Father of France

Chapter 9 A fish slipped through the net
A day later, General Fontaine, commander of French Syria, left the governor's residence, and at the same time, the entire youth were the officers and soldiers of the military camp lined up to welcome him.

Seeing the mass of soldiers jumping and clapping to welcome him, General Fontaine's expression was strange, reminding him of how he had welcomed de Gaulle in the same way two years ago.

"It's really embarrassing to keep having these kinds of scenes." General Fang Dan mentally prepared himself and finally let out a long breath to suppress the embarrassment that made him want to pick his toes.

"Long live France..." Koeman, among the soldiers, also shouted a slogan and clapped his hands in a collectivist manner, as if only in this way could he express his respect for the general.

In Coman's view, General Fontaine, perhaps embarrassed, was chatting idly with Duval, the commander of the Youth Division, with his head down.

General Fontaine's appearance also indicated that Coman's unit was indeed about to depart. The grounds were packed with officers and soldiers lined up. As the commander of the French forces in Syria, Fontaine went up to the platform to give an encouraging speech to the soldiers who were about to depart. This was followed by a reassuring speech from the division commander, General Duval: "If every bullet could hit its mark, who would want to join the army?"

"I hope the children will return safely from the battlefield and incorporate what they have learned in this men's war into their lives for decades to come."

Koeman raised an eyebrow; in his memory, this was the first time Duval had given a public speech.

He didn't really know this division commander. He only knew that Duval was fifty-eight years old. The biggest reason why a fifty-eight-year-old soldier could become the division commander of a young division was that he was about to retire and had no obsessions, so he wasn't afraid of taking the blame.

"Now let the soldiers' representative speak." After General Duval finished speaking, he invited the soldiers' representative to come up on stage to take the oath, a step that usually doesn't happen, but it did.

Koman walked up the steps to the stage with his speech in hand. As he stood on the steps, he thought to himself, "No wonder so many people climb to the top step by step. Indeed, the higher you stand, the farther you can see."

Wearing a military uniform, Koman stood in front of the loudspeaker for a few seconds before speaking lightly, "Silence..."

The soldiers across the field fell silent. Koeman extended his hand, making the Catholic prayer gesture and touching his forehead. Holding his prepared speech, he began, “Being part of this community is one of my most cherished memories. Today, we are about to depart, entering the torrent of blood and fire, for our families, for France…”

"All the brave soldiers and comrades of the Armed Forces of the Fourth French Republic, the Armed Forces of the Republic have always shouldered the mission of responsibility, exerted a unique threat, and are always fully prepared. This is not only true for the comrades of the Youth Division, but for all the officers, soldiers, partisans, and indomitable workers of France in the war against Germany..."

"France's military strength is now being restored, and we are confident in any battle. We are ready to respond to any provocation."

"Any force that engages in military confrontation with the Fourth French Republic will be annihilated. Long live the great Fourth French Republic..."

"Long live..." The more than 10,000 officers and soldiers of the French Youth Division responded loudly, pointing their hands to their foreheads as if in a collective prayer.

*Snap*... General Duval lit a cigarette and looked at General Fontaine beside him, "Dragon's child, there's another side to him."

“You forgot, he was the one who kept records of the recruitment for this unit,” General Fontaine replied softly. “Dragon sent a telegram yesterday to inquire about Corman’s situation, but I guess something’s wrong. His youngest son is disobedient; no one has been disciplining him since Corman joined the army.”

The two gossiped about the Dragon family as if no one else was around. Koman had already stepped down from the platform and returned to the group, finally relaxing. He liked performing the general's sun ceremony for others, but he felt just as awkward doing it to himself. After the farewell ceremony, General Duval saw Fontaine off from the camp, saying, "Don't worry, I will do my best to protect these children. They're going back home, not straight to the battlefield."

"It's a little better on the mainland, but the infighting is just as annoying." General Fontaine smiled crookedly. If Koman saw this, he might think that the Crooked-Mouthed Dragon King had possessed him.

The entire youth division's military camp was in a somber atmosphere. The usually bustling grounds were deserted as the officers and soldiers silently packed their belongings, preparing to enlist.

With strips of cloth binding his legs, Coman marched from here to the port of Beirut. General Fontaine, who had returned to the Governor's Palace, issued an order to his subordinates to send Henry, the commander of the French army in Syria appointed by Vichy France, and the family members of the commanders who were killed in the military conference coup two years ago, to the fleet of the French Youth Division for this expedition.

"Tell this to Koman, and make sure he is safe," General Fontaine ordered the governor's secretary meaningfully. He believed that Koman would not allow the risk of a counterattack to occur.

In fact, at a military conference two years ago, General Henry decided to surrender after careful consideration. After all, the British and Free French armies were approaching Damascus, and since everyone was French, surrendering was not out of the question; at most, it would be considered choosing the wrong side.

The foreign legion commanders who launched the military coup did indeed just shout a command and pounce on the enemy, and that was the end of it.

But General Henry, who later surrendered, and the French officers at the meeting did indeed die, and it was fifteen-year-old Corman who decided to kill them.

So although Coman had only been in the army for a short time, he did have a record of killing dozens of commanders, including a major general and two colonels, although all of these commanders were French.

Before the last sun set on his last day in the military camp, Koeman learned of General Fontaine's decision and assured his secretary, who came to deliver the message, "I will ensure the safety of these traitors."

There is absolutely no risk of retaliation; as a keyboard warrior, Koeman has little reverence for life.

After General Henry surrendered, he secretly marked these people up, entirely out of fear that they might cause trouble in the future. No matter how big the trouble was, any trouble was unacceptable.

After watching the governor's secretary leave, Coman, seeing that it was getting dark, wasted no time and immediately instructed Martin to find reliable people to take over the defense of these remaining fugitives.

"Is it some important person?" Martin asked, though he didn't know what happened two years ago. But seeing how serious and tense Koman's face was, he nodded in agreement. "Don't worry, I guarantee none of them will escape. They'll be leaving with us tomorrow."

"We must ensure everyone's safety, leaving no one behind," Koeman said seriously. These people could be dealt with, but they absolutely could not be dealt with within Syria, otherwise it would raise suspicions. There are so many smart people in this world; what if they find out?

　I recommend a similar book, The Literary Master 1879: Solitary Journey in France.
　　Standing in front of you is:
　　Son of France, founder of modern literature and modern drama, honorary president for life of the French Academy of Humanities, British Royal Honorary Lord, Grand Tutor of the Crown Prince and Minister of Rites of the Qing Dynasty, creator of modern urban life...

　　— Lionel Sorel
　　

(End of this chapter)