Chapter 495: After Modification: Chapter 495 Add Another Condition
As a capitalist, Shire certainly wouldn’t easily reveal his cards.
Following Browning’s remark, he said regretfully, "Yes, it seems I have no reason to cooperate."
These words were actually meant to remind Bo Yata.
Reason, yes, find a reason!
"General." Bo Yata pondered for a moment: "If we cooperate, the bullets and shells for the French Army can be produced by FN, which can save a lot on transport costs and time."
Shire responded with an "Hmm": "Indeed, that would bring advantages, but I believe this is also Belgium’s problem."
The French Army is here to liberate Belgium; those who should be more concerned about this issue should be Belgium, not France. Producing ammunition for the French Army is a given and cannot be used as a negotiating condition.
Bo Yata felt slightly embarrassed; he had only thought about the reasons and hadn’t considered this point.
Then he furrowed his brows and said, "We also have a branch company in the United States. Cooperation would make it easier for you to expand the military industry market there."
Shire raised an eyebrow; this indeed had allure, in fact, very much so.
The United States would likely join the war in about a year and a half, needing a lot of equipment for his troops: light and heavy machine guns, submachine guns, mines... all things urgently needed by the US military, plus tanks and armored vehicles, which would be a huge business.
However, Shire still shook his head regretfully: "Unfortunately, the United States is a neutral country, Mr. Bo Yata; they don’t have a large demand for equipment."
Bo Yata, distressed, broke out in a fine sweat.
No, he couldn’t let this cooperation fall through. This wasn’t just about cooperation but also related to FN’s future.
Without Browning, FN might have to revert to producing motorcycles and bicycles.
At this moment, Browning interjected, "General, we can purchase large amounts of military and civilian supplies through FN’s branch company in the United States. I’ve heard France is in dire need of these."
Shire was moved, truly moved.
The war had been going on for over a year now, and France faced various degrees of shortages in both military and civilian supplies, with some being extremely scarce, such as boots, canteens, home appliances, and machinery.
This was also why the British could influence the French Army commander’s selection with their resources.
Seeing Shire’s interest, Bo Yata immediately added, "That’s right, and not only the United States, but also Holland; it’s a neutral country too, and we share a land border with them, making it easier to acquire supplies."
Shire pondered for a while before slowly nodding, "Add one more condition."
Bo Yata and Browning exchanged glances, seeing excitement and agitation in each other’s eyes.
"Alright, General," Bo Yata agreed promptly, "as long as we can achieve it."
...
September in Paris is the blooming season for the Dahlias. The refreshing fragrance and vibrant flowers swaying in the breeze add some pleasure to this city.
(The image above is of Dahlias, in various colors, reputedly a favorite of Napoleon’s lover Josephine, who often invited many dignitaries and high society ladies to admire the flowers together.)
Dominic had his own laboratory at the police training base, allowing convenience for designing new guns while also managing the base’s work.
Sometimes, Steed would persuade Dominic, "You can completely quit the job at the training base to focus on designing new guns; I will assign someone else to handle the work there."
But Dominic refused: "It’s not just a job, Father. It’s a place to understand the army, to understand their needs. Only through adequate contact with them can I know what they truly want."
Steed found this reasoning quite sensible.
The decline of the "Saint-Etienne" arms factory was partly due to the disconnect between design and practicality; the things developed weren’t what the battlefield needed.
And Shire could drive the vibrant development of "Saint-Etienne" precisely because he personally led the troops and knew the real needs.
Thinking about this, Steed no longer opposed it.
The laboratory was luxurious; it was as large as a basketball court, divided into five rooms for barrel making, parts production, testing, and even a dedicated shooting range.
The assistants and staff numbered over seventy.
To ease Dominic’s burden and to design new guns swiftly, Steed spent more than a million francs to create a "small-sized gun factory" here.
However, Dominic found himself in a predicament.
Drawing designs under the desk lamp in his office, he suddenly crumpled the pages into a ball and tossed them into the corner. The wastebasket was already full, surrounded by crumpled papers, all failed designs.
They couldn’t be considered failures; rather, Dominic was too familiar with firearms, no matter how he tried, he couldn’t shake off existing designs. Drawing one page might resemble a Mauser, yet another a slightly altered Lebel.
Dominic sighed heavily.
His head was a mess; all the guns seemed the same, yielding similarly indistinct designs!
Without Shire’s guidance, would he achieve nothing?
He recalled Shire’s words: "You will become another Browning, the Browning of France."
"No!" Dominic sighed again: "I’m nothing!"
Being proficient in firearms and obsessed with them was different from designing his own rifle.
"Colonel," at this moment, the secretary handed Dominic a telegram: "It’s from the General; he’s asking if you’d be willing to be Browning’s assistant?"
Dominic made a sound of acknowledgment, still pondering his design.
A while later, he suddenly raised his head and stared at the secretary: "What? What did you say? Browning?"
The secretary repeated the telegram’s content.
Dominic incredulously took the telegram, reading it over and over, then let out a bitter laugh, "The key is whether Browning would want me as an assistant; I wouldn’t be of any help, only a bother!"
Another telegram arrived then: "He’s right here with me; you just need to answer ’willing’ or ’unwilling’."
Dominic was stunned, seemingly understanding Shire’s meaning: Browning had already agreed; it just depended on his own response.
The next moment, Dominic abruptly woke up, shouting to the secretary: "Send the reply, willing!"
"Wait." Dominic stopped the departing secretary and added, "Include a few words: I am honored!"
The secretary, a bit surprised, realized that Dominic, usually indifferent to etiquette, was showing politeness today.
How could the secretary know, the name Browning in gun design was "god-like," with countless aspiring to be his assistant an unattainable dream.
Dominic excitedly paced around the office:
"Really able to become Browning’s assistant and design firearms with him?"
"How did the General persuade him?!"
"God, I’m not dreaming, am I!"