Chapter 491: Edited: Chapter 491 Mosquitoes are small, but they are still meat
Antwerp Airport was as busy as usual, with fighter jets roaring up and down the runway, propellers and wings kicking up a cloud of dust, which mixed with the engine exhaust fumes and lingered in the air, casting a faint smell of gasoline over the airport.
Albert I and Colonel Eden stood proudly at the edge of the airport waiting, behind them were several key officials of the new Belgian government and a military band, dressed in full regalia, lined up on both sides, holding various instruments, ready and waiting.
Albert I wore a rather exaggerated commander’s uniform, with a sword hanging at his waist, looking imposing.
Colonel Eden wore a new military uniform, still of colonel rank, looking spirited, yet clearly serving as a "supporting role" for Albert I.
Albert I looked up at the sky, seeing no plane in sight, then turned to the person behind him and said, "Mr. Bo Yata, have you thought about what to say to the Brigadier General?"
FN arms factory owner Bo Yata hurried forward: "Yes, Your Majesty, I have thought about it."
"Very good!" Albert I nodded with satisfaction.
Bo Yata looked nervously at Browning beside him, who nodded slightly, indicating he was ready too.
At this moment, the lookout shouted, "They’re coming, Your Majesty, Shire’s aircraft!"
Four "Camels" appeared in the sky, two in front and two behind, protecting a modified "Aphro" in the middle.
The latter was produced by the Eric Aircraft Factory, slightly modified with a more powerful engine, increasing its speed to around 150 kilometers per hour.
This was obviously safer, as many German Army aircraft couldn’t reach this speed and naturally couldn’t intercept it. Moreover, it could keep up with the "Camel," which had a speed of 195 kilometers per hour.
Albert I watched the aircraft group descending in altitude, and at the right moment, turned to give orders, "Prepare!"
The band conductor immediately raised both hands and swung the baton, with the band members nervously readying their positions.
"Play music!"
Albert I waved his hand grandly, and a rendition of "The Song of the Brabant" filled the sky over the airport.
Shire was almost frightened by the scene, thinking the airport was holding some event, until the plane landed steadily in front of the assembly, and Albert I approached with a beaming smile to greet him, did he realize it was a welcoming ceremony arranged specifically for him.
"Brigadier General, my friend." Albert I gave Shire a big hug: "Congratulations on another victory; your name and achievements have stunned everyone following the war, especially after you successfully turned the tide of Verdun in just one day."
This wasn’t the truth. What was truly shocking was that Shire defeated Xia Fei and successfully ousted him from his position as commander-in-chief.
Albert I, who had long been involved in politics, knew what this signified.
Shire’s ability to oust a key French general, a commander-in-chief, itself showed Shire’s significant standing in France.
Colonel Eden, on the other hand, had his mind full of directional mines, landmines, anti-tank mines, and bounding mines.
If Belgium had these and combined them with Belgium’s fortress defense system, that would be perfect.
Not to mention counter-slope fortifications.
The dignitaries stepped forward one after another to shake Shire’s hand:
"Congratulations, Brigadier General."
"A beautiful battle, everyone is praising your achievements!"
"It lifted morale and gave us hope for victory!"
...
Reporters swarmed around, positioning themselves in all kinds of awkward postures, nervously searching for angles, their fingers twitching on the shutters to capture every precious frame.
While dealing with them, Shire cast a questioning glance at Tijani standing to the side.
Tijani spread his hands, answering helplessly:
"It’s not my fault, Brigadier General."
"I didn’t leak the news."
"The news about you leaving Paris for Antwerp had already spread throughout France even while you were still in the air."
Shire suddenly understood—it was the result of the Parisian gossip reporters, who even arranged people to keep a 24-hour vigil outside the Paris Flying Club, tracking Shire like a celebrity.
This served a reminder for Shire: to be more careful when traveling in the future. Otherwise, if the Germans got wind of it and sent fighter jets to intercept him, he wouldn’t know how he died.
...
At the command headquarters of the 1st Mechanized Division, Albert I, Colonel Eden, and Bo Yata followed along all the way in.
"Do you have any more business?" Shire asked.
Then, before Albert I could answer, he said discontentedly, "I don’t like or need this kind of reception, Your Majesty. I am a soldier; you don’t need to treat me like a politician."
Politicians care about relationships, while professional soldiers care more about life and efficiency.
Shire believed this kind of formality brought nothing but uncertain risks to him.
"Sorry, Brigadier General." Albert I responded with a smile, "This is not how we treat politicians, but how we honor a triumphant hero, a hero of France, and a hero of Belgium. This is important to us; it can inspire people to fight the invaders bravely on the battlefield."
Shire was momentarily speechless.
Albert I seemed right. Just as France consciously established and promoted the "hero" Xia Fei, Albert I chose Shire as his propaganda figure.
Then Albert I stepped aside, giving the floor to Bo Yata.
Bo Yata looked a bit nervous. He stepped forward, took off his hat, and gave Shire a bow: "Very pleased to see you again, Brigadier General."
Shire had almost forgotten Bo Yata until he saw Browning beside him and suddenly remembered: "The FN Arms Factory?"
"Yes, Brigadier General." Bo Yata was a bit excited; Shire actually remembered him.
"We are glad we could cooperate on the ’St. Etienne 2’ machine gun," Bo Yata said. "Its production was very successful. This time, we’re hoping for your approval for further cooperation."
"What cooperation?" Shire asked.
"We hope for the production license for directional mines, landmines, and these sorts of equipment. You see..."
Then Bo Yata added, "The profit distribution will be the same as before, fifty-fifty, Brigadier General."
Shire glanced at Albert I and Colonel Eden, looking at their expectant eyes, and seemed to understand that this was another business deal brokered by Albert I.
Originally, Shire had considered deploying mines in Belgium for the "fortress defense system"; it could be more effective than barbed wire trenches and the like.
The most important thing was that it contained an informational advantage: the enemy wouldn’t know where the minefields were, so they would have to be cautious and fearful with every step they took.
Meanwhile, their personnel and vehicles could move quickly along known paths.
Plus, mines were easy to produce and low in cost, making them almost tailor-made for a small country like Belgium.
But Shire soon thought, since Belgium needed him, why not take the opportunity to gain more benefits?
Even small gains counted.
Besides, the FN Arms Factory wasn’t just a small fry, and Browning, the firearms master, had considerable expertise!