I Became a Tycoon During World War I - Chapter 177

Chapter 177: Strange Alliances

The rain stopped early in the morning, and a little sunshine even broke through the clouds.

The post-rain Os Park seemed like a fairyland, with the entire world exuding a sense of freshness. Mist drifted lightly in the valley and among the trees, while a gentle mountain spring bubbled nearby and soft green grass covered the ground.

At first, Armand was puzzled as to why Grevy had brought him here. But when they climbed the grassy slope and looked down at the small town of Davaus and its industrial area, he understood.

This was an excellent observation point. With a pair of binoculars, the movements at the Charles Tractor Factory could be fully observed.

However, this time, Grevy surprised him by focusing on the Francis Tractor Factory.

Following Grevy's gaze, Armand exclaimed, "Oh! Schneider has already settled into the Francis Tractor Factory!"

Grevy muttered a low "Mm," acknowledging the observation, which could be deduced from the railway spur leading directly into the Francis Tractor Factory.

The previously quiet Francis Tractor Factory had now resumed its production line. Tractors were coming and going, and the factory was once again bustling.

But they weren't producing the outdated "Holt 60" anymore; they were now making the more advanced "Holt 120," which was superior to Charles' model.

Anyone with a keen eye could see that Schneider had chosen to upgrade the Francis Tractor Factory—already tarnished in reputation—rather than reopening a new factory, all to suppress Charles Tractor Factory.

"Charles must be feeling the pressure!" Armand smiled softly.

Schneider had the money, but Charles was not in the same position.

Schneider’s strategy was to use its advantages to squeeze Charles' space as much as possible. Even spending an extra 10 francs to force Charles to lose 1 franc was worth it for Schneider.

Grevy, however, shook his head slightly and said, "Not necessarily!"

Armand looked at Grevy in confusion. "I heard the 'Holt 120' from Schneider is only priced at 1200 francs, the same as Charles' 'Holt 75.' Who would still choose the 'Holt 75'?"

Why would anyone buy the older, less advanced model if they could spend the same amount of money on a better one?

Some people might still be loyal to Charles. They might have been blocking his way on the streets of Paris in the morning, or crowded around him, offering flowers to show their gratitude. But by night, they would still order the "Holt 120."

"I heard Charles is working on improving the 'Holt 75,'" Grevy said. "The difference between the 'Holt 120' and the 'Holt 75' isn't that great. With Charles' ability, it wouldn't be hard for him to surpass the 'Holt 120.'"

Armand did not comment directly. "Schneider is no slouch either."

Was Grevy overestimating Charles? While Charles might be talented in invention and military matters, the tractor industry was all about technical fundamentals.

Otherwise, Charles wouldn’t have needed to buy the production line for the "Holt 75" in the first place!

"But this doesn't concern us!" Armand waved his hand toward the two factories in the distance. "This is what you wanted to see, to push Schneider toward Charles."

"That's not enough, Armand!" Grevy answered thoughtfully. "Not nearly enough!"

Armand looked at Grevy in shock. "Do you think Schneider isn't capable of handling Charles?"

Grevy didn’t answer directly. He lifted his cane and turned toward the carriage. "If Schneider could handle Charles, Francis wouldn't be in touch with us anymore!"

Armand was left confused. What did these two things have to do with each other?

He followed Grevy back to the carriage and sat down, pondering Grevy's words carefully. Suddenly, he understood.

Francis was a businessman who cared only about profit and had no regard for relationships. He had now thrown his lot in with Schneider.

If Schneider believed it could defeat Charles, it would simply kick Francis out and stop him from managing the Francis Tractor Factory.

But if Schneider didn’t have that confidence, it would prefer to keep Francis on its side with the right-wing, thus creating a certain alliance with them through Francis.

Realizing this, Armand understood at last. This was what Grevy wanted: Francis was insignificant, but he wanted to form an alliance with Schneider.

A sense of absurdity suddenly rose in Armand's heart. The right-wing, representing the traditional aristocracy, had actually allied with big capitalists. The world was truly unpredictable!

Was Charles really that powerful?

Could he force the top two forces in France to unite?

And not just unite—these were forces that had fundamental contradictions, enemies in every sense of the word!

Soon, Armand would have his answer.

As the carriage returned to the Blad Manor, the butler stepped forward with a report. "Sir, Francis has called. He wishes to meet with you and Mr. Grevy this afternoon!"

...

Meanwhile, Charles, who was having breakfast at home, also sensed the subtle change.

Francis, this seemingly insignificant person, had somehow managed to bring together Schneider, who seemed impossible to ally with, and the entire right-wing.

Grevy considered Charles to be a more threatening opponent than Schneider. He planned to use Schneider to push Charles out of the way.

Or maybe not push him out, Grevy still held some hope. He hoped that this would force Charles into the arms of the right-wing.

Then, Grevy's ideal society would emerge in his mind: a France dominated by agriculture, with industry as a secondary focus. Grevy would manage agriculture, while Charles would naturally oversee and develop the industrial sector.

As for Schneider, it purely didn’t want Charles to threaten its arms industry, especially its artillery.

Together, they could immediately dominate the parliament with overwhelming power, and even if Charles allied with Steed, it would be of no use.

Clearly, anything that needed to be resolved through parliament from now on would inevitably encounter trouble.

"What are you thinking?" Djoka, who had eaten his breakfast quickly, stood up to help Camille clear the plates.

"Nothing, Father!" Charles replied casually.

He didn't want to discuss becoming enemies with Schneider at home to avoid worrying Camille.

"Colonel Estigny came by last night," Djoka said. "He knows you're off today. He wants to discuss some matters with you and is staying at the factory."

Colonel Estigny now had two positions: one as an artillery colonel commanding and training the tank troops, and the other as the chief designer of the Charles Tractor Development Department.

It seemed like a perfect fit for his development—researching tactics while considering the future direction of tanks.

"Okay, Father!" Charles took a few sips of milk, wanting to finish breakfast, but found Camille was watching him.

With no other choice, Charles sighed and drank the rest of the milk in one go, despite already feeling quite full.

Djoka looked at Charles with a pitying expression and, after Charles finished, added, "Matthew also wants to talk to you. It seems he has some new ideas!"

Charles responded with a soft "Mm," a look of reassurance in his eyes. At least this guy had stabilized!

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