Chapter 529: Resistance
As Revnet wrestled with his dilemma, his butler entered, accompanied by the caravan manager, Cabery.
The moment Cabery walked in, he handed over his resignation, citing "health issues." In truth, the Trade Alliance's generous offer was simply irresistible.
Revnet pleaded desperately with him to stay. Cabery was the main operator of the caravan's daily affairs, and losing him would cripple the business. But Cabery remained firm in his decision and walked away, leaving behind his resignation letter.
After an outburst of frustration, Revnet slumped into his chair, exhausted. Turning to his son, he said with resignation:
"We can't let Fould drag the whole caravan down. Tomorrow, go and approach the Trade Alliance. If possible, let's join them.
"I'll arrange some funds. If Viscount Fould insists on his course, we'll rebuild the caravan with our core team elsewhere."
If you can't beat them, join them. Even an 18th-century businessman understood this principle.
Similar to the situation in Champagne, other caravans across France soon regretted halting their operations.
Many resumed trading, while others sought to join the Trade Alliance, drawn by its growing market dominance. After all, once a market was lost, regaining it was no easy task. The Trade Alliance, with its expanding reach, now held an undeniable advantage.
Meanwhile, caravans wholly controlled by tax farmers reluctantly remained dormant under orders from their masters. This did little to prevent an exodus of employees, many of whom defected to the Alliance.
Marseille
A salty sea breeze swept through the bustling port. Morning sunlight pierced the thin mist, illuminating mountains of goods and ships docking to unload even more cargo.
Old Fickman pulled his thin, tattered coat tighter to shield against the chill creeping down his neck. He wasn't worried about the cold, though. Soon, the heavy loads he'd carry on his back would have him sweating buckets.
As he and several other dock workers approached the pier, they were stopped by a stocky man with a wide, flat nose and drooping eyes.
Fickman recognized him: Hogot, a manager working for Philippe Antonel, who controlled over half the warehouses on the western docks—a major power in Marseille's port.
Fickman and the others bowed deeply. "Sir Hogot, is there something you need?"
Hogot sniffed dismissively and replied curtly, "Go home. There's no work on the docks today."
The workers froze in confusion. One blurted out, "Sir, is there a problem? If we don't work today, my family won't have food to eat..."
"Give them each 15 sous," Hogot ordered, signaling to his men, who promptly handed out coins to the stunned workers. "No arguments. Just leave."
"Ah, this is for me? Thank you, sir! Thank you!"
The dock workers bowed repeatedly, grateful for the unexpected handout. While 15 sous was slightly less than a day's pay, it was free money, and they were happy to accept.
Before they could leave, Hogot added, "Don't come back to the docks for the next two weeks. Just show up here daily to collect your pay."
Overwhelmed with gratitude, the workers thanked him profusely and began to leave. But just as they turned to go, a scruffy man in a patched coat and muddy shoes approached from behind.
Leaning in with a sly grin, he whispered, "Why don't we sneak around to the south side and keep working? Then we can pocket this 15 sous for nothing."
Hogot's eyes narrowed. He didn't recognize the man—strange, given his decade managing the docks and familiarity with most workers. Judging by the man's attire, he was certainly a laborer, but that didn't stop Hogot from grabbing him by the collar and growling, "You looking for trouble? Get lost before I really lose my temper!"
The man, however, remained unfazed. Glancing at the coins in his hand, he remarked, "Interfering with port operations, are we?"
Enraged, Hogot swung his fist, but the man sidestepped nimbly.
"Resorting to violence, I see," the man said, shaking off Hogot's grip. Turning to Fickman and the others, he added, "You all saw that, didn't you?"
Infuriated, Hogot signaled his men to attack. But before they could move, the stranger drew a pistol from behind his back.
Moments later, several more men rushed in, pinning Hogot and his lackeys to the ground and binding them securely.
The armed man turned back to Fickman and the workers with a friendly smile. "You're free to work now. Oh, and I hear Twin Star Trading has a lot of shipments arriving this week. They're offering at least 20% more pay than usual."
Wide-eyed, the workers stammered nervously as they tried to return the coins. "Sir, these coins... He forced them on us..."
"I don't know why he gave me this money..."
"Keep it," the man replied calmly. "Oh, and I've heard rumors that the city council might bring in Italian workers to replace those unwilling to work. Something to keep in mind."
The workers exchanged panicked glances before bolting toward the docks.
Their livelihoods depended on the dock jobs. If Italians replaced them, starvation loomed. Determined to prove their worth to the port's merchants, they wouldn't let anyone—or anything—stop them from working.
And with the promise of higher wages, they were even more motivated.
Similar scenes unfolded across Marseille's port. Dozens of plainclothes police, disguised as laborers, arrested over 30 agitators in a single day while spreading rumors about Italian workers taking over.
This was part of a plan devised by Police Chief Besançon and Twin Star manager Volante.
Besançon's initial idea had been to deploy a heavy police presence to secure the port. But Volante argued this would only create chaos and give hidden agitators more opportunities.
Instead, they decided to blend officers into the crowd. Anyone attempting to incite a strike would inevitably approach the workers—and the disguised officers. Paired with the strategic use of rumors, this approach effectively defused the crisis.
As anticipated, the workers quickly latched onto the gossip about higher wages and the threat of Italian replacements. Fearing for their jobs, they swarmed the docks, determined to outperform any competition.
By the end of the day, even key figures like Antonel's enforcers were identified and arrested for spreading rumors and destabilizing Marseille.
Thus, the carefully orchestrated chaos planned by Fould and his allies ended before it even began.
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