Chapter 499: Adding Another Condition
As a capitalist, Charles, of course, would not easily reveal his hand.
He followed up on Browning's words with a regretful expression: "Yes, I suppose I don't have much reason to cooperate."
This was actually a subtle hint to Boyata.
Reason—right, find a reason!
"General," Boyata pondered for a moment, "If we cooperate, the French army's bullets and shells could be produced by FN, which would save a lot on transportation costs and time."
Charles hummed, "That indeed has its advantages, but I believe this is more of a Belgian issue."
The French army was here to liberate Belgium; it should be the Belgians, not the French, who care more about this issue. Helping the French army produce ammunition is simply a given; it can't serve as a negotiation condition.
Boyata, slightly embarrassed, had not considered this angle while thinking of reasons.
Then, his brow furrowed as he added, "We also have a subsidiary in the United States. Cooperation could help you expand into the American military market."
Charles raised an eyebrow—this was indeed tempting, in fact, very tempting.
In about a year and a half, the United States would likely enter the war, and by then, his troops would need vast amounts of equipment—light and heavy machine guns, submachine guns, landmines—all items that the American military was desperately short of. There were also tanks, armored vehicles, and similar equipment, which would be a huge business opportunity.
But Charles still shook his head: "Unfortunately, the United States is a neutral country, Mr. Boyata. Their need for equipment is not great."
Boyata broke into a cold sweat, desperate.
No, this cooperation cannot fail. It wasn't just about the cooperation itself; it was about FN's future.
Without Browning, FN might have to revert to producing motorcycles and bicycles again.
At that moment, Browning added, "Colonel, we could purchase large quantities of both military and civilian materials through FN's U.S. subsidiary. I hear France is currently in dire need of these."
Charles was moved, truly moved.
The war had been going on for over a year, and France was experiencing shortages of both military and civilian supplies, some of them even critically so—items like boots, water bottles, home appliances, and machinery.
This was also the reason why the British could manipulate the French military’s high command by controlling the supply of these materials.
Seeing that Charles was interested in this line of thinking, Boyata quickly followed up, "Exactly, and not only the United States, but also the Netherlands. It’s a neutral country too, and it borders us on land, making it easier for us to acquire supplies."
Charles thought for a moment and then slowly nodded. "Add one more condition."
Boyata and Browning exchanged looks, both seeing excitement and anticipation in each other’s eyes.
"Very well, General." Boyata quickly agreed, "As long as it is something we can do."
...
September in Paris marked the blooming season of dahlias, with fresh and delicate fragrances filling the air and the colorful blossoms swaying in the breeze, adding a touch of joy to the city.
Dominique had his own laboratory at the police training base, designed for both new gun designs and to accommodate the work of the training base.
Sometimes, Steed would advise Dominique, "You could completely quit the work at the training base and focus on designing new guns. I’ll send someone else to handle the base's duties."
But Dominique refused, saying, "It’s not just a job, Father. It’s a place to understand the military and its needs. Only by interacting with them can I truly understand what they want."
Steed thought this was quite reasonable.
One of the reasons for the decline of the "Saint-Étienne" arms factory was the disconnect between design and actual military needs. The products that were developed were not what the battlefield required.
Charles had managed to revitalize "Saint-Étienne" precisely because he had personally led troops in battle and understood the true needs.
Thinking of this, Steed no longer objected.
The laboratory was luxurious, covering an area as large as a basketball court, and divided into five sections—one for gun barrels, another for parts production, a third for testing, and even a dedicated shooting range.
There were over seventy assistants and staff.
To alleviate Dominique's burden and ensure a quicker gun design, Steed had invested over one hundred thousand francs to set up a "small arms factory" at the lab.
However, Dominique found himself in a dilemma.
He sat under the desk lamp, drawing plans, but after a while, he suddenly crumpled the papers into a ball and threw them into the corner. The wastepaper basket was already full, and paper balls littered the area, all representing failed designs.
They couldn’t be considered failures, though. Dominique was simply so familiar with firearms that no matter what he designed, it always ended up resembling the existing weapons—either a Mauser or a revamped Lebel.
Dominique sighed deeply.
His mind was a mess; all the guns seemed the same, and the designs were strikingly similar!
Could it be that without Charles' guidance, he was incapable of creating anything?
He remembered something Charles had once said: "You will become another Browning, France’s Browning."
"No!" Dominique sighed again. "I’m nothing!"
Knowing how to use a gun, being obsessed with guns, and designing a rifle of one’s own were two completely different things.
"Colonel," at that moment, the secretary handed Dominique a telegram. "It’s from the General. He’s asking if you would like to be Browning’s assistant?"
Dominique murmured in response, still lost in thought about his design.
After a while, he suddenly looked up at the secretary: "What? What did you say? Browning?"
The secretary repeated the content of the telegram.
Dominique took the telegram in disbelief, reading it over and over. Then he let out a bitter laugh: "The key is whether Browning will want me as his assistant. I don’t know anything—I’ll just be a nuisance to him!"
Just then, another telegram arrived: "He is here with me. You just need to answer 'yes' or 'no.'"
Dominique froze, as if he understood Charles' intention: Browning had already agreed, now it was up to him.
The next second, Dominique suddenly woke up and shouted at the secretary: "Send a reply immediately, yes!"
"Wait." Dominique stopped the secretary, adding, "Add a few words: 'I am honored!'"
The secretary was a little surprised. Dominique, who was usually indifferent to formalities, had suddenly shown courtesy.
What the secretary didn’t know was that Browning was almost like a "god" in the field of gun design, and becoming his assistant was a dream that many people could never attain.
Dominique walked excitedly back and forth in the office:
"Could I really become Browning’s assistant and design firearms with him?"
"How did the General convince him?"
"Oh my God, this can't be a dream, can it?"