Chapter 290: The Art of Persuasion
Géprat had a good temper; he did not trouble Robeck but instead discussed the next phase of the coordinated attack with Rear Admiral Robeck with great courtesy.
However, Géprat made a statement to Robeck: "General, although Charles is a colonel, I believe that for such a talented commander, it is not appropriate for us to impose orders and battle plans on him. This would be akin to tying his hands in combat. Do you agree with this?"
Géprat was, in fact, tactfully informing Robeck that the battle plan they were discussing was not final and that Charles would need to agree to it in the end.
"I completely agree, General," Robeck replied.
Although he was somewhat displeased, he did not show it in the end.
After all, Charles was quite famous in France. If Robeck forced him into battle, not only would it likely fail, but it could also introduce uncertainty into the Anglo-French alliance.
...
Charles's fleet returned after nightfall.
This was because Tijani, anticipating that the battle might extend into the night, had added nighttime training to their schedule.
As the fleet anchored and settled, a signalman reported, "Colonel, General Robeck has sent a signal. He wishes to board and visit you."
Charles smiled. "Finally, he couldn't resist."
Tijani, who was on the deck summarizing the training experience with the soldiers, also heard the news. He rushed over with excitement, exclaiming, "Wow! I heard that Rear Admiral Robeck of the Royal Navy is coming aboard. Do you think he's coming to beg for the French army to go die on the battlefield?"
Although Tijani was seven years older than Charles, sometimes he appeared even more childish than Charles.
...
Charles had intentionally set up a reception scene. He and Tijani, accompanied by several officers from the 105th Regiment, stood in neat rows on the deck to greet Robeck.
Under the lights, Charles shook hands with Robeck, his face full of sincerity, and smiled. "Welcome aboard, General. We are waiting for your orders, and for your inspection."
Robeck looked at Charles and the French officers in front of him with some confusion. They stood under the two machine guns they had for self-defense, yet all of them stood tall with puffed chests.
After hesitating for a moment, Robeck seemed to understand Charles's subtle hint: The British were only worthy of this level of reception.
Sensing the humiliation, Robeck frowned, about to lose his temper, but O'Connell quickly stepped forward, cutting him off: "Colonel, we have brought you some gifts."
With a wave of his hand, the soldiers behind him brought a crate of wine and placed it on the deck.
"Sorry, General," Charles glanced at the "gifts" and replied, "I cannot accept such gifts. I do not wish to lead a battle while drunk."
The French officers behind him could not help but let out a knowing chuckle.
Robeck felt somewhat embarrassed, realizing that Charles had, in another way, mocked their lack of professionalism.
But it was indeed the case. Despite Britain still being the world's leading power, internal corruption and bureaucratic inefficiency within the military had reached a scandalous level.
The Boer War, not long ago, was a clear example.
(Note: The Boer War took place in 1896. The two small South African nations of Transvaal and Orange, with a combined population of only 440,000, were fought against by the British, who mobilized forces from Britain, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, totaling 450,000 troops. It took them two and a half years to win, suffering enormous losses. This war was referred to as "Britain's last shame.")
Charles's meeting room was piled with documents, maps, and models. The blackboard was cluttered with training subjects and some tactical plans, giving it a somewhat messy appearance.
However, Charles was proud of it. After inviting Robeck and his group to sit, he looked around and said, "As you can see, General, we are actively preparing for battle, but we may still need a little more time."
Robeck fell silent. After boarding, he did indeed feel the tense atmosphere of training, indicating that Charles and his team were not slacking off as he had expected.
In contrast, the HMS Queen Elizabeth seemed to be in a constant state of peace and indulgence, almost disregarding the urgency of battle.
The Queen Elizabeth was like an aristocratic officer, boasting the thickest armor and the largest-caliber guns. Yet, in every battle, she would always stay at the safest distance, carrying out bombings from a position well outside the enemy’s gun range.
For some reason, Robeck, who had prepared a set of remarks, suddenly found himself at a loss for words.
As the silence hung in the air, O'Connell smiled and interjected, "We have always known that, Colonel. That’s why we’ve come—to discuss how we can coordinate our forces. As you know, our army is made up of many different elements, some of which cannot even communicate with each other. We are concerned that if the 105th Regiment is thrown into battle, there may be friendly fire."
"Yes," Robeck replied expressionlessly. "So, we need to know your plans—when you intend to attack, from where you will attack, and so on."
This was a clever piece of persuasion. On the surface, it seemed like a simple request for a battle plan, but in reality, it was intended to force Charles to set the time for the attack.
Charles was, of course, not easily fooled. He replied nonchalantly, "I believe it is too early to discuss these matters, General. My soldiers are not yet accustomed to the local climate, and their training is still insufficient. I heard that..."
Charles turned to Tijani, "The Allied landing forces have trained for nearly a month in Egypt before attacking the Dardanelles?"
"Yes," Tijani replied, "It seems to have been 28 days. I'm not too sure."
In fact, they had trained for over a month, but Tijani deliberately said "28 days" to mock the British for waiting 28 days before daring to launch a substantial attack after the war had already started, while their earlier efforts had been ineffective.
Robeck, who was quick to catch the underlying meaning, instantly turned red in the face, his expression livid. He glared at Charles and Tijani.
Charles, however, acted as if he hadn’t noticed, continuing with a pleasant and calm tone, "General, if after such a long time of training and preparation, your forces still encounter difficulties and failures during the landing, I believe we should at least be prepared for the same amount of time."
In his heart, he thought, You think you can play hardball with me? You don’t know the ways of the Chinese!
"Yes," Tijani added seriously from the side, "The French army cannot be stronger than the British army, and will probably need more time to train..."
"Enough!" Robeck exploded in anger, rising to his feet. "A month of training? By then, the war could be over, Colonel!"
Charles smiled indifferently, "General, how about a bet? Let’s see if the war will end in a month."
This war historically dragged on until January of the following year, ending with the full withdrawal of the Entente forces.
But Robeck believed it would all be over in just one more month.