Chapter 25: The Sun King's Legacy

The decision to reopen the Bastille, such a symbolic site, was certainly influenced by the need for a place to detain French collaborators, but the primary impetus came from a suggestion made by General Duval’s warrant officer subordinates. After all, it is a well-known tourist attraction, and reopening it from the perspective of recycling waste is hardly unreasonable.

As Operation Market Garden officially commenced, Corman set off for the Bastille. Human joys and sorrows are not always connected; while British and American paratroopers were facing the frantic output of the German army, he was here "outputting" French collaborators. Everyone had a bright future ahead of them.

As for the gloomy and terrifying atmosphere often depicted in literature, Corman felt none of it. Was the Bastille in his eyes just a simple building? Not exactly. There were indeed some sounds that could be called screams. As the old saying goes, the two greatest institutions for forging a man are the army and the prison. Though it took him two lifetimes—and both experiences were somewhat diluted—Corman had managed to collect both. It was a life not lived in vain.

Corman turned a deaf ear to the minor noises; they were, after all, a valuable treasure in any man's life. Why bother screaming? Once a move is made, there is no taking it back. Did he force these people to become collaborators? Still, one would hope they could be a bit smarter.

"Do not use such crude methods. I believe there are many ways to extract confessions that do not involve physical harm, methods that are fair and can stand up to the scrutiny of the French people," Corman’s footsteps echoed far down the corridor, the very embodiment of someone wielding a big stick while wearing a smile. "You are overdoing it. Who will be left to plant trees in the Sahara later? Think about whether that makes sense."

"How is the case closure rate?" Displaying the little mercy he had left, Corman squinted his eyes at the sunlight spilling into the corridor. If anyone saw this scene, who wouldn’t say he was a radiant youth?

Ha! Alain let out an abrupt laugh, short and sharp, before stopping suddenly. "Naturally, it’s one hundred percent. Even the members of the French Milice didn't show much toughness. But I have found that the collaborators in the arts and literary circles confessed without much effort." The French Milice was an armed organization established by pro-German elements in Vichy France, primarily tasked with dismantling anti-German resistance and hunting down Jews.

"Collaborators in the arts—I am not surprised at all. They were always a crowd that knelt while shaking their fists," Corman mocked with a smile, dismissive. "As for the Milice, they are just a bunch of brainless sacrificial lambs. One side is too clever, the other too stupid. What deserves attention are the Vichy officials; not everyone in that group is a fool."

Alain did not reply, and sure enough, he heard Corman explain, "Many Vichy official families are very wealthy. We only have law enforcement power; the power of judgment lies with the High Court. So, by utilizing their wealth and connections, they might be able to clear their names. After all, what country isn't a society governed by human relationships? Create a separate file for this group. Is Martin still smoking himself to death at the cigarette factory? I never see him. Tell him to get those files organized."

Corman remembered that Mitterrand had served as a Vichy official and, after the war, cleared his name to become the President of France. As Corman had said, because the power of judgment did not lie with the Judicial Purification Committee, they only held enforcement authority. Unless he found Mitterrand right now and killed him, he would likely have to watch the man clear his name.

"Make good use of our enforcement power. Whether the High Court convicts them or not is their business," Corman mused. "We should build relationships with certain politicians. Having dirt on them is the best way, and now is an opportunity." This might be unfair to some at the bottom, such as the pro-German members of the French Milice, but there is no such thing as fairness in the world, and it wasn't he who made these idiots become collaborators.

"It’s really letting those Vichy officials off easy," Alain said. Although he understood the logic, he was not a native Frenchman and could not empathize with such collusive interests.

"It’s not letting them off easy; actions have a price. It’s just that the price doesn't always arrive when you expect it," Corman replied with a chuckle. "If they were loyal enough, would they be locked up here now?" When loyalty reaches a certain degree, even if your boss is difficult to deal with, you can escape disaster at a critical moment. Corman recalled an example: in the history of the Qing Empire, there was a feudal lord recognized by the Qing court until the very end—the King of Hami. On some maps, the territory of the King of Hami was colored differently from the rest of the Qing Empire, a recognized "state within a state." One must remember that the Qing court’s motto was "If the state is in trouble, the border will surely revolt," and their style of doing things was well-known: they treated all resisting ethnicities with equal ruthlessness. Yet, the King of Hami survived until the fall of the Qing dynasty, even through the reign of that energetic political animal, the Qianlong Emperor. There could be no other reason than loyalty. Following the Qing style, any sign of disrespect would have led to a reckoning, yet the King of Hami survived even the sixty years of Qianlong. This was no ordinary feudal lord; he could even dodge a heavy blow.

Many of the imprisoned Vichy officials would regain their freedom, and the most outstanding among them would return to the political arena. Keeping leverage in his hands might prove useful later. In politics, the military certainly needs spokespeople. Although the Fourth French Republic, due to de Gaulle's fear of the French Communist Party, suffered from frequent government turnover—much like the Third Republic—and an oversized military influence, this was not a bad thing for Corman. He was, after all, a soldier.

Corman had intended to meet with the literary figures in the Bastille, but the guards informed him that Chanel had arrived. He had to temporarily set aside his curiosity about the French literary giants. The wind-shielded open space was suitable for a meeting; if they went indoors and Chanel heard his comrades from the Youth Division offering promotions to the prisoners, it wouldn't be good to frighten this elegant old lady.

Carrying the investigation report on Chanel, Corman appeared before her. Chanel was over sixty; time had left its mark on her face, but the shadow of her youth was still vaguely visible.

"Ms. Chanel, you have quite a lot of nerve to come back after receiving the notice." A hint of something like admiration flashed across Corman's face as he flipped through the report. "Your network of connections is complex—British politicians and aristocrats, a Gestapo lover. In terms of using emotions, many women could learn from you."

"Since you were willing to contact me by letter, I wonder what kind of help I can offer?" Chanel had seen great scenes in her life and was not intimidated by the young man before her.

This was not good. Corman frowned slightly and retorted, "Are you thinking that if I wanted to deal with you, your complex network could save you? What if I made you pass away right here and now?"

"I meant, what kind of help can I provide?" Chanel gasped, thinking to herself that she had indeed grown old and faded; had this been the past, she would never have faced such a situation.

"That we can talk about. Now that post-war reconstruction has begun, we feel that Ms. Chanel's connections could help us facilitate a few things." Corman wasn't actually planning to do anything to the old lady. If he really wanted to be relentless, he would have sent someone to Chanel’s residence to finish her off. He just wanted to talk. Making money, after all, is nothing to be ashamed of. If it weren't for the fact that the luxury industry is not easily cultivated and is the legacy of the Sun King, he wouldn't have bothered with her at all.