Father of France

Chapter 260 The First Middle East War

"Let's see the finished product first," Koman said with a polite but slightly embarrassed smile. "This kind of invention, which involves the safety of people all over the world, should not be held hostage by patents. Otherwise, wouldn't that be profiting from human suffering? It's even worse than the Wright brothers' case."

Three-point seat belts can restrain the occupant's chest and waist simultaneously, distributing the impact force to the stronger torso, greatly reducing the risk of internal organ injury and body slippage during a collision, unlike lumbar coil seat belts which put too much pressure on the body.

It is true that the Wright brothers were the first to successfully fly, but they turned into patent trolls, making money by hiring people in the United States to find enthusiasts and collect patent fees.

The consequence was that for the next ten years, American aviation was subject to the Wright brothers' patents, and during World War I, the aviation industry in almost all European countries was stronger than that in the United States.

“You’re right about everything.” Ava Gardner remained noncommittal. There were reasons Koman gave, but she knew they weren’t the whole story. Her man didn’t have a particularly strong need for money, but he certainly didn’t care much for fame.

First, apply for a patent, then create a facade that benefits all of humanity and release it free of charge. The goal is to gain fame, to let everyone in the world know about it, and to be mentioned in the future.

The femme fatale sees through things but doesn't say anything. Men need emotional value, and conversely, Koman provides her with plenty of emotional value. With this man behind her, she seems to have the courage to face unfamiliar territory.

They talked about the soft power of beauty pageants, the definition and concept of beauty, and even designed a three-point safety harness. Both of them were a little hungry, especially Ava Gardner, who had come by boat.

“Have the company prepare food,” Koeman said, trying to calm the complaints. “Mr. Bach’s regional jet can’t be rushed. You know, if a plane crashes, everyone dies. We must ensure it’s safe enough before we can put it on the market.”

The failure of the British Comet airliner was certainly related to the US closing its domestic market and putting pressure on Canada.

But apart from North America, the UK can actually stabilize itself through the Commonwealth countries and slowly compete with Boeing.

Britain still possessed considerable strength in the early post-war period, and the allure of many Commonwealth countries had not yet faded so quickly. Countries like Australia, New Zealand, and India were able to help British passenger planes gain a foothold.

The problem is that the Comet airliner itself also had technical defects, and after several air crashes, Commonwealth countries could not risk their lives to help Britain bear the consequences.

Ava Gardner knew someone in the Constantine Industrial Group's chef staff, and with a letter of introduction from Koman, Chef Sun from Saigon was able to immigrate and directly join the company. Koman himself preferred vegetables, but the diet in North Africa was not mainly based on vegetables, and he couldn't eat roasted meat every day.

Master Sun was able to solve Koman's problem, so he was temporarily employed by the company. However, he and his apprentice did not work at the company; instead, they were responsible for Koman's own food supply.

Before long, a few simple stir-fried dishes were served. The table was large, and Koman invited Master Sun and his apprentice to sit down together. He asked if they were adapting well to life in North Africa, and said, “I have been to the West District twice. As long as I am here, Chinese immigrants will not be mistreated. You can preserve your language and culture, and no one will force you to intermarry. Passing on your skills is the greatest help to me. It’s just that the climate here may take some time to overcome.”

"Sir, we can all overcome this. I'm also learning French cuisine here. The only difficulty is that many vegetables aren't available here, and the seeds don't germinate." Chef Sun smiled awkwardly, seemingly a little embarrassed.

"Because the soil is different, it's like how the vegetable growing areas in your country can't overlap." Koeman said helplessly that he didn't have a solution in the short term. "Let's start by finding solutions for vegetables like tomatoes and cabbage, which are widely distributed in various countries. As for other vegetables, Louis Fida will try to improve them."

"Can't European vegetables be grown here?" Eva Gardner asked, tilting her head. "How did your French food supply system come about? And why do the French eat snails?"

“Many of the fruits and vegetables are imported from the Iberian Peninsula,” Koman replied, taking a sip of his tomato soup and licking his lips. “It turns out that Catholicism has a period of fasting, similar to Ramadan for Muslims. People can’t stand not being allowed to eat meat, so naturally some people want to circumvent the restrictions, and the priests explain that snails don’t count as meat.”

Ava Gardner laughed heartily, saying haltingly, "French priests really know how to handle things."

“It’s like some imams explaining that wine isn’t alcohol.” Koeman gave Ava Gardner a stare. Did the American industrialized food system have the right to comment on this issue?

Why would someone who makes the rules have so many taboos? Rules are meant to constrain ordinary people, just like the emperor is the one who governs the people on behalf of Heaven.

