Make France Great Again-Chapter 886 - 877: Discovery of the Manganese Mine

Chapter 886: Chapter 877: Discovery of the Manganese Mine

"Secretary Rastigne, when can we start?"

While Rastigne was talking with Andre Milanovic, the geological survey leader, who had remained silent, asked Rastigne.

"Secretary Rastigne, are these the experts from Paris?" Andre Milanovic asked Rastigne as if he had just noticed the group of geologists.

Rastigne nodded and replied to Andre Milanovic, "That’s right! They are the mineral exploration experts specially appointed by His Majesty the Emperor to assist us in our mineral survey."

After hearing Rastigne’s introduction, Andre Milanovic presented a sudden look of realization, then with a broad smile, he grasped the leader’s hand and said, "It’s wonderful that you have come!"

"It’s nothing," the leader still maintained a particularly serious expression, not looking at Andre Milanovic, but turned his head to ask Rastigne, "Your Excellency Secretary, when shall we begin the survey?"

Rastigne glanced at the setting sun in the distance, then took out his pocket watch to check the time before responding to the leader, "Professor Gaston, it’s already quite late. I think we should start tomorrow."

Andre Milanovic also chimed in, "Professor Gaston, Secretary Rastigne is right, we should wait until tomorrow.

I have already instructed the kitchen to prepare an evening banquet. Please accompany me to the command post for a brief wait!"

"Major Andre, I heard that this meal was specially ordered by you from your army’s kitchen, is that true?" Rastigne playfully inquired of Andre Milanovic.

"Secretary Rastigne, listen to you! There’s no such thing as special or not special!" Andre Milanovic joked in a friendly tone, "Even if you didn’t come, the menu would be the same.

Now that you are here, including myself, all the soldiers are fortunate enough to have a little extra in tonight’s meal!

I should be thanking you!"

Andre Milanovic skillfully flattered Secretary Rastigne and the geologists, making them feel extraordinarily comfortable.

After all, no one dislikes hearing flattery.

Rastigne smiled and responded to Andre Milanovic, "Very well! Professor Gaston, and all our alumni (here Rastigne is being collegial, he himself is not a graduate of École Polytechnique), must taste the skill of your army chefs well!"

"Trust me! We will not disappoint you!" Andre Milanovic assured Rastigne.

"Good!" Rastigne nodded at Andre Milanovic.

Rastigne and the geologists were invited into the command post by Andre Milanovic, where they first drank a few glasses of aperitif, and then began to chat heartily under the influence of alcohol.

Half an hour later, Andre Milanovic’s orderly entered the bustling command post, informing Andre Milanovic that all the dishes were ready, just waiting for them to dine.

"Have the kitchen bring the dishes in!" Andre Milanovic instructed the orderly.

"Aren’t we eating outside?" Gaston asked Andre Milanovic.

"Mr. Gaston, eating outside is certainly possible! However, there aren’t suitable tables and chairs outside, moving everything out would be too troublesome, and we would have to take all the candles out! So it’s more convenient to eat in the command post!" responded Andre Milanovic with a not very convincing reason.

Gaston thought for a moment and agreed to Andre Milanovic’s suggestion.

"Quickly have the cooks bring all the dishes in!" Andre Milanovic gestured to his orderly.

"Yes!" The orderly quickly left the room and headed to the kitchen, covering the sumptuous dishes brought into the command post.

Everyone in the command post couldn’t help but swallow at the sight of the delicacies on the dining table, which included the essential foie gras of France and some dishes from Croatia.

Everyone suddenly felt their taste buds come alive, and they began devouring the food on the table.

Nearly an hour passed, and the geologists, like yesterday, were once more sprawled out, while Andre Milanovic also showed a slightly tipsy expression. He burped and asked Secretary Rastigne, "Mr. Secretary, how should they be handled?"

Rastigne, who had not drunk much, calmly shook his head and said to Andre Milanovic, "Find a few bedrooms and put them in there!"

"Yes!" Andre Milanovic followed Rastigne’s suggestion, instructing soldiers to carry Gaston and the others to unoccupied tents for the night.

