French Empire: But Napoleon IV

Chapter 86: The Capture of the Banks – What's Wrong with the Republicans? Everything's goi

"Senucci, you traitor."

Rulan stood by the second-floor window and shouted down at Senucci, who held a high position in the Bank of France.

The bank has one president and three vice presidents, and Senucci himself also holds a certain number of shares in the Bank of France, the largest private bank in France.

Compared to a bank president who is appointed solely by the emperor, a vice president who owns shares may, to some extent, have more influence than the president.

"Senucci, how dare you betray the Empire! I will not let you set foot in the bank."

"President Lu Lan, stop being so stubborn."

Having worked with Lu Lan for several years, we are both seasoned shrewd individuals; what's the point of playing these ghost stories?

Senucci, who was trying to figure out what kind of person Rulan was, held a brass megaphone in his hand and shouted back upstairs. The meaning behind his words was not just for Rulan's ears.

"Rulan, the empire is finished. Open the gates now, and I can guarantee your safety, as well as the safety of the bank employees. If we rush in, you'll have to bear the consequences yourself."

"Pah!"

But Rulan didn't do what Senucci expected. Instead of going along with it, the bank manager, whom he had envisioned, spat on the ground in front of everyone.

"Heh, Senucci, even if I threw all my gold into the Seine, I wouldn't give you thugs a single penny."

They were so kind, they even gave Lu Lan a way out, but she still didn't appreciate it.

Senucci, who had an overwhelming numerical advantage, immediately darkened his expression. Having lost his patience, Senucci waved to the armed workers behind him.

"Prepare to attack."

Upon receiving the order from the leader, many people around knew that the Bank of France had long coveted it.

Therefore, after obtaining Senucci's permission, a dozen strong workers immediately carried a thick log and rushed towards the bank's gate.

Bang! Bang! Bang! ~

The dull thuds continued one after another, and the bank's heavy, sturdy metal and oak doors began to shake violently under the impact of more than a dozen people.

Seeing that the gate was about to be breached, Lu Lan had no choice but to order the security forces to counterattack.

"Everyone, open fire!"

Both parties lived in Paris and were French. The bank security guards, who had been hesitant, were urged on by Roulan when they saw that the other party was about to rush in.

The security guard standing by the window also started firing outwards without regard for the consequences, trying to stop the enemy's advance.

The bullets had a significant effect; several workers at the front were hit and fell to the ground on the spot, their blood staining the cobblestones of Place Vendôme.

However, the security guards' shooting did not cool down the atmosphere at all; on the contrary, it added fuel to the fire.

Seeing that the other side actually dared to fight back, the armed workers, who immediately imagined themselves as the victims, also took cover behind the pillars or statues around the square and fired back at the bank.

The importance of the Bank of France led to its construction resembling a small fortress. Therefore, even though the armed workers were numerous enough, they were unable to directly break through the bank's defenses and could only engage in fierce firefights with the bank's security forces on the spot.

The bullets fired by both sides whistled through the air and crisscrossed each other.

The battle lasted for over thirty minutes, and despite suffering more than fifty casualties, the workers' militia still failed to breach the bank's gates.

The tide of battle turned, and just when Senucci was at his wits' end, something changed within the bank itself. A senior bank employee, along with several security guards, worked together to open the bank's side door.

As the vice president, how could Senucci not have his own people in the bank, even though Rulan had taken control of all of Senucci's confidants as soon as possible?

However, the actions are carried out by the people below, and not all of the security forces are people who are dedicated to the country and its people.

This employee was one of the few who slipped through the net. As Senucci's confidant, this employee had reached a cooperation agreement with several security guards who wanted wealth and luxury. This allowed him to escape Ruran's search and gave him the ability to open the bank's side door for Senucci during the midst of the battle.

"Quickly, everyone go in through the side door."

Overjoyed, Senucci was not about to let this opportunity slip by. He quickly called for the workers to arm themselves and, braving the gunfire from upstairs, rushed into the bank through a side door.

Originally, all that was needed to concern the bank's security forces was to face the predicament of being attacked from both sides. Lu Lan was not a professional soldier, and he did not have the ability to carefully command operations.

Faced with the situation where a group of people needed to be separated to hold off the enemy, Lu Lan was completely at a loss.

Without clear instructions from superiors, and already outnumbered and with low morale, the subordinates naturally fell into chaos.

Seeing that all was lost, Lu Lan tried to burn the key to the vault door, but was grabbed by the workers who rushed in.

"President Lu Lan, now I think you can open the vault door."

Senucci, the victor, looked at Ruran, who had once been above him, now his prisoner.

Senucci was overjoyed. He walked up to Ruran and could no longer control his expression. Senucci, beaming with delight and with his lips almost curving into a Nike smile, began to give Ruran instructions.

Compared to the triumphant Senucci, the defeated Roland was naturally ashen-faced.

The reason why Roulin refused to surrender, contrary to his usual behavior, was that he wanted to take a gamble, betting that His Highness Eugène, who had repeatedly caused great disturbances in Paris, could quickly suppress the rebellion.

If he wins the gamble, his political career will obviously be much better than if he joined the Republican Party, which can't be considered an initial investment.

Unfortunately, it seems he made the wrong bet. Almost an hour has passed, and the Crown Prince still hasn't reacted.

Damn! Having lost so utterly, losing everything except his underwear, Lulan had no choice but to face reality, take the key to the vault out of his pocket, and personally hand it to Senucci.

With the key to the vault and his own, a triumphant Senucci led his entourage, surrounded by followers, toward the underground vault.

When everyone finally reached the vault and opened the door, everyone, including Senucci, was stunned.

Although Senucci was the deputy bank manager, he was not allowed to open the vault door on a regular basis. Only after submitting a report and confirming that there was a situation could he obtain the key from the bank manager to open the vault door.

Moreover, in the past, when he opened the vault door, the money inside had nothing to do with him, but now, everything is different.