Chapter 65 The Cunning Little Guy

Charles was assigned to an independent dormitory. Although it was only 7 square meters in size and the furnishings were simple, with a bed, a table, chairs and a small bookshelf, this was the treatment only for colonels. Lieutenant colonels and below shared a small room with two or even four people, which was a small room with four bunk beds.

Charles became a second lieutenant, which was the rank of an officer after graduating from a military academy, although Charles had never attended a military academy.

Galiene said: "This guy invented the tank and the sidecar, which did play a significant role on the battlefield. It would not be excessive to give him a colonel!"

He then added: "If someone can give us some useful inventions like him, I will also give him a rank!"

No one objected, so Charles got a full set of equipment for a second lieutenant:

Two sets of military uniforms that can be used for changing, with a golden stripe on the cuffs.

A pair of binoculars with a box, which can be easily carried on the shoulder.

A whistle, which is used to give orders to soldiers, and sometimes used for communication or warning between officers.

A revolver, M1892, for command and self-defense.

An M1845 infantry officer's sabre, Charles liked this sword very much and couldn't let it go when he got it.

It was very delicately made, with a copper guard, a single steel blade, two grooves, one wide and one narrow, and a stamp of the manufacturer on the front of the guard.

However, it was 87 cm long, and Charles hung it on his waist and it almost fell to the ground.

Charles understood that taking it to the battlefield was simply suicide. It would not play any role, but would affect his actions.

In the end, Charles could only regretfully put it on the bedside as a decoration.

After changing into a military uniform, Charles couldn't help but admire it in the mirror.

It has to be said that the French military uniforms of this period are very handsome, but it's a pity that beauty and battlefields are often in conflict. The more beautiful and colorful things are, the more eye-catching they are. Another meaning of it is that you die quickly!

Opening the door and walking out of the dormitory, the orderly Adrian was waiting at the door. He was assigned to Charles by Gallieri, and he was responsible for all of Charles' daily life.

Adrian looked up and down, and suddenly panicked: "Sorry, Lieutenant! My fault, I gave you a pair of boots without spurs, I... I will change them for you right away!"

"Spurs?" Charles stopped Adrian: "No, it's not necessary, I can't ride a horse!"

"But..." Adrian explained: "Every officer can ride a horse, even if they can't now, they will have to learn in the future!"

Charles was stunned, and then he understood.

Horses were very important to officers during this period. Sometimes they needed to ride horses and wave their sabers to command the troops to charge, or run quickly around the team and shout orders so that everyone could hear.

Although Charles' staff officers did not need to go to the battlefield, they always had tasks such as delivering documents, intelligence, or temporary command, and they often needed to ride horses.

However, riding a warhorse and commanding among the infantry on the battlefield?

Charles couldn't help but shudder when he thought of this. He would never do such a thing, not now and not in the future!

"No need, Adrian!" Charles looked at his short boots and continued to insist on his idea: "This is good!"

"Adrian!" Someone called over here: "Have you forgotten that the lieutenant has a motorcycle factory? He is producing motorcycles for our army, and you let him ride in military boots with spurs?"

Hearing this, Adrian was relieved. Motorcycles might be a better choice.

However, Charles also didn't know how to ride a motorcycle.

At this time, Gallieni came over. He looked Charles up and down, with a little satisfaction in his eyes.

But he sneered: "You are worthy of being a capitalist, lieutenant! You take good care of yourself, but I don't know if you, a little flower grown in a greenhouse, can withstand the destruction of the army!"

"Yes, General!" Charles could only answer this way.

Gallieni turned his head and called out to a place not far away: "Fernand!"

"Yes, General!" A lieutenant colonel trotted over and stood up in front of Gallieni.

"He's yours!" Gallieni waved his white gloves at Charles: "Tell him what to do, and before that, teach him how to salute!"

"Yes, General!" Fernand responded and turned to Charles and said: "Follow me, Lieutenant, let's go downstairs!"

The training ground was in the backyard of the headquarters, where flowers and dwarf trees were planted, and in the middle was a statue of Gilbert Dumotier.

Gilbert was the man who drafted the "Declaration of the Rights of Man" and formulated the French tricolor flag. He also participated in the American War of Independence and the French Revolution at the same time and was called the "hero of two worlds."

Fernand chose to train Charles in the open space in front of the statue. Charles suspected that Fernand wanted to use the statue to educate him, a capitalist.

As a "teacher", Fernand was very qualified. He trained Charles seriously, just like treating a recruit, saluting, marching, and some postures of standing guard with a gun.

Charles was not a good student. He thought it was boring, but he acted very seriously and enthusiastically.

"If it was formal training, it would take at least several months!" Fernan frowned at Charles's poor military posture: "But the general only gave me one day. God, what can I train in one day?"

Charles wanted to tell him: Lieutenant Colonel, is there a possibility that General Gallieni only gave you one day not because he wanted you to train me well in one day, but because he didn't want to waste too much time!

But Charles said nothing.

He believed that Gallieni was waiting to catch his little braid, which might be the real intention of Charles to train military posture.

Charles guessed correctly. Gallieni was staring at Charles in the combat department on the second floor. He wanted to see Charles disobey orders or contradict Fernan.

Only in this way could Gallieni walk up to Charles with his head held high and scold him righteously:

"What do you think the army is?"

"Do you think you can be an exception by disregarding military discipline just because you invented tanks and sidecars? Can you be above others and even disobey orders?"

"This is the army! It is a place of discipline and obedience!"

"No matter who you are, no matter what you have done before, or how many merits you have made, now you are just a second lieutenant!"

However, Gallieni never caught this opportunity, which made Gallieni feel like he was punching soft cotton.

He had thought of the lines in his mind and even matched the actions in his mind, and imagined Charles's aggrieved expression...but nothing happened.

Gallieni was so upset that he went crazy. He walked back and forth in the war room, sometimes he went to the window to peek, sometimes he peeked again, but Charles was studying seriously the whole time, although he didn't learn very well.

Suddenly, Gallieni stopped walking, and after a moment of silence, he laughed at himself: "Cunning little guy, he guessed it, everything was calculated by him!"