He himself needed to discuss the recent events with Rastigne.

"How are things at the Governor’s Mansion?"

"Everything is proceeding as usual."

"That’s good! Where is Mira Bo Pulekovic now?" asked Andre Milanovic of Rastigne.

"We only know their entire expedition team continues to move along the river, beyond that, we are in the dark!" Rastigne spread his hands, helplessly to Andre Milanovic.

"Ah! I hope they can proceed smoothly!" Andre Milanovic sighed.

"Indeed! I also wish them smooth progress!" Rastigne echoed.

Then Rastigne left Andrei Pulinkovic’s command post and found a tent for himself.

The next morning, Gaston woke up early and called out to his companion sleeping beside him: "Wake up! Hurry and wake up!"

The person Gaston shook awake yawned and asked Gaston, "Professor Gaston, what are you doing!"

"Of course, to inspect the types of ore in the mine!" Gaston replied without hesitation.

"But..." The newly awakened student yawned again, took out a pocket watch, and glanced at the time. It was only 7 a.m.

The student, seeing it was still early, resumed a lazy expression and said to Gaston, "Professor Gaston, it’s still early! We can rest a bit longer!"

Gaston responded with a serious face, "We must finish as quickly as possible. The sooner we complete it, the sooner we can return!"

Hearing about returning, the student instantly perked up, sprang up, and said to Gaston, "Professor Gaston, what are we waiting for then!"

Gaston shook his head subconsciously at the eager student, then orderly exited the tent.

When Gaston stepped out of the tent, he noticed that the entire camp seemed void of soldiers, which made him slightly puzzled.

So, Gaston muttered softly, "What’s going on here?"

After some time, a squad of soldiers ran up to Gaston, who quickly asked, "Where did your troops go?"

The soldier was baffled by Gaston’s sudden question.

After a good while, he finally responded to Gaston, "Sir, our unit is currently training a kilometer away!"

"Why run so far?" Gaston asked again.

"Because Major Andrei said we shouldn’t disturb your rest, so we chose a distant place for training," the soldier replied briefly to Gaston.

Gaston was silent for a moment after hearing this, then patted the soldier on the shoulder and said, "Please thank Major Andrei for me!"

"I will convey it on your behalf!" the soldier responded to Gaston.

After the soldier left, the student sharing a tent with Gaston also finished tidying up and stepped out of the tent.

"Professor Gaston, what’s going on here?" the puzzled student asked Gaston.

"Let’s not worry about that right now! Just wake up everyone else who’s still asleep, and we’ll identify the minerals in the mine together!" Gaston told the student.

The student obeyed Gaston’s command and quickly woke all the students who hadn’t risen yet.

Twenty minutes later, all the students were assembled, and Gaston gave the order to proceed to the mine.

At 7:30 a.m., after Andrei Milanovic brought the training troops back, he found the camp unusually quiet.

So, Andrei Milanovic ordered a soldier to go to Gaston’s tent to check the situation.

A while later, the soldier reported back that Gaston and the others weren’t in the tent.

"Where could he have gone?" Andrei Milanovic muttered to himself, then suddenly thought Gaston might have entered the mining area,

Andrei Milanovic immediately sent someone to the mining area to investigate. After half an hour, the scout informed Andrei Milanovic that Gaston and the others had indeed gone deep into the mining area.

Andrei Milanovic breathed a sigh of relief, then ordered his soldiers to prepare breakfast for Gaston and the others.

Soon, breakfast was ready, and Andrei Milanovic ordered his men to enter the mine and deliver it to Gaston.

The subordinate jogged into the mining area and then ran back to the surface.

"Delivered?"

"It’s already in their hands!"

Andrei Milanovic patted the soldier on the shoulder and said, "You did a great job!"

The soldier responded firmly, "Thank you for the compliment, sir!"

...

In the following days, Gaston continued to leave early and return late, eager to inspect every rock in the mining area. 𝐟𝕣𝕖𝐞𝐰𝕖𝚋𝐧𝗼𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝗰𝐨𝐦

Finally, Gaston concluded that this site was a manganese mine.