NOVEL NEXT Chapter 483 This is What Shire Truly Wants
The autumn wind was bleak, and the fallen leaves were swirling.
On the road leading from Lagden to Paris, three cars were speeding in a line. The cars were filled with soldiers, and the soldiers in the back seats were clutching rifles, their eyes vigilantly scanning both sides.
Xia Fei sat in the front passenger seat of the middle car, looking thoughtfully at the scenery flashing past the window.
He always felt that something was off; everything seemed to be arranged.
Especially Shire's use of directional mines at Verdun. Although the structure was simple, how could ten thousand mines be made in a day or two?
That is to say, it was very likely that this was a trap set by Shire.
Why would he do this?
After thinking for a while, Xia Fei suddenly understood. Shire wanted to completely defeat him and ruin his reputation!
If it weren't for this "one-day agreement," Xia Fei would have just lost his position as commander-in-chief, but now he was despised by everyone.
Because the contrast was too great: under Xia Fei's command in Verdun, there were tens of thousands of casualties every day with no progress, but under Shire's command, he could easily reclaim the most important forts and lines with just hundreds of casualties.
So people naturally attributed all the previous casualties to Xia Fei.
Damn bastard!
Xia Fei gritted his teeth. It must be like this!
This is also the reason why Shire cut off the communication lines between Verdun and the command; only in this way could Shire inform the newspapers about the situation on the battlefield and make it known to the world.
Now, everyone knew that Xia Fei was not a qualified commander-in-chief; he wasn't even fit to be a commander, but a murderer who killed countless soldiers of the French Army!
Little did he know that Shire had such means. He only hated himself for not realizing this earlier, which led to him being tricked by the traitor.
So, to just admit defeat now?
No, never!
Xia Fei furrowed his brow and came up with a countermeasure:
Last night's victory was not Shire's credit; it was the accumulation of the 2nd Army's counterattacks over these many days. Even if Shire hadn't come, they would have won last night as well. Shire saw this and rushed to Verdun yesterday.
It must be like this!
Plus, he used directional mines.
Although directional mines were Shire's invention, if I had such equipment, I could also command such victories!
Xia Fei suddenly had confidence. He turned his head and ordered the driver beside him, "Speed up, we need to catch the afternoon meeting."
"Yes, General." The driver responded, honking twice to alert the car in front and then lightly stepping on the gas to accelerate.
...
At the Bourbon Palace, after a brief rest following lunch, the lawmakers started the afternoon meeting promptly at two o'clock.
Shire slept for a while at the hotel; staying up all night had exhausted him, and when Major Jules woke him up, his eyes were still sore.
Getting old, Shire thought, Time spares no one.
"I heard Xia Fei will come to lobby in person this afternoon, Brigadier," Major Jules explained, "I think it's best if you're there; otherwise, I wouldn't have woken you up."
Shire responded with a hum and struggled to get out of bed.
He did need to see Xia Fei, not because he was worried about what Xia Fei might say, but to give him a final blow.
Coincidentally, as Shire yawned and arrived late, he saw a convoy stopping at the square. Xia Fei squeezed his overweight body out of the car and headed quickly towards the House of Representatives.
Major Jules looked disdainful. He didn't want to deal with Xia Fei and had no intention of saluting him.
Shire, on the other hand, stepped forward and blocked Xia Fei's path: "Hello, General, we finally meet."
Xia Fei was taken aback; he didn't know this young man.
But when he saw the two stars on Shire's coat collar, he understood: "So you are Shire?"
"Yes," Shire nodded, smiling.
"Very well," Xia Fei's eyes flashed coldly, "Are you here to mock me? But I fear you will be disappointed. Brigadier, I will not be defeated so easily!"
"No, General," Shire shook his head, "I'm here to remind you."
"Remind me?" Xia Fei squinted.
Shire moved closer, still smiling, and whispered, "The intelligence from the British, I mean Belfort, I released it."
With that, Shire kindly nodded to Xia Fei and walked into the House of Representatives with Major Jules.
Xia Fei was dumbfounded; he didn't understand what Shire meant.
But after walking a few steps, he suddenly remembered the intelligence from the British Central Intelligence Agency: "The Germans' real target is likely Belfort; all actions in Verdun might be a feint."
God, Xia Fei stood there staring at Shire's back.
Everything was this guy's doing, misleading him to transfer troops to Belfort, leading to the defeat at Verdun.
This bastard!
Xia Fei, in a fit of rage, ran into the House of Representatives and pushed Kanes, who was awkwardly facing the lawmakers, off the stage.
"Gentlemen," Xia Fei, eyes blazing, shook his fist in the air:
"Let me tell you the truth."
"What you see is not the reality; it is all Shire's conspiracy."
"He misled the British, then used them to mislead me; we were all fooled..."
A lawmaker asked in confusion, "What do you mean, General?"
Xia Fei glanced at Shire and replied:
"Intelligence, gentlemen."
"The British intelligence suggested the Germans' actions in Verdun were a feint, and their real target was Belfort."
"This intelligence was released by Shire. We were all deceived by him."
Xia Fei pointed angrily at Shire, his finger trembling with emotion:
"He is the real culprit."
"He used such despicable means to pass false intelligence to me, using tactics against the enemy against his superiors, against his commander-in-chief!"
"He's responsible for the deaths at Verdun; he disregarded national security, disregarded military discipline. We should send him to a military tribunal, send him to the guillotine!"
Everyone turned their eyes to Shire.
Shire spread his hands and replied helplessly, "I admit it, gentlemen! Everything was indeed my doing!"
The lawmakers burst into laughter:
"Unbelievable, Xia Fei is actually such a person."
"Yes, he blamed Fuxu, which led to Fuxu's dismissal, and now he wants to blame Shire."
"Is he mad? Shire has no need to do this. Xia Fei can't win any battle, while Shire is invincible!"
...
"No, no," Xia Fei, anxious and helpless on stage, said, "What I'm saying is true. Shire himself told me this, it's the truth!"
But no one believed Xia Fei. Some even looked at him with eyes filled with pity, hatred, and sorrow, seeing him as a desperate dog biting everyone, thinking he had truly gone mad.
Xia Fei looked at Shire in confusion; Shire had a faint smile and his eyes were full of disdain.
Xia Fei suddenly realized this was what Shire truly wanted; he had fallen into Shire's trap once again!