Chapter 142: Lucien's Advice
Lucien carefully absorbed the ink from his plan document with blotting paper, then reread the entire plan thoroughly from start to finish. Satisfied with his work, he muttered to himself, "This should do. At the very least, there won't be any glaring absurdities to catch the eye. It may be a bit verbose with numerous adjectives and adverbs, making the text seem less concise, but the meaning is clear and precise. I believe it should pass muster with Joseph."
Sitting there, he closed his eyes and imagined Joseph, wide-eyed and searching for flaws throughout the paper but ultimately finding nothing, leaving him disappointed. Lucien found immense satisfaction in that mental image.
"Let's call it a day!" Lucien said. "If Joseph manages to find any issues, I'll... I'll do Louis's math homework for him!"
With that, Lucien opened his eyes, stood up, stretched with a long yawn, and extinguished the candles on his desk, preparing to share a night of rest with his beloved pillow. However, to his surprise, he noticed the faint light of dawn seeping through the curtains. Soon after, he heard the wake-up call from the training ground across the street.
"Damn!" Lucien exclaimed. He knew that Joseph would soon come knocking on his door, summoning him for their morning run.
"Health is the capital of the revolution, and running is the most effective way to keep fit," Joseph always said, both to himself and to his brother. Back in Paris, they used to join their fellow students at the training grounds of the "Paris Military School" every morning for a run. The students in that school may have been somewhat lax in other respects, but they took their running exercises seriously. The school believed that good running ability was the most important quality for the French military. Even after coming here, Joseph would drag Lucien to the training grounds for their daily three-kilometer run.
Thanks to this regular exercise, Lucien had developed impressive long-distance running skills. If our army were to suffer a defeat on the battlefield, he could bolt and leave most pursuers in the dust. As for Joseph, well, if one day he was visiting Fanny in Paris, and news suddenly arrived that Robespierre had come back to life, Joseph could probably run all the way from Paris to the New World without breaking a sweat.
His chance for a peaceful night with his beloved pillow had vanished. Lucien started counting in his mind, "1, 2, 3..." He was certain that Joseph would appear at his door before he reached twenty.
As expected, when he reached fifteen, there came a knocking on his door. "Lucien, get up, it's time for our run!" Joseph's voice called.
Lucien opened the door, glanced at Joseph, and said, "Let's go."
However, Joseph stopped and asked, "What time did you go to sleep last night?"
"What's it to you?"
"Have you been up all night?" Joseph looked at Lucien. "Your eyes remind me of some animal."
"What animal?" Lucien rubbed his eyes.
"A raccoon, of course, the kind with dark circles around the eyes that Stephen Girard mentioned. We used to say that when we got a better ship, we could transport some animals never seen before by people for exhibition... Did you work on this plan all night?"
"How did you know?"
"I can see the satisfaction in your eyes. Well, you should eat something first, then come back and take a nap. As for the run, we can catch up later tonight... By the way, let me see your plan," Joseph said, furrowing his brow. After all, this was his brother, not one of those programmers who could be replaced if they messed up.
Lucien had slept through the morning, even missing lunch. It wasn't until his stomach grumbled in protest that he reluctantly rose from bed and left his room.
He decided to head to the cafeteria and order a light meal. After all, as the chief secretary, he still had some privileges.
After filling his stomach and enjoying a nice meal, Lucien thought about his plan and then made his way to Joseph's office.
Pushing the door open, he found Joseph sitting comfortably at his desk, sipping coffee with a smile on his face, and a book lying in front of him.
"What are you reading, Joseph?" Lucien approached.
Joseph explained, "For this reason, you'll have to study this for the next few months. You can't know too much about it."
Lucien nodded. "I will."
Joseph continued, "You also didn't think about the organizations that are currently in charge of security. What will they think when they learn of your idea? The police will become the Central Security Bureau, and that's a direct impact on them."
Lucien felt somewhat dumb, as he had indeed neglected this aspect.
Joseph patted Lucien on the shoulder, saying, "Don't worry, you can think about this for a while. In the future, the BRI and the Central Security Bureau will be our underground organizations. As a security agent, your first duty is to act with precision. When your command is properly executed and successful, your organization will have great prestige and grow even stronger."
"Precision, prestige, strength. I understand," Lucien replied.
Joseph then began discussing the details of the plan. They were almost done when Napoleon entered the room.
"Joseph, what's the matter?" Napoleon asked.
"Lucien wants to take on a little more responsibility," Joseph said.
Napoleon smiled and said, "That's great. He's the best choice for the Central Security Bureau and has the support of the Central Committee. He knows more about underground organizations and their operations than anyone else."
Lucien could only smile awkwardly in response.
Then, Napoleon asked, "Where's the plan?"
Joseph handed it to him, and Napoleon carefully read through it, asking for clarification on certain points.
After a while, Napoleon said, "The surface and underground orders are linked. If we create a large organization and recruit too many members from the underground, the surface order may attack us. At the same time, the underground may become stronger and make its move. It's a dangerous situation, as both sides might target us."
Joseph and Lucien nodded in agreement.
Napoleon continued, "The most dangerous part of this plan is the FFL Corporation and the FFL College. There might be powerful forces that intend to make a move here. After all, we are weakening the military monopoly. Of course, France has also gotten more powerful, so this kind of operation could be carried out."
He handed the plan back to Lucien and said, "You've got talent, and you're a secretary now. You'll have to learn quickly. As for the rest of the plan, don't rush it. To take that step, we'll need to gather more talent. Let's start by forming the Central Security Bureau."
After he left, Joseph patted Lucien's shoulder and said, "I hope you'll be able to meet Napoleon's expectations and do a good job."
"Don't worry, I'll do my best," Lucien replied.
Joseph looked at the plans on the table and said, "This will be quite a headache for you."
As Joseph spoke, Lucien noticed the volume on the table. He wondered if he should pick it up and read it, but since Joseph didn't suggest it, he decided against it.
Lucien left Joseph's office. While walking down the corridor, he considered the responsibilities that lay ahead. Lucien had grown and matured in the underground order, and now he was becoming an integral part of its new structure. He was excited about the future, eager to face the challenges that lay ahead, and determined to contribute to his brothers' cause.
The Central Security Bureau, the FFL Corporation, and the FFL College were set to become essential components of this ambitious plan to reshape the underground and the surface order. The future was uncertain, but Lucien was ready to face it with dedication, precision, and a clear vision.
