I Became a Plutocrat in World War I: Starting with Saving France

General Winter looked at Shire with a face full of anticipation, and a hint of fear still lingering in his eyes.

He couldn't imagine what Britain would do if Shire answered "no"!

Force Shire to hand over the technology?

Not only does Britain not have this authority, but the French Government and its citizens are not fools; on this issue, they would all side with Shire, even Xia Fei and Schneider are no exception.

So, Britain would have to admit that it has fallen behind!

For the world's number one power, Britain, this is no small matter. Her prestige would collapse instantly, and she may even lose control of her colonies.

Fortunately, this did not happen. Shire nodded slightly, "It can be sold abroad, as long as the price is right."

General Winter secretly breathed a sigh of relief and then couldn't wait to ask, "Of course, Brigadier General. The right price, we won't disappoint you."

Though he said this, deep down he felt a little disappointed in Shire. Didn't he know this could curb Britain's trump card? Or did he simply regard Britain as an ally and never remained vigilant? Or did he not understand how to use this advantage?

Shire considered for a moment and said, "You know, General, we lack large-caliber howitzers."

General Winter instantly understood and nodded in response, "No problem, we can exchange it for a 6-inch 30 cwt howitzer."

Shire looked coldly at General Winter and said nothing.

General Winter got the hint and immediately changed his offer, "Not just the howitzer, but the production line, Brigadier General. An entire production line, along with a set of skilled workers..."

Shire interrupted General Winter, "Even though we are friends, General, it doesn't mean I will make significant concessions in business. You should know the performance of the 'Camel' fighter plane; it is the most advanced aircraft in the world, and you intend to trade it with an outdated howitzer?"

Shire sat up straight, expressionless, and said, "You can leave now, General, we are wasting time!"

"No, no!" General Winter hurriedly stopped Shire, "We have artillery, the latest artillery, we haven't even equipped it ourselves. It was developed to counter the Germans' 105mm howitzer!"

Shire uttered an "hmm", then sat back down in the chair.

General Winter's tone carried a bit of helplessness, "It is a 6-inch 26 cwt howitzer; currently, we have only 3 production lines, with a monthly production of about 18 guns..."

(The image above is the British Army's 6-inch 26 cwt howitzer, with a caliber of 152mm, and the weight of the gun barrel plus the breech is 26 cwt, approximately 1300 kilograms. It was one of the main artillery pieces of the British Army in WWI, developed in 1915 and put into service at the end of that year.)

Shire knew this gun. Although its range was not as far as the German Army's 105 howitzer, it fired a lightweight shell (39 kg) with a range of only 10.4 km, but its large caliber and ample propellant gave it much more power than the Germans' 105 howitzer. Besides suppressing the 105 howitzer, it could easily destroy barbed wire and bunkers.

If it fired a heavier shell (45 kg), it would be a "bunker buster"; additionally, it could fire fuel shells and smoke shells, making it a versatile weapon on the battlefield.

"I need 5 production lines." Shire's tone was unquestionable, "Completed within two months!"

"This, this is impossible, Brigadier General," General Winter looked at Shire in shock, "This means the British Army won't have artillery for quite some time!"

It wasn't just selling; it was handing over everything.

It required Britain to exert its full national effort to build for Shire, and even dismantle domestic production lines to send to France.

Shire got up again to leave, General Winter panicked, hurriedly stepping forward to stop Shire, "Let me consider it, everything can be negotiated."

Shire replied decisively, "Either aircraft or artillery. The 'Camel' aircraft can't be exchanged for just anything; if it could, you wouldn't be sitting here talking to me, would you?"

Then Shire added, "Sorry, General, but I must distinguish between public and private interests."

"Of course," General Winter nodded in understanding. He thought for a moment and said, "I at least need to consult with London."

Shire nodded, "You should do so."

General Winter shook hands with Shire and left, always frowning in thought, seemingly considering how to report to his superiors.

Shire took steps back to the command post, Tijani was sitting in his chair signing documents, and casually asked, "Any problems?"

"No," Shire replied calmly, "He was just here to talk business."

Tijani responded with an "oh" and a nod.

If it was enough to make General Winter so tense, it must be related to military equipment.

What could it be? He was somewhat curious.

Suddenly, Tijani stopped what he was doing, looked up at Shire with a serious expression, "He wasn't here to buy the new aircraft, was he?"

It wasn't hard to guess. Britain, as an island nation, was only concerned about warships and aircraft being threats. Those were the only things that posed a threat to Britain.

Warships were impossible; Britain remained the strongest in that regard, and Shire couldn't change that.

So it had to be aircraft, Shire's new aircraft.

Shire didn't say anything, essentially confirming it.

"You're not planning to sell it to them, are you?" Tijani asked again, his face turning very ugly.

"Why not?" Shire asked in return, "As long as the price is right."

Tijani jumped up, his eyes filled with shock and anger, "Are you crazy? That's the 'Camel,' the most advanced aircraft. With it, we could potentially crush Britain, and you plan to sell it to them!"

Tijani wasn't exaggerating, especially in an era with virtually no anti-aircraft defenses.

France could use the 'Camel' fighter to seize air superiority over Britain, and then the Caproni bombers could bomb the British mainland wherever they pleased, as long as the range permitted.

At that point, how could Britain still claim to be the world's number one power?

Shire half-jokingly asked, "Do you plan to go to war with Britain?"

"No, that's not what I mean," Tijani was a bit flustered, waving his hands in explanation, "What I mean is, we have this power, it would put pressure on Britain, and we could use it to gain leverage in negotiations. That's politics, that's diplomacy, Shire!"

Shire smiled and nodded at Tijani. Another advantage of Tijani was his understanding of international geopolitics, perhaps due to his background.

One day, he might be responsible for international affairs.

Tijani read something in Shire's expression, "You know this, don't you?"

"Yes," Shire did not deny it.

"Then why are you still..."

"It's simple," Shire calmly explained, "First, I need to use Britain to defeat domestic competitors. Secondly, we're selling outdated equipment, General, so there's no need to worry too much."

Tijani's eyes widened as he looked at Shire, "Outdated equipment? Are you saying 'Camel' is outdated equipment?"