Chapter 669: Wartime Rationing
Lavaz town, Dreyoka's small house.
Perhaps he had grown fond of a simple life, or perhaps he enjoyed good relations with his neighbors, but Dreyoka had never moved into a larger home despite now being quite wealthy.
He had, however, updated his furniture, discarded old items he previously couldn't let go, and transformed the downstairs storage room into a cozy study.
Now, well past eleven at night, Dreyoka was in his study, checking accounts.
Recently, business had expanded rapidly. New insurance ventures, the shipping enterprise, and the military factories opened in America, along with expanded factories in town, left Dreyoka—nominally the Bernard Group's owner—extremely busy.
Camille entered quietly with a cup of coffee, gently placing it on Dreyoka's desk.
Usually, she would discreetly leave him undisturbed, but tonight she lingered by the desk, hesitating.
"What is it?" Dreyoka noticed her unease and paused his work, looking up.
"Can we talk?" Camille asked gently.
"Of course," Dreyoka nodded.
"I know Charles wouldn't do this, but…" Camille hesitated again.
Instantly, Dreyoka understood her concern and sighed wearily. "Of course, he wouldn't, Camille."
"I know," Camille replied. "But you don't know how severe the shortages have become. Uncle Anatole told me yesterday many can no longer afford flour. They're mixing wood shavings and potato peels to make bread. Meat and milk have practically disappeared. People have resorted to eating dogs and cats."
(During WWI, some people kept cats for food, calling them "roof rabbits" because they caught mice and required little feeding.)
"None of this is Charles's fault or the Bernard Group's," Dreyoka explained patiently. "The goods we transport have always been sold at fair prices. The problem is we cannot control who buys them."
Dreyoka had done everything possible to ensure essential goods reached those in genuine need, even refusing inflated offers from capitalists.
Yet the capitalists hired desperate poor people to buy out his goods the moment they hit the market.
"Can't we do something?" Camille asked urgently. "People still blame Charles because this began right after he secured the shipping routes."
Dreyoka nodded solemnly.
People wouldn't listen to his explanations. All they knew was Charles had taken control of shipping, and their lives had deteriorated, even to the point of starvation. Worse, winter had just passed, and now many families had no seeds left to plant crops.
As Dreyoka pondered, the sound of a car engine grew louder outside, stopping suddenly nearby.
"It's Charles," Camille said, surprised and pleased, quickly rushing outside to greet him.
Dreyoka followed more slowly, still absorbed by the problem.
Soon, Charles appeared at the doorway. One glance at his father's expression was enough for him to understand the situation. "Worried about the goods, Father?"
Dreyoka stared at him, surprised. "You already know?"
"Yes," Charles nodded, glancing briefly around the room. "Did we get a new sofa?"
"Yes." Dreyoka sat down with Charles, not wishing to linger on trivial topics. "How will you resolve this crisis?"
Camille quietly took a seat at the nearby table, listening intently.
Charles calmly removed his general's cap, placing it aside. "It's simple—I just need to publicly clarify the truth."
"True," Dreyoka acknowledged. "People will trust you, especially if you provide evidence showing how capitalists manipulated goods."
For Charles, this clarification would be easy. He had both popularity and control over influential newspapers, including the authoritative military newspaper. Silencing him was impossible.
Yet…
"That won't fully resolve the issue," Dreyoka protested mildly. "Capitalists will continue hoarding supplies to oppose your control over shipping. It's practically blackmail."
Charles understood what Dreyoka meant.
Capitalists really wanted the "echo-locator."
They'd convinced people shortages occurred precisely because Charles monopolized the echo-locator technology.
If Charles were forced to sell the technology to others—such as Toulon shipyards or even the British Navy—then massive production could quickly follow, improving shipments and thus ending the shortages.
Unfortunately for the capitalists, Charles wouldn't yield.
In fact, this attempt to pressure him presented a unique opportunity.
"Father," Charles answered confidently, "We'll simply introduce a wartime rationing system."
"Wartime rationing?" Dreyoka's eyes lit up immediately.
Camille looked puzzled, unfamiliar with the concept.
"Exactly," Charles explained. "Under this system, the French government would purchase all incoming goods at standardized prices and then distribute them equitably."
Until now, Charles had controlled only the security of shipping lanes but had little say over distribution. Capitalists could purchase Charles's insurance, import goods from America, and control markets, politicians, and the economy.
With wartime rationing, their manipulation would end abruptly.
"But…" Dreyoka remained hesitant. "What if capitalists collude with parliament members, falsify records, and embezzle supplies?"
Charles smiled reassuringly. "You're forgetting something: the French Navy supervises every shipment landing in France. Under the pretext of ensuring security, they can account for all goods arriving."
Dreyoka instantly grasped his point.
Every shipment could be precisely tracked and accounted for by the navy, creating an official record.
Any capitalist attempting to secretly divert supplies could quickly be exposed by cross-checking naval records.
"Brilliant!" Dreyoka exclaimed, relieved. "So, this rationing proposal…?"
"I've already spoken with General Gallieni," Charles replied calmly. "All we need now is strong public support."
If public demand was powerful enough, even parliamentary opponents wouldn't dare defy popular opinion by rejecting such a measure.
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