Make France Great Again-Chapter 856 - 847: Espionage Under Intelligence

On the other hand, Earl of Clarion, who returned to the Foreign Ministry, also acted quickly. Under his orders, the subordinate telegraph office affiliated with the British Foreign Ministry sent Prime Minister Palmerston’s orders via telegraph to the British Embassy in Paris.

The telegraph took only a few seconds to cross the British Channel and reach the British Embassy in France.

The telegraph operator, who had been stationed beside the telegraph machine for years, immediately perked up when he heard the familiar "tick-tock" sound. The dip pen in his hand continued to write every character represented by the telegram signal on paper.

After it stopped, the telegraph operator carefully checked the content of the telegram to prevent errors during transcription.

After reading the telegram, the operator nodded to the telegrapher beside him, then took the telegram alone and left the telegraph room.

Walking from the telegraph room to the hall, the operator quickly found the military officer on duty in the embassy hall and asked where Ambassador Kaotz was now.

"Ambassador Kaotz should be at the opera house enjoying the opera!" The military officer thought for a moment before responding to the operator.

"Please find him immediately and tell him that the British Foreign Ministry has just sent a telegram!" the operator pleaded with the officer.

"May I see the contents of the telegram?" the officer asked the operator.

"Of course!" The operator handed the telegram to the officer.

After glancing at the telegram’s content, the officer showed a surprised expression, and after a while, he raised his head and hurriedly responded to the operator, "I’ll go tell the ambassador right away!"

"Thank you!" The operator slightly nodded in response to the officer.

The officer quickly left the embassy and took a carriage to Paris’ largest opera house, and his actions were noticed by the plainclothes agent lurking at the gate of the British Embassy in France.

Watching the hurried officer, the plainclothes agent was sure the officer had something urgent to do.

Therefore, the agent also called for a horse to closely follow behind the officer’s carriage.

The carriage carrying the officer arrived at the entrance of the opera house, and when the officer got off the carriage and tried to enter the opera house, he was stopped by the gatekeeper.

The two gatekeepers informed the officer that no one could enter without a ticket.

The officer had no choice but to spend time buying a ticket. After purchasing the ticket, he entered the opera house without any obstacles.

Seeing the officer enter the opera house, the plainclothes agent hurried back to the National Intelligence Bureau to inform his superior of the matter.

Upon hearing his description, the superior indifferently said to the agent, "He’s just going to the opera house! What’s the big deal!"

"I don’t think that officer went to listen to a play!" The agent replied to his superior.

"If not to listen to a play, then what else?" The superior retorted.

"It’s..." The agent hesitated for a moment before replying to his superior, "I don’t know from the intelligence I currently have, but I’m sure they must have something going on!"

"Then what are you going to do? Arrest them?" The superior impatiently waved his hand and responded to the agent.

"We have to investigate at least!" The agent cautiously suggested.

"Investigate? How? Go into the British Embassy in France?" The superior again dashed cold water on the agent, then pretended to be more experienced and replied, "I advise you not to be so inflexible!"

"I..." The agent left his superior’s office unwillingly.

As he walked down the corridor, he still felt a bit unwilling and bit his lip as he headed upstairs to the office of Marcel Yale, Director of the National Intelligence Bureau.

Meanwhile, the officer who entered the opera house quickly scanned the surroundings. After finding no sign of Ambassador Kaotz in the audience, he quickly found a staff member of the opera house.

"Excuse me, is Lord Kaotz, the British Ambassador, here?" the officer politely asked the staff member.

After examining the officer, the staff member replied, "What business do you have with Lord Kaotz?"

"Don’t worry about what my business is; I just want to know if Ambassador Kaotz is here. If he is, please take me to him immediately!" The officer commanded the staff member in a firm tone.

"Alright then!" The staff member looked up and down at the officer, found that he was likely a dignitary, and agreed to the officer’s request.

The two walked one after another to the door of a box, and the staff member whispered to the officer, "Lord Kaotz is inside!"

The officer stepped forward and gently knocked on the box door.

"Who is it?" Ambassador Kaotz’s displeased voice came from inside the box, and the officer hurriedly responded, "Ambassador, it’s me!"

Inside the box, Ambassador Kaotz, upon hearing the officer’s voice, hurriedly gestured to the lady sitting on his lap to sit to the side.

The lady showed a touch of disappointment and sat beside Ambassador Kaotz.

