Father of France

Chapter 120 Who are the Vietnamese most afraid of?
General Dragon no longer cared about the relationship between Eva Gardner and Corman, and simply waved for them to come upstairs to talk. They began discussing the restoration of French order over French Indochina right there on a map of Southeast Asia.

The Miao people are also a cross-border ethnic group, but compared with many northern ethnic groups in East Asia, the Miao people can be described as unlucky for thousands of years.

Koman had accumulated relevant knowledge during his time on Baidu Tieba and had a deep understanding of the tragic history of China over the past thousands of years, except for a brief period of glory during the time of Chiyou, when it was constantly being defeated by various dynasties.

Not only is their history full of hardships, but they also often appear as negative characters in film and television dramas, unless someone thinks that labels like "good at using witchcraft" or "Five Poisons Sect" are positive labels.

The Hmong people in French Indochina were actually part of the ruled class, with a similar role to their northern counterparts. Therefore, during the Vietnam War, especially during the period of American invasion, the Hmong people were inclined towards the United States.

After the Vietnam War, a large number of Hmong people from Vietnam fled to the United States and became staunch supporters of the South Vietnamese government-in-exile. Many of the "San Gun" groups in Vietnam are Hmong people who fled to the United States.

Koeman estimated that the Hmong population in Vietnam was at most around 200,000, which would be enough to form a division.

Besides the Hmong people, the Catholic community could also be utilized. This community is much larger, accounting for about 8 percent of the population in Vietnam according to French statistics. This is Ngo Dinh Diem's ​​base of support, totaling more than two million people.

This group has a much larger pool of available labor and can be considered a primary source of conscription; it wouldn't be a problem to field 100,000 armed soldiers.

General Dragon also agreed, saying that while it wasn't to say that there were no anti-French elements within the Catholic community, the Catholic community was certainly more trustworthy than other groups.

“The last one is the Chinese, but it’s not suitable to start with the Chinese right away. We must consider the influence of their motherland.” Koman pointed to East Asia and said, “Therefore, we cannot focus on this group until we understand President Chang’s attitude.”

Dracon continued, prompting Corman to elaborate on the operations of the Chinese community. France needed to confirm that the Executive Yuan had an incompetent leader before it could proceed with its operations with confidence.

Koeman was, of course, very confident in Chiang Kai-shek's performance, and had to bring up the great victory in Henan, Hunan and Guangxi as an example again, and began his current discussion on the matter of "breastfeeding Chiang."

Does Chiang Kai-shek really need criticism of his life? Isn't his low level of competence a well-known fact?
Some people say that after losing the mainland, Chiang Kai-shek fled to an isolated island and later reflected on his actions, but this is a misconception.

By the time of Chiang Kai-shek's death in the 1970s, Taiwan's military-industrial complex was still unable to manufacture 155mm artillery shells, and the artillery shells used by Chiang's troops relied entirely on American aid and imports.

At this point, nearly thirty years had passed since Chang Gong became the island's owner. Throughout this long period, Chang Gong steadfastly adhered to the principle that being a comprador was the only way to achieve independence.

It wasn't until his son came to power that the shameful history of not being able to produce its own artillery shells finally came to an end.

Even those on the island who are involved in the fraud can't find any redeeming qualities in Chang Gong, while his filial sons and grandsons outside the island have always been trying to whitewash his reputation.

"The problems he faces now are largely similar to those we face with the Viet Minh armed forces. In a sense, he is actually our ally." Koeman gave Chang Gong a high evaluation, believing that his existence was of great importance to the stability of French Indochina. "Moreover, judging from his past record, he is incompetent enough to pose no threat to French rule in Southeast Asia."

"That's not entirely true. A few million troops is a huge threat." General Dragon wasn't as confident as Corman; he felt Corman was being overly optimistic.

“Millions of troops are a problem, but if the leader is incompetent, it’s not a problem.” Koeman’s confidence was not affected by Admiral Dragon, and Chiang Kai-shek absolutely lived up to Koeman’s assessment.

Some people try to whitewash Chiang Kai-shek by citing the strength of his opponents, but Koeman knew full well that they were not even as good as a feudal dynasty. They didn't even dare to kick Japan while it was down. No matter what, France was stronger than Japan.

In terms of the strength of the Japanese army, it was only at the level of Czechoslovakia in Europe, except that it stood out among the rest in Asia.

When discussing the reliability of the President, Koeman once again focused the issue on French Indochina, saying, "We can test the President, but not too early; it can be done after the election."

"How do we test him?" Admiral Dragon knew that Coman was full of crooked ideas, but he still asked with great curiosity.

“There are many ways, such as setting up a free trade zone in Hanoi and Saigon, where Chinese and French merchants are treated equally, or simply…” Coman pointed to northern Vietnam and said, “We can choose not to do that, but we must let the Vietnamese people, especially the Viet Minh, know that France intends to do so.”

In another world, France itself offered considerable preferential conditions, including but not limited to a commitment to grant overseas Chinese in Vietnam all rights and tax exemptions no less favorable than those enjoyed by the most-favored-nation, namely the French people. This meant that overseas Chinese would continue to enjoy the preferential economic status they had received under French colonial rule.

