Since eting Welles, owning a steel plant had beco a pressing issue for Charles. Although Charles could source specialty steel from the U.S. military at reasonable prices for his tank production, this arrangent didn't extend to Welles' shipyard or free him from the constraints imposed by other capitalists.
The steel requirents for tanks were relatively small compared to warships, so importing specialty steel from the United States, even after factoring in shipping costs and tariffs, was still manageable. More importantly, tank technology ca with technical barriers and patent protections.
For example, the "Charles A1" tank was uniquely advanced, with no competition that could surpass it. The French military had no choice but to purchase it. Charles was already improving the tank's engine and had future plans to upgrade its cannon, making it clear that as long as he stayed ahead, companies like Schneider would never match his advancents. Thus, Charles effectively held a monopoly, allowing him to pass on steel costs to the military—even raising prices if he wanted to.
But warships were a different matter.
Welles could build destroyers, and so could Schneider. Welles could manufacture battleships, as could Schneider. The sa applied to submarines, torpedo boats, and minesweepers. Technologically, there was no significant gap between the two, so cost control largely centered on the vast amounts of steel needed. If Welles relied solely on importing steel from the United States, he would remain trapped in the cycle of "sa performance, but at a higher price."
Thus, to truly bring Welles under his wing, Charles had to "help" solve the steel supply issue.
His thoughts naturally turned toward the 68% of France's steel industry now under German control. If he could reclaim even a small part of this, just a fraction—about one-twentieth—it would be enough to make Brest Shipyard self-sufficient and break free from other capitalists' control.
Of course, Charles' ambitions went beyond just this. Any industrial growth was tied to steel, so the more control over its production, the better.
Tijani found the idea challenging. Examining the map, he located a few steel plants and pointed to them. "The main issue is ownership. These plants belong to the capitalists, and one day, when we reclaim this territory, the governnt will just hand them back."
It was a bitter irony. Here was Charles, risking his life on the frontlines to reclaim lost territory, only for the rewards to be handed over to capitalists waiting in the rear.
But Charles had already considered this. "That's why we need to act quickly, General. Now is the ti."
"Now is the ti?" Tijani asked, confused. "What do you an?"
At Schneider Armant, Jas was in a conference room, discussing the mass production of the Chauchat machine gun. He felt a surge of pride, as neither Charles nor the Saint-Étienne armant plant had reacted yet, suggesting Schneider had finally gained the upper hand.
"Our current capacity is at most 2,000 units a month, and scaling up further would be extrely difficult," reported Casso, the head of Pito Armant, cautiously. "We're already at our limit."
"Not enough," Jas said firmly. "We need at least 10,000."
Casso paled. Ten thousand units—a fivefold increase—posed huge challenges in labor, machinery, and facilities. But the worst part was when Jas added a deadline.
"One month. This has to be done within a month."
"We need to flood the market as soon as possible. Even if Charles develops a better machine gun in the future, the military will have no choice but to buy ours because of the sheer volu we can provide," Jas explained.
The urgency of the battlefield dictated this. If Charles produced a superior machine gun in the near future, but could only supply around 1,000 units monthly, it wouldn't be enough to et the demand for hundreds of thousands of units needed for the war. His gun would end up sidelined.
Jas was hedging against Charles' capabilities, knowing that Charles would likely co up with a better machine gun soon and banking on outpacing him in production.
"But, sir," Casso said, swallowing nervously, "10,000 units… it's just not feasible. Every aspect takes ti—building facilities, training workers…"
"We'll use a different approach," Jas interrupted. "We'll outsource production to other capable firms."
Since the outbreak of war, France had already mobilized various manufacturers—motorcycle factories, car factories, and others with skilled workers and machinery—to produce guns and rifles, filling the massive warti gap.
"But that would compromise quality," Casso cautioned.
He had considered this option before, but the poor quality of weapons produced in non-specialized plants was already problematic, which could be disastrous for a new weapon.
"That's not the point, Casso," Jas said, tapping his fingers on the table rhythmically. "The point is volu—sheer volu! Soldiers need to have machine guns in their hands, even if they're not perfect, as long as they can fire."
At that mont, Pauline entered the room and leaned down to whisper to Jas, "Soone's here to see you, sir."
Jas glanced at her, surprised. "Now? Tell them to wait!"
Ordinarily, people wanting to et him had to make an appointnt, especially since he was in the middle of a eting. But he quickly realized Pauline wouldn't make such a mistake, so this visitor must be important.
Indeed, Pauline quietly added, "It's Deyoka, Charles' father."
At the ntion of "Deyoka," Jas frowned slightly—he didn't recognize the na. But when she added "Charles' father," his expression changed to shock. Charles' father had co to visit him?
What could this an?
Could it be that Charles had sent him to negotiate?
Jas couldn't sit still. He rose, glancing around the room. "We'll adjourn for now and continue the details later."
He gave a nod to Casso. "Get ready, Casso. I need production volus."
"As you wish, Mr. Jas," Casso replied, albeit reluctantly. As head of Pito Armant, he was well aware of the problems with the Chauchat machine gun. Even when produced in the armant plant, it had an unacceptably high failure rate. Outsourcing it to other manufacturers would only make things worse.
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