Chapter 568: This Is Not a Trap
At the Paris Defense Command Headquarters, the officers' club was abuzz with clinking glasses and joyous laughter.
In the dim light, officers engaged in animated conversations. Occasionally, someone would raise a glass and shout, "Vive la France!"
Those nearby raised their glasses in unison, echoing the sentiment, "Vive la France!"
Garrel, carrying drinks to customers, returned to the bar and spoke to Lucia, who was busy inside, "I heard Charles has been granted leave. When you see him, please thank him for me."
"What?" Lucia, busy with her hands, looked puzzled as to why Garrel wanted to thank Charles.
Garrel glanced around the club with a sense of emotion and explained, "Can't you see? The only reason we haven’t been let go is because of Charles."
Still confused, Lucia handed a finished drink to a customer and turned back to Garrel, her face filled with questions.
"Come on, Lucia," Garrel elaborated, "You know how scarce resources are these days. Many clubs have shut down!"
This was indeed true. As the number of people who could afford alcohol dwindled, many bars had closed.
The officers’ club, however, still thrived, largely because Charles often came by. Officers felt a special camaraderie when discussing Charles’ achievements here, as if he were among them, strategizing together.
So, it seemed the club's success was indeed connected to Charles.
However...
Lucia brushed her hair back and, with a mischievous expression, leaned closer to Garrel, saying, "Garrel, perhaps you should be thanking someone else!"
"Oh?" Garrel exaggeratedly raised an eyebrow, then, feigning charm, flicked his hair. "That’s unlikely, Lucia. Charles isn't coming here for you!"
"Get lost!" Lucia grabbed a rag and tossed it at him, the two breaking into laughter.
Suddenly, Garrel stifled his laughter and leaned closer to Lucia, whispering with a teasing look, "Should I try to seduce him?"
He subtly gestured toward the entrance with a nod.
Lucia turned to look. Charles, dressed in his uniform, was walking in with his head down, seemingly deep in thought.
She glared at Garrel and was about to grab her when the latter deftly smiled and slipped away.
"A cup of coffee," Charles said, then quickly changed his mind, "No, just a glass of water."
"Got it," Lucia replied.
By this time, the other officers had noticed Charles’ arrival and began cheering:
"Look! The general is here. What a stroke of luck!"
"Good to see you, General!"
"A beautiful victory—you crushed the Germans with precision!"
...
One officer raised his glass and shouted, "Gentlemen, a toast to the greatest general of France! Cheers!"
"Cheers!"
"To the General!"
...
Charles accepted the water Lucia handed him, turned, and smiled at the officers, raising his glass slightly. This simple gesture elicited another round of cheers from them.
A few overeager officers seemed ready to approach Charles to strike up a conversation, but they were promptly held back:
"Idiot! The General’s time is limited."
"The General didn’t come here for you."
"Now’s not the time to disturb him!"
Charles ignored the commotion, found an empty seat, and sat down with his glass of water. He pulled out the handkerchief Camille had prepared for him and wiped his nose, coughing lightly.
"What’s wrong?" Lucia approached with a concerned look, carrying another glass of water.
"Nothing," Charles replied. "Just caught a slight chill."
Clearly reluctant to dwell on the subject, Charles glanced around and leaned in close, lowering his voice, "Can you get information on American ships heading to Britain?"
Lucia nodded firmly. "We have people working in that area."
"Good." Charles nodded back and whispered in her ear, "Share some of that information with the Germans when the time is right."
Lucia agreed without hesitation, "No problem."
Her straightforwardness surprised Charles; he had expected her to at least question the order, given that leaking such information to Germany could be deemed treason.
Yet Lucia didn’t question or even hesitate.
Seemingly noticing Charles' surprise, Lucia smiled faintly and explained softly, "I know your ‘sonar device’ has already been equipped on naval vessels and is undergoing rigorous testing."
Charles hummed in acknowledgment.
The "Lady in White" had some remarkable skills. Knowing about the "sonar device," a highly classified military secret of the Anglo-French navies, was no small feat.
But then again, the device’s installation and testing at shipyards involved many people. Keeping it completely secret was unrealistic.
"So?" Charles asked, still unclear about the connection.
"This is a trap, isn’t it?" Lucia leaned closer, her breath warm in his ear. "By leaking the intel, you’ll lure German submarines out, making it easier to hunt them down. Clever move!"
Charles’ expression turned peculiar. After a moment’s hesitation, he replied, "Uh, yes. You’re right."
"I thought so," Lucia said, her eyes gleaming with pride.
It’s best if you think of it that way, Charles thought to himself.
This wasn’t a trap at all. The truth was, Charles had been thinking about the incident at the train station.
At this point, even France had to rely on Britain to import ammunition from America.
If this dependency wasn’t changed, the British would continue to control the French military through resources, exerting their "privileges."
Even Marshal Foch had to bow to the British under such circumstances.
To break this dependency, German submarines needed to play a pivotal role.
Only if German submarines proved a significant threat would the French "sonar detector" become indispensable.
This, in turn, would curtail the British "privileges."
Thus, Charles’ decision to leak the shipping information to Germany wasn’t a trap; it was a way to undermine Britain.
But who would ever know that?
Ultimately, the French fleet equipped with "sonar detectors" would indeed claim credit for their success, so let it be considered a "trap."
Charles hesitated again before speaking, "There’s one more thing..."
"What is it?" Lucia was puzzled; this was the first time Charles seemed hesitant.
"It’s like this," Charles said. "My parents want to meet you."
Lucia was visibly taken aback. "Meet me?"
She didn’t understand why Charles’ parents would want to meet her.
But in the next moment, realization dawned, and she looked at Charles with a mix of shock and joy. "You mean... they know about me?"
"Yes," Charles replied, his tone filled with helplessness. "They hope to have dinner with you tomorrow evening at our house."
Seeing Lucia in a daze, Charles added, "If you’re unwilling, I can turn them down..."
"No, I’m willing," Lucia interrupted, unconsciously grabbing Charles’ hand before quickly letting go, embarrassed. "I’m just... a little nervous. I don’t know what they like, or what kind of gifts to bring."
She looked to Charles for help, her eyes pleading.
Charles was stumped.
He suddenly realized he had no idea what Djoka and Camille liked.