I Became a Tycoon During World War I: Saving France from the Start

Chapter 629 629: A Possible Opponent

The "offense outweighs defense" theory that Charles mentioned is now considered basic military knowledge in modern times. But during this era, very few understood it, and even fewer dared to apply it—virtually none at all.

Not just in World War I—even by the time of World War II, countries around the world were still making the same mistakes.

The most famous example is France's Maginot Line, which became the butt of global ridicule after Germany easily bypassed it—a lesson remembered even today.

But France wasn't the only one making that mistake.

Before the war, Germany built the Siegfried Line opposite the Maginot Line, and later constructed the Atlantic Wall along the coast.

The Soviet Union had its own Stalin Line.

Nearly all of these defensive lines failed to fulfill their intended—or hoped—functions.

That wasn't a coincidence; it was inevitable.

The reason was simple: offense outweighs defense.

These lines were too long. Dispersing enormous sums of money across hundreds of kilometers guaranteed weaknesses. No individual section could be strongly fortified.

Meanwhile, the enemy could simply observe over and over until they identified a weak point, then concentrate their forces and smash through it.

The correct approach would be what modern militaries do: use those defense-construction funds to build armored and mechanized units, and ensure rapid deployment via road, rail, sea, and air.

Once fighting breaks out, these mobile units can be rushed to wherever they're needed.

As long as the deployment is fast enough, even a defenseless front line can be covered by a powerful, invisible but ever-ready iron wall formed by those units.

(For example, our nation invested heavily to build a railway into the plateau.)

In a corner of the officers' club, Charles had finally escaped the crowd and was now sitting across from Lucia. They each had a cup of hot coffee in front of them.

"They really respect you," Lucia said with pride in her eyes.

"That's only because I've won a few battles," Charles replied casually. "Soldiers are practical. They have to be."

Lucia nodded gently and glanced around the room.

The officers were still passionately discussing the earlier topic, some already spreading out maps under the lamps for impromptu simulations.

"They only respect those who can lead them to victory," Lucia said thoughtfully. "Because victory brings them honor—and the hope of survival."

"Exactly," Charles answered, his voice cold.

In the end, everything comes down to interests—money, power, or life.

"You... Are you the same?" Lucia asked, her question layered with meaning.

"Maybe," Charles replied, taking a small sip of coffee.

He had unknowingly drunk too much beer during the earlier discussion and was now feeling a bit dizzy. He hoped the coffee would help sober him up.

Lucia sighed silently but understood.

As an intelligence agent, she knew exactly what he was going through.

The pressure on Charles was immense—more than most could bear.

He had to deal with enemies on the battlefield, wrangle with politicians and capitalists, and even play a delicate game with the British.

Every one of those opponents was formidable. One misstep could mean total defeat—or death.

Given all that, Charles had neither the time nor luxury to consider emotions. He couldn't afford to act sentimentally—it might kill him.

Sometimes Lucia wondered how he even managed to hold up under it all.

Without realizing it, her eyes turned slightly red. She sighed again, leaned in, and asked in a low voice, "Your orders, General?"

Charles put down his coffee, glanced around to make sure no one was watching, and replied in a whisper:

"Leak a piece of information to the Germans: their cipher has been broken by the British."

Lucia froze for a moment. That was no small matter.

But she quickly regained composure and nodded firmly. "I'll arrange it immediately."

She knew Charles must have a reason—just like the time he leaked information about merchant ships to the Germans, which led to over a dozen of their submarines being hunted down.

What's more, this time it involved the British. "White Lady" wouldn't be under too much pressure.

Charles added, "You can include a detail: U-21, the submarine sunk in the Dardanelles, didn't have time to destroy its cipher machine."

Lucia responded with a quiet "Got it." That detail would lend more credibility to the intel.

Charles thought back to General Winter's confident expression that morning and his words:

"Don't worry, General. We can handle it ourselves. You seem to forget—the Royal Navy is the strongest in the world. There's nothing we can't manage."

Charles knew exactly what General Winter was relying on.

The British had salvaged the cipher machine. They now had access to every German operational plan, even fleet positions.

That's what led to the famous Battle of Jutland. The British Navy had used intelligence to intercept the German fleet.

But Charles wondered: if the Germans suddenly changed their cipher, would Winter still be so calm?

Would the Royal Navy remain so confident?

Would the Minister of War still insist on keeping the French Navy out of the blockade against Germany?

Sometimes it felt like the German Navy was more of an ally than the British Royal Navy.

Then Charles pulled a check from his pocket: 100,000 francs. Underneath it was a list of names.

"I'll be retiring some lightly wounded soldiers. Integrate them into the organization. This is your operating fund."

Lucia's eyes instantly lit up. "Yes, General."

"White Lady" was a civilian intelligence network. While they were decent at gathering information, they lacked military training—meaning they often couldn't protect themselves.

Now Charles was giving them a team of veterans fresh from the battlefield. It was like sending coal in the middle of winter—exactly what they needed.

What Lucia didn't know was that Charles wasn't just giving them veterans.

Most of the men on that list were top-tier snipers, a few even personally trained by Shen Billy.

They were equipped with scoped sniper rifles, and with minimal retraining, they could become elite spy-assassins.

"Our enemy—who is it?" Lucia asked in a low voice.

She was quick. She'd already guessed that "White Lady's" mission might be about to escalate.

"You should ask: who are the possible enemies?" Charles locked eyes with her. "Anyone—or any intelligence agency—that might pose a threat to us. Understand?"

Lucia's eyes flickered with shock.

Intelligence agencies?

The British SIS? France's Second Bureau?

And then she understood: it was likely the French Second Bureau.

Because the Second Bureau was the eyes and ears of both the government and Parliament.

Controlling them meant making the government and Parliament blind, deaf, or misinformed.

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