I Became a Plutocrat in World War I: Starting with Saving France
Chapter 136: This Will Block Their Way to Wealth

Chapter 136: Chapter 136: This Will Block Their Way to Wealth

The speed of "Saint Chammon" at 8.5 kilometers per hour was fine; it was equivalent to a slow jog. If it was dispersed and deployed, it would be difficult for the enemy artillery to hit it.

But the CA-1’s speed was only 5 kilometers per hour. The "Holt 60" originally had a speed of 15 kilometers per hour, but because too many things had been added, it had slowed down to walking speed, and in actual combat, it was even slower.

And the Germans’ artillery had long been accustomed to the speed of infantry advancement and knew how much lead to take when firing.

Any tank should try to avoid this rhythm, but the CA-1 designed by Estiny happened to match it exactly.

Considering the Germans’ advantages in fire range and power, what could a CA-1 with a 75-cannon do on the battlefield?

They would be blown to pieces by the German heavy artillery before even seeing the target!

Estiny could no longer sit still. He thanked Dejoka and the others and was about to leave when Shire called out to him.

"Where are you going, Colonel?" Shire asked.

"I want to withdraw my design!" Estiny said. "If it is used on the battlefield, it could kill a lot of people!"

Shire only asked one question: "Did you sell your industrial property?"

Estiny stood at the door as if he were under a spell, his face pale, and turned back: "Yes, Lieutenant, Grevy bought it for fifty thousand francs!"

"Then you can’t change anything!" Shire shook his head. "Even if you persuade them, they wouldn’t give up such a profitable opportunity!"

"But, I still should..."

Estiny tried to say something but was interrupted by Shire: "They don’t even need you anymore. If you go around proclaiming the tank’s weaknesses and trying to have it withdrawn, do you know what they will do?"

Estiny was stunned and then nodded slightly: "It would block their source of income, and they might..."

Sighing, Estiny hadn’t expected to be burdened by his design, even to the point of threatening his life.

Shire said calmly:

"Your best choice is to pretend you know nothing."

"Take a long vacation and spend the fifty thousand francs you just got; it will put their minds at ease!"

"When the CA-1 encounters problems on the battlefield, you can come back. You might then be questioned because of design issues, but at least your life would be spared!"

Dejoka looked at Shire with surprise. He felt that Shire seemed to understand human affairs better than he imagined, even though Shire clearly didn’t like or have prior exposure to such matters.

Estiny nodded and accepted the suggestion. Then, he mustered the courage to look at Shire: "Lieutenant, can I work for you by then?"

This could be a trouble for Shire.

But considering that Grevy was already his enemy and that Shire also needed a talent like Estiny, he nodded and agreed.

At least in the future, there would be someone to discuss tank designs and improvements with.

Estiny excitedly stepped forward and shook Shire’s hand: "Thank you very much, Lieutenant, thank you!"

In Estiny’s eyes, Shire was not only a guide leading him to wisdom but also a benefactor who saved his life!

Watching Estiny leave, Dejoka awkwardly asked Shire: "So, it was always Joseph and I who were wrong, right? I’m referring to putting the artillery on the tank!"

"Yes!" Shire did not deny it.

"But why didn’t you say so?" Dejoka looked at Shire in confusion. "You could have pointed it out!"

"If I had said it, what would you have thought?" Shire asked in return.

Dejoka was stunned.

Shire was right. Even if Shire had pointed it out, they would still consider it Shire’s stubbornness.

If it weren’t for this artillery colonel reaching the same conclusion under Shire’s guidance, Dejoka wouldn’t have believed that a tank with artillery was worse than one without!

...

After breakfast, Shire went to the Veterans’ Home.

The Veterans’ Home was actually called the Honorary Veterans’ Welfare House, to avoid the term "Veterans’ Hospital" constantly reopening the veterans’ wounds.

There were already more than three thousand veterans gathered here.

They came from different units and regions; some were rescued by Shire from the field hospital, and others came from elsewhere upon hearing the news.

Just as Shire had planned before, the disabled soldiers used simple machines to do manageable work here, earning a living on a piece-work basis.

The Welfare House maintained a basic balance of income and expenditure, making neither a profit nor a loss, with Shire occasionally sending food and medicine that were not accounted for.

When Shire walked into the factory, he was immediately greeted warmly by the veterans:

"It’s Young Master Shire!"

"Perhaps we should call him Officer Shire; he’s a lieutenant!"

"I wish I could be under his command, but that chance is lost!"

...

The veterans’ tone carried a bit of self-mockery. They looked very optimistic, but Shire knew they could only bravely face it this way.

The director of the Welfare House was a one-armed captain named Darius. Before joining the army, he worked as an accountant in a factory, which was why Dejoka chose him to manage the Welfare House.

As soon as Darius saw Shire and Dejoka come in, he hurried up to greet them: "Mr. Dejoka, Young Master Shire!"

Darius preferred to call Shire "Young Master Shire."

This was because when he first knew Shire, he was lying in a field hospital with his left hand amputated, in a semi-conscious state. Though his mind was foggy, he kept mumbling to the doctors, "Am I going to die? I don’t want to die, save me..."

The doctor comforted him: "You won’t die. Young Master Shire provided enough supplies for us. Don’t worry; you’ll live!"

In his daze, Darius only remembered the name "Young Master Shire." Later, he survived and recovered, hearing countless stories about Young Master Shire and his victories on the battlefield.

To Darius, Young Master Shire was irreplaceable. He felt Shire’s current military rank didn’t do him justice.

"We’re here to find Matthew!" Dejoka said. "I remember he’s in the tire workshop!"

"Yes!" Darius responded, leading them towards the tire workshop as he replied, "Matthew is doing very well. I’ve already put him in charge of managing that workshop!"

Shire’s steps gradually slowed down.

Dejoka looked back at Shire in confusion, unhappy to hear Matthew was doing well?

Shire didn’t say anything and quickened his pace to catch up.

Shire knew Matthew well. Matthew was never the kind of person content with repetitive and monotonous work; he liked dealing with moving machinery.

If that was the case...

There could only be one reason: he was pretending.

He didn’t want others to see his inner repression, nor did he want to worry Shire or even hold Shire back!

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