However, France has never proposed using the Red River as a boundary. Corman did not actually want the Red River to be the boundary, but rather wanted the Vietnamese people, especially Ho Chi Minh, to know that France had voices advocating for this.

"The Vietnamese are actually more afraid of their northern neighbor than of us. France is far away, but their big brother is right here," Coman said calmly. "France ruled Vietnam for less than a hundred years, but they occupied Vietnam for a thousand years. I dare say that once the idea of ​​the Red River as the boundary comes out, the one who will be most afraid is none other than Ho Chi Minh."

Koeman thought Ho Chi Minh would definitely be frightened. The Vietnamese people's deep fear of their northern big brother was heartfelt. The Vietnamese were confident that France would let go, but if the territory was ceded to the northern big brother, the Vietnamese were not confident that they could get it back.

Admiral Dragon may not know the history of Vietnam, but that doesn't matter; Corman does, and he is very familiar with the kind of thinking that Vietnam has—a thinking even more schizophrenic than that of a major Eastern power towards Japan at a certain time.

"So Vietnam was occupied for over a thousand years." General Dracon genuinely didn't know this. It's perfectly normal for a Frenchman like him not to know; who has the time to pay attention to the history of a place thousands of miles away? In fact, he didn't even know much about the history of Syria, where he had served.

There's still time. France is still on its way. Currently, the surrender ceremony in Vietnam is being handled by the British army, and it's only taking place in southern Vietnam. The ceremony will be carried out once the French army arrives.

After helping his general father to clear his mind, General Dragon suddenly said, "The general election will probably be held in mid-October, but the exact date has not yet been set."

"Oh, that's great. Power is being returned to the people." Koman's eyes lit up. The biannual Fourth Republic government was about to begin? Now no force could restrict the military's development.

Algeria is already under military rule, and once the Fourth Republic begins, the parliamentary struggles leading to frequent changes in the Paris government will eliminate any political force capable of restricting the military. This is a great benefit to the unrestricted environment that Koeman was hoping for.

For a time, Koeman also began to look forward to the upcoming general election. If nothing unexpected happened, the French Communist Party should have the upper hand in the first general election after the war, and together with the Socialist Party, they should have more than half of the seats.

If this situation arises, coupled with the Viet Minh in French Indochina, France could then legitimately demand military aid from the United States. If the United States refuses, the Francophone world might turn to the Soviet Union.

If the United States is unwilling to part with hundreds of millions of dollars in military aid, increasing the likelihood that the French-speaking world will side with the Soviet Union, then Koeman has nothing to say.

Eva Gardner, having just arrived in Paris and being unfamiliar with the place, temporarily stayed at Admiral Dragon's home after receiving a very sincere invitation from Corman.

"Keep it down, someone might hear us," Ava Gardner whispered a warning to the man on top of her, trembling at the thought of living under the same roof as the Koman family.

"I'm willing to give anything for you." Koman's words made Ava Gardner suppress her resistance, and she could only try to keep her voice down.

Koeman was not one to make empty promises; he was adept at combining public and private interests and having two families to support. The very next day, he began to leverage his father's power to help Eva Gardner conquer the French luxury goods stronghold.

Good news soon arrived; for Eva Gardner, this was no ordinary day.

Scattered throughout Louis Vuitton's vast exhibition hall are dozens of black-and-white photographs, each capturing the same woman—Eva Gardner—and her unparalleled beauty at different ages and under different lighting: sometimes laughing, her eyes sparkling with wild abandon; sometimes gazing intently, her deep pupils filled with the melancholy and desire of the world; the pearls around her neck and the cigarette at her fingertips constitute the ultimate definition of sexiness and elegance in an era.

Louis Vuitton's Vice President, Mr. Delacroix, lightly brushed his fingertips over a photograph of her smiling profile, as if he could touch its luster. He turned to the editors-in-chief of various media outlets and fashion critics waiting in the room, his voice slightly low with excitement: "Ladies and gentlemen."

“Since its founding in 1821, Louis Vuitton has been committed to pursuing a beauty that transcends time. It is not a fleeting trend, but a fervent and eternal radiance deeply rooted in the soul. What we seek is never just an ambassador, but a resonance of souls, an embodiment of the spirit of an era, a legend whose very existence is the most perfect interpretation of the ‘light’ of our century-old heritage.”

A huge velvet curtain slowly descended. The lights focused, and the giant poster on the wall was finally revealed. In the huge photograph, she tilted her head slightly, a mysterious and captivating smile playing on her lips. Her eyes were both innocent and alluring, as if they could pierce through the lens and look directly into the hearts of everyone who looked at her.

"Let us welcome Ms. Ava Gardner!" Delacroix shouted, and Ava Gardner appeared before the crowd, dressed in a simple black velvet dress.

Koman, amidst the cheers and applause, gave the most enthusiastic applause to the beautiful woman who appeared in the center of the spotlight, saying, "Isn't she beautiful?"

(End of this chapter)