The City Defense Headquarters was filled with laughter and cheer. The staff officers had even set up a private bet, not on whether the fleet would win or lose, but on whether the fleet would break through the Dardanelles Strait into the Marmara Sea today or tomorrow.
Major Fernan secretly asked Shire, "Colonel, aren't you participating?"
Shire coldly replied, "What's the odds for failure?"
Major Fernan was taken aback for a moment, then laughed, "Failure? No one thinks the fleet will fail. If anyone does, I'll bet against him at odds of 100 to 1..."
"As you wish," Shire felt around in his pocket and slapped all 11 francs in front of Major Fernan.
Major Fernan was stunned for a moment. Looking at Shire's determined face, he hesitated.
But then he thought, there's no way this battle could be lost. That's 18 battleships. Germany barely has 17 in total, and these could destroy an entire country, not to mention the opponent is the Ottoman Empire.
