I Became a Plutocrat in World War I: Starting with Saving France
Chapter 171: Then Buy a Team!

Chapter 171: Chapter 171: Then Buy a Team!

Just like Carter said, what they did every day was patrol in planes or bomb enemy balloons. The latter was like releasing fireworks in the sky: press the fire button and then wait for the bright fireballs to bloom in the air.

As for patrolling, it was even more enjoyable. They had complete control of the air. The enemy planes, upon seeing them from afar, would flee like chicks evading an eagle.

Shire said calmly, "One day, Lieutenant, one day you will have to face enemy machine-gun planes."

Carter was shocked: "Do you know something? Have the Germans discovered the secret of the ’machine-gun synchronizer’?"

"No, Carter!" Shire shook his head. Instead of answering, he asked a question: "Have our planes had accidents recently?"

"Of course!" Carter nodded: "During missions, there have been a total of seventeen major accidents, with eleven pilots injured or killed. This is unavoidable in flying..."

Before he finished speaking, Carter understood what Shire meant.

He stared at Shire for a moment, then turned his gaze to the neatly parked machine-gun planes in the hangar, his tone filled with worry: "You are right, Lieutenant! While they often carry out missions over enemy territory, inevitably, due to malfunctions or other reasons, they may have to force-land or crash. In other words, sooner or later, the Germans will know the secret of the ’machine-gun synchronizer’."

"Yes!" Shire also gazed at the machine-gun planes, saying: "All the precautions we are taking now can only delay that day from coming, but we cannot prevent it completely, unless we don’t let them fly at all."

The precautionary measures were already sufficient, and they were personally drafted by Gallieni.

Guards were deployed around the airport, and the planes were tightly protected. Even pilots couldn’t touch them without orders, under the threat of being shot.

This was out of concern that pilots might be bribed by the Germans or spies, potentially surrendering their planes to the enemy.

Therefore, all pilots of machine-gun planes, including Carter, underwent strict scrutiny.

Any pilot who failed the scrutiny immediately became a pilot of rocket planes or reconnaissance planes, which did not pose a confidentiality risk, so it did not matter who flew them.

Finally, Shire asked: "Now, do you know what to prepare for?"

Carter stood straight and answered: "Understood, Lieutenant! I will organize air combat training for the pilots!"

Shire nodded, this was exactly what he wanted. Opportunities always favor those who are prepared.

One day, even if the Germans discovered the secret of the ’machine-gun synchronizer’ and successfully mounted machine guns on their planes, they would still face a batch of French pilots with skilled combat techniques.

...

After leaving the club, Shire had Lauren drive to Eric’s aircraft manufacturing plant.

Shire would usually not go to the aircraft manufacturing plant during holidays, everyone understood the reason, making use of work hours was essential.

Moreover...

This was not using work hours inappropriately. Although the aircraft manufacturing plant belonged to Shire, Shire was also a staff officer at the City Defense Headquarters and the captain of the First Flight Squadron.

And the aircraft manufacturing plant was the source of the warplanes for the First Flight Squadron. As both a staff officer and the captain, he was of course obliged to maintain high attention.

So, this was definitely official business, for the development of the First Flight Squadron, for the safety of the sky over France, for the victory of the war...

The car slowly stopped in front of the aircraft manufacturing plant. Shire unexpectedly saw Eric at the entrance, gesticulating and scolding a few workers angrily.

Seeing Shire walk in, Eric’s face immediately turned into a smile, he waved a few times at the workers to disperse them, then quickly walked up.

"Hey, Lieutenant, nice to see you!" Eric greeted Shire warmly with a handshake.

Shire looked Eric up and down, his eyes filled with surprise: "Uncle Eric, you seem not to have been drinking?"

This was the first time Shire stood in front of Eric without smelling alcohol.

Eric turned and glared fiercely at the workers he had just scolded, saying with resentment: "Because of these bastards, I had to quit drinking!"

"Quit...quit?" Shire hurriedly signaled Lauren with his eyes.

Lauren was about to take out the two bottles of brandy Shire had prepared for Eric, which Shire had purchased at a discounted price from Major Fernan at the officers’ club.

Lauren was quite clever, quickly sensing something was wrong and putting the alcohol back, pretending to take out a cloth to wipe the car.

Eric did not notice anything strange, he sighed and spoke with regret: "I produce aircraft, Lieutenant, and ones for fighting the enemy. If there is even one small mistake, it might fall from the sky, this concerns the lives of the pilots, I must take responsibility for that!"

Shire nodded heavily, he had never agreed so much with Eric’s words as he did now.

Eric glanced at the workers in the factory, then complained: "I thought I could trust them, but they always took advantage of me when I was drunk, once even leaving out two vertical struts!"

"Just because of this?" Shire still didn’t believe it.

Eric was the kind of person who would rather have alcohol than gasoline. Would he really quit drinking just because a plane was missing two vertical struts?

Eric’s face turned slightly red, his tone somewhat embarrassed: "Of course, there’s also... Cheilia’s reason, I mentioned her to you, right? She, came back with the child."

Shire "oh’ed" in sudden realization: "So that’s the main reason, isn’t it, Uncle Eric?"

Eric smiled without speaking, implicitly acknowledging it, his face full of happiness.

Perhaps out of shyness, Eric changed the subject, suggesting as he led Shire into the factory: "I’ve been considering a question, Lieutenant, should we expand production? Producing 50 ’Aphro’ planes a month seems far from meeting the military’s needs..."

Shire nodded slightly, Eric’s point was reasonable. Although the military had initially ordered only 100 planes, everyone knew these 100 were just filling a small gap.

If all combat aircraft types were replaced with ’Aphro,’ there would easily be an order for 500 more aircraft waiting. Logically, now would indeed be the time to expand production.

But Shire didn’t think so.

"Aircraft will soon be obsolete, Uncle Eric." Shire said calmly: "Aphro might be suitable for reconnaissance or the current battlefield, but they will soon fall behind, and sales will decline sharply. I think we need specialized fighter aircraft!"

"Specialized fighter aircraft?" Eric looked at Shire in surprise: "You mean, independently develop?"

Shire nodded, he was well aware of one point: without technology, there is no competitiveness. Things bought would always lag behind the competitors, just like Schneider easily buying the ’Holt 120’ surpassing Shire’s ’Holt 75.’

"But we..." Eric looked troubled: "We don’t have a development team, Lieutenant, all my machines are bought, we only know how to produce!"

"Then buy a team!" Shire answered, his tone as relaxed and casual as if he was taking a stroll.