Chapter 716 Fabian Family
Verdun, Fort Berrup training base.
Charles enjoyed a sumptuous dinner in the office, a Verdun specialty, "Beef stew in Burgundy red wine".
(The picture above shows beef stewed in Burgundy red wine, which is a dish that is slow-cooked with red wine, beef, carrots, onions, etc. The beef is tender and tasty, and the aroma of red wine is blended with the beef.)
Charles was puzzled, as not only the beef but even the side dishes were not easy to obtain during this period of wartime rationing.
And someone in Verdun actually managed to get it.
Not only can we get it, but we can also host a banquet for the entire army, which means that everyone in the armored division from top to bottom will get a copy.
The beef tasted quite good, and the sauce was especially to Charles' taste. In the end, not even a carrot was left.
Major General Browne came in at the right time and reported: "General, Mr. Formonryen hopes to talk to you."
"Who?" Charles asked vaguely while chewing beef. It was the first time he heard this name.
Major General Browne came forward and explained in a low voice: "The owner of Fabian Mining controls several coal and iron mines, mainly near Mezieres."
Charles said "Oh" and glanced at the cleared plates: "Dinner was also prepared by him, right?"
"Yes, General," Brownie replied.
"Let him in!" Charles took the napkin and wiped his mouth, and the orderly deftly removed the plates and cutlery.
Charles originally thought that Mr. Formentrin was an old man, or at least middle-aged.
Because during this period, older or mature and stable people were usually in charge, but I didn't expect that the person who came in was a young man, in his early twenties, fair-skinned, with two mustaches on his mouth that were very fashionable at that time.
"It's an honor to meet you, General!" Formentrin took off his hat and bowed to Charles.
Charles stood up and shook hands with Formosan. "I should be the one to thank you for the dinner, Mr. Formosan. You are very generous."
"No, no, this is what I should do." Fumontrein quickly replied, nodding as he spoke: "You risked your lives to recover land for France and property for citizens. I don't know how to express my gratitude. All I have done is just a small contribution."
Charles did not argue with Formonryen for too long. He invited Formonryen to sit down on the sofa and asked directly, "Tell me, what's the matter?"
He didn't believe that there were any philanthropic capitalists in France. If there were, they would have been eliminated.
The struggle among capitalists during this period was extremely cruel.
For example, if someone is willing to distribute bread to civilians who are starving to death, the result will be to lower the price of bread, and over time it will even make it impossible for other capitalists to hire workers at low wages.
Therefore, such conscientious capitalists will be jointly excluded and targeted by other capitalists, just like Charles.
It's just that Ciel has quickly grown into a behemoth that they can neither exclude nor target.
This natural contradiction between capitalists and civilians was not resolved until the capitalists experienced several large-scale economic crises, and then they realized that they could not be so short-sighted.
Sure enough, Fumon Ryan replied: "I hope to cooperate with you, General. I am willing to sell 30% of the shares of the coal mine and iron mine under my name. I wonder if you are interested..."
Charles interrupted Fumonrein and said, "I'm sorry, sir. These matters are not my business. You've got the wrong person!"
"Yes, yes." Fumon Ryan didn't say much, but stood up and said goodbye tactfully: "I'm very sorry to bother you, thank you again!"
…
Outside the door, the butler who came with him noticed that Formentrin was calm and even a little proud, and asked in confusion: "Sir, Charles has clearly refused to cooperate with us, but you don't seem to care at all."
"Of course he won't cooperate with us, Clement." Formonryen smiled lightly: "He is a general and plays an important role in the military. How could he cooperate with us? This would give others a handle!"
"But." The butler asked doubtfully, "You knew that he would not cooperate with us, why..."
Fumon Ryan turned around and glanced towards Charles' office, and said meaningfully, "He has agreed."
"Agreed?" The butler didn't understand, Charles didn't say a word of agreement.
"Yes." Fumon Ryan nodded confidently, stepped into the car parked in front of him, and said to the butler who followed him in the car: "Don't you understand what Charles said? 'This matter is not my responsibility, you have found the wrong person.'"
The butler suddenly realized: "It's not Charles's business, it's Bernard Group's business. So, we should go find Djoka?"
Fumon Ryan said "hmm", with a smile on his face, and leaned forward to say to the driver in front: "Go to Paris, Darwaise Town!"
…
Ciel did agree.
Coal and iron ore are scarce materials for the Bernard Group, the basis for the operation of steel mills, and the lifeblood of France, whether in war or peace.
In fact, it is not just the Bernard Group, but also the "Saint-Etienne" Arsenal, the "FN" Arsenal and the Brest Shipyard.
Their products are all based on coal mines and iron ore.
Only if you own the raw materials can you avoid being strangled by others, so this is a piece of pie that comes to your doorstep.
The disadvantage is that most of these resources are monopolized by the Wentai family.
Charles has invested in the Fabian family, and it is very likely that the struggle with the Untel family will come to the surface.
This may also be one of the purposes of Formon Ryan. He is very smart and has Lachar as his backer. Only in this way can he avoid being annexed.
Let’s fight, Charles thought, we can accept any challenge, since the area around Mezieres is the front line now.
At worst, the Wentel family’s mineral resources are too large and there are not enough troops and equipment to protect them, so the Germans can bomb them without any worries.
In times of war, when the military power is in hand, Charles wants to know what bargaining chips those powerless capitalists have!
"General." The signalman reported to Charles from a few meters away, holding the microphone: "It's General Gallieni's call."
Charles stood up, stepped forward, took the phone and identified himself.
"Is everything all right?" Gallieni asked.
"Yes, General, everything is going well," Charles replied. "General Foch is leading his troops towards Bizenxi and will arrive in two days."
Bizangxi is an important node.
Once Foch's army arrived at Bizensi, Tijani's mechanized troops would cooperate with him, and the German army would be doomed.
"Very good," Gallieni said. "If you can get away, I think you need to come to Paris."
"Paris?" Charles was a little puzzled.
Although nothing is happening now, the dust has not settled yet, and Charles should stay in Verdun to take charge of the situation.
But Gallieni insisted: "Yes, Romania declared war on Austria-Hungary."
Charles was stunned. Declaring war on Austria-Hungary without any negotiation?
What gave Romania the courage to touch Germany's tiger whiskers? !
(End of this chapter)
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