I Became a Plutocrat in World War I: Starting with Saving France
Chapter 139: Revised - 139 Press Conference

Chapter 139: Revised: Chapter 139 Press Conference

At 11:30 sharp, Xia Fei had lunch, which consisted of a steak, two fried eggs, and some broccoli and purple carrots. He believed that a balanced diet was a habit that had to be maintained.

After lunch, he spent some time drinking coffee and reading the newspaper. This was his way of relaxing. Whenever something significant happened, he always did this, although sometimes the newspapers had already been read by him.

Shortly after, the clock on the wall chimed once, indicating it was 1:30 PM. Just then, Kanes pushed the door open and reported, "General, the tanks are all in place!"

Xia Fei was somewhat surprised, "Earlier than estimated!"

"Yes!" Kanes replied, "The train surprisingly didn’t run late!"

"That might be a good omen, Kanes!" Xia Fei smiled, "Are all the reporters here?"

"Yes, they are all in the reception room!" Kanes bent down and asked, "Do you need to talk to them first?"

"No!" Xia Fei shook his head, "Let them wait a little longer!"

Xia Fei understood that while the reporters were waiting, they would spread "speculations" through various channels, which would garner more anticipation and attention from the public.

...

Colonel Kristin was standing fully armed with his subordinates in the rain, wearing raincoats. They watched as the tanks rolled past them and finally stopped in front of the barracks under the maintenance personnel’s guidance.

Thick armor, massive bodies, dark barrels, and gun barrels looked like steel monsters.

The soldiers’ eyes gleamed with excitement and anticipation. Although they were lined up, their eyes couldn’t help but glance at those majestic tanks.

Kristin felt something was amiss. The soldiers seemed to have developed a misconception that "this would be an easy victory."

Kristin cleared his throat, stepped to the front of the ranks, and issued a warning with a deep voice:

"Attention, do not be deceived by what you see. War is fought by people, not equipment!"

"You must never drop your guard. The battlefield is the battlefield. It will always teach a harsh lesson to those who underestimate it!"

The soldiers responded in unison, "Yes, Sir!"

Kristin glanced at the soldiers and found that although they were responding verbally, their faces still showed indifference.

Kristin sighed helplessly in his heart: I hope this battle is really as easy as they say!

After disbanding, the soldiers swarmed into the tank group, curiously looking around. Some soldiers even got close to the tank crew, taking the opportunity to "tour" inside the tanks.

Kristin walked slowly to the tanks in the rain. They were all painted in olive green, which was not the dark gray used for battlefield equipment but rather the typical factory machinery paint.

Kristin reached out to touch them gently and found that the paint was not completely dry, feeling somewhat sticky.

It was not hard to imagine that these tanks were rushed into production within a short time.

Kristin’s inner worries intensified. Is this really okay?

...

"There won’t be a problem!"

In the reception room, Xia Fei stood upright and invigorated in his military uniform under the reporters’ flashlights. He was calm yet exuded confidence:

"Gentlemen, please imagine."

"Back during the Battle of the Marne, we used tanks that were simply steel plates and machine guns, with only one machine gun, and it was a Hatchkiss."

"Yet, those tanks defeated the German Army, many times larger, causing them to flee in panic!"

"Now, the tanks we have developed are equipped with cannons and additional machine guns. Their firepower can not be matched by previous tanks!"

At this moment, a fierce sound of artillery fire came from outside, causing the reporters to exclaim and look out the window.

Xia Fei said unhurriedly, "This is just the artillery preparation, gentlemen! In a few minutes, our First Specialized Artillery Regiment will launch an attack. Everything is proceeding according to plan!"

...

"Boom Boom!"

"Boom Boom Boom!"

...

Artillery fire erupted into plumes of smoke in the misty rain; the moisture turned into steam instantly with the release of the gunpowder’s heat, making it appear fiercer than usual. Large cotton-like clouds of smoke rolled forwards and backwards on the enemy’s defensive lines, making the already chaotic visibility even more obscure.

According to the plan, the artillery preparation would last for ten minutes.

But at the eighth minute, Colonel Kristin blew the attack whistle.

This was not Colonel Kristin being eager to attack but rather him knowing that this would gain the troops two minutes of advance time.

If they could push these cumbersome beasts to the enemy’s defense line, it should provide a better advantage, Colonel Kristin thought. Their firepower could suppress the enemy face-to-face.

The urgent sound of the whistle echoed through the rainwater, and the tanks "rumbled" to life. The soldiers hunched over, holding their rifles and following the tanks around.

Kristin immediately noticed a problem: some infantry did not realize they were blocking the tank’s machine guns.

"Stay away from the tanks!" Colonel Kristin shouted.

But it was futile. As soon as the pulled-away infantry moved out of the way, another soldier would take their place, with some even blocking the tank tracks!

...

"We will methodically break through the enemy’s defense line!" Xia Fei took the command stick from the table. An assistant hurriedly turned on the projector and inserted a slide. An image of a black-and-white CA-1 tank was displayed on the background screen behind Xia Fei.

"Gentlemen!" Xia Fei walked forward. The interplay of black and white light cast a somewhat eerie shadow on him:

"Allow me to introduce our pioneer tank, the CA-1!"

"It was designed by one of our artillery colonels. Pay attention to its front!"

Xia Fei pointed the command stick at the tank’s front:

"These pointed noses and shields will cut through the enemy’s barbed wire like razor blades. The first obstacle of the enemy will disappear under its charge!"

...

On the battlefield, Kristin was shocked to see several CA-1 tanks in the leading group already immobilized in shell craters, some of which were emitting blue smoke, seemingly due to engine overload.

Suddenly, a wave of whistling shells swept across the sky. Kristin immediately realized this was the enemy’s artillery suppression.

"Get down!" Kristin shouted, diving into a nearby muddy crater.

The lower the position, the higher the survival rate. No one cared about what was inside the craters.

"Boom Boom!"

...

After a flurry of shells, Kristin was stunned as he peeked out again. The CA-1 tanks had been utterly wrecked; some were ablaze, some flipped over, and some were blown into pieces, littering the ground with fragments.

More tanks appeared intact but had armor riddled with holes from shrapnel.

No need to imagine, the tank crew inside must be mangled.

"What can it shield us from?" Kristin shouted in disbelief, "Is this what they call an easy victory?"

(The above image is of a projector, invented in 1654, initially using candles as a light source, later developed into electric lights)

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