Father of France

Chapter 196 Scapegoat

The Dutch East Indies were certainly not a French colony, but does that mean regional cooperation was impossible? There is absolutely no such logic.

Sometimes we can't limit our perspective to the colonial sphere. The United States was pushing for liberalization, so wouldn't it be foolish for France to obediently stay within the bounds of the law?
History has repeatedly proven that overly obedient people have little value in united front work; in fact, they are often dragged out to take the blame.

The reason why the United States only has Lockheed Martin left is entirely because the United States has never guaranteed the major aircraft manufacturers, which has led to the fact that only this one fighter jet supplier remains.

It's likely that aircraft manufacturers facing difficulties from the military is a common problem worldwide, not just in the United States.

Shenyang Aircraft Corporation (SAC) is a direct victim. In each bidding process, SAC has been tricked more than once. When bidding for the fourth-generation fighter jet, in order to meet the bidding requirements and controllable 60-degree angle of attack, SAC developed a three-sided wing, which resulted in exceeding the weight limit.

Chengdu Aircraft Industry Group (CAC) believes this requirement is completely unreasonable, as if they don't know how to take other indicators into account, and as a result, the controllable 60-degree angle of attack indicator is no longer important.

The J-10 project, which went back further, initially prioritized maneuverability, even at the cost of sacrificing radar. Shenyang Aircraft Corporation listened to this, but ended up losing to Chengdu Aircraft Corporation.

Similar incidents had occurred much earlier, and the units that set the targets often refused to acknowledge them, claiming it was Shenyang Aircraft Corporation's own problem.

The reason why Shenfei can still thrive in the 21st century is not only due to its own inherent strength, but also thanks to the Flanker series.

However, the Sukhoi Design Bureau, the parent company of the Flanker series, had almost the same experience as Shenyang Aircraft Corporation in the Soviet Union. They were repeatedly challenged by the ever-increasing performance requirements of the Soviet Air Force. In the end, it was Simonov who made the most of the existing foundation to create a classic masterpiece.

The new bomber has been delayed for a long time. Judging from the emergence of the J-36 and J-50, there should not be any technical difficulties. It is highly likely that some unrealistic requirements have been put forward.

Another possibility is that bombers were deemed to have limited use in future wars and were therefore cancelled altogether.

Not to mention China and the Soviet Union, Dassault also faced this problem. France was unable to afford Dassault's heavy fighter project, leading to the termination of the Mirage 4000 and the transfer of technology to the medium-sized Rafale.

The decision was made by France, so what responsibility does Dassault bear? They were given only a limited number of cards to play, and they prepared only one meal, yet they expect two tables of people to eat it.

Although Koeman had only a vague understanding of the purpose of the third engine in the Chengdu Aircraft Industry Group project and the all-moving wingtip of Shenyang Aircraft Corporation, he was still very familiar with the common problems of air forces around the world.

France's value in the Cold War was based on its perceived disobedience; by keeping Britain out of the European Community, France could be guaranteed to subjugate it. Koeman believed that, all things going smoothly, Britain would only be valuable before the Suez Canal War; after that, Britain would be useless to France.

After Borland's promotion in Lefebvre, he felt Koeman's reliance on him, and it was impossible for him to remain idle. He was given the mission of arresting the remnants of the Maastricht Party.

The nature of this party is quite clear; to put it simply, it is the longest-standing enemy of the Communist Party of Indonesia.

Masyumei Party is currently the most prominent right-wing political party in Indonesia, belonging to the right wing of the republican faction. They oppose cooperation with the Communist Party of Indonesia and are ideologically anti-socialist and pro-Western. Sukiman himself later served as Prime Minister of Indonesia.

The most important goal is to establish a purely Islamic state. Clearly, for Koman, who has already dragged West Java towards slash-and-burn agriculture, this party is a very serious threat. Letting this party go would be irresponsible towards the significance of this operation.

Furthermore, if he were to let this party off the hook, it would be tantamount to having eyewitnesses to a murder, which is absolutely intolerable to the perfectionist Koeman.

The operation in Jakarta was not as violent as in the rural areas, but it had to be done, and Borlang took over Koman's task.

“Everything we do today is in preparation for the future. I believe you are aware of the prevailing beliefs in the overseas departments. I won’t spell it out too clearly, but we all know that perhaps one day France will have to consider things from the worst-case scenario.”

Koeman calmly instructed, "Of course, we will do our best to avoid this situation. These remnants are your responsibility. I have my own tasks, and we will divide the work and share good news later."

Borlang gave the order and left, while Koman waited for news, occasionally taking out the waist knife he had brought to Java this time, saying, "If I don't kill two big shots, this knife may not be of much value in the future."