Ambassador Kaotz slightly adjusted his clothes and said toward the outside, "Please come in!"

The Military Officer entered the box and saw Ambassador Kaots with the lady inside. A look of realization appeared on his face.

"Is there something urgent that brought you here suddenly?" Ambassador Kaots asked the Military Officer in a calm tone.

The Military Officer had no choice but to softly hint to Ambassador Kaots, "Mr. Kaots, a letter from home has arrived from London and is now at the embassy!"

Upon hearing the hint, Ambassador Kaots nodded immediately to the Military Officer and said, "Understood! You go back first! I will be there shortly!"

"Yes!" The Military Officer quickly responded to Ambassador Kaots and then left the box.

Ambassador Kaots politely apologized to the lady beside him, "I’m sorry, I can’t accompany you any longer!"

The lady smiled understandingly and said to Ambassador Kaots, "It’s okay! Your Excellency, we can meet next time!"

After Ambassador Kaots left, the lady also departed.

A carriage with unclear interiors stopped right in front of the lady. She opened the door and got in.

Inside the carriage, a man dressed in a brown coat sat across from the lady and asked, "Why did Ambassador Kaots leave early this time?"

"A Military Officer from their embassy came, looking like there was something urgent requiring Kaots’ attention! I don’t know the specifics!" the lady said to the man.

The man took out a note and handed it to the lady, thanking her, "Thank you very much for the clues you provided!"

The lady accepted the payment and then emphasized, "I do this not for myself, but for all of France!"

"I know! You are a true patriot," the man praised with a smile.

The carriage dropped the lady off near her residence and continued to the National Intelligence Bureau.

After entering the National Intelligence Bureau, the man also went upstairs.

In Marcel Yale’s office, he saw Director Marcel Yale with someone he didn’t recognize.

Indeed, it was the plainclothes officer from earlier. Marcel Yale was deep in thought, while the officer opposite him was already sweating heavily.

"You have arrived!" Marcel Yale said after hearing some noise at the door, glancing at the man.

"Director, I have some news regarding Ambassador Kaots!" the man said to Marcel Yale.

"Ambassador Kaots?" Marcel Yale glanced at the plainclothes officer and then tossed a cigarette from the table to the man, "Smoke it!"

The man skillfully took the cigarette and lit it up. Soon, the room was filled with a choking smell, but the man’s face showed a content expression.

"You can speak now," Marcel Yale said to the man.

The man relayed the intelligence his secret source had given him to Marcel Yale.

"Is that all?" Marcel Yale wanted to probe for more information.

"That’s all!" the man responded and then added, "However, I have a contact at the British Embassy! If you’re willing to take some risks, it’s possible to gather more information!"

Marcel Yale thought for a moment, concluding that using secret lines wasn’t worthwhile.

Since the daily telegraphs sent from London were generally not confidential, the Intelligence Bureau had no obligation to take such risks.

"Never mind! That secret line should be saved for capturing the British spies lurking in Paris!" Marcel Yale said to the man.

The man shrugged, indifferently finishing his remaining cigarette.

The plainclothes officer’s face showed a hint of disappointment, his effort seemingly nullified at the moment Marcel Yale announced halting the investigation. He originally wanted to tell Marcel Yale about the secret line he had inside the embassy.

Just as the plainclothes officer was feeling down, Marcel Yale’s reassuring voice reached his ears as he kindly inquired the plainclothes officer’s name.

"Felix Soto!" the plainclothes officer stammered in response to Marcel Yale.

"Mr. Felix Soto, you may return to your office now and inform your boar-headed superior that he should start packing his bags for logistics work!" Marcel Yale said sternly, "The National Intelligence Bureau doesn’t need someone who is insensitive to intelligence on this important post!"

He paused for a moment, his face regaining its previous warmth, "As for you, Felix Soto, you will be the one to replace him!"

Felix Soto’s lips quivered upon hearing Marcel Yale’s appointment, feeling the urge to kiss Marcel Yale’s shoes to show his respect, "Director, I... I will definitely not fail your trust! Please rest assured!"

"Yes, yes, yes!" Marcel Yale nodded to Felix Soto, "I am looking forward to your performance! I hope you don’t let me down! If you disappoint me, I dare promise you will meet your boar-headed superior again!"

"Yes, Director!"

Deputy Section Chief Felix Soto officially assumed office.