The Fox of France

The next day, Andrei woke up from the embrace of a green-eyed girl. It took him a whole ten minutes to recall her name – Anna or Lina? So Andrei spent another five minutes contemplating this question before hesitantly saying, "Anna..."

"Anna is sleeping in the next room!" the girl replied with a hint of annoyance.

"Oh... I'm sorry... I..." Andrei stammered, suddenly feeling flustered. He was well aware of this girl's identity, and there were no foolish misconceptions involved. But after spending the night with someone, calling them by the wrong name the next morning was a tad embarrassing.

Seeing Andrei's reaction, the girl couldn't help but chuckle. As she did, the blanket draped over her shoulder slipped, revealing her smooth shoulder bathed in the soft morning light. Andrei, however, didn't notice.

"Andrei, I was just teasing you," the girl said, her tone softened. "I am Anna, and the girl in the next room is Lina."

"Oh," Andrei lightly tapped his head, "I must've had a bit too much to drink last night... My companion..."

"You mean Mr. Petrovich? He probably won't wake up for a while," Anna replied. "So, are you planning to leave?"

"Yeah, what time is it now?"

Anna pointed to the clock on the wall, and Andrei turned to look. He had no recollection of how he had even entered this room last night, being too preoccupied with other activities.

"Andrei, what's the rush? Do you have an urgent matter?" Anna asked, her eyebrows slightly furrowed, appearing to chide Andrei for his lack of finesse.

"I mean, the library seats after lunch. I'm sure they'll all be taken now!" Andrei frantically scrambled to get dressed, picking up his clothes from where they were strewn on the floor.

Anna offered to help him get dressed. As she assisted him, she remarked, "You must be studying mechanics or something, right?"

"How did you know?" Andrei inquired.

"Only those who study such subjects would be concerned about grabbing a seat in the library after a night out," Anna explained. "Those like Mr. Petrovich, who are into the arts, don't even consider these things."

"Do you know students who study mechanics?" Andrei asked.

"I know a few. They're just like you, waking up and immediately asking for the time," Anna laughed.

Once Andrei was dressed, he hesitated for a moment before saying, "I have to go. Is Anatole in the next room?"

"He should be. Unless he switched rooms last night," Anna replied.

Andrei nodded and proceeded to the adjoining room. He was about to knock on the door when he heard faint laughter from inside. He decided against disturbing them.

After a while, the laughter showed no signs of stopping. Andrei stood at the door, feeling a bit awkward. Eventually, he turned around and said to Anna, "Anna, when my friend comes out, please tell him I've already left."

"Sure, but I can guarantee he won't come out until it's time for lunch," Anna assured him.

Andrei nodded and prepared to leave. As he looked around, he realized he wasn't sure where to go.

"Shall I walk you out, Andrei?" Anna offered, taking his hand.

Andrei left the Moulin Rouge and walked onto the main street. By now, it was nearly 10 o'clock in the morning, but the streets in this area were eerily quiet, as if it were midnight. Apart from a few policemen patrolling on horseback, there was hardly a soul in sight—this place was known for its around-the-clock activities.

Andrei made his way to the train station, where only a few empty carriages were parked, and the horses were nowhere to be seen. He spotted a light two-wheeled carriage still hitched to a horse, with the driver standing nearby, smoking his pipe.

Andrei quickly approached the carriage driver, explaining his need to return to the University of Paris. The driver quoted a price that Andrei found exorbitant and refused to negotiate.

"Before noon, you won't find a public carriage anywhere," the driver insisted.

Reluctantly, Andrei accepted the driver's offer, knowing he had no other way to reach the university in time to secure a seat in the library after lunch.

Meanwhile, within the Moulin Rouge, Lucien had also awakened from the embrace of several soft and smooth arms. He sat up in his oversized bed, surrounded by several beautiful girls, including the lead singer and dancer from last night's performance.

The girls assisted Lucien in getting dressed and freshening up. Someone pulled a cord connected to a brass bell.

Soon after, someone arrived with breakfast. Lucien sat at the table while the girls sat beside him, taking turns feeding him.

Once breakfast was over, Lucien's female secretary, Emma, entered the room with a briefcase in hand. The girls, in a very disciplined manner, withdrew from the room. Once they were gone, Emma retrieved a report from the briefcase and handed it to Lucien.

The Moulin Rouge, aside from being a lucrative establishment, also served as a vital information hub for the Ministry of Truth. Most of the girls working here were also part of the ministry's investigative department. In each room of the establishment, whether it was a bed, a couch, or other furniture, hidden brass tubes were used for eavesdropping. Behind these tubes, there were always listening ears.

Lucien skimmed through the report, which mainly concerned various groups of foreign students. It seemed to be a collection of their thoughts and conversations. These students often discussed their countries, occasionally venting their frustrations about their homeland. They shared desires to bring a piece of France back to their countries, promoting a complete 'Frenchification.' Besides these conversations, the students also exchanged tidbits of reliable and unreliable information, including palace intrigues. Some of this information had value when corroborated with the actions of various governments.

"Furthermore, instruct our agents to attempt contact with these organizations, albeit under different civilian identities," Lucien continued to brief Emma.

By "different civilian identities," he referred to a network of "non-government organizations" under the control of the Ministry of Truth. Over the past year, various "non-profit organizations" had sprung up, seemingly dedicated to making the world a better place. These organizations initially started with academic interests, such as "Doctors Without Borders." Later, they expanded into a myriad of high-profile political and economic organizations, including the "World Anti-Torture Alliance," "Free Trade Promotion Association," "Fitch Credit Rating," "World Anti-Hunger League," and "Human Rights Promotion Association." This list continued to grow, encompassing cultural organizations like the "Free Writers Association."

These organizations claimed to be apolitical and unaffiliated with any particular government. They operated under the banner of "non-profit," with their primary funding coming from philanthropic donors. In reality, these "non-profit" organizations were largely backed by some lesser-known subsidiaries of the Ministry of Truth.

Soon, representatives of the "Promotion of Democracy and Freedom Alliance" found the newly established Russian "Society for National Salvation."