sovbooks Chapter 35 "The Spartan General"
Chapter 35 "The Spartan General"
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The two spoke louder and louder, their argument grew more and more intense, their faces flushed and neither willing to back down; they were almost about to come to blows.
Gray clicked his tongue in disbelief. He had thought Montgomery had changed his ways, but now it seemed that wasn't the case at all.
After a while, perhaps to save face, Alexander softened his voice:
"I don't know if you've considered this, Monty, but I'm also thinking about the soldiers on the front lines."
Do you know how much fuel Shell controls in North Africa?
"80%! Yes, you heard right, the Eighth Army purchases 80% of its fuel from Shell."
Montgomery was stunned; he didn't know this data.
Alexander pressed his advantage:
Do you know what this means?
"Once Shell finds an excuse to stop supplying, our cars, tanks, and even warships and aircraft will all be unable to fight."
"That would be a fatal blow to us; it wouldn't be as simple as a few soldiers dying from an oil spill or fire."
Montgomery was momentarily at a loss for words to refute, since the numerical comparisons did indeed show that this was the case.
Just as Montgomery fell into an awkward silence, Thorne picked up a document from the drawer and got up.
Gray winked, seemingly telling Thorne: As a captain, you shouldn't get involved in arguments between senior officers, especially when they're being so "intense."
But Thorne ignored this well-intentioned reminder.
Thorne walked straight up to Montgomery and handed him the documents: "General, the information you requested has been found."
Montgomery looked puzzled; he hadn't asked Thorne for any information.
But upon receiving the data, the furrowed brow on Thorne's forehead instantly relaxed; it was data Thorne had obtained from the Industrial Liaison Bureau.
Montgomery flipped through the documents, placed them on the table, and gently pushed them towards Alexander:
"Take a look at this, General. It's true that 80% of our army's fuel comes from Shell, but about 70% of that comes from the United States."
"They mixed high-quality fuel from the United States with their own fuel, calling it 'unified refining'."
"Then, we got inferior oil, but the price skyrocketed."
American-made aviation fuel costs only 28 pence per gallon, and with freight, the landed price is only 30.7 pence.
Shell sold it for 50 pence in one go.
Alexander's face stiffened. He glanced at the documents, realizing he was in the wrong, and his words faltered: "So, but... we still need this fuel. I mean, at least until the situation stabilizes."
"We don't need to wait, Your Excellency," Thorne added at the opportune moment.
"The vast majority of the fuel Shell imports from the United States is supplied under the Lend-Lease Act, with only about 10% being Shell's own commercial activity."
"In other words, the other 60% of fuel is a matter between the UK and the US, and in principle has nothing to do with Shell."
Alexander stubbornly persists:
"I know what you mean, Captain. You mean we can take back Shell's smelting and transshipment rights."
"But even so, can we finish this war with only 60% of the fuel?"
"You have to understand that this means we have almost a third less fuel, which will still have a significant negative impact on the military."
The number "one-third" reminded Montgomery, and as if he had thought of something, he pointed his finger in the air:
"Excuse me for interrupting, General."
"That's why I want to change the oil drums to German-style oil drums."
"Once we complete the replication and completely replace the new oil drums, we will be able to save exactly one-third of the fuel."
Alexander was stunned; he hadn't expected that the missing fuel could be made up in this way.
Montgomery wore a victorious smile: "Do you need me to explain the benefits of German-style oil drums in detail? Saving one-third of fuel is not just empty talk; we have complete and reliable data."
"No, that's not necessary," Alexander replied. "I certainly trust your judgment."
Montgomery smiled slightly, making no attempt to hide the smugness in his eyes:
"Then there's no problem."
"This plan would allow the military to obtain the same amount of fuel, or even more."
"Fuel quality will be significantly improved, and prices will drop dramatically."
Montgomery straightened up, leaned forward slightly, and stared at Alexander with a provocative gaze: "I believe the General will not refuse this near-perfect plan, will he?"
The implication is: if you refuse, it's obvious you have ulterior motives, and you're essentially telling everyone that you accepted a bribe from Shell.
Although Alexander was not good at fighting, he understood politics and social interaction. He knew that it was not wise to forcefully deny the case when the evidence was "conclusive".
He stroked his chin, feigning consideration, and after a moment said:
"You're right, Monty, I didn't consider that."
"But are you really ready?"
"I mean, a complete falling out with Shell?"
Shell's influence extends beyond the North African battlefield.
It spans all the colonies, which will have far-reaching consequences, and it will also have to contend with the congressmen who support Shell.
Montgomery didn't hesitate: "Yes, I'm ready!"
Thorne finishes off the enemy at the right time:
"In fact, I don't think Shell will turn against us, General."
"You know, as long as Shell realizes we might abandon it."
"So, it's time for Shell to surrender..."
Montgomery understood instantly.
"That's right." He glanced at Thorne, his eyes full of approval, then turned to Alexander:
"Shell used to put pressure on us both openly and covertly, but now it's our turn to turn the tables."
What do you think?
Businessmen are profit-driven. When they realize they have no leverage to coerce the military, their previous arrogance will turn into a desperate plea for help from the military.
"Alright." Alexander stood up, glanced at Montgomery, and then at Thorne:
"It seems the problem has been solved."
"But next time, you'd better submit a report first."
"Like I said, this is the command's authority!"
"Yes, General." Montgomery readily agreed.
He was willing to give Alexander a way out, but he was still unwilling to let Alexander off easily.
"Next time." Montgomery shook hands with Alexander.
"If anything similar happens again, you can simply make a phone call or send a telegram."
"You don't need to make the trip yourself, General."
"Because the result won't be any different!"
Alexander was so angry his mouth almost twisted out of shape.
He wanted to say something more, but his mouth moved and he ultimately didn't say anything. He just nodded heavily at the two of them with an angry expression, then turned and left the command post.
Behind him, Montgomery and Thorne exchanged smiles and celebrated with a fist bump as if they had won a battle.
Gray was so shocked by what he saw that his jaw almost dropped.
How did this guy do that?
In just a few days, he got close to the "Spartan General"!
(Note: Montgomery had a nickname, "The Spartan General," which meant that he was too strict and inhumane in his military discipline.)