Chapter 48 Power or Money?

Finally, Charles chose to cooperate with Gallieni.

Gallieni left with satisfaction. Before leaving, he told Dejoka and Charles:

"We didn't meet, and I didn't make any promises or agreements. We don't know each other, understand?"

"Of course!" Dejoka and Charles answered at the same time.

If the capitalists knew about this tacit understanding, they would launch crazy revenge with power in their hands.

They would even accuse Gallieni of endangering national security: Gallieni, as a soldier, secretly reached an agreement with arms dealers without the Senate. Did he want to launch a coup to subvert the Republic?

Double standards and playing with the law are what capitalists are best at, and no one can beat them in this regard.

Galieni looked at the kitchen with some concern, where Camille was busy cutting fruit.

Douka understood: "Don't worry, General! She won't say anything, I promise!"

It's not that Camille is tight-lipped, but that Dejoka knows her weaknesses.

Gallieni was relieved after receiving the assurance. He shook hands with the two men and said to Charles with emotion: "In addition to inventing equipment, you are also a natural strategist and tactician, Charles! I once hoped that you would become my staff officer, but, you know..."

Charles expressed his understanding that Charles' identity as an arms dealer was too sensitive to the military, which would touch the fragile nerves of the capitalists.

"Sorry, General!" Charles said.

"What?" Gallieni was confused by Charles' sudden apology.

Charles explained: "I will scold you or express my dissatisfaction with you in the future, I hope you don't mind!"

Galieni was stunned, then laughed: "Of course I don't mind, Charles, the more nasty the scolding, the better! I allow you to scold! Of course, I will also respond, I don't think you will mind!"

"Of course, General!"

"And!" Gallieni patted Charles on the shoulder: "I have always believed that you are a capitalist with a conscience, I am not wrong!"

Deyoka was a little confused. He could understand every word of the conversation between the old and the young, but he didn't know what they were talking about.

After sending Gallieni away, Deyoka suddenly realized that in order to avoid suspicion, the military needed to act as if they were at odds with Charles, the arms dealer, or at least dislike each other, so that the capitalists could rest assured.

Deyoka was a little frustrated. The conversation between smart people seemed to have nothing to do with him, and he seemed a little redundant.

At this time, Camille came out with a plate with an excited look on her face. She didn't find Gallieni, and her face was a little regretful and disappointed: "Is the general gone? He should try the apple crisp I made!"

"The general is very busy, Camille!" said Deyoka.

Charles cast an inquiring look at Deyoka, as if asking, how are you going to shut Camille's mouth and let her not brag about what happened tonight to the neighbors?

Deyoka shrugged his shoulders. Isn't this easy?

"Camille!" Deyoka stopped her who was about to go back to the kitchen: "There is something I need to emphasize!"

"What?" Camille turned around and wiped her hands on her apron.

"General Gallieni has never been here!" Deyoka said, "It's just the clients who came tonight to discuss business, and only business!"

"But..."

Deyoka interrupted Camille's question: "If the capitalists knew what happened tonight, they might be bad for Charles, and kidnapping might really happen. This is one of the reasons why General Gallieni came to see Charles in plain clothes!"

Camille was frightened and pale in an instant. She looked at Charles and nodded heavily: "Okay, I won't say a word! It's the clients who came tonight, they just want to buy motorcycles!"

"Yes!" Deyoka nodded with satisfaction.

Charles protested with his eyes, you shamelessly used me? !

Deyoka replied helplessly: "This is the best way, Charles, you are Camille's weakness. After she knows this, she will keep her mouth shut in her dreams!"

Charles did not object, which seems to be the common trait of most mothers.

Djoka took Charles back to the table to enjoy the fruit platter. He asked while eating:

"Two questions. He can't protect our industrial property rights. How should we deal with the capitalists' imitation?"

For confidentiality reasons, Djoka has replaced "Galiene" with "he".

"This problem does not exist, father!" Charles used a fork to flip through the platter and picked out his favorite apples: "If I can constantly update the equipment and improve its performance, the capitalists' imitation will always be one step slower. What they produce will be eliminated! Whoever imitates will lose money!"

Djoka stopped the action in his mouth and looked at Charles quietly. After a while, he said: "It seems that you are very confident in yourself?"

"Of course!" Charles half-jokingly answered: "I have at least a hundred ideas in my head, but I haven't had time to realize them!"

Djoka smiled and continued his hand movements.

After all, he is a minor. He doesn't understand the cruelty of reality. Sometimes even if he has ideas, they may not be accepted by society or the military.

However, Djoka did not point it out. He thought it was a good thing for Charles to maintain such confidence and mentality, and there was no need to add extra pressure to him at this time.

What Djoka did not know was that Charles really had a hundred ideas, and these ideas had been tested by society and actual combat, and were sure to be accepted by the military.

"Another question!" Deyoka continued to ask: "Why would you rather choose a low price to cooperate with the military? It seems that businessmen should not do this!"

At least Francis would not make this choice.

"Yes!" Charles crunched the apple in his mouth and answered vaguely: "Middle and low-level businessmen will not do that!"

"Middle and low-level?" Deyoka was stunned.

Could it be that Francis, who was praised as a business genius in the family, was just a middle and low-level businessman in Charles' eyes?

"Middle and low-level businessmen always have money in their eyes!" Charles dealt with the food seriously and answered carelessly: "Their vision is blinded by money, which makes them unable to see more important things."

"More important things?" Deyoka felt that Charles was talking about himself, and he didn't know what he wanted more.

Charles did not answer but asked: "Father, do you know who are the most powerful capitalists in France?"

"I do know some!" Deyoka hesitated for a while and said a few names that are familiar to the French: "Wintel, Steed, Jameson, and Wells!"

Charles nodded and pointed out their identities one by one: "The Windel family controls the Windel Group and monopolizes one-fifth of France's steel production; Steed is the owner of the Saint-Etienne Arsenal, which almost monopolizes the production and manufacturing of light weapons for the French army; Jameson owns the Schneider Arsenal, which produces artillery and warships; Wells is the head of the Brest Shipyard, which has been producing warships for France since the last century."

Deyoka said "hmm", it seems that Charles has worked hard in this regard.

Charles looked up at Deyoka: "Do you think this is a coincidence, father? The most powerful people control the arms manufacturing of the French army!"

Without waiting for Deyoka to answer, Charles asked several more questions: "Did they become the most powerful people because they controlled the arms manufacturing, or did they control the arms manufacturing after becoming the most powerful people? If it is the latter, where does their power come from? Who gave it to them?"

Deyoka was stunned. He had never thought about these questions.