I Became a Plutocrat in World War I: Starting with Saving France-Chapter 734: Revised - Cryptography Bureau

Just as the Dejoka family was having a casual discussion about the battle, the phone rang.

Camille quickly ran to answer the phone before Dejoka could.

Usually, the calls to the house were for Camille; neighbors often called her to inquire about Shire.

Or not to inquire, but purely to build a good relationship with Camille, after all, Camille was Shire’s mother.

But this time, the call was not for Camille.

She answered the call with a "Hello," then, covering the receiver, turned to Shire: "It’s General Gallieni."

Shire put down the half-finished glass of milk and went forward to take the phone.

"Do you have any plans this afternoon, Vice Admiral?" General Gallieni asked very casually.

"Yes," Shire yawned, "I plan to sleep the entire afternoon in bed."

"Hmm," Gallieni responded, "then go to the Saint-Cyr Military School to sleep!"

"What?" Shire was taken aback, "You mean you’ve arranged for me to go to the military school to study?"

Gallieni laughed heartily, "You’re very humorous, General Shire. If you went to the military school, do you think anyone could teach you?"

"That’s true..."

"I think it’s time for you to visit the military school," said Gallieni. "You should know, it’s always been Kobudo handling this matter. As the most trusted founder of current military theory, you should go give a lecture. This will help promote the military theory."

Shire remembered that there seemed to be such a thing.

Gallieni had Kobudo compile Shire’s military theories into textbooks, and Kobudo himself was responsible for promoting and explaining these theories at the school.

Shire understood the deeper meaning behind Gallieni’s actions. 𝒇𝓻𝓮𝓮𝙬𝙚𝒃𝒏𝓸𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝓬𝓸𝒎

The military school trains officers who are about to step onto the battlefield. Only by changing their governance and combat ideologies can the army’s ethos be thoroughly transformed, even undeniable victories achieved by Shire were no exception.

But Shire was uninterested.

He knew it was easy to defeat the enemy but extremely difficult to change the deeply ingrained thoughts instilled from a young age.

"Don’t worry," Gallieni said lightly, "your achievements have spread worldwide, including the military school. They consider you an idol and are eager to meet you."

"Is that so?" Shire was skeptical.

"Of course," Gallieni responded, "You can trust me!"

After speaking, Gallieni hung up the phone.

For some reason, Shire felt that Gallieni had set a trap for him.

Because even in modern times, what is taught in universities still severely lags behind society. They operate more on tradition, systems, and inertia rather than actual societal conditions.

...

Paris City Hall.

Here lies a unit guarded by heavily armed guards, occupying the most isolated corner of the building, the fourth-floor tower.

The tower is naturally isolated from the world. Its top is the sky, windows overlook an open space, standing 26.80 meters tall, reaching neither heaven nor earth.

Just a few armed guards at the door would seal off everyone inside, rendering them immobilized.

This is France’s most low-key yet mysterious unit: the Cryptography Bureau of France.

Its level of secrecy even surpasses the "Second Bureau." The public knows about the existence of the "Second Bureau" but not the Cryptography Bureau.

Inside, the clattering sounds of decoding machines echoed; everyone worked in silence, their minds occupied by numbers, letters, and ciphers, forgetting normal language. The only means of communication was the documents they passed around.

Lieutenant George Pan Wan, only 27 years old, was one of them.

(The above picture is of Cryptography Analyst Lieutenant George Pan Wan, who successfully deciphered the German Army’s ADFGX cipher in 1918)

Lieutenant Pan Wan stared at the battle report on the Merit Newspaper, lost in thought.

Why did it happen this way?

He clearly had deciphered the German Army’s code, knowing the German 82nd Infantry Regiment stationed around Lis chose to flee out of panic.

If Shire’s army pierced through this gap, they could easily connect with the main force of the French Army.

But...

Shire still followed a combat plan everyone could see, marching along the Meuse River and directly attacking Verdun.

Was Verdun of greater strategic value?

No, breaking through Lis would equally allow for surrounding Verdun to eventually incorporate it into the territory.

Was attacking Verdun easier?

No, Shire faced perilous dangers during the penetration, even risking total annihilation.

If Shire hadn’t deployed bombers and used the newly invented incendiary bullets, they might not have broken through Verdun.

Then, did the Germans seal the gap at Lis?

Lieutenant Pan Wan had never heard of this.

He took out several decrypted telegrams from his drawer, flipping through them. They were previous orders from the Germans hoping to seal the gap.

If they had sealed it, there would no longer be any "hope to seal."

Suddenly, a thought that nearly made Lieutenant Pan Wan collapse sprang into his mind: there was only one possibility—Shire did not know about the gap, from beginning to end.

No, why would they do this?

They had no reason to; victory for the French Army was also beneficial to them...

Then Pan Wan figured it out.

Victory was indeed beneficial, but Shire’s victory was not.

Because Shire could overthrow their control over France!

These bastards!

Pan Wan painfully closed his eyes, burying his face in his hands, feeling he had become an accomplice to these vampires and executioners.

He nearly got Shire killed, along with the soldiers of the First Armored Army, and millions who contributed to France!

"Hey, Lieutenant," Captain Charles walked out of his office and called Pan Wan, "You have a class at Saint-Cyr Military School this afternoon, right?"

The Cryptography Bureau has a branch at the school to select talented individuals as reserves.

"Yes, Captain," Lieutenant Pan Wan quickly stood up and responded.

"You don’t have to go," Captain Charles waved the telegram in his hand, "Shire will be giving a lecture at the school this afternoon, facing the entire school."

Lieutenant Pan Wan’s mind buzzed.

Shire?

Giving a lecture at the military school?

As Captain Charles was about to turn away, Pan Wan quickly stepped forward to stop him.

"Captain," Pan Wan said, his voice a bit choked:

"I, I would like to attend Shire’s lecture."

"You know, the Germans might be discussing Shire’s tactics."

"If we delve into this, I believe it would be helpful for decryption."

Charles was surprised, then nodded, approving Pan Wan’s request.

"That’s a great idea," Captain Charles praised, "Remember to bring your team members from the school, and make notes."

"Yes, Captain!" Pan Wan stood at attention and responded.

After Captain Charles left, Lieutenant Pan Wan found his palms sweating, feeling like a spy.