Chapter 219 A Gift of Pure Gold

Ciel proposed the specious "maritime mobile warfare" to Tijani for two purposes:

One is to use this theory to trap Wells in order to win cooperation with the Brest Shipyard.

The second is that Charles plans to use Wells's hands to develop torpedoes.

The current torpedo is so primitive that even if it can be hung on an aircraft to bomb enemy warships, it is extremely difficult to hit it. It is urgent to improve its performance.

Charles thought he might succeed.

This is not only Tijani’s expression of admiration and satisfaction before leaving, but also the theory of Charles’s “maritime mobile warfare” that is 70% true and 30% false:

It is true that destroyers will become the main force in the future;

It is true that torpedoes will in future have a range greater than that of artillery;

Maritime mobile warfare is also true to some extent.

The problem is...

As soon as the aircraft carrier comes out, naval battles will turn into air battles. No matter how fast the destroyers are, they can't be faster than planes. Mobile warfare with destroyers as the mainstay will no longer work!

But at least for now, this theory is still feasible when the Navy does not know that aircraft carriers do not realize the importance of aircraft.

After Tijani left, Camille curiously opened the gift sent by Tijani. She exclaimed with joy: "A sailboat is so beautiful. We just need such a decoration!"

With that said, Camille moved the sailboat and placed it on the table in the living room, and complained: "It seems a bit heavy, at least four or five pounds!"

Charles took a glance. It was a sail warship with three layers of artillery. Some were loading and some were taking aim. There were many sailors and musketeers on the deck busy going back and forth, looking nervously preparing for war.

The point is that it's shiny.

Charles thought of something, and he reminded Camille: "Mom, you'd better not put it there."

"Why?" Camille didn't look back. She kept staring at the sailboat. She took a few steps back and stood up straight to look at it: "I think it's just right to put it here. It matches our living room very well!"

Ciel rolled his eyes and glanced at the cheap furniture that filled the room.

Djoka noticed Charles's expression. He stepped forward and touched it doubtfully. Then he picked up the sailboat and weighed it. He exclaimed: "God, it is...it is pure gold!"

Camille was stunned for a moment, then laughed: "Are you kidding? Who would give a gift of pure gold, weighing four or five kilograms..."

But seeing Djoka's serious face, Camille asked dubiously: "Really, is it really pure gold?"

Djoka nodded. He was born as a capitalist, so he still had this ability.

"It's worth about 60,000 to 70,000 francs!" Djoka looked at the sailboat and gave a rough figure: "If you only consider the gold price and not the artistic value, but it is very finely made, it is likely to be much more than this price!"

Camille let out a soft cry and turned to look at Charles: "We should return it to the general, Charles. We can't accept such an expensive gift."

"Don't be nervous, Mom!" Charles replied calmly: "This is just a gadget to him, he won't care."

"Bad things, sixty or seventy thousand francs of baubles?" Camille looked at Charles in disbelief.

Djorka understood the meaning of Charles's words. He stood up and asked: "This general, is he not an ordinary officer?"

"Of course!" Charles replied: "He is the son of Wells, the only son!"

Djoka and Camille looked at each other. The one just now was actually Wells' son?

…

In the 15th arrondissement of Paris, on the banks of the Seine River, the church bells in the distance rang. It was exactly 10:30 in the morning.

In a five-story building built along the river, Wells, as usual, was wearing a nightgown and sitting in a rocking chair in front of the window, blowing the cold wind and admiring the boats passing by on the river, and watching the snowflakes falling from the sky and falling into the river one by one. Finally disappeared.

He likes to watch boats. He thinks they are a very wonderful thing. Accidents may happen at any time, from life to death on board.

If you want to stay alive, you must be prepared and consider every possibility in advance.

But today, Wells was a little restless. Although he was staring at the river, he was thinking about the meeting between Tijani and Charles.

What will be the result?

Surprise or disappointment?

There is probably no way out. After all, it is a navy, which relies on tonnage and cannons. The entire French navy cannot do anything, so what can Charles think of!

He would also choose a battleship. No one would refuse the cannons and defenses of a battleship, especially an infantry major who likes war.

Wells felt a little ridiculous for pinning his hopes on a 17-year-old child.

There were "thumping" footsteps on the stairs outside the door, and Wells knew that it was Tijani who was back.

Perhaps it was because Wells believed that there was nothing he could do about Charles, so he had no expectations at all and still looked quietly at the end of the Seine.

"Father!" Tijani opened the door carefully and came in. He closed the door and walked to Wells.

He looked energetic in his military uniform, but maybe he would have been better in navy uniform.

Wells said "hmm", motioned for Tijani to sit down next to him, and asked casually: "How was the discussion?"

"I'm not sure," Tijani replied. "That's for you to judge."

Only Wells has the right to speak in this regard, but Tijani knows that he has given up the navy, so he is not qualified.

Wells stood up and walked to the wine cabinet to pour himself a drink.

There was only one cup, and he had no intention of giving it to Tijani. He thought that his relationship with his son had not yet recovered to that level.

"What did he choose?" Wells asked with his back to Tijani.

"He chose nothing!" Tijani replied.

Wells turned around in confusion: "No choice? He gave up?"

"No, father!" Tijani replied: "He chose torpedo boat destroyers, he said they were the third party!"

Wells was stunned for a moment and said "Hmm" with interest: "Torpedo boat destroyer? Interesting. What's the reason?"

After saying that, he turned his back again and took a sip of the wine, as if he was guessing Ciel's intentions.

"Mobile warfare at sea!" Tijani said briefly: "He believes that torpedo boats can protect the safety of the coastline, and torpedo boat destroyers can go to sea to deal with enemy fleets. As long as we are fast enough, we are invincible!"

Just as the Wells glass was about to be brought to his lips, he paused when he heard these words and asked coldly: "What else?"

"So, we need to develop torpedo boat destroyers!" Tijani replied: "We need to increase the firepower and defense of the torpedo boat destroyers, while ensuring its speed, so that we can quickly destroy the enemy destroyers instead of being entangled by them. "

Then Tijani added: "The key point is torpedoes. As long as the torpedo range is far enough and the accuracy is high enough, the destroyer may sink the battleship out of range!"

Wells said nothing.

He thought for a while, then silently took a wine glass, poured a glass of wine and handed it to Tijani.