I Became a Tycoon During World War I - Chapter 22

Chapter 22: 990,000 Francs

Francis originally intended to stay silent—after all, if the ownership rights were in Charles’ hands and he were to sell them, Francis wouldn’t receive a penny.

However, Charles added,
“Although we’ve agreed on a buyer, we haven’t signed the contract. If Mr. Francis can sell it at a higher price, we’re willing to offer a 10% commission on the final deal price!”

Francis was taken aback. At the current price, 10% would amount to 60,000 francs—no one could refuse such a fortune.

Djoka looked at Charles in shock. He had claimed they already had a buyer in order to avoid further entanglement with his father and escape quickly. Yet, Charles actively brought up the subject of commissions with Francis.

After calming down, Djoka realized Charles was right. Business should not be clouded by personal emotions. He himself was often dismissed by his father precisely because he let sentimentality interfere with decision-making.

Charles had his own considerations. The ownership rights to the tank should be sold as quickly as possible. At the end of the day, this invention was nothing more than a tractor with a few steel plates added. If French military enterprises wanted to replicate or circumvent the patent, it wouldn’t be difficult. Neither he nor the Bernard family had the capability to protect these rights, and over time, they could become worthless.

Tank ownership rights only had value in the hands of someone capable of defending them.

Francis couldn’t resist the lure of the commission. Though he felt reluctant, he brought Djoka and Charles to meet with Grevy and Armand.

Grevy politely stood up to shake hands with Djoka and Charles. He then saluted Charles and said,
“I’ve long admired you, Mr. Charles. What a remarkable invention! Who would’ve thought a tractor could perform so astonishingly on the battlefield?”

Armand, however, remained reclined on the sofa with his legs crossed, casting a sidelong glance at Djoka and Charles. His brow furrowed slightly, suggesting a hint of disdain.

Charles didn’t mind. He’d heard that some traditional nobles disdained treating commoners as equals. Now it seemed that at least some of them were like this. As for Grevy, his politeness might just be a facade masking similar sentiments as Armand.

“You have competitors, gentlemen!” Francis said. “I just received word. This morning, we registered the patent in Paris, and before we even left the office, someone made an offer to buy it!”

Francis naturally aligned himself with the patent owners, using “we” in his phrasing.

To make the news more credible, Francis added,
“The buyer is Bonnet, the owner of Le Petit Journal!”

“Oh?” Grevy was surprised. “Do you know how much he offered?”

Francis turned his gaze toward Djoka.

Before Djoka could respond, Charles quietly answered,
“He offered 500,000 francs.”

Djoka looked at Charles in astonishment. Charles’ innocent expression made Djoka question himself—did Bonnet really say 500,000? Why did I remember it as 100,000? Could I have misremembered?

Armand chuckled lightly, sat upright, and said smugly,
“This means we’ve won, gentlemen. We offer 600,000!”

Just moments ago, Armand suspected Francis of conspiring with his son and grandson to inflate the price. Now, he realized he might have been overthinking it.

However, Charles interjected,
“That’s for domestic rights only.”

“What do you mean?” Armand asked, puzzled.

“The Paris Convention, Armand,” Grevy explained on his behalf. “They can still register patents in other countries!”

Armand hesitated, spreading his hands. “Then…”

The implication was clear—how much was the final offer?

Charles turned innocently to Francis and asked,
“Mr. Francis, how should foreign rights be calculated?”

Francis hummed in response, his excitement mounting. Starting at a base of 500,000 francs and adding more—surely, at least another 100,000 could be added. His commission would increase by several thousand!

“I’m not entirely sure, gentlemen!” Francis said. “But in Britain, could we estimate 300,000 francs?”

“No, Mr. Francis!” Grevy protested. “The British don’t need tanks. Their army fights in France, and they use French tanks!”

Francis, seeing an opening, responded smoothly,
“Then could we estimate 300,000 francs for Russia, which does have a need for them?”

Grevy immediately realized he’d fallen into Francis’ trap. Adding Russia to the calculations would bring the total up to 800,000 francs!

The negotiations heated up:
“Russia may not necessarily use tanks—they have far more soldiers than we do!”

“No, no. No one wants massive numbers of soldiers dying on the battlefield. Tanks can secure victory while significantly reducing casualties. Moreover, even if Britain doesn’t need tanks domestically, they certainly wouldn’t want to fall behind in military technology. Thus, the patent isn’t worthless!”

“Why should we buy foreign rights when they have nothing to do with us?”

“You can choose not to buy them, but that means the foreign rights will remain ours. This means we could register a British company and manufacture tanks in France. Do you still think this doesn’t concern you?”

…

Negotiations were Francis’ forte. Djoka and Charles, meanwhile, disengaged from this “battle” entirely. Each took a small plate and browsed the buffet at the side of the lounge, selecting their favorite foods.

Djoka picked a slice of beef pizza, while Charles chose a piece of cream cake.

It was well past lunchtime, and the two had been busy all day without a meal, their stomachs growling with hunger.

As Djoka savored his pizza, he watched the noblemen argue with great interest. Leaning closer to Charles, he whispered,
“You lied, Charles!”

Charles nodded.
“And so did you, father.”

Djoka laughed and praised,
“Well done! Look at them…”

…

After rounds of bargaining, the tank patent was finally sold for 1.1 million francs. However, Francis attached one condition: the tanks had to be produced in partnership with Francis’ tractor factory.

This was clearly a self-serving move, sacrificing Charles’ interests to secure production rights for himself.

Grevy and Armand didn’t object. They lacked factories of their own and needed an established, well-equipped tractor factory to produce the tanks. Francis’ tractor factory, being the largest and most advanced in France, had the added prestige of inventing the tank and aiding the military in the victory at Davaus.

Evidently, having Francis’ factory produce the tanks would make it easier for the military to accept.

Thus, the two sides quickly agreed to grant the production rights to the tractor factory.

Djoka could hardly believe it was real: 1.1 million francs. After deducting Francis’ commission, there was still 990,000 francs!

They had made 990,000 francs in just a few days—without taking any risks!

The issues of imitation, suppression by established arms manufacturers, and other concerns were now problems for Grevy, Armand, and Francis to deal with!

Table of content - Next Chapter >>>