know what Camille's daily routine looked like these days. Remembering that day he was confined to the house, he recalled she usually went to the nearby market to buy groceries. Assuming she was there, he decided it would be best to find her before heading to the factory; otherwise, she might not even know he had returned.

As he walked alone along the town's streets, Charles sensed something strange. Neighbors who usually greeted him warmly and often left him struggling to respond to everyone, now hurried about their own business without so much as a glance. It was as if they hadn't seen him at all.

He couldn't understand what was happening—until he spotted Teddy, who was munching on a slice of pizza as he passed by.

"Teddy!" Charles called out.

Teddy turned at the sound of his name, his eyes widening as he registered Charles's face. His slice of pizza dropped to the ground, a small piece of onion still clinging to the corner of his mouth.

"Ch-Charles, it's you!" Teddy stammered, swallowing nervously.

"Am I that hard to recognize?" Charles asked in confusion. He'd only been away for two days.

"N-no, not at all!" Teddy's tongue seemed to tie itself in knots from sheer excitement. "It's just—you're a soldier. No, you're an officer!"

Charles finally understood: his uniform had transformed him into "a soldier" in people's eyes. In recent weeks, military personnel had become a common sight in town, including patrols that citizens had gradually learned to ignore as a matter of routine.

Teddy gazed enviously at Charles's uniform. His eyes sparkled with awe as he looked at the revolver on Charles's belt. "Is that…is that real?"

"Of course." Charles took the revolver from his belt and held it up, giving it a slight shake. It wasn't loaded—Charles hadn't even tried firing it yet.

"I…could I…maybe just…" Teddy stammered.

"No, Teddy," Charles shook his head with a smile. "We're under orders to keep our weapons secure."

"Right, of course," Teddy said with a hint of disappointment. But the envy in his gaze only grew. At a time when his classmates were idle because of school closures, Charles had not only become an officer, but also had his own pristine revolver.

Charles chuckled slightly, shaking his head. "Once you get your own weapon and uniform, you might not think it's all that glamorous."

Just then, Charles caught sight of a familiar figure—Camille, returning from the market with a basket of potatoes, onions, and what appeared to be a cut of beef. He quickly holstered his gun, said goodbye to Teddy, and walked briskly toward her, extending his hand instinctively to take the basket.

The gesture took Camille by surprise.

She had been deep in thought as she walked, her mind preoccupied with whether Charles was adjusting to life in Paris and if he was managing well in the military. Above all, she was terrified at the thought of him being sent to the front.

Now, seeing a uniformed officer reaching for her belongings, she gasped and took a few steps back, dropping a couple of potatoes in the process.

Neighbors cast wary glances in their direction, ready to intervene, thinking someone might be harassing Camille.

"It's me, Mom!" Charles quickly apologized, realizing that the uniform effect would extend to his own mother as well.

Camille froze, taking in the sight of her son—wearing a military uniform, with an officer's insignia no less. After a moment, she remembered: Charles was now in the army, of course he would be in uniform.

"Charles!" Camille exhaled, breathing as if she'd been holding her breath too long. Her fear melted into pride as she looked him over, touching his cap and collar. "Look at you—you're a second lieutenant already!"

Neighbors who overheard her gasped in surprise.

"Good heavens, it's Charles!"

"I almost didn't recognize him!"

"Look at him—he looks all grown up!"

Then a few voices called out:

"The uniform suits you well, Lieutenant Charles!"

"You have such a fine young man, Mrs. Bernard!"

Camille glowed with pride as she clutched Charles's arm, thanking each of the neighbors in turn, a beaming smile on her face. There was nothing a mother enjoyed more than compliments about her child. Charles, on the other hand, felt a bit uncomfortable being treated like a child again and gently freed himself by offering to carry her shopping basket.

Just then, a patrol squad passed by. Seeing a second lieutenant in the distance, the soldiers immediately saluted, only to break into exclamations as they got closer.

"Good heavens, it's Charles! He's really a second lieutenant!"

"Well, that's what being a capitalist gets you—barely enlisted and already an officer!"

"Idiot! Don't you remember how many times he's come through for us?"

In the patrol, there were both admirers of Charles and die-hard anti-capitalists. It seemed that the tension between them was still unresolved, and if their officer hadn't intervened, a brawl might have broken out right there on the street.

Charles guessed this division might be something Laurent had intentionally kept in place.

When journalists came to interview, Laurent often arranged for the anti-capitalist soldiers to speak, knowing they would voice their suspicions:

"Guarding a capitalist? We're not here for that—we're just making sure they don't step out of line."

"That's right, you never know if they'll sell out our secrets to the enemy for a quick profit."

"Those people will do anything for money; we have to stay vigilant."

But in crucial areas like the vicinity of Charles's home, the factory, and main routes, Laurent stationed Charles's supporters to keep him safe. It was a strategy of adapting to the situation and making the best use of people's sentiments. Laurent might seem a bit clueless, but clearly, he was sharper than he appeared. He just hadn't been very lucky.

(End of Chapter)

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