I Became a Tycoon During World War I - Chapter 45

Chapter 45: Meeting You Is No Easy Task

Charles was escorted home by the neighbors surrounding him protectively.

Teddy instantly became a hero because of the incident, showered with praise by the neighbors. The beautiful and charming Mrs. Chatham even kissed his chubby cheeks, leaving him utterly delighted.

Watching Teddy’s blissful expression, Charles couldn’t help but feel a tinge of jealousy. This wasn’t fair—wasn’t he the one almost kidnapped and terrified? Surely, he was the one who deserved comfort the most!

No sooner had they arrived home than Djoka, who had received the news, rushed back in a hurry.

Camille furiously shoved Djoka, blaming him for Charles’ “near miss.” She believed this wouldn’t have happened if Djoka hadn’t left Charles to return alone.

Charles, however, thought otherwise. Even if Djoka had been there, it likely wouldn’t have changed anything. After all, the assailants had guns—both of them did. What could Djoka have done?

Still, Charles had a nagging feeling that this was all a misunderstanding.

If the assailants were truly hitmen sent by capitalists or someone else to harm him, they wouldn’t have been so blatant about it. Wearing tailored suits and high-quality ties that screamed wealth, they stood out in the modest town of Davaus.

What’s more, once they confirmed Charles’ identity, they could have simply shot him, jumped into their car, and fled. Forcing Charles into the car seemed unnecessary.

If they were mere low-level kidnappers hoping for ransom, they should have worn sunglasses and flipped up their coat collars to avoid being recognized.

But they hadn’t done that either.

...

As night fell, Charles decided not to visit the factory that evening. He was exhausted from the day’s chaos, and Camille wouldn’t allow it anyway. Instead, he hastily ate some bread to fill his stomach, took a bath, changed into his sleepwear, and quickly burrowed under his blanket.

Yet perhaps due to the adrenaline, Charles found himself unusually alert. Though he had been drowsy moments before, now he lay tossing and turning, unable to sleep.

Downstairs, Djoka and Camille sat at the dining table, visibly worried. Though they had tried to keep their concerns from Charles, the fear lingered in their minds.

“They might come back!” Camille said, her eyes brimming with an inexplicable terror. “And we don’t even know who they are!”

“Don’t worry, Camille!” Djoka reassured her. “From now on, I’ll stay by Charles’ side at all times. I swear!”

Camille nodded, but her heart was far from at ease.

Those people lurked in the shadows. If they truly meant harm, they’d find an opportunity eventually—unless Charles never left the house again.

At that moment, faint barking was heard outside. Headlights flashed, followed by the hum of a motor drawing closer. A car stopped in front of the house.

The atmosphere grew tense in an instant. Djoka motioned for Camille to keep silent as he cautiously moved to the window and peered out.

Spotting three figures stepping out of the car and approaching the house, Djoka swiftly turned, grabbed the double-barreled shotgun from the wall, and rummaged through a drawer for ammunition.

As he loaded the weapon with trembling hands, his tone brooked no argument: “Go upstairs and keep an eye on Charles!”

Terrified, Camille turned pale. Clamping a hand over her mouth to stifle a scream, she stumbled up the stairs—only to find Charles emerging from the other side.

“Father!” Charles spoke calmly, trying to stop Djoka’s overreaction. “They might not be bad people. Otherwise, why would only three of them venture into this town?”

Djoka froze, considering Charles’ words.

The neighbors had just banded together to help earlier in the day. If these three visitors were troublemakers, they’d be walking into a death trap.

Still, Djoka remained on guard. Pressing his back to the doorframe with the gun in hand, he shouted, “Who are you? What do you want?”

The three visitors did not answer immediately. One of them stepped forward and, in a low voice, said, “Mr. Djoka, General Gallieni wishes to speak with Charles.”

Djoka’s eyes widened in disbelief. General Gallieni? He wanted to see Charles?

Half-doubting, Djoka turned and peered through a crack in the door. In the faint light, though he couldn’t make out the men’s faces clearly, the older gentleman in the center, leaning on a cane, exuded an air of authority. Djoka found himself believing the claim a little more.

After a moment’s hesitation, Djoka unlocked the door and cautiously opened it a crack. When the light fell on the old man’s face, Djoka finally recognized him. He exclaimed in shock and immediately opened the door fully:

“General Gallieni, it’s really you! It’s… an honor!”

“Apologies, General. Please, come in!”

General Gallieni didn’t move immediately. Instead, he cast a curious glance at the shotgun in Djoka’s hands.

Realizing his mistake, Djoka hurriedly unloaded the gun and placed it on the table, explaining, “Apologies, General. We thought you might be…”

“Bad people?” General Gallieni raised an eyebrow. “My guards already had the pleasure earlier this afternoon!”

Djoka instantly understood—the “kidnapping” was a misunderstanding. A glance at the two men accompanying Gallieni confirmed it: their bruised faces and awkward expressions left no doubt they were the same “suspects” beaten and chased off earlier.

Upstairs, Camille clung to Charles, having not heard the conversation below clearly. She thought Djoka had been forced to lay down his weapon and was trembling with fear.

“That’s General Gallieni, Mother!” Charles reassured Camille. “It’s fine. It’s just a misunderstanding!”

Charles had seen Gallieni’s photograph in the newspapers and recognized him immediately, even though the general was dressed in plain clothes.

“Gallieni? No, how could Gallieni…”

At that moment, Gallieni entered the house, removing his hat under the light and handing it to one of his men. Camille instantly recognized him and gasped, “My God, it really is him—General Gallieni! How… why would he…”

Gallieni glanced upstairs and politely nodded at Camille and Charles. “My apologies, Madame Bernard, and Charles. I hope the afternoon’s events didn’t frighten you. My men aren’t very adept at handling these situations!”

This unexpected twist left Camille at a loss for words. She couldn’t believe that such a distinguished figure would appear at their doorstep. She stared blankly until Charles tugged at her sleeve, snapping her out of her stupor.

“No, General, of course not…” she stammered nervously. “It’s… an honor for us. We’re fine, really!”

Charles shrugged. Moments ago, she had nearly jumped out the window to escape.

“You must be Charles?” Gallieni’s gaze settled on the boy, his steady tone tinged with inquiry. “May I have a word with you?”

“Of course, General!” Charles descended the stairs.

From outside came a neighbor’s call: “Is everything alright, Mr. Djoka?”

Clearly, the commotion hadn’t gone unnoticed. The neighbors, fearing trouble, were checking in, likely armed themselves.

“All’s well!” Djoka leaned out the window to reply. After a brief pause, he added, “It’s a client, Daniel. They’re here for business!”

The neighbors relaxed at that. “Shout if you need anything, Djoka. We’re here!”

“Thank you!” Djoka replied gratefully.

Gallieni raised an eyebrow in mild exasperation, offering Charles a wry smile as he descended the stairs. “Meeting you isn’t an easy task, Charles. I’ve risked life and limb to do so!”

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