CHAPTER 345: CHAPTER 345 UNROMANTIC

After the return of the 105th Infantry Regiment to Paris, they were welcomed with the highest honors and permitted to pass through the Arc de Triomphe on the Champs-Élysées in the center of Paris.

This structure was commissioned by France’s First Emperor Napoleon, typically allowing soldiers to pass through only when a decisive or at least a significant victory was achieved as a symbol of celebration.

Thus, one can understand the importance of this victory in the hearts of the French people.

Shire was not present; he did not like such occasions, especially as they might cost him his life... The time and place for passing through the Arc de Triomphe were fixed, which meant danger for Shire.

Shire did not go elsewhere; he reported to Gallieni at the City Defense Headquarters before returning to the police training base.

This was influenced by Tijani. As the commander of the 105th Infantry Regiment, Shire should prioritize his unit and not abandon them after bringing them back, like using and discarding them.

Only by treating the unit as his home would the soldiers truly accept and follow his leadership from their hearts.

Gallieni strongly agreed with this excuse.

What Shire did not mention was that the conditions at the police training base were much better than at the City Defense Headquarters.

On the third floor of the office building, Tijani had designed a special rest room for Shire. It was a suite: two bedrooms and a living room of over eighty square meters, with a private bathroom and a large bathtub.

Tijani found this very reasonable.

"Shire needs a separate office, another room for rest to improve work efficiency."

"Sometimes, he also needs to hold meetings, so the living room is indispensable."

If not stopped by Shire, Tijani would have opened up the next room as well, arranging a dining room, study, and gym for Shire...

Appropriate conditions are understandable, but overly luxurious conditions in a military camp would be inappropriate. How would the soldiers, crammed into one dormitory, think of it?

...

The office building was not far from the street, and faint cheers could be heard, the French people celebrating the 105th Infantry Regiment passing through the Arc de Triomphe.

Shire comfortably soaking in the bathtub, taking a bubble bath.

If there was any invention that Shire admired, the bathtub was one of them.

Lying quietly inside, feeling the water temperature and the slight buoyancy that brought a floating feeling, each pore exuding comfort and enjoyment, all fatigue instantly vanished.

Just as Shire was in a half-sleep half-wake state with eyes slightly closed, a soft sound came from the bathroom door, followed by a gentle female voice outside: "Hey, little hero, need my help?"

Shire thought he was hallucinating. He distinctly remembered locking the door, and there were two sentries standing guard outside, with Adrian just next door. How could anyone get in!

However, with a "click," the bathroom door opened.

Shire was suddenly startled awake. Turning his head to see, through the faint mist, a voluptuously proportioned woman in revealing attire stood at the door, her face adorned with a seductive smile and her voice oozing with allure: "I’ve come in, my little hero!"

At that moment, Shire was bewildered.

This time, this place, this scenario, perhaps precisely what he needed.

Uncontrollably swallowing a gulp, his eyes greedily roamed over the woman’s body.

However, the instant Shire saw the woman’s face clearly under the light, he was suddenly terrified and fully awake.

It was Hari, the German spy!

"Guards." Shire shouted: "Guards!"

Almost simultaneously, Shire swiftly grabbed the revolver beside him. It was a habit cultivated on the battlefield; the revolver was always within reach at any time and place.

"Bang!"

Without a thought, Shire pulled the trigger, but lying in the smooth bathtub, he missed the close-range shot. The bullet hit the door frame beside Hari.

Hari shrieked, clutching her head, curling up on the floor, too scared to breathe.

"Don’t shoot!" Hari shouted.

Shire struggled to aim again but was stopped by the rushing guards.

"No, Colonel." The guard said: "This is arranged by General Tijani."

"What?" Shire was stunned, Tijani arranged for a German spy to assassinate him?

"Yes." The guard explained: "General Tijani thought you needed to relax, so he hired Miss Hari with his own funds to serve you!"

Shire "uh" ed, remembering that no one knew at that moment that Hari was a spy. Her identity was a striptease dancer, and it was an honor for anyone to hire her.

So Tijani...

"Sorry, Miss Hari." Shire hurriedly put away the gun, his tone slightly embarrassed: "I overreacted."

"No, you don’t need to apologize." Hari stood up with a face: "I knew it was unwise to take this job. Excuse me, Colonel, for the disturbance!"

Saying that, she left in a huff.

Tijani rushed over. His command post was on the second floor, and upon hearing the gunshot, he immediately realized something was wrong and dashed upstairs.

On the way, Tijani roughly guessed what had happened, and upon seeing Hari with a displeased face, he quickly sighed with relief; she was unharmed.

If Hari had been killed or injured, it would have been unclear how to settle the account.

Hari was not wrong because Tijani had paid to hire her.

The guards were not wrong because Tijani had informed them in advance.

Shire was not wrong either; he had just returned from the battlefield and was still vigilant. An unexpected person in his room could trigger a stress reaction, which was normal.

The only one wrong was Tijani!

"Extremely sorry, Miss Hari!" Tijani apologized while walking beside Hari: "I didn’t know this would happen..."

"Really?" Hari looked at Tijani angrily: "Your ignorance nearly cost me my life, General!"

"Sorry, please forgive me!" Tijani said helplessly: "Next time, I will inform him in advance..."

"No, General." Hari interrupted Tijani: "There won’t be a next time!"

With that, she turned around and left without looking back.

As Paris’s most sought-after striptease dancer, she nearly got killed by the client she was serving.

What puzzled Hari even more was that she clearly saw the flames in Shire’s eyes.

But as soon as he recognized her, he was suddenly scared and grabbed his gun...

Was she not charming enough? Or was she terrifying?

What a shameful insult!

If word got out, it would be a significant stain on her history of conquests!

Tijani did not chase Hari anymore; he thought it was unimportant. He turned and dashed toward Shire’s rest room.

By then, Shire was frantically putting on his robe, with bubbles still unsightly clinging to his neck.

"You shouldn’t have done that." Shire glared at Tijani angrily.

Tijani shook his head helplessly, looking at Shire with pity in his eyes: "You inept romantic, you shouldn’t have used that gun!"