I Became a Tycoon During World War I: Saving France from the Start

Chapter 140: Blocking Their Profits

The Saint-Chamond tank, with its speed of 8.5 km/h, roughly matched a slow jog, which allowed it to spread out on the battlefield, making it somewhat harder for enemy artillery to target. But the CA-1 tank had a speed of only 5 km/h—barely a walking pace due to the excessive weight from added weaponry, which reduced the original 15 km/h speed of the Holt 60 chassis to a crawl. In real combat, it could be even slower.

German artillery was already accustomed to targeting infantry at these slower speeds and could easily calculate firing angles to hit advancing troops. A tank like the CA-1, moving at a predictable pace, would be right in sync with enemy artillery adjustments.

And with German artillery's superior range and firepower, what chance would a heavily loaded CA-1 have on the battlefield? It would likely be blown apart by German cannons before even spotting its targets.

Estienne couldn't stay still any longer. With a quick word of thanks to Deyoka and the others, he turned to leave. But Charles called after him.

"Where are you going, Colonel?" Charles asked.

"I'm going to withdraw my design," Estienne replied urgently. "If it's deployed, it could cost many lives!"

Charles asked him simply, "Did you already sell the patent?"

Estienne froze in his tracks, his face going pale. "Yes, Lieutenant," he murmured, "Grevy bought it for fifty thousand francs."

"Then there's nothing you can do to change this," Charles said, shaking his head. "Even if you convince them of its flaws, they won't abandon such a lucrative venture."

"But I still have to try…"

Charles cut him off. "They don't even need you now. If you go around publicizing the tank's weaknesses, trying to pull it from the battlefield—do you know what they'll do?"

Estienne paused, the realization dawning slowly. "This would cut off their profits… They might…"

Estienne sighed deeply, understanding the potential danger his actions might bring upon himself. He hadn't foreseen that his design could backfire on him to this extent.

Charles spoke calmly, "Your best choice is to act as if you know nothing."

"Take a long holiday somewhere and spend that fifty thousand francs they gave you. That'll reassure them you're not a threat."

"Once the CA-1 encounters issues in battle, then you can return. Your design may face criticism, but at least you won't lose your life over it."

Deyoka looked at Charles in surprise. He'd underestimated his nephew's understanding of the political complexities. Charles didn't seem to care for politics or power struggles, yet he had an astute awareness of them.

Estienne nodded, accepting the advice. Then, mustering up his courage, he looked at Charles. "Lieutenant, when that time comes… would you allow me to work for you?"

This might pose a complication for Charles. But considering that Grevy was already a hostile force, and knowing the value of a skilled man like Estienne, he nodded in agreement.

At least this way, Charles would have a knowledgeable ally to consult on tank design and improvements.

Overwhelmed with gratitude, Estienne shook Charles's hand. "Thank you, Lieutenant. Thank you so much!"

To Estienne, Charles was not only his guide toward better understanding but also the person who had just saved his life.

Watching Estienne leave, Deyoka, looking somewhat awkward, turned to Charles and asked, "So, it turns out that Joseph and I were wrong about the tank cannons all along, isn't that right?"

"Yes," Charles confirmed.

"Then why didn't you tell us?" Deyoka looked at Charles, puzzled. "You could have just pointed it out."

Charles replied, "And if I had, would you have believed me?"

Deyoka paused, realizing the truth. Even if Charles had pointed it out, they likely would have dismissed it as Charles being obstinate.

Had it not been for the artillery officer reaching the same conclusion, with Charles guiding him to it, Deyoka would never have believed that a tank with a cannon could be less effective than one without.

…

After breakfast, Charles made a visit to the hospital for wounded soldiers.

The institution was formally called the Veterans Welfare Center—a name chosen to avoid the stigma of the term "wounded soldiers." Over three thousand soldiers were housed there, coming from various units and regions. Some had been rescued from field hospitals by Charles, while others had arrived after hearing about the center.

As Charles had envisioned, wounded soldiers here engaged in light mechanical tasks they could manage, earning money for each completed piece and thus sustaining themselves. The welfare center was breaking even; it didn't generate profits, nor did it incur losses. Charles occasionally donated food and medical supplies, which were not included in the center's accounts.

As soon as Charles entered the workshop, he was greeted warmly by the veterans:

"It's Master Charles!"

"Maybe we should call him Lieutenant Charles now!"

"I'd give anything to serve under him again. Too bad it's not possible…"

Their tone was light-hearted, with an edge of humor, but Charles understood that these men were bravely hiding their pain.

The center's director, Darius, was a one-armed captain. Before his military service, he had worked as an accountant in a factory, so Deyoka had chosen him to manage the center.

Seeing Charles and Deyoka enter, Darius immediately saluted. "Mr. Deyoka, Master Charles!"

Darius preferred to call him "Master Charles," as that's how he'd first heard of him. At that time, lying in a field hospital with his left arm amputated, Darius had been barely conscious. But even in that foggy state, he had heard Charles's name as doctors reassured him, saying, "You'll be alright; Master Charles has provided us with enough supplies. You'll survive."

Only later did Darius learn the full story of "Master Charles" and the victories he had achieved on the battlefield. To him, Master Charles was irreplaceable, and he felt Charles's rank was still far too low for his worth.

"We're here to see Mathieu," Deyoka explained. "I remember he's in the tire workshop."

"Yes," Darius replied, leading them toward the tire workshop. "Mathieu has been doing well. I even promoted him to manage the workshop!"

Charles's steps slowed, and he hesitated. Seeing this, Deyoka looked back in confusion. Why didn't Charles seem pleased to hear that Mathieu was excelling?

Charles said nothing, quickening his pace to catch up.

He knew Mathieu well—he wasn't the kind to find satisfaction in a repetitive, mundane job. Mathieu thrived on working with machinery that moved and operated.

So if he seemed content with workshop management… it could only mean one thing: he was pretending. He didn't want others to see his internal struggles and, more importantly, didn't want to worry Charles or hold him back.

Thank you for the support, friends. If you want to read more chapters in advance, go to my Patreon.

Read 15 Chapters In Advance: patreon.com/Franklin1