I Became a Tycoon During World War I - Chapter 118

Chapter 117 doesn't exist

Chapter 118: A Deliberate Misunderstanding

Ypres, Belgium.

A torrential downpour lashed the ground, dense sheets of rain blanketing the earth like a waterfall. Streams of water and muddy pools gathered everywhere, enveloping the entire world in a misty haze.

Between the enemy and allied lines stretched a dark gray no man's land several kilometers wide. Scattered craters and sparse corpses suggested that the battle here had only just begun.

Some ten kilometers to the west, behind an unassuming hill, lay a modest earthen and wooden fortification spanning just a dozen square meters. This served as the headquarters of the Belgian army.

In the midst of the rain, Major General Charles, commander of Belgium's First Army, turned to King Albert I with a suggestion:
“Your Majesty, I believe we should retreat!”

“Ypres juts out along the entire front line. With flat terrain to the west and hills to the east, the Germans hold a commanding height advantage over us.”

“Moreover, we’re practically surrounded by the Germans. It will be difficult to hold this position!”

King Albert I remained silent for a moment before calmly asking, “General, where would we retreat to?”

“By withdrawing just 20 kilometers to the rear, we could even out the entire front line,” Major General Charles said, pointing to the map. “It would make things much easier!”

Albert I asked again, “And there—would that still be Ypres? Would that still be Belgium?”

Charles fell silent. Retreating 20 kilometers would mean crossing the border into France.

Albert I spoke with gravity:
“Ypres is Belgium’s last piece of land, General.”

“To lose it would mean the death of our nation, our defeat, and Belgium’s withdrawal from this war.”

“It would also mean the Belgian people losing confidence and abandoning their resistance.”

Thus, no matter what, Ypres could not be abandoned. Even without fortresses or defenses, even with only six understrength Belgian divisions and two incomplete Allied divisions to hold the line, facing a potential force of 11 German divisions, they had to stand firm.

The “potential” was due to Belgium’s inability to ascertain the enemy’s exact numbers.

After a moment of silence, Charles pointed to a spot on the map.
“In that case, we must open the Nieuport floodgates. The seawater will flood into Ypres, buying us time. Only this way can we hold out until reinforcements arrive!”

Albert I fell silent again. He was reluctant to resort to such measures unless absolutely necessary. While it would temporarily halt the German advance and create problems for them, the people of Ypres would suffer greatly as well.

“Where are the reinforcements?” Albert I asked in a muffled voice.

“France has only sent a cavalry division,” Charles replied. “The British have dispatched an infantry division, stationed north of the Polygon Forest.”

This was far from enough. In this flat terrain, a single German division could overpower two divisions from the Allies.

Albert I asked once more, “What about Charles? Has there been any word from him?”

To Albert I, Charles was worth more than any reinforcements. His mere presence would lift the morale of the despondent troops and civilians as though they had been given a shot of adrenaline.

“No,” Charles replied awkwardly. “General Gallieni believes we haven’t resolved our internal issues, so sending Charles here to command might not be appropriate.”

Albert I let out a noncommittal “hmm” and said nothing further.

It was a valid concern. Even Albert himself could not guarantee that if Charles appeared here, no one would once again attempt, like General Gillis, to secretly hand Charles over to the Germans.

After all, with the war appearing hopeless, most believed Belgium was on the brink of collapse. To end it all easily, they only needed to deliver Charles to the Germans.

Albert I slowly walked to the entrance of the fortification. The rain outside had lightened, and patches of sunlight were even visible.

Such was the weather by the sea—the rain came quickly and left just as fast.

But this was not good news. The Germans often launched attacks at times like this.

Sure enough, moments later, the sound of artillery fire echoed from the front. Shortly after, a messenger, covered in mud, crawled into the headquarters, almost on all fours.

The soldier staggered to his feet, saluted weakly, and reported:
“Your Majesty, the Germans have launched another attack. This time, it’s fiercer than before!”

Albert I did not respond immediately. He stared intently at the map before him, then reluctantly said to Major General Charles:
“Prepare to open the floodgates.”

“Yes, Your Majesty!” Charles immediately instructed his staff to relay the order.

However...

The radio operator suddenly stood up and reported:
“Your Majesty, General Gallieni has sent a message. France will send artillery and aircraft to reinforce Ypres. The planes will be ready in two hours, and the artillery will arrive tonight. The general urges Your Majesty to hold out until tomorrow!”

Albert I smiled, his thoughts turning to the muddy terrain outside.

Artillery? Albert I mused. Even if they arrived, it would be meaningless. They’d likely get stuck in the mud, unable to move, and there’d be no way to bring up ammunition.

As for planes, where would they land?
And even if they landed, how could they assist Ypres?

Just as he was pondering this, the radio operator added:
“General Gallieni also stated that these forces will be under Charles’ command.”

“Charles?” Albert I spun around to stare blankly at the operator.

The others were equally stunned, their eyes fixed on the radio operator.

Charles would come? Had they heard that right?

Albert I quickly stepped forward, snatched the telegram, and studied it under the dim light. Excitedly, he raised the telegram into the air, his voice trembling with emotion:
“It’s true—Charles is coming to reinforce us!”

The headquarters erupted in cheers. Someone even dashed outside, crawling and stumbling through the mud, shouting to the soldiers huddled in trenches and shelters:
“Charles is coming to reinforce us! Charles is coming!”

Cheers spread rapidly across the front lines, the soldiers passing the good news along. Soon, the entire battlefield was alive with thunderous jubilation.

Major General Charles took the telegram from Albert I, his face filled with doubt as he read it. Then he looked up at Albert I, his expression questioning.

The text of the telegram didn’t exactly indicate that Charles was coming to Ypres to reinforce them. Instead, it said Charles would command the forces reinforcing Ypres.

Albert I smiled and shook his head slightly. Major General Charles immediately understood. Albert I knew the truth but had deliberately misinterpreted the telegram.

Charles tacitly accepted this approach. Standing straight, he asked:
“Your Majesty, do we still need to open the floodgates?”

“No,” Albert I replied, his tone now lighthearted. “With Charles, we don’t need seawater. Let the Germans come!”

Major General Charles nodded. With the current morale of the Belgian army, holding the line until reinforcements arrived shouldn’t be an issue.

Charles’ influence was astonishing. Soldiers who had been on the verge of collapse transformed into fearless warriors merely upon hearing that he was coming.

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