I Became a Plutocrat in World War I: Starting with Saving France-Chapter 216: Original text - The Popular "Shire A1" Modified:

Chapter 216: Original text: Chapter 216 The Popular "Shire A1" Modified:

Shire stayed at home all day, sleeping, reading when awake, and going back to sleep when tired. He only came down for lunch when called by Camille.

He didn’t care or think about anything: political intrigue, business scheming, or the open and covert struggles on the battlefield. He threw them all to the back of his mind.

It was then that Shire realized that the seemingly dull days he once despised actually felt quite wonderful.

In the evening, Dejoka casually remarked at the dinner table after returning from the factory, "Count Spee did not abandon his ship in the end. Worthy of respect!"

"Count Spee?" Shire asked, "The Scharnhorst?"

"You don’t know?" Dejoka was surprised. Usually, Shire was the first to know about military affairs.

The next moment, Dejoka understood. Shire had been home all day, almost isolated from the outside world.

"It happened this morning," Dejoka explained. "The exact time is unclear, but the Speer Fleet was nearly wiped out, with only an auxiliary ship and a light cruiser escaping."

Dejoka had a hint of regret on his face as he said this.

It was somewhat strange. The Speer Fleet was the enemy, and they had been defeated by their ally Britain, yet Dejoka wore that expression.

Shire acknowledged with a simple "Mm" and said nothing.

This was the problem with naval battles of this era. Slow warships could hardly escape. Count Spee should have known this when he decided to attack the Falkland Islands.

However...

Failing to succeed in one strike, he chose to retreat, which seemed rather hasty.

Even if they had to retreat, they should have left one or two ships in key positions to cover the retreat. Being sunk would still block the British Army’s port exit route, giving the main fleet a chance to escape.

Otherwise, it would be one ship after another being sunk by faster battlecruisers, with no suspense whatsoever.

...

The next day, when Shire returned to Paris to serve as usual, he had just stepped into the second-floor command room when the staff officers cheered once more:

"Salute to Colonel Shire!"

...

Major Fernan even saluted Shire respectfully and half-jokingly said, "Colonel, finally we don’t have to call you sir!"

As a major following the command of a lieutenant, directly calling the rank did feel a bit awkward. Now that Shire had been promoted to colonel, that wouldn’t be an issue.

Shire looked at Gallieni with confusion.

A double promotion from lieutenant to major could be understood—that was a low-ranking officer. But a leap from major directly to colonel was rather exaggerated.

Petain only became a colonel at 58, and Shire was now only 17.

Gallieni seemed to understand Shire’s thoughts. While handing the promotion document to Shire, he said meaningfully, "This is what you deserve, Colonel. Having saved over thirty thousand people, I think no one will object. Besides, consider this an early coming-of-age gift!"

Shire’s heart skipped a beat, comprehending the hidden meaning behind Gallieni’s words.

Once Shire came of age, the restriction of "cannot go to the battlefield" would no longer apply, and in the French Army, even renowned figures like Fuxu had to personally command on the battlefield. Naturally, Shire would be no exception.

Therefore, Shire’s frequent and rapid promotions were not just due to military merits but also intentional on Gallieni’s part.

His intention was clear: if Shire had to go to the battlefield one day, a colonel’s rank would undoubtedly bring more resources.

Shire silently compared his influence in the parliament:

The Republican Party led by Steed, along with Wells’ Radical Socialist Party, in contrast with the combined forces of Schneider’s Socialist Party and the right-wing, still held the lower hand. Moreover, there were dozens of interwoven political parties.

It seemed unlikely to turn things around before coming of age!

"Another good news!" Gallieni nodded at Shire, "How much do you intend to sell the ’Shire A1’ Tank for?"

Shire had already decided on the price and answered straightforwardly, "Thirty thousand francs, General!"

This time, Shire had planned well. The "Saint Chammon" Tank sold for twenty-one thousand francs. The "Shire A1" Tank was a winning tank, so it was not unreasonable to sell it at a higher price.

In fact, Shire had left some room for negotiation, but Gallieni just furrowed his brow and grunted, surprisingly without bargaining.

After thinking for a while, Gallieni asked again, "I want to know if we purchase a certain number of ’Shire A1’ tanks, can we fully break through the enemy’s front lines?"

Shire immediately understood Gallieni’s intention.

Although Shire often achieved victories on the front lines, overall, the two armies were still in a deadlock.

Gallieni seemed to want to change this situation with the "Shire A1."

But Shire shook his head and replied, "I don’t think so, General. The ’Shire A1’ Tank can still only be used for short-distance breakthroughs. It always has issues with its tracks or other aspects. Additionally, the enemy may use some simple methods to stop the tank’s advance."

"What methods?" Gallieni asked in doubt.

Shire leaned closer and lowered his voice to answer, "They only need to dig the trenches wider."

Gallieni responded with an "Oh," nodding to show he understood. It was indeed a "simple method."

Actually, Shire didn’t go into details.

The so-called "one foot taller the way, one yard higher the devil." If the Germans knew to dig "anti-tank trenches," that is, digging a trench deeper and wider than ordinary trenches in front of their positions and setting up barbed wire and mines within, the tanks would be helpless.

Of course, Shire wouldn’t easily reveal this idea. It would be as foolish as Britain, with the most battleships, yet also developing torpedo boats.

If the Germans one day figured it out on their own, Shire would have to accept his fate.

"Alright!" Gallieni said with a tinge of helplessness, "The military intends to purchase 500 units!"

Shire was taken aback by this number. Five hundred units would be fifteen million francs, a huge business deal!

But thinking again, it wasn’t surprising. This tank sold over three thousand units in just a year’s time in history. This was only the beginning!

Then Gallieni handed Shire another list, saying, "Additionally, several other countries have also approached our government, hoping to purchase this tank, including the United States. I think you should find time to discuss with them!"

"Yes, General!" Shire responded.

He took the list and glanced at it, suddenly understanding why Gallieni didn’t bargain.

With so many countries eager to buy, and the order quantities being significant, including the United States even hoping to get production authorization... this meant they wanted to produce a batch.

If Gallieni had bargained now, Shire could have found an excuse to reduce the supply.

Shire sighed inwardly: being in high demand does make a difference. Next time, I should try to create this kind of rush-buying atmosphere.

Or, it could work to find a few partners to act as foils!

Updat𝒆d fr𝒐m freew𝒆bnov𝒆l.c(o)m