I Became a Tycoon During World War I - Chapter 175

Chapter 175: Then Let's Buy a Team!

Just as Carter had said, their daily tasks consisted of patrolling in airplanes or bombing enemy balloons. The latter was like releasing fireworks in the sky for them: press the launch button and then wait for the bright fireballs to burst in the air.

As for the patrols, it was another kind of enjoyment. They had complete control of the air, and whenever enemy planes saw them from afar, they would flee like chicks avoiding an eagle.

Charles calmly said, “One day, Second Lieutenant, one day you’ll have to face the enemy’s machine-gun aircraft.”

Carter was startled. “Do you know something, sir? Have the Germans figured out the secret of the ‘machine gun firing coordinator’?”

“No, Carter!” Charles shook his head. He didn’t answer the question directly, but instead asked another. “In the past period, have our aircraft experienced any accidents?”

“Of course!” Carter nodded. “There were a total of seventeen major accidents during missions, and eleven pilots were killed or injured. This is unavoidable in aviation…”

Before he could finish, Carter understood what Charles meant.

He stared at Charles for a moment, then shifted his gaze to the orderly line of machine-gun aircraft parked in the hangar, his tone full of concern. “You’re right, Lieutenant! They often perform missions over enemy territory, and inevitably, they’ll have to make emergency landings or crash because of mechanical failures or other reasons. In other words, one day the Germans will discover the secret of the ‘machine gun firing coordinator.’”

“Yes!” Charles’s gaze also fell on the machine-gun aircraft. He said, “All the preventive measures we’ve taken so far can only delay the inevitable. They cannot prevent it, unless we stop them from flying altogether.”

The preventive measures had already been done thoroughly, and they were drafted personally by Gallieni.

Guards had been posted around the airport, and the planes were under strict protection. Without orders, even the pilots were not allowed to touch them, and those who disobeyed would be executed on the spot.

This was to prevent pilots from being bribed by the Germans or spies, who could potentially defect to the enemy with their planes.

Thus, all pilots flying the machine-gun aircraft had been strictly vetted, including Carter.

Those who failed the vetting would immediately be relegated to flying rocket aircraft or reconnaissance planes, both of which had no risk of leaking secrets. It didn’t matter who was piloting them.

Finally, Charles asked, “Now, do you know what to prepare for?”

Carter stood up straight and replied, “Understood, Lieutenant! I will organize combat training for the pilots!”

Charles nodded. This was exactly what he wanted. Opportunities always favor those who are prepared.

One day, even if the Germans figured out the secret of the ‘machine gun firing coordinator’ and managed to mount machine guns on their planes, they would still have to face a group of French pilots with refined combat skills.

…

After leaving the club, Charles had Laurent drive him to Eric’s aircraft factory.

Charles usually didn’t visit the factory during holidays, and everyone knew why—he took advantage of the working hours whenever he could.

Moreover...

This visit wasn’t exactly about taking advantage of work hours. Although the factory belonged to Charles, he was also a staff member of the city defense headquarters and the commander of the First Flying Squadron.

The aircraft factory was the source of the First Flying Squadron’s planes, and as both a staff officer and the squadron leader, he naturally had to pay close attention to it! So, this was definitely a work matter, for the development of the First Flying Squadron, for the safety of French skies, and for the victory of the war...

The car slowly stopped in front of the aircraft factory, and Charles was surprised to find that Eric was standing at the door, gesturing and reprimanding a few workers, looking extremely furious.

When he saw Charles enter, Eric immediately changed his expression and put on a smile. He waved his hand to shoo the workers away and then quickly approached.

“Hey, Lieutenant, it’s good to see you!” Eric warmly shook Charles’s hand.

Charles looked Eric up and down, his eyes full of surprise. “Uncle Eric, you seem to have skipped the alcohol today?”

This was the first time Charles had not smelled alcohol on Eric when standing in front of him.

Eric turned his head and glared at the workers he had just scolded, then grumbled, “Because of those idiots, I had to quit drinking!”

“Quit... quit drinking?” Charles quickly turned to give Laurent a look.

Laurent was about to take out two bottles of brandy that Charles had prepared for Eric, which had been bought at a discount from Colonel Fernand’s officer’s club.

Laurent, being quick-witted, noticed the change in atmosphere and immediately put the bottles back, pretending to grab a cloth to wipe the car.

Eric didn’t notice the change. He sighed and spoke with a tone of resignation. “I produce airplanes, Lieutenant, and they’re airplanes used to fight the enemy. If there’s even a slight mistake, they might fall from the sky, which relates to the lives of the pilots. I must take responsibility for that!”

Charles nodded heavily. He had never agreed with Eric’s words as much as he did now.

Eric glanced at the workers inside the factory and continued to complain, “I thought I could trust them, but they always try to deceive me when I’m drunk. Once, they even missed two vertical supports on a plane!”

“Just because of that?” Charles still didn’t believe it.

Eric was the type of person who would rather drink than have gasoline. Would he really quit drinking over two missing vertical supports on a plane?

Eric’s old face reddened, and his tone became slightly awkward. “Of course, there’s also... Célia. I’ve told you about Célia, right? She... she came back with the child.”

Charles exclaimed, “Oh, now I understand. That’s the real reason, isn’t it, Uncle Eric?”

Eric smiled without speaking, acknowledging it with his expression, his face radiating happiness.

Perhaps because of his bashfulness, Eric changed the subject. As he led Charles into the factory, he suggested, “I’ve been thinking, Lieutenant, shouldn’t we expand the production scale? Producing fifty ‘Avros’ a month doesn’t seem to meet the military’s demand…”

Charles nodded slightly. Eric’s words made sense. Although the military had only ordered one hundred aircraft in the first batch, everyone knew that these one hundred were just filling a small gap.

If all combat aircraft were converted to “Avros,” there would easily be five hundred more orders waiting in the wings. Logically, it was time to expand the scale.

But Charles didn’t think so.

“Planes will soon be obsolete, Uncle Eric,” Charles said calmly. “The ‘Avro’ may be suitable for reconnaissance, or for the current battlefield, but it will soon be outdated, and sales will decline drastically. What we need more is a dedicated fighter!”

“A dedicated fighter?” Eric looked at Charles in surprise. “You mean, we should develop our own?”

Charles nodded. He was very clear about one thing: without technology, there is no competitiveness. Things bought from others will always fall behind the competition, just like how Schneider could easily buy the “Holt 120” to surpass Charles’s “Holt 75.”

“But we...” Eric looked troubled. “We don’t have a research and development team, Lieutenant. All of our machines are bought. We only know how to produce them!”

“Then let’s buy a team!” Charles replied, his tone as relaxed as if he were taking a walk.

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