There are only a few channels for external objects to appreciate in value. The simplest way is to appear in a major event. Koman still felt that killing a few people was very meaningful in order to increase the value of his collection.

Almost simultaneously, the French gendarmerie in Jakarta received the latest operational orders, and all units immediately set out to search for the target.

Rahman, enjoying a rare moment of peace and quiet at home while sipping sweet tea, was now receiving news that the US consulate in Jakarta was critical of the coalition's military operations in Java and seemed to have its own ideas about the military actions of Britain, France, and the Netherlands. This presented an opportunity for the Maas-US party.

If captured, Sukiman, the leader, will not only be released, but Indonesia's independence will also gain further sympathy from the United States.

"Difficulties are only temporary," Rahman encouraged himself, taking a sip of sweet tea and savoring its rich aroma. Just then...

A series of unusually heavy and orderly footsteps echoed down the street, interspersed with the low growl of an engine. Mr. Rahman's fingers paused, his teacup hovering in mid-air.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!" The violent knocking, or rather, pounding, shattered the morning tranquility. "Open the door! In the name of the law!"

Rahman's heart sank. His wife peeked out from the inner room in alarm, but he stopped her with a look. He took a deep breath, adjusted his hat, and slowly walked toward the door.

The door opened. Outside, the sunlight was blinding, casting shadows of heavily armed men. The muzzles of the guns were slightly lowered, fanning out to block all possible escape routes.

The leading French soldier immediately noticed Rahman's hat. This man was Boran, and he muttered in surprise, "That kind of top hat? Never mind, you're Rahman?"

Borran wanted to ask, "What kind of person are you to be wearing a top hat similar to that of a French soldier?" But then he thought better of it; this wasn't the right occasion for such a question.

Rahman nodded, his calm inquiry tinged with a deliberate maintenance of dignity. "Sir, it's me. What can I do for you?"

Borlang unfolded the document in his hand, which bore the still-wet seal of the Allied Command. "According to the Emergency Law on Maintaining Public Order, you are accused of sedition and disrupting public order. You need to come with us."

By this time, the neighbors had been awakened. Some quietly opened their windows, while others gathered at the street corner, watching everything with fear.

"Inciting rebellion?" Rahman smiled faintly. "I am merely proclaiming the teachings of God and hoping that our country will follow the path of justice."

“Your ‘path of justice’ is, in our view, an opposition to the civilized world. I suspect the remnants of the Masyomei Party bear undeniable responsibility for the previous attacks in the Christian community. The military court will not tolerate such behavior.” Borran remained unmoved and waved his hand. “Search the entire house! Take them away!”

The military police roughly pushed Rahman aside and rushed into the house. Immediately, the sounds of ransacking filled the air; books and documents were thrown roughly to the floor, and furniture was overturned. The cries of Rahman's wife and children could be heard from inside.

Two military police officers grabbed Rahman's arms, one on each side. His hat fell to the ground in the scuffle.

As he was being loaded onto the military truck, Rahman's gaze swept over his angry and helpless neighbors. He wasn't alone; there were other Masyome Party members in the truck.

The engine started, and the truck drove away, escorted by an armed jeep. The dust it kicked up blurred the vision of onlookers.

"You mean? The Maastricht Party was still able to contact the US consulate while its leader was imprisoned?" Koeman listened to Borlang's report with a playful expression. "See? The saviors that some of our politicians consider their own are now undermining the foundations of European countries. I remember the Roosevelt administration's comments about French Indochina during the war."

“That’s truly shocking,” Borland replied succinctly. “Should we check with the US consulate?”

"Confirm what? Confirm whether the Americans are denying it?"

Koeman muttered dismissively, "The US and the Soviet Union are clearly one acting openly and the other covertly. The Soviet Union is still recovering from the war and can't reach Southeast Asia yet. So, in terms of preventing being stabbed in the back, we should be wary of the Soviet Union, but we should be even more wary of the US."

“Draft a confession report and have him sign it. Once the case is closed and the report is signed, take him out and shoot him. Announce that the Masyomei Party is responsible for the previous attacks on Christian communities and ban all party activities in Java.”

With a wave of his hand, Coman decided the fate of the imprisoned Maastricht Party members, explaining to Borland, "It won't be long before the US consulate learns about the Vietnamese National Army's crucifixion in the countryside. They are following orders from France, and we cannot hold them accountable; it is the duty of our military court."

As Coman grew bolder as he traveled further and further from Paris, he thought back to his days in Paris when he was always obedient to everyone, and he really wanted to say, what kind of life was that?
Koeman then applied to French Commander General Galligny for an interrogation of Sukiman, the leader of the Maas-Yum party, who had been arrested and detained in a police operation.

(End of this chapter)