I Became a Plutocrat in World War I: Starting with Saving France-Chapter 737: "Infiltration" of the Military Academy
Shire did not need to rest.
The headmaster’s opening speech lasted less than ten minutes, and Shire thought they could move directly to the next part. He was eager to leave this military academy, which had little to do with war.
If it had any relation to war, it was that it trained a bunch of officers who only knew how to send soldiers to die.
At this thought, Shire felt sickened by the headmaster and instructors’ pretentiousness.
However, he couldn’t do anything at this moment. The headmaster continued with Shire’s speech, trying to correct the "misguided direction":
"We know Vice Admiral Shire has achieved many remarkable victories on the battlefield."
"But we should also think about different voices and different tactics, instead of purely judging by wins and losses."
"One thing is certain: Shire’s victories owe much to other generals and soldiers. We cannot generalize..."
But before he finished, a cadet retorted from the audience:
"But it’s war, Headmaster. The purpose of war is to win."
"Yes, to win alive."
"Only Shire’s troops can achieve this, and that’s the result we want, not the process where thousands charge and die on the battlefield."
...
Headmaster Denou was at a loss but still tried to hold his ground on the stage with various rhetoric.
However, everyone knew it was a futile struggle. Shire’s "result-oriented" approach had deeply taken root.
Shire was very pleased with this, indicating that the cadets had developed independent thinking, unlike before when they relied on imagination and instructors’ indoctrination about how war should be.
...
The lounge was inside the office building, with an entire floor dedicated to receiving visitors.
The room was very tidy, with a bedroom, bathroom, and study. Guards were stationed outside the door.
To Shire’s surprise, the person who brought him coffee and desserts was not an orderly but the instructor who brought him there.
"May I speak with you, General?" Lieutenant Pan Wan asked cautiously.
"I have made myself very clear." Shire replied coldly, "If you really want to know the answer, I think you should go to the battlefield and put your theories into practice. That’s the best way to validate them."
"No, General." Pan Wan looked around, his voice soft but hurried: "I’m from the Cryptography Bureau, my name is Pan Wan. Not long ago, I deciphered a telegram. During your march along the Meuse River, we knew there was a gap near Lis."
Then Pan Wan stared at Shire and asked, "You didn’t receive any intelligence about this, did you?"
Shire was taken aback, then nodded, "You mean..."
"Yes." Pan Wan confirmed his suspicion: "They intercepted my decoded telegram, General."
Shire suddenly understood.
It was the old guys in parliament and the government; they didn’t want him to win.
"I know this is wrong, General." Lieutenant Pan Wan said urgently, "But I don’t know what to do."
Shire pondered for a moment and said, "I will transfer you out of the Cryptography Bureau."
"Can you?" Lieutenant Pan Wan’s face showed joy, but soon he hesitated, "But, won’t I be more useful staying at the Bureau? I mean, I can obtain more intelligence there..."
"No." Shire shook his head.
At that moment, someone entered, and Lieutenant Pan Wan quickly changed the topic: "Sorry, General, many of us have been wondering, what if the Germans form rapid units to intercept your troops?"
Shire replied impatiently: "Then their cars will face our tanks, sir, I would love to see that."
This was quite ironic; Shire had to work in secrecy for France even within his own country and at a military academy.
A signalman entered, saluted in front of Shire: "General, the lecture has ended; the headmaster requests you to move to the museum."
...
Paris City Hall.
Gallieni paced back and forth in front of his desk, while two assistants moved back and forth beside him, organizing documents and placing parts that needed signatures in front of Gallieni.
But Gallieni ignored the pile of documents. What he desperately wanted to know now was the situation at Saint-Cyr.
Could Shire establish prestige at the academy?
It wouldn’t be solved so easily, given the many years of tradition.
Not only the implantation into cadets by the academy, but for decades, society has also emphasized "offense" without question.
As a result, offensive theory has rooted in cadets’ minds from birth, growing into a big tree.
It is almost impossible to uproot this thought in a short time.
But it is necessary.
Shire thought he controlled the army, but he only controlled the current army.
One day, when the cadets graduate, join the army, and become officers, new troubles will emerge.
To be precise, it is not "future," but happening now, batch after batch. It won’t be long before the army is "washed back" to its original state.
Even more terrifying, many of these officers have intricate ties with parliamentarians, politicians, and capitalists.
If left unchecked, everything Shire achieved on the battlefield would be easily penetrated by capitalists and ultimately collapse.
As Gallieni worried, the phone rang.
Gallieni ignored it, not believing it was Kobudo calling, because it was only a few minutes after the scheduled speech.
The assistant answered the phone, then turned to Gallieni: "Minister, it’s Mr. Kobudo."
Gallieni had a sense of imminent trouble.
A report call just a few minutes in?
Shire was booed off the stage or argued with cadets?
Or clashed with instructors?
With trepidation, Gallieni took the phone and asked solemnly, "What happened?"
An excited Kobudo shouted from the phone: "It’s over, Minister! Shire’s speech lasted only ten minutes, unbelievable..."
Gallieni let out a disappointed "hmm": "If it doesn’t go well, just come back. We’ll find another chance, they will understand."
"No, they already understand."
"No need to hurry, Kobudo." Gallieni replied, "They will eventually agree with Shire."
"Minister," Kobudo said, "You don’t understand, I mean the cadets already agree with Shire."
"Of course I understand..." Gallieni frowned, what’s the need to repeat it so many times?
He almost hung up the phone.
Suddenly, Gallieni froze. Quickly grabbing back the phone he was about to hang up, he asked, "What? What did you say? They agree with Shire?"
"Yes." Kobudo answered excitedly: "It only took ten minutes, the cadets agree with Shire."
"Are you sure?" Gallieni looked incredulous.
"Yes, I’m sure!" Kobudo confidently replied, "I wish you were here, Minister. It was a brilliant speech, no less than any of Shire’s victories!"
