I Became a Plutocrat in World War I: Starting with Saving France
Chapter 130: After Modification - 130 Saint-Étienne Arsenal

Chapter 130: After Modification: Chapter 130 Saint-Étienne Arsenal

In the 16th arrondissement of Paris, Steed and the owner of the Little Daily, Bonnet, strolled on the golf course, with a caddy on each side carrying golf clubs and other equipment, following a few steps behind.

Steed and Bonnet both belonged to the Republican Party, of the Republican Party under the Republic.

This is a bit convoluted, "Republican Party" is the collective term for all left-wing parties, "Republic" meaning the "Republic" of the Third Republic.

There is also a party within the left-wing called the "Republican Party," literally meaning "Republic."

Steed is the leader of the Republican Party. He intentionally took this party name to mislead others. When people hear this party name, they mistake it for the powerful entire left-wing, hence the Republican Party would be accompanied by victory and cheers all the way.

However, this still couldn’t stop the Republican Party from gradually being marginalized within the left-wing.

"Innovation, Bonnet, we need innovation!" Golf is a leisurely sport, but Steed, who is already in his sixties, couldn’t relax at all: "They’ve already kicked our machine guns out of the army, and now they’re trying to do the same with the rifles. If this continues, we won’t have anything left!"

Bonnet responded humbly, he knew that Steed was talking about the French Government’s plan to replace the Lebel Rifle with the Bedier Rifle.

The Bedier Rifle actually evolved from the Lebel Rifle. Initially, it was a cavalry gun, with a shorter barrel and a vertical magazine instead of a tubular magazine, using a 3-round stripper clip for loading.

This modification was made for the convenience of cavalry, and the French Army even considered it as an inferior equipment to throw to the Colonial Army, but unexpectedly, this rifle became very popular.

Soldiers reported: the Bedier Rifle was much easier to use than the Lebel, and it was easier to manufacture and cheaper too.

The parliament discussion concluded: cease production of the Lebel Rifle, optimize and improve the Bedier Rifle to make it suitable for infantry use, and eventually replace the Lebel.

The key point is, the improvement task was assigned to the Remington Company of the United States, not Saint-Étienne!

The Saint-Étienne armory is only responsible for light weapons. Machine guns are already out, and if rifles are also out, what’s left for Saint-Étienne? Almost just decorative revolvers?

Steed found his golf ball on the grass, took the club from the caddy and stood by, swinging in a standard and natural posture. The golf ball bounced a few times on the grass, slowed down and landed precisely into the hole a dozen meters away.

But there wasn’t a trace of joy on Steed’s face. Instead, he sighed long towards the hole.

In this era of mechanical rise, a small idea can resurrect a company, just one!

However...

Steed helplessly found out that he had no ideas at all. His head was like a well that had dried up for years, no matter how hard he squeezed, not a drop of water came out!

It seemed he could only watch his established industry gradually wither, just like the plane trees by the roadside. One morning, opening the window blinds, he suddenly found all the once lush leaves had fallen to the ground, leaving only bare branches.

Steed gazed at the lake by the grass, unconsciously thinking of the person who made him insanely jealous. It was said he had a new invention, he successfully mounted machine guns on planes and achieved victory!

"Lucky fellow!" Steed muttered to himself, "God gave him the best gift!"

Following beside, Bonnet didn’t know what to say. He knew accompanying Steed to play golf would be like this, Steed didn’t need anyone, he just needed someone to listen to him.

At this moment, a servant ran towards them like the wind.

Bonnet immediately grew tense, he knew there was urgent news again.

Sure enough, the servant ran over and said breathlessly, "Sir, Shire has a new invention, and his father is registering the industrial property!"

Upon hearing this, Steed abruptly turned around, his eyes, previously like dead stagnant water, suddenly sparked with life, "What is it? What has he invented this time?"

"It’s something called a ’grenade’!" the servant explained, "The specifics aren’t very clear yet, but from the description, it seems to be a hand-thrown light weapon meant to replace hand-thrown explosives!"

Steed’s breathing gradually quickened, his eyes glittering with greed. He suddenly tossed the club aside and walked briskly towards the exit, walking faster and faster, soon breaking into a trot, anxiously shouting, "Bring the car around, head to the city hall immediately!"

Bonnet chased after him, "Mr. Steed, we can take our time, I’ll have someone get a hold on his..."

Steed had heart disease, he couldn’t exert himself or get too agitated, Bonnet didn’t want him to have an incident at this critical moment.

But Steed paid no heed to Bonnet’s words. As he walked, he continued, "We can’t miss this opportunity, it could be our only chance! Only one!"

Last time, they failed to successfully acquire the industrial property for the tank, perhaps due to hesitation over its high technical content of the engine.

But now, the "grenade" is a practical light equipment, low in technical content and easy to produce, it absolutely fits the capabilities of the Saint-Étienne armory, it’s the hope of Saint-Étienne!

...

City Hall, VIP Room.

Dejoka filled out the forms with doubt, he didn’t understand the purpose behind Shire’s invention of this little gadget.

To make money?

Tractor factories, motorcycle factories, and even aircraft manufacturing plants, any one of them makes more money than this thing called the grenade!

It’s even a dangerous item, a bomb filled with gunpowder, therefore it needs to be manufactured in a separate plant in an isolated area, otherwise it could affect the surroundings.

To produce it, large sums of money will definitely be required in the initial phase, but the potential profits don’t look promising.

Just as his interest was waning, a dozen cars pulled up one after another at the entrance of the city hall. Moments later, an old man with a cane hurriedly appeared at the door of the VIP Room, looking at the government staffer Manuel with a questioning gaze.

Manuel subtly nodded, indicating they made it in time, the industrial property hadn’t sold yet. His eyes carried a hint of confusion, as if to say others wouldn’t be interested in this little gadget, there’s no need to be so urgent!

Dejoka also noticed the old man at the door, then he exclaimed and stood up, "Mr. Steed!"

The owner of the Saint-Étienne armory, who almost monopolized the production of all light weapons for the army, was well known in France.

Steed sighed with relief, he stepped forward, abandoning the cane, and shook hands with Dejoka, with a hint of gratitude, "Mr. Dejoka, let’s talk about the industrial property of the grenade! It would be best if you could cooperate with us!"

Dejoka was profoundly shocked. He suddenly understood what Shire meant by that phrase, "I will let the allies come to me."

And he also understood why Shire designed this little gadget called a "grenade" at this time!

(The picture above shows the Saint-Étienne armory, which had 10,000 workers, producing 30,000 weapons in peacetime, and expanded to over 16,000 workers during World War I, doubling its output. The Saint-Étienne armory displayed signs of decline before World War I. The demands of the two world wars prolonged its existence, but it gradually faded in the 1970s and finally closed in 2001.)

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