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

Chapter 270: Internal Issues

Layom considered Grevy's words carefully, realizing they had struck a chord. Until this conversation, he hadn't viewed Charles as a direct competitor, but now, a troubling clarity dawned on him. If things continued on their current path, the future of Saint-Étienne would be shaped not by him, but by Charles.

Layom understood now that Grevy's proposal of "collaboration" meant joining forces against Charles. However…

"You're powerless against Charles," Layom said, his gaze skeptical as he scrutinized Grevy. "You can't compete with him in industry, and Charles is closely protected by the military. There's nothing you can do."

Layom needed to know if Grevy could truly offer a worthwhile alliance. If Grevy was only full of empty words, there was no point in this partnership. Otherwise, Layom risked becoming a pawn, forced to confront Charles head-on—possibly dragging his father and brother into the fight as well.

A flash of frustration crossed Grevy's face. Layom wasn't entirely wrong; Grevy indeed had few options and had little chance of challenging Charles directly. His primary strategy involved rallying those whose interests conflicted with Charles's rise.

In terms of incentives, Grevy could offer the right wing little in the way of profit. In fact, the right had only spent time and money opposing Charles, without any tangible gain. His initial aim had been to pit industrialists against one another, hoping to entangle Charles in endless conflicts with his competitors, eventually pressuring him to join Grevy's side.

But that plan had failed. Charles's innovations were relentless, one after another, transforming his modest fortune into wealth that stretched far beyond France. Even Schneider struggled to keep pace. Charles had surged far ahead, leaving any notion of "forcing him back" in the dust.

Grevy, however, refused to give up. This was not the France he envisioned, nor the society he wanted. Sitting in Saint-Étienne, surrounded by bleak factories and smog, only strengthened his resolve.

"You're right, Mr. Layom," Grevy admitted quietly, leaning forward across the table. "I have little to offer you. But Schneider does."

Layom immediately understood—Grevy was here to broker an alliance between him and Schneider.

In a conference room at the Ritz Hotel in Paris, a machine gun with a round drum magazine lay on the table.

Steed opened a bottle of champagne, pouring a glass for Charles. Dominique took a glass as well, though he rarely drank—alcohol dulled his focus and ruined his aim, making him feel as though his hand, eyes, and mind weren't his own. But tonight, for this machine gun, he felt one drink was deserved.

"It's heavier than the Chauchat," Dominique remarked, eyes fixed on the weapon with a faint smile. "The Chauchat weighs nine kilograms; this one is nine-point-one. But it's still better because it holds forty-seven rounds, compared to the Chauchat's twenty."

Turning to Charles with admiration, Dominique continued, "All we did was widen the drum by a few centimeters, and it can hold seven more rounds. Incredible."

Steed stepped forward, patting the gun with satisfaction. "We've put it through rigorous testing, of course, and compared it with the Chauchat."

"It jams far less than the Chauchat, and it's able to sustain fire for much longer. If we supply it with two spare barrels instead of just one, it could nearly match a heavy machine gun in rate of fire."

This was somewhat of an exaggeration, as no light machine gun could sustain the kind of continuous fire that a Maxim, with its 250-round belt, could handle. Reloading and swapping barrels would keep an assistant busy. But Steed's words spoke to the excellence of this new drum-fed machine gun.

Then Steed's tone shifted. "The Pito Armory is already producing Chauchats. Should we…"

"We can wait a little longer," Charles interrupted. "Let's start production on this model first."

Steed looked surprised. "You're not submitting it to the military for testing?"

Typically, weapons manufacturers would present prototypes to the military for testing and then await orders before beginning mass production. This approach lowered their risk. Producing too many units up front could mean a warehouse full of unsold guns if demand didn't meet expectations.

Dominique, however, looked confident. "Father, Charles is right. There's no need to worry about selling this gun. It'll be in high demand as soon as it hits the market—including the international market."

Charles nodded subtly, appreciating Dominique's keen understanding of firearms.

Steed's doubts faded, but he was still mindful of the realities of France's political climate. Here, a weapon's merits alone didn't guarantee its success—Parliament's decisions also played a role. Just as Charles's superior tanks were repeatedly dismissed by lawmakers, Steed feared that a massive stockpile of unsold machine guns might sit idle due to political resistance.

But Dominique's mention of the "international market" was enlightening. If France didn't buy it, they could sell it to the British, the Russians, or the Americans. Unlike France, those nations wouldn't overlook a clearly superior product.

Steed, forgetting for a moment his own role in holding back innovation, raised his glass of champagne in a toast to Charles. "If we begin mass production now, then once we've reached a sufficient quantity, we can release it to the market. We could eliminate demand for the Chauchat overnight, forcing the Pito Armory to halt production entirely."

This was exactly what Charles had in mind. He added with a slight smile, "The real challenge to Pito Armory will come from rifles."

"Indeed," Steed replied. "We've already started work on ammunition."

He then looked over at Dominique.

"Maybe by next week, we'll have some results," Dominique said, "and we're also working on designing a compatible rifle."

Charles nodded approvingly, then remarked in a neutral tone, "Perhaps you should focus more on your internal issues."

"Internal issues?" Steed repeated, looking puzzled.

Dominique also stared at Charles, bewildered. What internal issues?

And how did Charles know about them?

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