Chapter 50: Into My Bowl
Dubois, in particular, being older, understood that military organization, management, training, and logistics were the fundamentals for improving combat effectiveness. He had already taken out paper and pen, quietly repeating the Crown Prince's military reform proposals and quickly jotting them down.
"Establish a nationwide conscription system, complete with recruitment and pension regulations, formalizing them into law...
"Create a French Ministry of Military Affairs, gradually abolishing local garrisons, and unifying the French army's selection, assessment, and promotion systems...
"Elevate the status of Meritorious Soldiers, making supreme honor the military's highest pursuit...
"Build a national system for arms production and equipment, encourage research into new weapons, and accelerate their adoption...
"Establish military hospitals..."
The more he wrote, the more excited he became. If these measures could be implemented, France would surely possess an invincible army capable of defeating any enemy. The humiliation of being forced to sign the Treaty of Paris would be completely washed away, and everything France had lost would be reclaimed!
His father had died on the battlefield of Liegnitz during the Seven Years' War when Dubois was only eight years old.
He only remembered that France's defeat had cast a dark pall over the entire nation. His father's death had brought him no honor; instead, cruel people would mock the incompetence of French soldiers right to his face.
Joseph, out of the corner of his eye, noticed Dubois's serious and excited demeanor while copying. Feeling the timing was right, he flashed a sly smile, like a fox that had stolen a chicken. "Major, you seem to greatly approve of this military reform plan. I wonder if you would be interested in helping me advance this work?"
"I would be honored to serve Your Highness..." Dubois began, then hesitated, "It's just that I'm not very skilled in this area, and I'm afraid I might disappoint Your Highness."
'Then hurry up and find me someone who *is* skilled, like the Chief of Staff,' Joseph thought to himself, but he merely smiled and said, "You possess rich practical experience, which is exactly what's needed to perfect this military reform plan. To be frank, I'm currently organizing people to conduct research on military theory, and I hope you can come and assist me."
Dubois immediately straightened up and declared, "It would be the honor of my life to follow you!"
Joseph nodded with satisfaction, then turned his smiling gaze to André, his tone cordial. "Lieutenant, why didn't you continue your family's glorious tradition and serve in the Imperial Guard?"
A flicker of resentment and melancholy crossed André's eyes. "Your Highness, a great flame called love has always burned in my heart. Years ago, my pursuit and devotion to this flame ended up burning some people... so I ultimately went to the Soissons Cavalry Battalion."
Joseph inquired, "Then, would you be willing to serve here with me?"
"Of course!" André's surprise and delight were evident as he exclaimed, "The Davout family's title was bestowed by His Majesty the Old King, and loyalty to the Royal Family is the Davout family's oath! I will become Your Highness's most loyal soldier!"
Joseph looked at the two men before him with considerable joy. With these two connections, the great talents Berthier and Davout would eventually fall into his lap.
...
Lately, the focus of all Parisians' conversations had been the new Paris Angel stores.
They couldn't help but pay attention—three new stores were being prepared simultaneously, like three whirlpools on the surface of the sea, continuously drawing in wood, glass, paint, bronze, and other materials from all over Paris.
Paris's top artisans were also concentrated at the Paris Angel stores, each exhausted but with faces filled with feverish excitement.
In the past week alone, they had earned more money than they normally would in three months!
Every day, a Paris Angel steward would prepare four meals and deliver them on time, meticulously serving them until they finished, then politely asking them to resume work.
As for the food, there was fried meat, buttered corn, white bread, and tomato vegetable soup, all rich and tempting, and they could eat as much as they wanted.
Not a single artisan complained of fatigue, nor did anyone want to rest—if someone suggested resting at that moment, they would be unhesitatingly cursed out. Four times the normal pay! Stopping for even a second was blasphemy to their wallets!
At night, numerous oil lamps would be lit inside and outside the stores, illuminating them as brightly as day, and the artisans on the next shift would take over and continue working.
Some of the stronger individuals even set records, working continuously for three days and two nights, earning a staggering 28 livres in "overtime pay."
Oh, overtime even came with extra "pay"! It was truly unimaginable! When the artisans heard this was the Crown Prince's demand, they offered prayers for him several times almost every day.
Some people in later generations always liked to say that Westerners valued freedom and enjoying life, and historically disliked overtime. In reality, 18th-century France was incredibly competitive. Working 14 hours a day in factories was normal, and working 20 hours wasn't an issue as long as the pay was good.
What Joseph hadn't expected was that his push to accelerate the opening of the franchise stores had an unanticipated benefit—Parisians with nothing better to do turned watching the new stores' construction into a form of leisure, causing Paris Angel's popularity to continuously soar. If there were trending topics in that era, Paris Angel would have occupied the top ten spots.
This was understandable; entertainment options were so scarce in that era, and such luxurious stores undergoing 24-hour renovation were a rare novelty.
The small boy who had once begged in the alley behind the Paris Angel Specialty Store was now bustling through the crowds with his sister and four other street children, carrying several stacks of chairs.
He had taken Joseph's advice and started a chair rental business, earning a considerable number of silver coins during this period, and his team had expanded to six people.
He now rented a room, and he and his sister no longer went hungry. He was even planning to save up more money so he could dedicate a few hours each day to learning to read.
Time passed quickly.
Brent, the General Manager of Paris Angel Company, stood on Saint-Denis Avenue, gazing at the luxurious and elegant new Paris Angel store before him, a surge of boundless pride and accomplishment welling up in his heart.
Seven days. In just seven days, the new specialty store had been completely renovated. He, along with the company's employees and countless artisans, had created this miracle!
Of course, the 20,000 livres spent on renovations also played a crucial role.
In the western and northern districts of Paris, two identical specialty stores were also nearing completion today.
Meanwhile, in Reims, about 120 kilometers away, a franchise store was also awaiting its grand opening. However, a newly opened company specialty store there faced some unexpected delays and would require two more days to complete.
This meant that Paris Angel now had five operational specialty stores. Furthermore, according to reports from his subordinates yesterday, the stores as far away as Marseille and Bordeaux would finish renovations by the end of the month at the latest.
At the same time, a crowd of four to five hundred people thronged before Paris City Hall, craning their necks anxiously, waiting for the moment Paris Angel Company stock would officially go on sale.
Due to the influence of the "Bubble Act," this was the temporary stock exchange Joseph had chosen.
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