Chapter 140 This Will Block Their Path to Wealth
The 8.5 km/h speed of the Saint-Chamond is not bad, it is equivalent to the speed of a person jogging. If it is dispersed, it is still difficult for the enemy's artillery to hit it.
But the speed of the CA-1 is only 5 km/h. The Holt 60 originally had a speed of 15 km/h, but because too many things were added, it was as slow as walking speed, and even slower than this speed in actual combat.
The German artillery has long been accustomed to the speed of infantry advance and even knows how much lead time to fire.
Any tank should try to stagger this rhythm, and the CA-1 designed by Istiny just keeps pace with it.
Considering that the German artillery has the advantages of long range and great power, then what can the CA-1 with 75 guns do on the battlefield?
They will be bombarded into the sky by the German heavy artillery before they see the target!
Istiny couldn't sit still anymore. He thanked Deyoka and others and turned to leave, but was stopped by Charles.
"Where are you going, Colonel?" Charles asked.
"I'm going to take down my design!" Estiny said, "If it is used on the battlefield, it may kill many people!"
Charles only asked, "Have you sold the industrial property rights?"
Estiny seemed to be fixed at the door as if he was under a spell. He turned his head palely: "Yes, Lieutenant, Grevi bought it for 50,000 francs!"
"Then you can't change anything!" Charles shook his head: "Even if you convince them, they will not give up this opportunity to make money!"
"But, I should still..."
Estiny wanted to say something, but was interrupted by Charles: "They don't even need you anymore. If you spread the weakness of this tank everywhere and want to take it down, you know what they will do, right?"
Estiny was stunned, then nodded slightly: "This will block their way to wealth, they may..."
As he said that, Estiny sighed. He didn't expect to be burdened by his own design, and even worried about his life.
Charles said calmly:
"Your best choice is to pretend you know nothing."
"Take a long vacation and find a place to squander the 50,000 francs you just received. This will reassure them!"
"Come back after CA-1 has problems on the battlefield. You may be questioned because of the design problem, but at least you won't lose your life!"
Deyoka looked at Charles with surprise. He felt that Charles seemed to understand human affairs better than he thought, but Charles clearly didn't like it and had never been exposed to it.
Estiny nodded and accepted the suggestion, and then he mustered up the courage to look at Charles: "Lieutenant, can I work for you then?"
This might be a problem for Charles.
However, considering that Grevi was originally his enemy, and Charles also needed a talent like Estiny, he nodded and agreed.
At least in the future, there will be no one to discuss problems with in the design and improvement of tanks.
Estiny excitedly stepped forward and shook Charles' hand: "Thank you very much, Lieutenant, thank you very much!"
In Estiny's eyes, Charles was not only a guide who guided him to wisdom, but also a benefactor who saved his life!
Looking at Estiny's back as he left, Deyoka asked Charles with a little embarrassment: "So, it has always been me and Joseph who were wrong, right? I mean moving the artillery to the tank!"
"Yes!" Charles did not deny it.
"But why didn't you say it?" Deyoka looked at Charles in confusion: "You can point it out!"
"If I said it, what would you think?" Charles asked back.
Deyoka was stunned.
Charles was right. Even if Charles pointed it out, they would still think it was Charles' stubbornness.
If it weren't for the artillery colonel who came to the same conclusion under Charles' guidance, Deyoka would never believe that a tank equipped with artillery was worse than one without it!
...
After breakfast, Charles went to the hospital for the wounded.
The Invalids Hospital is actually called the Welfare Hospital for the Invalids, which is mainly to avoid the words "Invalids Hospital" hanging on the door to expose the wounded soldiers' scars all the time.
More than 3,000 wounded soldiers have gathered here.
They come from different troops and different regions. Some are rescued by Charles from field hospitals, and some come from other places.
Just as Charles had planned before, the disabled soldiers here use simple machines to do what they can and support themselves by piecework.
The welfare home basically maintains a balance between income and expenditure, neither making money nor losing money. Charles occasionally sends some food and medicine to the welfare home.
Charles entered the factory and immediately received a warm welcome from the wounded:
"It's Master Charles!"
"We should probably call Master Charles the commander, he is a lieutenant!"
"I hope to be his subordinate, but unfortunately there is no chance!"
...
The wounded soldiers' tone is a bit self-mocking. They look optimistic, but Charles knows that they can only face it bravely like this.
The director of the orphanage is a one-armed captain named Darius. He worked as an accountant in a factory before joining the army, so he was chosen by Djoka to be the director and be responsible for the operation of the orphanage.
Darius saw Charles and Djoka coming in and hurriedly greeted them: "Mr. Djoka, Master Charles!"
Darius prefers to call Charles "Master Charles".
This is because he knew that Charles was lying in a field hospital. His left hand was amputated and he was in a semi-comatose state. Although he was not conscious, he kept mumbling to the doctor: "Will I die? Am I going to die? I don't want to die, save me..."
The doctor comforted him: "You won't die. Master Charles has provided us with enough supplies. Don't worry! You will survive!"
Darius only remembered the name "Master Charles" in a daze. He really survived and recovered. During this period, he heard countless things about "Master Charles" and his victories on the battlefield.
For Darius, "Master Charles" is irreplaceable. He thinks that Master Charles' current rank is not worthy of him at all.
"We are here to find Matthew!" Deyoka said: "I remember he was in the tire workshop!"
"Yes!" Darius responded, leading the two to the tire workshop and answering: "Matthew is doing a good job. I have asked him to manage that workshop!"
Charles' pace gradually slowed down.
Deyoka looked back at Charles in confusion. He was not happy to hear that Matthew did a good job?
Charles said nothing and quickened his pace to catch up.
Charles knew Matthew. Matthew was never a person who was content to do a monotonous job over and over again. He liked to deal with moving machinery.
If it was...
Then there was only one reason, he was pretending.
He didn't want others to see his inner depression, nor did he want to make Charles worry or even hold Charles back!