I Became a Tycoon During World War I - Chapter 255

Chapter 255: Sharing Costs

Charles provided a complete aerial warfare system.

First, fighter planes armed with machine guns were used to fight for air supremacy.

Once air superiority was achieved, reconnaissance planes could fly freely above enemy lines. They could conveniently and swiftly gather real-time intelligence on the enemy's movements—information that would otherwise require heavy losses to obtain from the ground. A reconnaissance plane could gather everything in just one pass.

Next came the bombers.

After the reconnaissance plane obtained intelligence, the bombers could strike wherever they wanted. They could easily bypass enemy defenses and deliver devastating blows to key targets behind enemy lines. This had formed another kind of “asymmetric warfare” during the trench warfare period and was enough to affect enemy morale.

The Germans had also considered this model, but their development direction was focused on "airships."

This German dream was shattered by Charles when he used a small rocket in Antwerp.

...

The first to find Charles was Russia.

To be precise, it wasn’t Russia that directly sought out Charles, but Russia, through the French government, who then contacted Charles via Gallieni.

After receiving a phone call, Gallieni summoned Charles. Frowning, he asked, “They want to know, how much would it take for you to authorize production?”

“Authorize production?” Charles asked in confusion. “I’m already producing for the French military, and I can make as many as needed. Why would I need to...”

Charles paused. “Could it be Schneider? No, that’s impossible. I won’t agree to that! No matter the price!”

Charles assumed that Schneider had used the parliament to force the government into making this ridiculous decision.

“No!” Gallieni shook his head. “It’s not Schneider. It’s Russia!”

Gallieni explained: “Russia has a demand in this regard. They have poor transportation, and during the winter, transportation is difficult because of ice and snow. After spring, the melting snow turns the land into a muddy mess.”

“On the other hand, Russia’s army is huge and requires much more supply than Germany. Recently, the Dardanelles Strait has been blocked, putting even greater pressure on their supply lines.”

“Therefore, they urgently need bombers, which can cross enemy lines and effectively strike their rear supply lines or key targets.”

There was one reason Gallieni did not mention.

Since Russia joined the war, they had been worried about the domestic pressure from the people. They needed bombers to bring more victories and boost morale.

But even without Gallieni mentioning it, Charles knew this.

Because in less than two years, the Russian people would be so overwhelmed that they would force their country to withdraw from the war prematurely.

This actually didn’t matter to Charles. Running a business, he’d sell to whoever paid, as long as it wasn’t to opponents like Schneider.

However, Charles hesitated. He made a difficult expression:

“General, we know that the Russian military’s organization and management are chaotic. Authorizing production also means our secrets would be leaked.”

“This means our enemy, Germany, could very well acquire similar bombers.”

“Can the Entente Powers afford such a cost?”

Gallieni nodded slightly, acknowledging his concern. Charles had hit the nail on the head.

What Gallieni didn’t know was that Charles’s statement was actually a clever move.

The Caproni bombers didn’t really have any secrets. Airplanes of this era were simple, and just a glance at the layout would allow them to be replicated, especially by an industrial powerhouse like Germany.

The key always lay in the engine technology.

Thus, Germany didn’t need to go through Russia to obtain the blueprints. They could easily replicate the planes on their own, which meant there was no real issue with intelligence leaks.

“Also!” Charles continued. “This also presents a great risk to my business. I could suffer huge losses.”

Gallieni nodded in agreement.

If Russia leaked the bomber blueprints or secrets, Charles would no longer have a monopoly on this bomber. Potential customers might bypass him and directly replicate the planes.

After thinking for a moment, Gallieni said seriously, “I hope you understand, Colonel, this isn’t just about money. It’s also about national security...”

“I understand,” Charles interjected. “Russia needs bombers to stabilize the Eastern Front, and the Entente Powers also need Russia to hold back the Germans on the Eastern Front. Otherwise, all of Germany’s forces would be focused on the Western Front!”

Charles knew this fact, which gave him the confidence to negotiate with the government.

As the saying goes, rare goods can be highly valued. What does the country’s survival matter to me? The more desperate you are, the easier it is for me as a capitalist.

“But General,” Charles smiled and shook his head, “no businessman would make such a foolish decision. If one does, he won’t last long, because that’s just asking for trouble.”

Gallieni was speechless, as what Charles said seemed to be true.

Charles pretended to consider for a moment before reluctantly saying, “Unless…”

“Unless what?” Gallieni’s eyes lit up with hope.

As a general, Gallieni, from the perspective of France’s interests, would prefer to facilitate this deal.

“Unless my future potential losses are compensated,” Charles stated, giving a price: “The condition for authorizing production is that for every bomber produced, Russia must pay a 70,000 franc authorization fee!”

“My God!” Gallieni exclaimed. “That’s impossible, Charles! That’s even more than the purchase price. Russia might as well just buy it directly from you!”

“Of course,” Charles had considered that. “Russia could choose to do that as well.”

Gallieni immediately understood the key issue: the Dardanelles Strait had been blocked. If Russia were to purchase directly from Charles, the only possible route would be from the Atlantic.

However, the bomber’s large size might require disassembly and reassembly upon arrival in Russia. This didn’t even account for the fact that Russian ports might freeze in the winter, preventing transportation.

When these transportation costs were factored in, purchasing directly from Charles might not be cost-effective.

Gallieni suddenly realized that Charles was making a business calculation. The price he proposed seemed impossible for Russia to refuse.

Gallieni smiled faintly. “You’ve thought it through, Colonel. But you seem to have overlooked one thing: Russia’s economy is not very robust. They may have to refuse because they can’t afford it.”

“I know,” Charles replied slowly. “But, shouldn’t France and Britain, as allies, provide some economic assistance to Russia?”

Gallieni was stunned. “What do you mean...?”

Before he could finish, Gallieni understood.

France and Britain should share part of the cost, as a form of support for Russia in its fight on the Eastern Front. But in reality, this money would end up in Charles’s pocket.

What a cunning fellow, he was playing this game all along.

However, this plan seemed feasible. After all, before the Dardanelles Strait was reopened, France and Britain were unlikely to provide any more substantial help to Russia.

If they could share some of the costs for the bombers, it would at least count as helping their ally.

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