I Became a Tycoon During World War I: Saving France from the Start

Chapter 45: Meeting You Isn't Easy

Charles was escorted home by a crowd of concerned neighbors. Thanks to his timely alert, Teddy had become an instant hero, showered with praise, and even received a kiss on his chubby cheek from the lovely Mrs. Chatham. Charles couldn't help but feel a pang of jealousy; after all, wasn't he the one who'd been almost kidnapped? Surely he deserved the comfort and attention!

As soon as he arrived home, Deyoka rushed back, having heard the news. Camille was furious, angrily pushing Deyoka as she blamed him for Charles's "ordeal," convinced that if he hadn't let Charles return alone, none of this would have happened.

Charles, however, didn't think it would've made much difference. The men had guns—what could Deyoka have done? Still, Charles had a growing suspicion that this might have been a misunderstanding.

If these were hired killers sent by rival capitalists, they wouldn't have been so obvious. They wore tailored suits and fine silk ties that stood out in the modest town of Davos. And if they'd really meant to harm him, they could have simply shot him after confirming his identity instead of trying to take him away. Even if they were low-level kidnappers after ransom, they'd probably have concealed themselves with sunglasses and upturned coat collars, but these men hadn't.

As evening fell, Charles, exhausted and shaken, had no intention of returning to the factory, and Camille wouldn't have allowed it anyway. After a quick meal of bread, he took a bath, put on his pajamas, and crawled into bed. But perhaps due to the lingering adrenaline, he found himself unable to sleep, tossing and turning.

Meanwhile, Deyoka and Camille sat anxiously at the dining table, concealing their worry earlier so as not to alarm Charles.

"They might come back," Camille whispered, fear evident in her eyes. "And we don't even know who they are!"

"Don't worry, Camille," Deyoka reassured her. "From now on, I swear I won't leave Charles's side!"

Camille nodded but couldn't shake her fear. Those men lurked in the shadows; if they wanted to harm Charles, they could find an opportunity unless he never left the house again.

Just then, distant barking echoed from outside, followed by the faint glow of headlights and the sound of an engine. An approaching car stopped in front of the house.

The atmosphere turned tense. Deyoka gestured for silence, cautiously moving to the window and peeking out.

Seeing three figures stepping out of the car, he quickly grabbed the double-barrel shotgun off the wall and fumbled through a drawer for ammunition.

As he loaded the gun, he spoke to Camille in a voice that left no room for debate: "Go upstairs and stay with Charles!"

Camille, pale with fear, covered her mouth to stifle a scream and scrambled up the stairs. To her surprise, she saw Charles at the other end.

"Father!" Charles said calmly, trying to defuse Deyoka's reaction. "They might not be here to cause trouble. If they were, why would they come to a small town with only three people?"

Deyoka paused, realizing Charles might be right. Their neighbors had come to help just that afternoon, and these three wouldn't stand a chance if they caused trouble now.

Still, he didn't lower his guard. Standing by the doorframe with his shotgun, he called out, "Who are you, and what do you want?"

One of the men stepped forward and said in a low voice, "Mr. Deyoka, General Gallieni wishes to speak with Charles."

Deyoka's eyes widened. Gallieni? The general wanted to see Charles?

He peered through the crack in the door, squinting to see the figures outside. Though the dim light obscured their faces, he saw an elderly man with a commanding presence, leaning on a cane. His suspicion turned to astonishment, and he slowly unlocked the door, cautiously opening it just enough to let in the light.

When it shone on the old man's face, Deyoka gasped and threw the door open.

"General Gallieni! It's truly an honor!"

"Please, come in, General. My apologies."

Gallieni remained outside, casting a curious glance at the shotgun in Deyoka's hands.

Realizing his mistake, Deyoka quickly unloaded the gun and set it down on the table. "Apologies, General—we thought you might be…"

"Assailants?" Gallieni raised an eyebrow. "My guards already got a taste of that this afternoon."

Deyoka suddenly realized the "kidnapping" was likely a misunderstanding. Glancing at the two men behind Gallieni, he noticed their bruised faces, and he couldn't help but feel a twinge of sympathy; they must have been the "suspects" who'd gotten pummeled by the neighbors.

Upstairs, Camille, still holding onto Charles, hadn't heard what was said and assumed Deyoka had been forced to put down his gun. Trembling, she tried to pull Charles into hiding.

"It's General Gallieni, Mother!" Charles reassured her. "It's all right; it was a misunderstanding."

Charles had seen Gallieni's picture in the papers, so he'd recognized him immediately, even though he was in plain clothes.

"Gallieni? It can't be…"

Just then, Gallieni stepped inside, removed his hat, and handed it to his companion, the light finally illuminating his face. Camille gasped, "Oh my, it really is him—General Gallieni! But… why…?"

Gallieni glanced upstairs and gave a polite nod to both Camille and Charles. "My apologies, Madame Bernard, and to you as well, Charles. I hope this afternoon's incident didn't alarm you too much. My men aren't exactly trained for these situations."

Caught off guard, Camille stood speechless. She still couldn't quite believe that such a prominent figure would suddenly appear in their home. She stared blankly until Charles nudged her, snapping her back to her senses.

"No, General, of course not…" She stumbled over her words, overwhelmed. "It's… an honor, truly. We're… doing well!"

Charles raised an eyebrow, thinking, You almost jumped out the window a moment ago.

Gallieni's gaze settled on Charles, his tone calm yet inquisitive. "You're Charles, I presume? May I have a word with you?"

"Certainly, General," Charles replied, heading downstairs.

Suddenly, they heard a voice from outside calling out, "Is everything all right, Mr. Deyoka?"

The neighbors, it seemed, had noticed the activity and were worried. Like Deyoka, they'd readied their shotguns, with ammunition loaded, just in case.

"Yes, everything's fine!" Deyoka quickly leaned out the window to reassure them. After a moment's hesitation, he added, "Just some clients, Daniel—they're here on business."

Satisfied, the neighbor replied, "Just give a shout if you need anything, Deyoka. We're all here!"

"Thank you," Deyoka called back gratefully.

Gallieni gave an exasperated chuckle and looked at Charles, who was making his way down the stairs. "Meeting you isn't easy, Charles. I came at considerable risk to my own life!"

(End of Chapter)

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