[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-i-became-a-tycoon-during-world-war-i-saving-fran":3,"chapter-i-became-a-tycoon-during-world-war-i-saving-fran-i-became-a-tycoon-during-world-war-i-saving-fran-chapter-565":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","I Became a Tycoon During World War I: Saving France from the Start",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},1335533,1779,"Chapter 565: The British Priority","i-became-a-tycoon-during-world-war-i-saving-fran-chapter-565",565,"\u003Cp>Charles handed over command of the Sixth Army Group to Christine. He had planned to dry his uniform and then head to Paris to enjoy his granted leave.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But before he could leave, he received a telegram from Pétain:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Unbelievable—Foch has become the Commander-in-Chief. Foch!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"His offensive theory has already been proven disastrously wrong. The army suffered heavy losses under his unrealistic strategies, and yet they chose him for the highest command?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Compared to your victories, his contributions are negligible. Especially after what you achieved at the Somme… and still, they made this decision!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Charles read the message carefully. Beneath the outrage, he could feel something more: provocation. Pétain wanted Charles to challenge Foch—to clash with him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Charles, of course, wasn't going to fall for it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He replied:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I was surprised as well, General. I always thought you were the best candidate for Commander-in-Chief—and I still do.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I may have some achievements, but as others have said, my age remains an issue. I still need more experience. And more importantly, I cannot fully sever ties with capitalist interests.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"To be honest, I'd rather give up being a soldier altogether and live as a simple businessman. Sometimes I don't even know why I'm here—why I keep doing all this. I could be resting at home, enjoying life, yet I'm knee-deep in mud and danger.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I also feel that your contributions at Verdun haven't received the recognition they deserve. General, you could say you saved France!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Charles's words, on the surface, sounded like humble complaints. But in truth, he was sending Pétain a clear message:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I'm not competing for the top. I know Parliament will never give me that position. But you—you saved Verdun. You're a national hero. Why would they choose Foch over you?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the end, Pétain's attempt to drive a wedge between Charles and Foch backfired—Charles turned the wedge toward him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Pétain received the telegram, he furiously slammed his coffee cup onto the table. The porcelain cracked, and coffee splashed everywhere, soaking the paperwork.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His aides hurried forward to clean up the mess.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pétain stood in silence by the window, staring out at the distant German lines. He muttered bitterly:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"While we fought the Germans, Foch sat in a warm office, smoking cigars. He did nothing but slander Charles—and now he's the Commander-in-Chief.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So enraged was he, he failed to realize the irony: it was precisely because Foch attacked Charles that he got the position.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Had Pétain recognized that, he might have started connecting the dots.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Instead, something ironic had formed: Pétain and Foch were now rivals, yet both were also, in some way, allies of Charles.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dusk settled. Charles's convoy made its way through the rain-soaked countryside, bumping along uneven roads.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It consisted of his signals team and personal guard—three trucks and one staff car—heading for the railway station.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He could've taken a plane to Paris, but at this time of year, flying meant sitting exposed in an open cockpit in the freezing rain. Charles figured he'd be half-dead from cold before he even arrived.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What he didn't expect was that traveling by train—especially wartime train—would be just as complicated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The station was located in the town of Saint-Saëns, 15 kilometers from the front line. This was far enough to be safe from German 105mm artillery, but close enough to serve as a vital logistics hub.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was where reinforcements and supplies were brought in—and where wounded from the front were gathered to be sent back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Charles's convoy rolled into town, the streets were packed with wounded. Some were lightly injured, others severely so.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Most had nothing but a rain poncho over their heads. Many huddled under eaves, hugging their coats to stay warm, shaking from the cold. Others slumped in doorways, unmoving—either asleep or already dead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Doctors, nurses, and volunteers trudged through the rain like the living dead, dragging their feet from exhaustion. But the sheer number of patients overwhelmed them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The wounded stared longingly at the convoy heading for the station, eyes filled with unspoken pleas, as if hoping the vehicles might take them too.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Charles sighed. These must be the soldiers who had been wounded under Nivelle's command, back when casualties were unmanageable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What Charles didn't yet know was that this was only part of the problem.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The closer they got to the station, the more wounded they saw.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Outside the station, crowds of injured soldiers packed the area shoulder to shoulder. Only heavily armed troops were able to maintain order, barely keeping a corridor open so Charles's convoy could pass through.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then Charles noticed something odd.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Why are all the guards and order enforcers British soldiers?\" he asked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The poor visibility made it hard to see clearly, but British soldiers were easy to identify by their distinctive dome-shaped helmets.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I'm not sure, General,\" said his aide Adrian. \"Perhaps it's because the British are in charge of logistics?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Charles made a noncommittal \"hmm.\" It was a reasonable explanation. At this point, the French army relied heavily on British logistics—especially under Nivelle, who had essentially been Britain's puppet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But soon, Charles realized that the British had been given much more than some authority.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the convoy reached the train, they were stopped by a British officer. He shined his flashlight over Adrian's pass, then lazily waved them forward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Car five. Move it!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His tone was rude, his attitude dismissive—even toward Charles.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Adrian's brow furrowed. This man had no idea who he was talking to.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The guards were equally furious. Several had already gripped their rifles, ready to teach the officer a lesson. But Charles raised a hand to stop them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Causing a commotion at the station would only slow things down. In war, delays meant lost lives.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But then, as Charles climbed onto car five, something else caught his eye.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He stopped with one foot inside the carriage, turned back, and scanned the area.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"General?\" Adrian asked, stopping behind him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Charles narrowed his eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Have you noticed… everyone around here is British wounded?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Adrian looked around, puzzled. \"Maybe this train is just for British evacuees?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Charles shook his head, his gaze growing colder.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Then why are all the wounded waiting outside French?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In that moment, he understood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The British were using their control over logistics—and over Nivelle's administrative system—to secure priority evacuation for their own men.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thank you for the support, friends. If you want to read more chapters in advance, go to my Patreon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Read 30 Chapters In Advance: patreon.com\u002FFranklin1\u003C\u002Fp>",1078,"2026-06-05T20:02:33.312Z",1,"novelbin.me","83d6be65a5f7268e542c723541bd375d361dad34c48a0f2065e89183518cdfd4","i-became-a-tycoon-during-world-war-i-saving-fran-chapter-566","i-became-a-tycoon-during-world-war-i-saving-fran-chapter-564",622,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fi-became-a-tycoon-during-world-war-i-saving-fran-cover.jpg"]