When it comes to food issues, Corman considered whether to develop instant noodles, but the thought of the oil consumption made him decide to wait; France must now prioritize thrift in everything it does.

The initial intention behind orchestrating the international beauty pageant was to use soft power to create a grand event, dispel the gloom of war, and boost the optimism of the French people. Otherwise, why would Corman be so enthusiastic? Was he perhaps selecting a harem for himself?
At this time, Koman, who was posing as a public servant in North Africa, had no idea that this beauty pageant would actually serve this purpose in the future. The pageant plan could continue to be refined, but it was possible to release word of it first and test how various countries viewed the matter nearly three years after the war ended.

When news of Eva Gardner's plans to organize the Miss Universal beauty pageant reached France, it was reported in major newspapers and immediately sparked a heated debate, including scathing criticism from moralists who said, "Letting women participate in beauty pageants is like letting philosophers participate in butcher shop competitions—it's a betrayal of the Enlightenment!"

"The deepest prejudice in this country is to regard beauty as superficiality." Such voices are constantly emerging, and even though Ava Gardner is still in Algiers, she has already been subjected to a comprehensive and multi-faceted critique.

One reason is that Europe was far from open at that time. Another reason is even easier to guess: just like when German football had a bad run of performance, Özil was bound to take the blame.

Ava Gardner is an American, and because of her American identity, she is viewed under a magnifying glass when this happens.

"Feeling wronged?" Coman was well aware of what was happening in Paris and had even sent messages through the Algiers Gendarmerie Command to French Indochina and French African colonies, informing them of the upcoming Miss International pageant.

Now all the colonies know, and even if Ava Gardner wanted to back down, it was too late.

“With you supporting me, what do I have to fear?” Ava Gardner’s femme fatale expression reappeared. “The more you say that, the more I’m determined to complete your plan and let those who mock me see success.”

"Then I won't worry."

There is no common standard for the definition of beauty, but beauty is the foundation. Just like South Korea decades later, which found a very niche beauty pageant category: bodybuilding beauty pageants.

If there's a dominant region on this track, Koeman estimates it would be Black people from Africa, who can indeed sculpt their bodies faster with the same amount of exercise.

In the Americas, especially the United States, the ideal of beauty is plus-size women with hips that extend past their shoulders (BBW). Slavs, on the other hand, perfectly fit the image of fair-skinned, slender, and youthful women often associated with large Eastern countries; otherwise, why would they be so popular?
Living in an overseas province, where he can't see the big shots in Paris, Corman said he's having a great time here.

He wields his brush on a blank canvas, and the entirety of French Africa becomes his stage.

While France was still haggling with Britain and the United States over the merger of occupied territories and the promotion of the German mark, time relentlessly passed by everyone.

With the British mandate period drawing near, a palpable calm pervaded the eastern Mediterranean coast. The Arabs could not afford to lose Jerusalem, just as Koeman could not afford to lose his Russian girlfriend.

In fact, Palestine had already entered a quasi-war state before the mandate period ended, with local Arabs being the most direct opponents. Arabs launched fierce resistance movements in Jerusalem, Jaffa, Tel Aviv and other places.

The Arab countries surrounding Palestine are also preparing for war. Of course, the Arab countries preparing for war have different objectives. King Abdullah I of Jordan outwardly opposes war, just like other Arab countries, but secretly he is preparing to annex the West Bank.

Egyptian King Farouk I has raised the banner of leading the Arab world and crushing the Jewish conspiracy.

The Kingdom of Iraq expressed strong opposition, but the country that was truly preparing for war and ready to fight the Jews on the battlefield was Syria, a former French colony.

In the world where Koeman lived, the greatest legacy France left to Syria was a Syrian army of up to 100,000 veterans of World War II. Although they only comprised a quarter of the French First Army, they were well-organized, had participated in World War II, and had already formulated a complete offensive plan before the trusteeship expired.

They had special ties with the French army, and many French officers who had fought alongside them tried to persuade them through their own channels, saying that many Jews had participated in the Eastern Front campaign and were not easy to deal with.

The Syrian military heeded the good intentions of their comrades and reactivated General Dragón's Golan Heights defenses, ensuring their own survival while maintaining their plan to attack Palestine.

At midnight on May 13, 1948, the British mandate over Palestine officially expired. Just after midnight, troops from north to south, from the Golan Heights to the West Bank and the Sinai Peninsula, as well as from Syria, Jordan, Iraq, and Egypt, simultaneously stormed into Palestine to launch an attack on Israel, thus beginning the First Arab-Israeli War, which had been brewing for six months.

(End of this chapter)