Chapter 46 The Hateful Middleman

A commoner's house does not have a dedicated living room or a study room for conversation. Camille hurriedly cleared the dining table before she had time to clear it, and used it as a reception point.

Charles took a look at Gallieni. He was a person who didn't care much about his image. His glasses were set high and low on the bridge of his nose. He had a fluffy white mustache and a suit that didn't fit him well. He looked like a slovenly and thin old man. , it is hard to imagine that he is actually the most talented general in France.

Before Charles and Djorka could speak, Gallieni said first: "You must be wondering why I want to talk to you secretly, right?"

Djoka nodded, but Charles looked calm.

Gallieni was a little surprised by Charles's reaction. He asked: "Have you guessed it?"

"You don't want the capitalists who control the Senate to know!" Charles replied.

"Smart boy!" Gallieni said with a smile on his lips: "He is worthy of being the inventor of the tank and the tricycle. If I am not mistaken, the tactics used by Major Browne were also taught by you, right?"

Charles did not deny that this could deceive others but not Gallieni.

Djorka looked at Charles hesitantly, unsure whether to tell Gallieni what had attracted the Germans to Oise.

Charles said: "That also cannot be hidden from the general, father, he knows that we did it!"

Gallieni was still a little confused at first, but soon he suddenly realized: "Did you lead the Germans here so that they could expose their flanks to us? I have always been just suspicious, but I didn't expect it was really you..."

"It's Charles, general!" Djorka said, "This was all Charles's idea!"

Gallieni looked at Charles, his eyes showing unstinting admiration:

"What a great idea, Charles. I didn't even think of it, especially by spreading rumors to make the Germans think Paris was an empty city! It fooled everyone!"

"If Kluk knew that he was defeated by a child, I don't know what his reaction would be!"

"I'm 17, General!" Charles protested.

Gallieni laughed. After all, he is a child. He even hopes that he is older. When he reaches my age, he will know how great it is to be young.

Gallieni's eyes gradually became kind when he looked at Charles, and his tone also changed from the original formal to casual:

"Let's get down to business, little one."

"You should have heard about the tanks, right? After you sold the industrial property rights of the tanks to Grevi, they used the war to kidnap the military. The military is still in tense negotiations with them!"

Djoka was a little anxious: "We have to do this, general..."

"I know!" Gallieni interrupted Djoka: "Don't get me wrong, Mr. Djoka! I have no intention of inciting any accusations. The industrial property rights belong to you. Whoever you sell to is your freedom. I have no control over it." Quan asked. I just want to see...if we can solve this problem!"

"What's the problem?" Djoka sounded a little confused.

Gallieni did not answer directly. He calmly took out a box of cigarettes from his arms, took out two cigarettes, one on the left and one on the right, and said: "This is you, this is the army, the army needs Tanks, you produce tanks, there is a simple business relationship between you and me. However..."

Gallieni put the cigarette case in the middle and banged it with his fingers: "The Senate is in the middle, gentlemen! Military procurement requires the permission of the Senate. You cannot contact the military directly. The problem is Come on, there are all problems with efficiency, price, quality, time, etc., but we have to buy! You are also forced to sell due to pressure from all sides, and you are even forced to sell industrial property rights!”

Djoka said "Oh": "Those capitalists who control the Senate, they forcefully use the system to become middlemen and earn the difference from the middle!"

He suddenly understood why Gallieni, as a general, had to meet with Charles secretly. This was not just a simple meeting, but also a way to bypass the "middleman" and contact the seller. This touched the "middleman"'s cake and touched theirs. Fundamental interests!

If the capitalists knew this, it would be possible to plan a real "kidnapping" against Ciel.

"That's it!" General Gallieni nodded: "This forces us to buy low-quality equipment at several times the price, and sometimes delays the fight because the price cannot be negotiated. For example, the army cannot get tanks now. , unless we agree to buy it at a unit price of 6,000 francs!”

The price shocked Djoka and Charles.

The first-generation tank was just a tractor welded with steel plates and a machine gun. The cost was only more than a thousand francs, but the price sold to the military by the capitalists rose to 6,000 francs!

This is clearly taking advantage of the urgency of war to threaten the military and make a fortune.

General Gallieni said coldly: "They kidnapped the future and dignity of France, as well as the lives of soldiers and people, in order to achieve their goal of embezzling taxes!"

"It's so hateful!" Although Djoka knew that capitalists were greedy for wealth, he never expected that they would use such despicable means to enrich the country. He was indignant: "Why don't they let the military make independent purchases?"

"Because they think the army cannot have too much power!" Gallieni explained: "Once the army has power, it is easy to control the country!"

Djoka was silent, which was a good excuse for the capitalists.

Ciel asked: "General, what can we do? We can't change the status quo!"

"You're right, little guy!" Gallieni nodded approvingly: "If you are a greedy capitalist like them, then we can't do anything. Because once the army contacts you privately and agrees on a certain price, the capitalists can always use their power to stop the transaction and offer you double or even triple the price. Therefore, the military always fails in the bidding war with the capitalists, without exception!"

Charles nodded to show his understanding.

The money used by the capitalists is not their own, but the French treasury and the taxpayers' taxes. Of course, the military's military expenditure cannot compete with them.

"But if he is a conscientious capitalist, the situation will be different!" Gallieni stared at Charles with a deep gaze: "He must resist the temptation of the high price offered by the capitalists, and would rather make less money and firmly choose to trade with the military, and cooperate with the military for a long time or even form a kind of alliance. In other words, it is to stand on the same front with the military to fight against the control of the capitalists. Can you do it?"

Deyoka's expression was a little strange. The purpose of businessmen is to make money. It is natural that the highest bidder wins. This is also the law of the market.

But now Gallieni asked them to break this market law and choose the military with a lower bid. This is the fool in Francis' eyes!

Gallieni's eyes never left Charles.

He had done a lot of research on Charles before, and knew that Charles used his own funds to help the field hospital to help the wounded. He believed that Charles was a conscientious capitalist, otherwise he would not have taken this trip.

Charles was silent for a while, then asked, "General, can you solve the military's problem? I mean, how can you bypass the Senate's control and make independent purchases!"

Galieni answered straightforwardly, "According to the wartime emergency regulations, the military has the right to choose equipment in a state of war, and we have the right to choose better equipment!"

Then Gallieni added, "Of course, the prerequisite is 'better'!"