I Became a Tycoon During World War I: Saving France from the Start

Chapter 48: Power or Profit?

Ultimately, Charles chose to collaborate with Gallieni.

Satisfied with their agreement, Gallieni prepared to leave but made sure to remind Deyoka and Charles, "Remember, we never met. No agreements, no promises, and no ties between us—understood?"

"Of course," Deyoka and Charles replied in unison.

If the capitalists learned of this alliance, their retaliatory response would be brutal. They could easily accuse Gallieni of endangering national security by bypassing the Senate to make secret deals with arms suppliers, hinting at his potential intent to destabilize the Republic itself.

Abusing legal loopholes was second nature to the capitalists; no one could outmaneuver them in that arena.

Gallieni shot a concerned glance toward the kitchen, where Camille was busy slicing fruit.

Deyoka took the hint. "Don't worry, General. She won't say a word. I promise."

It wasn't that Camille was particularly tight-lipped, but Deyoka understood her weakness.

With Deyoka's reassurance, Gallieni relaxed, shaking hands with them both. Looking at Charles, he said with genuine admiration, "You're more than just an inventor, Charles. You're a natural strategist. I almost wish I could recruit you as my aide, but… well, you understand why that's impossible."

Charles nodded; as an arms dealer, his presence would be far too controversial in the military's inner circle.

"Apologies, General," Charles said suddenly.

"Apologies? What for?" Gallieni looked at him, confused.

"I might need to publicly criticize you at some point or even complain. I hope you won't take it personally."

For a moment, Gallieni was taken aback, but then he burst into laughter. "Not at all, Charles. The harsher, the better! Go ahead and insult me—I'd even approve it! And you won't mind if I respond in kind?"

"Not at all, General," Charles replied.

"Good!" Gallieni clapped Charles on the shoulder. "I knew I wasn't wrong to call you a 'conscientious capitalist.'"

Deyoka, a bit perplexed by the exchange, watched the two of them. Every word made sense, yet he felt he was missing the point of their cryptic banter. Once Gallieni left, Deyoka realized that to maintain appearances, the military needed to act as if Charles, the arms dealer, was a rival, at the very least. This way, the capitalists would have no reason to suspect an alliance.

As the realization sank in, Deyoka felt a pang of disappointment—his role had seemed superfluous, as if he were an outsider among sharper minds.

Just then, Camille entered, holding a plate with a proud smile. She looked around, a hint of disappointment in her voice. "The General's gone? He should've stayed to try my apple tart!"

"Generals are busy men, Camille," Deyoka replied.

Charles looked at Deyoka, silently asking, So, how do you plan to keep Camille from telling everyone in town?

Deyoka shrugged, as if to say, Leave it to me.

"Camille," he began, catching her attention, "I need to clarify something with you."

"Yes?" She paused, wiping her hands on her apron.

"Gallieni was never here," Deyoka said. "Tonight, we only had a client over. Someone here to talk business. Strictly business."

"But…" Camille began, only to have Deyoka interrupt.

"If the capitalists hear about this, they could become hostile toward Charles. Kidnapping might not be far off, which is why Gallieni came in disguise and kept this meeting private."

At this, Camille went pale, glancing at Charles with worry before giving a firm nod. "Understood. I won't say a word! Tonight, we just had a client over—someone interested in buying motorcycles."

"Exactly," Deyoka nodded approvingly.

Charles raised an eyebrow at Deyoka, clearly annoyed. You're shamelessly using me!

"It's the best way, Charles," Deyoka replied with a helpless shrug. "You're her weak spot. She won't breathe a word of this, even in her sleep."

Charles couldn't argue—it seemed universal that mothers would go to any length to protect their children.

Deyoka and Charles sat down at the dining table, enjoying the fresh fruit Camille had prepared. Between bites, Deyoka asked, "Two things. If he can't protect our patents, how do we counter the capitalists' imitations?"

Out of caution, Deyoka had started referring to Gallieni as simply "he."

Charles sifted through the fruit slices, picking out an apple wedge he liked. "That won't be an issue, Father. If I can continually upgrade the equipment and improve its performance, they'll always be a step behind. Anything they manage to copy will be obsolete by the time it hits production. I'll make sure they regret trying."

Deyoka stopped chewing, looking at Charles thoughtfully. "You sound very confident in yourself."

"Of course!" Charles grinned, half-jokingly. "I've got at least a hundred ideas buzzing around my head. I just haven't had the time to bring them to life yet."

Deyoka smiled, returning to his fruit. Charles was still young and probably didn't realize how harsh reality could be. Sometimes, even the best ideas struggled to find acceptance in society or the military.

Deyoka decided not to dampen Charles's enthusiasm, figuring it was good for the boy to stay motivated and confident. He didn't realize, of course, that Charles's "hundred ideas" had already been proven in other places, in real combat, and had the military's approval.

Deyoka took another bite, then posed his second question. "Why would you insist on low prices just to work with the military? That doesn't seem like the decision of a businessman."

At least, it wasn't a decision Francis would make.

"True," Charles said, crunching an apple piece. "Lower-tier merchants wouldn't make that choice."

"Lower-tier?" Deyoka was puzzled.

Was Francis, the family's business prodigy, only a "lower-tier merchant" in Charles's eyes?

"Lower-tier merchants only see money," Charles explained, casually picking at the fruit. "Their focus is limited to profit, which blinds them to what's truly important."

"What's 'truly important'?" Deyoka asked, feeling as if Charles were subtly referring to him, as well. He wasn't entirely sure he understood.

Charles replied with a question of his own. "Father, do you know who the most powerful capitalists in France are?"

Deyoka thought for a moment, finally listing a few names well-known across France: "Wendell, Stid, Jameson, and Wells."

Charles nodded, then identified their backgrounds. "The Wendell family controls Wendell Group, monopolizing one-fifth of France's steel production; Stid owns the St. Étienne Arms Factory, which produces nearly all light weaponry for the French army; Jameson runs the Schneider Armaments Factory, manufacturing artillery and warships; Wells manages the Brest Shipyard, building warships for France since the last century."

Deyoka nodded in agreement; Charles had clearly done his research.

Charles leaned in, looking at Deyoka seriously. "Do you think it's a coincidence that these men are the most powerful and control French military production?"

Without waiting for a response, Charles continued, "Did they become powerful because they controlled military production, or did they control military production because they were powerful? And if it's the latter, where does their power come from? Who granted it to them?"

Deyoka was at a loss, caught off guard by questions he had never considered.

(End of Chapter)

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