Father of France

Chapter 43 Coman's Double Life

"Sir, we've had a great haul." Bokassa, who had landed a cushy job, reappeared. His large white teeth beneath his dark face showed just how excited he was. But if it weren't for Koman, he would never have such a day.
"Send them to Aosta for transfer back to China." Koman glanced at the long line of military vehicles and then looked away. He had no artistic talent and didn't know the value of antiques and artworks.

However, one principle remains clear: antiques are valued in prosperous times, and gold is valued in chaotic times. Once the war ends, the museum's artworks will undoubtedly appreciate in value.

This is nothing. Although Italy is also one of the European powers, it is only in its own name that it claims to be one of the powers that even the Great Qing Dynasty cannot fool.

Germany was a true great power, far surpassing Italy in both comprehensive national strength and the accumulation of its people. Italy's actions were merely a small test of its capabilities.

"Lefebvre, move the academic materials, machinery, and personnel immediately. Contact General Duval and inform the Fifth Army headquarters to prepare for the cargo ships to depart immediately," Koeman instructed Lefebvre. He was determined to make it a fait accompli; he had no time to deal with vested interests.

Once negotiations begin, the country will be caught in a tug-of-war. France suffered greatly in both World Wars. It was not the strongest of the major powers, and not only could it not settle scores with its enemies, it was also hampered by Britain and the United States.

Fortunately, it was his comrade-in-arms. Lefebvre immediately left to contact his home country. In fact, Coman had only arrived in Turin a day ago and it was impossible for him to find everything he wanted.

We can take in as much as we can first. What if the UK and the US realize what's going on? Can we just spit it all out?

Koeman also made sure to reassure Bokassa, who had contributed significantly, by promising him personally that he would definitely receive his share.

"Sir, I am proud to have contributed to France." Bokassa was not averse to money, but he knew how to make choices, which is why he was the highest-ranking French military officer in the Sino-French conflict.

"France will not forget your contributions. I will write a report to advocate for you to be awarded a medal, and your rank can also be raised." Koeman glanced at Bokassa's rank with a look that said, "I have high hopes for you."

From the moment he met Bokassa, Koeman sincerely helped him. He didn't care about Bokassa's notoriety; were there few dictators like that in Africa? It's a common phenomenon all over the world, not just in Africa.

Ultimately, the problems in Africa depend on France itself, on whether it is genuinely contributing. If France plays its due role, then whether Bokassa was brutal or not is not a major issue.

As long as Bokassa remains loyal to France, Koeman can help him solve many problems.

"The Roman Empire certainly had a profound cultural heritage." Bokassa was only in his twenties and had not yet transformed into the humanoid he would become decades later; he still possessed something called an ideal.

"There are no eternal strongmen in the world, only temporary strongmen. You have seen the descendants of the Roman Empire now."

Koeman chuckled and said that even pseudo-historians rarely attack the Roman Empire; at most, they would say that Italy is not descended from Rome, but from Germanic peoples.

Actually, none of this matters. Ethnicity is merely an imagined community. When Egypt wanted to be the leader of the Arab world, it was Arab because its language and culture were Arabic, which made sense.

However, it's still plausible to try and resemble ancient Egypt, as there haven't been many genetic changes. French Africa can't remain mired in its own problems forever, otherwise the negative impacts will eventually spill over into mainland France. Corman doesn't mind giving Bokassa some positive guidance; perhaps it will turn out to be a case of two negatives turning into a positive.

When Bokassa heard the saying that there are no eternal strongmen in the world, only temporary strongmen, his eyes lit up, and he clearly agreed with the statement.

Koeman immediately realized that Bokassa had taken the bait. Luckily, he had some knowledge and was able to fool this African tyrant.

When Koeman arrived at the headquarters of the 8th Infantry Division, the Italian Liberation Army was negotiating with the 8th Infantry Division. Koeman originally wanted to report the results of the looting to Celt, but he immediately realized something was wrong and decided to hold back.

Although French and Italian share vocabulary, he could still tell that the Italians were looking for trouble.

Koeman's expression changed instantly, and he put on a smile befitting his persona. He walked up to the representatives of both sides and called over the Italian translator from the command post. "I've been looking everywhere for representatives of the Italian Communist Party to discuss post-war reconstruction. I didn't expect to find you here. Comrade, could you please introduce yourself first?"

What? The Italian commander, bewildered by this maneuver, was stunned and could only interrupt the spellcasting. "My name is Antonio, and I am an officer of the Italian Liberation Army in Turin."

“So you’re comrades from the Italian Communist Party. You made immortal contributions in the Italian War of Liberation.” Koeman reached out and shook the other’s hand with a solemn tone. “Well, Turin is now under attack by war. Restoring order and getting the factories back to work is a big problem. That’s why we’re here.”

Antonio, somewhat overwhelmed by Koeman's enthusiasm, couldn't help but say, "I've heard you're arresting a lot of university professors and corporate engineers."

“This question isn’t entirely false, but it’s not the whole truth either,” Koeman explained with a serious expression. “I think we can talk about this calmly.”

Antonio nodded in agreement, and an unfriendly standoff was deflated. The officers, including Battalion Commander Celt, watched the two leave. After a long while, someone said to Celt, "Is this your subordinate, Celt? He did a good job."

"Comrade Antonio, the most urgent matter at present is to immediately restore textile production," Coman said firmly. "This is the most important basic industry, and it involves major issues of people's livelihood. We absolutely cannot be careless. Our Italian comrades have gone down the wrong path."

“That’s certainly very important, but…” Antonio hadn’t forgotten his original intention, “the issues of the car factory and the two universities?”

“Comrade Antonio,” Koeman sighed seriously, “Intellectuals have always been a major target of reactionary forces. There’s a saying that the more knowledge one has, the more reactionary one becomes. Therefore, the Allied forces first investigated whether university professors and lecturers were Mussolini’s supporters. As for the metallurgical and automotive industries, Italy is currently at war, and raw materials are extremely scarce. They are basically in ruins. How can they operate in an environment lacking raw materials? The current priority should be to restore the maintenance system as soon as possible, rather than being overly ambitious.”

“That makes sense, but can we guarantee that those arrested will be released as soon as possible once they are proven innocent?” Antonio hesitated for a long time before finally sighing.

Koeman's expression was no less somber than his opponent's, and he replied helplessly, "We can only hope that Mussolini and the German forces he supports will surrender as soon as possible. The purge of the fascist regime may not be so quick."

(End of this chapter)