Chapter 354: Tijani's Difficulties
On the banks of the Seine, the setting sun slowly fell below the horizon amid the cooing of wood pigeons, and at that moment, the sky suddenly darkened.
(The picture above shows the wood pigeon, also known as the 'European pigeon', which is one of the common long-term birds in the Seine)
The lights in Wells' villa were on. The servants in the kitchen were busy. The chef was sweating and yelling towards the phone: "Where is the tuna?"
"It's already on the plane. It will arrive in about half an hour!"
"Are you sure it's fresh?"
"Yes, I just caught it today!"
…
They heard two hours ago that Master Tijani had been granted a day off and that they were going to prepare a welcome dinner tonight. However, there was no fresh tuna in Paris, which was Tijani's favorite dish.
There was no choice but to hire a plane to transport it from a coastal city 200 kilometers away.
Finally, a plate of delicious "grilled fat" was served to Tijani on the table in time.
(Note: The 'fat' part of the tuna is the fattest and most expensive part of the belly)
The chefs' hard work paid off when Wells mentioned it at the table: "That was shipped from Dunkirk. Want to try it?"
"Thank you, father!" Tijani cut a piece of fish into his mouth, smiled and praised: "It's delicious, I like it very much!"
Wells nodded contentedly and raised his glass to Tijani: "I am proud of you, Tijani, not only because of your success on the battlefield, but also because you have matured a lot."
"The battlefield is a place where people are tempered." Tijani answered while chewing his food: "But when it comes to success, most of it belongs to Ciel. I just..."
Tijani spread his hands and said, "I mostly follow his orders or plans."
There was no embarrassment on Tijani's face, but rather a hint of pride.
Tijani didn't think it was shameful. If anyone wanted to compete with Charles or steal his credit, he must be the stupidest person in the world.
Wells appreciated Tijani's straightforwardness: "You may be telling the truth, but there is a reason why you became Ciel's partner."
Tijani raised his eyebrows. “Are you trying to say it’s because of the shipyard?”
"No!" Wells laughed. "It's because of you, Tijanyi. You may not have discovered your own strengths, but Charles has seen them."
Wells stared at his son thoughtfully. He had never noticed this advantage before and even thought it was a disadvantage: Tijani, who had been well-fed and well-clothed since childhood, had no interest in money and power, but was fond of the "art of war".
But now, Wells believes he was wrong.
Tijanis has done well, and one day he might become a victorious general of France, or Charles' right-hand man.
This is also one of the points where Wells hesitated.
After taking a sip of wine and putting down the glass, Wells changed the subject and asked, "Tell me about Charles. Is he really as good as people say?"
When talking about Charles, Tijani became excited. He stopped what he was doing and looked up at Wells: "He is better than people say, father. There are many things people don't know."
"Yes." Wells said with emotion: "Behind every success lies an unknown danger. People often only see the surface but ignore the process of obtaining it, which is the most difficult."
Tijani nodded. "That's true, but Ciel always escapes danger. I'm glad we're on his side."
Wells' expression froze. He was silent for a moment before responding, "Yes, you are right."
However, Tijani knew his father, and he immediately realized something was wrong. His expression gradually turned into disappointment, and his tone became colder: "You are not going to stand on Charles' side, right?"
"No." Wells shook his head in denial: "I just haven't decided yet."
Tijani laughed. "You haven't decided yet? Let me think. It's been two or three months since you met Ciel!"
Then Tijani understood, and he asked Wells coldly, "Is it 'undecided' or 'don't want to decide'?"
If you “don’t want to decide”, then it’s not a matter of time. No matter how long you think about it, you’re still “undecided”.
Wells did not deny it. He just replied calmly: "You will understand later. If you were in my position..."
"I don't understand!" Tijani stood up and said excitedly, "Char is the future, father, he is everything, can't you see this?"
Wells shook his head helplessly: "But if we make a decision, we may have no future, Tijani. I also hope to fully support Ciel..."
"Then do it!"
"But I can't..."
"Because of profit, right? You only see profit, and it's what's in front of you! Do you know what short-sightedness is? I see it!"
…
After saying that, Tijani pulled out his napkin and threw it on the table, then turned around and walked out of the house angrily, leaving Wells sitting quietly in the chair, staring at the table full of delicious food in a daze.
The relationship between father and son could never be reconciled, either because of this problem or that problem.
…
At the police training base, Charles sat at his desk in the 105th Infantry Regiment headquarters, boredly looking at how to use a gas mask.
After experiencing a series of problems with gas masks firsthand, the 105th Infantry Regiment summarized a set of precautions:
Before use, check the gas mask for damage and make sure there are no cracks or tears in the mask.
Then check its sealing.
Also wear it correctly and make sure the canister is new.
…
These may seem simple, but there are bloody lessons behind each one: during the Ypres counter-offensive, more than 200 soldiers of the 105th Infantry Regiment were killed by poison gas, at least half of whom were due to these reasons that should not have existed.
But it is easier said than done. On a battlefield where supplies are scarce, sometimes even if you know that the gas mask is damaged, you cannot replace it.
They can only choose between wearing it or not wearing it.
At this time, Tijani came back. When he saw Charles, he forced a smile and explained, "I couldn't leave the troops, so I came back."
"Really?" Charles asked back.
This excuse was too far-fetched. If he really couldn't leave the troops, he wouldn't have needed to take this day off.
Tijani didn't answer. He sat back at his desk sullenly. After a moment's pause, he took something out of the drawer and pretended to be busy.
He didn't know how to deal with this problem. On one side was his father, and on the other was Charles. It seemed wrong to stand on either side.
"Let me guess." Charles said shockingly: "You had a quarrel with your father because of me."
Tijani suddenly raised his head and looked at Charles: "How...how do you know?"
"I also understand that your father abstained from the vote, General," said Charles. "Remember the proposal to change the uniforms?"
Tijani was stunned for a moment, then nodded: "Yes, of course you know."
(End of this chapter)
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